She Turned Her Grief Into Wings novel Chapter 138

Later that afternoon, the competition committee officially called.

They stated that, taking into account her severe injuries, the massive public outrage the hit-and-run had sparked online, and the overwhelming wave of support from her fans.

The committee had evaluated all variables and decided to make a special exception.

They were allowing her to complete her final pitch via video link; she wouldn't need to attend in person.

The moment Shera hung up, a fresh wave of adrenaline flooded her system. She immediately started badgering Xenia to go to the studio and fetch her laptop and presentation files.

She had two days left, and she was going to make sure everything was absolutely flawless.

Xenia grumbled and scolded her for overworking herself, but dutifully left to retrieve the gear anyway.

—

On the top floor of the Hayes Group—

Caden read through Rosalie's confession and interrogation logs over and over again.

Through the lines, he was slowly piecing together the twisted history between Helga and Lucius.

According to Rosalie, when Helga first moved to Germany for university, she was desperate to secure a spot in a prestigious academy to solidify her social standing.

Taking a massive risk, she paid a small fortune to have her entrance exam scores forged, effectively stealing another student's admission slot.

The man who orchestrated that entire fraudulent scheme was none other than Lucius.

Helga thought it was a simple one-and-done transaction, but Lucius secretly kept a paper trail of the entire fraud. Holding this fatal leverage over her head, he had been extorting her for years.

Initially, Helga had desperately tried to cut him off, but after getting into the university, she faced intense discrimination and bullying, which bred a toxic resentment within her.

She eventually sought Lucius out again, paying him under the table to "deal with" the bullies.

Over time, the two fell into a twisted partnership.

Helga provided the cash, and Lucius did the dirty work.

That completely explained why she had been transferring money to his account every single month.

When Helga finally graduated, she grew terrified that Lucius's proximity was a liability. She concocted an excuse to send him back home, promising to continue the monthly wire transfers.

He would have to dig it all up, piece by piece, completely under the radar.

Knock knock—

Aiken walked in. "Sir, Zachary Sutton has been asking around about Mr. Grant's itinerary. He's likely trying to secure a meeting."

"A meeting?"

Caden didn't even blink. "He has absolutely zero leverage. What could he possibly use to bargain?"

Aiken bowed his head. "We're still trying to identify his backers."

"However, recently Zachary has been in close contact with a Russian associate. This man is tied directly to our troubled overseas project."

Just as he suspected. The sudden complications with the overseas project were absolutely linked to Zachary.

Caden clicked his mouse, closing the files on his screen, and stood up.

"Prepare the car. We're paying a visit to my dear Mr. Sutton."