Madam Gabriella pulled her cloak tighter around her as she made her way down the stairs of the penthouse. The guards and the house helps were still around, but there was no one else. Neither Coulter nor Amelia had come back last night, and most certainly not Melissa. She walked to the elevator and tapped the buttons, then closed her eyes as she went down. She dreaded the meeting with Coulter as much as she looked forward to it. If Sarah really thought she would simply set them aside agter they helped her achieve everything she wanted, then she was gravely mistaken.Madam Gabriella was not the type to allow a young girl to play in her face like that. Especially not when she was on the brink of losing even the tiny bit of hope she still had.The drive to the police station was quiet, and Madam Gabriella leaned forward as the cab stopped in front of the place.She gave him the payment, then got out and made her way towards the receptionist."I am here to see Melissa Martinez," she said,

Amelia sat back, the waves of dizziness washing over her. She had rehearsed this so many times over time with Coulter. She had thought about how swiftly she would replace the papers with the papers that Coulter had given her. The papers that would name Sarah as the main person in charge of the cargo, hence the person that would be investigated if there was anything wrong with the goods.But now that she was in the moment, her head spun, and she could barely even see, much less form a coherent thought."Why...." she started to say, then slowly pushed back, shaking her head. She could see what was happening. Maybe something was making her dizzy. Alcohol, drugs, and she knew how that would be a disadvantage for her.She stood up weakly, grasping unto the edge of her desk like a lifeline.She tried her best not to look so affected."I will..." she said, then took a deep breath. "I will check it later."Sarah gave a slow smile, then gently shook her head. There was no way she would let Am

Coulter, Amelia, and Ian, who had joined them at the villa a few minutes after they arrived, sat on the large sitting room couch, listening to everything Amelia had recorded on her phone.Ian let out a small breath as it finished, then turned towards Coulter and Amelia."The legal system will simply admit this as evidence of intent. Yes, she admitted to the accident... ""But the punishment wouldn't be enough," Coulter said, his voice low. "It would only make her smarter. I don't intend to go the legal route. I intend to ruin her myself."Amelia closed her eyes, her chest heaving hard. "I swear I didn't intentionally steal an investment from her. I swear it, Coulter. I told you how hard it was for me to...""Stop, Amelia," he said, his voice low. "You did nothing wrong. NS is where it is because of you. Even if she thinks you don't deserve it, the world thinks you did, and that is all that matters."Amelia let out a small sigh. Even just hearing Sarah's accusations have made her feel

Coulter walked back up and took the elevator, his eyes thin. He hadn't gotten to the penthouse before he remembered he had forgotten the bouquet of roses that he had bought as a way to have the woman believing that he could forget all of the bad blood between them. He smiled to himself as the elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened. He stepped out, then walked towards the door and rang the doorbell.It had barely been a minute before the door came open, and Madam Gabriella stood there, a smile lifting her lips as she took Coulter in."Hello," she said, her voice carrying a hint of uncertainty.Coulter smiled, then leaned forward and gave her a hug. "We are not strangers, are we?"Madam Gabriella's eyes widened, her chest heaving. It was perfect. Coulter had always been naive in his dealings with them. Just because he was rich now, it did not mean that that fact had changed at all.She broke into a dark, sinister smile, then gently tapped his back. "Of course, not. We could neve

Coulter got into the driver's seat of the Rolls Royce and immediately grabbed one of the scented napkins in the car. He wiped his hads rigorously, like he had touched a stain or a filthy object. Once he felt his hand was completely wiped off, he leaned back and closed his eyes.Just a little more with the pretence. Just a little bit more, and it will be fine. He leaned forward and slowly drove out of the parking lot. He called Ian as he drove straight to the villa where he had asked Sarah to mert him instead of anywhere else. He needed to be able to finish everything up so that he would go home and wash it all off.Ian answered on the very first ring, his voice low. "Sir. Is everything okay? Have you met with Melissa's mother?""It is as we expected," he said simply, his eyes darting between the screen and the path in front of him. "Very predictable.""Apparently, she purchased illegal substances from Peter Black. I met him while entering the penthouse. Turns out that was why he was