Unexpected Fiancée

Chapter 41: You Stole The Drawings

Chapter 41: You Stole the Drawings

"What's going on?" Monica and Sherry turned to Jane, their attempt to mask their dissatisfactionpalpable.

Jane held up the blank sheets she had discovered in her folder, asserting, "Let's address this now."

Upon seeing the blank sheets, Monica felt a pang of guilt. "What do you mean?" she inquired.

Jane walked up to Patrick, handing the blank sheets to him. "The drawings that were in the folderhave been replaced with these blank sheets. Don't you think something's amiss, Mr. Pansy?"

Patrick accepted the blank sheets, placing them on the conference table. He impatiently tapped hisslender fingers on the table, his gaze locked onto the sheets. It was evident that someone hadstolen the drawings and substituted them with these blank pages. With only a handful of individualshaving access to the drawings, and Jane being meticulous in her work, he knew she wouldn'tentrust such critical documents to just anyone. Two possibilities loomed: either someone hadsubstituted the drawings to embarrass Jane during the meeting, or Jane herself had made theswitch. The latter scenario, however, left the question of motive unanswered.

Finally, Patrick decided, "I'll have Morton investigate."

"Of course, sir," Morton concurred respectfully.

Jane clarified, "I had inspected the file before heading to the airport, and the drawings were intact.Upon returning from the airport, I brought the folder to the conference room, only to find thedrawings replaced with blank sheets. Clearly, someone must have made the switch during myabsence at the airport."

"Jane, you've misplaced the drawings, and now you're trying to shift the blame. That's all it is,"Monica interjected.

Unease washed over Monica when Patrick announced the impending investigation; she was wellaware of Patrick's ruthless nature. If he discovered that she had stolen the drawings, theconsequences would be severe, sending shivers down her spine.

"What? You believe I've lost the drawings?" Jane retorted. "Why would I substitute them with blanksheets? Do you think everyone's as foolish as you?"

Monica glared at Jane, feigning indifference. She consoled herself with the idea that her actions hadbeen executed discreetly, and Jane could not possibly have uncovered her scheme. "What do youmean?" Monica retorted, concealing her unease.

Jane offered a cynical response, "If you don't wish to be exposed, the best course of action is toabstain from engaging in such activities."

Monica's heart quivered in fear. She swiftly stole a glance at Patrick, who remained silent, hisexpression stern and his gaze piercing. She quickly turned her gaze away.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," Monica stammered. "By the way, I have other businessto attend to. This meeting is over, Jane. I don't have time to waste on you."

Jane immediately called, "Wait!" in a cold, firm tone.

Monica hesitated and then reluctantly returned to the conference table. "What do you want?" shequeried, feigning nonchalance. She remained confident that her covert actions would remainundisclosed.

Jane retorted, "I believe you instigated the theft of the drawings."

Patrick abruptly stood, tall and composed, his expression unwavering and his lips forming a thinline. He fixed his gaze on Jane and uttered in an indifferent tone, "Since you claim to possessevidence, please present it."

He then turned to Monica and Sherry, instructing, "Return and sit down."novelbin

Monica, with no alternative, complied, feeling highly anxious. Could Jane truly have incriminatingevidence against her? It seemed implausible since her actions had been stealthy and flawless.

"Do you possess any evidence of my involvement in the theft of the drawings?" Monica challengedJane. "I caution you that making baseless accusations is a grave offense."

Taking a deep breath, Monica added, "I know you don't respect authority, but that doesn't justifyframing me."

Jane responded with a derisive laugh, unperturbed by Monica's threats. She had prepared for everypossible scenario, and exposing Monica was an inevitability.

"I have evidence to prove that you orchestrated this scheme," Jane affirmed confidently.

Patrick's sudden stand, his unflinching posture and icy demeanor, signaled his intention to allowJane to address the situation. This decision raised a peculiar question in his mind: Why had Monicaundertaken such an act? While Monica possessed a measure of arrogance and a domineeringdisposition, her work had always been executed proficiently. Engaging in an act that couldjeopardize the company's interests and potentially tarnish her own career was perplexing.

Upon realizing that Patrick was no longer objecting, Jane cleared her throat and announced, "Let'sproceed. Now that I have identified the timeframe during which the drawings were likely stolen, Ionly need to review the surveillance footage from that period to ascertain the perpetrator."

Monica quickly protested, "But the surveillance camera is broken, isn't it?"

Jane's response was scornful. "You seem rather attentive to such trivial details."

Indeed, the surveillance camera in Jane's office had been intentionally damaged the day before, anaction Monica took to erase any evidence of her involvement. As Jane pointed out, Monica had notanticipated that the surveillance camera would be promptly repaired, thus walking into Jane's trap.

"Broken? That's what you heard?" Jane countered, smiling. Unbeknownst to Monica, Jane hadclandestinely arranged for the camera to be fixed.

Monica, her face now displaying surprise, voiced her doubts. "Really? How could it have been fixedso quickly? I didn't break it!"

Patrick's sharp gaze fell upon Monica as he instructed Morton, "Retrieve the surveillance footage."