Chapter 345

Chapter 345:

With the flash drive in hand, Gracie struck Frazier’s round face in a sharp, stinging blow. “Life would’ve been simpler if you’d handed this over earlier. Why waste everyone’s time p>

Frazier quivered, staring at the floor, too terrified to look up. Had he known she would dare kill him, he would’ve surrendered long ago. Who would’ve guessed a quiet lab geek could be this lethal?

Charlie stepped in with a laptop tucked under his arm. Gracie pointed toward it with cool impatience. “Go on. Sign in to your account p>

Frazier complied without a hint of resistance this time, his fingers shaking as he followed every command she gave him. Once the login screen loaded, the bodyguards seized him by the arms and hauled him into the bedroom.

Charlie stepped closer, brows knitting in confusion. “Why go that hard on him p>

Gracie brushed a speck of dust from her sleeve, a quiet laugh slipping out. “He’s the sort who panics at the thought of dying. Without a little fear, he never would’ve handed over that flash drive.” She let her smile linger, though her eyes carried a sharper weight. “Aiden’s shortcuts threw several families into mourning and dragged the Stanley Group through a mess. And he thinks he can vanish and dodge the fallout? How would that be fair p>

She didn’t hesitate; her finger slammed the Enter key with finality.

Then she shut the laptop, rose with steady composure, and strode for the door.

Charlie shot a wary look toward the bedroom. “So what now—just let Frazier walk? He’s already committed extortion! Shouldn’t we hand him over to the police p>

Gracie slowed her step. “Aiden won’t file a report p>

After a beat, she added, “But Frazier’s not walking away unscathed. There’s always someone nastier waiting to deal with men like him p>

Using Frazier’s verified social media account, they uploaded every transfer record and chat log between Aiden and the shady suppliers—more than enough to blow open the cut-rate construction scandal Aiden had engineered.

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Only by dragging the real culprit into the light could they make sure he stayed buried for good.

Aiden nursed his bruised pride, and all that frustrated rage needed somewhere to land. Frazier was the easiest target he had.

Charlie trailed after Gracie without a word. He realized, with a quiet jolt, why Brayden had fallen for Gracie in the first place. Her mind worked with a sharpness that demanded respect. Admiration for a woman like that came naturally.

“So this is what it means to be drawn to someone smart…” he murmured under his breath, the thought slipping out before he could stop it.

Trending chatter erupted across the feeds as #AidenScandal, #AidenBeginnings, and #StanleyFamilyBastard climbed the charts, stirring a frenzy online.

The workers’ fall at the site had already drawn public scrutiny that morning; now Frazier’s real-name exposé slammed Aiden with a second, merciless wave.

“Ah, so he turned out to be an illegitimate son after all? Makes sense—otherwise how would a century-old enterprise like the Stanley Group make such a rookie mistake p>

“Please. Even if he carries the Stanley name, who cares? Cutting corners, risking lives, tarnishing the company’s reputation just to pocket some change—someone like that has no business staying at Stanley Group p>

“Sharing a surname doesn’t make you equals. A bastard stays a bastard—his mother’s bloodline was already scraping the bottom p>

Inside the Stanleys’ estate, Kevin sat in his chair, his expression carved from ice as he pinned Erik with a hard stare. “Where’s Aiden? A scandal this serious breaks out, and he disappears like a gutless child p>

Erik forced a steady breath. “Dad… he’s young. It was a moment of poor judgment, a reckless mistake born of youthful impulse. We can settle it with compensation p>

Valeria let out a cold laugh. “Youthful impulse? What a joke p>

A sharp crack ran through the room as Erik rounded on her. “Shut up! Things are already a mess.” His glare darkened. “Don’t pretend I don’t see what you’re doing. Ever since Aiden came home, you’ve been waiting for a chance to shove him back down. This is exactly what you wanted, isn’t it p>