With a sharp clank, the car window didn’t shatter—in fact, it didn’t even crack.Renee clutched the car door, momentarily unsure of what to do. Then, the window slowly lowered, revealing a pair of cool, piercing eyes staring at her. Almost simultaneously, the car door opened, and a long arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her right off the ground. The next second, the man swung his leg and kicked away the one who had approached her.Seeing Carl, the men immediately turned and ran, pulling each other along. Carl cast a quick glance at Jackson, who nodded subtly and slipped away.Watching the two flee, Renee finally let out a small sigh of relief—until she heard a low, stern voice right above her.“What’s going on?”Renee pursed her lips, words catching in her throat. She could almost bet Annie had sent those men. Her phone must have been too new; Annie must’ve noticed, and they’d come to grab her old one.But would Carl believe that? Not a chance. He’d spent a fortune on Annie b
"Who said that?""Who do you think? Either way, I don't want it! I refuse to wear the same watch as you..."Renee felt the silk tie around her wrist tighten, pulling her forward. Carl leaned down and kissed her hard. She never seemed able to say anything that didn't provoke him.As she struggled against him, she felt something cool against her wrist—the watch was fastened on. Then Carl removed the tie and helped her out of the car. Renee immediately reached to take the watch off.Carl held up the tie, his gaze unwavering. "Remove it, and you're staying here."Renee silently cursed him. He was impossible, and she knew he meant every word. With no choice, she lowered her hand and followed him.Carl led her into a nearby restaurant where he'd clearly made arrangements. The maître d' recognized him and showed them to their table."Mr. Grey, your usual selections?" he asked carefully.Carl nodded. "Add a bowl of the house special soup.""Right away, sir."The food arrived promptly
After work, Annie went straight to a trusted phone repair expert. She handed him Renee’s old phone, and he connected it to his computer. As the screen flickered with progress, Annie’s smile grew, barely contained.Renee, no matter how well you hide things, I always find out in the end. Without your precious evidence, let’s see how smug you’ll be.“Miss Simmons, it’s unlocked.”“Let me see.” Annie grabbed the phone eagerly and began scrolling. But aside from regular chats, there was nothing—no mention of her. Frustrated, she tapped into Renee’s photo gallery, combing through pictures and videos, but came up empty.“This can’t be! She acted like this lousy phone was a treasure, wouldn’t even let me touch it—there has to be something! Check for hidden files.”“Got it.”The expert tinkered with the computer for a bit, and sure enough, he found something.“Miss Simmons, there’s a hidden album.”“Bring it up!” Annie was thrilled.Within five minutes, the album opened, and she clicke
“Mom, don’t even think about it,” Renee quickly interrupted. “You know what kind of people the Clarks are these days. If you don’t trust Uncle Carl, don’t you at least trust Uncle Patrick?”“You’re right, but they pulled in a lot of investors for this project. If they weren’t confident, they’d have to be pretty bold to go through with it,” Susanne said, stifling another yawn.Renee urged her to take it easy and get some sleep. But after they hung up, an uneasy feeling lingered in her chest.…Despite her discomfort with the way Leon looked at her, Renee focused on her work, designing a brooch for him with real dedication. Inspired by a koi fish, she captured a moment of the fish in motion, its fins and tail gracefully fanning out through ripples of water. For the fish’s head, she used Leon’s own sapphire, with white diamonds and various shades of blue sapphires radiating out to enhance the design. Mandy was pleased, commenting that the design was just right—not too delicate for a
The commotion drew everyone’s attention, including Renee, who glanced over at Wendy. This was typical Wendy—always playing the timid, clumsy type to earn sympathy. Back in school, classmates would pity her since they knew her family struggled. But here, where everyone’s eyes were sharp, her act didn’t fool anyone.“Don’t bother cleaning it up. Leave,” Mandy said, frowning.“Yes, Ms. Xander,” Wendy replied, eyes red and lips pressed so hard they looked on the verge of bleeding—like a helpless damsel needing protection.Leon quickly reached out to steady her, chuckling. “It’s no big deal, don’t be upset.”Wendy looked up with teary eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Clark.”She walked out of the room, casting lingering looks over her shoulder.Renee shook her head and returned her gaze to the sapphire on the table. The security guard was securing it in the case, and nothing seemed out of place.Mandy stood and reminded the security, “Be careful with that.”The guard nodded. Leon checked his w
“Why did you spill the tea that day?” Mandy’s patience was wearing thin.“Ms. Xander, it really was an accident! I was just mesmerized by the sapphire and glanced at it for a second. My hand slipped, and the cup fell,” Wendy sobbed.At that, Renee felt an unfriendly gaze on her—it was Annie. She stepped forward, a skeptical look on her face. “Ms. Xander, was there an issue with the sapphire?”Mandy didn’t reply, but her silence was enough.Annie spoke up, feigning righteousness. “If Ms. Xander has doubts, maybe we should check the security footage. Wendy is so timid; would she really dare mess with something worth millions?”Wendy, still sniffling, chimed in, “Yes, yes! Ms. Xander, please clear my name.”Just then, Bella added, “Ms. Xander, I already retrieved the meeting room’s surveillance footage.”Mandy’s face darkened, and she looked up at Bella. “You’re certainly proactive.”“I just wanted to be prepared in case anything happened,” Bella explained.“Play the footage,” Ma
Renee's words triggered a realization in Mandy, and they exchanged a knowing look, both considering the same possibility. But Mandy had her doubts.“What you’re saying makes sense, but without evidence, it doesn’t mean anything. A gemstone worth millions disappearing under our noses—it would ruin my reputation. Who would trust me to design jewelry after that?”Mandy’s gaze was steady, focused on Renee. “Even if I wanted to protect you, others wouldn’t agree. After all, you signed the handover form, confirming the sapphire’s quality. You understand what that means?”Renee nodded solemnly. Mandy was preparing her for the worst: if they couldn’t find proof, Renee could end up as the scapegoat, bearing all the consequences.Taking a deep breath, Renee said, “I understand.”Just then, Renee’s phone rang. She glanced at the number, and a hint of excitement flashed in her eyes. She showed Mandy the screen. “Seems I guessed right.”Renee answered the call, hearing Leon’s voice on the oth
"Renee, I've been good to you all these years. Can't you show some gratitude? I've invested millions in this project for you." Leon lunged forward, grabbing her blazer.Renee slipped out of it to break free. Leon tossed it aside and chased her around the room until he caught her arm. In the struggle, he ripped her sleeve, exposing her pale skin. Taking a deep breath, he sneered, "You smell so sweet, Renee. Let me have a taste.""Get off me! This isn't why I came here!" Renee fought back, driving her knee into Leon's groin. Unlike Carl, Leon wasn't trained for combat, and he couldn't dodge in time. His face contorted in pain as he shoved her away violently."You little bitch!" he spat through gritted teeth.Renee stumbled backward, hitting a table and falling to the floor. Shaking, she grabbed a broken wine glass shard, pointing it at Leon."Stay back! Or you'll regret it!"Leon, clutching his injured groin, sneered through clenched teeth. “Regret it? And what are you going to do