Travis approached Renee, looking worn down, with a voice that held a familiar hint of wounded pride.“Renee, are you laughing at me too? In the end, he still one step ahead.”“Mr. Grey, do you have some kind of persecution complex?” Renee shot back coolly.Travis looked stunned. “What… what did you just call me?”“I said, Mr. Grey.” Renee repeated, unfazed.“Renee, don’t be like this. Earlier, I just…”“Just saw the scarf I was wearing and wanted to use it as a way to undermine Uncle Carl, right?” Renee interrupted. “Please stop saying you have feelings for me. I can’t stand it.”She turned to leave, but Travis’s expression darkened, and he reached out, gripping her wrist to stop her.“Renee, don’t talk to me like that. You know how I feel about you.”Renee tried to pull away, but he held on tighter. With other guests milling around them, any scene they caused would only stir up gossip. After all, Carl was Travis’s uncle, and Travis had already confessed his twisted feelings t
"Let's talk inside.""No need. We have nothing to discuss," Renee said firmly, staring at him.Carl flicked his cigarette, and with slow steps, his figure became clearer, though he remained partially in shadow.He stood at the edge of light and dark, the contrast emphasizing his striking features, devastatingly handsome. When he looked up, his eyes were deep and predatory, like a beast ready to pounce on its prey.Despite her resolve, Renee couldn't help but swallow under his intense gaze.Carl checked his watch: "Your neighbor will be home from work in a few minutes. Are you sure you want to discuss our business here?""How do you know that?" Renee asked, surprised."I know what I want to know," Carl replied coolly.Just then, the elevator started descending - someone had called it from below. Renee's heart jumped.Her next-door neighbor, a female executive, usually worked late and came home around this time.They rarely interacted beyond occasional morning greetings.The o
Renee's neck stung - Carl's bite was harsh this time, as if punishing her.She didn't dare make a sound, breathing deeply and clenching her fists against the pain.Carl uncurled her fist, interlacing their fingers as his bite softened to gentle nibbles.She froze for several seconds until her neighbor's knocking snapped her back to reality."Let go," she struggled."The scarf.""I threw it away.""Renee, you know what happens when you lie to me."Carl's voice was low against her ear, carrying an undeniable authority."It's in my bag," Renee whispered.Caught in her lie, her neck flushed pink, making the love bite stand out even more. She lowered her lashes and bit her lip, unconsciously alluring.She squirmed uncomfortably, but Carl held her waist firmly."Don't move."His breathing was heavy against her ear, his tense muscles making her afraid to move.Moments later, she felt warmth around her neck.Carl rewrapped the scarf around her neck before slowly releasing her.
With solid evidence of Leon's frame-up now public, Wendy and Annie's suspicious activities suddenly made perfect sense.Renee's social media was flooded with supportive comments."Girl, I heard you and Wendy were close friends - she really stabbed you in the back! Stay away from her.""Looking at the timeline, the jewel switch couldn't have happened without someone working from the inside. Be careful!"“Renee, I've wanted to warn you - Wendy often meets Annie in private. Watch out."Reading these comments, Renee almost laughed out loud."So amused?" Carl asked softly, setting down his teacup.Renee quickly suppressed her smile, having forgotten he was there. He was so protective of Annie, he might think she was behind all this."Uncle Carl, if you think I'm falsely accusing Annie, feel free to investigate yourself. Wouldn't want your fiancée to suffer unfairly.""..."Carl frowned, rubbing his temples.Not noticing his expression, Renee continued scrolling through her phone,
The butler looked at Michael questioningly."Didn't we just remove the surveillance on her? She hasn't tried to trap Carl with pregnancy or seduce him.""Carl is my son. I know when he's lying."The butler nodded quickly, then hesitated: "At today's Clark celebration, there were some rumors. People saw Travis and Renee in a heated exchange."Michael scoffed: "I disliked her from the first time she came to our house. Sure enough, she's a troublemaker.”The butler leaned in and whispered: "If Renee..."Michael's eyes narrowed cruelly: "Do as I instructed before.""Yes, sir."...The next morning, Renee woke up confused.How did she end up in bed?Before she could think it through, she noticed the time and rushed to shower, running late.In the shower, the bite mark on her neck still stung, the teeth marks clearly visible.At least it was almost winter - turtlenecks wouldn't look out of place.But when she opened her closet, she froze.Carl!He'd taken all her turtlenecks
"What? Do you still think Annie will help you? Wendy, let me tell you something - you actually had a chance to escape yesterday.""What... what do you mean?" Wendy grabbed Renee's arm, shaking it violently.Renee yanked her arm free and said coldly: "First chance - I refused to give you the key card, but you were so eager for a shortcut that you stole it.""Second chance - Annie was right in front of me and didn't even notice you were gone. If she cared about you at all, she would've noticed something was wrong. She had plenty of time to stop you.""Third chance - the room I booked wasn't isolated. There were guests on both sides. One scream would have brought help, but you stayed quiet because you didn't want them to discover you weren't me.""Wendy, haven't you brought this all on yourself?"Hearing this, Wendy's bloodshot eyes turned lifeless. She collapsed to her knees like a fallen leaf.Renee turned away.Behind her, Wendy choked out bitterly: "I really thought we were th
When Renee entered the office, Annie wasn't there.Her colleagues were huddled together, discussing something.Seeing Renee, they waved her over: "Renee, that was brilliant how you turned the tables at the banquet.""Yeah, finally saw Wendy's true colors. I feel stupid for pitying her and buying her meals before.""And get this - the Rockefeller just announced they're terminating their partnership with Clark Corp due to their misconduct."Terminating the partnership?Renee froze, reaching for her phone to check the news when Susanne called.She stepped away from her colleagues to answer."Mom.""Renee, thank goodness we listened to you and didn't invest in Clark Corp's deal. You won't believe it - all the investors' money is locked up! Clark Corp is in chaos! They can't even manage their cash flow, and that celebration alone cost them over ten million!"Susanne sounded almost gleeful."Ten million? How?""They hired celebrities to perform, but with Wendy's scandal, the show
Hearing this, Richard's expression softened slightly."Why hasn't Nancy contacted you yet?""Don't worry, I have a way to make her come to me," Annie assured him.Richard looked at her and sighed: "Annie, don't blame me for being harsh. The Simmons fortune will be yours eventually. It'll give you status when you marry Carl, won't it?"Annie recognized her father's tactic - a slap followed by candy.But she needed family wealth to marry Carl with dignity."I understand.""Have your mother help you cover up, then go to work this afternoon. Don't let people think you're hiding out of guilt," Richard ordered."Yes."Annie nodded, not daring to defy her father.After Richard left, Yvette brought high-coverage foundation and did her makeup carefully.Yvette sighed softly, warning: "Annie, the family's lost a lot of money. You must hold onto Carl. Don't let anyone get between you.""I know! Stop nagging!"Annie's face turned cold. If it weren't for Renee, how could she have ended