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
Yvette, noticing Annie’s expression, quickly picked up the phone from the floor and held it to her ear.“Please, I’m sorry! I’ll never do it again! Miss Simmons, save me!”“If you don’t help me, I’ll haunt you even after I’m dead!”The desperate cries of several men echoed through the phone, chilling Yvette, who promptly ended the call. She rubbed her temples, recognizing the voices.“That sounded like…” Yvette began, looking at Annie.Annie, pale and shaken, murmured, “The dorm manager and those three thugs... Carl found out about everything!”“Calm down.” Yvette tried to soothe her, but Annie pushed her away, pacing the living room like a caged animal.“How can I stay calm? Carl told me to endure! How am I supposed to endure this?” Annie was frantic, her usual composure shattered.Worried that someone might see Annie in this state, Yvette quickly closed the door and pulled her back down onto the couch. “If Carl showed up at the hospital that quickly, it means he’s worried abo
As the others were caught up in conversation, a figure slipped out of the room.Annie caught a glimpse, and her smile deepened.---At the reception desk, Wendy stared at an invitation card. The embossed paper dusted with gold glitter exuded a luxury she could only dream of.A voice sounded from across the counter. "Jealous?"Wendy looked up to see Lucy, who wore a smirk. "You? What are you doing here?"Lucy stepped closer, tapping the invitation card. "A dog can never replace its master.""Stop talking nonsense!" Wendy snapped, visibly irritated."Oh, hit a nerve? Am I wrong? Playing both sides isn't easy, is it?" Lucy's smirk grew.Wendy instinctively stepped back, a wary look in her eyes. "What do you know?""I've seen everything. You've been conspiring with Annie against Renee. How does it feel to be Annie's punching bag?" Lucy's tone was mocking.The color drained from Wendy's face as she glanced around, clearly nervous that someone might overhear. "What do you want?"