Chapter 541
As the footage rolled, Helena was seen walking out with the freshly sealed sample bag. A maid hurrying down the stairs bumped into her, knocking the bag to the floor. The maid quickly helped her pick it up and handed it back.
At first glance, everything looked perfectly normal.
But anyone paying close attention could see the sleight of hand—the moment the maid picked up the bag, she swapped it out.
The one handed back to Helena was a completely different bag.
As Lawrence’s secretary, Helena had accompanied him today.
Sitting beside Lawrence, she watched the security video and immediately looked up at him, her voice trembling with panic. “Mr. Quinn, I… I really didn’t notice! Sh-she’s a maid from the Wilkinson family, isn’t she? I never imagined their own staff would tamper with something like this, so my guard was down.”
Beside them, a rare, chilling coldness surfaced in Jesse’s eyes. “Helena, are you implying that even though the item was swapped right in your hands, you bear zero responsibility and it’s entirely the Wilkinson family’s fault?”
After Mr. Halloway pulled the security footage from every angle on the first floor during the birthday banquet, Jesse and Laurel had spent every spare moment watching it meticulously.
It wasn’t until the night before last that they finally caught this exact moment.
Since Lawrence happened to be in Vistapeak City for business today, they arranged this meeting.
The siblings’ original intention was nothing more than to figure out exactly what had happened.
However, before they could even state their case, Helena offered such a loaded, defensive excuse. Knowing full well that Laurel’s determination to divorce was tied to this woman, Jesse’s expression naturally darkened.
Exposed so bluntly by Jesse, Helena dug her fingernails into her palms. “Of course that’s not what I meant. I just truly didn’t expect anyone from the Wilkinson family to…”
“It’s normal that you didn’t expect it.”
This wasn’t Laurel’s first time dealing with her, and she had no patience for an argument. She simply rewound the video a bit and replayed the maid’s swapping motion. “The question is, couldn’t you see it either?”
Helena was instantly rendered speechless. “I…”
In the video, the maid’s actions were glaringly obvious.
And Helena’s line of sight had clearly swept right over her hands.
Watching Laurel’s characteristically aggressive approach, Lawrence furrowed his brow deeper, his tone turning cold. “What are you trying to do today? Are you forcing her to confess that she was in cahoots with someone?”
Laurel wasn’t surprised by his protectiveness. A frosty chill settled over her elegant features, and she refused to yield an inch. “The sample was compromised under your е
employee’s watch. I simply want an explanation to figure out what happened. I don’t think that’s asking too much.”
Old Mr. Wilkinson had already questioned that maid personally.
But the maid’s lips were sealed tight, refusing to utter a single word.
Laurel had hoped to pry some information out of Helena.
She only wanted to know where the sample-the one that undeniably confirmed a
biological mother-daughter relationship with Suzanne-actually came from.
“Mr. Quinn, please don’t fight with Laurel because of me again…”
Helena gently tugged at Lawrence’s sleeve. Then playing the peacemaker, she stood up and offered a tearful apology. “Laurel, wasn’t careful enough. My mistake
II
caused you so much trouble Please: let me apologize. I’m so sorry…
Her voice was already thick with suppressed sobs.
“Lawrence.”
Laurel took a silent breath, pushing down the rising fury. She looked right at him, asking with crystal clarity, “Is this how your employees usually apologize when they mess up?”
Bursting into tears right off the bat—it looked like an apology, but in reality, it painted her as a bullied, long-suffering victim.
As her words hung in the air, Lawrence’s face darkened like a storm cloud. He stood up abruptly a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. “And what about you, Laurel? Do you always throw your weight around as Miss Wilkinson, refusing to fet anyone off the hook?”
With that, he grabbed Helena’s wrist and strode out.
As he reached the door, Laurel’s flat, emotionless voice drifted from behind. “I’ll be returning to Cresthaven tomorrow afternoon. We can go finalize the divorce then.”
Since she couldn’t get anything out of Helena, she had to head back to Cresthaven to see if she could break the maid’s silence.
Otherwise, without concrete evidence, both Maya and Marcia would simply deny everything to their graves.
Lawrence’s body went completely rigid. His large hand, wrapped around Helena’s wrist, slowly loosened its grip.
After a heartbeat of hesitation, he resumed his usual cold indifference. “Got it.”