His Regrets, Her Revenge

The Perfect Scapegoat

The drive from the Sterling Grand Hotel to Mercer Financial Group took less than fifteen minutes.

To Serena, it felt like an eternity.

She sat silently in Olivia's car, staring out the window as Phoenix's bustling streets passed by. The wedding dress she had left behind no longer mattered. Neither did the guests waiting in the ballroom.

Only one question echoed in her mind.

What "serious problem" could possibly be worse than what had already happened?

Olivia glanced at her.

"You don't have to go in there today."

"I do."

"What if Ryan has another trick waiting for you?"

Serena turned to her friend.

"If I run now, I'll look guilty."

Olivia sighed.

"Then I'll wait outside."

Serena nodded gratefully.

"No matter what happens."

---

The moment Serena stepped into the lobby of Mercer Financial Group, conversations stopped.

Dozens of employees turned to look at her.

Some looked shocked.

Others whispered behind their hands.

A few quickly lowered their eyes.

It was as if everyone already knew something she didn't.

The receptionist, who normally greeted Serena with a warm smile every morning, couldn't even meet her eyes.

"Miss Brooks..."

"The board is waiting for you."

Serena forced herself to remain calm.

"Thank you."

As the elevator doors closed, her reflection stared back at her.

She barely recognized herself.

The confident financial analyst who had walked into this building every morning for four years was gone.

Today, she looked like a woman walking toward her own execution.

---

The executive boardroom doors opened.

Every member of the board was already seated.

Charles Mercer sat at the head of the long table.

Ryan sat on his right.

Bianca... on his left.

Serena frowned.

Why was Bianca attending a board meeting?

She wasn't even part of senior management.

"Sit down," Charles ordered.

Serena remained standing.

"You called me here."

"I'm here."

Charles pushed a thick file across the polished table.

"Open it."

Inside were financial reports.

Wire transfer receipts.

Bank statements.

Approval logs.

Her signature appeared on every authorization.

Her employee ID.

Her login credentials.

Every document pointed to one conclusion.

Three million dollars had disappeared from the company's investment account.

Serena looked up slowly.

"I've never seen these transfers before."

Ryan folded his arms.

"The system says otherwise."

Serena ignored him.

"These signatures are forged."

Charles's voice remained cold.

"The forensic department verified them."

"They're electronic signatures."

"They match yours."

Her heart skipped a beat.

Impossible.

Only she knew her security credentials.

Unless...

Someone had accessed her account.

---

Charles pressed a button on the conference table.

The large monitor lit up.

Security footage filled the screen.

A hooded figure entered Serena's office late at night.

The figure used Serena's access card.

Sat at Serena's computer.

Stayed for nearly twenty minutes.

The face was hidden.

But the body shape...

The hairstyle...

Even the way the woman walked...

It looked like Serena.

Charles paused the video.

"Do you still claim you're innocent?"

Serena stepped closer to the screen.

"No."

Everyone looked at her.

"No..."

"This woman is pretending to be me."

Ryan laughed softly.

"That's your defense?"

"Someone dressed like you?"

Serena ignored him.

She pointed to the screen.

"I fractured my left ankle in college."

"I've had a slight limp ever since."

Everyone looked again.

The woman in the video walked perfectly.

Detective Foster's words from yesterday echoed in Serena's mind.

Follow the evidence.

She looked directly at Charles.

"If you're looking for the truth..."

"Start there."

For the first time, uncertainty flickered across several board members' faces.

---

Ryan quickly stood.

"She's trying to distract everyone."

Charles looked at Serena.

"Whether you limped or not doesn't explain the missing money."

"It explains someone wanted you to believe it was me."

Ryan's expression darkened for a fraction of a second.

Serena noticed.

So did one elderly board member.

Mr. Howard Jenkins.

He quietly leaned forward.

"Perhaps..."

"We should have the footage examined more carefully."

Ryan immediately objected.

"The evidence is overwhelming."

Howard looked at him calmly.

"If the evidence is strong..."

"It should withstand closer examination."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room.

Ryan had spoken too quickly.

Too forcefully.

Almost...

As if he feared further investigation.

---

Charles cleared his throat.

"Regardless..."

"The board has reached its decision."

He slid another document toward Serena.

"Effective immediately..."

"You are dismissed."

The words landed like stones.

Her access card was revoked.

Her company laptop confiscated.

Her employee benefits terminated.

Four years of loyalty erased in less than four minutes.

---

As Serena emptied her office, she carefully packed a framed photograph of her parents.

A notebook filled with business ideas.

A small ceramic mug Olivia had given her that read:

Keep Going.

She smiled sadly.

"I'm trying."

Just as she closed the box, someone knocked gently.

It was Howard Jenkins.

He quietly closed the office door behind him.

"I only have a minute."

Serena looked at him.

"I know you didn't do this."

Tears threatened to fill her eyes.

"Thank you."

Howard lowered his voice.

"Listen carefully."

"Three weeks ago..."

"I saw Ryan leaving your office after everyone had gone home."

Serena frowned.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I thought he was discussing work with you."

"I didn't know..."

His expression grew troubled.

"...until today."

He slipped a folded piece of paper into Serena's hand.

"My personal number."

"If you remember anything..."

"Call me."

Serena nodded.

"I will."

Howard hesitated before leaving.

"Oh..."

"Don't trust everyone who suddenly acts kind."

"Someone inside this company planned this."

---

Outside the building, dozens of reporters were waiting.

The moment Serena stepped through the revolving doors, cameras flashed.

"Miss Brooks!"

"Did you steal company funds?"

"Did your fiancé cancel the wedding because you're under investigation?"

"Is it true you're facing criminal charges?"

Microphones surrounded her.

Questions came from every direction.

She couldn't even think.

Suddenly, Olivia pushed through the crowd.

"Move!"

"Give her some space!"

She wrapped an arm around Serena and guided her toward the car.

As they drove away, Serena looked back at the towering Mercer Financial building.

She had walked into it that morning believing she had lost her fiancé.

She left having lost her career...

Her reputation...

And almost everyone's trust.

But one thing had changed.

For the first time since her world fell apart...

She wasn't just heartbroken.

She was angry.

Very angry.

She looked out the window and whispered quietly,

"I didn't steal from you."

"And I won't spend the rest of my life proving a lie."

"I'll find out who did this."

"No matter who stands in my way."

Across the city, in the penthouse office of Kingsley Global, Adrian Kingsley stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows as his assistant placed the morning business reports on his desk.

One headline caught his eye.

> Bride Accused of Multi-Million Dollar Fraud After Wedding Collapse

Adrian skimmed the article before setting it aside.

"Looks like another corporate scandal," he muttered.

Little did he know that the woman in that headline was about to walk into his life—and change it forever.