Chapter 497 Who Stole the Formula
After handing over the Grandma's Black Tea shares to Christopher, James returned to Cloud Residence and collapsed into bed, first instructing Francis to keep watch over Christopher and his wife.
Though he'd opted not to eliminate Zane and his people tonight, James remained wary—he wanted to see just how corrupt the Sovereign City Mystic Alliance truly was.
The next morning, James rose early for his training.
During his run around the property, he spotted his father taking a walk in the park. They exchanged brief greetings before James continued his exercise.
Without warning, five vehicles screeched to a halt at Cloud Residence's entrance. Car doors flew open as Beckett and Githa emerged, followed by more than a dozen men and women, including two uniformed elders.
"Search! Search everything!" Beckett roared, kicking open the door before Michelle or Samantha could greet them.
His followers scattered throughout the house like a swarm. The sounds of destruction echoed through the residence as they tore through rooms, flinging James's family's belongings everywhere.
Michelle rushed from the kitchen where she'd been preparing breakfast.
"Beckett, what's happening?" Her eyes widened at the sight of their clothes strewn across the floor. "What's going on here?"
She noticed several family elders standing in the courtyard, hands clasped behind their backs, observing the chaos with cold detachment.
Githa stormed forward and struck Michelle across the face with savage force.
"Don't pretend you don't know," she snarled. "After all our kindness, you commit such treachery! Twenty years and your vile character hasn't changed. First you leaked our formulas, and yesterday, while we were transferring ownership, you stole my husband's secret formula from the car!"
She delivered another barrage of slaps, leaving Michelle dizzy and swollen-faced.
Beckett and the others watched with folded arms, their expressions betraying satisfaction rather than concern.
"What formula?" Michelle touched her reddening cheek. "I don't know anything about—"
Githa grabbed a fistful of Michelle's hair and yanked her head back. "The upgraded version of Grandma's Black Tea that Beckett worked so hard on! If you didn't steal it, who did?"
"Beckett, Githa, I swear I haven't seen it!" Michelle pleaded. "I don't know anything!"
"Still playing dumb?" With her karate training, Githa's movements were precise and brutal. She grabbed one of Michelle's fingers and twisted until Michelle screamed in pain.
"Don't touch her!" Samantha rushed into the room and threw herself at Githa, pulling at her arms.
Michelle struggled to separate them. "Stop fighting! Let's talk this through!"
Beckett's face darkened at the sight of his wife being challenged. "What are you standing around for?" he barked at his followers. "Get them!"
Three men immediately descended upon the women, violently separating them before delivering savage kicks that sent both Michelle and Samantha crashing to the floor.
"Bring them to me!" Githa commanded, her hair disheveled, face flushed with rage. "Tie their hands!"
The men pinned both women down, binding their wrists with rope. Once they were restrained, Githa approached, her features contorted with hatred.
SLAP! "You thief, have you no shame?" SLAP! "You worthless woman!"
She delivered more than a dozen brutal slaps to both women's faces.
"Not only did you steal the formula, you dare raise your hands against me? I'll slap you to death! If you don't hand over everything today, I'll make sure you spend your lives rotting in prison!"
Blood trickled from the corner of Michelle's mouth as she struggled to speak. "Beckett, please... I never took anything..."
"Ms. Green, we found the formula!" One of the searchers ran out triumphantly, holding a plastic bag containing a sheet of paper.
Beckett extracted the document, which bore the Green Group logo. The paper listed dozens of herbal formulations and the words "Grandma's Black Tea Upgraded Version" in Beckett's handwriting.
Michelle's body trembled violently as she stared at it. This was exactly the "Great Grandma's Black Tea" formula she had given to Beckett—identical in every way except for the handwriting and paper.
"Beckett, this isn't—" she began.
His fist drove into her stomach, cutting off her words. "You bitch. You never change."
The onlookers began murmuring among themselves:
"God, Michelle truly is shameless. Harming the family once wasn't enough!"
"I heard this formula is worth billions. If she'd stolen it, the Garcia family would have suffered tremendous losses."
"Money-hungry is exactly what describes someone like her."
The family elders' expressions turned to ice, utterly disappointed in Michelle.
"I didn't steal it," Michelle gasped, struggling to breathe. "I really didn't..."
Beckett grabbed her hair, yanking her head up to meet his gaze. "Michelle, you've betrayed my kindness. I brought you back to give you a chance, but you're still as light-fingered as before."
His voice dropped to a threatening whisper. "Confess now, and I'll just have you sign a confidentiality agreement. Refuse, and I'll have the police arrest your entire family."
He leaned closer. "I have reason to suspect you're all thieves."
"Yes, her son is a thief too!" Githa touched the scratch on her face. "He stole my Maserati!"
Tears streamed down Michelle's face as she looked at her brother. "Beckett, why? Why are you doing this?"
"Confess in front of everyone," he demanded. "Admit you stole the formula I worked so hard to create."
Michelle shook her head desperately. "I didn't do it! I won't confess to something I didn't do! And besides, that formula—"
"Then we'll beat you until you do," Beckett snarled. "And when we're done, we'll drag you to the police station."
Githa lunged forward, seizing a fistful of Michelle's hair and yanking her face close.
"Still refusing to confess?" she snarled.
Michelle winced as her hair was pulled taut. The pain from this fresh assault compounded with the stinging wounds already marking her face.
"Confess. Now." Githa's palm cracked across Michelle's cheek again, her eyes glittering with venom and hatred. "NOW!"
Michelle's hair fell in disarray across her face from the force of the blow. Yet despite the searing pain radiating through her features, she remained defiant.
"I didn't steal anything," she whispered through bloodied lips. "I won't confess to something I didn't do."
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth in thin rivulets. Her face had become a mottled canvas of angry red welts and darkening bruises.
But more striking than her physical injuries was the look in her eyes—a mixture of bewilderment and anguish at being betrayed by her own family.
Githa's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Let's see just how stubborn you really are."
Githa suddenly produced a pair of pliers and grabbed Samantha's hand. Despite Samantha's struggles, the men held her firmly in place.
"What are you doing?" Michelle cried out. "Samantha is innocent! If you want to hurt someone, hurt me!"
"But you won't listen," Githa replied coldly, positioning the pliers around one of Samantha's fingers. "Ten seconds to confess, or I cut off her finger."
"No, please! You can't do this!"
Samantha managed to gasp: "Michelle, don't confess. We did nothing wrong!"
Githa squeezed the pliers. Samantha's scream filled the room as blood flowed from her finger.
"Stop! Please!" Michelle broke down completely. "I confess! I stole the upgraded version of Grandma's Black Tea! I acted alone—Samantha had nothing to do with it."
Born with a kind heart, Michelle had been repeatedly beaten down by life, and now betrayed by her own family. Her grief was beyond measure.
"So it was you after all." Beckett laughed triumphantly, glancing around the room. "Everyone heard that, right? She admitted stealing my formula."
He gestured for someone to bring a prepared confession statement for Michelle to sign.
"Death may be avoided, but punishment cannot," Githa declared, viciously clamping Michelle's hand with the pliers.
"Before we drive you from this family, I'll deliver justice by cutting off your thieving hands."
Michelle, barely conscious from the physical and mental torture, had given up struggling. Nothing hurt more than betrayal by family.
"STOP!"
A thunderous roar echoed from the doorway. A figure blurred into the room with lightning speed.
The men restraining Michelle and Samantha were sent flying across the room.
Before anyone could react, James delivered a devastating kick to Githa's chest.
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