Chapter 351 Dagmar's Resignation

Lilian paced her room barefoot in a silk robe, while Simon sat comfortably on the small sofa.
"Did you take that picture? Who did you send it to? And how on earth did it end up online?" Lilian's patience had snapped, her fury unleashed on Simon. "Are you happy now that I’m being dragged through the mud on the internet both here and abroad?"

Simon's sharply defined face was a mask of frustration.

He wouldn't dream of telling Lilian that he had sent the photo to Darwin using her WhatsApp.

He hadn't expected this betrayal.

He didn’t know that Darwin, of all people, would stoop so low as to be the one to break the news to everyone else in such a deceitful way.

"I didn't send it to anyone," Simon mumbled, his tone hollow. "My phone got hacked. I'm on it, sweetheart. I'll find the jerk who did this, and they won't get off easy."

"Hacked?"

An idea flashed in Lilian's mind. Chelsea's inner circle included some formidable hackers.

"It's her! It has to be!" Lilian's fists clenched tight in anger.

Simon paused, then pressed, "Who?"

"Chelsea!" gritted Lilian, her loathing palpable. "She was never going to let me be!"

Simon breathed a sigh of relief.

"That woman's gone too far. She married Darwin like she wanted, but she won’t be satisfied until she takes you down!" he growled in support. "Babe, what do you want me to do about her?"

Lilian gave him a look, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes.

He was nothing but a powerless figurehead. There was no way Chelsea would feel threatened by him.

But...

Despite all that, Simon was the only safe harbor she had at her disposal right now.

She turned away, placing a hand gently on her stomach.

"Just leave it. I don’t want you to put yourself at risk for me." Lilian's voice wavered with melancholy. "Darwin and Janna are too dangerous. I’ll have to swallow this bitter pill for now."

"Sweetheart..."

As soon as Simon heard Lilian's consideration for him, he hurried to her side, his movements suggesting more than just comfort.

Lilian was incredibly annoyed.

She brushed him off with an excuse and ushered Simon out of the room.

After she closed the door. Lilian rested her hand on the doorknob adorned with jewels.

The hatred in her eyes intensified.

She had to endure and wait until the child within her was safe. Then, she would deal Chelsea a fatal blow.

Until then...

She would bide her time under Simon's shelter, licking her wounds in silent anticipation.

"Enjoy your peace while it lasts, Chelsea!" she hissed venomously.

*

Fiona sneezed twice.

Charles immediately looked up from his book, "Mommy, have you caught a cold?"

"No, it’s just a tickle in my nose."

He nodded and went back to his reading.

Fiona glanced at the cover of the book, a fleeting look of bewilderment freezing her expression.

It was a Physics book. The subject alone was a maze to her, and just the title of the book sent her head spinning.

Could her son really understand any of this?
She chuckled to herself, her eyes returning to her phone, the unfinished gossip stories still on the screen.

Fiona sighed internally. Ignorance truly was bliss.

She closed the app and turned to Charles. “Buddy, in a few days, you’ll be out of here. Dad wants to take you and your sister shopping for some goodies before we move into the new place,” she said.

“Is that really necessary?” Charles closed the book. “He's taking us, but what about you?”

Fiona felt a twinge of guilt. “You know I just landed a major contract, honey. The project is kicking off and I can’t miss the initial phase.”

Charles furrowed his brow, but as he looked at his mother's face, his expression softened to resignation. “You’ll have to ask Sis about that. If she agrees, I’ll go along.”

Fiona smiled warmly, ruffling Charles’s hair. “I’ll handle your piggy little sister.”

Charles scowled. “Mom, don’t call Chicago ‘piggy little sister.’ It might just stick.”

Fiona burst into laughter.

Just then, Janna walked in to see Fiona almost doubled over with mirth.

“What’s going on here?” Janna inquired.

Fiona pinched her cheeks and waved a hand dismissively. “Nothing... my sense of humor is beyond saving.”

Janna handed Charles a stack of books he had requested.

“We shouldn’t interrupt Charles's reading. Come with me.”

Fiona’s smile faded slightly.

Moments later, out on the public terrace...

“What did you say?” Fiona asked incredulously. “Dagmar resigned?”

“He wrapped up all her work yesterday, and he handed in her resignation this morning,” Janna revealed, pulling out Dagmar’s resignation letter from her bag and handing it to Fiona. “It was postmarked the day you and Darwin got married.”

The letter was a standard resignation letter, without any additional comments.

Fiona gripped the letter tightly, and after a long pause, said, “Maybe it’s for the best.”

Janna looked at her with a mix of emotions. She had only agreed to help Dagmar for the sake of her granddaughter, but Dagmar’s competence had taken Janna by surprise.

The Rhoads family’s medical business had been languishing, to the point where Janna had considered closing it down and selling it off. But under Dagmar’s management, the company flourished. Janna truly admired Dagmar for that.

"Don't worry," Fiona soothed Janna in a gentle voice, "With Dagmar's talent, he'll thrive even if he steps away from the Rhoads family business."

Janna fell silent for a moment, then spoke seriously, "Dagmar built the medical division of Rhoads from the ground up. He might have left a competent team in place, but without him, Rhoads lacks someone of equal caliber to run the healthcare sector."

"You mean..." Fiona probed.

"I had already planned to sell off that part of the business when you first came home. Now, the medical division's value has skyrocketed. I want to sell it while it's still at its peak."

But there was more to Janna's reasoning than just that.

Her health was on the decline.

The Rhoads family empire was vast and complex, tangled like an intricate web.

She wanted to liquidate some assets to set up trust funds for Charles and Chicago and leave some liquid cash for her granddaughter, just in case.

Fiona thought for a moment.

"Grandma, let me talk to Dagmar first. After all, he was the one who built it. Maybe..."

"Oh sweetie, do you think I haven't already thought about that?" Janna said with a touch of resignation. "I've talked to Dagmar. My initial thought was to give him the entire business, but he refused. I called him before coming to you. I told him about selling off Rhoads healthcare and asked if he was interested. I told him we could negotiate the price if he was, but he still said no."

"He...," Fiona's gaze dropped to the resignation letter, to Dagmar's signature at the bottom.

"Maybe he just wants to cut all ties with our family."
The Substitute's Revenge: From Secretary to Queen
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