Chapter 262 Should Not Act Recklessly

At that moment, Madelyn’s expression had turned cold. She clenched her fists as her palms perspired in anxiety.

Derek couldn’t help but frown. "Looks like this matter is far more complex than I had imagined. Ian, you should go back first. Pretend you don’t know anything so as not to alert the enemy."

Ian respectfully nodded, then exited.

Madelyn, still somewhat irked, complained, “Dad, I knew that Regina and her daughter were up to no good. See? Who knows what Eunice’s uncle is planning! It’s so frustrating!”

Knowing that his daughter was concerned about the company, Derek comforted her, “It’s okay, Maddie. Calm down.”

“How could I calm down, Dad? Regina is definitely up to no good! Who knows what kind of scheme she’s plotting?” Madelyn said indignantly.

At that moment, Derek let out a helpless sigh. “Of course I know what she’s planning. She has always been full of tricks over the past few years. I’ve turned a blind eye because she is the matriarch, after all. Sometimes, I have no choice but to go along with her,” he said.

Moreover, Regina was an unreasonable, stubborn woman. If things didn’t go her way, she would constantly nag and complain, annoying Derek to no end. As a result, he had no choice but to appoint Regina’s younger brother as the finance manager just to shut Regina up.

Listening to all this, Madelyn felt a pang of sympathy for her father. Her tone softened. “Dad, what should we do now? We can’t possibly entrust the company’s finances to someone we can’t trust, can we?”

Derek said, “Of course not. In any scenario, the company’s interest is always the priority. However…” He paused before continuing hesitantly, “He is, after all, your stepmother’s younger brother. Trying to remove him from his position won’t be an easy task.”

After all, they were family, which made this situation tricky to deal with.

“What? Seriously?” Madelyn was disappointed, a wave of regret washing over her. She blamed herself for being useless all these years, unable to contribute anything to the company, and thus putting her father in such a difficult predicament.

Fortunately, Derek had a positive mindset. His worried expression was replaced with a smile as he comforted his daughter. “But don’t worry, Maddie. I won’t let anyone take away what belongs to you. When the time comes for me to hand over the company to you, I promise, it will be in perfect condition.”

Madelyn teared up without realizing, overwhelmed with emotion.

She made up her mind and was more determined than ever. No matter what, I’ll do everything within my power and help Dad out. We can’t let Regina and Eunice get their way. This company was built from scratch by Dad. How can we let those two despicable women take it away!

Her past life ended tragically. Hence, she vowed in her heart that she would definitely make Regina and Eunice pay for all the pain they had inflicted upon her and the Thornton family.

She skimmed through it, then asked, “Dad, can I take a copy of these documents home?”

Derek agreed, “Sure, but these are mostly financial statements. Do you think you’ll be able to understand them?”

Madelyn held the bill in her hands and smiled, nodding. “Dad, don’t you worry. Even if I don’t understand it now, I’ll have to understand it someday, right?”

“That’s good then.” Seeing her confidence, Derek was relieved.

And so, Madelyn made a copy of the document and took it home with her after getting off work.

Unexpectedly, upon arriving home, she found that Sebastian was already comfortably seated in the living room. Lydia had just finished preparing dinner and called out, “Mr. and Mrs. Lockhart, dinner is ready.”

Sebastian rose from the couch while Madelyn set down her bag. The two of them then sat together at the dining table.

“How come you got off work so early today?” Madelyn asked during the meal. Sebastian rarely finished work before nightfall.

Sebastian answered casually, “There wasn’t much to do today. What’s the matter?”

“Oh, nothing,” Madelyn said, chuckling sheepishly. “I just have a small favor to ask of you… Could you help me out?”

“What’s up?” Sebastian looked at her mischievous grin and found it amusing. Naturally, he agreed.

Madelyn immediately took out the copy of the bill from her bag and passed it to Sebastian. “This is the most recent bill of Thornton Corporation. However, I don’t quite understand it. Sebastian, could you perhaps teach me how to read it?”

Madelyn spoke, putting on a pleading expression.

Sebastian knew she was eager to learn how to manage the company as quickly as possible, so he didn’t turn her down. After he nodded, Madelyn sat down cheerfully beside him. The two sat intimately next to each other, examining the bills.

“Look here. This part uses a very simple mathematical formula. Generally, the bills in a company tend to be more complex. This is mainly for confidentiality purposes, but…”

As he spoke, Sebastian suddenly frowned. “There’s something off about this bill.”

Madelyn asked, surprised, “You can tell?”

“You knew there was a problem all along?” Sebastian gave her a cold glance.

Madelyn licked her lips sheepishly and confessed, “Actually, Thornton Corporation has been having some financial issues recently… I want to help my dad, but I’m not sure how to. So, I thought I’d come to you for advice.”

Noticing Sebastian’s tense expression, Madelyn grabbed his hand and blushed, saying adorably, “Come on, Sebastian. Don’t be upset. I was just testing you. Who knew you’d be so clever and see right through it…”

Sebastian was at a loss for words but didn’t really mind.

He then calmly analyzed the situation for Madelyn, “The front and back of this bill just don’t match up. It’s clear that there’s a significant item missing in the middle. However, we’ll need to gather all the items before we can discuss the specifics.”

“Okay, I’ll definitely find a way to get it,” Madelyn affirmed with a serious nod.

However, Sebastian said coldly, “No, you shouldn’t be acting recklessly right now.”

“Huh?”

“You lack the necessary experience,” Sebastian cautioned in a low voice. “Rushing into this investigation will only alert the enemy, do you understand?”

It dawned upon Madelyn that if she investigated Zachary, she might tip him off and give him a chance to prepare himself. What if he denies everything?