Chapter 1457

Chapter 1457:

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There were rumors that her charitable acts were nothing more than a facade to mask her criminal activities. But Ethel could not accept these rumors. She had once seen Nicole's father during one of her visits to rural areas.

His kind face and gentle smile reminded her of her own father, a good-natured man. This personal impression led her to believe in Nicole's father's intrinsic goodness, despite the accusations circulating about him.

Fortunately, the Schultz Group later clarified that the contract fraud case involving the Lawrence Group was the result of employee sabotage, and the mastermind had been held accountable. This revelation further casts doubt on the theory that Nicole's father had jumped off the building to avoid jail. After all, an innocent man would have no reason to be afraid.

Motivated by these inconsistencies, Ethel devoted her free time to investigating the alleged suicide of Nicole's father once she had begun her police career. Her investigations ended up unearthing some intriguing clues.

Ethel led Nicole to her desk and presented her with some surveillance footage. “Miss Lawrence, please look at this.”

The footage showed the inside of the Lawrence Group office building, a place Nicole knew well. It was dated the day Nicole's father died. Because it was related to a financial fraud case, all surveillance from that day at the Lawrence Group offices had been filed for investigation.

Ethel moved forward to a specific time and said, “Your father is said to have jumped at 2:00 p.m. Before that, only your mother left the office. But at 2:45 p.m., someone else appears on this corner.”

He paused the video, pointing to a figure lurking near a hallway. “This hallway only leads to your father’s office…”

Nicole was shocked. She didn't know there was anyone else in her father's office other than her mother on the day he jumped. Her mother had left the office before her father's tragic jump. And, more importantly, that person had been there before and after her father's death. Why was that person there? What had he witnessed?

Ethel continued, interrupting Nicole's thoughts: "I've reviewed all the recordings, but I couldn't find any evidence that this person entered the office. This individual must have avoided the cameras somehow."

Anyone who deliberately avoided surveillance had something to hide. That much was clear. This mysterious person had clearly planned something sinister before entering the building.

“But maybe in his panic he made a mistake,” Ethel speculated, leaning over the monitor. “He forgot about the corner camera when he left the office, and then remembered and avoided the rest.”

Ethel stopped recording. “From this floor down, I have disappeared.”

Identifying someone from a blurry image was no easy task. The suit the individual was wearing did not help. Everyone in the office was smartly dressed, and that only made things more difficult.

Nicole felt lost as she squinted at the screen. She couldn't place the figure.

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