“Let’s go.” Audrey got into the car at once.
As the car left the hospital, Brooke asked, “Didn’t what Clayton just did move you at all
Audrey replied coolly. “He needs to snap out of it
Valorie ran after Clayton and saw him struggling in waist–deep water. Standing on the shore, she cried, “Clayton, if you don’t want to marry me, then we won’t. Just stop doing this to yourself”
Her shouting drew a crowd of curious onlookers. The artificial lake wasn’t deep, but the murky water made it impossible to find the bracelet once it sank
bottom.
The foul stench churned Clayton’s stomach, while Valerie stood on the shore, spouting nonsense and putting on a show for the crowd.
Clayton rarely lost his temper with her, but this time he couldn’t hold back. “Either get in here and help me look, or shut up,” he snapped.
Valerie raised her hands pitifully. “The doctor said my hands can’t touch water.”
“Then shut up,” he barked, his patience completely gone.
Just then, his phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket, only to find it soaked and unresponsive.
The call was from Emilia, but no matter how he swiped, he couldn’t answer it. Frustrated, he shook the phone a couple of times, but it shut off
completely
Worried it might be something urgent from the law firm, Clayton gave up on the bracelet and waded back to share.
“Where’s your phone?” Clayton demanded, holding out his hand as soon as he reached Valerie.
A flicker of panic crossed Valerie’s face. “I left it at your place,” she stammered.
Without another word, Clayton turned and walked away, with Valerie trailing closely behind him.
Lillian noticed her son’s pants were soaked and immediately got out of bed. “What happened to you? How did you end up like this?
“I lost my footing and fell into the artificial lake, Mom, can I borrow your p
phone for a moment?” said Clayton.
Lillian quickly retrieved her phone from the drawer and handed it to Clayton. Then, her gaze shifted to Valerie, the warmth in her eyes replaced by cold
indifference.
With a single glance, Lillian signaled the servant to close the hospital room door and stand guard outside. “Valerie, you’ve always been a good and sensible girl, but today, you crossed the line.”
Valerie lowered her head, nervously twisting her fingers, presenting an image of meek submission, as if she would endure any scolding without
“You said it yourself. Last night, Clayton was drunk, which led to his mistakes.” Lillian studied Valerie’s docile demeanor, thinking Valerie was far easier to handle than Audrey, who was always so headstrong. “Clayton is nine years younger than Wyatt. We spoiled him. He’s just not the man for you.”
Valere lifted her head, her eyes red and watery. She bit her lip hard, her face pale, before lowering her head again.
Litian continued, “Don’t worry. When you are about to marry, I will prepare a generous eff for you. I promise you won’t be wronged.”
Meanwhile, Clayton fighed his phone call
It was unclear whether he hadn’t heard his mother’s words or simply agreed with her sentiments. Either way, he didn’t respond to the conversation.
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Instead, he said, “I have work at the firm. 11 take care of
Wahout sparing Valerie a glance, Clayton walked out of the hospital room.
Valerie stared at his retreating figure, her gare turning sharp and cold, a flicker of malice flashing through her eyes.
“Wright, go back and rest. If there’s anything in the future, we’ll discuss it behind closed doors. Don’t make a scene like this again.” Lillian turned over on the hospital bed and closed her eyes.
The moment Valerie stepped back into the ward, the woman in the neighboring bed handed her a phone. “take a look. My husband filmed this. Is that
Valerie played the video, a sly grin spreading across her face. Dragging Clayton to the side to get a clear shot of his face had been totally worth it.
He had said that he was going to marry Valerie. Let him try to dry it now. I’d like to see if he even dares, she wondered.
“Not bad.” Valerie said, her smile deepening with satisfaction. The money Clayton gave her never lasted long, and now that she needed funds, her bank account balance was less than 300 dollars.
“Let me log into my account using your phone for a moment,” she said.
She logged into a second–hand trading platform website and listed a pair of shoes she had bought for 6 thousand dollars. By the afternoon, they were sold for 3 thousand dollars.
Valerie slipped the woman in the next bed 200 dollars as a thank you. With the remaining money, she hired several prominent bloggers to help spread
Clayton went home, changed into a fresh outfit, and rushed to the law firm. Emilia handed him an electronic invitation.
Malcolm, who had recently taken over the Ironhaven branch, was hosting a gathering for top legal professionals in the industry. Leaders from regulatory authorities were also expected to attend. Samson would be there as well.
“Mr. William arrived in Ironhaven yesterday.” Emilia said. She had heard that Stride Commerce’s newly hired legal advisor was from Samson Legal “There’s talk that you’ve had a falling out with him. Maybe this is your chance to clear the air.
If Clayton could dispel the rumors and leverage the title of Samson’s star student, it would be a significant boost for Blackthom Legal during these challenging times
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Clayton replied, feeling a subtle sense of relief. His steps toward the office became noticeably lighter.
He powered up his laptop, ready to accept the invitation, and instinctively picked up the phone to make a call The line buzzed with a busy tone.
oze for a moment before realizing that Audrey hadn’t just blocked his personal number; she had even blacklisted the firm’s line.
Clayton froze
Clayton had called Audrey out of habit, intending to ask her to help him prepare an outfit for the event
Leaning back in his chair, Clayton rubbed his temples, frustration evident in his expression.
Emilia stood at the door, tapping lightly. Clayton shriveled his chair to face her, “What’s up?”
“I’m heading out to rent a suit. Want me to grab one–she offered casually ‘For you while I’m at it?‘ she added inwardly.
“No noad” Clayton waved her off. Just then, the sound of an email notification chimed from his laptop.
Turning back to his desk, Clayton began sorting through his inbox Emilia quietly closed the door behind her as she left.
The emails included client complaints and directives from higher authorities, but there was no sign of an invitation from Malcolm.
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Unwilling to accept at Clayton combed through his inbox again. He was sure he didn’t rec
eit. His fists clenched, and his gare turned icy
““Even Enila, my asustant, baxreceived an Invitation. There’s no way, as the head of the firm, wouldn’t have one, he wondered Maybe, it has been went to the firm’s official email instead
Logging into the firm’s account, Clayton even sifted through the spam folder, but the result was the same no invitation
by Malcolm really holding a grudge just because I scratched Audrey’s carl he thought.
After finishing her lesson with Ivan, Audrey wat invited by Brooke to stay for dinner. “No, I’ve got other plans. If nothing special comes up tomorrow, let’s stick to today’s schedule for the lesson”
“Alright.” Nan walked Audrey to the gate.
Audrey noticed Ivan seemed a bit down all afternoon. When she asked him why, he wouldn’t say.
As Audrey was about to leave the neighborhood, she got a call from Yann
“Head east from the gate,” Vann said, then added, “Turn right.” For someone with no sense of direction, one really had to stick to left and right.
Audrey Instinctively glanced behind her and asked, confused, “How do you even know where I am?”
“Greendie House. I’m nearby for some business,” he said.
Audrey couldn’t help but feel skeptical. Still, she quickened her pace toward the neighborhood exit. Sure enough, she spotted a black Maybach parked to the right of the gate.
Before she could get closer, Calvin had already stepped out of the car and opened the door for her. “Ms. Henderson, please.”
“Thanks” Audrey got into the car, catching a faint whiff of a crisp aftershave. She turned to look at Yann.
Yann was dressed in a sharp, tailored suit. The jacket’s buttons were undone, revealing a perfectly pressed white shirt underneath.
“Wow, all dressed up, but no tie? What’s the occasion?” Audrey asked with a smile
Yann’s gaze flicked briefly to her forehead, but he didn’t say a word!
day!‘ she wondered.
Audrey’s heart gave an inexplicable flutter. “Could it be that he ditched the tie because the tie clip scratched my forehead that day!”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
