The look on both Joseph and Adam's faces fell after they heard Nicholas, while the rest of the family gasped in surprise. Joseph and Adam could no longer contain their rage when they saw the way the others were looking at them. "You shouldn't accuse us like that, Nicholas. You're speaking without evidence! The information you gave us doesn’t tell us anything! You have no proof!" Joseph hissed.
"How do you know I don't have proof? Well, since you guys are being so stubborn, I'll fulfill your wishes." Nicholas shot them a threatening glare before he glanced in Edward's direction. Edward nodded and showcased all of the evidence he had found abroad. "These are the receipts from the branches in Filisburg that show the transactions that were made."
Once Edward produced the evidence, Joseph and Adam knew that they had been exposed. Their faces turned pale when they realized they could no longer stick to their narrative. They had stood tall at first, but now they hunched their backs in guilt. Remus and the rest of the family members were furious to see the evidence. "Do you guys still treat me as an elder brother, Joseph and Adam? What are you guys trying to do here? Are you guys trying to ruin the Sawyer Family's centuries' worth of reputation?" Remus was huffing with anger. His eyes were filled with rage and disappointment as he stared at his two younger brothers.
The rest of the family members were also displeased with what Joseph and Adam had done, but they didn't voice out as they knew where they stood in the family. Both Joseph and Adam were taken aback by Remus' harsh words—it had been a while since they saw their brother so angry. At that moment, they steeled in their resolve to not admit their involvement in these matters.
Both of them exchanged glances before Adam, who was better at talking, spoke up. "Nicholas, it's true that there are some inconsistencies in the accounts of the business abroad. However, the issue isn't as severe as you portray them to be. I know you've been dissatisfied with Joseph and me for not working collaboratively with the headquarters, but you shouldn't use such horrible ways to frame us for doing something wrong." Adam admitted to the issues with the accounts, but he made it seem as if Nicholas had tempered with the accounts just to accuse them.
Nicholas scoffed when he heard their words. "Fine. Let's assume that I made all of this up just to frame both of you. Are you saying that your trades with the Golden Triangle are also something I made up to frame you? What about the act of smuggling illegal products? Did I make that up as well? By the way, I caught the security guard who messed with my car. Should I bring him over to talk to you guys?" Nicholas asked.
Joseph and Adam had been unfazed after hearing Nicholas' first few sentences, but their faces fell after hearing Nicholas' last sentence. Nicholas didn't want to give them any time to come up with a new excuse, so he ordered Edward to bring the guard over immediately. Soon enough, a tall and skinny man was escorted into the living hall. This was the first time the security guard had been put in such a situation, and his legs were trembling with fear. He felt chills running down his entire body when he saw Joseph's threatening glare.
Nicholas noticed their interaction, but he didn't seem too bothered by it. "Tell me—who's the one who ordered you around? I suggest you think your answers through before responding to me." Nicholas' final sentence was a warning to the security guard. The security guard looked at Joseph and Nicholas as firmness surfaced in his eyes.
"My son is sick, and I need a large sum of money. So, when Joseph's assistant came to me and told me to work according to his orders, I went along with it as he offered to save my son," the security guard explained. Joseph barked at the security guard immediately after that. "Nonsense! Why would I tell someone to approach you?" It was obvious that Joseph didn't want to admit to his faults.
However, Joseph didn't have much of a choice as the police had reached the house by then. It turned out that Nicholas had contacted the police at the start of the family meeting. "Joseph Sawyer, you're under arrest for attempted homicide and smuggling of illegal goods. Please come with us for an investigation," the police announced. After showing Joseph his badge, the police stepped forward to bring Joseph away.
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