Chapter 22: A Web of Lies

Hope's Defense

Hope's breath hitched as she stared at the damning photos spread across the conference table. The entire boardroom was silent, all eyes on her.

Richard's face was unreadable, but she could feel the weight of his gaze.

"Where did you get these?" Hope asked, her voice calm despite the storm inside her.

One of the board members, Mr. Caldwell, tapped the photos with a finger. "Does it matter? These images suggest you were working with Nathan Sinclair to betray the family."

A murmur spread through the room.

Hope clenched her fists. This was exactly what Victoria and Nathan wanted. To turn Richard against her.

She took a steadying breath. "These are fake."

Mr. Caldwell arched a brow. "Are you denying that this is you in the photos?"

"I'm denying their authenticity," Hope countered. "Anyone with basic editing skills can manipulate images to fit their narrative."

Richard finally spoke. His voice was quiet, yet firm. "Then prove it."

Hope's pulse quickened. "I will."

She turned to the IT director. "Run a forensic analysis on these images. If they were altered, the metadata will show inconsistencies."

The IT director nodded, standing to collect the photos.

Mr. Caldwell scoffed. "Until then, this remains a serious issue. Hope Sinclair's presence in this company has already caused enough… controversy."

Hope met Caldwell's gaze. "Or maybe certain people want to see me gone."

Caldwell's lips thinned. "Regardless, we can't ignore the damage this could cause the company's reputation."

Richard sighed, rubbing his temples. "This meeting is over. We will reconvene once the images have been analyzed."

The board members slowly exited, but not before giving Hope wary glances.

Once the room was empty, Richard remained seated, his hands clasped. He finally looked up at Hope.

"Are you telling me the truth?" he asked.

Hope's chest tightened. "Yes."

Richard exhaled, leaning back. "I want to believe you, but Nathan is dangerous, Hope. If he's coming after you, that means he has a plan."

Hope nodded. "I know. And I won't let him win."

Richard studied her for a long moment before nodding. "Be careful."

She turned to leave, but his next words stopped her.

"If Nathan's targeting you this aggressively, it means you're a real threat to him."

Hope swallowed hard. And that's exactly what worried her.

Liam's Intervention

Hope stormed out of the boardroom, her hands shaking. As soon as she stepped into the hallway, she felt a strong hand on her wrist.

Liam.

"I heard what happened," he said, searching her face.

Hope sighed. "Nathan and Victoria are trying to frame me."

Liam's jaw tightened. "Then we'll expose them."

Hope looked up at him, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if Richard starts to doubt me?"

Liam cupped her face gently. "Then we remind him of the truth."

Hope felt a lump in her throat. Liam was always there, always fighting for her.

"I need to find out where these images came from," Hope said.

Liam nodded. "And I know exactly who can help."

Victoria and Nathan's Next Move

At the Sinclair estate, Victoria poured herself a glass of champagne, watching Nathan pace the room.

"She's fighting back," Nathan muttered.

Victoria smirked. "Of course she is. That's what makes this fun."

Nathan shot her a look. "I don't want fun. I want her gone."

Victoria took a sip of her drink. "Patience, dear Nathan. This is just the first step."

Nathan exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Then what's the next step?"

Victoria's smile widened. "We don't just ruin her reputation we make her lose everything."

Hope's Investigation Begins

That night, Hope met Liam at a small private office downtown. Across from them sat Elena Carter, a cyber forensics expert Liam had hired.

Elena pushed up her glasses, scrolling through the files on her laptop.

"Whoever manipulated these images knew what they were doing," Elena said. "But they weren't careful enough."

Hope leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

Elena smirked. "They left a digital footprint. I traced it back to an email server."

She turned her screen toward them, and Hope's blood ran cold.

The email was sent from Victoria Sinclair's private account.

Liam let out a low curse. "She really did this herself?"

Hope clenched her jaw. "She wanted to make sure it worked."

Elena continued, "That's not all. I found a draft email she never sent. It was addressed to Nathan."

She clicked on the file, and the email popped up:

Nathan, if this doesn't break her, we move to Phase Two.

Liam and Hope exchanged a look.

Hope's voice was steady. "Then we'll move first."