Chapter 37
Chapter 37
84%
“Ms. Bentley, we received an anonymous tip–off claiming that your charity’s accounts are fraudulent. What do you have to
about this?” one reporter asked.
say
“Are you aware of these issues? Or are you just stealing from your own charity?” another one chimed in.
Amid the blinding flashes and the dark void of cameras and microphones pointed directly at Kristina, Trenton’s tall figure wrapped protectively around her.
His sharp gaze cut through the chaos like a knife, radiating an icy aura that pushed back the reporters.
“Back off,” Trenton said coldly, his commanding presence making the journalists instinctively part ways.
As they made their way into the charity’s lobby, located in a remote suburb and specifically set up to provide shelter for homeless children and a dedicated school, Kristina took in her surroundings.
The lobby was clean and bright, simply decorated. Although the furniture was sourced from a second–hand market, it was spotless, and the combination of white and fresh green made the space feel inviting.
Just as they stepped inside, Kristina spotted a rather stylish woman arguing with the staff.
“I came here to do good, not to invest in your shady dealings! You’re embezzling charity funds! How heartless can you be?” questioned the woman.
She had lovely wavy hair, pearl earrings, and wore a sharp lilac suit.
Kristina recognized her immediately–Caroline, a close friend of Elaine’s.
In her previous life, Kristina had endured a lot because of Caroline. Although she pretended not to know Elaine publicly, the two were conspiring behind the scenes. It took Kristina being hurt several times before she figured it out.
With a scoff, Kristina thought to herself that the slap Iris took earlier wasn’t in vain. Even if Iris wasn’t directly involved, her daughter was definitely mixed up in this mess..
Birds of a feather flock together; Iris and her family were no angels.
As Caroline was about to sit down, Kristina stepped up to stop her. “Get up. Our chairs aren’t here for you to sit on.”
Caroline raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed. When she realized it was Kristina confronting her, her expression turned even angrier.
Waving her bill like a winning lottery ticket, Caroline shot back, “Feeling embarrassed, huh? You showed up just in time! I just donated 30,000 dollars, so take a good look at this bill and see how you’ve been stealing my money!
“I gave you a donation out of goodwill–sure, 30,000 dollars isn’t a fortune–but your embezzlement is absolutely ridiculous!
“Your cash flow here is in the millions, and you’re pocketing thousands from my donation. Just think about the total amount. That must be an astronomical figure! You’d all be sent to prison for that!”
A crowd of reporters pushed inside, eager to catch every word. During her rant, Caroline had already shoved copies of the bill into several reporters‘ hands.
Kristina grabbed one as well, scanning through the details. It didn’t take long for her to notice something odd: a bulk order of donuts were priced fifty cents more than at market rate.
She snatched the official invoice from Caroline’s hands and checked the signature at the bottom–it was the previous
Chapter 87
procurement officer, Yosef
“Where’s Yoset?” Kristina inquired,
“He quit,” a staff member replied.
Quit? What a coincidence, Kristina thought. Her delicate brows furrowed, already forming a guess in her mind. This was clearly a setup.
After asking several staff members for more details, Kristina pieced together the story, someone had intentionally donated 30,000 dollars, bribed the person responsible for purchasing, and created false invoices.
With a cold expression, Caroline wouldn’t let it go. “This is clearly your company’s issue; you need to fix it! Or are you in fact involved in this mess, too?
“Everyone can see it, right? This bill is obviously wrong! This charity has been stealing from good people like us!”
AD
Comment
