Chapter 100

On the fourth floor of Treasure Mall, Zoe basked in the spotlight as salesgirls in the luxury jewelry boutique circled her, their voices honeyed with praise. "Miss, this set looks incredible on you-like you walked straight out of a palace. No one else could pull it off."

Soaking up every word, Zoe gazed at her reflection, the diamond necklace glinting beneath the showroom lights."You think so?"

"Absolutely. You could be a cover model for any high-end magazine. This collection was made for you."

For a moment, Zoe felt weightless, buoyed by admiration and the soft sparkle draped around her neck.Glancing down, she caught the price tag-one million, neatly printed. Once, that kind of money would've sent her running for the door. But those days were over.

With a flourish, she produced a gold card and laid it on the counter,the gesture catching the light-and every salesgirl's wide-eyed attention. In Trark, only the elite carried a card like that.

Lifting her chin, Zoe declared, "I'll take it."

Payment handled, she strode from the store, heels clicking with confidence, her spirits soaring.

"Thank you for shopping with us, Ms. Cooper! We hope to see you again soon!" The salesgirls bowed in perfect sync, voices sweet and professional.

As Zoe approached the elevator, a woman in a baseball cap and mask barreled past, ramming her shoulder hard enough to make Zoe wobble dangerously on her stilettos.

She almost caught herself against a marble pillar, fury flashing in her eyes. "Hey! Watch it!"

The woman slowed, yanking her mask down just enough to reveal a familiar, sour expression-Tricia.

Zoe's lip curled as she spotted Tricia. "Well, well. Liam's mistress. You must be lost-places like this are out of your league." Tricia's brow twitched, but she kept her tone steady. "I need a word with you."

"You think I've got time for trash talk? Keep dreaming." Zoe turned on her heel, ready to walk away.

"Suppose I told you Kayla's after Jeremy-would that get your attention?" Tricia asked.

Zoe spun around, her eyes flashing with fury. "Don't make up stories! That bitch wouldn't dare!"

A slow, taunting smile spread across Tricia's lips. "You really think Jeremy cares about you? To himn,you're just another pretty thing he can throw money at. Meanwhile, Newton Group's been playing nice with North Investment. Archie keeps pushing Kayla to handle the deals-just her and Jeremy, getting cozier every time.How long before she climbs right into his bed?"

Rage snapped in Zoe's voice. "She's not even close to being good enough for him!"

Tricia shrugged, feigning indifference. "Don't take my word for it-look into it yourself. I hate Kayla just as much as you do. Why not team up? Get her out of the picture for good."

Zoe didn't answer. She stared at Tricia in silence, her expression hard to read, then turned sharply and marched away.

Tricia's smirk lingered as she watched Zoe retreat, convinced she'd planted the seed.

Meanwhile, at the sanatorium, Kayla waited in the hallway while Marsha went through physical therapy,nurses bustling around her.

She watched Marsha's radiant smile and felt a tangle of emotions.

She still had a month left before the divorce from Liam would be finalized, and the looming deadline set her nerves on edge. She couldn't afford any missteps now.

Once the divorce was done, she could finally take Marsha and leave Trark behind for good.

Pulling out her phone, Kayla quickly dialed Archie.

He answered after several rings, sounding as busy as ever. "Kayla? Isn't today your day off? What's going on?"Lowering her voice, Kayla replied, "Mr. Newton, our one-month agreement is almost over."

Archie let out a short laugh. "Relax, Kayla. I'Il return Cooper Group to you, just ike I promised. My assistant's already preparing the paperwork. Still, I've got to ask-are you sure you don't want to stay? The pay's pretty tempting."

Kayla answered, "No, thank you. We agreed on one month."

"Fair enough. I respect that," Archie responded, ending the call without protest.

Just as Kayla slipped her phone away and turned to rejoin Marsha, her screen lit up with a new message.

It was from Jeremy's assistant, reminding her that tomorrow she'd need to deliver the project files to Jeremy.Since he wvas out of town for the next couple of days, she'd have to meet him at a different location.

Kayla's brow knit as she glanced at the address on her phone, unease flickering across her face.

She started tapping out a message to Jeremy's assistant, determined to postpone the meeting.

"Kayla, come here for a second!" Marsha's voice rang out from down the hall.

Sliding her phone into her pocket, Kayla hurried over with a quick. "Coming!"

The following morning, once she settled into her office, the memory hit-she'd completely forgotten to follow up with Jeremy's assistant after her evening with Marsha.

Her meeting was scheduled at a resort more than sixty miles outside the city, practically demanding an overnight stay.

Kayla sat at her desk, deep in thought, barely noticing as her coworker Lily Lyons wandered over.

Lily knocked her knuckles lightly on Kayla's desk and called out, "You seem miles away, Kayla. What's caught your mind? Mr. Newton says our team crushed it on the last round of projects, so he's buying everyone afternoon coffee."

Offering a faint smile, Kayla responded, "I don't think l'Il be able to join you guys."

Lily looked ather, eyebrows raised."Why not?" Scooping up a hefty stack of documents, Kayla let out a sigh."I've got a business trip later. Total headache."

Lily's eyes danced with curiosity as she eyed the paperwork. "Wait, is this for the North Investment deal?Rumor has it you're almost ready to close."

Kayla caught the spark in Lily's eyes and a new idea took shape. Grasping Lily's hand, she leaned in and whispered, "Lily, I'm feeling a bit off today. What do you say you handle this trip for me?"