With a deep inhalation, Tina's gaze brimmed with a mix of revulsion and sympathy. "There are photographs and videos of Mr. Ethan with another woman. They were quite... intimate." She paused, as if pondering the weight of her next statements. "The woman happened to be Mrs.Maddox friend. It seems this was not his first act of infidelity, but what truly crushed her was that it was with her own best friend."Emma's shoulders slumped as she absorbed the revelation. She could almost envision the heartbreak etched on Mrs. Maddox face, feel the sting of uncovering such a deep betrayal. It seemed that father and son shared one similarity - their deceitful ways."Mr. Ethan cheats with his wife's best friend," Emma mused in a slow, contemplative tone. "In retaliation, his wife engages in an affair with his coworker and threatens to divorce him. In a desperate attempt to protect himself and his reputation, he manipulates their son into helping him murder his wife."Tina nodded, the gravity of the

Emma's stomach churned, her hand instinctively moving to cover her mouth in shock. "She did what?""Her husband, Ethan, informed me," Mrs. Kathy revealed, her voice barely above a whisper, "I was completely devastated. I was going to seek a divorce. But then Maria confronted me, confessed everything. She showed me the video. Your father was just... lying there, completely unaware. He was a victim."Emma's hands clenched into fists on her lap, her mind racing with disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded, her voice breaking.Mrs. Kathy's eyes filled with tears, reflecting her profound regret. "I wanted to protect you, and I believed I could handle it on my own. Seeing him so vulnerable, knowing what she had done... I couldn't bring myself to forgive her. But I couldn't bear to abandon him while he was suffering too."Emma felt tears welling up in her own eyes, overwhelmed by the weight of her mother's words. She reached across the table, taking her mother's hand in hers, offer

Mr. Ethan's lips curled into a smirk, the expression a fusion of amusement and mockery. "Threats come naturally to you, but execution is not your personality," he taunted, slowly dragging his tongue over his teeth. Emma stepped forward, her gaze locked onto his with unwavering intensity. "If I were you, I wouldn't say that," she warned, her voice low and ominous. Mr. Ethan leaned in, his breath hot on her face. "I had big plans for you, Emma. You were exceptional, talented. I wanted you in my bed and I could have given you everything you wanted. But you messed up by coming after me. Now, you'll pay with your life, and your loved ones will suffer too." With a final sneer, he turned and sauntered away. Emma's hands balled into fists, her nails digging into her palms. "We'll just have to see about that," she called after him, but couldn't ignore what he had just said about coming after the people she loved. Ethan had always be open about his attack on her, but clearly letting her kn

"The founder and former CEO of the Maddox empire, Mr. Ethan, has become a topic of speculation in the town's gossip circles. Shocking revelations have surfaced from an undisclosed source, implicating his role in his wife's death six years ago; what was previously deemed a murder has now been declared a suicide by the authorities," the reporter declared, her delivery calm yet laced with intrigue. Emma leaned in, transfixed by the news unfolding on the television screen. The reporter's words echoed in her mind, leaving her in a state of disbelief. "Furthermore, new details have emerged about a recent fire that engulfed a building. According to another anonymous source, Mr. Ethan's personal assistant and son were spotted near the premises just hours before the incident," the reporter continued. The camera panned to the charred remains of the building, the sight causing Emma's heart to race. She recognized the structure as the place where Tina had been staying, now reduced to a smold

Emma dusted her nose with a frantic movement, swiftly scanning the room for as though there could be more somewhere in her office. The contents of the nylon weighed heavily on her as she stared at it, the sleek office now feeling increasingly suffocating. The once neatly arranged papers on the desk, the chairs, the walls, the entire office now seemed to be mocking her, almost as if they knew her new found secret. Her footsteps echoed loudly as she hurried towards the door, hastily shutting it and securing the bolt. As her heart raced, she knelt down to conceal the container, her trembling fingers struggling to wrap it up as it was before. In a frenzy, she made her way to the bathroom. She vigorously scrubbed her nose, the icy water meeting her face as she splashed it in the sink. As she stood in front of the mirror, wide-eyed and overwhelmed, her thoughts raced. What was the purpose of hiding a package of cocaine in a microwavable container in the fridge? Who could have done this?