Bankrupt Tycoon? No Problem – This Villainess Will Make Him Rich Again

Chapter 167: Chapter 170: The Tea-scented Sonia Quincy

Downtown Aethelburg, Mirefall Plaza.

Wearing a wide-brimmed bucket hat and a face mask, Sonia Quincy hurried through the mall.

Suddenly, she accidentally bumped into Ethan Lockwood, who was walking toward her.

Seeing that she was pregnant, Ethan Lockwood instinctively reached out to steady her and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Sonia Quincy clutched her mask and shook her head. "I’m fine."

"You..."

Her voice was very distinctive. The moment Ethan Lockwood heard it, he grew suspicious.

"You’re..." Ethan Lockwood tilted his head, trying to see her face under the wide brim of her hat.

She timidly raised her head, sneaking a cautious glance at Ethan Lockwood.

The moment Ethan Lockwood met her eyes, he knew exactly who she was.

"Sonia Quincy!" he said through gritted teeth, his voice low.

Sonia Quincy pulled her hand away and tried to run.

He effortlessly caught her again, dragging her into a nearby service corridor.

"Wh-what do you think you’re doing?" Sonia Quincy asked, pretending to struggle.

Mindful that she was pregnant, Ethan Lockwood wasn’t rough. He simply pinned her against the wall to keep her from struggling.

"Sonia Quincy, what the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded, his brows knitted in a tight frown. He glared at her, his anger palpable.

Sonia Quincy turned her face away, asking guiltily, "What do you mean?"

Ethan Lockwood gave her no chance to play dumb. "Your story is all over the news. The whole city of Aethelburg is talking about you! Are you insane? How dare you provoke those people?"

"...I didn’t." Sonia Quincy bit her lip, her expression both wronged and defiant. "I didn’t do those things! I was framed!"

"Hmph..." Ethan Lockwood scoffed. "And who, exactly, is framing you?"

Sonia Quincy threw his hand off, finally meeting his gaze. "If I knew who was framing me, I would’ve gone to the police already!"

"..." Ethan Lockwood stared at her, his face devoid of expression. He didn’t speak, nor did he look convinced.

Sonia Quincy pulled out her phone and brought up the file on the scandal she had compiled herself, showing it to Ethan Lockwood.

As she held the phone, Ethan Lockwood quickly scanned the contents.

Sonia Quincy said, "These people claim I hired male escorts and refused to pay, but they have no solid evidence to back it up. It’s been over a week, and all they’ve released is one hidden-camera video and a few fabricated chat screenshots. That’s it. Nothing else."

"They accuse me of hiring escorts but can’t show any booking records. They say I skipped out on the bill but can’t produce a tab or IOU. They can’t even prove I had any contact with these men!

"This whole story is full of holes and obvious flaws, and you actually fell for it!"

"..." Ethan Lockwood was taken aback.

Sonia Quincy put her phone away and shot Ethan Lockwood a disappointed glare. "I know I have a bad reputation, but that doesn’t mean I’m capable of anything and everything shameful. And to think you’re the CEO of the Lockwood Group... I can’t believe you couldn’t see through this."

"..." Ethan Lockwood rubbed his nose, embarrassed. Only now did he realize how suspicious the whole situation was.

But he didn’t apologize to Sonia Quincy for misunderstanding. He just glossed over the topic.

"If you were framed, why didn’t you step forward to clear your name?"

Sonia Quincy lowered her head. "I was afraid no one would believe me. I was even more afraid of making enemies and causing more trouble for myself."

Ethan Lockwood looked at her, then suddenly pulled two tissues from his suit pocket and held them out to her.

She paused, surprised, then took them and wiped away the tears she had managed to squeeze out.

"Who’s the woman with the red hair?" Ethan Lockwood asked.

Sonia Quincy replied in a low voice, "Her name is Miranda Morgan. She works at a nightclub in Aethelburg. I’ve only met her a few times."

"Miranda Morgan..." Ethan Lockwood repeated the name, nodding after a moment. "I’ll remember that. I’ll have someone run a background check on her."

"...A background check?" Sonia Quincy seemed unsure. "You mean, you’re going to investigate her?"

Ethan Lockwood replied, "Who else? You? You’re in no condition to investigate. It’d take you forever."

"..." Sonia Quincy scratched her forehead. "Well, in that case, thank you in advance."

Ethan Lockwood sighed. "Don’t thank me. I’m just helping you because I feel sorry for you."

"Oh," Sonia Quincy replied meekly.

Ethan Lockwood reached out and straightened her crooked hat. "Next time you need help with something like this, just send me a message. I’ll help if I can."

Sonia Quincy didn’t stop him, simply replying obediently, "Okay."

CRASH!

A cup of steaming hot coffee suddenly hit the floor, dark liquid splashing everywhere. A few drops splattered onto Cecilia Quincy’s cream-colored boots, instantly staining the leather.

But she paid them no mind.

She lurched forward, her heels stepping right through the puddle of coffee and leaving unsightly tracks on the floor.

She stood at the transparent glass railing of the walkway, her eyes wide as she stared down at the man and woman acting intimately below.

The woman wore a mask and hat, obscuring her face, but Cecilia Quincy could guess who it was from the prominent baby bump.

As for the man, Cecilia Quincy didn’t need to guess at all. She had seen his profile countless times.

One hand gripping the railing, she fumbled in her coat pocket for her phone with the other and frantically dialed Ethan Lockwood.

RING... RING...

A moment after the call connected, the man downstairs pulled a phone from his suit pocket.

"Hello, Cecilia."

Ethan Lockwood’s voice traveled up the floor and reached Cecilia Quincy’s ears clearly.

Cecilia Quincy swallowed hard and forced a light tone. "Ethan, where are you? Why haven’t you come up to meet me yet?"

Right under her nose, Ethan Lockwood lied, "I ran into an acquaintance downstairs and stopped to chat for a bit."

Cecilia Quincy’s grip on her phone tightened until her knuckles were white. "Are you done talking? How much longer until you come up?"

Ethan Lockwood looked at Sonia Quincy as he answered, "We just finished. I’m on my way up now."

Cecilia Quincy said, "Okay, I’ll be waiting."

Ethan Lockwood: "Yeah."

After hanging up, Ethan Lockwood took two steps back, finally putting some distance between himself and Sonia Quincy.

"I have to go. I’ll message you when I find out something about that woman."

Sonia Quincy put on a pitiful display, shrinking back and giving a soft "mm-hmm."

After Ethan Lockwood left, she followed suit and departed from that floor, but she didn’t leave the mall.

She continued to wander through the mall, waiting for her real target to appear.

Two hours later, her target finally couldn’t take it anymore and appeared before her in a hurry.