Ms. Johnson stroked her dog's fur and smiled lightly. "What are you thinking? Of course, it's because I use good fertilizer. A little manure water now and then, and they grow wonderfully." "Miss Simmons, your last name is Simmons, not Grey. In this, you're not as clear-headed as Renee." Come back and challenge her when you've truly become Mrs. Grey.With that, Ms. Johnson walked away without even a glance at Annie. Annie couldn't swallow the insult and turned to complain to Carl. But Carl had already left. She could only smile at the cameras, maintaining her goddess image as she hurried after him. "Carl, I..." "I don't listen to time-wasting explanations. You should have known the consequences of designing camellia-themed jewelry," Carl said coldly. "But you could have warned me," Annie stammered, even blaming him. Carl looked at her, his dark eyes narrowing, cold as ice. "If this affects my collaboration with Ms. Johnson, I'll withdraw all investments from the S
Then he can't force me to do anything against my will anymore.She approached the two shop assistants. "Excuse me, who did Mr. Grey have that custom dress made for?"The two assistants looked at her as if they had seen a ghost, letting out a startled yelp."Miss Lacey, you... you haven't left yet?""No, I just happened to overhear...""You must have misheard. We're busy now; please take care."The two quickly ran off.It seemed she wouldn't get any answers.Renee sighed softly and left the store....Originally, Renee had planned to return to the Grey residence and give the dress to Susanne for safekeeping.But just as she got into the car, she received a call from the school's dean."Renee, why haven't you moved out of the dorm yet? You're all out on internships, and we need to renovate the dorms for new students. Come back and move out immediately.""Alright, I understand."Renee suddenly remembered the message in the dorm group chat from a few days ago, reminding her n
It was Carl!His deep voice, wrapped in the coolness of the morning fog, offered her unexpected support.Renee looked up, meeting his intense gaze, momentarily stunned. Wasn't Susanne supposed to be here?Standing barefoot on the cold tiles, she felt a chill jolt her awake."Where's my mom?" she asked."She twisted her back," Carl replied coolly."I can call a cab myself. No need to trouble you, Uncle Carl," Renee said, turning around and hopping on one foot.Behind her, Jackson held up a shoe, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Miss Lacey, your shoe.""Forget it... Whoa!"The morning mist had left a fine layer of moisture on the floor tiles. Renee had only hopped twice before slipping and falling backward.A hand caught her, pulling her back firmly. She crashed into Carl's chest, the impact sending a sharp jolt through her body. His grip on her tightened.He lowered his gaze, his voice hoarse as he leaned in close enough for only her to hear, "Came down without a bra on?"R
Renee's face flushed at the supervisor's comment. She turned, trying to explain. "Ma'am, it's not—"Carl cut her off with a long stride up the stairs, leaving her words trailing behind them.Renee glanced at him suspiciously. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes, but when she looked closer, they were as cold as ever. It must've been her imagination.Once they reached another flight, Renee began to squirm. "Uncle Carl, put me down. I can walk by myself. I've got shoes now, and I live pretty high up."Carl said nothing, continuing up the stairs.Renee pointed toward the top floor. "I live on the sixth floor. It'll be too much for you.""Third floor."Her eyes widened. "How do you know that?""What do you think?" He paused, his gaze darkening as he looked at her."You've been checking up on me!"Carl narrowed his eyes, exasperated. What exactly was going on in her head?Soon, they reached her dorm room. Reluctantly, Renee unlocked the door and we
Startled by Carl's sudden intensity, Renee's breath quickened as she tried to push him away. But he grabbed her wrist, his fingers brushing over the patch of newly healed skin, a reminder of her recent burn."Is it better now?" His deep voice held a hint of laziness.Renee turned her face away, refusing to speak.Carl reached out and turned her face back toward him, giving her cheek a gentle squeeze. "Are you going to talk properly now?""Uncle Carl, have you forgotten? I'm as stubborn as a mule," she retorted, clearly annoyed.Carl leaned forward, hands resting on the table, suppressing a quiet chuckle. "When I try to speak to you calmly, you don't listen, but you remember everything else I say."His tone was lighter this time, almost playful—a rare occurrence. Renee didn't know how to respond; only moments ago, they were at each other's throats. She lowered her gaze, unwilling to engage further.But Carl wasn't ready to let her off that easily. He leaned in closer, his thumb b
Carl stepped in front of the dorm manager, blocking his approach. "What's going on here?"The manager immediately adopted a submissive posture. "Mr. Grey, it's like this: we're preparing to renovate this building for the incoming freshmen. Renee here is the only one who hasn't moved out yet. Since it's hard for a young woman to handle it on her own, I brought three security guards to help."He was all smiles, but his gaze kept flickering away from Carl's, especially when he mentioned the three guards. His voice wavered, hinting that he was aware of their true identity.But why was he doing this?Just as Renee was about to question who these men really were, Carl interrupted her. "As the second daughter of the Grey family, she doesn't need anyone's help.""What? Second daughter?" The manager's eyes nearly popped out of his head.He glanced nervously at the three guards, who quickly retreated from the room, looking uneasy.Frowning, Renee started to follow them, but Carl grabbed h
As soon as the car reached the apartment building, Carl’s phone rang. Renee glanced over, unsurprised to see Annie’s name on the screen. The dorm manager’s plan with the guards had failed, and now Annie couldn’t sit still. If she wasn’t involved in this mess, no one would believe it.Well, except Carl.When he answered the call, Annie’s tearful voice came through, sounding as if she was facing a monumental crisis. From her seat by the window, Renee couldn’t make out the words, but Annie’s sobbing made her seem terribly wronged.Carl’s tone softened slightly. “I’ll be there soon.”The car had just come to a stop, and Renee, not wanting to listen to any more, quickly opened the door and got out.Carl reached out, grabbing her hand. “I can’t come up. I’ll leave the driver to help you move your things.”“Okay.” Renee shrugged off his hand and left without looking back.Carl watched her retreating figure, his brow furrowing before he signaled the driver and Jackson to start unloading
Renee buried her face in a cushion, trying to calm down. Just then, her phone rang. It was Susanne."How did it go today?" Susanne's voice had a playful tone, as if she knew something."Not great," Renee replied, taking a deep breath."Really? Didn't Carl help you?""Mom, your back pain must have cleared up, huh?" Renee said irritably. "I've told you before, stop trying to push us together. It's never going to happen.""It wasn't me! He said—""Mom, please, don't. There's no point," Renee said firmly.Susanne sighed. "Alright. I just thought maybe you two could actually talk things out."As Renee's mother, Susanne could tell that her daughter was holding a grudge against Carl. But still... this was Carl Grey. Even Susanne, as his sister-in-law, had to be careful around him. How could Renee stand a chance against him?Susanne just didn't want Renee and Carl to become enemies over what had happened that night.Renee understood that her mother meant well, but she didn't want