Part 63; Joel was behind everything

David nodded weakly knowing he had no other choice.

Make a copy," Canary ordered, his voice steady but firm. "Right now."

David hesitated for a moment, then nodded quickly. "Okay," he stammered, grabbing a flash drive from the desk.

His fingers trembled as he inserted it into the laptop and began copying the file. The room was silent except for the faint hum of the laptop, the tension between them thick.

As the progress bar inched forward, David glanced nervously at Canary. "What… what are you going to do with it?" he asked cautiously.

Canary's expression remained unreadable. "That's not your concern," he replied coldly. "You've already caused enough damage. Now, you're going to help fix it."

David gulped and turned his attention back to the laptop. Once the file was copied, he ejected the drive and handed it to Canary with a shaking hand.

"Here," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Canary took the drive, his grip firm. He stared at it for a moment before looking back at David and then walked out of the room.

As soon as Canary was out David pulled out his phone and called Joel.

" Canary has gone with the original video.." He reported.

Joel cursed and ended the call. He needed to do something to stop Canary immediately.

He got a good and walked out of his office.

—-

Canary arrived back to the mansion in time and went straight to the living room where Lucy was.

She glanced up as he entered, with a questioning face.

"Where have you been all this time?" Her look was still cold.

Canary walked over and sat beside her, his expression serious. "I went to get the original video." He said.

Lucy raised an eyebrow, setting her crocheting aside.

" The original video ?" She asked.

He handed her the phone, already queued up to the video. "Watch this. It explains everything that really happened … about Regina and me, and even Camilla."

Lucy hesitated but pressed

Lucy's hand trembled as she paused the video.

The video was full showing the real conversation Regina had had with Canary and now Lucy understood what had really happened.

She looked up at her son, her eyes filled with a mix of pity and understanding. "Regina… she's the one who left you?"

Canary nodded. "She broke me, Mom. That's why I became the person everyone thought I was—a player. And with Camilla… I didn't know she was Regina's sister. I never would have gone near her if I had."

Lucy placed a comforting hand on his. "You've carried this pain for so long, but now I see the truth. You've been unfairly judged, Canary."

Canary exhaled, a small weight lifting from his chest. "I just wanted you to understand. It wasn't what everyone made it out to be."

Lucy's eyes welled up with tears as she handed the phone back to Canary.

"I'm so sorry, my son. You've been through so much," she said, her voice soft with regret.

"But… who could have edited this video like this? And why would they even bother?"

Canary's expression darkened. "It was Regina," he said firmly. "And Joel helped her."

Lucy's breath caught. "Joel? Are you sure?"

Canary nodded. "I didn't believe it at first either, but the evidence is clear. Regina wanted to ruin my reputation because I didn't grovel after she dumped me. She wanted me to look like the bad guy in everyone's eyes. And Joel… he's been working with her for a while now. Their goal is the same to destroy me and take control of the company."

Lucy stared at him in shock, her hands clutching her crochet tightly. "I can't believe this. Joel… my own brother."

Canary placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Mom, I know this is hard, but we have to face the truth. Joel isn't the man we thought he was."

Lucy chuckled not believing that Joel really this.

Canary reached into his pocket, pulling out a small recording device. "There's more, Mom," he said, his tone heavy with resolve.

Lucy looked at him, her brow furrowed. "What is it now, Canary?"

He handed her the device. "This is a recording I took of David, the one who recorded the video. He confessed everything who sent him to edit the video and why."

Lucy hesitated, her hands trembling slightly as she pressed play. David's voice crackled through the recording, tense and nervous:

"It was Mister Joel and Ms Regina," David admitted.

"They were the ones who asked me to edit the video, to make you look like a liar and a fraud.They wanted to ruin him

you ."

Lucy's face paled as the recording continued. David's voice trembled as he added,

" Joel said if your reputation fell, it'd be easier for him to take over Andersons Group. Regina just wanted revenge she said you humiliated her, and she wasn't going to let it go."

The recording ended with a soft click, and silence filled the room.

Lucy sat still, her hands clutching the device. "Joel and Regina… working together," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I can't believe he would do this to you, or to our family."

Canary leaned forward, his gaze steady. "Mom, it's time we stop letting them manipulate us. We need to confront them and show everyone who they really are."

Lucy looked up at him, her eyes glistening with a mix of sorrow and determination. "You're right. This has gone on long enough."

As they were talking Joel just came in time onto interrupt but the look from Lucy's face already showed that she now knew what he had done.

" Sis.." He called and swallowed hard.

Lucy's eyes blazed with fury as she rose from her seat, her gaze fixed on Joel. "How could you sabotage your own nephew's reputation?" she demanded.

Joel's eyes darted wildly between Lucy and Canary, but before he could respond, Lucy's hand shot out, connecting with his cheek in a resounding slap.

She was more angry than before.

"You're crazy with ambition and greed ?" She asked.

Joel swallowed the slap and saw Canary's smirk.