“I actually wish for Angela to stir trouble daily.”
“Why?”
Sandra countered, “Who wouldn’t relish watching someone court disaster and profit an extra month’s salary from it?” The others had an epiphany.
“Right!”
“She is our goddess of wealth.”
“We look forward to tomorrow.”
Sandra was in good spirits, if only the Hill family hadn’t called.
To be candid, Sandra was disinclined to answer the phone. Despite this, the persistent caller left her with no choice but to relent. It was Jagger. Every inch of her face bore an expression of impatience.
“Please come straight to the point, thank you,” she stated tersely.
Jagger, full of words, felt them stifled and fell silent. Overcome with annoyance, Sandra ended the call abruptly. However, it wasn’t long before he phoned again. She considered blocking the number, but remembering unresolved grievances with the Hill family, she ultimately decided to answer.
“I just wish to inquire about one thing,” he said, his voice restraining certain emotions.
“Hurry up,” Sandra urged, her patience waning.
It seemed as though he mustered considerable courage before asking, “What exactly is your relationship with Chris?”
Massaging her temples, she reflected on her time racing overseas. She rarely showed her true face, in accordance with her master’s wishes. Thus, she could not tell him.
“There is no relationship,” she declared definitively, eager to dispel any suspicion on his part. “But if you happen to find this person, do let me know. I have a penchant for racing and wish to witness the prowess of Chris.”
“Impossible!” Jagger exclaimed. Wary that she might disconnect the call again, he spoke with vehement force. “You cannot claim to be unacquainted with her. You possess her signature techniques-“
Sandra interjected, “Please, it’s merely racing. It all boils down to speed. Under that velocity, a car’s potential maneuvers are limited. Why attribute them to Chris’s unique skill?”
He was momentarily lost for words. “Are you truly not Chris?”
Sandra questioned, “If I say I am Chris, how much money will you give me?”
Without another word, Jagger ended the conversation. With a scoff, Sandra returned her focus to the video game she was playing.
At the Hill Mansion, Vincent entered with Emily to find Jagger lounging on the couch, deeply immersed in smoking. Though they all smoked, they usually abstained indoors out of consideration for Emily’s aversion to cigarette smoke. Today, however, was different. Jagger had been smoking excessively. The thick smoke made Emily cough violently, prompting her to open the windows.
The smell of smoke gradually dissipated.
“Jagger, are you alright? Why smoke alone at home?” Emily inquired softly, her voice carrying a soothing tone. However, she felt deeply unsettled. Gary’s attitude toward her had changed significantly. Although he still doted on her, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.
Then there was Kyle.
Kyle, the president of the Hill Group, was seen as the economic pillar of the family. He loved her unconditionally, but recently, his attitude had become colder, more distant. Now, with Jagger disregarding her sensitivity to smoke, Emily couldn’t help but feel saddened. Why was this happening? She couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it started.
“My apologies,” Jagger said, snapping out of his thoughts as he flicked his cigarette into the ashtray.
Emily immediately reassured him, “It’s okay.”
Vincent, driven by curiosity, spoke up. “If you’re facing difficulties, feel free to speak openly.”
Emily said, “Yes, we’re family. We can find a solution together.” Jagger’s mood sank again. Although Sandra denied it, he still believed that Sandra held some connection to Chris.
In the hospital, he had seen her display impressive martial arts skills. If she had truly wished harm upon Emily, it would have been effortless for her to carry out such an intent. They had been mistaken to think of Sandra as just a country bumpkin, when in reality, she was making a mockery of them.
“I suspect,” Jagger began hesitantly, “Sandra is Chris.”
Emily wasn’t well-versed in matters of Chris, but Vincent knew Chris clearly. Chris was an enigmatic legend in the racing world, known for exceptional skill.
“How is that possible?” Vincent retorted, dismissing the possibility.
Emily noted their suspicion. She pondered for a moment before sighing, “Appearances can be deceiving. Though Sandra has always lived in the countryside, it doesn’t preclude her from having talent.”
Her statement subtly suggested that Sandra was merely an unsophisticated village girl, and therefore impossible to be the adored racing star.
Yet, Vincent suddenly interjected, “When we picked her up, the mountainous path was perilous.”
Jagger nodded in agreement. “She grew up on such treacherous mountain trails, thus honing her racing skills.”
Vincent offered no objection to this notion.
“So what? Her previous victory was nothing more than a fortuitous circumstance. You would have been the undisputed champion,” he said.
Jagger shook his head. He understood the circumstances at that time better than anyone else.
Vincent lost interest in this topic.
“In two days, the renowned foreign director Lisa will come to choose actors. Mason and I are competing for a role. I’ll go prepare first.”
Emily took the opportunity to say, “Vincent, of course you’ll win.” Vincent’s mood suddenly improved.
After hanging up the phone, Sandra was briefly undisturbed until she received a video call request on her computer. She frowned and declined it. Her phone rang immediately. Upon answering, she was met with a roar.
“You left so abruptly, leaving me to clean up your mess. Do you realize I lost weight for that? You dare to ignore my video call? If I catch sight of you, I swear I’ll bite you!” Lisa complained.
Sandra, managing to interject, asked, “Have you come to Geniston just to seek me?”
Lisa was her close friend when she was abroad. They both enjoyed making films. Their collaboration had won numerous awards and become an international legend.
“You are my main reason, though there are other minor business. Send me your location, I’m coming,” Lisa demanded.
Sandra responded, “I’ll be off work in an hour,” which only incited another round of Lisa’s roars.
“You actually got a job? You abandoned your directorial career for what?”
Sandra suddenly found herself at a loss for words. If she had admitted to Lisa that she was working for the Cooper Group, Lisa would have laughed herself to death.
“Let’s meet an hour from now,” she finally said.
Lisa burst into hearty laughter.
“I suspect you’ve become someone’s lackey. Tell me, did you lose a bet?” Lisa teased.
Sandra felt awkward. Lisa was her close friend and had an uncanny ability to guess the truth about her almost every time-an ability that was proving frighteningly accurate now.
Her identity was that of a village girl, making her quest to find the person who had harmed her master extremely challenging. Being the young madam of the Cooper granted her many conveniences.
Of course, she could have revealed her true status, which would naturally prompt others to assist her. But doing so risked alerting her enemies. Three years ago, she had inadvertently allowed the culprit to slip through her fingers. This time, she would have to exercise extreme caution.
“We’ll talk when we meet,” Sandra decided abruptly and hung up the phone. She gave no chance for Lisa to ridicule her.
After hanging up, though, she found herself unable to remain calm. Her master had been living in seclusion in the mountains for years.
The uninformed always assumed her master was dead. Yet, the members of the Hill family had seen her master. If the events of the past were unearthed, would they reveal her master’s whereabouts?
After much deliberation, she booked an international flight for her master and called.
“I’ve booked a flight for you,” she informed her master, whose voice was still as affectionate as ever.
“I am old now and prefer to stay at home, keeping to my prayers and meditations,” her master replied.
Sandra understood that her master no longer wished to court trouble, seeking to spend the remaining years in peace. However, she was well aware that if her master had truly let go of the grudge, the painting gifted by the adversary would not still be kept. Refraining from seeking revenge out of concern for Sandra, her master never forgot the enmity.
“How have you been in Geniston?” her master asked.
“I’m married now,” Sandra confessed.
“It’s a marriage of convenience,” Sandra elucidated.
Her master was surprised but not particularly concerned. “Just be safe.”
“I’m definitely safe here, but I’ve encountered a bit of trouble abroad.”
Her master sighed reluctantly. “So instead of traveling, you want me to help you with your problems?”
“Master, please help me,” she implored.
Her master let out a sigh. “Alright, send me all the details, and I’ll prepare to depart.”
Sandra breathed a sigh of relief. She could at least ensure her master’s departure for now.
Before the end of the workday, the finance department disbursed payments to everyone in the technical department. Consequently, the staff now viewed Sandra with the reverence one would accord the goddess of wealth. When she stepped out of her office, they greeted her with respectful salutations.
Feeling somewhat ill at ease from all the attention, she rubbed her temples and said, “If you’ve finished your work, feel free to leave. I won’t obligate anyone to work overtime.”
Without a formal director yet appointed, Sandra was the authoritative figure now. Her word was final.
The entire department erupted into jubilant laughter upon hearing her words.
Sandra was puzzled. “Is leaving on time really such a cause for celebration?”
One of her colleagues responded with a smile,
“For me, not having to work overtime is like a sunny day. Unfortunately, ever since I started working, it has been rainy every day.”
Sandra suggested, “Maybe we should plan a duty rotation system. From now on, unless it’s an emergency, we’ll only need two people on standby to handle it.”
She reflected on the recent upgrades she had made to the Cooper Group’s systems. Unless faced with an exceptionally skilled hacker or another internal traitor like Angela, she expected no significant disruptions.
Her colleagues jumped for joy. If her status as the Cooper’s young madam hadn’t been a factor, they would have hoisted her in celebration. Sandra observed their gleefulness and felt a touch of helplessness. It was lamentable how the Cooper’s rigid policies had driven the staff to such states.
After reminding everyone not to shout too loudly, she left the company. She messaged Wesley to tell him not to wait up for dinner, then took a taxi to the hotel where Lisa had made reservations.
Lisa was in a meeting but wrapped it up early upon learning of Sandra’s arrival. As Sandra entered the hotel, she encountered Mason and Vincent. Mason, dressed in a silver suit with his hair slicked back with gel, epitomized a dashing young man. He was strikingly handsome and known to his fans as the sunny boy. Standing beside him, Vincent looked more mature. They were surrounded by a coterie of bodyguards.
Ordinarily, Sandra, as an “ordinary person,” wouldn’t have caught their attention. However, someone had disclosed her identity.
Mason regarded her. “Are you Mrs. Cooper?”
Sandra could only nod.
Mason appeared surprised. “Aren’t you here waiting for me?”
“No. I have an appointment here.”
Mason glanced at Vincent, who wore a stony face. “Is that how you beg for help?”
Only then did Sandra realize that they assumed she had come to request Mason not to expose the Cooper incident to the public. Too timid to admit the truth in the presence of a celebrity, she had resorted to a poor excuse. Sandra was speechless. Were her words truly so unbelievable now?
Vincent looked at her with contempt. “I warn you, don’t say you’re my sister in public!” His statement wasn’t just directed at her but also meant to make it clear to Mason that whatever Sandra did had nothing to do with him.
Mason narrowed his eyes, having grasped the relationship between them. He offered a gentle smile. “Since you are not here for me, I apologize for my recklessness.”
Sandra replied indifferently, “So, may I ask you to step aside now?”
Mason hadn’t expected her to fail to seize the opportunity to beg him. His agent instructed the bodyguards to make way for Sandra and said, “We need to protect Mason, but we shouldn’t impede others’ normal lives. Let her pass.”
Sandra gave the agent an appreciative glance before turning to leave.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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