Lisa slowly walked down the sixteen marble steps, knowing every single imperfection in the stone because she had cleaned them on her knees.
When she reached the floor, Ava looked pale and completely trapped in her own cruel joke.
Suddenly, the front doors swung open, and Easton Bartlett entered the room with a commanding presence that forced everyone to stand straighter.
“Thank you for inviting my granddaughter, Ava, as it is a gesture my family will never forget,” Easton said coldly.
Ava tried to force a smile, whispering, “Mr. Bartlett, I had no idea.”
“Of course you didn’t, because Lisa is a very discreet young woman,” Easton interrupted.
Zachary walked over to stand next to them, prompting Ava to glare at him.
“Did you know about this all along?” Ava hissed.
“Yes, I did,” Zachary replied openly.
Easton addressed the entire room, saying, “My granddaughter has completed her personal journey, and tonight she officially takes over our family operations.”
The crowd erupted into frantic murmurs.
Ava realized her joke was ruined, but she did not know that Lisa had brought a black folder filled with dangerous evidence.
PART 3
The black folder looked entirely ordinary, but when Zachary placed it on the central table, the guests knew this was now a public trial.
“What do you think you are doing, Zachary?” Ava demanded.
“I am doing what should have been done years ago,” Zachary stated firmly.
Easton handed Lisa a wireless microphone, and the crowd waited in absolute suspense.
“I will not turn this evening into a theater production, but certain truths must be spoken aloud,” Lisa announced clearly.
Ava clenched her fists, saying, “Lisa, if you have a grievance, we can discuss this privately.”
“I spent three years in private, Mrs. Covington, listening to everything you thought a maid could never comprehend,” Lisa countered.
The guests crept closer to hear every single word of the unfolding drama.
“I was born Lisa Bartlett, but four years ago I dropped my name after a man tried to marry me just for my family fortune,” Lisa explained to the crowd. “I wanted to live an honest life without my wealth to discover who I truly was.”
Ava took an aggressive step forward, warning, “You need to be careful with your words.”
“I am only saying what I can prove with financial records,” Lisa replied calmly.
Zachary opened the folder and began reading aloud.
“We have records of manipulated supplier contracts, inflated charity expenses, and stolen funds from the Covington Foundation that were diverted to companies owned by Chloe Mitchell and Savannah Abbott,” Zachary revealed.
Chloe let out a panicked laugh, crying, “That is an absolute lie!”
“No, it is verified forensic accounting,” Zachary responded, handing out copies.
Savannah froze in fear, turning to Ava and whispering, “Ava told me this was standard business practice for our social circle.”
“Shut your mouth immediately!” Ava yelled, completely losing her composure.
