The Mysterious Billionaire and His Substitute Bride (Ethan and Janet)
Chapter 429 No Proof

"Mr. Larson, the surveillance system has just been updated. It was scheduled to be done yesterday, but the tech department was worried that something important might occur while the security cameras were out of service, so they put it off until after the employees left for the day." The assistant explained the situation in a shaking voice. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was scared nonetheless. Especially given the dark and formidable face his boss was sporting.

Even so, his fear did not curb his curiosity. Why was the president suddenly investigating this matter?

"Keep looking into it. Contact me once you replace new leads." Brandon's lips curled into a sneer. "Call Miss Turner here."

He was nearing the end of his tether. The mandate to execute the system update at such a fortuitous time had come from the senior executives-all of them, it seemed. Clearly, whoever was behind this was meticulous. They had made sure that there were no loose ends, no trace left.

Charis entered Brandon's office with a stack of documents and her laptop. She looked tired, as though she had spent the last several nights buried in work.

"We just had three separate meetings in a row. The recent turmoil in Wall Street and the collapse of the stock market has put everyone in a state of panic." She sounded weary as well, but she brightened up as she approached Brandon's desk. "You never ask me to stop by around this hour. What's up?"

By all accounts, she appeared unaware of what was happening behind the scenes.

"What were you doing at the stairwell yesterday after work?" Brandon asked bluntly, though his voice remained calm.

Charis frowned for a brief second before it was replaced with a smile. She dropped the documents she was carrying on his desk and said in a playful tone, "You must be kidding, Mr. Larson. You know that I hate taking the stairs. I had a meeting until ten o'clock last night, long after everyone has gone home. As soon as I was finished, I packed up and left the office through the elevator."

Brandon stared at her in silence, a myriad of emotions flickering in his eyes.

Charis was no fool. It didn't take long for her to put two and two together, though she didn't let on just how much she knew.

"Did you have a quarrel with Miss Lind again? You've been wearing a long face since yesterday." She heaved a long, dramatic sigh. "I don't know what you fought about, but if you think I had anything to do with it, then feel free to check into it. There are surveillance cameras everywhere in the company. You can confirm my whereabouts throughout the day."

Charis seemed unbothered, and anyone would have immediately thought that she was innocent in all this.

Sure enough, she was in a meeting when Janet had left the day before. Brandon had confirmed it himself, and more than a dozen senior executives served as her witnesses.

He was starting to have doubts. Deep down, his instincts told him that Charis was involved in this debacle in one way or another, but he didn't have any proof to back up his hunch. He had no choice but to overlook his suspicions, at least for now. "I'm not suspecting you. You're thinking too much."

Charis' smile widened. She didn't believe him, of course, but she would gladly take his word.

"In that case, I'll be taking my leave. Look at you, you should go home soon, too. No matter how important your work is, you still need to take care of yourself."

As soon as Charis left and closed the door behind her, Brandon received a call from Laney.

"Mr. Larson! Janet booked a plane ticket out of Seacisco. It leaves at 2 P.M."

"I'm coming right now. Make sure she doesn't see you." Brandon's heart was hammering inside his chest. He grabbed his suit jacket from the sofa and strode out of his office.

The airport was crowded when he arrived.

Laney walked over, looking really anxious.

"Mr. Larson, her plane just took off. I followed your orders and stayed out of sight, so I wasn't able to stop her..." Laney was visibly distressed. She could have stopped Janet from leaving. Hell, she could have dragged her friend away from airport if necessary.

Brandon raised his hand and shook his head.

"She hasn't been at her best lately. Let's just give her some space. She probably needs a break." Even as he said that, his face turned glum, like a dark cloud had formed above his head. He had felt his heart sink into a bottomless pit with every word Laney spoke.

"Go and see where she's headed." He stared out of the floor to ceiling windows and watched a plane soar into the distance, disappearing into the clouds. His scowl deepened, and people noticeably steered clear of him as they passed by.

At six o'clock that afternoon.

*******

Janet finally landed in Barnes after a four-hour flight.

The winter in the North was very cold, much colder than anything she had experienced back in Seacisco.

She wrapped her down jacket tighter around herself before walking out of the arrival area. However, before Janet could even reach the end of the lobby, a group of burly men wearing black surrounded her.