Mrs. Henderson remained on her knees on the marble floor, tears streaming down her face as she clutched at Pervis's shoes desperately."Please, sir, you have to understand," she sobbed, her voice breaking with desperation. "I'm a single mother! I have a crippled son at home who depends on me for everything!""Mrs. Henderson, please get up," Sarah said softly, though she kept her distance from the older woman."No!" Mrs. Henderson cried, refusing to rise. "I need this job! My son can't walk, can't work—I'm all he has! If I lose this position, we'll be out on the street!"Pervis looked down at the broken woman, feeling a mixture of pity and disgust. "Your personal circumstances don't excuse your behavior.""I know! I know I was wrong!" Mrs. Henderson wailed. "But please, have mercy! I'll do anything to make this right!"Sarah stepped forward hesitantly, her cheek still red from the slap. "Sir, perhaps... perhaps she's learned her lesson?"Pervis glanced at the young woman who had defend

Alicia's eyes narrowed as she looked between the sharp-faced woman and the pompous man blocking their path.Her expression remained cool and controlled, but there was steel beneath her carefully maintained composure."We arrived at this elevator first," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "We're already running late for orientation. There's no logical reason why we should be expected to accommodate your inconvenience.""Logical reason?" the sharp-faced woman shrieked. "The logical reason is that Mr. Roden is a department manager and you're nobody!"Linda shifted uncomfortably beside Pervis, her earlier enthusiasm completely dampened by the hostile confrontation. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then seemed to think better of it and remained silent.Pervis observed the situation calmly, noting the aggressive posturing and the obvious expectation that they would simply comply out of fear. It was a dynamic he'd experienced far too many times in his life with Anna—someone using

Before Roden could decide how to proceed, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway outside the HR office.The door swung open, and three uniformed police officers entered, their expressions stern and professional."Pervis Tyler?" the lead officer asked, his hand resting casually on his belt."Yes?" Pervis replied calmly."You're a suspect in a theft case. We need you to come with us to the station for questioning," the officer stated, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.The room fell into stunned silence for a moment before Roden's face split into a huge grin. All his earlier apprehension evaporated like morning dew under a hot sun."Ha!" he laughed loudly, the sound echoing through the office. "A theft suspect! A common criminal!"The sharp-faced woman joined in his laughter. "I knew there was something off about him!""Clearly this nobody couldn't be anyone important if the police are dragging him away in handcuffs!" Roden declared triumphantly, his earlier fear completely

Anna's face was a mask of determination as she pulled out her phone with shaking fingers. "Fine. You want evidence? I'll give you evidence."She dialed quickly, her voice sharp when the call connected. "Margaret, this is Mrs. Morrison. I need you to send me the surveillance footage from the villa immediately. From two days ago.""Which cameras, ma'am?" came the housekeeper's voice through the speaker."All of them," Anna snapped. "Especially the hallway near my bedroom and the study. Send everything to my phone right now."She ended the call and turned to face the room with an arrogant smile. "You'll all see the truth in a few minutes. Then Pervis will have no choice but to confess."Aria raised one elegant eyebrow. "Will he now?""Absolutely," Anna declared confidently. "The footage doesn't lie."Her phone chimed within minutes, and she began downloading the files. The tension in the interrogation room was palpable as everyone waited."Here," Anna said triumphantly, connecting her ph

The Whitewater Corporation building looked exactly the same as when Pervis had left it hours earlier, though now he was returning under very different circumstances.A uniformed police officer walked beside him, not as a guard escorting a prisoner, but as an apologetic representative of the department attempting to make amends."Again, Mr. Tyler, I cannot apologize enough for the way you were treated," Officer Martinez said as they rode the elevator up. "The chief has assured me that appropriate measures are being taken.""I'm sure they are," Pervis replied calmly.Meanwhile, on the twelfth floor, Gerald Roden sat behind his desk like a king on a throne. His office was deliberately positioned to overlook the main workspace where his subordinates toiled, allowing him to monitor their every move while enjoying his own private domain.The sharp-faced woman—whose name was Patricia—stood beside his desk, both of them engaged in loud conversation that was clearly intended to be overheard by