Witnessing Abigail remove the necklace from her bag, the gathered guests started whispering. "Is Mr. Zane's assistant really a thief?""That can't be right. I've heard that Mr. Zane is particularly strict with his subordinates. If she were dishonest, she would've been kicked out by now.""Maybe she never stole before. Seeing a $200 million necklace might've been too tempting; she just couldn't resist."Max, quite satisfied with the guests' reaction, asked the police, "Officers, how do you plan to handle this?"Abigail interrupted Max, her tone casual as ever. "Let's not rush to judgment, Mr. Guzman. Can we first confirm this is indeed the necklace Daisy lost?""Bring it closer, and let me see," Max said.Displaying a calm and pleasant composure, Abigail extended the necklace toward Max. After an intense inspection, he confirmed. "Yes, this is Astre Eternel, the necklace my stepmother lost. Now, I'd really like to see how you'll talk out of this one."Abigail replied faintly, "Th
"I've told you time and time again, Max," Gavin began, his voice a stern reprimand, "If you fancy a girl, you pursue her like a gentleman. If she says no, you back off. You don't pester her, and you sure as hell don't pull the kind of stunt you did today.""Dad, you—" Max began to question but was silenced as Gavin's hand swung out, landing a heavy slap across his cheek. The impact was so forceful it left the vivid imprint of fingers on his skin, clear for all nearby to see."Dad, what's gotten into you?""You bloody fool!" Gavin roared. "You're not a child anymore, and you've done a stupid thing. Apologize to Ms. Renee right now and beg her forgiveness.""Dad—"Another slap. "I told you to apologize, damn it!" Gavin growled, leaning in and lowering his voice. "That woman Abigail may have made her way into Xander's bed. This is serious. You better apologize to her immediately. Once Xander discards her, we can deal with her properly."The idea of apologizing to a mere assistant di
[Don't be afraid. I'm here.]The brief text from him was a source of strength for Abigail. She looked toward Xander, but it was dark, and she couldn't see his face well. Still, she sensed his presence. Regardless of the circumstances, he always managed to exude an air of elegance.He picked up his personal phone and dialed Abigail's number as Nathan. The moment the call connected, Abigail panicked and ended it immediately.She sent him a response: [I'm still having trouble accepting that you're Xander, so I'd like to keep our relationship a secret for now, okay?]Xander was eager to shed all pretenses, reluctant to wait for another second. But when it came to choosing between his desires and Abigail's wishes, he unhesitatingly chose to respect hers. He replied: [Okay.]Abigail: [Let me handle what comes next. Please, stay out of this and wait for me outside, okay?]Even though it was still technically a conversation between Abigail and "Nathan", she now knew that "Nathan" was him
"Don't the Guzmans have enough dough to afford any necklace they want?" Gavin blurted out, "You had to go buy a knockoff. You've disgraced the whole Guzman name.""Yes, I made a mistake. I shouldn't have tried to keep up with the Joneses." Daisy admitted quickly but begrudgingly, mentally cursing Gavin.It was Gavin who had gifted Daisy that necklace, claiming it was the Astre Eternel, the last work of renowned designer Mr. Smith. He said he had paid a whopping 200 million for it in Paridale, outbidding many competitors. He had fooled Daisy before; when the Astre Eternel was auctioned last year, he happened to be in Paridale, and Daisy believed him without checking or authenticating. If she had, she would not be in this mortifying situation.Gavin turned to Max. "As the current CEO of Guzman Corporation, you're not thinking things through. Ms. Renee is a young and attractive woman. There are bound to be others who would be interested in her. And she also happens to be Xander's assis
Shawn said, "Given today's scene, the media will have a field day tomorrow. If you don't clarify that your necklace is the real Astre Eternel, rumor mills will certainly churn out stories about Zane Corporation's executive assistant wearing a knockoff. You know as well as I do that this could turn into anything, from a small hiccup to a full-blown scandal."Abigail mulled over Shawn's words, finding sense in them. For ordinary people, wearing imitation goods was no big deal, but she was Zane Corporation CEO Xander's personal assistant; to some extent, she represented Xander. Therefore, she had to assert that her necklace was the genuine article. Taking a step forward, she declared to the onlooking crowd. "Indeed, I'm wearing the authentic Astre Eternel necklace."Hearing that Abigail's necklace was the real deal, Daisy's face contorted in fury. 'Not only did this woman embarrass me today, but she also possesses a genuine Astre Eternel? Why? She's merely a personal assistant; why shou
"Malcolm, Atty. Cooper, we didn't get a chance to grab a bite at the banquet. Let's go grab some food now," Abigail suggested, calling the two men. The trio began to make their way out together.After only a few steps, Abigail felt an intense gaze fixed on her. She followed the sensation and saw Mallory. Her eyes filled with unsaid words, staring at her as if longing to speak but unable to find the words. Abigail dared not approach her, knowing that everyone from the Guzman family harbored hatred for her—she could not risk what might happen to Mallory after she left. Pretending not to notice, she quickly sent a WhatsApp message to Mallory.Abigail: [I know you were forced into today's situation. I don't blame you. If you decide you want it, I can still help you find a job.]That was all Abigail could do for her.Glancing back, Malcolm said, "Guess we won't be welcomed at the Guzman residence anytime soon.""Do you still want to come back to this hellhole?" Shawn asked in response.
Shawn asked with a knowing grin, "Xander, who are you waiting for?"Xander's gaze immediately met Abigail's. He had quite a bit to say, but Abigail beat him to the punch."Mr. Zane, thank you for helping me out of that bind." Her words were a clear signal to him not to disclose their true relationship.Xander let out a rueful smile. "Get in. I'll drive you home."Since Xander disclosed his double identity as Nathan, Abigail's husband, their dynamic had changed; she was uncertain how to be alone with him. She quickly stepped aside and said, "Weren't you just saying you'd treat us to dinner, Atty. Cooper? Are you sticking to that?""Of course. But it mainly depends on whether Xander agrees," Shawn replied."Alright. We eat first," Xander said.Abigail said nothing."Where are we eating? Your call," Shawn said."The Deli," Xander replied.Shawn raised his eyebrows in understanding. "You're sure about The Deli?"Xander confirmed. "If we missed a moment there, we should make it u
Xander asked, "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"Abigail had a lot on her mind but did not know how to put it into words. She shook her head in response.Seeing her hesitation, Xander stepped in. "How about I ask, and you answer?""Go ahead, Mr. Zane." Abigail nodded."Still speaking formally to me?""It's a hard habit to break. And you are my boss; it's appropriate for me to show respect.""I don't want you to speak formally to me. I haven't wanted that for a long time. The moment I found out you were my wife, I didn't want that formal distance," Xander said."When did you find out I was your wife?""The day we were supposed to get our divorce papers from the district registry," Xander said.'So he had known for so long, yet he kept it from me?' Abigail asked, "If you knew that far back, why didn't you tell me sooner?"Xander paused for a moment. After a while, he softly spoke in his deep, sexy voice. "Because I was afraid... afraid that you would leave me. That y