The Doormat Wife’s Ultimate Glow-Up novel Chapter 458

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The old Ratcliff estate felt like it had been frozen in time. Sebastian stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in his second-floor study, his tall frame outlined against the fading afternoon light. His black silk shirt sleeves were rolled up, showing off the sharp lines of his wrists. A cigarette smoldered between his fingers, burning all the way down until the ember stung his skin. That was when he finally snapped out of his thoughts. He snuffed the cigarette out in the crystal ashtray on the windowsill, the soft clink of glass and the falling ash the only sounds in the quiet room.

The ashtray was already half full, cigarette butts stacked haphazardly. The bitter tang of nicotine mixed with the subtle scent of old camphor wood, creating a heaviness that seemed to hang in the air. Outside, the stone path winding through the courtyard was buried under a thick blanket of golden ginkgo leaves. It should have been noisy, the crunch of leaves underfoot, but the estate was so still that Sebastian could hear his own breathing. Even the wind seemed to have stopped.

He didn’t know how long he’d been standing there before the door opened a crack. Brady slipped in, moving quietly, almost on tiptoe, as if afraid to draw any attention to himself. He stopped a few steps away, standing straight as a board, his voice low and strained.

“Sir, the police took Joseph away from the board meeting.”

Sebastian didn’t look up. He kept tracing the edge of the window with his fingertips, cool and smooth beneath his touch. He looked like he was hearing about someone else’s business, not his own.

Brady went on, “They’ve confirmed three charges. Embezzlement, leaking trade secrets, and commercial bribery.”

He hesitated, then added, “They’ve got everything. Bank records, an audio recording, a complete chain of evidence. The economic crimes unit already filed the case.”

Another pause, this one longer. “It’s a mess. The public doesn’t know yet, but all the big families in Bridger Lake are aware. Ratcliff Global’s stock is already taking a hit, and the board is falling apart.”

Sebastian finally reacted. He pulled his gaze away from the window, a faint smirk curving his lips. “Let me guess. The old men on the board figured it out?”

He glanced back at the ginkgo leaves, the mockery clear in his eyes. He’d seen this coming. Joseph’s ambition always outpaced his ability. Trouble at Ratcliff Global was just a matter of time.

Joseph was arrogant, always convinced that Sebastian, the former president who’d been ousted, was no threat. After the old man died, Joseph only grew bolder. He’d used company funds to cover his own losses, leaked company secrets to competitors, even bribed board members to try to secure the chairman’s seat.

Sebastian’s plan had been simple. Let Joseph climb to the top, then expose everything. He wanted to step in when the board was desperate, just to remind them who could really keep Ratcliff Global afloat.

Brady shook his head, watching Sebastian carefully. “It wasn’t the board. It was Matthew. He’s the one who called the police and dug up all the dirt on Joseph.”