Now You Want Me? Too Late

Reporters exchanged startled glances. Cameras began clicking rapidly.

Some journalists immediately started typing on their laptops.

Elena remained composed. "The core idea behind that project was mine. I designed it myself. The framework, the underlying concept, and the original development strategy were created by me and my team."

Murmurs erupted in the room.

A reporter raised his hand. "If you are claiming that Orion Holdings stole the project, why didn’t Ascend Core announce this immediately after Victor Kane unveiled it?"

Several reporters nodded.

"That’s right. Why did you wait several days?"

"Were you certain the project had been stolen?"

Voices rose.

Elena took a slow breath. "If we had announced it immediately, Victor Kane would have said that it was just a similar kind of project. If we filed a lawsuit, the lawyer would argue in court endlessly, and the case would have dragged for months. It would have become nothing but a battle of words."

She paused. "More importantly, we wanted to find the traitor inside our company first."

The room erupted in whispers again.

"If we had exposed everything immediately, the traitor might have escaped before we could gather enough evidence."

She glanced briefly at Elias. "We allowed the traitor to live under the illusion that she was winning. While she believed she was getting away with everything, we were quietly gathering evidence against her."

A female reporter leaned forward. "So you deliberately kept quiet?"

"Yes." Elena’s answer was firm. "We had to be patient."

Another one immediately shouted from the crowd. "Who was the traitor?"

Elena looked straight into the cameras. "Vivian Sterling."

The name struck the room like a thunderclap. Gasps erupted from every corner.

"What?"

"Vivian Sterling? Cedric Sterling’s daughter? Are you saying she stole the project?"

Elena remained still. Inside, however, a strange mixture of anger and relief washed over her.

She remembered everything Vivian had done—the lies, the manipulation, and the attempt to destroy her reputation.

For a moment, Elena’s chest tightened. Then she took a deep breath, reminding herself that Vivian could never trouble her again.

She nodded toward the large screen behind her. "Show them."

The lights dimmed. A video appeared on the screen.

The footage clearly captured Vivian stealing confidential documents from Elena’s office. Then she sneaked out of the room, looking nervous and terrified.

The hall fell silent.

Reporters stared at the screen in disbelief.

Elena watched without emotion. She had already seen the footage. But seeing it displayed publicly gave her a different feeling.

Another piece of evidence appeared, then another and another.

Every piece of evidence connected Vivian to hiring a hacker to fake the encrypted emails. The transaction records, the voice recording—everything revealed her crime.

The reporters frantically jotted down their findings. Some looked stunned. Others looked horrified.

Elena slowly released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

"Vivian Sterling was not merely involved in stealing confidential information. She also attempted to frame me for her own actions. She tried to make it appear as though I had betrayed the company."

Elias’s hand moved beneath the table and gently covered hers. Elena turned and looked at him. His simple gesture brought a smile to her face.

Elena squeezed his fingers. Then she faced the reporters again. "But we exposed her. She has been arrested for her crimes."

The answer sent another wave of whispers through the hall.

"The evidence against her has already been handed over to the authorities."

She felt satisfaction in saying it. Finally, Vivian’s Chapter was closed.

But Elias knew the battle wasn’t over. Not even close.

He leaned toward the microphone. "There is something else you need to understand."

The room gradually quieted.

"Vivian Sterling was not the mastermind," Elias said, his voice cold. "She was a pawn. The person behind this conspiracy was Cedric Sterling."

Cameras flashed continuously.

Questions came from every direction.

"Why did Cedric Sterling conspire against the Rowans?"

"Aren’t the two families friends?"

"How long has this conflict been going on?"

"Were you aware of his intentions?"

"Why didn’t you expose him earlier?"

Elias remained completely still. But inside, a storm raged.

For years, that man had hidden his real intention behind the image of a trusted business partner.

Elias had tolerated him, watched him, and investigated him.

"Twenty years ago, Cedric Sterling attempted to take control of the Rowan family’s company. But he failed. When he realized he couldn’t take control through business, he tried another method."

Elias’s expression darkened. "He attempted to marry Vivian to me."

Elena looked at her husband. There was no hesitation in his eyes, only cold determination.

"But that plan failed as well," Elias continued. "After that, Cedric Sterling joined hands with Victor Kane and began conspiring against the Rowan family."

The reporters were practically scrambling to keep up.

Elias didn’t reveal more. He didn’t tell them that Cedric had been working with Victor for a long time. He suspected that the man might even have played a role in the deaths of his parents.

But suspicion wasn’t enough. Until he had irrefutable evidence, he wouldn’t say a word.

However, Elias wouldn’t sit and wait quietly. What he had found was enough to destroy Cedric.

A reporter stood. "Mr. Rowan, what are you going to do about Cedric Sterling? Are you going to cancel the collaboration with the Sterling Group?"

Elias’s expression turned icy. "I’ve already taken action."

The reporters immediately became attentive.

"All collaborations with Sterling Group have been terminated," Elias added. "There will be no further partnerships between us."

He looked around the room and said in a warning tone, "And I want to make one thing very clear. If anyone chooses to work with the Sterlings from this moment forward, I will consider them my enemy. The Rowan family will never do business with them again."

For several seconds, no reporter spoke. Then the room exploded with questions once again.

"Are you declaring war on the Sterling family? Will you take legal action against Cedric?"

"Will Orion Holdings also face consequences?"

Elias stood up. "No more questions. We’ll let you know if there are any further actions."

He held Elena’s hand and walked out of the hall.