Before dealing with Lawson, Christopher intended to give Laila a warning, more as a heads-up. He had already arranged for a lawyer to prepare the divorce papers, waiting only for Laila to show remorse before presenting them for her signature, playing the role of a magnanimous father.
The next morning, upon receiving a call, Laila rushed to the old house. Upon entering the study, seeing Averi there, her complexion turned even paler, the dark circles under her eyes more pronounced and terrifying.
"Take a look," Christopher said without preamble, throwing Tobias's file onto the table.
He had expected her to weep and wail, confessing her blindness and how she had been deceived by her husband, but instead, Laila glanced through a few pages with dull eyes and confessed to all the crimes outright.
"Since you all know, there's no point in me explaining. The troublemakers were hired by me, and the car accident was arranged by me. Lawson knew nothing about it."
Christopher glared with wide eyes, his facial muscles twitching, raising his hand to strike, but it paused mid-air.
Laila did not dodge. Instead, she stared straight at him.
"Dad, go ahead and hit me, I won't dodge." Her scattered gaze turned to Averi's face, suddenly regaining its sharpness: "You must know that the one who wanted to kill you was me, not Lawson. He has no grudge against you, no reason to do such a thing. The one who wanted you dead was me. I've wanted to do this for a long time, but never had the chance. Averi, do you and Teagan really think that the family's success today is all because of you two?"
"Let me tell you something, Averi—your mom and Mareli are no different. They're both rats. Without my mom and my grandfather, the family business wouldn't have even started! What gives you the right to act so entitled—"
"Shut up!" Christopher's face turned ashen, and his hand slapped down harshly, without hesitation.
The sharp sound of the slap echoed throughout the study, Laila's head snapped to the side, her body swayed, and she stumbled into the desk, causing pens and a lamp to teeter precariously.
"You ungrateful brat! Do you think you're in the right? Is this how your mother and grandfather raised you? Get out of my sight! Tomorrow, you're leaving—go to the factory in Z country with him!" Christopher shouted furiously, slamming the door hard enough to make the doorframe shake.
A man who rose to power through women is least tolerant of hearing about that part of his history. Laila's words were akin to stabbing him in his sore spot.
Once Christopher left, the air suddenly grew quiet. Laila was still dizzy, her cheek swelling rapidly, and she sucked in a sharp breath at the touch of her fingers.
Averi: "Second Laila, you did this on purpose."
Laila lowered her head, saying nothing.
"I have one question. With such a big move, you'll eventually be discovered by the Securities Regulatory Commission. So why did you do all this? Was it for money? If you need money, Dad can provide it."
Christopher was unfaithful, but indeed generous, often spending large sums to win a smile from his lovers. Whenever Eli scored well on an exam, sports cars would follow one after another. That's exactly why so many women were willing to bear the label of "the other woman" just to be involved with him.
"The one who needs money is your husband. What's wrong with him, gambling? Drugs?"
"Averi!" Laila finally spoke, glaring at her angrily, "Don't jump to conclusions, Lawson isn't that kind of person."
Averi sneered lightly, "Then what kind of person is he, the kind who pushes his wife forward to take the blame?"
It was only today that she realized Laila was a hopeless romantic. Come to think of it, Johnathan was too—he fell out with Cristopher over a woman. Averi couldn't help but wonder if this was due to Yoselin's genetic inheritance.
"It was my own choice!" Realizing she had misspoken, Laila's expression tightened.
Averi consoled her, "I truly have no grudge against your second brother-in-law. There's no need for me to hold onto him. Laila, Father will eventually find out. He's just too angry today to ask you why you did it. Instead of waiting until he finds out and bringing up old grievances, it would be better to tell everything now so he can get all his anger out at once."
Laila didn't want to make things easy for her, yet she couldn't deny that Averi was right in her heart.
After holding back for half a minute, she finally spoke, "I asked Lawson to take money from the company for investment, I lost, and the losses grew, and I couldn't cover them up, that's how it is."
Laila could barely show up at the company three times a week, leaving all major and minor matters to the manager. How could such a person embezzle public funds? And was Lawson a fool, following whatever his wife said?
Averi was too lazy to expose her and only asked, "Laila, have you really thought this through?"
Thought through?
She had never considered it.
After learning everything, the only thing she thought of was that she was Christopher's biological daughter, at most she might be beaten or scolded, then sent to a marginal company. But Lawson couldn't afford to, being a penniless son-in-law with no background, her father wouldn't go easy on him, and might even send him to jail.
How could she watch her lover go to prison without doing anything?
Laila suddenly smiled, "I hope you never make a single misstep. Because the moment you do, no one will save you. They'll treat you like a dog that's already down, stepping on you and wishing they never had anything to do with you."
The more Laila spoke, the happier she became, her eyes gleaming with an unusual light, "Averi, I suddenly feel that this isn't bad either. Even if you inherit J Corporation, you will experience everything my mother went through back then. Ha, looking at it this way, there is still justice in this world."
Averi looked at her calmly and said, "Perhaps."
