Watching You Burn In Regret novel Chapter 231

"Do you want to end up like your brother, deaf to all reason?!"

Zena shot up from her seat, her face grim, her gaze as sharp as a knife.

Just a moment ago, Slater had been harboring resentment toward Zena, but feeling the full force of her anger, he couldn't help but flinch. Though he felt guilty about Seren and frustrated with his mother, he didn't dare defy her the way Swain had. He had carried a deep-seated fear of Zena since childhood.

He lowered his head and mumbled, "Mother, I admit I was wrong."

A wave of relief washed over Carla Bradley. With Slater taking the blame, no one would investigate how the files had been leaked from her possession. She knew Slater might hold it against her, but his anger was a small price to pay compared to Zena discovering her role in the leak. Better yet, with Slater making such a monumental error, Zena might never look at him the same way again.

Seeing that Slater's apology was sincere enough, Zena's fury subsided slightly. Her tone softened. "Go home and reflect on your mistake. Don't let it happen again. Fortunately, the files I put in the safe were fake. If you had leaked actual company secrets, an apology wouldn't have been enough."

Zena had always been a cautious woman. She would never place such critical information in an obvious location like a safe, even if Slater was the only other person with the combination. For years, she had personally managed every significant aspect of the company's operations. She didn't even trust her own husband, Thurman Bradley, which was why she had sent him to an overseas branch—to keep him away from the company's internal affairs. How could a woman like that possibly place her full trust in her son?

Carla's expression froze.

After a long silence, Slater finally managed a quiet, "Fine. I'll go home and reflect."

Zena pinched the bridge of her nose. "All right, you can go. You're off company duties for the next few days. I can see you're stretched too thin trying to manage two companies at once."

Even though the files were fake, the scandal had been huge and had undoubtedly damaged the Rutledge Group. Slater knew exactly what this was: a quiet dismissal from his position. But he was powerless to fight it. All he could do was accept.

Without another word, he simply nodded and turned to leave. Normally, he would have waited for Carla, but today he didn't even spare her a glance.