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
Mrs. Simmons rushed to embrace Annie, asking, "What's wrong? Why are you so upset?" Upon seeing Annie's face, she gasped, "What happened? Who dared to hurt you like this?""Renee!" Annie replied bitterly, recounting the incident to her mother.As Yvette listened, her anger grew. She slammed her hand on the table. "This is outrageous! First, she humiliated us and forced us to apologize to that wretched Susanne. Now this nobody dares to play games with you? She clearly doesn't know her place!""Mom, both Michael and Ms. Xander saw it. What should I do?" Annie bit her lip.Yvette paced the room, her elegant posture belying her calculating expression. Suddenly, she stopped and smiled."Now that Renee has no cards left to play, it's the perfect time to strike.""But my phone was wiped clean too," Annie said resentfully."That doesn't matter. Don't forget, you're our trump card. How could she possibly compare to your influence?" Yvette lifted Annie's chin, her voice filled with pity.
Hospital.After finishing her IV, Renee’s fever had completely subsided. Though still physically weak, her spirits were high.“Are you sure you don’t want to stay in the hospital? You drank a lot, fell into the water, and then caught a fever. It’s perfectly normal to stay for observation for at least a day,” Dr. Percy said, filling out her medical record and trying to persuade her.Renee ignored him and lifted the blanket, preparing to get out of bed.Every time she saw Dr. Percy, her feelings were complicated. She had privately inquired, and the nurses all said he was a reputable and competent doctor, praised by patients as well. There was no way he would perform an illegal kidney transplant on a child.However, given his friendship with Carl, it wasn’t impossible that he might have bent the rules.Either way, the root of the issue was still Carl.Seeing that she was determined, Dr. Percy sighed. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the sweater she was wearing and froze.T
“Uncle Carl, you’re really going all out to clear Annie’s name!”“But I refuse to go along with your plan! Even if I die, I’ll drag Annie down to hell with me!” Renee shot a fierce look at Annie and headed toward the door.Behind her, Carl’s cold voice echoed, “Renee, are you not worried about your mother anymore?”Renee’s steps came to an abrupt halt.Her lips lost all color, and for a moment, her mind went blank. She slowly turned around, staring at the man in front of her, her eyes so red it seemed like they might bleed.“Fine. Fine…”She bent down stiffly to pick up the papers from the floor, her fingers trembling as she typed out each humiliating word of the statement. Closing her eyes briefly, she pressed ‘Send’ with all her strength.Carl approached her, but she stepped back, letting out a bitter laugh.“Uncle Carl, is this enough? Is it?”As if afraid he hadn’t heard her, she repeated, “Is it enough now?”Her eyes were filled with a cold indifference that revealed the
Jackson found Carl in Dr. Percy’s office, quietly sipping tea.“Mr. Grey, Miss Lacey has been taken away by Mr. Travis.”Carl narrowed his eyes and pulled out his phone, dialing Renee’s number. It went straight to voicemail.As the mechanical tone repeated, the teacup in Carl’s hand cracked.A dark, dangerous glint flashed through his eyes, sending a chill down Jackson’s spine.Dr. Percy glanced at him. “Worried now? Then why did you push her so hard earlier?”Carl tossed the broken cup into the trash, not bothering to explain.Dr. Percy pointed to the neatly folded sweater on the table. “You even let her wear that sweater, and that’s your—”“Don’t you have anything better to do?” Carl cut him off, picking up the sweater and turning to leave.By the time Carl returned to the Grey estate, it was late. He stood in the courtyard and lit a cigarette.Jackson glanced at the sky. “Mr. Grey, it’s going to rain soon. You should go inside.”Carl looked up at the dark clouds covering
Susanne seemed to get more excited as she talked, planning things in her head. Renee grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Mom, do I really have to get married? I don't want anyone! If you keep pushing me, I'll just find some random guy and marry him!""Look at you! I'm just thinking about what's best for you. Finding a good man and living a good life—what's wrong with that?""Can’t I live a good life on my own? Why do I have to rely on a man?” Renee countered.“I... I can’t argue with you. Just go to bed,” Susanne finally conceded, waving her off.Renee returned to her room and lay on her bed, letting out a sigh of relief. After a moment, she remembered her phone, which had been off all this time.She took it out of her bag and, bracing herself, turned it on. She expected a barrage of notifications, but the phone remained unusually quiet. She checked her messages and saw that the hateful ones had been retracted, with some even apologizing.In just a few hours, Annie, who should’