Female Novel
Chapter 848: Scapegoat
Chapter 848: Scapegoat
Jeremiah knew deep down that Austin might be feeling guilty and wanted to escape. But if Austin ran
away, it would confirm the accusations, and Jeremiah himself might also be implicated.
That's why Jeremiah didn't want that to happen. Protecting Austin meant protecting himself.
After Jeremiah's words, Austin fell silent for a moment.
Then he instructed Jeremiah to drive to the police station. Mr. Dávalos and Mr. Moya were already
waiting there. When they saw Austin, they immediately asked, "Austin, what's going on? Why are there
suddenly so many slanderous rumors about us online? And the accusations against you in the
company's internal chat group, it must be someone deliberately causing trouble, right?"
Mr. Dávalos's face was filled with concern, and his brows furrowed with anger and dissatisfaction
towards the situation, as well as anger towards the rumor-mongers.
After his words, Mr. Moya quickly chimed in, "There have been too many incidents involving the
Norman Group recently. After discussing, we decided it would be best to report it to the police as soon
as possible. You've sacrificed so much for the Norman Group, let us take responsibility for this. You still
need to focus on your other projects for the company. You don't need to worry about this; we will
handle it until the end."
Both of them nodded, determined to take action.
Austin scanned their faces, his gaze warm yet indifferent. He calmly said, "Uncle Dávalos, Uncle Moya,
it's late, and it's tiring for you both to come to the police station. Let me handle this. You're both getting
older, and it's not good for your health to exert yourselves. I'll take care of it."
Mr. Dávalos immediately objected, "How can that be? Let us handle it. After all, we are also part of the
Norman Group. We can't just push everything onto you."novelbin
Austin looked at them with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Before he could speak, the police arrived.
The police had already started their investigation. Although it involved the Norman Group and the three
people present, if there were any potential legal violations, the police would thoroughly investigate. No
one would escape the consequences of the law.
The three of them underwent questioning at the police station for nearly an hour. When they finished
and left the station, it was already past 11 p. m.
They headed towards their respective cars.
When they reached Mr. Dávalos and Mr. Moya's cars, Austin's steps came to a halt. He looked at the
two with a faint smile and asked, "Did you arrange for those accusations against me?"
Austin's expression immediately turned serious. He had previously threatened the two when the
incident first came to light, forcing them to issue statements and clear his name. In his heart, he even
planned to shift the blame onto them. He had even tried to sow discord between them.
Now, as he saw the two showing no signs of conflict and even coming together to report the incident to
the police, he realized his miscalculation.
Mr. Dávalos and Mr. Moya stared back at Austin, their faces expressionless. They showed no guilt or
panic in response to Austin's question. Instead, they calmly locked eyes with him and said, "Austin,
what do you mean by that? Why would we arrange for someone to slander you? Besides, if we were
the ones behind it, wouldn't reporting it to the police be shooting ourselves in the foot?"
The words of the two didn't ease Austin's expression at all. He continued to stare at them with a heavy
look.
Mr. Dávalos and Mr. Moya quickly changed the topic, "Austin, were those words you said in the
meeting room just a way to deceive us? You didn't actually do those things, did you?"
Austin didn't answer; he simply snorted indifferently and said, "Whether I did them or not, we are in the
same boat. If something happens to me, you won't escape either."
After saying that, Austin walked towards his car without looking back.
Mr. Dávalos and Mr. Moya didn't say anything and simply exchanged a glance before getting into their
own car.
The events of this night were unpredictable. The online rumors were spreading rapidly, and the heat
surrounding them was increasing. The Norman family was also worried and eager to contact Austin to
find out what was going on.
But Austin's phone was unreachable; he couldn't be contacted at all.
After Jeremiah dropped Austin off at his seldom-used villa, he was dismissed. Jeremiah tried to ask
how to handle the situation but was directly scolded by Austin.
Jeremiah had no choice but to leave. No one knew what happened to Austin afterward.
The next morning, the police arrived at the Norman Group headquarter, requesting to see Austin. Their
reason was, "We suspect that Austin, the General Manager of the Norman Group, is involved in illegal
activities. We have sufficient evidence to prove that the accusations against Austin are not false. We
need him to come with us for investigation."
The police's words quickly spread throughout the company. Several companies that were in
competition with the Norman Group and had an unfriendly relationship also joined in, insinuating that
the Norman Group was involved in illicit transactions.
If everything before was just speculation, now the police's arrival halfway confirmed it.
The Norman family, as well as the entire Norman Group, became anxious and fearful.
Everyone tried to contact Austin but couldn't reach him.
Since Austin was absent, Jeremiah, as his secretary and the person closest to him, was taken away for
questioning by the police.
No one knew what happened to Jeremiah after the police took him away. All that was known was that
later that morning, the police, along with other departments, issued a search warrant for the Norman
Group and launched a citywide search for Austin.
Austin's situation became the talk of the town in Campole, and the news also spread to Hance City and
Flento City.
When Preston saw the news, he didn't react much or show any emotions. Quintus, who was beside
him, couldn't read his thoughts and asked softly, "Mr. Baxter, fortunately, you were prepared in
advance. Otherwise, we would have been implicated by the Norman Group in this situation."
Quintus knew Preston's identity. He was currently Benjamin, but previously, he was known as Preston.
Since Preston now presented himself as Benjamin to the public, Quintus addressed him as Mr. Baxter.
Preston just let out a light sigh, his gaze warm and detached. He said, "Why should the Norman Group
implicate us? This is Austin's own affair. What does it have to do with us? Besides, what he did has no
connection to us. I gained nothing from him, so naturally, it has nothing to do with me."
Quintus nodded slightly, and then Preston asked, "Any news from the Hance City police? Why hasn't
Sean been found yet?"
Quintus shook his head. "The police have been all out investigating, but it's as if Sean has vanished
into thin air. There's no trace of him at the moment."
"Have you deployed your people to investigate?" Preston interrupted him and asked.
Quintus looked at Preston and nodded, responding, "We have already initiated the investigation, but we
haven't found any results yet."
As soon as Quintus finished speaking, his phone rang, and he glanced at Preston before saying, "It's
the person investigating Sean."
"Answer it," Preston said indifferently.
Quintus immediately answered the call and put it on speaker.
The voice on the other end of the line spoke, "Quintus, we found out that the driver who came from
Campole with Austin had dinner with Sean last night. They were cautious not to be discovered, so they
ate at a simple street stall."
They slowly traced it back, and after confirming it, they immediately informed Quintus.
Quintus responded quietly on the phone, his eyes locked on Preston, waiting for his response.
Preston didn't say anything; his face turned grim, showing extreme displeasure.
These words were enough to prove where Sean went after leaving him.
Everything that was happening to Austin now was self-inflicted. Did he think he could use Sean to keep
him Preston in check?
Huh.
Preston looked at Quintus and said, "There's no need to continue the investigation. Austin is not
reliable for Sean."
Austin was in a precarious situation, and his whereabouts were unknown.
Ayan and Camille also arrived in Dane City. Sophia personally drove to the airport to pick them up, but
they encountered someone familiar at the airport.