Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 443: Chapter 443

"Marvin, what exactly have you found out?" I furrowed my brow, feeling a nagging unease grow stronger in my chest. It seemed like he was hiding something from me.
Since Angela's incident, I had agreed to Henry's proposal and returned to The Parks family. I thought everything would progress as planned, but instead, disasters kept piling up.
Alex almost lost his life trying to save me, and my own carelessness led to the loss of the little life I had been so excited about.
Despite all this, I never regretted a single moment.
Even though I had no clear certainty about finding the truth—and I might lose my life along the way—I would never agree to give up.
Marvin always believed that the deeper I got into the heart of the power structure, the more dangerous it would become. I could lose my life at any moment.
"Laurel, you've always been rational and calm. Do you understand what will happen if you continue investigating?" His voice came through the phone, calm but carrying the weight of a warning.
It felt like a hammer striking my heart.
I paused, my grip on the phone tightening unconsciously.
Marvin continued, "If you don't understand, let me tell you. To those people, your life—and the lives of those around you—are as insignificant as ants. They won't warn you. They won't threaten you. They'll just act."
A cold chill shot up my spine, and I abruptly stopped in my tracks. The noise around me seemed to fade, leaving only Marvin's calm but chilling voice in my ear. "You might not care about your life, but what about the people around you?"
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. "Let me get back to you on that."
Marvin was right. If I couldn't guarantee my own safety, how could I protect those around me?
I hung up and slowly walked into the office, my mind a tangled mess of thoughts, like an unsolvable knot.
Just then, the sharp click of high heels interrupted my spiraling thoughts. Bailee walked in with a smug step, saying, "Mrs. Herrera, there's a meeting in thirty minutes. Please be on time."
A smile played on her lips, but her eyes were filled with open disdain.
I looked up, my tone icy. "I know. And in the future, knock before entering my office."
Bailee seemed caught off guard by my coldness, her expression flickering before she forced a smile and said, "Mrs. Herrera, about the meeting—"
"Get out." I cut her off, my voice devoid of warmth.
Her face turned pale, then flushed red, before she forced a smile again and said, "Mrs. Herrera, I was just reminding you not to embarrass Mr. Herrera in the meeting."
I scoffed, my eyes narrowing. "Ms. Foster, you're just a nurse. What advice do you think you can give me, a woman with years of experience in the corporate world?"
I picked up my coffee cup and took a leisurely sip, continuing, "You'd be better off thinking about your own future. Leah's assistant is no easy position, and this company doesn't keep freeloaders."
I knew full well she only had a spot in the company because Leah had orchestrated it, probably to cause trouble for me.
Bailee stood there, speechless, her face going from white to red.
"Leave. Don't come into my office again. You're not welcome here." I said, then slowly closed my eyes, ignoring her presence.
I heard her mutter something under her breath before storming out.
I rubbed my temples before turning to Danny, who had just walked in. "Have the office disinfected, and make sure no one else gets in. I'm a bit of a clean freak."
Danny blinked before quickly responding, "Got it."
Half an hour later, the meeting room was filled with tension. The management team threw one difficult question after another, their eyes full of challenge, like sharpened daggers aiming for me. They were clearly waiting for me to slip up.
Leah lounged in her chair, a mocking smile tugging at her lips, her eyes saying, Let's see how you handle this.
I took a deep breath and remained calm, tackling their questions with ease and pointing out all the issues the company was facing.
At last, I announced, my expression serious, "There has been severe negligence on the part of the CFO. Please have him sign his termination papers with HR; he won't be coming in tomorrow."
The room erupted in shock.
Leah jumped up, slamming her hands on the table, her face turning red with fury. "Laurel, don't go too far. You can't fire him without the board's approval."
Austin also stood up, frowning, agreeing with her. "You can't just fire the CFO on your own. This isn't something one person can decide."
Before the argument could escalate, the door to the meeting room slowly creaked open.
Dalton entered, dressed in a sharp black suit, his steps deliberate and calm. He carried an air of quiet authority that made everyone pause.
"Dalton, what brings you here?" Leah said, her voice surprised but quickly masking it with a strained smile as she approached him.
I blinked in surprise. Leah knew Dalton?
Dalton gave a small nod, acknowledging her before his eyes scanned the room, finally landing on me. He smiled gently and said, "Miss Parks, long time no see."
I stood up and returned his smile politely. "Long time no see. What brings you here today?"
Dalton took out a file from his jacket, placed it on the conference table, and said, "This is from Mr. Duesler for you."
Curious, I opened the file. My eyes widened in shock as I skimmed through the documents— they were like a bombshell, detailing secret and unsavory dealings within The Herrera Group, with all the evidence pointing toward Leah as the mastermind.
"What...?" Leah's face turned pale, and she reached for the file, but Dalton's piercing look froze her in place.
"Ms. Herrera," Dalton said, his voice still smooth but carrying an unmissable edge, "Mr. Foster would like you to take a good look at this file. Some things... shouldn't be taken too far."
Leah's fists clenched, her forehead creased with tension. She knew that if this file got out, her position at The Herrera Group would crumble.
"What is this?" Austin asked, sensing something was off as he rose from his chair, his face full of confusion.
Dalton glanced at him, then looked back at Leah, his words calculated and deliberate, "Miss Herrera, you should already know what this is about. Mr. Herrera values the company, and he doesn't want it being dragged through the mud."