Renee couldn't believe that Carl would act so boldly toward her right in front of Travis, especially in the Grey estate. Ignoring his words, she continued struggling to free herself from his grasp. As she looked up, she found herself staring into Carl's deep, inky eyes, filled with danger and a hint of aggression. It wasn’t until he was right in front of her, disregarding Travis's presence entirely, that she realized just how close he had gotten.Feeling a surge of panic, Renee raised her hand to push him away and quickly nodded in agreement, signaling that she would go with him.Carl stopped, reached out, and removed a leaf from her hair. His voice was as cold and indifferent as ever. "There was something in your hair."Renee realized she had been tricked. She scrunched up her nose but knew there was nothing she could do. Turning to Travis, she said, "Travis, I have something to take care of, so I need to go."Travis smiled gently. "Go ahead, but take care of yourself.""Thank yo
At some point, Carl had removed her shoes and socks without her noticing."Uncle Carl, what are you doing? This is really uncomfortable!" Renee instinctively tried to pull her foot back, but he held it firmly, indifferent to any dirt or discomfort.His hands were warm against her skin, and though she didn't want to admit it, her body reacted honestly. The warmth was so soothing that her toes involuntarily curled a little.Carl continued to hold her foot, his fingers rubbing the top of it with a certain pressure—a mix of pain and ticklishness. He teased, "Uncomfortable?"Renee bit her lip, refusing to answer.Carl reached for a spray from the first-aid kit and spritzed it onto her slightly swollen ankle before applying a medicated patch.Renee watched him silently, confused as to why he was doing this.Suddenly, something clicked in her mind: Annie.Carl had promised Annie that he would prevent the recording from spreading.Almost as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Carl s
He bit her!Renee knew Carl was getting back at her for biting him earlier.She closed her eyes, bracing for pain and expecting blood. But the pain was brief. His teeth on her neck alternated between gentle and firm, almost teasing.Her body shivered as his lips moved slowly against her skin, sending chills down her spine. Suddenly, he lifted her onto a coffee table. She tried to escape, but he trapped her within his arms.Carl leaned in so close that their lips almost touched. Renee pulled back, but he held her head, drawing her closer. The near-contact between them made the air feel hot and thick."Say it again," Carl whispered.Renee pressed her lips tight, refusing to speak, frozen in place.Calmly, Carl took the flower from behind her ear and crushed it in front of her. “Hideous,” he said coldly.Was he calling the flower hideous, or her?Renee thought he meant her. Forced to meet his gaze, her long lashes fluttered, but her eyes stayed defiant. She bit her lip again. Her
Jackson noticed Renee's pale face and called out, “Miss Lacey…”Renee sneered, “Uncle Carl went to great lengths, didn't he?”“Miss Lacey, actually…” Jackson attempted to explain, but Renee had already walked away, leaving him to sigh in frustration.Back in her room, Renee headed straight for the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she spotted a distinct red mark on her neck. The bite mark was faint, but the surrounding skin was a deep, vivid red. Anyone who saw it would know what had happened.She washed it several times, but the more she scrubbed, the redder it became. In the end, she had to give up. With a report to Annie's studio scheduled for tomorrow, it seemed she would need to cover it up with some foundation.As she pondered how to ask Susanne for some foundation, Susanne showed up unexpectedly.“Renee? Are you back? I brought you something to eat.”Hearing this, Renee quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her neck before stepping out of the bathroom.Susanne eye
Hearing someone call her name, Renee turned around to see a woman in a black business suit standing formally in front of her.“Do you remember me? Lucy Pens.”Third place in the competition.Renee nodded politely. “Yes, I remember. Hello.”Lucy adjusted her suit and smoothed her hair. “Thanks for letting me take your place last time.”“It’s nothing. We should head up now. We can talk more later.” Renee glanced at the time, not wanting to cut it close on her first day. She wanted to arrive at least ten minutes early to familiarize herself with the place.“Of course.” Lucy fell into step beside her, excitement in her voice. “Renee, I honestly think your work deserved first place.”Renee stopped and gently cut her off. “Lucy, keep that thought to yourself and don’t mention it again.”Annie wasn’t as indifferent as she appeared. She was petty and couldn’t tolerate even the slightest provocation.But before they could say more, the elevator doors opened, and out stepped Annie, coming
They walked into the office.Bella clapped her hands to get everyone's attention and introduced them. "These are our new interns. This is Annie Simmons, personally chosen by Ms. Xander as the competition winner. I don't think I need to say more."The staff immediately caught the hint in Bella's words and lined up to greet Annie enthusiastically. No one even asked for Renee and Lucy's names.Annie glanced at Renee briefly before putting on an act. She walked over to Renee and Lucy, linking arms with them, and said warmly, "These two are also my friends, Renee Lacey and Lucy Pens. Let's all work together and have a great time!"Renee froze for a moment. It was clear that Annie had overheard their conversation outside the elevator and was waiting for the right moment to get back at them.Annie was using this chance to show off her kindness while subtly making them seem less important, as if they were only here because of her.Unfortunately, Lucy seemed genuinely touched by Annie's k
Renee knew Annie's nasty side all too well from her past. Annie could switch between her two faces easily, putting on a perfect show each time. In the past, Renee had tried hard to explain herself, but now she realized there was no point in bothering when dealing with Annie.All she had to do was act a little crazy.Renee put down her phone and picked up the hot coffee pot, turning around quickly."If your mouth is that dirty, maybe you need a little scalding?" she said coldly. "Miss Simmons, do you really want to see what it's like to be messed with by a lunatic right here?""I might lose my job, but you'd lose your reputation, your family's name, and embarrass Mr. Grey. Can you afford that?"As expected, when Annie saw the coffee pot, her face twitched, and her thick makeup almost cracked. She stepped back quickly, her eyes flashing with anger."Renee, don't get too cocky. Do you really think you've won?""In the end, Mr. Grey still chose me. He made sure all the evidence you had aga
Lucy looked worried. “But… isn’t Mr. Grey’s wine expensive?”Annie smiled casually. “Mr. Grey brings me here often and always tells me to have whatever I want. I don’t really know the prices, but once I accidentally knocked over a bottle, and they said it was worth over ten thousand dollars. Mr. Grey didn’t care about the cost; he was just worried I might have cut myself.”“Oh no, we've been hit by a love bomb! Come on, everyone, let's thank the future boss lady!” a colleague teased.“Thank you, boss lady!”“Please, stop it. I’m not saying another word.” Annie’s face flushed as she played the shy girlfriend, but she kept her eyes firmly on Renee, as if staking her claim.Renee glanced back at her and forced a couple of polite laughs with her coworkers, as if she cared about Annie's status as the future Mrs. Grey when she didn’t even care about Carl himself.At that moment, Lucy slid over to Renee and grinned. “I’m so jealous of Miss Simmons. But I’m sure you don’t feel that way,
Hospital room.When Renee woke, Carl was gone.After regaining some strength, she got up for water and noticed movement at the door."Who's there?" she called out.The door creaked open slightly, and Jack's head peeked in."Miss!""Behave," his mother pulled him back, stepping inside. "Miss, thank you so much. I made some food - I hope you don't mind.""Of course not! Thank you, I'm actually hungry," Renee smiled, not wanting to refuse.The mother poured chicken and mushroom soup from a thermos and offered two flatbreads.She carefully packed away the remaining food.Renee asked curiously, "Ma'am, what's that for?""Jack's father is in intensive care. Every bite counts," she replied, eyes welling up.Renee thought for a moment. "Was Jack being thrown in the river connected to his father?"Struck by the truth, tears rolled down the mother's cheeks."Those monsters! They made their own mistakes and now force us to sign papers.""Who are you talking about?""It's..." she b
Looking into her eyes, he struggled to hold back his urges.Even her hair falling across his nose tested his restraint.Before Renee could react, he brushed his lips against hers, light as a feather.In an instant, his hand moved from her neck to cradle her head, deepening the kiss possessively.The moment was brief, his clenched fist beside her ear betraying his restraint - she could hear his knuckles crack with tension.Carl stared at her. "Renee, you're something else."Renee didn't understand.He didn't give her a chance to ask, pulling her under the covers."Get some more sleep."After a few futile attempts to move away, she gave up and closed her eyes....Outside.Annie gripped the doorknob, trembling with rage as she watched them sleep embraced.Unable to bring herself to open the door, she turned away, swallowing her anger.At the elevator, a hand covered her mouth, dragging her into the stairwell.In a blur, a man kissed her roughly, breathing heavily.He rele
Renee grabbed Jack's hand just as he began to sink.His little face had turned ghostly white with fear."Don't be scared, I've got you."Renee soothed him while supporting his chin.Though only six or seven, he felt heavy, especially with his water-logged clothes. Even as an adult, she struggled.Fortunately, her light dress allowed her arms to move freely.Despite the cold, she gritted her teeth and pushed through.Renee finally managed to swim to the bank with the child, where his mother reached out tearfully."Miss, give me your hand!""Take the child first."Renee felt her strength failing, unsure how much longer she could hold him.His mother thanked her repeatedly while pulling her frozen child to safety.As she reached back for Renee, a thick branch suddenly floated downstream, striking Renee's shoulder.She grunted in pain, her numbed arm releasing the mother's hand as the branch swept her into the current."Miss! Help!" the mother screamed from the bank.Renee s
As Chris said, most people her age operated at 90% energy levels.She barely managed half.He'd even warned her to preserve what little she had.Perhaps this was the cost of her second chance at life.Renee composed herself, trying to stay focused.Carl gestured forward. "Let's move ahead.""Excellent choice, Mr. Grey. Our rare gemstone collection is there," Mr. Declan said eagerly.Carl nodded, walking past Renee.Suddenly, something warm pressed into her palm, startling her.When the others passed, she opened her hand.A pink hand warmer, about the size of her palm.Why would Carl carry something like this?"Renee." Mr. Declan called from ahead."Coming."Renee clutched the warmer and hurried to catch up.The gemstone gallery was dimly lit, with only display spotlights illuminating the cases, leaving everyone in shadows.Renee stood at the edge, politely applauding Mr. Declan's presentation.Through the shifting crowd, a cool presence approached, warm breath at her
Meanwhile.Mandy stood with Mr. Declan waiting for VIP guests, checking her phone three times without reaching Renee."Miss Xander, where's Renee? Wasn't she joining us?" Mr. Declan asked.Mandy smiled awkwardly. "She..."Suddenly, Annie appeared, positioning herself beside Mr. Declan."Renee said she wasn't feeling well and won't come."Mr. Declan frowned but said nothing, tacitly accepting Annie's presence.Though being stood up by a newcomer clearly displeased him.Annie smirked triumphantly.Just then, Renee's voice came from behind."Who said I wasn't coming?"The crowd parted as Renee appeared in a red high-slit gown, like a flame burning into everyone's vision.The shimmering fabric made her skin look like snow.Uniquely adorned with wide mesh overlay and scattered crystals.Her eyes peeked through, utterly enchanting.Annie's smile twitched.Renee smiled at her. "Miss Simmons, you must have misheard. I said I was coming right over."She edged Annie aside and tu
Luckily, Renee spotted Annie's movement in the mirror and dodged just in time.But Annie grabbed her shoulder strap and slashed.Click, click...Pearls scattered across the floor.The dress, held up by the straps, began to slip.Renee clutched her chest and stumbled backward.Annie lifted her chin proudly, smirking as she tossed the razor in the trash, then switched to a shocked expression."Oh my! Renee, how clumsy! You can't be seen like this. Better rest - don't embarrass Miss Xander. I'll take your place with Mr. Declan."With a raised eyebrow, she walked out smiling.Clutching her dress, Renee realized Annie hadn't meant to hurt her - just ruin her dress to humiliate her.She quickly crouched to gather the pearls, hoping to salvage the situation.But the building was historic, with original stone flooring - many pearls had disappeared into the cracks.She found barely a dozen, not enough for one strap.Hearing footsteps, Renee hurried out, holding her dress.She need
During the drive, Renee noticeably relaxed, feeling those watchful eyes no longer on her.The jewelry exhibition was held in a century-old cultural center on the outskirts of town, perfectly preserved inside and out.To maintain the building's historic charm, they'd skipped the red carpet. Even the press conference was held in an open courtyard.Everyone shivered in the cold while maintaining elegant smiles.Mandy joked it was "suffering for art," though everyone had secretly plastered heat packs under their formal wear.After the press conference, they moved into the warm interior.The theme was "Culture and Nature."Creative pieces lined the entrance.Beyond the standard luxury display cases, jewelry took various artistic forms.Gradient gemstone leaves and flowers, a spectacular diamond necklace designed like fireworks, and jewelry butterflies suspended on fishing lines.As Renee admired the displays, Mandy's voice brought her back.Mandy introduced a man to her and Annie
"Renee, the street food market's near the hotel. You should try the local dishes.”Renee completely lost her appetite.So Carl had gone out late at night to gather food for Annie?And stayed in her room to avoid giving his cold to delicate Annie?Renee found it laughable, yet this was exactly what Carl would do for Annie in her past life.She put down her half-eaten toast and gulped down milk."Miss Xander, I'm full. I'll go prepare for later.""Yes. I should go too - the stylist will arrive soon."Mandy also didn't want to hear Annie's chatter.As they left, Annie smiled behind her coffee cup.At the restaurant entrance, Renee ran into Carl entering with two middle-aged men.They briefly locked eyes before Renee turned away without a second glance.Annie's sweet voice drifted after them."Carl, you're here. I'm not very hungry, but I'll keep you company?""Mm."Carl put his arm around Annie and left with the men....Back in her room.Renee found the AC fixed, the ro
Carl gazed at Renee with dark eyes, like a predator ready to strike.Her breath caught. Her fair skin, flushed from the hot shower, had a rosy tint.Her misty eyes held an alluring gleam.He leaned down slowly, less demanding than usual, almost cautious.Renee stared back, mind blank, forgetting to resist.But just as Carl drew near, her nose twitched, and clarity returned.She pushed him away and turned, sneezing."Achoo!"After sneezing, Renee grabbed a tissue to wipe her nose.When she discarded it, she felt warmth - Carl had covered her with a blanket.Carl lay back, eyes closed, his voice husky. "Sleep."Renee rubbed her nose, curling up carefully at the edge of the bed.She'd make do for now - after such an eventful day, she had no energy left.Renee fell asleep almost instantly, but it was too cold.Especially with the warmth radiating from behind her while her side of the bed remained chilly.The contrast made for restless sleep.As she drifted uncomfortably, a