My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 156

Chapter 156: The former COO

The door swung open, and Justin entered, shoving a disheveled man into the room. The two burly men in black suits flanked him and forced the man to his knees before Dylan. With precise movements, one of the guards yanked the blindfold from his eyes, while the other tore the gag from his mouth.

“What the hell is this?” the man barked angrily. He struggled to steady himself. Just moments ago, he had been peacefully asleep beside his wife, only to be yanked from his room like a common criminal. He had fought against their iron grips, but it had been futile.

Blinking rapidly under the harsh light of the suite, his eyes darted around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. “Do you have any idea who I am? Are you not afraid of a lawsuit?” But his defiance faltered when his gaze landed on the man seated on the sofa.

‘Dylan Brooks!’ The name echoed in his mind like a death knell.

The calm, yet commanding figure reclined against the sofa, his piercing eyes locked on him with an intensity that made his blood run cold. His face drained of color.

As he glanced up and looked around, he noticed Justin and the other two sturdy men, their intimidating presence filling the space like shadows of doom. He swallowed hard.

“Hello, Rylee…” Dylan leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “How are you doing?”

Rylee’s throat bobbed as he swallowed nervously, but he tried to mask his fear with a thin veneer of composure. “Mr. Brooks, why did you bring me here like this? What’s going on?”

“What’s going on?” Dylan repeated. “That’s my question, don’t you think?”

“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rylee stammered, his words tumbling over each other. “If there is a misunderstanding, we can talk peacefully. This is not the way—”

“Are you going to tell me how to do my job?” Dylan let out an icy growl, interrupting him. “Don’t play coy with me. I know what shit you have done. Now, start talking.”

Rylee’s fear was evident in his wide eyes, but he clung stubbornly to denial. “I—I don’t know what you think you’ve discovered. I’ve always worked hard for the company. Under my management, the business flourished! I even won Employee of the Year—twice! You handed me those awards yourself. Now, you are accusing me?”

“I trusted you the most, and you betrayed me,” Dylan growled, his nostrils flaring. “And you betrayed that trust. You exploited my confidence, running your dirty games right under my nose. I never doubted you. But you…” He scrunched up his face, his anger boiling over. “Who have you been working for?”

Rylee flinched under the weight of Dylan’s anger but remained defiant. “I don’t know who has been feeding you these lies, but I was loyal to you. I never betrayed you!”

Dylan’s expression darkened. His patience snapped “Is that so?”

With a swift motion, he grabbed a stack of documents from the nearby table and hurled them at Rylee. The papers scattered across the floor, landing in disarray at his knees.

“Loyal?” Dylan spat with contempt. “Then explain this!”

Rylee flinched as his gaze swept over the scattered documents lying on the floor. The intricate details of the transactions leaped out at him, each one an undeniable testament to his deceit.

“These transactions happened with your explicit approval,” Dylan growled. “Explain to me how that is possible without your knowledge. If it had been just one or two, I might have dismissed it as a mistake. But this?” He gestured at the papers. “This is no mistake. It’s premeditated. A crime.”

Before Rylee could respond, Dylan surged forward, grabbing his collar and yanking him close. Their faces were mere inches apart, and Rylee could feel the heat of Dylan’s rage radiating off him.

Rylee gasped, trembling under the force of Dylan’s searing glare.

“I wouldn’t have uncovered any of this if Ava hadn’t noticed it,” Dylan hissed, his voice low and dangerous. “Now, tell me—why did you betray me?”

“I…” Rylee’s lips quivered as he struggled to form words.

“Don’t even think about lying,” Dylan warned. “My guards are stationed right outside your room.”

A chill swept through Rylee at the mention of his family. His face drained of all color, and his words tumbled out in a desperate plea. “Please, don’t hurt them. They don’t know anything about this. My wife and children are innocent!”

Dylan’s grip loosened, and he shoved Rylee backward, sending him stumbling slightly. “Their safety depends on your sincerity.” He leaned back into the sofa and crossed one leg over the other. “Now, speak.”

Rylee nodded frantically, the weight of his fear almost crushing him. “I’ll tell you everything.” His mind raced to recall the events that had led to this moment.

“When I discovered shady transactions happening under my name, I started digging into it,” he began shakily. “I tried to figure out how this could’ve happened without my knowledge. And that’s when I uncovered…” He faltered, casting a wary glance at Dylan, his hesitation palpable.

Dylan’s eyes narrowed, his patience thinning. “What did you find?” he barked, cutting through Rylee’s hesitation like a knife.

Rylee’s shoulders slumped in defeat as he revealed the name. “Miss Erica Brooks was behind it.”

“Erica?” Both Dylan and Justin exclaimed in unison with shock and disbelief.

Rylee’s eyes darted between them before settling on Dylan. “Yes,” he confirmed with a solemn nod. “She, with the help of my secretary, managed to slip several documents into critical files. It was my mistake—I didn’t verify them thoroughly before signing. By the time I realized, it was too late…”

“Your secretary?” Dylan cut him off with suspicion. “You mean Jodie?”

“Yes,” Rylee replied, his voice dropping further. “Jodie might have been working under me officially, but she was Erica’s pawn. She carried out her orders faithfully. When I discovered their scheme, I confronted them, but…”

His voice faltered, his shoulders hunched in shame. “Erica threatened to expose me to you. She knew exactly how to corner me.”

Rylee’s head dipped lower, guilt gnawing at his heart. “I was terrified of the humiliation. Everyone looked up to me as the diligent, trustworthy right-hand man you valued most. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing that image.”

He paused, taking a shaky breath. “Because of my carelessness or you can name it as my overconfidence, I made mistakes and set my foot into her trap. When she held that over me, I felt helpless. I didn’t want you to see me as a traitor.”

“Helpless?” Dylan spat, his fury unbridled. “You call this helplessness? You had a choice, Rylee. You could have come to me and told me everything. Instead, you chose betrayal.”

“She is your cousin,” Rylee reasoned. “You promised her the COO position. I thought you’d side with her no matter what I said.”

Dylan’s eyes flared with anger. “I never made any such promise!” he roared. “Do you honestly think I’d put family ties above my business? I never thought of replacing you in the first place. It’s you who wanted to leave.”