"What?" Fiona gave Stephen a surprised look, then turned to Tom, as if to confirm Stephen's words."Please choose any jewelry you like. I will give it to you," Tom smiled sincerely at Fiona, who was still confused.Tom then instructed a blonde saleswoman to assist Fiona in selecting her jewelry. "Very well, Boss Tom," the saleswoman approached Fiona. "Come with me! I'll show you the best collections in the gallery!"Fiona followed the sales clerk to view the most expensive jewelry sets at the Best Jewelry Gallery. "You're very lucky, Miss Fiona. Boss Tom isn't usually a generous person," said the salesgirl, waiting for Fiona in front of the glass storefront."Is that true?""That's correct, Miss Fiona. I think your husband is a great man, to the extent that Boss Tom came here to pay homage to him."The saleswoman's words made Fiona turn to Stephen, who was engaged in an intimate conversation with Tom Lynch. Despite not wearing a suit, Stephen still looked like a businessman, carrying h
The phone call ended, making Stephen breathe a sigh of relief.Stephen asked with a warm smile, "Do you want to go straight home or go somewhere?"Fiona sighed, loosening the nerves. "Actually I still want to travel, but I remember having an appointment with my supervisor for my thesis."As Fiona spoke, Stephen's warm smile turned into a sympathetic expression. He knew how hard Fiona had been working, juggling her academic responsibilities with her job as an assistant professor. He admired her tenacity and dedication to her studies, but he also couldn't help feeling a little worried about her health and well-being."You've been working so hard, Fiona," Stephen said, reaching out to touch her hand. "I don't want you to overwork yourself. You deserve a break."Fiona smiled back at him, feeling grateful for his concern. "I know, but I just want to make sure I'm on track with my thesis. And besides, I love my work. It's challenging, but it's also rewarding."Stephen nodded, understanding
That evening, Stephen had an early dinner so that he wouldn't have a late meeting with Etta Carson. His hand reached for cellphone to check for messages on the chat application.A message from Etta appeared on the cellphone screen. "Stephen, I'm already outside your house."Stephen hurried down the stairs, passing Fiona and her brothers who were having dinner."Where are you going, Stephen? You look so neat and smell so good!" Megan scolded, as if she intended to make Fiona jealous and suspicious of Stephen."I have a photo shoot scheduled tonight," Stephen answered in an even tone and left immediately. He didn't want to stand there for too long, which might have caused Megan to babble."Be careful, Stephen!" Fiona said. Her soft voice made Stephen pause for a moment before turning around. "Sure," he replied with a faint smile and left the house.When Stephen arrived outside the gate, he approached Etta's car and sat in the passenger seat. "Thanks for coming to pick me up," Stephen sai
"You think you can just walk away from me, Stephen?" Etta said slowly, but her voice sent chills down his spine. He had put up with her manipulation and emotional abuse for far too long; it was time to leave.Stephen turned his back to her and reached for the doorknob, hoping to make a clean break. But as his hand closed around the metal, he realized the door was locked. Panic shot through him as he jiggled the knob, but it wouldn't budge.He spun around to face Etta, anger rising within him. "What did you do?" he demanded.Etta's expression was cold and unreadable. "I didn't do anything, Stephen. But I think it's time we had a little chat."The redhead woman in the sexy lace dress closed the distance between them. She reached out to touch Stephen's arm, but he flinched away from her, his eyes flashing with anger."Don't touch me," he spat, his voice low and dangerous.Etta didn't seem to notice his hostility. She just looked at him with a small smile on her lips, as if she was enjoyin
Etta's laughter echoed through the room, cutting through the tense silence like a knife. Her mischievous eyes sized up the security guards, taking note of their bulging muscles and stern expressions. For a moment, she considered making a break for it, but their challenge dared her to try."You guys are so funny! Going to the trouble of opening the door just to catch a woman like me! Aren't you embarrassed?" Etta taunted."It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. When you commit a crime, you must be arrested!" said the security guard standing in front.The guard's face hardened as he glared at Etta, and his voice boomed through the room like thunder. Despite the tension growing thicker, Etta remained unfazed."Give up quickly! We won't hurt you!" said the man in the beige suit, softening his tone."Give up?" Etta laughed. "Even if I do, I won't let you guys touch me!"As Etta considered her options, a mysterious smile grew on her face. She was backed into a corner, but she was alwa
Chapter 31Roy grabbed his cell phone and dialed the police. "Hello, this is Roy Potter, manager of the Magnificent Hotel. I am reporting a case of confinement, fraud, and harassment by a fashion designer named Etta Carson. I hope you will come here soon and apprehend the criminals." He then contacted the media crew to prove Stephen's threatening words."Soon, your career as a fashion designer will be destroyed because of a fraud case and sexual harassment!" the man in the beige suit smiled slyly.Etta stuttered in disbelief. Shouldn't she have framed Stephen by now so that she could leave at ease after receiving the fee?"You must be just trying to scare me!" snapped the red-haired woman."I am Roy Potter, manager of the Magnificent Hotel. I don't have time to joke around with a designer who is about to go bankrupt!" said Roy in a firm tone.Etta's next gaze fell on Stephen. The man looked very calm, even though a few moments ago he had appeared tense because of the photos on Etta's
After the police took Etta Carson, reporters flocked to Roy Potter and bombarded him with questions. In front of them, he declared, "Hotel Magnificent Emerald upholds the values that apply in this country. We will not allow even the slightest crime to occur in this hotel."Questions about the man in Etta Carson's room arose, the reporters were eager for the information. "According to the law in force in this country, every victim who is not a criminal is entitled to privacy protection from the state. Therefore, we cannot reveal the man in Etta Carson's room in public."Despite this, the journalists persisted in questioning Roy Potter. However, the man quickly left the lobby, and the security guards prevented the reporters from continuing to harass him with their inquiries.Meanwhile, Stephen rushed home to meet Fiona. Suddenly, his heart was restless, especially after he saw the photos on Etta's cellphone.He took a taxi to Geoff's family house. Upon arriving, he tried to go to his roo
"Who do you think you are that the media should broadcast your news throughout the country?" Billy said sarcastically. "What the hell are you talking about?""Billy's right!" Aiden and Bryson chimed in, and then they all laughed."Trash like you won't be cared for by anyone. In fact, your death would have no impact on this country. So what's the point of reporting your scandal on TV or the internet?" Billy laughed at Stephen again, thinking that Stephen's words were like those of a comedian meant to entertain the audience.Fiona's eyes were wet as she stared at Stephen, her heart undecided, but she wanted to hear what he had to say."I don't know why, I really hope what Stephen says is true," Fiona said to herself.As everyone laughed at Stephen, Fiona secretly checked the national news website on her phone. Her eyes widened in shock as she read the headline: "Fashion Designer Etta Carson Arrested for Harassing Model at Magnificent Emerald Hotel," featuring a red-haired woman in a sexy