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 She checked her messages and saw that the hateful ones had been retracted, with some even apologizing.In just a few hours, Annie, who should’
Travis had silently done so much for Renee that she didn’t want to make things awkward over a single photo. But she needed to make her stance clear.He was her brother, and that was it.After a moment, Travis sent a smiley emoji.“Get some rest.”“Okay.”Exiting the chat, Renee glanced at her missed calls. Her fingers paused when she saw Carl’s number, but she set the phone down, deciding to take a shower and get some sleep.Early the next morning, Renee got up and headed to the kitchen. She was already thinking of an excuse to ask the staff to let her use the kitchen for a bit. In the past, even just going to grab a bite to eat had earned her a lot of cold looks and sneers.To her surprise, when she walked in, the kitchen was full of new faces. The moment they saw her, they immediately stopped what they were doing and greeted her respectfully.“Good morning, Miss Lacey. Are you hungry? We can hurry and finish; it won’t take long.”The speaker was a woman in her fifties, with
"Travis, what brings you here?" Renee asked, wiping her hands as she greeted him."I heard you were hurt and thought I'd give you a ride to the office this morning. No need to squeeze onto the subway," Travis replied. Noticing her apron, he hesitated. "What are you up to?"Renee, a bit embarrassed, held up her flour-covered hands. "I wanted to make some muffins for you and Mrs. Grey, but you caught me in the act.""Should I leave then?" Travis teased.Renee laughed along with him. "No, you can sit and relax for a bit. I'll be done soon."Travis nodded in agreement.Renee quickly finished preparing breakfast.Noticing Travis glancing at his watch, she packed everything into some new containers she'd recently bought. Turning to the housekeeper, she instructed, "This batch is softer and easier to digest. Please make sure Linda has it while it's still warm.""Of course, Miss Lacey."Then she handed Travis a blue checkered lunch bag with a cute pattern. "I hope you don't mind; the
Travis's secretary felt her legs give out as if someone had kicked her behind the knees. Losing her balance, she spilled the entire cup of tea onto Travis and the lunch box.Travis frowned slightly.The secretary quickly apologized, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!”At that moment, Carl stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. “I’m here to ask you to take a business trip to Seaside City. The documents are on your desk. Make sure to review them.”Travis glanced at the file Carl had placed on his desk and nodded. “Got it.”Carl turned and left without another word.Inside the office, Travis took the handkerchief from the secretary, his expression remaining gentle.“Go ahead and prepare for the trip.”“Yes, sir.” The secretary bowed slightly before exiting the office.Travis’s eyes lingered on the stained lunch box on his desk, his gaze growing darker.In the elevator, Jackson fiddled with a small stone in his hand. “Mr. Grey, you asked me to come along just for this…”“Hmm?”
Mandy thought for a moment and then cautiously said, "In that case, the three of you new interns should each prepare a design draft. We’ll all go together to meet Ms. Johnson."“Got it,” Renee and Lucy responded in unison.Annie confidently added, “Ms. Xander, you really don’t have to worry about us. I’ll set up a meeting with Ms. Johnson and take Renee and Lucy along. You can focus on your other work.”Mandy, who indeed had a packed schedule, nodded in agreement.After the meeting, several people surrounded Annie with admiration.“Annie, you really are Mr. Grey’s fiancée. You know everyone important.”“Not really,” Annie replied, glancing at Renee with a hint of smugness in her eyes.Renee ignored her and walked out with Lucy, carrying her things.Lucy muttered, “Renee, if you had such powerful connections, your design would definitely surpass hers.”“Lucy, that’s enough,” Renee interrupted, feeling that sometimes Lucy’s words were a bit off.Back at her desk, Renee was tryi
Annie thought Carl would be disgusted to see Renee behaving so casually. Instead, he remained calm, his elegant fingers resting against his temple as he flipped through the documents on his lap with cold indifference.“Did you bring me here just to watch this?” His deep voice carried a chilling undertone, as if he were addressing an incompetent subordinate rather than his fiancée.Annie clenched her fists so tightly that she almost bit through her lip, but she didn’t dare to argue.At that moment, she caught a glimpse of something in the rearview mirror that made her eyes widen. Renee was...Seeing Carl about to look up, Annie quickly reached out and grabbed his arm.“Mr. Grey, I called you here to discuss Ms. Johnson from Hillside Estates,” she said hurriedly.“I know you’ve been negotiating with her recently. Our studio has connections with her too. If you take me to meet her, I can definitely come up with a design that will satisfy her, which would also help with your business
Why is Renee always so popular?The next moment, Wendy lifted her tear-filled eyes and looked at the male colleague beside her. With a slight sway, she fell into his arms, hiding her face.“I’m sorry, I get a bit carsick sitting in the back,” she said softly.The man, faced with a woman throwing herself into his arms, had no resistance and immediately smiled, wrapping his arm around her.“It’s okay, I’ll hold you steady.”“Thank you, you’re so kind.” Wendy forced herself to sound grateful, determined to tarnish Renee’s image in Carl’s mind.…Inside the cab, Renee exhaled in relief. “Thanks, Lucy.”Lucy patted her chest and explained, “No problem, but be careful with that friend of yours. She went around telling everyone this morning that she’s your best friend. A lot of male colleagues are trying to get close to you through her.”“I know,” Renee replied, her expression calm. Wendy’s behavior didn’t surprise her at all.“Oh, by the way, I saw Wendy chatting with a male collea
Wedding dress?When Renee heard those two words, she couldn’t help but feel the irony.Counting the time Annie had tried on wedding dresses, this was the second time she was involved. And both times, it was for Carl’s fiancee.It was as if these weddings couldn’t happen without her as a witness.She glanced at Ruby, who was smiling radiantly, her joy pure and simple. Unlike Annie, Ruby wasn’t manipulative; her invitation was sincere.It was precisely because of this that Renee felt like the bad guy.She was about to come up with an excuse to refuse when her phone buzzed.A sudden sense of foreboding hit her.Sure enough, it was a message from Susanne.“Mr. Grey has asked me to help prepare for Carl and Miss Sanders’ engagement party.”The weight of it crushed her.Whether Susanne would offend both the Sanders and Grey families—or remain unharmed—all hinged on Renee’s response.Her hands trembled as she typed out a reply:“Got it.”Ruby seemed to notice something was off a
Ruby didn’t notice anything unusual about Renee’s demeanor. She pulled out her phone and said excitedly, “Look, we took so many photos! I’m thinking of using some of them for the engagement party and wedding. Can you help me pick a few?”Renee glanced at Ruby’s phone. The photos of Ruby and Carl, both smiling brightly, felt like tiny stabs.Ruby, a young woman nurtured by love and privilege, carried an effortless elegance. Her joy seemed pure and contagious. Her smile was magnetic, lighting up every photo.Even Carl, standing beside her, looked more at ease than usual. The two of them looked perfect together—every photo captured their harmony.Renee, on the other hand, felt awkward, unsure where to direct her gaze.“They’re all great. You two should decide,” she said with a forced smile, quickly steering the conversation elsewhere. “By the way, why did you come to see me?”Ruby clapped her hands as if just remembering. “Oh, right! I almost forgot, I got so excited. The tie clip y
Hearing her mention fire, Carl froze.His mind drifted to the dreams he’d had countless times—the little girl who hated him, and the ending that always played out the same. In every dream, the girl ran into the flames, holding the hand of a woman whose face was always blurred. The two of them would smile at each other before disappearing into the fire.Taking advantage of his hesitation, Renee broke free from Carl’s grip, putting a few steps of distance between them.Her voice trembled with a mix of anger and desperation. “Uncle Carl, I can’t win against you. I know that. But I’m still a person. Haven’t you and your father humiliated me enough? Do you really need everyone pointing at me, calling me trash, for you to finally be satisfied?”Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked away.Carl reached out, but all he caught was the coat draped over her shoulders.Renee stopped briefly, pulling off the coat without looking back. She continued walking until her figure disappe
Carl didn’t respond to her question. Instead, he grabbed her wrist and led her into the car.Outside the window, the scenery blurred as they drove, snow starting to fall again after some time. When the car finally stopped and the door opened, a fresh layer of snow blanketed the ground.As Renee stepped out, a cashmere coat was draped over her shoulders. The faint scent of Carl surrounded her, pulling her back into reality. She found herself standing in front of a villa.The sprawling garden, now blanketed in white, held a dreamlike beauty, hinting at how enchanting it must look when the flowers were in full bloom. Renee could almost picture it clearly.Because this was the house where she had set herself on fire in her previous life.Eight years of marriage had turned this beautiful home into a gilded cage.Staring at the house, her voice was icy as she asked, “What’s the meaning of this?”Carl’s gaze darkened slightly, his tone calm. “I’ll have someone pick up your belongings f
Joey assumed Renee had forgotten and went to the kitchen to retrieve the item. She placed it in front of her—a sleek yet extravagant men’s watch.Renee recognized it instantly. It was Carl’s watch.She knew because she had a matching women’s version.But she clearly remembered tidying up the kitchen the previous night, and the watch hadn’t been there. Unless… the person who had been with her during her fever was Carl.Levi hadn’t explicitly said the soup was his doing; she had simply assumed.As the dreamlike memories replayed in her mind, Renee’s hand trembled, spilling the ginger tea.Joey quickly grabbed some napkins to clean up. “What’s wrong?”Renee turned to the window, then suddenly grabbed the watch and dashed out.Inside the elevator, she watched the descending numbers, silently counting down. Her hand braced against the wall, her emotions a tangled mess. She had told herself over and over to let go, to stop pursuing this path.But she had to know the truth.She had
Joey pointed to Levi’s suit, drawing Renee’s attention to it. She suddenly realized that Levi’s suit was from the same brand as the one Carl had been wearing when he had brought her home, his face covered. Aside from a few subtle differences, they looked almost identical to the average person. Levi and Carl also had similar builds, which explained why Joey had mistaken him. “Joey, it’s not what you think,” Renee quickly tried to explain. But Joey wasn’t listening. She stood protectively in front of Renee, as though shielding her from making a bad decision. “Renee! You promised me you’d never go back to your ex!” “Ex?” Levi repeated thoughtfully, glancing at Renee with a faint smile tugging at his lips. Renee felt a wave of frustration, like she might faint from embarrassment despite being on the mend. Joey, oblivious, continued in a righteous tone, “Sir, what’s the point of showing up now? When Renee needed someone the most, you ignored her. Being sweet after the f
Warm water slid down Renee’s throat, easing the discomfort. She gradually calmed down as a gentle thumb brushed her lips, as if the person in front of her were handling something precious.He leaned closer, his heated breath falling softly on her face.Instinctively, Renee held her breath. Even though her vision was blurry, she could feel how close he was—so close that the slightest movement would bring their lips together.Just then, the medicine’s effect fully kicked in. Renee’s body went limp, and she collapsed onto the couch.The next moment, a tall figure leaned over, pulling her tightly into his arms. His heartbeat thudded steadily in her ears, a sound that was oddly comforting.In her half-conscious state, she felt a soft touch on her forehead.“Sleep,” a low voice murmured, deep and magnetic, lulling her into the darkness.When Renee opened her eyes again, she saw a white ceiling above her. She reached up to touch her forehead—thankfully, the fever had broken.But her b
“What do you mean by that? I’m not so old that I can’t run this family anymore!” Michael’s voice was sharp, his pride bristling. He hated being reminded of his age—it was his greatest fear.Carl’s tone was flat and unaffected. “Your health should come first.”Michael froze in his seat, his face turning pale with anger. But as a man who had managed the vast Grey family empire for years, he quickly regained his composure.He pulled out two documents and placed them in front of Carl, smoothly shifting the topic. “Here’s the list for the New Year’s gala invitations. Take a look.”Carl opened the list. It was almost identical to previous years—except for one addition: Susanne.“She’s your sister-in-law, after all,” Michael said coldly. “No matter what, she’s still part of the Grey family. Now that Linda is gone, it’s time for her to start contributing.”“Is that so?” Carl’s dark eyes locked onto Michael’s.Michael then gestured to the second document, his gaze sharp and calculating.
Carl sat silently through the night.At dawn, Ruby slowly opened her eyes. Seeing him still by her side, she felt both happy and guilty.Weakly, she said, “Carl, I’m sorry for making you stay with me all night.”Carl snapped out of his thoughts and slowly stood up. “I’ll get the doctor.”As he turned to leave, Ruby grabbed his hand.“Carl, I really like you. Can we be together? Of course, you can say no,” she said softly.Carl lowered his gaze to her, his expression unreadable. He gently pulled his hand away. “Let the doctor check on you first.”Watching him walk away, Ruby bit her pale lips, her eyes welling up.The doctor came to examine her and confirmed that she was out of danger. Soon after, she was transferred to a regular hospital room.Carl helped her lie down and said in a low voice, “Your brother will be here soon.”Ruby immediately grabbed his arm, her tone slightly anxious. “Carl, are you leaving?”“I got a message from home. I need to go back,” Carl replied, his