Half an hour later, someone knocked on Yvonne's door. She closed the folder she was holding. "Come in."A middle-aged man entered her office, walked up to her desk, and sat down arrogantly. "You were looking for me?"Yvonne looked at the man, whose face bore an uncanny resemblance to Thomas, and her lips curled slightly upward. "Now that I think about it, you're technically my uncle."Right after Thomas took over Miller Jewels, he hired his older brother, Patrick Jones, to fill a position in the company's most lucrative division: procurement. In less than two years, Patrick became the head of the department, making big bucks."Forget about it. We Joneses can't compare to you." Patrick leaned back in his seat and sneered at Yvonne.Thomas had warned his brother to be careful around Yvonne, but Patrick merely thought Thomas was being a coward. So what if Yvonne took over the company? The two of them had already sucked it dry. There was no way a little girl like her could find anything to
"I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, I won't ask our organization for help unless I'm really in a pinch." Yvonne stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Gwen, we've known each other for a long time, and I think of you as my own sister. You of all people should understand why I had to take Miller Jewels back."The other end of the call was silent. Eventually, Gwen gave in reluctantly and sighed. "Fine. I'll look into it." Suddenly, she remembered something. "That madam's got people looking for you again. Are you sure you don't want to take the job?"Yvonne hummed. "I don't have the time right now. Besides, she's too weird. How am I supposed to accept the job if she doesn't give me any information?"The "madam" they were talking about was a mysterious woman. She really couldn't blame Yvonne for declining her request if she lacked even the most basic faith in Yvonne. After all, she had specifically asked for Yvonne to do a job for her but had yet to provide any information.A
For the following week, Yvonne left the house early in the morning and didn't come home until late in the evening. So, Stephen barely got to see her except during his treatment times and could only resort to asking Julian to report what she was up to."Madam has recently been looking into the fake diamond incident at Miller Jewels. She even summoned all the staff who'd come into contact with that batch of diamonds for questioning. Yesterday, she held a meeting with the design department; they need to start putting together a new series because the new season is two months away. Things don't seem to be going well, though; they're severely short on finances. To make matters worse, the contract with the processing factory they're working with right now will expire soon, and the factory doesn't seem to plan on renewing it. Moreover, Miller Jewels will need to buy another batch of diamonds, so Madam should be short on money right now."Stephen kept silent but listened so attentively that on
"Achoo!" Yvonne sneezed as soon as she got out of the cab and rubbed her nose. It was strange since the weather today wasn't actually that cold. She received a message from Rachel as she reached the entrance of the bar. "I'm kind of in a pinch. Just come straight to the VIP lounges and find room 1108.""In a pinch?" wondered Yvonne, frowning. "Don't tell me she got drunk and picked a fight with someone again." Yvonne dashed into the bar without hesitation. Walking past the swaying crowd on the dance floor, she found a server to take her to the lounge.Yvonne could hear Rachel's voice loud and clear through the unlocked door. Immediately concerned, she kicked the door open, startling everyone in the room.In the dim lighting, Yvonne could only make out the outline of the people lining the couch, with Rachel standing at the center with a foot propped up on a glass table, holding a bottle of brandy. Everyone stopped in their tracks and awkwardly stared at Yvonne. Rachel recognized her b
With those few words, the man sitting in the corner reclaimed control of the conversation.Yvonne turned toward him. Well, this didn't bother her since she could still afford to pay for a bottle of brandy. "Will you apologize to Rachel if I pay you back?"The man answered straightforwardly, "Sure. But you'll have to bring me 250 thousand dollars first.""250 thousand?" Yvonne stared at the pieces of the bottle incredulously and thought, "Is this the elixir of God or what?""Don't you dare blackmail us!" Rachel shouted. "Or we'll call the police!""Go ahead! Let's ask the police whether this premium Cognac is worth this price!""You were so fearless when you smashed the bottle, yet you're shying away from paying the price?""Just admit you're broke. Why bother pretending?"The constant stream of verbal jabs sent Yvonne's head spinning. She quickly realized that the man in the corner was the one with the most power in the room. Indeed, she was the one who smashed the bottle, so it was o
Kayla was surprised. "What are you doing here?"Yvonne's head was spinning and her throat itched, so she merely glared at Kayla before leading Rachel out of the room."Hey! I was talking to you." Kayla tried to pull Yvonne back, but she failed. Kayla stomped her heels angrily and watched the two women walk out. Who did that freak think she was?"That woman was hideous! I'm going to have a nightmare tonight.""I would've kicked her out if I'd known what she looked like. Ugh!"Kayla smiled when she heard the men insulting Yvonne. She strutted toward them enticingly. "What are you guys talking about? It looks like I missed a show.""If you'd come earlier, you would've seen that freak drinking vodka, Ms. Jones!""Mr. Robinson's the best! He always finds new ways to entertain us!"The chatter lifted the room's atmosphere.Kayla settled down beside the man in the corner. Before she could say anything, he asked, "Do you know her?"She began to deny it. "How would I–" Suddenly, a thought poppe
"T—there's no need! I can get home by myself!""Hmm?" Stephen raised an eyebrow. "Do you not need me, or do you not find it convenient for me to pick you up?"Her head still buzzing, Yvonne didn't pick up on the double meaning behind his words. "I'm already on my way home." She turned her head and met Rachel's prying eyes, and her head began pounding again. "I'm hanging up. I'm almost home. Thanks for the offer." Yvonne hung up and smiled at Rachel sheepishly. "Would you believe me if I told you that was my father?"Rachel grabbed her friend's arm. "What do you think? So? Who's the guy?"While thinking of what to say, Yvonne spotted a cab waiting nearby and quickly broke away from Rachel's grasp. She dashed toward the car like a bat out of hell. "I'm heading home first. I'll explain everything to you when I have time.""Yvonne Miller!"In the car, Yvonne gave the driver her address and prompted him to drive faster. It was a long drive home, and the skilled driver made the journey smo
Stephen leaped up and turned his head instantly. Someone's head was protruding from his quilt, and the dark locks looked like a mess."Who is it?" he demanded."Where's my doll?" Yvonne murmured, fondling the bed."Why are you in my room?" Stephen frowned. This woman had only been drawing a line between them minutes ago, yet here she was. On his bed! Gosh! What was up with her?However, it didn't seem like Yvonne had heard him. She continued to search for her doll, sounding desperate enough to cry. "My doll… My dolll…" Stephen finally realized that she was dreaming. He frowned in disgust at seeing a grown woman searching for a doll in her sleep. Hold on. Yvonne hadn't mistaken him for her doll, had she? To test his assumption, he sat back down on the bed. Sure enough, Yvonne snuggled up to him again.This time, to make sure her "doll" didn't disappear, Yvonne wrapped her whole body around him. Stephen's back stiffened. In the quiet room, his sense of touch had become extraordinarily a