Chapter 75 I Have a Duty to Investigate This to the End
Elsa had not thought much about the phone until Gavin emphasized the confidential files.
Then hesitation crept in.
Alexander had summoned her to sign a divorce agreement, yet immediately demanded that she surrender all evidence of his affair before he would sign.
The instant she refused, he had ended the conversation and tried to leave.
Something about the sequence felt wrong.
Attorney Coleman stepped closer.
"Miss Winters, it would be better to let Mr. Gavin arrange his own repair. You can simply pay the bill."
That one sentence made Elsa understand.
She held the damaged phone out to Gavin.
"You choose the repair shop yourself. I'll cover the cost."
Gavin hesitated and did not take it.
Alexander, who had remained silent, finally spoke.
"Gavin. Do as my wife says."
Then he left the conference room first.
A little over ten minutes later, Elsa stood beside a temporary parking area on the roadside with her lawyer.
She exhaled quietly.
"Thank you for warning me."
Coleman sighed.
"I've handled enough divorces to know that once winning matters more than the marriage itself, people use every trick imaginable. Being cautious never hurts."
Elsa lowered her eyes.
When it came to strategy and leverage, few people could match Alexander.
She had almost walked directly into one of his traps.
"Elsa?"
A man stopped his electric scooter nearby and approached with an uneven gait.
Elsa stared for several seconds before recognizing him.
"Daniel?"
The middle-aged man was her cousin from her father's younger brother's family.
Childhood polio had left one leg impaired. He had not completed much schooling and had never built an impressive career.
But Daniel was honest and hardworking. He and his wife ran a small phone-repair shop.
At that moment, Gavin approached too.
"Mrs. Horton, do you happen to know anyone who repairs phones? There are important files on mine. I'm uncomfortable handing it to a complete stranger."
Elsa gave Daniel a warning look and immediately said, "Sorry, Gavin. I don't know anyone."
Daniel completely missed the signal.
"Phone repair? I do that."
Elsa was too late to stop him.
Relief appeared on Gavin's face.
"That's perfect."
Elsa exchanged a look with Coleman and turned to her cousin.
"Daniel, Gavin is the executive assistant to Horton Group's CEO. That phone contains sensitive corporate files. If anything happens to them, there could be serious legal consequences."
Daniel patted his chest confidently.
"Relax. I've done this more than ten years."
He gave Gavin the address of his shop.
Gavin thanked him repeatedly.
"I'll bring the phone after work."
Before leaving, Coleman reminded Elsa, "As long as everything from the moment Daniel receives the phone through the repair is recorded on surveillance, there should be little room for dispute."
After Coleman left, Elsa warned Daniel several more times to be careful.
Soon the day of the hearing arrived.
A little after nine in the morning, Elsa convinced her parents to stay home and wait for news. She took a taxi to the courthouse.
The moment she stepped out, a dense crowd of reporters surged toward her.
Before they could shout questions, Horton family bodyguards forced them back.
Elsa turned and saw Alexander getting out of another car.
Custom business suit. Tie. Brooch. Watch. Luxury car. Bodyguards. Executive assistant.
Every detail announced status and power.
Combined with his height, handsome face, and intimidating self-control, he looked almost untouchable.
Alexander raised his eyes toward Elsa.
Neither spoke.
They each looked away and walked toward separate waiting rooms.
Elsa entered Waiting Room Two.
Attorney Coleman was making final preparations.
Elsa had evidence of Alexander's affair.
Alexander had appeared on time.
She believed she was finally going to win.
The thought that she might soon be free made her entire body feel lighter.
Coleman reminded her, "Phones must be switched off before the hearing. Is there anything else you need to add?"
Before Elsa could answer, someone knocked.
Gavin entered with two police officers.
Elsa and Coleman exchanged a look.
"Gavin? What's happening?"
Gavin stood respectfully in front of her.
"Mrs. Horton, the police need to speak with you."
One officer stepped forward and produced a detention order.
"Ms. Elsa Winters, our investigation indicates that you are suspected of stealing confidential corporate files, resulting in major financial losses. You are being placed under criminal detention. Please come with us."
A loud hum seemed to fill Elsa's head.
Her face went white.
She swayed and caught the edge of the table to remain upright.
Gavin explained, "Mrs. Horton, your cousin Daniel identified you as the person who instructed him to extract confidential files from my phone and leak them to a competing company."
Elsa stared at him, unable to organize her thoughts.
"I reported the incident as soon as I discovered it. I'm sure there must be some misunderstanding. Perhaps you should explain it directly to the CEO."
Explain it to Alexander?
Elsa suddenly laughed coldly.
She would rather sit in jail than return to the cage of their marriage and beg him.
She had never handled Gavin's phone herself.
Her conscience was clear.
She believed the law would clear her name.
Police escorted Elsa out of the waiting room.
In the quiet corridor, she came face to face with Alexander.
They looked at each other.
Elsa's eyes reddened. She bit her lower lip and walked past him without a word.
Alexander did not stop her.
The divorce hearing Elsa had awaited for months ended before it began—with her in criminal detention.
That evening, Elsa's parents stopped Alexander's car outside the Horton estate.
Alexander got out slowly and greeted them with formal politeness.
"Dad. Mom."
Harold pointed at him, his eyes bloodshot.
"What did my daughter do to deserve being sent to prison?"
Alexander's expression did not change.
"Dad, I didn't send Elsa to prison. Daniel identified her as the person who instructed him to steal core company secrets. That's why the police detained her."
Margaret's eyes were swollen from crying.
"Impossible. Daniel is honest. He would never accuse Elsa of a crime she didn't commit."
Alexander sounded helpless.
"We'll have to wait for the police investigation to determine exactly what happened."
Gavin spoke carefully.
"Mr. Horton, Mrs. Horton must have been framed. Could we use our connections to get her released on bail first?"
Alexander looked toward Elsa's parents without expression.
For his daughter, Harold finally lowered his pride.
"Please."
Alexander was silent for a moment.
He did not immediately agree.
"Dad, Mom, I'm the executive CEO of Horton Group. Corporate secrets were leaked and the company suffered a major loss. I have a responsibility to investigate the matter to the end and give every employee an answer."