Chapter 43The crowd outside Whitewater’s front steps had not dispersed. Interns lingered near the glass doors, pretending to check their phones while sneaking glances at the unfolding scene. Whispers rippled like an undercurrent, buzzing with excitement, fear, and disdain.Andrea stood between the two policemen, wrists already bound in cold steel. His silence made the entire situation heavier; it was as if his refusal to protest only confirmed the accusations whispered around him.Gracie’s heels clicked against the concrete as she stepped forward again, her eyes fixed firmly on the officers. Her face was calm, but her voice was sharp, measured, commanding in its clarity.“At least allow him to make a call,” she said. “He has the right to inform his family before you drag him away like a criminal.”Andrea’s eyes widened just slightly. He hadn’t expected her to intervene once, let alone twice. For someone who had built walls of ice around herself, Gracie’s voice now cut through the air

Chapter 45 The thirty minutes ticked by with heavy silence. The police station, normally filled with chatter and clattering typewriters, felt tense. Every eye seemed to flick toward Andrea, who sat with his hands folded, calm despite the storm around him.Sofia, however, paced the narrow room, her heels clicking furiously against the tiles. Her confidence had started to crack. She threw Andrea a glare every few seconds, whispering harshly under her breath.“You think calling in some lawyer changes anything? You humiliated me, Andrea. You think I’ll let you walk free after what you’ve done?”Andrea didn’t respond. He didn’t need to.Then, at precisely the thirtieth minute, the doors opened. Leonardo Vance strode back in, trailed by two assistants carrying files. Behind them came a tall, poised figure—Maria Carter herself.The entire station froze. Gasps rippled through the room. The CEO of Whitewater Industries stepping into a police precinct was unthinkable.Sofia’s face drained of c

The drive home was thick with silence.Maria’s fury filled the car like smoke, choking out every trace of calm. Andrea sat beside her, staring out the window as the city lights streaked past — cold, distant, and merciless.The moment they arrived at the mansion, Maria didn’t wait for the driver to open the door. She stepped out sharply, her heels clicking against the stone like sparks of anger. Andrea followed behind her, his face pale, shoulders heavy with exhaustion.As soon as they entered the living room, Maria turned to him, her eyes burning.“Paying a fine? That’s it?” she demanded, her voice echoing through the marble hall. “Andrea, that woman humiliated you in front of your coworkers! She dragged your name through filth — and you just let her go with a fine?”Andrea exhaled slowly, loosening his tie. “Maria, it’s enough. The truth came out, didn’t it? Nikolai was the thief, not me. I don’t want to ruin Sofia’s life any further.”Maria’s laugh was sharp and bitter. “You’re unbe

Chapter 49 The air outside the police station was thick with heat and tension, the sound of car horns echoing faintly down the busy street. Sofia stepped out of the building with unsteady legs, her heels clicking against the pavement. The officer’s words replayed in her head like a haunting melody: > “You’ll have to speak to Ms. Maria if you want him out.” Maria. That name tasted bitter in her mouth. As she reached her car, she tightened her grip on her purse and whispered under her breath, “I’ll make her drop the case… I swear I will.” Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone and dialed her secretary’s number. It rang twice before a polite male voice answered. “Mrs. Evelyn?” “It’s Sofia,” she snapped. “I need you to find something for me immediately.” “Yes, ma’am. What would you like me to—” “Find out where Andrea and Maria, live,” she cut in sharply. “Now. I don’t care how you do it, just send me the address before ten minutes pass. Do you understand?” There was a pause

The morning sun had barely risen over the Konstanio estate, but the mansion was already alive with quiet movement. Security guards patrolled the long driveway, their black uniforms gleaming under the light, earpieces buzzing with low, crisp instructions.From outside the tall iron gate, Sofia stood, looking small and out of place. Her eyes were heavy from another sleepless night, her hair pinned neatly, her perfume soft but desperate — like someone trying to hold onto dignity that had long slipped away.She had already spoken to three different guards, each repeating the same words with practiced indifference:> “I’m sorry, ma’am, but no one is allowed in without prior authorization.”Sofia’s hands clenched around her handbag. “I told you — I need to speak with Maria. It’s urgent. Please, just tell her Sofia is here.”The guard exchanged a brief glance with the man beside him before shaking his head again. “Miss Maria has instructed not to receive any unannounced visitors.”Sofia’s he