Marry Ex's Billionaire Uncle After Divorce (Aurora and Jasper) novel Chapter 64

Chapter 44: The Missing Five Seconds

(Aurora’s POV)

Director Harrison clearly hadn’t expected Phineas Everett to personally intervene in a lab incident. The R&D Director was sweating, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he tried to navigate the suffocating presence of the CEO.

“Mr. Everett, really, I assure you this is just a minor mishap,” Harrison said, forcing a tight, ingratiating smile. He gestured dismissively with a pen. “There was no significant property damage. I’m already conducting internal interviews with the two employees involved. It’s

under control.”

Harrison was trying to smooth things over, to minimize the event so he wouldn’t look incompetent. Implicitly, he was ready to let me take the fall if it meant the problem went away quickly.

I stood a few feet away, my hands clasped behind my back. My palms were slick with sweat, but I forced my spine to remain rigid. I kept my chin up, my jaw set. I stared straight ahead at the abstract painting on Harrison’s wall. I hadn’t started that fire. I refused to feel shame for a crime I didn’t commit, and I certainly wouldn’t accept the blame to save Harrison’s ego.

When Phineas’s gaze swept over the room, cold and assessing, it landed on me. I didn’t flinch. I met his grey eyes squarely. I didn’t speak, but I poured every ounce of my resolve into that look: *It wasn’t me.*

Phineas’s expression darkened instantly. He turned his attention back to Harrison.

“A minor mishap?” Phineas repeated, his voice dangerously low. The temperature in the office seemed to drop ten degrees. “Everett Bio–Tech treats research and development as its lifeline. We operate under strict FDA regulations. Smoking in a sterile environment isn’t a mishap, Harrison. It’s a liability.”

Harrison’s smile faltered.

“Are you telling me,” Phineas continued, his tone sharpening like a blade, “that a Class A safety violation is a ‘small problem‘? Or are you attempting to sweep your department’s negligence under the rug to save face?”

Harrison’s smile vanished completely. He snapped to attention, lips pressed into a thin, pale line. He finally realized that Phineas wasn’t here to be placated. He was here for blood. Phineas didn’t shout. He simply sat there in the leather guest chair, radiating a terrifying, silent pressure that made the air in the room feel thin. He looked from Harrison to Charlie, a

Chapter 44. The Missing Five Seconds

faint, humorless smile playing on his lips.

Claim

Charlie was vibrating with anxiety. He cherished this job; it was his ticket to a better life. The pressure broke him.

“Mr. Everett, sir,” Charlie blurted out, stepping forward. “The security logs prove I’m innocent! The cameras show I left before the smoke alarm triggered. I have no motive!” He pointed a shaking finger toward me. “The only person who came back was Aurora. The evidence is

clear.”

I stared at him, incredulous. This was the researcher I had hand–picked. I had fought for him to be on my team. Now, without a second of hesitation, he was throwing me into the abyss to save his own skin.

Rage flared in my chest. I clenched my fists, taking a breath to defend myself, but Phineas raised a hand.

“Let me see the footage,” Phineas commanded.

Harrison scrambled to hand over his tablet. “Here, sir. As Charlie said, the video shows him leaving. The hallway remains empty. Then the feed cuts out. All circumstantial evidence points to Aurora returning later.”

Phineas took the tablet. He watched the screen intently for a moment. Then, he let out a short, cold laugh.

“You call this evidence?” Phineas asked. He turned the screen around. “Look at the

timestamp.”

Harrison squinted. “Sir?”

“The time jumps,” Phineas said, tapping the glass. “6:05:10 to 6:05:15. Five seconds are missing. Someone deliberately edited this footage.”

Charlie’s face drained of color. “I… I didn’t touch it! I swear! I don’t have admin access!”

“I don’t need your panic,” Phineas cut him off, bored. “I need facts. Harrison, send them back to their desks.”

Harrison nodded quickly. “Yes, sir. You two, out.”

A wave of relief washed over me, followed immediately by a surge of contempt for Charlie. I walked to the door, pausing with my hand on the handle. I looked back at Phineas. He was watching me. I gave him a single, firm nod–a silent *thank you*-and he held my gaze for a heartbeat before I turned and left.

Chapter 44: The Missing Five Seconds

In the corridor, Charlie grabbed my arm.

Claim

“Aurora, wait,” he pleaded, his voice cracking. “I just panicked. It was instinct! I didn’t mean to target you specifically…”

I stopped. A sharp, icy laugh escaped my throat. It made Charlie flinch.

“Save it,” I said, ripping my arm from his grip. “That wasn’t panic, Charlie. That was calculation. You tried to end my career to shield yourself. We aren’t friends. We aren’t teammates. Stay the hell away from me.”

I stormed off without looking back. My phone buzzed in my pocket–Sylvía asking in our group chat if we were okay. I ignored it. Charlie didn’t reply either.

The oppressive atmosphere hung over the department all day. At 4:00 PM, a mandatory meeting was called.

We filed into the main conference room. The dread was palpable. It wasn’t just Harrison. Monica Vance, the HR Director, was there. And Phineas sat at the head of the table, his face an impassive mask.

Harrison stood by the projector screen. “Safety protocols are not suggestions,” he announced grimly. “We recovered the original file from the backup server.”

He hit play.

On the massive screen, the truth unfolded. 5:30 PM: Sylvia and I left. 6:04 PM: Charlie shut down his computer.

Harrison slowed the playback.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify