By that afternoon, Roland had decided that the best way to protect himself was to make Simon look guilty first.The Arranguare group had not exposed his connection to HDC yet. However, Roland knew that the investigators were following the money. If they continued, they would eventually discover everything.Simon had questioned the proposal during dinner. Only a few hours later, Arranguare’s chairman ordered a personal review.Roland refused to believe it was a coincidence.His suspicion did not come from the review alone. Simon had laughed when Damien claimed to know Arranguare’s chairman, and he had spoken about the proposal with unusual confidence. Roland now wondered whether Simon’s simple clothes and quiet manner had been carefully chosen from the beginning to make the Ashbournes completely underestimate him.He found Eleanor inside the Ashbourne estate’s private library. She was reading a message from one of the family advisers when he entered and closed the door.“We may have a

Simon entered Victor’s study while a stolen document waited inside his coat near the entrance.Victor sat behind his desk. Clara stood near the window, while Roland, Eleanor, Damien and two Ashbourne business advisers occupied the remaining seats.“Sit down, Simon,” Victor said. “Several questions have been raised about your interest in our proposal.”Simon took the empty chair without showing concern. “What questions?”Victor folded his hands on the desk. “You were invited here because I want facts, not another argument. Answer clearly, and nobody in this room will judge you without proof.” Simon glanced at Roland’s prepared report. “Then I expect every accusation to be examined as carefully as my answers.”Roland placed his report on Victor’s desk. “You examined our proposal during dinner the last time we invited you and to our surprise you identified problems within minutes. A few hours after you left, the Arranguare group ordered a personal review.”Simon looked towards him. “Are

Roland’s smile disappeared as soon as the chief security officer mentioned the backup recording.The officer explained that the entrance camera created two copies of every recording. The first copy remained inside the estate’s security system. The second copy was automatically sent to a protected server every five minutes.“Can someone delete the backup from the ordinary control room?” Victor asked.“No, General,” the officer replied. “Only I have access to the protected server.”Roland looked towards his assistant. The young man’s face had already become pale.“Open the recording,” Victor ordered. “Everyone will watch it here.”The chief security officer connected his tablet to the large screen on the wall. He entered his private security code and selected the recording from the time Simon arrived.The video showed Simon entering the estate in his dark coat. A servant welcomed him and collected it near the main doors.Simon then walked directly towards Victor’s study.The recording c

“Romeo has connections everywhere,” Isabella replied. “If I speak to the wrong person, he will learn about it before I reach home.”“And you believe he does not know you are here?”“I used my family’s guards and left my phone behind.” Isabella searched Simon’s face, hoping to find some trace of his former concern. “The secret calls, the locked documents and his unexplained journeys must mean that he intends to harm me.”Simon’s expression remained calm.“That does not prove that you are in danger.”“He has begun threatening me whenever I ask questions,” Isabella continued. “Last week, I asked him why he was moving money between several oil companies. He threw a glass against the wall beside my head.”Simon’s gaze sharpened. “Did he strike you?”“Not yet.”“Has he threatened to kill you?”Isabella hesitated.“He said that women who interfere in matters they do not understand sometimes disappear.”The hall became quiet.Simon studied her face. Despite whatever Isabella had done to him i

Simon did not tighten his grip. “Tell me the truth about the wells.”“I have already told you! My father transferred them to me!”“Your father would not knowingly steal thirty-four government oil wells. Who prepared the transfer?”“Romeo handled the records after my father became ill.”“What did he change?”“I do not know!”Simon studied her carefully. Isabella appeared frightened, but her confusion seemed genuine.“Did you examine the documents before signing them?” he asked.“Romeo said they were only needed to complete the transfer,” Isabella replied. “My father was too ill to supervise the registration, and I trusted my husband to handle it.”“What happened after the transfer was completed?”“Romeo replaced several managers at the production sites. He said the old managers could not be trusted.”Simon began to understand. Romeo had taken advantage of Mr Robertson’s illness and Isabella’s trust. He may have used false documents to move government wells into the Robertson family’s n