Ste actually had a very good rtionship with Mr. Crawford.


    After Zane Vance, he had been her most steadfast ally, backing her from the very first major decision she made at The Williams Group.


    He had been a close friend of her mother, Nora, and had always looked out for Ste at work. Even when the rumors about her not being a true Williams started spreading, he had supported her without hesitation. Ste had always respected him deeply.


    Mr. Crawford said, "This Joshua of yours is the prime suspect. I''d say there''s an eighty percent chance it was him."


    "Mr. Crawford, to be honest," Ste began, "thest time our corporate secrets were leaked, it was Joshua who helped me navigate the crisis. He not only recovered our losses but also allowed us to buy out Israel''spany at rock bottom."


    At this point, to clear Joshua''s name, Ste felt she had no choice but to exin the entire situation to Mr. Crawford.


    Ste added, "There is definitely a mole this time, but whoever it is... it can''t be Joshua. He has no reason to do it."


    Mr. Crawford remained unconvinced. "Ste, he may not have intended to harm you then, but how can you be so sure about now? You can know a person''s face, but not their heart. You''re too naive, and that''s why he''s been able to deceive you."


    Seeing his insistence, Ste frowned. "Mr. Crawford, you need evidence for usations like these. To me him without any proof would be a great injustice."


    Hearing this, Mr. Crawford let out a coldugh. "Whether it was him or not doesn''t matter. Even if he didn''t do it, it has to be him!"


    A flicker of understanding crossed Ste''s eyes. She was no fool; she understood the deeper meaning behind his words.


    She was about to speak up for Joshua, but Mr. Crawford cut her off.


    "I''ve already told the board that all your recent mistakes are his fault," he said bluntly. "That you were so bewitched by his sweet talk that you let your guard down, allowing him to steal our corporate secrets."


    Mr. Crawford''s tone was heavy. "Ste, trust takes a long time to build but can be destroyed in an


    instant. You''ve worked so hardet


    establish yourself here, to gain so much support. You can''t let it all be ruined over something so trivial. It''s not just the neutral shareholders; even those who support you and your mother are unhappy with your recent actions. If you continue down this path, you will destroy the trust your mother worked for years to build within thispany."


    He paused, his expression bing pointedly meaningful. "Ste, whether Joshua did this or not, the me must fall on him. The board is still willing to trust you but only if you are ruthless enough get rid of him and admit your ''mistake'' to everyone."


    Ste detected a subtle, dissonant note in his words. On the surface, Mr. Crawford seemed to be earnestly advising her, but there was an unusual undercurrent to his speech.


    Ste asked, "Mr. Crawford, when you say I need to be ''ruthless enough to get rid of him''... what exactly do you mean?"


    Mr. Crawford had intended to further analyze the pros and cons of the situation for her, but seeing her sharp perception, his face stiffened for a fraction of a second.


    Finally, he heaved a heavy sigh and dropped the pretense. "Ste, you must know that Skyler and the brothers have wanted your shares for a long time."