Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 18

Madeline knocked on the heavy mahogany doors of the CEO's office. Lucius called for her to enter.

She was just about to hand over her resignation when a greasy voice interrupted her.

"Boss, this evidence clearly proves that Madeline is dirty. She deliberately hired hackers to attack our servers so she could embezzle company funds during the chaos."

Madeline froze. She turned to see Franklin Xavier, a sleazy, middle-aged executive from the overseas division, standing there openly accusing her of corporate sabotage.

Lucius sat behind his massive desk, listening in silence.

His expression was an unreadable mask.

Deep down, Lucius knew there was absolutely zero chance Madeline would ever sabotage her own life's work.

But Franklin sounded incredibly convinced.

Franklin was a recent hire poached from a rival firm. He was strictly management and had absolutely no idea about the actual origins of Lightning Interactive, let alone Madeline's connection to it.

Years ago, to protect Lucius's ego and solidify his corporate authority, Madeline had secretly transferred the game's intellectual property to him for free. As far as the world was concerned, Lucius had coded Lightning Interactive in his college dorm room.

Since Franklin was making such aggressive allegations, the best move was to force a direct confrontation.

Lucius raised his dark, predatory gaze. "Madeline, is there any truth to Franklin's claims?"

Madeline's blood boiled. "Of course not. I want to know exactly what 'evidence' he claims to have."

Franklin pressed on. "Boss—"

"Enough." Lucius's gaze turned somber, cutting him off sharply.

Just as Madeline thought Lucius was finally going to defend her, he delivered the killing blow. "Since you are under heavy suspicion, Madeline, it is no longer appropriate for you to hold the position of Chief Engineer. But out of respect for your eight years of service, the company will grant you a grace period. HR will convene to determine your final standing."

Madeline's eyes reddened. She stared at him in utter disbelief. She had poured every ounce of her soul into this man, building his empire from the ground up, and he didn't trust her for a single second.

Across the room, a nasty smirk crept onto Franklin's face. He shot her a look of utter triumph before swaggering out of the office.

Madeline knew exactly why Franklin had flown all the way back just to frame her. Lightning Interactive was generating astronomical revenue overseas, and Madeline was the lead architect. If things went smoothly, she was due for a massive promotion and the lion's share of the annual performance bonuses—a direct threat to his authority and his wallet.