"Nothing else? Then you may go."
After being dismissed twice within ten minutes, Lily didn't press further, and with a brisk nod, left the room with Li trailing behind her.
Once they were alone again, Nina's gaze returned to Leon.
The blue sweatpants Leon wore were so worn they'd almost turned white.
It made Nina pause—was Leon really so strapped that she couldn't afford something decent? She couldn't have people thinking Nina's companion looked this shabby. Deciding quickly, Nina stood, as if she'd finally found a purpose, and motioned for Leon to follow. "Come on. We're going out."
Leon looked puzzled. "We're… going out? To do what?"
Nina responded in a clipped tone, "To buy clothes. Just look at you."
Leon held up her hands, protesting, "Boss… Ms. Zhang, really, there's no need. I'm comfortable like this."
Nina's frown deepened, her voice growing colder. "Are you saying I can't even dress you? Move."
With that, she opened the door and exited.
Inside the room, Leon stared down, a faint smile hidden as her eyes gleamed.
Her patron had just told her, If you're unhappy, just slap me.
Her patron had acted shy over a mere graze across her cheek.
This patron was definitely something else.
Leon shrugged off her thoughts and assumed an innocent, doe-eyed look before following Nina out the door.
After Tara's announcement about her commitment to design, Selena had quickly reached out to a college friend—an accomplished jewelry designer. Fortunately, her friend had agreed to help and, after seeing Tara's portfolio, was full of praise, saying Tara had genuine talent. The days were packed with meetings and portfolio reviews, leaving both Tara and Selena exhausted and feeling as though they hadn't had a single moment of true rest.
At the moment, Tara was lying on Selena's stomach, reviewing sketches on her tablet, while Selena sat against the headboard, idly braiding strands of Tara's loose hair.
The door suddenly opened, and Tara's mother walked in unexpectedly. Selena, startled, automatically sat up, forgetting that Tara was lying on her. Tara chuckled softly, refusing to move from her place.
Mrs. Tan stood at the door, an uneasy expression on her face as she took in the scene. When Tara lifted her head, Selena quickly rose and greeted her warmly, "Mrs. Tan, do you need something?"
Mrs. Tan's gaze shifted to Tara briefly before she forced a smile. She took Selena's arm and gently pulled her along. "I need to speak with Selena alone. Just wait here, Tara."
With that, she shut the door, ready to take Selena with her.
But Tara placed her hand on the door, her voice serious, firm. "No, I'll come too."
Mrs. Tan's face hardened. "I just need a word with Selena. Why do you need to come along?"
Tara stood her ground. "What could you possibly tell her that I can't know? We can talk here."
With tension rising, Selena calmly patted Tara's arm. "It's alright; I'll be fine. Don't you trust my people skills?"
Selena's gaze was calm, her smile warm, and Tara hesitated before letting her hand drop from the door.
Once the door closed, Mrs. Tan's smile grew warmer, though Selena sensed she had something pressing to discuss.
And sure enough, after they sat down at the small table in the flower room, Mrs. Tan spoke with calculated sweetness, "Selena, I have a small favor to ask, and I'm sure you won't say no."
Selena, still cautious, poured her a cup of tea. "Of course, Mrs. Tan. Whatever you need, I'll do my best."
Mrs. Tan's smile softened, though her tone remained persuasive. "Oh, I'm sure you can. It's nearly impossible for us to pull off alone, but for you, it would only take a word."
Selena's smile remained, but her response stayed cautious. "I'd feel better if I knew what it was first."
Mrs. Tan sighed, then explained, "It's been years since Autumn celebrated her birthday here at home."
"Her birthday's in two days, and her father and I would be so grateful if she would spend it with us. You know how she respects you, Selena. If you stay by her side, she'll agree."
Selena saw no reason to refuse.
Relieved, Mrs. Tan squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Selena. You're such a kind girl."
Now that she felt things were under control, Mrs. Tan quickly called the Shi family. "We're all set. See you on Autumn's birthday."
Since the plan was meant to be a surprise, Mrs. Tan merely asked Tara if they could stay a bit longer, keeping the true purpose hidden.
But Tara's sharp intuition sensed something amiss. "Why stay longer? Don't you need to get back to work?"
Selena only smiled. "Nothing's more important than this. There are some things I have to handle here."
Tara pressed further, "What kind of things?"
Realizing it would be hard to dodge the question any longer, Selena explained, "Your father has a friend who wants me to analyze some investment stocks. I couldn't exactly say no, so I'll need a few extra days."
At this, Tara relaxed and grinned. "Why all the secrecy? I was half-expecting something serious with Mom making it sound so mysterious."
After returning to her place, Lily wasted no time. She meticulously doctored the photos, arranging them carefully before sending the package to the Tan family estate by express delivery.
When Mrs. Tan received the urgent package, she thought it might be company-related and hurried to open it. Realizing the nature of the contents, she wasted no time in rushing into her husband's study.
Mr. Tan, who'd been enjoying his retirement and was now leisurely practicing calligraphy, looked up in surprise.
"Come, take a look," he called proudly. "Tell me if I haven't improved."
But Mrs. Tan didn't respond, her voice tense. "We have a problem. Look at this."
Curious, Mr. Tan joined her, and his face darkened as he recognized the images.
Spread out before him were photographs of Autumn—Tara—and another woman in moments of close intimacy.
Mrs. Tan froze in shock, staring at the pictures, unable to react, her hands hanging limply at her sides.
Mr. Tan flipped through each photo, his face growing redder with each one. Finally, he slammed the photos down on the table.
"Outrageous!" he snapped. "Our daughter would behave like this?"
Mrs. Tan, struggling with her own emotions, quickly took out her husband's blood pressure medication and slipped two pills into his hand. He swallowed them without a word, then retrieved the photos, muttering, "I'll find her right now."
"No!" Mrs. Tan caught his arm.
He pulled away, furious. "Are you just going to let her ruin her life?"
Tears streamed down Mrs. Tan's face. "Of course, I can't let her go down this road. But if you confront her like this… she'll leave us for good."
Mr. Tan sank back into his chair, defeated. "Then what's your solution?"
"Start with Selena. Autumn listens to her, and she'll never go against her if Selena says it's wrong."
Two minutes later, Selena received a message from Mrs. Tan: Selena, can you come to the flower room? It's urgent, and please don't tell Autumn.
Selena, assuming Mrs. Tan wanted to discuss plans for the birthday celebration, went downstairs immediately.
Opening the door, she was surprised to see Mr. Tan already inside. The somber mood only made her more cautious.
"Mr. Tan. Mrs. Tan," she greeted quietly.
Mr. Tan looked far older than he had that morning. He barely managed a greeting in return, while Mrs. Tan motioned for Selena to sit and handed her the bundle of photos. "We received these today. I think it's best you see them, too."
A sinking feeling took hold of Selena as she took the bundle.
Photo after photo showed her and Tara together—at the parking lot, Tara carrying her after she'd hurt her foot, and even a kiss outside the entrance.
As she reached the final photo, Selena felt the blood drain from her face. She set the photos down, and Mrs. Tan finally broke the silence.
"We called you here because we need to talk about you and Tara"