Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 247: Absent When Needed

Chapter 247: Absent When Needed

Emma Hart stood dazed on the stage, while Sophia Greenwood’s face was etched with fury. It seemed ironic that Sophia appeared to be the one outraged. After all, was it not Emma’s painstakingly crafted designs that had been stolen?

"Why aren’t you speaking, Emma Hart? What are you doing just standing there?" Sophia demanded angrily.

Lifting her head with conviction, Emma responded, "They stole my designs!" She pointed accusingly at Hannah Davis and her group, her eyes blazing with anger and a hint of menace.

Yet in this world, the tone of your assertion doesn’t guarantee belief; sometimes, those with ill intent sound even more convincing.

Dodging Emma’s pointing finger, Hannah Davis shifted away, then stood up, her face the picture of innocence. She looked towards Sophia and their collaborator, Mr. Lee, bewildered. "How could this be? I worked so hard on this. And besides..." Hannah’s voice trailed off as she suddenly turned the accusation back on Emma, her expression morphing into disgust. "Emma Hart, you claim these are yours—do you have any proof?"

The stark contrast in Hannah’s demeanor, when facing Emma versus when addressing their leadership, was shocking.

Emma was astounded at how quickly Hannah’s tone and attitude had changed, making it seem as though Emma was the thief.

Facing their leaders, Hannah argued, "I’ve been with the company for five years, while Emma Hart has been here for less than three months. Could she really produce such designs?"

This statement cast doubt even among the collaborators. One looked at Emma, trying to discern any hint of deceit, but her genuine outrage seemed too raw to fake. Yet, without evidence, her claim hung unproven.

"Isn’t there surveillance?" Emma exclaimed. "My computer has always been in the office. If someone stole my designs, it would have been caught on camera."

Sophia pondered for a moment, then glanced at Hannah and back at Mr. Lee, her expression contemplative. After all, such internal conflicts, if leaked, could damage their reputation. But without a thorough investigation, their partners might doubt their sincerity.

Mr. Lee slowly straightened up and said politely to Sophia, "Ms. Greenwood, perhaps we should check the surveillance footage."

Sophia Greenwood had dispatched someone to check the surveillance footage, and within moments, the hurried individual returned, drenched in sweat from the urgency of the task. In this critical situation, no one dared delay.

Sophia felt that all these complications stemmed from Emma Hart, yet she couldn’t just lash out at Emma without knowing the full extent of the truth.

Naturally, Sophia’s frustration spilled over onto the assistant who had just arrived, breathless. "Why the rush? What’s the matter of life and death?" she snapped.

Panting heavily, the assistant stammered, "It’s... it’s indeed a matter of life and death. The surveillance... the surveillance..."

Emma Hart suddenly sensed that the situation was not as straightforward as it seemed. In this era, akin to a vast surveillance network, video footage was the best form of evidence. Yet, the preparedness of the other party didn’t seem like they had overlooked this detail.

"Stop gasping for breath!" Sophia scolded the man sharply.

"The footage has been deleted!" he blurted out.

"What?" Sophia exclaimed.

At that moment, Emma felt less anxious than before; her suspicions were confirmed. It seemed they had indeed made meticulous arrangements.

Mr. Lee adjusted his glasses and stood up, clearly dissatisfied with the outcome. Sophia apologized, "Mr. Lee, please rest assured, we will thoroughly investigate this matter."

Mr. Lee responded with a calm smile, "Ms. Greenwood, we acknowledge the design, but the copyright issue..." He paused, offering a placid smile, "We will still collaborate, but I hope Ms. Greenwood can resolve this issue efficiently and arrange everything properly."

"Of course, of course, you can count on it," Sophia assured him with a smile, escorting Mr. Lee out.

After seeing Mr. Lee off, Sophia’s expression shifted dramatically, her face turning stern as quickly as flipping a page. Her high heels clicked rhythmically, ominously echoing through the hall. The distant voices from the corridor and the exchanged glances among colleagues in the meeting room signified the calm before the storm.

Sophia burst through the door, arms crossed, her lips a thin line of displeasure and severity, devoid of any charm. The room fell deathly silent.

With a fierce storm of anger, Sophia approached the gathered group, snatched a folder from the table, and slammed it down with a thunderous crash, bellowing, "Look at the mess you’ve made!"

Emma Hart couldn’t help but feel that Sophia Greenwood’s anger was unfairly directed entirely at her, those fierce eyes seeming to accuse her alone. Was she being convicted so swiftly?

Seeing this, everyone else also turned their gazes towards Emma, ready to cast blame without cause.

What could Emma say in her defense? She looked around indifferently at the crowd and declared, "These are my designs!" With that, she turned and left the conference room.

Behind her, she could hear her colleagues murmuring, "She looks guilty!" "She couldn’t have created such designs!"

Emma held back her tears. What else could she do when faced with such baseless accusations? Once outside, she let her previously feigned composure fall away. It was hard to bear.

She consoled herself, "Let them say what they will." At least some acknowledged her talent, albeit backhandedly. "She couldn’t have created such designs," they said, but Emma knew the truth—those designs were hers.

Returning to her desk, Emma overheard her colleagues emerging from the conference room, discussing, "Ms. Greenwood has given us one last day to prove our innocence, or someone will be fired."

Emma continued with her work, trying to ignore the idle gossip. But the threat of being fired weighed heavily on her mind—it was a serious concern.

Now, the pressing question for Emma was how to prove her innocence and demonstrate that the designs were hers. With the original designs no longer a feasible option, she needed to prove theft.

The surveillance footage had been deleted. Surveillance?

Suddenly, Emma thought of something and headed straight for Damien Sterling’s office, only to be stopped at the door by his secretary. "Miss Emma, I’m sorry, the president is out."

"I just need to check something quickly," Emma insisted.

The secretary shook her head. "That’s not possible."

Frustrated, Emma had to leave. She knew that man was always watching; surely, his office must hold some evidence of the theft.

With a pout, Emma looked back at Damien Sterling’s office. The man was never there when needed, yet often summoned her multiple times a day. With a sigh, she walked away, her arms swinging in resignation.