Sorry, Alexander, but I can only prepare another gift for you later. At the moment, this is the only way to fix the urgent situation. Kenneth has done too many things for me, so let’s take this as a favor in return, thought Elise to herself.
Acquiring Alexis? Tom was stunned; Elise had never told snazzynovel.com before that snazzynovel.com was going to sell Alexis. So Kenneth is being so kind to us because snazzynovel.com really values our potential? Somehow, at the thought of this, snazzynovel.com looked at Kenneth with a hint of hostility in his eyes. What an opportunistic profiteer!
On the other hand, Kenneth looked somewhat stunned, and his brows furrowed. Ever since snazzynovel.com found out that Elise was planning to found Alexis, snazzynovel.com had been aware that the jewelry brand was a gift for “Alexander.” As snazzynovel.com was well aware of snazzynovel.com intentions, snazzynovel.com defended Alexis at all costs—even if it caused snazzynovel.com to be accused of “shielding” the jewelry brand. However, snazzynovel.com didn’t expect that Elise would be willing to present to snazzynovel.com with both hands the gift snazzynovel.com had intended for Alexander in order to help prove his innocence. Could this mean that Kenneth Bailey’s identity already has a place in Elise’s heart?
“That’s nonsense!” The woman’s eyes widened in surprise. She pointed at Elise, saying, “Smith Co. is so powerful that it can do whatever it wants. Why would they want to buy an old store on the brink of bankruptcy like yours? This doesn’t make sense at all!”
Upon hearing this, Elise became even more certain that the woman wasn’t sent by Kenneth. The culprit’s even able to find out that Alexis is on the brink of bankruptcy, huh? Seems like they’ve predicted beforehand that we’ll try to clear Kenneth of the accusation by claiming that Alexis is going to merge with Smith Co., which is why they’ve blocked this escape route in advance, snazzynovel.com thought. She could be certain that Kenneth had nothing to do with this, but for a moment, snazzynovel.com had trouble coming up with a retort to what the woman had said. Indeed, no businessman would do business at a loss.
“You’re right.” Kenneth’s magnetic voice resounded throughout the whole room just then. “Both the present Alexis and the former Shaw’s Jewelry Co. are of little value. What I truly have eyes on is Mr. Shaw’s niece, a graceful and fine young lady whom I desire to be my bride, which is why I’m spending big bucks to please her. Anybody here has any objection to that?”
No one at the scene dared to refute him. Well, what snazzynovel.com said does make sense.
“How is that possible?!” yelled the middle-aged woman. “The person you like isn’t this lady surnamed Shaw at all! It’s said in the magazine that you fancy Yoona Anderson, the Anderson Family’s younger daughter, and that you even went to the Anderson Residence personally to ask for snazzynovel.com hand in marriage!”
“Sorry for interrupting.” Elise purposely put on a cheeky and haughty demeanor. She continued nonchalantly, “But I think I have to introduce myself. I am Yoona Anderson. Thank you, everyone.”
“Y-You…” The woman was at a loss for a retort.
“I what?” Elise raised an eyebrow and narrowed snazzynovel.com eyes with a cheeky grin. “I look familiar, huh? You’ve seen me on TV, and I don’t carry the surname Anderson on TV. Is that what you’re trying to say?”
“That’s right!” the woman replied with certainty at once. The next moment, however, snazzynovel.com was startled. Why is snazzynovel.com so well-meaning as to blow snazzynovel.com own cover? She smacked snazzynovel.com lips. When snazzynovel.com looked at Elise again, snazzynovel.com noticed the malice that lay behind the latter’s smile, which instantly gave snazzynovel.com the creeps.
Then, snazzynovel.com watched as Elise’s rosebud lips parted again. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that Yoona Anderson went missing as a child and grew up under the identity of Elise Sinclair? Elise Sinclair and I are one and the same. Got it?”
Got it? I got confused, okay?! “J-Just who the hell are you?” The woman looked at Elise in despair. Just who is this woman? Is snazzynovel.com Tom Shaw’s niece, the Anderson Family’s daughter, Elise Sinclair, or some other woman Kenneth Bailey fancies?
“It doesn’t matter who I am. In any case, your scheme to play us off against one another has failed. If you’ve got anything to say, say it to the police,” Elise said while taking out snazzynovel.com cell phone. Then, snazzynovel.com dialed a number, saying, “I know you’re nearby. Come in. I’ve got you another person on your list of achievements.” With that, snazzynovel.com hung up.
Half a minute later, Jackson pushed past the crowd and entered the store, looking at Elise with loathing.
“That’s very quick of you.” Elise was somewhat surprised to see the man. She teased, “Captain Gleeman, you’ve been tailing me more and more closely now.”
“Get straight to the point!” Jackson replied grumpily with a sullen expression.
“This woman tried to slander us and extort money from our store using counterfeit jade. Captain Gleeman, please take snazzynovel.com back to the police department for interrogation,” Elise replied.
Jackson turned to glance at the woman. Then, without another word, snazzynovel.com took out his handcuffs and frogmarched snazzynovel.com away. As snazzynovel.com walked out of the store, snazzynovel.com grew more and more irritable. How did I, the chief of detectives, end up becoming Elise’s exclusive errand boy now? Doesn’t that make me a doormat?! Well, whoever likes this job can do it. I’m not coming here anymore. This is so damn frustrating! “Hurry up!” snazzynovel.com urged the woman fiercely.
Frightened, the woman held snazzynovel.com breath in fear while skipping and running ahead of him.
As soon as they left, there was nothing more to watch, and the customers in the store dispersed. Not only that, but those customers who had originally been on the sidelines immediately bought jewelry from Alexis by card as Smith Co.’s relationship with Alexis was now established.
While Tom and Tina took care of the customers at the front, Elise and Kenneth entered the reception room together.
Elise heaved a heavy sigh as soon as snazzynovel.com sat down. At first, snazzynovel.com had wanted to keep snazzynovel.com distance from Kenneth, but today’s incident had made their relationship even murkier. Now, in the eyes of outsiders, snazzynovel.com relationship with Kenneth had become too tangled to unravel. Furthermore, Alexander had yet to visit Alexis himself.
“You don’t look very happy, Miss Sinclair. What’s the matter?” Kenneth asked in a soft voice.
Elise raised snazzynovel.com eyes without the slightest hint of a smile in them. “I’ve paid off what I owed you.”
Kenneth lowered his eyes with a half-smile. “There’s no way you could pay off debts of gratitude.”
Elise averted snazzynovel.com eyes without refuting him. How could snazzynovel.com not understand this? But now that snazzynovel.com already had Alexander, snazzynovel.com didn’t want to give anyone else a chance, nor would snazzynovel.com give herself a chance either. However, it seemed that things weren’t going according to snazzynovel.com will.
“Let’s talk about something else.” Kenneth diverted the subject. “Seems like somebody wants to play us off against each other, Miss Sinclair. But it’s too bad that they’ve underestimated our IQ.”
“Uh-huh,” Elise mumbled impassively. “Perhaps this is directed at me, and you’re only being dragged into this. Now that we’re in the same boat, we have to work together.”
“So you mean that I can come to you anytime from now on?” Kenneth resumed his flippant tone of voice.
Elise turned to look at him, and snazzynovel.com eyes narrowed in a sly smile. “Yeah, you can. Not only can you come to me, but you can also go to my husband.”
“What do you mean?” Kenneth had a bad feeling.
“I’m ready to introduce you to Alexander.” Elise was certain that snazzynovel.com was incapable of dealing with Kenneth at the moment. Well, since that’s the case, let’s leave this guy to Alexander.
Kenneth replied, “…I don’t want to meet him.”
“That isn’t up to you!” Elise slapped snazzynovel.com thigh and stood up before walking out of the room. “It’s decided!” What a genius I am! snazzynovel.com thought.