Wesley’s ears turned a shade of red. Sandra took a leisurely sip of her coffee.

“You seem rather uninformed,” she remarked, “but now we have tools for that.”

“Wesley, forget it. I’m not your thermometer.” The remark caused Wesley’s complexion to darken.

“Have your coffee,” Wesley said, trying to regain his composure. “If you really want to know how warm your lips are, let me know next time.”

Emily, having learned that Vincent was present, hurried over. “Emily.”

With a cheerful smile, Vincent instructed his assistant to serve her coffee. The assistant fawned over her.

“No matter how busy Vincent is, he always makes time for you, Emily,” he said. To Vincent, nothing compared to his sister, Emily. So, the assistant treated her with unparalleled courtesy. His predecessor had been fired for failing to serve Emily water at the right temperature. His doting on her was beyond belief.

Emily smiled, her warmth evident. “I just missed my brother. I hope my visit doesn’t inconvenience your work.”

Buoyed by her presence, Vincent responded, “You’re more considerate than anyone else.” His words, though sincere, had a touch of comparison, and they didn’t go unnoticed by her.

“Has someone irked you today?” Emily asked, noticing the tension in his demeanor.

Vincent, not wanting to discuss Sandra, remained silent. However, his assistant, eager to vent after his recent humiliation, couldn’t help but chime in.

“She’s so arrogant, even when she’s asking for help!” the assistant added.

Emily sighed. “She still resents me for taking what she thought was hers. But we’re still family. I should talk to her.”

“Oh, Emily, how can you be so benevolent?” the assistant exclaimed, almost unable to hide his disdain.

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Vincent said, “Don’t go. She’s nothing but a naive country bumpkin.”

“But—”

“There’s no ‘but’. Let’s go.”

Emily asked, “Could you help me get an autograph from my favorite actress, Vincent?”

“Of course.”

As they were leaving, they saw Wesley and Sandra heading out as well.

Sandra was momentarily speechless. Wesley smiled. “You seem to be having a rather unfortunate day.”

“Only because I set out with you today. You’ve ruined my luck.”

Wesley was taken aback by such an unusual accusation.

“Hi, Sandra,” Emily called out.

Sandra considered pretending she hadn’t heard, but the confrontation was unavoidable. She sighed in resignation, offering a cold response.

“I’m not acquainted with you. No need for such formalities.”

Her words irritated Vincent.

“Emily has been kind to you, and yet you’re so rude!”

Sandra countered indifferently, “I’ve always been this way. Is this news to you?” Her tone carried the weight of her long-standing indifference to the Hill family.

Vincent was aware of the tension between Emily and Sandra. He believed Emily was the aggrieved party. To him, Sandra’s current prosperity was owed to the Hill family, and especially to Emily, who had pleaded for Sandra to be taken in.

“Sandra, if you despise us so much, why not sever your ties with us?” Vincent said.

Sandra replied earnestly, “I would be eternally grateful if you could make that happen for me.”

Vincent sneered. “You’re acting again.”

“Keep your word and make it happen swiftly, Vincent,” Sandra said.

Emily, in tears, pleaded, “Please don’t quarrel.”

Her words immediately softened Vincent’s heart. “My dear princess, don’t cry.”

Emily said, “I wish you two would get along. You share the same blood after all.”

Vincent replied, “Blood relations matter little to me; it’s the kinship of the soul that I value.”

With those words, he shielded Emily protectively behind him. “I advise you to keep your distance and stop troubling Emily!”

Sandra responded, “Had you not blocked my path, I wouldn’t have stayed at all. Now, step aside!”

Vincent gritted his teeth in anger and pulled Emily away from the scene. Emily’s tears persisted, but as she walked past Sandra, a spiteful grin betrayed her contempt.

Such behavior might provoke the weak-willed into a confrontation, but Sandra was not one to be baited by such childish games.

With her provocation falling flat, Emily’s smile turned malicious.

Sandra proceeded to the company.

A swarm of reporters besieged the company’s entrance. They accessed through a secure garage and took the private elevator.

Meanwhile, within the company, a palpable tension filled the air. Every department was on edge, anxious not to worsen any issues amidst the ongoing turmoil.

The garment department, in particular, was walking on eggshells.

That day, the technical department was equally busy. They were preparing for an imminent tech forum while also dealing with the incident in the garment department, which had sparked a wave of online vitriol directed at the company.

To protect the company’s reputation, commenting on the official website had been disabled. But cyber-attacks continued unabated, necessitating the technical department’s vigilant defense.

Against all odds, another crisis loomed on the horizon.

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