Chapter 3

In my last life, I pinned every hope I had on the Gilberts.

And in the end, all it earned me was a brutal death.

So this time, I had my lawyer, my notarizations, my hospital arrangements, and my report materials ready in advance.

I was only waiting for them to make their move.

When Fabian saw I wouldn't sign, he called the finance department on the spot.

"Freeze Lesley Gilbert's position, her dividends, and every access right she has. As of today, Lesley Gilbert has nothing to do with this family."

"And the Gilberts will no longer cover a single cent of her biological mother's treatment!"

My phone buzzed a second later with a notice from the hospital.

【The hospitalization guarantee account has been frozen. Please deposit the outstanding 150,000 by 6:00 p.m. today, or portions of the treatment plan will be suspended.】

In my last life, it was this exact message that dropped me to my knees begging him.

For my mother, I signed a thirty-million confession, handed over everything, and still couldn't save her life.

But this time, I had already arranged everything for her.

I switched off the voice recorder on my phone, photographed the agreement and the board appointment letter side by side, and typed out a post.

【Gilbert Group has publicly determined that I sold trade secrets to a competitor. Please release the buyer's name, the transaction amount, and the full money trail.】

My finger hovered over the publish button. Before I could tap it, the legal manager panicked.

"Miss Gilbert, you can't post that! The company is going public. This kind of negative press will affect the review!"

Fabian ground his teeth.

"Lesley Gilbert, this family raised you for twenty-four years, and you insist on airing our dirty laundry? What is it you actually want?"

I pressed the lock button without posting.

"Hold a public press conference tomorrow. Lay out your complete evidence, and I'll answer every question the media throws at me."

"Prove I sold the files, and I'll confess on the spot. If you can't, Gilbert Group retracts the statement and apologizes publicly to me and my mother."

The head of the brand department jumped in:

"Chairman Gilbert, pulling the statement now would only make us look guilty. A press conference at least lets us keep control of the narrative."

I watched the alarm on his face and let a small smile settle inside me.

This was exactly what I wanted.

The more the Gilberts feared a public backlash, the less they'd dare retract the statement.

They could only keep inflating the lie, until everyone saw it.

Carly took the opening and slumped weakly into Sibyl's arms, her voice soft as cotton.

"Say yes to her, sis. My body isn't strong, but I can still go in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank."

"Once she admits her mistake, I'd still be glad to bring her home."

Sibyl's eyes went red at once. She stroked Carly's hair and sighed that the girl was too kind.

Seeing it, Fabian finally made the call.

"Tomorrow, ten a.m. We hold the press conference."

I turned and left.

My mother had already been moved to the confidential ward, but I still needed to see with my own eyes that she was safe.

The elevator doors had barely opened when Carly hurried after me.

The girl who'd needed two people to prop her up moments ago now walked light and steady.

The doors slid slowly shut.

She pulled off the children's health chart, wiped away her tears, and rose on her toes to whisper against my ear.

"Sis, do you think that as long as no money changed hands, they can't pin the crime on you?"

I held down the door-open button and looked at her sideways.

Carly curved her eyes into a smile, sweet as a child who knew nothing of the world.

"But I've already got a payment record ready for you."

I looked at her and said nothing.

She took it for fear, and her smile grew more pleased with itself.

"Daddy says with a transfer record on file, sis won't be able to talk her way out. At the press conference tomorrow, I'll personally urge you to confess."

"And then the whole world will know that I'm the real daughter of the Gilberts."

The elevator doors closed again.

I glanced down at my phone. Another message had come in from my lawyer:

【The regulators have confirmed the materials.】

The Gilberts wanted to use a livestream to the whole internet to nail me to the pillory.

So I would use their livestream to tear away every last one of Gilbert Group's covers, one layer at a time.