Bound By A Broken Night novel Chapter 121

Chapter 121

“This can’t be…” Rima Knowles whispered, shaking her head as her eyes remained fixed on the documents trembling in her hands.

“You can’t do this to us, CEO Pierce,” Red Knowles muttered, his fists clenched tightly over the folder he had just finished reading.

“Well, I have nothing to do with the contents of those documents, Mr. Knowles,” Ashton replied coolly.

He sat comfortably at the head of the boardroom table, his posture relaxed, his authority unmistakable.

“I simply ordered an investigation. Those are the results.”

“But… this can’t be…” Rima repeated, still shaking her head in denial.

Ashton leaned back slightly, his gaze steady and unyielding.

“What exactly is unbelievable, Madame Knowles? Those documents contain evidence of fraudulent transactions that were approved under your office for years.” He gestured casually toward the papers in her hands.

“Nearly a decade of managing the Finance Department—and a total of eighty million dollars has been released without proper documentation to support the legitimacy of those transactions. Funds personally authorized by you.” He leaned forward then, clasping his hands on the table as his eyes locked onto hers.

“No,” Rima glared at him, but Ashton remained unmoved.

“The evidence is as clear as the sky outside, Madame,” he said calmly, briefly glancing at the bright daylight beyond the glass walls.

“However, I am willing to give you the opportunity to defend yourself.” His attention returned to her.

‘Provide the supporting documents to prove the authenticity of those transactions. I’ll give you until this afternoon to gather them. Surely, everything is properly filed.”

“That’s impossible, CEO Pierce!” Rima and Red exclaimed in panic. Mirriam, on the other hand, closed her eyes, her expression filled with quiet despair.

“If the records are legitimate,” Ashton replied casually, “then they should already be in the company archives. We have enough personnel to retrieve every document showing where the funds went.” He paused, then added with a faint smirk,

“But if you find it impossible to produce them by this afternoon, I’ll give you three days instead–to return the money. That way, a lawsuit may no longer be necessary.”

“Lawsuit?” Red, Rima, and Mirriam stared at him in shock.

“Well,” Ashton shrugged, “eighty million dollars is a significant loss to the company. And that’s only the initial amount uncovered by the committee. The company has every right to demand restitution.”

“Initial?” Red echoed faintly, disbelief creeping into his voice.

“The investigation is still ongoing,” Ashton continued.

“There are at least fifty million dollars more under review–also released with the approval of Madame Rima Knowles and Miss Mirriam Knowles. The committee is still verifying the details. We wouldn’t want to accuse anyone without confirmation.” The smirk on his lips returned.

“And under the CEO’s office,” he went on, his tone turning colder, “more than one hundred million dollars has been flagged. Numerous unliquidated transactions, yet funds continued to be released.” His eyes narrowed as his gaze settled on Red.

“That’s… quite audacious.”

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Silence filled the room as the weight of his words sank in.

“Nearly two hundred million dollars in verified fraudulent transactions,” Ashton added quietly.

“A massive loss for the company.”

He stood, slipping his hands into his pockets, his calm presence a stark contrast to the devastation spreading across the Knowles family’s faces.

“So,” he said evenly, “I’ll give you three days to return the money. Otherwise, we’ll meet again–in court.”

“We don’t have that kind of money…” Red whispered, more to himself than to anyone else. He covered his face, the powerful executive now looking utterly defeated.

“Well,” Ashton replied calmly, “you still have three days to figure it out.”

While their world crumbled before them, he remained composed–unshaken.

“Why are you doing this, Ashton?” Mirriam demanded, her voice sharp with accusation.

“My parents treated you like a son. Our families were close.”

“This is business, Miss Knowles,” Ashton answered without hesitation.

“As CEO, I am responsible for protecting the interests of the shareholders and all stakeholders. This is not personal.”

“Not personal?” Mirriam scoffed.

“Since the moment you took that position, all you’ve done is target us. It’s too obvious to ignore.” Her eyes burned with anger.

“What do you want, Ashton? What are you planning? You’ve already removed us from our positions. There’s not a single Knowles left in this building.” Her voice trembled with fury and wounded pride.

“You’re erasing our legacy.”

Ashton’s lips curved into a faint, humorless smile.

“Legacy?”

He took a step closer, his gaze cutting.

“A legacy isn’t a family name on the door, Miss Knowles.”

He tapped the folder lightly.

“It’s what you leave behind.”

His voice dropped.

“Right now, what the Knowles family left this company is debt, fraud, and nearly two hundred million dollars in losses.”

He straightened.

“I’m not erasing your legacy.” he sneered.

“I’m cleaning up the damage it caused.”

His cold gaze lingered on Mirriam before slowly shifting to Rima and Red.

“Three days,” he repeated.

Without another word, Ashton turned and walked out. His assistants immediately followed, the soft click of the closing door leaving the boardroom drowning in eerie silence.

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Back in his office, Ashton did not head for his desk or the mountain of documents waiting for his signature. Instead, he walked toward the floor–to–ceiling glass wall.

The entire Bay City stretched before him—bright, bustling, alive under mid–morning sun.

But his eyes were distant. His thoughts, deeper. His reflection stared back at him–calm, composed, ruthless.

“I’ve avenged you, Cassie,” he whispered, his jaw tightening slightly.

“Soon, there won’t be any remnants of the Knowles family left in this company.” His gaze hardened.

“For years, I’ve been breaking them piece by piece… interfering with their deals, blocking their partnerships, making sure their clients walked away–without them ever knowing it was me.” A faint, humorless smile touched his lips.

“I made sure they bled slowly.” He exhaled quietly.

“They were almost bankrupt. I thought I might lose the advantage when they started recovering… when they began finding new ways to stand again.”

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