Once I returned to the empty villa with no one else around, I tossed my handbag on the couch and turned on my computer.
I'd only just logged into the account I used for the company's communication platform when I was kicked out of the design department's channel.
Right after that, my phone buzzed. Maisie had sent me a video to gloat in my face.
"See this for yourself, old lady. Mr. Grady just sent Sasha a video to comfort her. Sasha was moved to tears. Mr. Grady dotes on her so much."
I clicked on the video.
The background was a dim hotel room somewhere abroad. Jonathan was in a bathrobe as he looked into the camera and said affectionately, "It's been hard on you, Sasha. Make sure you eat lots of good food for the sake of our baby.
"As for those insubordinate old employees, just fire them if you have to. Don't worry about needing my approval. Once I get home, we'll hold our wedding."
The voice was Jonathan's. The face was also Jonathan's. Even the slight lifting of the brow was something Jonathan frequently did.
Maisie also sent me screenshots of the other employees congratulating the company's group chat with well-wishes.
I watched the video three times. Even I, Jonathan's mother, thought it was really him in the video.
But was it truly him? Was he refusing my calls while sending these lovey-dovey videos to his girlfriend?
Somehow, it didn't add up to me. I'd always thought of Jonathan as the most responsible and dutiful son a mother could have, especially ever since his father died.
Since my calls weren't going through, I could only text him.
"You've got quite the nerve, you little brat! Not only did you knock up one of your employees, but you even hid it from me and refused to take my calls! Do you still even care about your mother?
"You turned the company into a complete mess! Is this how you run a business? If you can't give me a proper explanation, you can forget about being the CEO!"
This time, within minutes, Jonathan replied with a bunch of question marks. "What on earth are you talking about, Mom? Who did I knock up?"
I couldn't believe he was still trying to lie to me, so I forwarded the video Maisie sent me to him.
A few moments later, he texted back, saying, "That's not me, Mom."
He included a selfie of himself, unshaven and standing in front of a construction site wearing a hard hat. He looked completely worn out.
"This project I'm working on abroad is a closed-door project. There's barely any cell reception. Where would I find the time or the opportunity to flirt with someone? Besides, I already told you I don't want kids."
Now that I saw an entirely different version of Jonathan, a cold chill ran down my spine. What was going on?
I replayed the video from Maisie. Since I had no idea what to look for, I could only zoom in and examine each pixel in every frame.
Then, in the 8th frame of the 12th second, I saw Jonathan's finger passing right through the edge of a glass. That was a rendering error.
I also noticed the look in his eyes. The light that reflected in his pupils remained in a fixed position no matter how his head moved.
Only then did it hit me that the video was AI-generated. Had the technology already gotten this advanced?
Even I was fooled, and I was his mother!
I couldn't believe the nerve of that Sasha. She seized her chance while Jonathan was working on a project abroad to create AI-generated videos of him and issue fake commands within the company, doing whatever she wanted.
She was gambling that it was unlikely Jonathan would come back or get in touch with the company. She was using this window of opportunity to her advantage. What was she after? The company's year-end dividends? Or was she going to transfer the company's assets out?
Alarmed, I broke out in a cold sweat and immediately texted Jonathan, "Someone's plotting against the company! Come back at once!"
"Got it," Jonathan replied instantly.
I heaved a small sigh of relief. As long as Jonathan returned to the country, everything would resolve itself.
Nevertheless, the company's annual gala was tomorrow. Since Jonathan wasn't around, Sasha would definitely use the event as her chance to cement her identity as the boss' future wife.
She might even make announcements about major decisions, and if Jonathan didn't come back in time…
The scanned files for the Crest Park project were still on the company server. If those people changed the sketches without knowing what they were doing, resulting in a safety incident, Jonathan could end up in prison for it.
I couldn't allow that. I had to protect the company on his behalf.
After marching into the walk-in closet, I pulled out the evening gown I used to wear to award ceremonies.
All along, to keep a low profile, I'd worn simple, affordable clothing to work.
But this time, I picked up the deep purple silk gown and paired it with the most expensive set of jewelry I owned.
