A Vengeful Ex-Wife novel Chapter 243

Maria didn't immediately agree, and to his credit, Colby didn't press her. "I'll have someone take care of your company," he said in a tentative tone. "And in the future, I will put your company in the highest priority in terms of collaborative endeavors. If it turns out that you can't get out of jail anytime soon, I will take care of you for the rest of your life."

'Gee, ' Maria sneered inwardly. 'He's really fond of making promises, isn't he?’

She shot him an aggrieved expression. "But why me? I'm just another woman."

"First of all, you are the deputy manager of HM Group. Your confession won't come as a surprise to the public given your position. Secondly, the Songs have cut ties with you; there isn't anyone in the city you're significantly affiliated with. Thirdly, and most important of all, won't you take this opportunity to see if James or Norman would be willing to rescue you?"

Maria shook her head in false disappointment, her eyes red with unshed tears. "Norman won't help me, much less James. After all, he was the one who put me in prison.”

The truth was that Colby was already aware. He had also been present at the New Year's banquet; he just happened to have been assigned to a different private room.

The guests had all been abuzz with talk, saying that Maria and James had a very big, very public quarrel.

Now, however, he pretended to be surprised by her words. "Is that true? How come you've never mentioned this before?" He had also hired people to investigate Maria, but even this information had not surfaced in the reports he had received.

"Why should I mention such a disgraceful thing?"

Colby nodded at her answer-she had a point.

He appeared to ponder for a while. "If you feel that one hundred million is not enough, then I'll turn it into an initial deposit. After you go down to the police station and make your confession, I will add another fifty million into your account."

Maria began to cry. "Mr. Zheng..." Then she covered her mouth as if to stifle her sobs.

Colby fell for her act and took her in his arms. "Maria, I know this is painful for you. I promise I will try my best to get you out of this as soon as possible."

She sank into his embrace and sobbed against his chest.

"Mr. Zheng, I will agree to do this. But..."

"Go ahead."

"There's someone I still need to repay. I owe her a favor, you see." She proceeded to tell him about Peggy.

Colby frowned as he listened.

Maria handed him back the card. "If you can get Peggy out of jail, I will do as you say without the money. Please give her the other fifty million. You will take care of me, won't you?"

He nodded without hesitation. "Of course."

"She is my best friend. You need to help me; I won't be assured while serving jail time otherwise."

"Yes," Colby finally agreed.

On the day that news of the Ponzi scheme broke in H City, Maria's name sat clear and unmistakable on the list of suspects, right next to her title as a senior executive of HM Group.

James was oblivious to what was happening, until Ethan stormed into his office and told him all about it. "James! James, something is wrong!"

"What is it this time?"

"Maria has been arrested!"

"What?" His face darkened.

"It's all over the news! She was taken away on charges of being part of the Ponzi scheme."

How could she have been dragged into suspicion over that matter? The logic was lost to James.

Weren't the senior executives of HL Group suspected of fraud over this same issue? How come Maria was also implicated in it?

The Ponzi scheme had its veins running through several conglomerate companies.

As a possibility presented itself in James' head, his dark expression took on a dangerous edge.

Inside the detention room of the police station, Maria sat in a corner. Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes.

A lawyer representing HM Group entered the room and approached her. "Hello, Ms. Song."

She opened her eyes then, and knew instantly that her visitor was a lawyer. "Hello."

"Mr. Zheng asked me to come here. As you may know already, this case involves a wide group of people. You have to understand that you might not be able to get out of this place for a good while." "Yes, I know." Maria had to control her expression so she didn't sneer. They had all known beforehand that once she confessed, the problem wasn't about her not getting out soon, but not being able to get her out at all.

He had given the man one day to make his move, but James didn't appear to be scrambling to rescue Maria.

Norman was sure James knew about it.

Maria stared at her hands on her lap. "Do you think you can arrange a meeting between me and Jonathan?"

"Right now?"

"A little later, maybe. I need to go home and change my clothes first."

"Sure."

The car screeched to a halt in front of Golden Mansion, and they exchanged their goodbyes before Maria got inside.

Her movements were quick and calculated—she took a shower and changed her clothes. And then she was driving out of the community.

Maria knew she was bound to return to jail within a matter of days, and while she was sure that Norman wouldn't let her rot in there, she still felt the need to see Jonathan before she stepped back into prison. If things went awry later on, it would only be harder to see the man.

Maria and Jonathan faced each other in the visiting area of his detention facility. She wore an impenetrable, icy expression, while he looked like he had grown ten years older in these past few days.

Hatred was bursting forth from his manic eyes. "I knew it was you, Maria Song, you bitch!"

She put a hand on her waist and looked at him indifferently. She was wearing a long black coat over a delicate lace dress.

She always made it a point to look flawless and magnificent in front of her enemies.

Maria didn't beat around the bush. "Jonathan Jiang, do you still remember Siena Mo?" she asked quietly.

It had been so many years now, but the moment he heard that name, his face went pale and his lips trembled. His previously aggressive stance turned fearful in the blink of an eye. 'How does she know that name?' He had spent millions of dollars in the past just to make sure that name was buried and never saw the light of day again.

But Maria's question was a rhetorical one, and she didn't really need an answer. "For your information, she was my best friend. She was even my maid of honor when I married James."

Realization dawned on Jonathan then, and it reflected in his eyes. "You did all this to avenge her, is that it?"

"Precisely!" Maria met his gaze with a fierce expression of her own. She was not going to hide anything anymore.