"But she denies knowing the terrorists or being aware that she was a target. We can't convict someone based on speculation alone," Travis said.He lit a cigarette and offered me one."No thanks, I don't smoke," I declined."Right, I almost forgot you used to be a firefighter.""You want me to get Esther to talk, don't you?" I guessed."Yes. I looked into her background. Single-parent family, father died early, adopted at 10, raised by others. Growing up like that, you might be the only person she trusts."I laughed and shook my head. "You don't know her at all. The only person Esther truly trusts is herself."I remembered how she suddenly left for France to study three years ago, then just as suddenly returned to me a year ago. She never consults me about anything, always seeming sure of herself. She's never shown the typical impulsiveness or confusion of youth. Perhaps those of us who grow up in broken homes skip childhood and adolescence too quickly."Last time, you told me t
As usual, Grey came to pick me up for work in the morning."Did... did you stay here last night?" Grey was startled to see Gregory coming out of the bathroom, brushing his teeth."Morning!" Gregory greeted Grey cheerfully."Stay away from me, you're spraying toothpaste everywhere. How could you spend the night here? I'm telling Will about this.""Do you get a bonus for tattling to Will or something? Why do you have to tell him everything? It rained heavily last night, so Gregory slept on the couch. Don't get any weird ideas," I said, coming out of the kitchen with freshly made avocado sandwiches. I handed one to Grey. "Sit down and have breakfast with us.""How did you know I get a bonus for snitching? And how did you know I hadn't eaten breakfast?" Grey asked, helping me set the table for three."I always see you going to the convenience store after dropping me off at work. You must not have time for breakfast before coming to pick me up.""Trying to bribe me with breakfast, hu
After spending the whole evening buttering up to Luther, he finally gave up on the idea of confronting Hugh.The next morning, Will was up earlier than me. Seeing him about to leave for work, I quickly grabbed a piece of bread and followed him, planning to sneak out together. If we ran into Luther, he'd surely lecture me again."Stop right there. Neither of you is going to the office today. You're coming with me to kayak," Luther called out just as we reached the door.Will and I exchanged glances, shrugged, then went back to our rooms to change into kayaking gear.Luther took us to a small lake behind the estate. The morning light shimmered on the water, casting a soft golden glow. The gentle breeze rustling the lakeside grass also soothed my troubled mind.When we were little, he often brought us here to kayak. Watching Luther push the kayak into the lake, I realized he had aged too. His silhouette seemed smaller now. As a child, I always thought his back was big enough to block
Will and I rushed to the hospital where the commotion was taking place.The hospital director hurried over to Will, saying, "We've never dealt with such a difficult woman before! I've tried everything to persuade her to leave, but she won't budge. She's disrupting the doctors' work. That's why I had to call you for help."Outside a room on the third floor, several reporters were snapping photos. A shrill voice came from inside:"How dare you push me, you bitch! You thief!"Wait, why does that voice sound so familiar?I quickly pushed past the reporters blocking the door."It's you! Carol!" I couldn't help but laugh when I saw her. Talk about running into trouble."What are you doing here?" Carol stopped what she was doing, releasing a nurse's collar, and stared at me in surprise."This hospital belongs to our group. I'm here to see who's causing a scene.""Me? Causing a scene? I'm here to report your nurse for theft and assault!"Carol crossed her arms, chin raised haughtily.
After Carol left, I approached Janet. "Janet, Will's suspension is only temporary. Once things are cleared up tomorrow, I'll help you get reinstated as soon as possible.""Thank you for standing up for me earlier. I don't even know your name yet.""I'm Shelia. Let's exchange phone numbers so we can keep in touch tomorrow."Janet had a gentle voice and looked about 20. Her short brown hair had a playful streak of pink, and her nose was dotted with freckles. She had slight buck teeth, but there was a natural sexiness about her."You can go home and rest today. I'll have a driver take you," I said, walking Janet to the hospital entrance."That's not necessary. I can take a taxi. You've already helped me so much." She seemed hesitant about my kindness, as if afraid of being a bother.Suddenly, a convertible sports car pulled up in front of us. The door opened, and a blond man in sportswear and sunglasses stepped out."Mason?""Shelia?"We called out each other's names almost simultaneously
"Wasn't she fine this afternoon? How did she suddenly have an asthma attack?" Mason peeked into the hospital room, then asked me and Janet's roommate in a low voice."You have the nerve to ask? It's all your fault. Haven't you seen the gossip online?" I snapped."How is this my fault again?""See for yourself." I handed him my phone."How can these entertainment reporters write such nonsense? When did Carol become my girlfriend? At most, she's my sex friend! And she's always the one throwing herself at me.""Wait, this photo of Carol's back isn't right. How could Janet have hurt her? It's clearly from when I dripped wax on her back last night. I even took a photo to remember it," Mason said, pulling out his own phone. "The shape is identical, look. Don't swipe right though, the rest are even more intense.""You played BDSM with Carol last night, and today you're here pursuing Janet? Do you have any sense of morality?!" Looking at the photos on Mason's phone, I felt like my eyes h
Since Esther and I returned from Will's interrogation room two days ago, Esther has become even clingier, probably trying to mend our relationship.These past two days, she's been coming to the company at lunchtime to invite me out. I haven't refused.After lunch, we were driving back to the office. But at the reception of Thornton Group's building, I saw Shelia!She wasn't alone. A young girl stood beside her, along with that annoying new boyfriend of hers, Gregory!"Are you here to see me?" I asked, approaching Shelia."Your company allows dating during work hours? No wonder your stock prices dropped again recently," Shelia's tone was full of hostility."Can't we talk civilly anymore?" Shelia's attitude stung a bit."I'm not here for you. I'm here for Carol. But your company's security won't let us in.""What do you want with Carol? Has she caused trouble again?" I frowned slightly."False accusation, defamation, causing my client to have an asthma attack that nearly killed
That evening, I saw Carol's apology video online. I quickly created an online chat group and forwarded it to Janet and Gregory.Gregory: Haha, no wonder she couldn't make it big in Hollywood after three years. Her acting is so over the top.Me: Trying to squeeze out tears when there aren't any.Janet: Thank you both so much for your help. Let me treat you to dinner this weekend.Gregory: Wait until you get the compensation from Carol first.Janet: The compensation doesn't really matter. I just wanted to clear my name.Me: You're too kind. We can't go easy on people like Carol!After chatting with them for a while, I received a text from Hugh:"You haven't set a time for tomorrow yet.""9 AM," I replied.After sending that message, I turned off my phone and prepared to shower and sleep.I recalled Hugh holding Esther's hand as they returned to the office building at noon. I couldn't remain completely unmoved, but it didn't sting as much as before. Since moving out of the Thorn
Hugh’s actions made me want to laugh. Did he really think throwing money around could make up for all the hurt he caused me? What did he take me for? A cheap decoration he could put on display when it suited him and toss aside when he didn’t need me? I looked at him coldly, as if he were nothing but a pathetic clown—ridiculous and pitiful.Carol’s face turned green with jealousy when she saw Hugh "defending" me. She clung to his arm, her voice dripping with bitterness. "Hugh, why are you bidding on that worthless thing?"Before she could finish, Hugh cut her off, his voice calm but firm: "It’s just an auction, Carol. Stop talking."Carol was furious but swallowed her words, glaring at me like she wanted to tear me apart. I smirked inwardly but pretended not to notice, casually watching the next auction item on stage.Just then, Ada gracefully walked onto the platform, dressed in an elegant white gown and with flawless makeup. She took the microphone from one of the staff and began
*The charity gala began with the clinking of glasses and the buzz of polite conversation.Susanne was dressed in an elegant light blue gown, adorned with expensive jewelry worth millions, giving off an air of sophistication and grace. But I instantly recognized her necklace—it was an old piece, the same one she wore when she got married. Carol, on the other hand, was dressed in a perfectly tailored red gown, showing off half of her large chest, exuding a bold, radiant beauty. She clung to Hugh’s arm like a proud peacock, flaunting her charms for everyone to see. She whispered sweet nothings to every man who passed by, always on the hunt for new admirers.I looked at Hugh, unsure how to feel. There was a time when I used to attend events like this on his arm, foolishly believing that was what love looked like. Now, we were strangers.Carol had become the center of attention lately, thanks to all the media coverage.Zachary couldn’t come because his back injury was too severe, an
In the past, I would have apologized to him out of habit, a natural sense of submission. But things are different now.“What does it have to do with you?” I snapped back at him.Furious, Hugh threw the cake to the ground. Cream and fruit splattered across my shoes, but I barely noticed. I just stood there, staring at him in disbelief. Hugh, how could you do this?“Hugh, what’s wrong with you?” I tried to keep my anger in check, but my voice trembled despite myself.“You have the nerve to ask me that?” he growled through clenched teeth. “Shelia, how many times do you expect me to stand by and watch? Huh?”His hot breath, laced with the smell of alcohol, hit my face as he leaned closer. The rage in his eyes was like sharp knives cutting into my heart. I could feel the sting deep inside.“What did I do?” I lifted my chin stubbornly, refusing to back down. “Zachary is just a friend. He was hurt, and I helped him bandage his wound. What’s the problem?”“Friend?” He laughed bitterly,
I got breaking news from Gregory—a massive update! Garcie had collapsed in prison, and no one knows why. She’s in a coma now, lying in the ICU. What kind of drama is this?Damn it, just when we were piecing everything together, the trail goes cold! A few days ago, we discovered that Garcie wasn’t just working with Carol—there’s a big boss pulling the strings behind the scenes. Now, with her unconscious, all the evidence she could’ve provided is gone. How could this happen? Did someone try to kill her in prison? Or is she really sick?My head was spinning. I lit a cigarette, something I rarely do, but the nicotine helped calm my nerves a bit. If I could dig into these women’s connections, I’m sure I’d find links to some powerful figures.Just then, I heard a knock at the door. Zachary walked in, looking as handsome and intense as ever. Today, he was dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, making him look even taller and stronger. But his deep, brooding eyes always seemed to carry
*These past few days, I’ve been on cloud nine! News about my successful deal with Ada is everywhere, headlines like “Business Genius Carol” and “The Youngest Marketing Queen” plastered all over. Every time I see those flattering articles, I can’t help but smile inside, though I keep my signature "elegant" smile on the outside.Hmph, Shelia, did you see that? The Ada deal you tried so hard to get—now she's working with me! Who do you think you are? Just a discarded woman Hugh threw away!To celebrate my victory, I arranged a get-together with Fiona. After all, we landed this project together. I wonder if Lucas will come too. He’s one of the best guys I’ve ever dated. Maybe tonight, we could rekindle some old flames. I told Fiona to bring him along.I took extra care getting ready—slipping into a red backless gown, my hair elegantly pinned up to show off my long, slender neck. My makeup was flawless, and I looked sophisticated, sexy, untouchable. Glancing at myself in the mirror, I th
"Hugh, I’ve already scheduled a meeting with Ada. How about we go to Vienna the day after tomorrow? I heard the pastry chef at that hotel has won several international awards. We could try some of their desserts while we’re there." I put on a sweet, pleading tone, even though, in my heart, I thought Hugh was a total idiot—arrogant, cold, and not very bright.Without even looking up, he coldly responded with just two words: "Not going."“What’s that supposed to mean? I can’t handle Ada alone. She likes you! You have to come with me!” I tried to hold back my anger, raising my voice. How dare this useless man refuse me!He glanced at me with disdain, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Carol, I’ll say this one more time. Figure out Ada on your own. And honestly, you should give up—this was Shelia’s project from the start.""You!" I was trembling with rage, my carefully applied makeup barely concealing the fury twisting my expression. I’d gone through so much trouble to steal this projec
I sat in the café, gripping a cup of cold latte, my gaze fixed coldly on Marcus, who was sitting across from me. He kept his head down, hands nervously twisting together, looking like a beaten dog with its tail between its legs."Marcus, I really didn’t expect this from you," I scoffed. "I treated you like one of my own, and you..." I let out a cold laugh. "You and Garcie teamed up, scheming behind my back. But your biggest mistake was thinking you could cross me, Shelia!"Marcus jerked his head up, his face pale. "It’s not Garcie’s fault! We didn’t do anything!"“Do you even hear yourself, Marcus? Still defending her? That woman has been cheating on you left and right!"“No way! Don’t slander her! Garcie loves me and only me.”"How pathetic." I sneered. "Let me show you what your precious Garcie is really up to."I called Gregory. "Proceed as planned. Come pick him up."“Got it,” Gregory replied.I hung up, standing over Marcus, my voice cold. "Marcus, I’m giving you one last
The first step was to root out the traitor. To do that, I needed to find Gregory. He had been pursuing me for a while, but he was much younger than me, and I only saw him as a younger brother. I explained the whole situation to him, and he handed me a thick envelope filled with documents, a confident glint in his eyes."Shelia, it’s all in here. Marcus Leedon and Garcie Milton are working together, betraying the company. This time, they won’t get away with it! But for now, we don’t have enough solid evidence."I took the envelope, flipping through the pages. The evidence of Marcus and Garcie’s scheming was worse than I imagined. If it hadn’t been for this incident, they would’ve continued selling company secrets, and the entire company might have been destroyed in their hands! In a way, I should thank Carol for exposing the traitor early.Gregory handed me a stack of photos. "I dug up something else. Garcie is even more complicated than we thought—she’s been involved with several se
After leaving Amanda’s room, I rubbed my temples, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me. I needed to think carefully about my next move against Carol. This was like a game of chess, and I had to plan my strategy well.I went to the bathroom and soaked in a hot bath, hoping to relax. But just as I started to unwind, the doorbell rang. I barely had time to dry my hair, so I quickly threw on my pajamas and went to answer the door.“Shelia, are you home?” It was Zachary’s voice from outside, deep and gentle.I opened the door and saw Zachary standing there in casual clothes, looking even more fit than usual. He was holding two bags, his usual warm smile on his face.“What brings you here?” I asked, surprised but touched by his visit.“I came to check on you and brought some things,” he said, stepping inside and placing the bags on the table. Inside was a box of freshly picked strawberries and a beautifully packaged raspberry pie.“Wow, raspberry pie!” I lit up with excitement. It