Chapter Four

Adrienne’s POV

The hallway on the top floor was packed with people.

Security guards, employees, and even two uniformed police officers had gathered there.

At the center of the crowd, Presley crouched on the floor, her clothes rumpled and torn. Two buttons had been torn from her blouse, exposing a wide stretch of bare skin and several bright red scratches. She covered her face, sobbing, her whole body shaking.

“I was only trying to help him organize the files… Then he suddenly locked the door… He came at me like a maniac and started tearing at my clothes…” Presley said between broken sobs.

Across from her, two burly security guards had my son pinned against the wall.

Jonah’s clothes were torn too, and a red handprint stood out on his cheek.

His face was deathly pale. He kept shaking his head, terrified and desperate.

“I didn’t do it! I swear I didn’t! She tore her own clothes! She threw herself at me! I never touched her!”

“And you still have the nerve to deny it? You animal!”

Curtis stood off to the side, pointing at Jonah as he put on a show of fatherly outrage.

“How could I have raised someone as shameless as you? You’ve disgraced this entire family!”

The employees around them pointed at Jonah and whispered among themselves.

“I never would’ve guessed he was that kind of person.”

“Seriously. Presley has always seemed so quiet and sweet. Look what he did to her.”

“Someone like him belongs in prison.”

The scene before me matched my previous life exactly. Blood rushed to my head, and my heart felt as if it were splitting apart.

“Get your hands off him!”

I charged forward.

I shoved the two guards away from Jonah and pulled my trembling son behind me.

“Mom…” The moment Jonah saw me, tears poured down his face. He clutched at my clothes. “Mom, I didn’t do it… I swear I didn’t…”

“I know. I believe you.” I patted his cold hand and swept a hard look over everyone in the hallway.

Curtis looked visibly rattled when he saw me. He hurried over and grabbed my arm.

“Adrienne, why are you back? Stay out of this. After what that little bastard did, I…”

I spun around and slapped Curtis across the face.

“Call my son that again. I dare you.”

The blow sent Curtis stumbling sideways. His glasses flew off, and a thin line of blood formed at the corner of his mouth.

The hallway fell silent. Everyone stared at me in shock.

One of the officers frowned and stepped forward.

“Ma’am, you need to calm down. We received a report of an alleged sexual assault. We need to take this young man in for questioning.”

“Officer, my son is innocent. That woman is framing him!” I pointed at Presley.

Presley cried even harder.

“Adrienne, I understand that you want to protect your son, but you can’t make accusations like that! Why would I lie about something this serious just to frame him?”

Curtis pressed a hand to his cheek and leaned closer, lowering his voice.

“Adrienne, haven’t you caused enough of a scene? We have witnesses, physical evidence, and the police are already here. I already checked. The security cameras on this floor have been down for maintenance for two days, so there’s no footage of what happened inside. The only thing you can do now is pay her and keep this quiet. I already spoke to Presley. Give her two million dollars, and she won’t pursue this any further. Otherwise, Jonah’s life is over.”

Two million dollars.

Broken security cameras.

A private settlement.

The same words.

The same trap.

In my previous life, this was the moment I had broken down and given in. I had personally sent my own son to his death.

I looked at Curtis’s twisted expression, the hint of satisfaction in Presley’s eyes, and the contempt all around me.

Then I laughed under my breath.

“So the cameras are broken?”

“Funny thing, though. A few days ago, I decided our security system was outdated, so I had state-of-the-art miniature cameras installed in every blind spot, including that storage room.”