Chapter 377

The air in the office was thick with tension.

"Rosalind, you know my boundaries, yet you chose to cross them." Nathan's voice was icy, cutting through the silence like a blade. "And now you expect my trust?"

Rosalind Summers stood frozen, her lips parting but no words escaping.

Nathan didn’t give her the chance to explain. "I could have overlooked your attempts to manipulate things between Zoe and me. But when you involved my grandfather—when you whispered lies behind our backs—there’s nothing left to discuss."

Rosalind’s face paled, her fingers curling into tight fists. "Then why didn’t you expose me in front of Theodore?"

A cold smirk played on Nathan’s lips. "Because he trusted you. I wanted to see how far you’d go."

Her knees nearly buckled beneath her.

Evelyn turned, her gaze sharp. "Were you involved in Winifred’s case too?"

Rosalind’s eyes flashed with defiance. "What does Winifred’s case have to do with me?"

Evelyn’s voice remained steady. "You knew about the rivalry between Winifred and me in the training camp. If something had happened to me, she would’ve been the prime suspect."

She took a step closer. "But Winifred never admitted to the snake incident. And then, suddenly, she took her own life."

Rosalind’s jaw clenched. "I don’t know anything about that."

"Someone familiar with the camp layout could’ve easily slipped in unnoticed," Evelyn mused. "Someone who knew the routines, the blind spots."

Her eyes locked onto Rosalind’s. "Who else would want me dead, if not the person who sees me as an obstacle?"

A bead of sweat trickled down Rosalind’s temple, hidden beneath her hairline. Her grip on her shirt was so tight the fabric wrinkled.

Then, the office door swung open.

Theodore Goldmann stood there, his sharp gaze sweeping over the scene. His frown deepened as he took in Rosalind’s red-rimmed eyes. "What’s going on here?"

Evelyn stiffened, caught off guard by his sudden appearance.

Nathan’s expression darkened, suspicion flickering in his eyes.

Rosalind seized the opportunity. "Grandfather, it’s my fault. I made a mistake." Her voice trembled with false remorse. "I don’t deserve to be Nathan’s special assistant anymore."

Theodore’s expression hardened as he turned to Nathan and Evelyn. "What has she done to warrant this?"

Before Evelyn could speak, Rosalind cut in. "I—I treated Ms. Vanderbilt poorly because of her connection to the de Armas family. I was wrong."

She knew Theodore well. Admitting fault first was her only chance to regain his favor.

Evelyn opened her mouth, but Nathan spoke first. "Is that all you did?"

Rosalind’s eyes welled with tears, the picture of wounded innocence. "Nathan, I know you hate me, but everything I did was for the Goldmanns." Her voice cracked. "I admit I tried to drive Ms. Vanderbilt away from you—but I never harmed her!"

The lie hung heavy in the air.