Chapter 106
‘Just a plaything,‘ Zina thought with utter disdain.
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Zina turned her head and met Kellan’s gaze; he looked like he was just waiting for the drama to unfold, with something unreadable flickering in his eyes.
“It’s no big deal. Just a small favor,” she said casually.
“It’s a men’s watch,” Kellan said, his tone noticeably heavier.
Zina looked up, her voice just as nonchalant. “So what?”
“Who are you giving it to?” he pressed.
Seeing that Kellan was determined to get to the bottom of it, Zina just brushed him off. “A family member.”
Finally, Kellan went quiet and sat back down in his seat, saying nothing more.
But after a few seconds, Zina’s voice broke the silence.
“So, what were you up to just now? I don’t see anyone here worth you making a personal appearance for,” she teased.
Zina looked at him with those sly, charming eyes, watching him expectantly.
Kellan answered without thinking, “Just a friend.”
Seeing Zina just nod without saying anything, he knew she didn’t buy it. He could only sigh in resignation.
“There’s going to be some real drama tonight. Just wait and see,” Kellan said.
“Oh? What kind of drama?” Zina asked, her curiosity instantly hooked. But Kellan just kept his lips sealed, refusing to give anything away.
All Zina could do was sit there, her mind running wild with guesses.
Just when she was already feeling restless and irritable, Rosie fluttered over like a showy butterfly, making Zina even more annoyed.
“Zina, why are you sitting here all by yourself? Is it because you haven’t been to an event like this in ages? Maybe you don’t recognize anyone here anymore?
“If you really want to fit in, you could always ask me for help. Maybe I could introduce you to a few people,” Rosie said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.
“Oh, and did you know? There are some pretty well–known designers at the jewelry show today. And what a coincidence. One of my pieces is on display.
“You should take a good look at it. If you spot any flaws, feel free to point them out. But honestly, a few of the
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Chapter 106
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top experts have already said my design is quite impressive,” she added, practically glowing with pride.
Rosie leaned in closer to Zina, a smug smile plastered on her face.
Seeing Zina looking so down and out made Rosie feel a wicked sense of satisfaction.
After swallowing her pride for so long, Rosie finally got to see Zina at her lowest. There was no way she was going to let this golden opportunity slip by.
Tonight, Rosie was determined to get her revenge for everything.
Rosie lifted her chin even higher, waiting for the moment when Zina would have to come begging to her. But a whole minute went by, and Zina didn’t even react.
Rosie was stunned, her eyes going wide. Only then did she notice that Zina had been messing with her phone the entire time, not paying attention to her at all.
Rosie’s face flushed bright red, and she could only retort viciously. “Whatever, keep acting. Let’s see how long you can keep it up,” she scoffed.
“Hey, you heard that, right? Tsk, the girl you’ve got your eye on isn’t all that special. Just take her away already. Don’t waste my time,” Zina said.
Zina stood up, stretched lazily, and glanced unhurriedly at the spot behind Rosie, looking completely at ease.
Rosie instinctively turned around, and her face instantly went pale. “Kyle, when did you get here?” she asked, her voice trembling a little.
Kyle’s expression was dark and impossible to read.
But when he met Rosie, who was trying to act calm, but the panic in her eyes was obvious, he felt another wave of irritation rise up inside him.
He realized he’d been wrong about her from the very beginning.
Kyle’s eyes couldn’t help but drift to Zina. She looked so unbothered, as if nothing could faze her, yet every little movement she made was somehow so alluring.
Kyle pressed his lips together and tugged at his tie a couple of times, trying to tamp down the restlessness
inside him.
“Kyle, why won’t you say anything?” Rosie’s voice trembled, panic and desperation clear as she called out to
him.
In her fluster, she reached out, trying to tug at Kyle’s sleeve for comfort, but he simply turned away, dodging
her touch.
“It’s nothing. Why are you just standing here? Come on, let’s head back,” he replied, his tone flat and distant.
“Okay, I’m coming,” Rosie mumbled, her voice small. She forced a delicate, pitiful smile but this time, Kyle didn’t spare her a single glance.
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Chapter 106
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Left with no choice, Rosie stomped her foot in frustration and hurried after him, her face burning with humiliation.
Now that the annoying people were finally gone, Zina felt much lighter. But as she turned, she caught Kellan right beside her, one eyebrow raised as he watched her with interest.
“Have you been eavesdropping on me this whole time?” Zina asked, a teasing glint in her eyes.
“I was here the whole time. How could that be eavesdropping?” Kellan shot back, a playful smile on his lips. “But you know, you really are something. You’re just the kind of woman I’d want as my wife.”
On the surface, Kellan kept smiling at her, but his fingers suddenly tightened around his wine glass, tension flickering through his whole body.
Zina gave a small smile. “Guess that makes us pretty good partners. At least we both know how to read people.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Kellan replied. He lifted his glass and finished his drink in one go.
That familiar, indifferent smile returned to his face as he glanced down at his watch. “Alright, looks like the show’s about to start,” he drawled.
Zina blinked, still trying to process what Kellan meant, when suddenly, a woman came crashing through the doors.
“Someone here stole my designs. She tried to use her powerful family to force me to give in, but I refused,” the woman screamed, her voice hoarse and full of desperation.
Her clothes were in tatters, streaked with dirt, as if she’d just scrambled over a wall and torn them to shreds. She looked wild, almost crazed.
The instant she stormed in, all the elegant ladies and business types froze mid–conversation. Every head in the room snapped toward the entrance, all eyes locked on her.
Amid all the stunned faces, a hint of panic flickered in a few people’s eyes.
Ignoring the stares, the woman pulled a carefully protected piece of cloth from inside her jacket, a blood- stained letter,
On the white canvas, in shocking red, were the words: [Give me back my hard work. Plagiarism is shameful.]
The blood–red writing on the white fabric was blindingly vivid, and paired with the woman’s ragged state, it made for the most jarring and unforgettable scene of the entire jewelry show.
The entire room was silent. After a few minutes, someone finally stepped forward.
The newcomer was dressed in luxurious attire, but showed none of the arrogance typical of the elite. Instead, they approached the woman with a look of genuine concern.
“I’m the organizer of this jewelry exhibition. You barged in and interrupted my plans and arrangements with
your accusations.
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Chapter 106
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top experts have already said my design is quite impressive,” she added, practically glowing with pride.
Rosie leaned in closer to Zina, a smug smile plastered on her face.
Seeing Zina looking so down and out made Rosie feel a wicked sense of satisfaction.
After swallowing her pride for so long, Rosie finally got to see Zina at her lowest. There was no way she was going to let this golden opportunity slip by.
Tonight, Rosie was determined to get her revenge for everything.
Rosie lifted her chin even higher, waiting for the moment when Zina would have to come begging to her. But a whole minute went by, and Zina didn’t even react.
Rosie was stunned, her eyes going wide. Only then did she notice that Zina had been messing with her phone the entire time, not paying attention to her at all.
Rosie’s face flushed bright red, and she could only retort viciously. “Whatever, keep acting. Let’s see how long you can keep it up,” she scoffed.
“Hey, you heard that, right? Tsk, the girl you’ve got your eye on isn’t all that special. Just take her away already. Don’t waste my time,” Zina said.
Zina stood up, stretched lazily, and glanced unhurriedly at the spot behind Rosie, looking completely at ease.
Rosie instinctively turned around, and her face instantly went pale. “Kyle, when did you get here?” she asked, her voice trembling a little.
Kyle’s expression was dark and impossible to read.
But when he met Rosie, who was trying to act calm, but the panic in her eyes was obvious, he felt another wave of irritation rise up inside him.
He realized he’d been wrong about her from the very beginning.
Kyle’s eyes couldn’t help but drift to Zina. She looked so unbothered, as if nothing could faze her, yet every little movement she made was somehow so alluring.
Kyle pressed his lips together and tugged at his tie a couple of times, trying to tamp down the restlessness inside him.
“Kyle, why won’t you say anything?” Rosie’s voice trembled, panic and desperation clear as she called out to
him.
In her fluster, she reached out, trying to tug at Kyle’s sleeve for comfort, but he simply turned away, dodging
her touch.
“It’s nothing. Why are you just standing here? Come on, let’s head back,” he replied, his tone flat and distant.
“Okay, I’m coming,” Rosie mumbled, her voice small. She forced a delicate, pitiful smile but this time, Kyle didn’t spare her a single glance.
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The way Seth was putting on airs pissed Louis off. Thinking of the scene of being thrown out last time, he gritted his teeth, turned around, and left with Andrea.
Before leaving, he said fiercely, “You just wait!”
After the two went out, Andrea looked very bad. “Louis, why did Seth have such a big reaction after meeting Mr. Dorsey? And I feel that all this must be related to Kaia.”
“I think so, too.” The more Louis thought about it, the more he couldn’t understand. “Damn it! Why is Conrad protecting Kaia so much?”
Andrea suddenly thought of something and looked terrified. “Were those people who came to pick up Kaia on the day of our engagement sent by Conrad?”
Conrad had not yet married and was still one of the top figures in Morganburg. If Kaia really got on this bandwagon, she would not be kept as a mistress.
Andrea thought to herself, ‘No way! Kaia is with Conrad? Oh my god!‘
“That’s impossible,” Louis immediately denied.
“How so?” Andrea quickly asked.
Louis sounded certain. “Conrad’s car isn’t a Maybach. I’m sure of it.”
Hearing Louis say that, Andrea immediately felt relieved.
She thought, ‘All will be fine as long as it isn’t Conrad.
‘But even if it was, so what? Kaia has already been kicked out of the Bennett family. Even if Ruth and Lincoln regretted it, they wouldn’t make themselves a joke and apologize to Kaia.
‘Besides, Ruth and Lincoln also know Kaia’s personality. Even if they apologized, Kaia wouldn’t pay them any
attention.’
“What is the relationship between Kaia and Conrad?” Andrea said with a frown.
“I must investigate it thoroughly,” Louis was determined.
Regardless of anything else, Kaia was his former fiancée, and he personally called off the engagement. If Kaia was far more outstanding than she was letting on, what would happen to his reputation? How would he face
himself?
*****
After Seth left, Scott couldn’t help but ask Kaia, “Kaia, why didn’t you just fire him? Why did you give him
another chance?”
Kaia explained, “I asked Conrad, and he said that this finance director is quite capable. Besides, after this lesson that he heard hard, he won’t dare to make the same mistake again.
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Left with no choice, Rosie stomped her foot in frustration and hurried after him, her face burning with humiliation.
Now that the annoying people were finally gone, Zina felt much lighter. But as she turned, she caught Kellan right beside her, one eyebrow raised as he watched her with interest.
“Have you been eavesdropping on me this whole time?” Zina asked, a teasing glint in her eyes.
“I was here the whole time. How could that be eavesdropping?” Kellan shot back, a playful smile on his lips. “But you know, you really are something. You’re just the kind of woman I’d want as my wife.”
On the surface, Kellan kept smiling at her, but his fingers suddenly tightened around his wine glass, tension. flickering through his whole body.
Zina gave a small smile. “Guess that makes us pretty good partners. At least we both know how to read people.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Kellan replied. He lifted his glass and finished his drink in one go.
That familiar, indifferent smile returned to his face as he glanced down at his watch. “Alright, looks like the show’s about to start,” he drawled.
Zina blinked, still trying to process what Kellan meant, when suddenly, a woman came crashing through the doors.
“Someone here stole my designs. She tried to use her powerful family to force me to give in, but I refused,” the woman screamed, her voice hoarse and full of desperation.
Her clothes were in tatters, streaked with dirt, as if she’d just scrambled over a wall and torn them to shreds. She looked wild, almost crazed.
The instant she stormed in, all the elegant ladies and business types froze mid–conversation. Every head in the room snapped toward the entrance, all eyes locked on her.
Amid all the stunned faces, a hint of panic flickered in a few people’s eyes.
Ignoring the stares, the woman pulled a carefully protected piece of cloth from inside her jacket, a blood- stained letter.
On the white canvas, in shocking red, were the words: [Give me back my hard work. Plagiarism is shameful.]
The blood–red writing on the white fabric was blindingly vivid, and paired with the woman’s ragged state, it made for the most jarring and unforgettable scene of the entire jewelry show.
The entire room was silent. After a few minutes, someone finally stepped forward.
The newcomer was dressed in luxurious attire, but showed none of the arrogance typical of the elite. Instead, they approached the woman with a look of genuine concern.
“I’m the organizer of this jewelry exhibition. You barged in and interrupted my plans and arrangements with
your accusations.
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Chapter 106
:
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“Instead of hiring a new employee and teaching him slowly, it’s better to let the old employee stay in his position.”
Scott suddenly understood, giving a thumbs–up. “Kaia, you’re really awesome.”
Kaia was amused by Scott’s look. “There’s nothing awesome about it. It’s just a trivial trick. Okay, I’ll have Conrad teach you well later.”
“Thank you, Kaia.” Scott felt that having such a sister was the luckiest thing in his life.
At that moment, Kaia received a message notification.
Unsurprisingly, it was from Tobias.
[When will the banquet end? I’ll go pick you up.]
“Kaia. Tobias is really good to you. He’s so sweet and thoughtful,” Scott teased.
Kaia rolled her eyes and said, “If he heard you say that, he’d be over the moon.”
Scott smiled mischievously.
“Alright, it’s getting late. I have to go. I have work tomorrow.” Kaia stood up as she spoke.
Scott was curious and asked, “Kaia, I heard Mr. Dorsey say that you’re at K&B for at most five days out of the year. You said you had work, so where are you going to work?”
Kaia smiled mysteriously at Scott. “I’ll tell you later.”
From Kaia’s words, Scott gathered that Kaia had a big secret.
It made him even more eager to know.
He wondered, ‘What secret could be more mysterious than the chairwoman of K&B?
Gosh, I’m dying to know!”
A week passed.
The class group in Kaia’s phone was unusually active during the summer vacation.
[School is about to start, and we’ll all be going our separate ways. I heard that the old class teacher cried his eyes out on graduation day. I was thinking, why don’t we pick a day, book a restaurant, and say a proper goodbye to him?]
[I agree with this proposal. Let’s invite the other teachers as well.)
[I agree.]
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“Show me your evidence, and I’ll take over from here. But if you’re here just to cause trouble, I won’t show any mercy.”
Their sharp gaze fell on the woman, who instinctively swallowed hard.
But as her eyes dropped to her hands, scraped and raw from climbing over the wall, her heart steeled itself once again. She was determined to defend her work.
“Please, help me. I just want back what belongs to me. Plagiarism is shameful. No one should be allowed to claim credit for someone else’s achievements,” she said.
Her voice rang out with a determination so heavy it felt like it hit the floor with a thud, every word landing with undeniable weight.
“We get to the bottom of this,” someone spoke up.
“Count me in,” another agreed.
“Same here,” a third echoed.
There were plenty of jewelry designers present, and most had either seen things like this before or even experienced it themselves.
So when someone finally had the guts to stand up and speak out, they were more than willing to give her a
chance.
As these voices of support spread through the hall, the organizer finally smiled, “Alright. Come here and show
deserve.” us which pieces are yours. If what you say checks out, I promise you’ll get the justice you
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11:41 Sun, Sep 7
Chapter 106
[Count me in.]
[Me too.]
[Since everyone agrees, let’s do that. What about the place?]
[Casey should decide.]
While everyone was chatting happily, Lucy sent a message to Kaia.
[Kaia, are you going to the dinner party?]
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