My Parents Neglected Me Until I Died Novel by yueji

Quinn Ortega sat calmly in the interrogation room. Over an hour had passed when Duncan Shepard arrived with a police officer.

“Duncan Shepard, why are you targeting Ortega Corporation? You should know the state of our company,” Quinn Ortega said.

Duncan Shepard glanced at his colleague, who nodded, and then addressed Quinn Ortega, “Do you know Audrey Macy’s real identity?”

“What do you mean? Audrey Macy was our high school classmate. Have you forgotten?” Quinn Ortega glared at Duncan Shepard. “I’m responsible for Nicole’s death, but that has nothing to do with Audrey Macy.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Quinn Ortega, Audrey Macy is not who she seems,” Duncan Shepard said, his voice steady. “She has been exploiting you all along.”

Quinn Ortega fell silent.

Duncan Shepard whispered to his colleague, then made a phone call before leading Quinn Ortega to another room.

Inside, Yolanda Robinson was already present. Upon seeing Quinn Ortega, she turned her head away, staring at the glass on the opposite side.

The glass separated a small room where Audrey Macy, handcuffed, sat defiantly in a chair. Three officers faced her.

No matter what the officers said, Audrey Macy maintained a scornful demeanor.

That changed when the officers informed her that all of Ortega Corporation’s overseas accounts had been frozen, along with associated accounts, meaning dozens of accounts were inaccessible.

Audrey Macy’s expression finally shifted.

“Furthermore, we’ve apprehended several individuals who have identified you,” the officers said, presenting several photos. I recognized one of the men as one of my kidnappers.

“We have also confirmed your identity with the East Asian police. Even if you say nothing, you will be convicted.”

Audrey Macy scoffed. “Then why ask me anything? Just sentence me.”

The officers exchanged glances. “One more thing: your brother has inherited the group and issued a death warrant for you. Your residency is not in America, so we can deport you.”

Audrey Macy’s demeanor changed dramatically. She straightened in her chair, gritted her teeth, and said, “I’m willing to cooperate, but I demand a reduction in my sentence. Otherwise, I won’t say a word.”

The officers shook their heads. “We do not negotiate with criminals.”

After a long pause, Audrey Macy began to speak.

She was the daughter of the head of an overseas criminal group, but her father had many illegitimate children and didn’t care about her. As the eldest daughter, she faced threats from her father’s mistresses who wanted her dead.

Her mother sent her back to her home country to protect her. When her father’s health declined, she returned to vie for inheritance, planning to poison her father’s favorite son. When that failed, she had to lay low.

“What’s your relationship with these kidnappers?” the officer asked, pointing to the photos of the men who had kidnapped me.

“They were people my mother left me,” Audrey Macy replied indifferently.

“They say you ordered the murder of Nicole Hayward.”

Audrey Macy raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I instructed them to do it.”

“Why?”

Audrey Macy’s jaw tightened. “Because Nicole Hayward suspected I was using Ortega Corporation’s accounts for illegal gains.”

As the General Manager’s chief secretary, I handled all documents before they reached the General Manager.

I noticed anomalies in the financial reports from the past year, especially from the overseas branches, where revenue had surged dramatically, and some expenses were suspicious. Colleagues familiar with the branch said the business volume hadn’t changed, leading me to suspect data falsification.

I started investigating the branch’s finances and found several employees recommended by Audrey Macy and some questionable accounts. The partner company had no real dealings with us but had transactions.

Before I could conclude my investigation, the incident occurred. Audrey Macy claimed she overheard a finance assistant requesting details of the overseas branch’s accounts for the past five years and feared I had discovered something. She decided to act preemptively.

“Nicole Hayward’s assistance is what led us to you,” Duncan Shepard said, as Yolanda Robinson cried silently.

I recalled that a week before the incident, I felt like I was being followed and almost had a car accident one day. I had packed all the investigative materials and sent them to Duncan Shepard under Yolanda Robinson’s name.

As a police officer, Duncan would ensure their safety, and I trusted him to handle any issues.

It turned out my gamble was correct.

“Why use Ortega Corporation for your operations? You’re an employee of the company; it would be easy to get caught,” the officer continued to question Audrey Macy.

Audrey Macy tilted her head and smiled.

“Of course, it’s because Quinn Ortega is obedient and easy to control. He signed the documents. If something went wrong, you’d be forced to arrest him first, giving me the chance to escape.”

Quinn Ortega was stunned.