Chapter 194: The Culprit

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Seeing Harvey finally compromising and deciding to reveal the truth, Davis was slightly relieved and raised his hand to gesture for the security guard to stop for the time being. “Speak up. However, if I discover that you’ve lied or hidden the truth, I’ll cripple your limbs immediately!”

Harvey was now extremely terrified of Davis, fearing that he would get the security guard to smash his hand again. He frantically said, “It’s Dave Lewis who works for the Huttons. He instigated me to do it! He told me that as long as I could falsely accuse you of having an affair with a female employee and abusing your authority and then make a big deal out of it so as to tarnish the reputation of the Stardust Corporation, they would pressure the chairman to remove you and make me the next general manager. They would also groom me and give me a role in the Hutton Corporation in DC…”

Davis snorted coldly. Indeed, it’s the Huttons behind this!

“What about those photos then?” Davis once again questioned. His main agenda was to clear Charlotte’s name.

“Dave Lewis was the one who got someone to doctor them after asking me for some photos of the both of you! He threatened me and told me that if I didn’t obey him, he would find a way to drive me out of the Stardust Corporation and make it impossible for me to have a foothold in Orange County! Since he’s one of the Huttons, I really didn’t dare to defy his orders!”

Afraid that Davis wouldn’t believe him, Harvey hurriedly added, “Mr. Davis, I swear that what I said is true! I have a voice recording of Dave Lewis threatening me during a conversation I had with him on my phone! If you don’t believe me, just take it out and listen to it!”

Harvey’s hands were still firmly pinned onto the conference table by the security guards, rendering him motionless.

Davis glanced at his secretary, James Denning, who then immediately went over and took out the phone from the pocket of Harvey’s suit. He then found the voice recording easily.

Indeed, just as Harvey said, all the words that Lewis said to threaten and coerce him had all been recorded clearly.

After listening to this recording, everyone in the conference hall understood that someone had indeed instigated Harvey to deliberately fabricate evidence to frame Davis and Charlotte. The explicit photos of them behaving intimately and the accusation of him gaining personal benefits by abusing his power were all false!

Moreover, Charlotte Carter, who had clearly earned her promotion with her own abilities, was smeared and accused of getting promoted because of personal connections and nepotism.

All of a sudden, everyone looked at Charlotte with an apologetic gaze and at Davis with some more respect.

Charlotte felt tears well up in her eyes. She had almost become a pawn in a power struggle! If Davis hadn’t resorted to those cruel means to force Harvey to confess, she would have really been unable to defend herself!

“Hmph, now everyone knows that the Stardust Corporation has already separated from the Huttons. Yet they’re still poking their nose into our business and tried to create an internal conflict here. Oliver Harvey, as an employee of the Stardust Corporation, you actually tried to help a villain accuse me falsely. The Stardust Corporation will not tolerate having someone like you! From today onward, you’re fired!” Davis hollered coldly.

Upon hearing this, Harvey regretted his decision and knelt in front of Davis to beg for mercy. “Mr. Davis, please let me off this time because I was threatened! I promise that I will never do such a foolish thing again. I’ll definitely devote myself to the company and contribute wholeheartedly! Please don’t sack me on account that I’ve worked hard for the company for the past decade!”

He had been with the Stardust Corporation for more than ten years. And he had also climbed so far up the ladder to the position of director of the sales department. His annual salary and various bonuses and commissions added up to about one million dollars, which was enough for his family to live well.

If he got fired, he could kiss goodbye to all that money!

He was already in his late forties. If he got fired, it would be impossible for him to get such a high-paying job in the future. Besides, if word about what happened today spread, he would even have a hard time getting an ordinary job in Orange County!

Besides, his son was going to get married soon, and he had just taken out a loan to finance the purchase of his son’s villa. He even bought a luxury car to make himself seem loftier. He had to pay tens of thousands of dollars in loan repayments for the mortgage and the car. If he lost his job, he wouldn’t be able to afford these expenses!

Therefore, Harvey was now kneeling in front of Davis and bawling with repentance, begging him to let him keep his job with no regard for his image.

Davis didn’t waver at all. He said coldly, “It’s precisely because you were threatened and I considered the fact that you had worked hard for the company that I decided to only fire you! Otherwise, I would have called the police and have you arrested for malicious slander and attempting to destroy the company! If you still want to continue making trouble, I won’t mind putting you behind bars.”

Harvey’s heart pounded as his face turned ashen.

He understood that Davis was definitely not lying. If Davis really decided to hold him liable, he wouldn’t be able to escape the crime.

Besides, once he was behind bars, he would be tainted with a criminal record and never be able to raise his head high for the rest of his life.

Despite feeling reluctant, regretful, and indignant, Harvey could only hang his head low and slowly leave the Stardust Corporation.

After Harvey left, Davis once again looked around the conference hall and warned, “I don’t want something like what happened today to repeat again in the future. If anything like this happens again, I won’t go so easy on you. I hope everyone will remember this!”

The crowd had seen the terrifying side of Davis today, and they nodded profusely while promising that they would never do anything to let the company down.

“Okay, that’s all for today’s meeting. Charlotte Carter earned her promotion to deputy general manager of the Stardust Group with her competency. I hope you will all keep that in mind and make her your role model and learn from her. As long as you do your best, the company won’t mistreat you! Meeting adjourned.”

With that, Davis took the lead to leave the conference hall, leaving everyone behind to congratulate Charlotte.

As soon as he returned to his office, Davis found that Lucas had already arrived and was sitting in front of his desk.

“What’s going on?”

Davis quickly walked up and reported to Lucas everything that happened in the conference hall just now, including each and every detail. He also played a copy of the voice recording from Harvey’s cell phone for Lucas.

Hearing that it was the Huttons behind it, Lucas said with a menacing gaze, “Hmph. I haven’t gone to settle scores with them yet, but they’re already poking their nose so far. How brazen!”