Chapter 209
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No one dared to speak up for Lavern. Abel, in particular, kept his head so low it was like he was trying to disappear into his collar, praying no one would notice him.
Lavern’s face was menacing as he glared at Marina.
“Marina, you’re ruthless!” he spat.
“You really think sending me to prison is your ticket into the Zamora family? Keep dreaming. A family like theirs would never let someone as cold–blooded as you marry into their family. Just wait for your payback,” he continued.
Marina looked totally unfazed by Lavern’s curses, her expression calm as ever. It was like his words just bounced right off her, not even leaving a scratch.
Lavern was so mad his chest was heaving, and if looks could kill, Marina would’ve dropped dead right there from the way he glared at her.
Seven years of love, and now they were nothing but bitter rivals.
Lavern still thought it was all Marina’s fault, never once realizing he was the one who messed up.
Basil shot Lavern a look full of contempt before turning to his men.
“Take Mr. Ross back to his hospital room to rest. Once the internal investigation wraps up, we’ll hand all the evidence over to the court,” he ordered.
Lavern clenched his jaw, accepting his defeat as he walked out of the conference room.
As he was leaving, Marina finally broke her silence, her voice low but steady as she said, “I have no idea when payback will come for me, but yours? It’s already here.”
Lavern froze in his tracks, then shot her a vicious glare.
Marina kept that mocking smirk on her lips.
She said coldly, “Lavern, how can you blame me for being heartless? You tried to use Ross Group to take out a massive loan, then moved all the assets behind my back and dumped all the debt on me.
“If I’d shown you any mercy, I’d be the one being dragged away for investigation today.”
Lavern’s expression froze, surprise flickering in his eyes.
“You…” He wanted to ask Marina when she’d seen through his scheme, but he swallowed the words before they could come out.
At this point, asking was meaningless.
Marina looked away from Lavern’s hunched, defeated figure, her eyes glinting with icy resolve.
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She thought, “This isn’t some golden ticket into the Zamora family. It’s my shield against prison bars.
‘If I hadn’t caught on in time, I’d be buried under a mountain of debt, with no hope of ever recovering in this lifetime.
‘And yet Lavern still had the nerve to call me heartless.
‘Am I really the ruthless one compared to him?‘
As Lavern left, the conference room fell silent once more.
Abel carefully rose from his chair, giving Marina a nervous look, practically groveling.
“Ms. Finley, now that Mr. Ross is gone, can we wrap this up?” he asked.
Marina stayed put, showing no intention of leaving her seat.
Seeing this, Abel gave a nervous and awkward smile. “Ms. Finley, excuse me, I need to go to the toilet,” he stammered.
Marina’s eyes drifted over to him, cool and uninterested, and she snorted coldly.
“What’s wrong, Abel? Did you get so scared you’re about to wet yourself?” she mocked.
Hearing this, Basil couldn’t help but take another look at Marina.
For a split second, it was like Daron’s aura was shining through her.
Abel was so intimidated by Marina’s retort that he didn’t even dare to breathe. He slumped back into his seat, forcing out a couple of awkward laughs.
“I… I can hold it a little longer,” he stammered.
Marina shot back, “Then just hold it in.”
Abel just sat there, speechless.
None of the execs dared to even speak.
Marina shifted her gaze from Abel to Basil, raising her hand slightly and said, “Basil, go on.”
Basil nodded and pressed the controller again. The screen flickered, now showing hard evidence of Abel pocketing kickbacks, along with proof of the other executives‘ shady dealings.
Abel’s face drained of color as he saw the evidence flash across the screen.
He tried to keep his cool and lifted his cup for a sip, but his shaking hand betrayed just how rattled he was.
The others only dared a glance at the screen before instantly bowing their heads.
Those who couldn’t handle the heat started pleading with Marina for mercy on the spot.
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“Ms. Finley, I know I screwed up. I let greed get the best of me and did something terrible. Please, have mercy. Just give me another chance! I’m willing to pay it all back, I swear!” one of them begged.
As soon as one started pleading, the rest joined in, all begging for forgiveness.
Marina no longer owned a single share in the Ross Group.
What happened to these people was now up to Daron.
Marina ignored their begging and turned to Basil.
“Basil, since Mr. Zamora put you in charge, it’s your call now,” she said.
The Zamora Group’s audit team had already stepped in, so she’d finished what she came to do. There was no need for her to stay on at Ross Group anymore.
She still had that three–month arrangement with Daron, and he’d promised she could return to Vrufield for work. Anything that happened at Ross Group from now on had nothing to do with her.
Whatever consequences these people faced, it was out of her hands now.
When the execs heard Marina was handing them over to Basil, their faces went ghostly pale.
The Zamora Group’s audit department was notorious. No one who got investigated by them ever came out unscathed.
Panicked, they started begging Marina for mercy.
Marina barely glanced at them before rising from her seat, her voice calm as she spoke to Basil, “Basil, I’m done here. I’ll be leaving now.”
Basil nodded, watching as Marina walked out of the conference room.
No matter how much they begged, Marina didn’t spare them a single glance.
After Marina left, none of the execs dared meet Basil’s eyes. Deep down, they were all wondering how many years they’d be doing time for all that money they’d pocketed.
Just as they were bracing themselves for the worst, Basil’s voice cut through the tension.
“Since you all put in the work and helped Ross Group get to where it is today, Ms. Finley has decided to let this slide,” he announced.
Marina was standing out in the hallway when she caught his announcement from inside the conference room. She stopped dead in her tracks, a little stunned.
‘Wait, when did I ever say I’d let them off the hook?‘ she thought, a flicker of surprise crossing her mind.
She figured Basil must be acting on Daron’s instructions.
Marina lingered there for a moment, pressing her lips together. ‘Daron must be worried I’ll make too many
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enemies at once and end up being retaliated against by these people. Guess that’s why he decided to cut these people some slack,‘ she thought.
The executives in the conference room looked utterly shocked at Basil’s announcement.
Basil gave them a stern look and continued, his voice serious, “Even though the company isn’t pressing charges, there are still conditions.”
The room fell silent as everyone shot nervous looks at each other, waiting for what came next.
Basil continued, “First, you need to return all the money you took and compensate for any losses.
Everyone nodded immediately and replied, “We’ll pay it all back, right away!”
Then Basil said, “Second, the company will buy back your shares at market price.”
Some of the execs started to hesitate.
With the Zamora Group now in control, Ross Group was set for big things, and their shares were only going to get more valuable.
Selling now would mean a huge loss for them.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
