No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 180

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The screen loaded. I scrolled down the list of recordings until I found the timestamp for that day.

“There,” I muttered. I clicked it.

The footage opened in a small window, the office displayed in grainy black–and–white. I hit the fast–forward button, and the video played in quick motion. The sound of the whirring playback filled the quiet room.

Lauren leaned in slightly beside me, her eyes fixed on the screen.

We watched as the manager entered the office in the footage, walking toward the desk. She moved the files around, scattering a few papers. My gaze flicked up briefly to look at her in real life, she stood across from us, her face pale and stiff, her breath shaky.

Back on the screen, she handed a file to Cassandra and exited the office. Cassandra followed behind her. That must have been when she came to give me the file that day.

Then, a few minutes later, Cassandra walked back into the office alone this time.

I narrowed my eyes, leaning slightly closer to the screen. At first, it looked like she was simply arranging the papers, placing the scattered files neatly back into the drawer. Nothing unusual until she paused.

Slowly, she reached into her purse.

“What is she doing?” Lauren muttered under her breath.

I didn’t answer. My eyes stayed glued to the monitor.

Cassandra brought out something small and rectangular — a mirror.

I frowned, confused. “A mirror?” I whispered, almost to myself.

We both watched as she placed it carefully on the desk, angling it in a way that faced upward toward the corner of the ceiling where the camera was mounted.

Then, suddenly, the screen went white.

A burst of static, then nothing. Just white.

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My jaw clenched. The anger that had been simmering inside me finally rose to the surface. My hands curled into fists. “This is all the proof I need,” I said through gritted teeth.

I lifted my head sharply, my gaze locking on the manager still standing opposite us. She looked frozen, guilt and fear written all over her face, her hands wringing the fabric of her skirt.

“Get this Cassandra here,” I ordered, my voice like ice. “Don’t tell her anything. Just act like everything’s normal.”

The manager wiped her tears quickly, nodding without hesitation. “Yes, sir,” she whispered, before rushing out of the office.

The door closed behind her, leaving a heavy silence in her wake.

I took out my phone immediately, dialing a number I knew too well. The inspector. The line barely rang once before he picked up.

“Inspector,” I said, keeping my tone measured, “I need you and a few of your men down here immediately. I have a situation – corporate espionage. Yes… Hale Industries headquarters.”

A short confirmation followed from the other end. I hung up.

“The officers are on their way,” I said to Lauren, sliding my phone back into my pocket. My voice was steady, but my pulse wasn’t. I wasn’t just angry, I was insulted. Someone had violated my trust, used my company’s access, and betrayed me right under my nose.

Lauren said nothing, just gave a small nod, her expression thoughtful yet unreadable.

Then, right on time, the familiar knock came again.

“Come in,” I said.

The door opened. The manager stepped in first, looking tense but composed. And behind her walked Cassandra Boyce.

The moment I saw her, recognition hit, she was exactly the woman from the footage. The same dark hair, the same composed expression.

She gave a small bow as soon as she saw me. “Sir,” she greeted, her voice polite.

But something about her eyes caught my attention. They flicked briefly, just briefly toward Lauren. And in that second, I caught it. A sharp, hostile glare. A glare that could kill. It was gone just as quickly as it came, replaced by her professional calm. But I saw it.

I kept my face expressionless, forcing my anger to stay buried. Not yet. I just needed to keep her here until the officers arrived.

“Cassandra Boyce,” I said evenly, leaning back into my chair. “The manager has told me quite a lot about you your skills, your dedication.”

From the corner of my eye, I caught both Lauren and the manager glancing at me in confusion. That wasn’t what they were expecting me to say. They were expecting confrontation, accusation. But I wasn’t giving Cassandra

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the satisfaction, not yet.

“Tell me,” I continued, “how long have you been working for Hale Industries?”

Her hands clasped politely in front of her. “A total of two and a half years, sir,” she answered.

“Two and a half years,” I repeated quietly. “That’s not very long, but it’s still something. Long enough to understand what this company stands for. Which makes me wonder a lot of things.”

“Like what, sir?” she asked, her voice steady, but there was a slight tremor in it now.

I leaned forward, folding my hands together on the desk. “Like how an employee of mine, someone who’s worked here almost three years could decide to turn against me and this company.”

The shift in her face was subtle but visible. Her pupils widened slightly, her posture stiffened. Fear flickered in her eyes before she quickly masked it with an expression of confusion.

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