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
As Renee recognized the familiar presence, she began to struggle.But the arm around her waist only tightened, pulling her firmly against his chest until her entire back burned with his heat.She could feel every rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.Each breath filled her with an inexplicable fear.Suddenly, his commanding voice whispered in her ear: "Who said you could come alone? Did you really think you could walk out of here?"Renee pulled at the arm around her waist, protesting, "Uncle Carl, since when did you become such a control freak? Let me go!"Behind her, his breathing deepened, but he didn't argue.In the next moment, he released her. She tried to run but wasn't fast enough.He grabbed her and tossed her onto the couch.Before she could react, he pinned her down.Under his crisp suit, every muscle in his body was taut and hard, pressing down on her until she could barely breathe.His warm breaths fell on her face, making her skin burn.She tried to push h
As he spoke, he glanced at Renee, his words full of threat.Carl placed the soup bowl in front of Renee, wiped his hands with a warm towel, and finally turned to Leon."You're right, Mr. Clark. A hungry man might do anything, but eating the wrong thing can be deadly."Leon's face darkened, understanding that Carl wouldn't let him have his way.Not wanting to clash with Carl directly, he backed down."Thank you for the advice, Mr. Grey. I'll leave you two to your meal."With that, he left the private room.Renee let out a relieved breath, clutching her spoon as she snuck a glance at Carl."Uncle Carl, why are you here?""Was in the area for dinner," Carl replied expressionlessly.Renee noticed two place settings on the table, realizing he must have been meeting someone.She put down her silverware and stood quickly. "I won't intrude on your dinner. I'll ask the server for fresh settings."Carl frowned, clearly displeased.At that moment, Renee started removing his jacket.