"The hotel security cameras were down for maintenance?"

"How convenient."

I let out a cold laugh.

Lambert shrugged again. "You said it, not me."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

A long moment passed.

Then I asked, "I'm the one who got framed. Why do you care more than I do?"

"That's exactly the point!"

Lambert tapped a finger lightly against the table.

"Your own family turns you in."

"And your worst rival is the one who cares."

"You still don't get what I'm saying?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Kathy, yes, you do."

"Forget who we're supposed to be to each other."

"The truth is, I admire you. A lot."

"Simmons Enterprises was about to go bankrupt."

"And you dragged it back to life single-handedly."

"I really can't wrap my head around it."

"Your parents have a genius daughter right there in front of them."

"And they'd rather push that useless son up the ladder instead."

"Their heads must be full of water!"

Every word he said landed right where it hurt.

But I wasn't about to admit it.

"My family's business is none of yours."

I said it evenly.

"You're right, it isn't."

"But I can't stand to watch your talent go to waste."

"A woman like you."

"You belong under the spotlight, with everyone's eyes on you."

"Not being set up and framed."

He paused.

Then, right there, he had his secretary bring in a document.

"Take a look at this."

I opened it and skimmed a few lines.

He watched the shock creep across my face.

And he smiled.

"If you're not happy with the terms, there's room to talk."

I set the document down, my brows drawing together. "You want me to join Dream Harmony?"

"Yes."

"Not a chance!"

I pushed the document back at him. "Simmons and Dream Harmony are archrivals. We're in direct competition. How could I ever join Dream Harmony?"

"Don't be so quick to turn me down. Look at this first."

Lambert pulled out his phone and played a video for me.

In it, my father was holding a press conference.

First he formally announced that Connor was now the general manager of Simmons Enterprises.

Then he announced that every position I held in the company had been stripped from me.

"You see that? Simmons doesn't want you anymore."

"So what exactly are you still holding on for?"

Even then, I clung to a sliver of hope.

"They've just misunderstood me."

"Once I go back and tell them the recording is fake."

"They'll give me my positions back."

Lambert let out a sudden sigh.

"Looks like you won't give up until you hit rock bottom."

"Fine."

"I won't force you. But I'll wait."

"You're welcome to call and bother me anytime."

Lambert left.

And I walked out of the police station without any trouble.

Outside the police station, a car was waiting in front of me.

The window rolled down, and Lambert Kaufman looked at me with a smile. "Morning rush hour. Cabs are hard to find. Let me give you a ride."

"No, thanks."

I shook my head.

The Simmons family and the Kaufman family were sworn rivals in business.

If someone caught a photo of me sitting in the same car as Lambert Kaufman, there'd be no washing it off, no matter what I said.

Lambert seemed to read exactly what I was worried about. He gave an easy shrug.

"Kathy Simmons, I've got a very strong feeling."

"You're going to call me."

Just then a cab happened to pass by. It already had a passenger.

But Lambert had his assistant flag it down anyway, then pulled the passenger out of the car. The man was about to start cursing when the assistant pushed a few bills into his hand. Not a word of complaint after that. He took the money and walked off happy.

And so I got into the cab without any trouble.

"I'll be waiting!"

As the car pulled away, Lambert called out with a smile.

Back home.

I'd meant to find my parents first thing and explain everything.

But there was no one in the house.

On top of that, I hadn't slept well in the holding cell the night before. So I took a shower and went back to my room to sleep.

I don't know how long I was out.

Noise from the living room woke me. I recognized my parents' voices.

I got up out of bed and was about to go out, but the moment I reached the door I heard my mother say, laughing, "That plan of yours was pretty clever."

"It keeps Kathy from grabbing the heir's position."

"And it clears the way for Connor to move up."

"Two birds with one stone."

The hand on the doorknob began to shake violently.

Then my father's voice came.

"Hmph. What would a woman do as an heir? You want the Simmons family business ending up in an outsider's hands someday?"

"I hinted at it to her long ago."

"Just keep your head down and do your work. That's all."

"But no, she had to fight for it."

"She brought this on herself!"

The words left me frozen where I stood, my mind gone blank in an instant.

He was the one who told me.

That if I worked hard, I'd have a shot at inheriting the family business.

But after working this hard, for this long, all I'd earned was "she brought this on herself"?

And... this frame-up, the forged recording, he was behind it?

Then my father went on. "Faking a recording to pin it on Kathy was a bit much, I'll admit."

"But think about it. A few days locked up to cool her off isn't a bad thing."

"Otherwise she outshines her master, and I'd never be able to hand the inheritance to Connor."

My mother spoke up. "Honestly, you didn't do anything wrong. Her merits are sky-high, Connor could never keep her in line, and she'd never be content playing second. Besides, a woman should just marry a man and stay home, keep the household, raise the children."

"Running a company, that kind of thing, still has to go to a son."

My father laughed.

"Now that you mention it."

"We'll arrange a marriage for her as soon as we can."

"Just marry her off and be done with it."

I sank against the door in despair, biting down hard on my lip, my whole body shaking, tears I couldn't stop pouring down.

I'd studied so hard, worked so hard.

All to earn their "approval."

But no matter how good I was.

I could never measure up to the "adopted son" they'd brought home.

Fine. Then I'll step aside.

I lifted a hand and wiped away the tears.

Then I dialed Lambert Kaufman.

"Is that contract still good?"