Now You Want Me? Too Late

Anger surged through Elias like molten lava, threatening to erupt, yet he forced it back down. He drew in a slow breath through his nose, holding it for a moment before releasing it with deliberate control.

His jaw remained tightly clenched.

"I told you to make sure he didn’t escape," he said coldly. "Yet he slipped away. And now he is dead."

The muscles in his face twitched with barely restrained fury. "He could have been our only witness."

Owen lowered his gaze for a moment. He regretted failing to capture the hacker, but he refused to let the setback shake his confidence.

When he looked up again, determination burned in his eyes.

"I searched the entire area and managed to obtain surveillance footage of the car that hit him," he revealed. "I’ve already tracked down the registered owner. We’ll find the driver soon."

After a moment’s pause, he added, "It didn’t look like an accident. Someone knew we were after the hacker. He was deliberately silenced before we could question him."

Elias’s lips pressed into a thin, rigid line. He already knew who was behind it.

It was Vivian.

She had hired the hacker to create the encrypted emails and frame Elena. And the moment she realized he could expose her, she had silenced him.

Elias’s hands curled into fists.

Throwing Vivian out of the project would never be enough.

She had attempted to destroy Elena’s reputation, steal confidential information, and manipulate the company. Now she had potentially become involved in a murder.

Elias wanted her behind bars. But suspicion wasn’t enough. He needed proof.

"Theory isn’t enough," he said coldly. "I need evidence. Find the driver."

"We will." Owen’s voice hardened. "Even if he is hiding in the deepest hole on earth, I’ll drag him out."

"Alright." Elias nodded slowly. "Go rest for a while. The meeting is in the afternoon. I’ve already gathered enough evidence to expose the traitor."

Owen realized Marcus had successfully recovered the backup footage. He gave a firm nod.

"I’ll be there on time."

Once the door closed behind him, the room fell into a grave silence.

Elias’s mind raced. He knew Vivian wouldn’t accept her crime easily. She would fight back, deny everything, and try to create doubt among the executives.

"This time, I won’t let her get away so easily."

He picked up his phone and called Marcus.

"Hello?" Marcus answered after a few rings.

"Come to my office."

A few moments later, Marcus hurried back into Elias’s office.

"Sir." He bowed his head slightly. "How can I help you?"

Elias handed the USB drive back to him. "Take this to Mr. Campbell for testing. I need the verification report before the meeting."

Marcus accepted the USB, a frown forming between his brows.

Mr. Campbell was a renowned expert in digital forensics and video authentication.

Marcus couldn’t understand why Elias wanted the footage verified.

’Does he not trust his own sister?’

He looked up at Elias, confusion evident in his eyes. "Why does it need to be tested, sir? Are you suspecting that the video might be fake?"

Elias leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "I don’t doubt the footage. But people will challenge it. They may claim it was fabricated or even AI-generated. I don’t want to leave them any room to create doubt."

Marcus immediately understood.

Elias wasn’t questioning the evidence. He was making sure no one could question it later.

He straightened and nodded firmly. "Understood, sir. I’ll take it to Mr. Campbell’s lab right away."

Marcus turned and left.

The moment the door closed behind him, Elias picked up his phone again and called Evelyn. The phone rang for quite a while before she finally answered.

"Elias, is everything all right?" Evelyn asked anxiously. The worry in her voice was unmistakable.

A faint smile tugged at his lips. "What could possibly happen to me? Everything is fine. I called to invite you to the board meeting this afternoon."

"Huh?" Evelyn sounded genuinely surprised. "You want me to attend the board meeting? But I’m not part of your company."

"You are a Rowan," Elias reminded her. "And you own twenty percent of the company’s shares. You have every right to attend the meeting. No one will question your presence."

"Oh..." Evelyn’s hesitation disappeared almost instantly. "Okay. I’ll be there."

She had no intention of missing the opportunity to watch Vivian’s downfall with her own eyes.

"You’ll play an important role in the meeting," Elias added. "Especially when it comes to exposing the traitor."

Evelyn’s smile froze. "What do you mean?" Her voice suddenly became cautious. "How? How can I help you expose the traitor?"

"Eve, stop pretending," Elias scoffed. "I know everything. Marcus told me."

"That fool..." Evelyn muttered under her breath. "He can’t keep anything to himself."

Elias chuckled. "Don’t blame him. It wasn’t his fault."

"Yes, yes. Of course, you’ll defend him." Evelyn rolled her eyes.

Elias laughed softly. "Anyway, thank you, Eve. You did a good job."

Silence fell on the other end.

Evelyn hesitated before asking quietly, "Are you not angry with me?"

"Why would I be?"

"You know... I followed Vivian without telling you. And I got injured. I thought you would be mad at me."

"You helped me find the traitor. You even put yourself in danger to get the evidence. All I feel is gratitude."

The tension that had been coiling inside Evelyn finally disappeared. She had spent the entire time worrying that Elias would lecture her or increase her security after discovering what she had done.

Instead, he was thanking her.

"Then you have to treat me," she declared. "I won’t accept a simple thank-you."

Elias chuckled. "Attend the meeting today. I promise... Elena and I will do whatever you want."

"Really?" Evelyn’s face immediately lit up.

"Yes."

She laughed, suddenly giddy. "Alright, alright. Don’t be so dramatic. I’m coming."

Elias smiled as he ended the call.

Now everything was ready. Vivian had no idea that the trap she had prepared for Elena had already turned against her.

Later that afternoon...

The conference room was packed.

Executives occupied the seats around the long table. An unusual sense of anticipation hung in the air.

Everyone knew this wasn’t an ordinary meeting.

"I heard the board members are attending today," one executive whispered.

"Not only the board members, but Mr. Sterling is also coming." His voice dropped. "Something big is about to happen."

A woman leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Do you think Mr. Rowan found the traitor?" She glanced around cautiously. "I heard the security team failed to recover the backup footage. Without it, how could he possibly know who entered Mrs. Rowan’s office?"

"Mr. Rowan promised he would expose the traitor within three days," another executive said. "He doesn’t make empty promises. If he called this meeting, he must have found something."

"Exactly. He might have found something."

"Who do you think the traitor is?"

The question immediately sparked another round of whispers.

Everyone exchanged suspicious glances. No one trusted anyone anymore.

Among them, Vivian was the only one who sat calmly in her chair, a confident smile playing on her lips. She was certain Elena would be humiliated in front of everyone before being thrown out of the company.

The conference room doors opened, and Elena walked inside.

The murmuring instantly stopped. Silence descended over the room.

Elena glanced around the table before taking her seat.

Vivian turned toward her with a faintly mocking smile. "Elena," she drawled. Are you nervous?"