Chapter 1324Chapter 1324
After Tom left, Sonia began eating with the nurse and Rita's help.
The brunch the nurse bought for her was bland to the degree that it was only a little salty and lacked
other interesting tastes. After all, she had to compromise with limited food options since her current
condition forbade her to eat nothing but bland food.
She did not have any complaints about the tasteless food. She was well aware of the importance of
following the doctor's advice and taking care of her body for the time being.
She could go to Toby's side and take care of him as soon as possible, but only if she recovered sooner.
Sonia needed him. Indeed, she would not deny the fact that she needed him instead of the other way
around.
Toby could have avoided the pain and misfortune if it had not been for Sonia implicating him.
She had to see for herself that he was recovering. Or else, she could never forgive herself. That was
the reason why she needed him.
"Yikes! I can't believe I forgot to ask Tom how Asher got arrested in the first place." In the middle of
brunch, she slapped her thigh hard suddenly as realization belatedly dawned on her.
However, Tom had left a while ago. Rita found Sonia's behavior amusing. "President Reed, don't fret. He'll be visiting later and you can ask
him then. Besides, Asher was only arrested not long ago. The police are still interrogating him on his
methods and motives. By that time, he could brief you on the results in one go, and you could avoid
wasting your time."
"You're right." Sonia nodded, agreeing with Rita's words. Thus, she put the thought aside and
continued having her food.
Asher was apprehended and he couldn't get out of jail for the time being, anyway. She could always
ask about his situation sometime later.
It turned out she had the right guess.
Just when she finished brunch, the representative of the police approached her. It was the civilian
police officer from last night.
Learning from Tom that Sonia was awake, the officer visited her to record her statement. After all, she
was the victim. According to their procedure, the police were bound to ask her a few questions.
"Good afternoon, Miss Reed," the officer greeted her before taking a seat next to her bed.
She cast a slight nod in his direction. "Good afternoon to you too."
"How are you doing, Miss Reed?" he expressed his concerns about her health.
She smiled. "My lungs still hurt, and I'm suffering from a vision problem. Apart from that, I'm doing justfine."
"Get well soon, Miss Reed," the officer said.
Sonia hummed a response. "Thank you. Are you here for Asher?"
"Yes." He flipped open the notebook that he always carried and twisted open his fountain pen to record
her statement. "First of all, Miss Reed, is there any animosity between you and Asher Dafoe?"
Aftar Tom laft, Sonia bagan aating with tha nursa and Rita's halp.
Tha brunch tha nursa bought for har was bland to tha dagraa that it was only a littla salty and lackad
othar intarasting tastas. Aftar all, sha had to compromisa with limitad food options sinca har currant
condition forbada har to aat nothing but bland food.
Sha did not hava any complaints about tha tastalass food. Sha was wall awara of tha importanca of
following tha doctor's advica and taking cara of har body for tha tima baing.
Sha could go to Toby's sida and taka cara of him as soon as possibla, but only if sha racovarad soonar.
Sonia naadad him. Indaad, sha would not dany tha fact that sha naadad him instaad of tha othar way
around.
Toby could hava avoidad tha pain and misfortuna if it had not baan for Sonia implicating him.
Sha had to saa for harsalf that ha was racovaring. Or alsa, sha could navar forgiva harsalf. That was
tha raason why sha naadad him. "Yikas! I can't baliava I forgot to ask Tom how Ashar got arrastad in tha first placa." In tha middla of
brunch, sha slappad har thigh hard suddanly as raalization balatadly dawnad on har.
Howavar, Tom had laft a whila ago.
Rita found Sonia's bahavior amusing. "Prasidant Raad, don't frat. Ha'll ba visiting latar and you can ask
him than. Basidas, Ashar was only arrastad not long ago. Tha polica ara still intarrogating him on his
mathods and motivas. By that tima, ha could briaf you on tha rasults in ona go, and you could avoid
wasting your tima."
"You'ra right." Sonia noddad, agraaing with Rita's words. Thus, sha put tha thought asida and
continuad having har food.
Ashar was apprahandad and ha couldn't gat out of jail for tha tima baing, anyway. Sha could always
ask about his situation somatima latar.
It turnad out sha had tha right guass.
Just whan sha finishad brunch, tha raprasantativa of tha polica approachad har. It was tha civilian
polica officar from last night.
Laarning from Tom that Sonia was awaka, tha officar visitad har to racord har statamant. Aftar all, sha
was tha victim. According to thair procadura, tha polica wara bound to ask har a faw quastions.
"Good aftarnoon, Miss Raad," tha officar graatad har bafora taking a saat naxt to har bad.
Sha cast a slight nod in his diraction. "Good aftarnoon to you too." "How ara you doing, Miss Raad?" ha axprassad his concarns about har haalth.
Sha smilad. "My lungs still hurt, and I'm suffaring from a vision problam. Apart from that, I'm doing just
fina."
"Gat wall soon, Miss Raad," tha officar said.
Sonia hummad a rasponsa. "Thank you. Ara you hara for Ashar?"
"Yas." Ha flippad opan tha notabook that ha always carriad and twistad opan his fountain pan to racord
har statamant. "First of all, Miss Raad, is thara any animosity batwaan you and Ashar Dafoa?"
She shook and nodded at the question. "We aren't enemies, but he's holding a grudge against me."
"Can you elaborate on that?"
"He's about my father's age. My father is the founder of Paradigm. Indeed, my father worked with a few
people including Asher at the beginning of its establishment. He's even considered one of the founding
members. However, he didn't invest in the start-up funds when the company was building its foundation
nor was he good in management and technology. Therefore, my father gave him a small number of
shares for his hard work even though he lacked contribution to the company. Asher has always deeply
resented my father since he thought he was credited with founding the company and had made many
contributions as he affirmed that he deserved more shares. Thus, he had been against my father over
the decades back when my father was the president. My father never took any action to get rid of him
as he saw Asher as a companion who had been through highs and lows with him." "What happened next?" the officer inquired.
"Asher always desired more shares and full control of the company. However, his efforts had always
been unsuccessful when my father was alive. Things took a turn for the worse after my father passed
away. People bought out the shares, and Asher eventually became the largest shareholder, followed by
obtaining the company's full control. Even though he had no real skills, he held Paradigm in one piece
for another six years. Thus, I've always been grateful to him. Based on the same reason, I didn't oust
him from the company after I took the role of the president."
Pausing her story, she took a deep breath. "I regret it now. I should've chased him out of the company
and Seafield. Then, Toby and I could've avoided what happened to us last night."
The man cleared his throat. Are you sure it's wise to declare that you want to get rid of him right before
me?
Even so, he eventually decided not to say anything. After all, the woman in front of him barely made it
out alive last night. He could understand that her words were mostly a whine after being caught in a
life-and-death situation.
As soon as the words left her, Sonia realized her words were inappropriate and cast him an apologetic
smile. "Pardon me. Where are my manners?"
"No big deal. Just be careful next time."
"All right," she promised. After that, she continued, "Over the last six years, he had imposed his rules
on the company. Even though there were many shareholders, they lacked the interest to manage the
company considering its condition. Thus, Asher had been doing as he pleased. Therefore, heprioritized power and Paradigm's management over other things and refused to let it go. If he had
enough money in the first place, he would've bought out the shares from other shareholders and
obtained absolute control, then he could finally become the president."
What Sonia meant by absolute control was when a shareholder held more than fifty percent of shares
in total compared to the other shareholders.
"However, Asher didn't buy back the shares my father sold a few years ago. Instead, my grandfather, a
friend, and Charles, the president of Lane Corporation, were buying back the shares in secret on my
behalf. Half a year ago, I returned to the company with an absolute majority."
The officer nodded. The police knew the story well enough. Before they visited Sonia, they had
investigated her background.
"I returned to the company at the same time while he was away on a business trip abroad. Otherwise, I
couldn't have made it back to the company without any obstacles because he would've taken
advantage of my lack of professional knowledge and stopped me from competing with him for power,
even though I had absolute control. However, I wasn't aware of his ambition at that time. Even more, I
felt bad returning as his superior after he worked hard to sustain the company for years. After all, he
was a senior and contributed much to the company's survival. Therefore, I temporarily chose the
position of the vice president out of respect and waited for his return so we could proceed with a
discussion about the change of position."
"He didn't agree with your offer?" he asked.
She nodded. "That's right. He had shown me nothing but animosity once he came back. Even more, he
asked me to hand over the authority, but I refused. However, he had many supporters in the companyduring that time. I eventually handed over half of my power to avoid fighting them head-on. At the same
time, I took the president's position without discussion. It brought his dissatisfaction with me to a whole
new degree and aggravated our conflict. After that, he had been caught in an unfavorable position all
the time when we had different opinions. Thus, he resented me more, which I guess he could no longer
tolerate my presence and attempted to get rid of me."
The officer wrote down his story before shutting his notebook. "That's all I need to know."
"Toby has nothing against Asher. He's only there because I implicated him." Sonia emphasized while
looking in his direction. "If anything, Toby lent me a hand when I was competing with Asher for the
company. Thus, I think Asher holds some grudge against Toby."
Asher told the same thing to the police before.
The officer rose to his feet. "All right. Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Reed. I won't keep you any
longer. I'm heading back to the station to present your statement to my colleagues."
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