Chapter 71 Not a Trace Found
At that very moment, Liam, Gwyneth, and Elizabeth lound themselves frozen in place.
The sudden appearance of Gwyneth caught Elizabeth completely off guard. Her initial startle quickly turned into relief, as if she had managed to accomplish two goals with a single stroke. This turn of events didn’t seem so bad to her. Just as she was about to draw closer to Liam’s comforting embrace, a powerful force abruptly pushed her away.
Elizabeth’s heart brimmed with reluctance, yet she clenched her teeth and forced a smile. “Hello, Ms. Glen. I apologize for being seen in such a state-”
Before Elizabeth could finish her sentence, Liam interjected. “Gwyneth…” He took a step forward, reaching out as if to grasp Gwyneth’s hand. However, Gwyneth subtly evaded him, retreating without leaving a trace. Her facial expression remained void of emotion, not even a flicker in her eyes.
In a chilling tone, Gwyneth spoke, “It seems my timing couldn’t be worse. I’ve interrupted your little moment, haven’t I?” 1
Her words struck Liam. Though she had always been cold and distant toward him, there was something different about the current situation. It was this very realization that left him even more flustered.
“I came here today solely to give this to you, nothing more,” Gwyneth declared, hurling the folder directly into Liam’s arms before he could react. With that, she turned on her heels and made her way out.
Gwyneth strode toward the elevator, her mind engulfed in a whirlwind of anger. Her fists clenched tightly as she replayed the scene she had just witnessed over and over again. ‘No matter what his reasons may be, our marriage is over“.
Meanwhile, back in the office. Liam opened the folder and quickly scanned its contents. When he looked up, Gwyneth had already gone.
“Liam, should I go and clarify things with Ms. Glen? Has she misunderstood something?” Elizabeth asked, her inner excitement barely contained. However, the sight of Liam’s troubled expression left her thoroughly displeased. She had anticipated his comforting words, but instead, he sank back into his chair. “Just leave.” he muttered without even bothering to look up. 1
Elizabeth felt a surge of frustration as she confronted Liam’s indifferent demeanor, but she was powerless to rectify the situation. Just then, her phone in her pocket startled her with a sudden ring. When she saw it was an unknown caller ID, her heart skipped a beat as she had a pretty good idea of who it might be. She hastily exited the office and answered the call in the corridor.
“Ms. Lisle, right? I have completely wiped all the records, just as you requested,” the caller informed her.
Elizabeth was both surprised and delighted by ShadowCipher’s efficiency and couldn’t help but ask, “Really? So fast?”
“If you don’t believe me, feel free to search online. I expect you to settle the remaining payment promptly.” ShadowCipher swiftly cut off the conversation before Elizabeth could respond, abruptly ending the call.
True to his word, all the online news and information related to that fire had indeed vanished, as if they had never existed. Unbeknownst to Elizabeth, however, ShadowCipher had taken precautions. He had secretly backed up all the data, copying it onto an external storage device and stashing it away in a drawer. “Who knows, perhaps someday my mentor will find use for this information.”
Meanwhile, Elizabeth, still taken aback by the sudden end of the call, took a few moments to gather herself before muttering her frustration. Determined to verify ShadowCipher’s claims, she promptly went online to search for any information regarding the fire. Just as he had promised, there was not a trace to be found. No news articles, no photographic evidence, and even the search keywords had been meticulously wiped clean.
Elizabeth’s mood suddenly brightened. However, her moment of relief was short–lived as a voice sounded from behind her, causing her to startle. “What are you doing?”
“Ah!” Elizabeth let out a startled gasp, fumbling her grip on the phone, her nerves tingling like a thief caught in the act. She hurriedly crouched down to retrieve her fallen device and spun around, only to find Liam wearing a furrowed brow, his gaze fixed upon her.
Under Liam’s scrutinizing gaze, Elizabeth’s nerves heightened. She swiftly returned the phone to her pocket and mustered a forced chuckle. “Oh, I was just thinking about what to buy you for lunch since it’s almost noon. I’ve been indecisive for a while now-” Liam cut her off abruptly. “Don’t waste your time on trivial matters. Have you finished reviewing the documents I assigned to you?”
As soon as Liam mentioned work, Elizabeth’s face grew even more anxious. She hastily offered a lame excuse and scurried back to her office.
Later that afternoon, Liam received devastating news. He questioned his subordinate. “What do you mean by ‘nothing found“? What about the records we had discovered earlier?”
“Mr. Luther, all the records we had found before have turned into blank pages, and there is no trace of the fire’s details anywhere on the Internel,” the subordinate responded. He nervously gulped, his eyes fixated on the computer screen. “Mr. Luther, it’s evident that someone has meticulously concealed all information pertaining to that fire, and their methods appear to be remarkably sophisticated.”
