Frederick looked up at Marsh. He disliked bypassing his supervisor to speak to higher management, knowing it was a workplace taboo.However, Frederick was currently working on Ivy's behalf and feared that informing Marsh would jeopardize the investigation.Since the inquiry was confidential, Frederick couldn't explain. He simply glanced at Marsh and calmly asked, "Is there a problem?"Frederick held no goodwill toward this corrupt individual.Grace had instructed him to target Olivia, mistakenly believing she was Frederick's girlfriend. With Frederick out of the picture, Marsh saw an opportunity to carry out his plan. He eagerly anticipated Frederick's reaction upon discovering Olivia's fate.With a sardonic chuckle, Marsh said, "Of course not. You're our company's 'golden boy.' If Ms. Mallin personally approves your leave, it's perfectly fine with me. You must have important business to attend to, so go ahead. Just remember to be back on time tomorrow. You might be in for a surpr
Olivia glanced at the address and gave a reassuring nod. "Don't worry, Mr. Benson. I'll deliver the documents promptly and return right away so it doesn't disrupt our workflow."Marsh nodded and smiled, "Sure, go ahead."But inwardly, he was thrilled, knowing she wouldn't be coming back.…Meanwhile, Frederick reached the herbal medicine market. After surveying the area, he gained a good grasp of its layout. Some herbs from a few shops were of high quality, but Frederick didn't immediately settle on a new supplier for Timbergale Corporation.He knew that changing suppliers without first investigating the previous herb issues would raise suspicions.Time was crucial, so he decided to investigate the herbal suppliers swiftly. He also purchased the herbs needed for Nicole's facial treatment and then set off for Pegasus Industries. Taking a taxi, he arrived at Pegasus Industries. Upon seeing the place, his expression shifted slightly. Pegasus Industries was merely an old, dilap
Frederick furrowed his brow, eager to uncover their scheme.He watched as the two thugs, huffing and puffing, loaded the cart while grumbling."Damn it!" one exclaimed. "Those who climb the ladder get to enjoy life. We're the unlucky ones! We didn't like factory work, so we beat up the manager to join the 'big leagues.' And now we're doing the same work for even less pay." The other thug quickly hushed him. "Stop complaining and hurry up. If Mr. Miller finds out, we'll get another earful." At the mention of Mr. Miller, a flicker of fear crossed the first thug's face, but he stubbornly retorted, "Hmph, what's so great about him? He was a small-time crook like us. Now he found a way to sell these herbs, so he acts like he's the king."Despite his defiance, his hands didn't stop moving, swiftly filling the cart. In no time, the cart was full. Frederick, perched in the tree, had clearly heard their conversation and decided to follow them.He trailed them to the other side of the ya
As Frederick surveyed the workshop, he noticed a large trash bin in the distance.The lid began to open slowly as if by itself, and a camera peeked out.Frederick was initially puzzled but quickly realized that someone was concealed inside the bin, carefully pushing the lid open to record secretly. It seemed he wasn't the only one gathering evidence in this nefarious operation.However, whoever was hiding in the bin was rather amateurish. Such a conspicuous hiding spot was sure to be discovered soon.Indeed, two thugs in work uniforms approached at that moment, pushing a cart laden with failed processed herbs."Man, there's so much unusable stock every day. Pushing this stuff around is exhausting," one grumbled."Quit complaining. Let's just get it over with," the other replied. Hearing the approaching voices, the person in the trash bin panicked. He hastily retracted the camera and shut the lid. The two thugs pushed the cart closer, ready to open the bin and dump the waste h
Lily waited with bated breath for the trash bin lid to spring open.Suddenly, a man's nonchalant voice drifted from outside. "Why do I have the urge to pee now? Ah, whatever, the trash bin will do."Peeing in the trash bin? Lily's mind reeled.Inside the bin, Lily was paralyzed with fear. The instruction manual was the furthest thing from her mind—no manual could have prepared her for this.Mustering her courage, she shoved the lid open and scrambled out. She shouted, "Don't... Don't pee..."Her eyes met those of a man with a playful smirk. Frederick had shed his work jacket, the workshop ruse no longer necessary. His earlier remark had been a playful ploy to coax whoever was inside to reveal themselves.Frederick was curious to uncover who else was probing into Pegasus Industries. He had witnessed this individual filming and was determined to prevent the footage from leaving the premises.The inner workings of Pegasus Industries couldn't be exposed before he reported his findin
Lily's fleeting sense of triumph was quickly replaced by shock as a hand reached into her neckline, retrieving the memory card. She was utterly stunned. Never before had a man touched her there. In movies, this ploy always worked because men hesitated due to social norms. But Frederick clearly didn't care about such things.Had Frederick known her thoughts, he would have found them amusing. Trying to guilt-trip him? Useless when he had no conscience to appeal to.A subconscious smile played on Frederick's lips as he examined the memory card, recalling the sensation of taking it. Lily was flushed with rage. "You creep, what are you smirking about?"Frederick chuckled, gesturing toward the memory card. "This memory card amuses me."Lily understood the true source of his amusement. In a fit of fury, she lunged forward to snatch it back. Frederick easily dodged, causing Lily to stumble and nearly fall, dropping her manual in the process.Frederick picked it up. The cover read "D
Lily's face was drained of color. If Frederick really summoned those thugs, they would…The thought sent a shiver down her spine.She spat out, "Bastard, you'll pay for this!" With that, she bolted toward the far wall.Frederick watched her figure and felt puzzled. How had she gotten in?The entrance was guarded. Was she going to climb the wall like he had?He observed as Lily approached the wall. Could she scale it in those flip-flops? With every step, the sandals slapped against her feet, revealing her toes.Frederick shook his head. It seemed unlikely she'd attempt to climb in those shoes. Curious, he decided to follow and see how she had entered.Lily reached the wall, turned to glare at Frederick, took a deep breath, and then lay down and crawled out through a dog hole.Frederick nearly choked on his own disbelief.Was this another gem from the "Detective Quick-Start Handbook"?Seeing Lily leave, Frederick felt a wave of relief. Despite her impulsive nature, she had a
Seeing Olivia's terrified expression, Mitchell flashed a lecherous smile. "Of course, it's me… Ouch!"His smile pulled on his facial wounds, causing a sudden jolt of pain."How could this happen..." Olivia murmured, her voice barely a whisper as she struggled to comprehend the situation.Before she could even react, Mitchell lunged at her like a madman. Olivia, frail and unprepared, was no match for his brute strength and was easily pushed onto the couch. She flailed her arms wildly, striking Mitchell's injured body in her desperate attempt to defend herself.Though her blows lacked power, each one landed on his wounds, eliciting howls of pain from Mitchell.Enraged, Mitchell struck Olivia twice across the face and began ripping at her clothes. Olivia covered her cheeks, tears streaming down her face. Surrounded by the frenzied Mitchell and his thugs, she knew she had no chance of escaping.Terror clenched Olivia's heart as thoughts of Frederick surfaced. Each time she'd been t