Melanie gave me a smug look as I stared at Matthew in disbelief. "He's telling you to get lost. You and that stupid child better stay the fuck away from us!"I glared at Matthew and turned toward the door. “Chloe!" He called out, but I ignored him and left.The crowd outside the office quickly dispersed as I approached my car.I swallowed dryly as I gripped the steering wheel with shaky hands. I had never imagined Matthew could be such a jerk. It was clear that meeting them would always result in humiliation.My phone kept ringing, but I didn’t pick up. I only answered the call after a while, and a gentle voice came through, "Why didn't you pick up?"I broke down in tears."What's the matter?" Atlas sounded anxious. "Where are you?"I wiped my tears and told him about what happened. He said, "Come back. Let's have lunch together.""Okay." I started my car and left.During lunch, Atlas handed me a slip of paper. "Contact this guy. He’ll take care of it."Then he stared at me

Matthew looked on as we left together. In just two days, I completed all the paperwork and enrolled Ava in Sunnydale Kindergarten. Initially, I assumed it was a given since we lived in the neighborhood.However, as I checked out Ava's classroom, I overheard two teachers chatting. "Wasn't the kindergarten full? How did she manage to get in?""Do you know who made the request?""Who?" The plump Ms. Marigold asked her colleague. The colleague whispered her reply, and Ms. Marigold dropped her jaw. Her response puzzled me. Was there something unusual about Atlas's arrangement? I didn't dwell on it because what mattered was that Ava got in.That night, Ava told me, "Mommy, the teacher at school was nice to me. She gave me extra food and didn't let the other kids take my toys. She even said I was the prettiest girl in the class!""Really? What did she teach you?" Seeing her enthusiasm relieved me. After all, who wouldn't enjoy some special treatment? Nonetheless, I wondered who had

"What did you just say, Matthew?" When I saw her face, I felt angry. "Both of you, get out of my office! I have work to do."Ryan rushed in, holding a stack of documents. He frowned when he saw them.Carol quickly gestured for them to leave. "It's time to leave, Mr. Matthew."Seeing that I wasn’t alone, Matthew strode away. Melanie shot me a glare. "Are you trying to seduce him again? Can't you live without a man, you fucking whore?"I grabbed the registration form, tore it into pieces, and threw it at Melanie's feet. "Keep a leash on your man. Don't let him come here again."Melanie grew infuriated. "How dare you?"I said calmly, "You should leave now. We're having a meeting."Then, I turned my attention to Ryan. "What do you have for me?”Ryan approached and handed me the documents. I glanced at them and saw two contracts for the new development at Heartland Estates.I was surprised. "We got it?"Ryan smiled. "Grayson did.""That's great! I've always liked this develop

Ava shouted, "Mommy, no phone calls at the dining table. Grandma says we aren't supposed to talk so much while eating."I giggled and quickly put down my phone. I kissed her and said, "You're right. Let's eat."Atlas's call had put my mind at ease. I was sure he had a plan in place. The next day, Grayson walked into my office holding a large bag. "Ms. Chloe, your gown."I didn’t think Atlas was being serious. Grayson placed the bag on the coffee table and left. Curious, I hurried over to inspect its contents. I pulled out a box and inside was a stunning white gown with exquisite jewels.It was the kind of dress that reminded me of something Snow White might wear. I was eager to put it on immediately. Matthew had never bought me any nice clothing, let alone a gown. I had never attended important events before and was unaware of the dress code.I called Ivanna to tell her about the party. She agreed to pick up Ava and even arranged for a makeup artist for me. Ivanna was a great

However, before we reached Atticus, I spotted Maddox talking to an older man. I squeezed Ryan's arm and said, "That man is Maddox O'Connell. Let me say hi to him first."I went over to him with a smile, and he recognized me immediately. "Good evening, Ms. Chloe.""It’s a pleasure to see you again, sir." I maintained a respectful demeanor. "I haven't had the chance to thank you for what you did that evening."Calling him “sir” instead of Mr. Maddox was a deliberate move on my part."Don't mention it," he replied. "Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Mercer Cole."Only then did I realize the person he was speaking to was Atticus's father."Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Chloe from Tanum Corporation.”Mercer gave Maddox a puzzled look, surprised that he’d introduce someone like me to him. However, he soon laughed. "Oh, Tanum Corporation? You're that young lady who founded it, huh?"I smiled. "I'm surprised that you’ve heard of us. We’re nobodies here."Mercer seemed to be in his 60s, bu

Liora glanced at me smilingly. "It's a pleasure! I finally have the honor of meeting you, Ms. Chloe. I heard you’re virtuous and exemplary. I have a lot to learn from you.”Although she sounded polite, her words had an underlying awkwardness. I was puzzled but knew she was far from friendly.“You’re too kind, Mrs. Liora. I’ll have to rely on your support in the future,” I replied cautiously. I didn’t need to offend her since it was her family’s event. It was wise to keep a low profile.Liora sneered, “Ms. Chloe, you’re being too modest. Who am I to support you? You’re a model for all of us. Please feel at ease here. Everyone is upright and respectable. You don’t have to worry about anyone harassing you.”Immediately after, she turned and left arrogantly.I blushed when I noticed people looking at me. It was apparent Liora referred to the other night’s incident. Several of her female friends glanced sidelong at me before following her.At some point, Lauren appeared beside me, say

Seeing Stella and Liora standing side by side gave me a bad feeling. Meanwhile, the two men beside them chatted and laughed like close friends instead of rivals.Just then, Stella smiled and raised her glass toward me. Loira also looked toward me, but she looked proud yet indifferent.I scoffed and whispered to Lauren, “Thank goodness this is her family’s event. Otherwise, things would have gotten ugly. You were right when you said she holds grudges.”Lauren sighed, “That’s because it was hard for the Thompsons to get involved in the Coles’ business. They’ve been planning this for years. Although Atticus was cautious, Loira had some tricks up her sleeve. Then, Keegan eventually entered the company.“However, Atticus finally removed Keegan thanks to your actions. It wouldn’t be right if Loira weren’t mad at you.”“I guess I can buy a lottery ticket just using my instincts,” I joked, then chuckled self-deprecatingly."You're laughing about it?" Lauren rolled her eyes at me. "You sh

My heart sank, wondering if Matthew was bluffing. He was so despicable that it frustrated me further. Just then, Stella approached with an eager smile and said, “Chloe! I finally get to talk to you. What are you doing here?”She glanced at Matthew and then at the drink he had handed me. She looked embarrassed and said, "Did I interrupt you two?"When Matthew stepped forward, someone bumped into him and apologized. However, Matthew didn’t mind and focused on me. He grinned, saying, “It’s nothing. We were just discussing something that concerned you, Ms. Stella.”The man who had accidentally bumped into Matthew passed by again and patted him on the back, saying, "Sorry!"Matthew was annoyed and glared at the man before returning his attention to Stella."Me?" Stella looked surprised and asked, "What does this have to do with me?""Matthew, what are you trying to say?" I asked coldly, feeling uneasy. I knew he was up to something."You should ask Chlo. Right, honey?" Matthew's smug

I felt exposed and couldn’t understand why Matthew acted so boldly. He wouldn’t be this relentless if he didn’t have leverage. I knew him well and had experienced his deceit.Nonetheless, I was even more shocked that Atlas seemed to care little about my dignity. I looked at him disapprovingly and uttered one word, “Shameless!”I directed it toward Atlas and Matthew. Immediately after, I turned away to escape the chaos."Stop right there! Don't you want to see it too?" Matthew continued to taunt me. He smirked and continued, "It won’t be entertaining if you leave."Stella took my arm to seemingly diffuse the situation. She smiled and said, "Chloe, this is all my fault. I didn’t know you two were talking and disrupted your conversation."I glanced at her hand gripping my arm and knew she didn’t want me to leave. She didn’t want to resolve the situation—instead, she wanted to worsen it.Loira emerged from the crowd to look at us with curiosity and annoyance. She glanced at Stella, t

I faltered when I realized what had happened. Still, I sighed and left Echelon Towers.Since I came here in Ryan’s car and didn’t want Atticus’s man to take me home, I took a cab. I told Ryan to stay behind because many high-profile figures from the real estate industry were there.I knew the event wasn’t just a congratulatory gathering. It was also an opportunity for Ryan to network with these people. Furthermore, these people were well-connected. As for Lauren, she was excellent at gathering information.I had sensed something was amiss with Stella tonight. Also, Atlas wasn’t just there to celebrate his competitor’s success.Meanwhile, I became the plot twist in this drama. I overestimated Matthew because he was nowhere near as intelligent as Atlas and Atticus. Matthew was a child compared to them.I felt a chill in my heart as I entered the cab. My mind seemed distracted, unable to keep up with the mess. As the cab drove into Ember Lane, it suddenly stopped. The driver cursed,