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,
As Carl helped Annie into the car, she shot a venomous glare over his shoulder at Renee. That look told Renee everything she needed to know—Annie was holding yet another grudge.Renee turned to Lucy, puzzled. “What are you talking about?”Lucy, her cheeks flushed from drinking, apologized sheepishly, “I’m sorry, Renee. I had too much to drink and was just joking. Don’t take it seriously.”Renee knew better than to get upset over drunken talk. She merely pressed her lips together and let it go.Everyone was having a good time, some even letting loose a little too much. Lucy staggered to her feet, raising her glass. “Since I’m new here, let me propose a toast to all of you.”She downed the entire glass and then turned the cup upside down to show it was empty.Everyone turned to look at Renee. With a resigned smile, she stood up and raised her glass. “I’d like to toast to everyone as well.”Annie had already encouraged everyone to drink a lot earlier, and after finishing her glass,
Jackson nodded. “Please, go ahead.”Annie got out of the car and walked toward The Eliza.…Renee stepped out of the private room and walked down the hallway. The cool breeze made her feel even more light-headed, intensifying the dizziness from the alcohol. She leaned against a pillar, trying to find her way out.As she stumbled along, she thought she needed to turn a corner and did so without thinking. Her foot slipped off the step, and she instinctively pitched forward.With a splash, she fell into a pool of water, the cold shock bringing her to her senses. Looking down at the water reaching her chest, she felt utterly embarrassed.She waded to the edge, slowly climbing out using the steps.Beyond the pool was the manager’s office with its large glass windows.Carl hadn’t lied to Annie; the manager of The Eliza had indeed requested to see him.“Mr. Grey, Miss Simmons has racked up over a hundred thousand dollars in charges recently. Today alone, she opened six bottles of you
Renee's eyes widened as she watched Carl.In one smooth motion, he pulled off his sweater, revealing his toned body underneath. As he lifted his arms, his abs flexed, each muscle clearly defined.Renee was momentarily stunned, only to have the sweater thrown in her face.Leaning casually against the table, Carl looked at her with a hint of amusement. "Didn't get enough of a look that night? If you don't want to catch a cold, go change inside."Renee's face turned red. She grabbed the sweater and rushed into a small changing room, pulling the curtain closed.For a while, the only sound was Renee changing her clothes.Carl pulled out a cigarette and went to light it, but his eyes were drawn to the shadow behind the curtain.Renee was taking off her turtleneck, her raised arms highlighting her figure. The silhouette was blurry yet captivating.She had always been beautiful. Without trying, she possessed a subtle charm that wrapped around a man's senses, with just the right touch o
Carl’s kiss was domineering, leaving Renee no chance to resist. His lips pressed against hers, tasting every bit of the wine lingering there.Renee raised her hands to push against his chest, but the moment her palms touched his skin, she felt his breath hitch, and his kiss became even more intense.But that wasn’t enough. Once a man has had a taste of something he desires, how could he go back to restraining himself?Carl was still a man, after all.He lifted Renee onto the wine table, his sweater riding up to reveal the pale skin of her legs. His hands began to roam over her body.Just as Renee was figuring out how to push him away, his phone rang.Annoyed, Carl propped himself up, glanced at the caller ID, and answered. “Jackson.”“Mr. Grey, Miss Simmons slipped in the bathroom and fell. She landed on her injured hand, and she says the pain is excruciating. I’ve called an ambulance to take her to the hospital.”“Bring some clothes to the wine cellar.”“The wine cellar? Ye
Renee watched Annie approach, feeling nothing at all. She straightened up, glanced at Annie’s injured hand, and sneered, “Finished talking? It must have been hard for you to come all the way here just to chat while you’re still hurt. Doesn’t that ruin your delicate little act? You should be lying in bed, crying like a fragile flower.”She was mocking Annie’s usual pretense.Annie's lips twitched with rage as she hissed, “I could never put on a show like you. Acting like you want nothing to do with Mr. Grey while secretly seducing him at every turn. You’ve perfected the art of playing hard to get.”“What’s wrong? Want to learn?” Renee asked with a teasing smile.Annie’s face turned red with anger as her mind flashed back to the scene outside the wine cellar.Earlier, she had pretended to go to the restroom but was actually trying to confirm if Carl had gone to find Renee.When the restaurant manager said that Carl had gone to the administrative area, she felt relieved. It meant Re
Annie was a master at weaving truth and lies, making her act convincingly genuine. She deliberately mentioned that Renee had accused her of ruining something good, prompting Carl to immediately think about what had happened in the wine cellar.Renee had a history of using tricks to get close to him, so it was easy for Carl to suspect that her drunken fall into the water was just another ploy.By nature, he was a suspicious and dangerous man. Once doubt crept in, he would dismiss her completely.In her past life, this was how Annie had methodically pushed Renee to the brink of despair.Now, with Annie crying in his arms, Carl’s expression was dark and terrifying. Behind him stood two others: Michael Grey and Mandy Xander, who had just returned from her business trip. Annie had timed everything perfectly to have them here.Both of them looked displeased at the sight of Annie’s swollen, tear-streaked face and turned their disapproving gazes toward Renee.Michael spoke first, his ton
Would Annie dare to hand over the phone? Of course not.She had said it herself: her phone was full of humiliating photos of Susanne and Patrick. But now, it was no longer up to her.Michael shot a look at the bodyguard behind him. The guard stepped forward, snatched the phone from Annie’s hand, unlocked it, and handed it over.The gallery was filled with hundreds of photos. Michael’s grip tightened, nearly cracking the screen.“Annie Simmons, you’re really something. It seems my previous warnings weren’t enough!”“M-Mr. Grey, I didn’t mean to—” Annie stammered, her legs going weak as she almost fell to her knees, pleading.Without even looking at her, Michael tossed the phone to Carl, his voice cold. “Take care of this.”“Yes, Dad,” Carl replied, his tone indifferent.At that moment, Dr. Percy entered the room, and the sight of Renee’s condition almost made him scream.“Renee Lacey! Can’t you act like a proper patient? I’m giving you an IV, and you’ve turned it into a blood d