Chapter 225
"Robert's voice echoed through the room, a harsh accusation in his tone, ""I knew Mr. Hernandez wouldn't let it go."" He pointed a finger at Cassie, his gaze cold and unyielding. ""See, he's come knocking. You deal with it.""
Olivia sneered, adding fuel to the fire, ""Don't you dare resist. If you manage to rile Mr. Hernandez further, not even I will be able to smooth things over.""
""Let's just take her and get this over with,"" Robert suggested, his words earning immediate agreement from several others present.
Security guards began to advance on Cassie, but Joe stepped in front of her, a frown creasing his brow. ""Touch her, and you'll have me to deal with,"" he warned.
Robert, harboring a grudge since Joe had kicked him, saw his opportunity for revenge. ""What are you waiting for? Take them both!"" he ordered.
Tensions escalated, a brawl seemed imminent. Cassie held Joe back, ""Enough. There's no need to drag me out. I'll go willingly.""
With that, she walked out of the boardroom, leaving the others behind.
""Why don't we follow her and keep an eye on her?"" Olivia suggested. ""Better safe than sorry.""
""Yeah, we can't risk her angering Mr. Hernandez again.""
The group followed suit, descending to the lounge.
Mr. Hernandez sat huddled in a thick down jacket, his face pale as he cradled a cup of hot tea in his hands. A victim of the bitter cold, he was a pitiful sight.
Cassie remembered leaving him stripped down on the cold bathroom floor the previous night. He must have been freezing, likely catching a cold. Despite everything, she felt a pang of guilt. Richard, the scoundrel, wouldn't care about something as trivial as a few photos.
Her concern wasn't for herself. With no family to speak of, the only thing that bothered her was dragging Joe into this mess.
""I'm really sorry, Mr. Hernandez,"" Robert approached, eager to apologize and curry favor. ""I hope you won't hold a grudge.""
Edward chimed in, ""We've already stripped Cassie of her chairmanship and removed her from the board.""
Mr. Hernandez’s heart skipped a beat. His bloodshot eyes lifted. ""She's no longer the chair?""
""That's correct.""
Robert, covering for Richard despite knowing the truth, shifted the blame onto Cassie. ""It's unbelievable. We had no idea Cassie would corner you in the bathroom and attempt to seduce you. It's disgraceful.""
Robert was self-satisfied with his clever ruse, but Richard glared furiously at him.
Before Robert could comprehend the situation, Richard kicked him violently to the ground. ""Who gave you the right to remove her? Who told you she seduced me? You're killing me!""
Richard kicked Robert relentlessly. He was a step too late; if Joseph found out about this, Richard could say goodbye to his sorry life.
Everyone was stunned, including Cassie, who was speechless at the turn of events.
Olivia let out a desperate scream and rushed over to cling to Richard's arm, ""Stop it, Mr. Hernandez, he's my father...""
Richard's hand connected with her face, sending her sprawling to the floor, ""Shut up, you tramp. It's all your fault. The thing I regret most is getting involved with you.""
If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have crossed paths with Cassie, and he certainly wouldn't have had any issue with Joseph. The previous night, nursing his wounds, he'd spent the entire evening out on the balcony in the freezing air, contemplating jumping to his death.
""Mr. Hernandez, what are you doing?"" Olivia's face stung from the slap, her head spinning.
She had endured Richard's twisted ways for days, humbling herself in every way to please him, all in an attempt to turn the tides in her and Robert's favor within the company.
But now, before Cassie had even received her punishment, she was the one being hit. Overwhelmed by the injustice, tears streamed down her face. ""Mr. Hernandez, it was Cassie who hurt you yesterday, not me.""
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