“This is today’s last batch, Mr. Huxley.”

Chloe Johnson stood beside her grandmother as a line of carefully selected women waited to be inspected like merchandise. Her grandmother’s eyes narrowed with practiced impatience, unimpressed by the parade. Chloe tried to keep the mood light, coaxing her to choose someone—anyone—so she could finally stop hearing complaints about the family’s only heir. But the old woman’s irritation was immediate and sharp. The antique vase Ethan Huxley had purchased on his last attempt, she snapped, looked less like a gift and more like something meant to hold her ashes.

Chloe’s cousin Jules, breathless with urgency, pressed Chloe to act. The Huxley family had only 1 heir, and Ethan—despite being the richest man in the city and already past 35—still refused to marry. Chloe, meanwhile, had been thrown out of her own home for not dating. Jules made the pitch with ruthless practicality: become Ethan’s wife. No daily “wifely duties,” and at least $2,000,000 a month as fun money. Chloe rolled her eyes at the vulgarity of the offer, then admitted, with a grin, that she simply found Ethan “interesting.”

She walked in before her courage could falter.

A slight stumble at the doorway became her excuse for an abrupt entrance. She apologized for causing a scene, then looked straight at the man everyone feared and asked, as if puzzled, whether he remembered her. Ethan’s expression tightened. He asked if she truly did not know who he was. Chloe, playing it clean, replied that she had only heard he was Jules’s uncle and wondered whether they had met.

Ethan’s gaze held a flicker of recognition that he did not explain. He said they had met. Chloe’s confidence sharpened into something bolder. Jules had told her he was looking for a wife, she said, so she had come to apply. Was she acceptable?

Ethan did not refuse outright. He said it was not impossible, but he imposed terms: the marriage would last only 1 year, and during that year she could not reveal her status as Mrs. Huxley. Chloe agreed instantly, then called out to Jules with cheerful triumph, reminding her to treat her to a meal later. Ethan, unmoved by the performance, told Chloe that his grandmother’s 70th birthday would be the following night. Chloe would come with him, and he would introduce her properly. First, they would go home.

At the Huxley residence, the staff welcomed her with exaggerated formality, calling her “Madam President” and offering congratulations on her wedding. Chloe took in the romantic staging with widened eyes, asking whether Ethan had planned it. He replied that even if he said he had not, she would not believe him. He announced he had work to do in the study and that her room had been prepared; the butler would show her around. Chloe told him to do what he needed.

Left with her thoughts, she asked herself what she had truly stepped into.

Jules soon appeared, brimming with gossip and excitement, and demanded Chloe address her as “aunt” now that Chloe had married Ethan. Chloe indulged her, repeating the word while Jules stared at a red mark on Chloe’s neck and immediately jumped to scandal. Jules insisted it looked like Ethan had kissed her. Chloe denied it, claiming she had slept alone, and suggested it might be bug bites. Jules hovered over the mark, half convinced, half delighted by the idea of her formidable uncle behaving like a man.

Chloe’s denial came too quickly. Something about the previous night felt blurred, unfinished, as if an important moment had been interrupted. Before she could examine it, Ethan returned, and Jules offered him a suit for the birthday banquet. Ethan declined going to steal the spotlight, telling Jules to have fun. After he left, the house turned its attention toward the celebration.

At the old Huxley house, family members gathered, and skepticism filled the air. Someone asked whether it was true Ethan was returning that night with a wife he had found for the grandmother. The grandmother dismissed the idea, scoffing that Ethan did not even have a single female fly around him and must be fooling them. A poised young woman named Daphne Dawson seized the opening. If the family wanted Ethan to marry, she said, it would not be hard. She had liked him since childhood. If the grandmother thought they were suitable, she would marry into the Huxley family and take good care of him.

The suggestion drew eager approval. Daphne and Ethan had grown up together, they said; marrying her would be safer, familiar. Daphne’s smile did not waver. Everything depended only on Ethan agreeing.

When Ethan arrived, he did not greet Daphne warmly. He told her to stay away from him.

Chloe, stepping into the scene at Ethan’s side, surveyed the large family with a quick glance and a dry remark about how many of them seemed like random people. Ethan led her forward. “Let’s go see Grandma.”

The butler announced that the young master had brought home his wife. Chloe greeted the grandmother brightly and claimed the older woman might remember her as the girl she had spoken to “that night.” She presented a gift she said she had chosen especially, hoping the grandmother would like it. The grandmother stared, startled, then demanded whether Ethan had truly brought her a granddaughter-in-law. Chloe, unfazed, asked whether she looked like a boy.

The grandmother laughed, charmed by Chloe’s cheek, and said she liked her. It felt strange, she admitted, like she had seen Chloe before. Chloe blamed a “common look” and asked, with deliberate sweetness, whether the grandmother was satisfied with her as a granddaughter-in-law. The answer was immediate and delighted: yes, very satisfied.

Then the grandmother leaned forward, remembering a promise she had once mentioned. She told Chloe it was time to fulfill it. She produced the proof she cared about most: the marriage certificate. The room erupted as relatives realized the document was real.

The grandmother drew Chloe close, calling for her to come to “Mom,” and praised her with sudden possessiveness. Chloe matched the affection with practiced sincerity, offering to be corrected if she ever did wrong. Around them, the family performed warmth—gifts, teasing, and declarations of belonging—while Daphne watched with a cold stillness that did not break.

Soon Daphne approached Chloe with a courteous smile that felt sharpened underneath. She suggested showing Chloe around, claiming Chloe might be bored sitting among strangers. Chloe, suspicious, asked whether Daphne planned to lure her somewhere to harm her. Daphne laughed it off, insisting they were about the same age and that she only wanted to take Chloe for a walk.

Chloe reminded her that Daphne had just declared she wanted to marry Ethan and asked whether going out together was truly a good idea. Daphne answered smoothly: the grandmother had only been joking. She had always seen Ethan as an older brother. Chloe declared she trusted her husband and agreed to go.

Behind them, family members argued about whether Ethan should intervene. Some insisted Daphne would cause trouble and that Chloe and Daphne might end up fighting. Ethan’s mother urged him to go, calling him a fool if he let his wife face it alone. Ethan finally moved, more from pressure than concern.

Outside, Daphne stopped pretending. She accused Chloe of using tricks to get Ethan to marry her and warned her not to mistake the certificate for security. Chloe would never be the true mistress of the Huxley family, Daphne said, because Ethan already had a true love. Chloe was only a stand-in, nothing in his heart.

Chloe’s reply landed like a slap. Whether she was in Ethan’s heart did not matter, she said, as long as he liked her body.

Daphne called her shameless and claimed Ethan slept with Chloe only because she was disposable. Daphne then pushed the humiliation further, bragging that Ethan was gentle with her in bed and that she had been pregnant with his baby—only to abort it later. She even produced photos as if proof.

Chloe absorbed the claims with a calm that seemed, to an observer, either foolish or terrifyingly confident. She made a show of curiosity, joking about “high-difficulty moves” and claiming Ethan had never done such things with her. She teased that she would ask him later.

Daphne, enraged, lunged. Chloe did not retreat. The scuffle became ugly, and when Ethan arrived, he saw the end of it—Daphne stumbling, Chloe upright, the tension raw. Daphne screamed that Chloe had hit her and wanted to kill her. Chloe, switching instantly into frightened innocence, claimed Daphne had threatened to hit and kill her and that Daphne had tripped by accident.

The grandmother rushed to Chloe, calling her “sweetheart,” insisting Chloe was too thin and small to have harmed anyone. Daphne demanded belief, pointing at her own face and claiming Chloe’s handprints matched. Chloe, still composed, suddenly admitted she had hit Daphne. She said she had been impulsive, unable to control her emotions after hearing Daphne claim she had slept with Ethan multiple times, become pregnant, and had an abortion.

The room froze.

The grandmother rejected it immediately, insisting Ethan had nothing to do with Daphne. Daphne waved the photos again. Ethan’s mother, unsettled, scolded her son. Ethan grabbed Chloe’s arm and tried to pull her inside, saying he would explain. Chloe brushed it off as not a big deal and reminded everyone they were staying the night at the old house anyway.

But when Ethan and Chloe were alone, the façade cracked into a tense negotiation. Chloe warned him that the grandmother and mother were eavesdropping, and that their marriage’s authenticity was still doubted. If the family discovered the truth, the $60,000,000 Ethan had at stake could be jeopardized. Chloe asked what they should do to convince them.

Ethan proposed a kiss.

Chloe refused at first, insisting kissing was not part of her job scope and that he had never mentioned it when choosing a wife. Ethan answered that it was a different price. Chloe named her terms. Ethan countered by offering an extra $200,000 a month. Chloe accepted, delighted by the raise, but warned him he could not kiss her anymore after this. Ethan asked how they would keep acting without kisses. Chloe told him not to rush and said she had her own way.

Then she raised her voice, performing loudly through the door as if already half undressed, calling Ethan “honey” with exaggerated sweetness and asking why he was tearing her clothes. Outside, the grandmother and mother reacted instantly, scandalized and thrilled. They heard “taking off clothes” and assumed the marriage was consummated with enthusiasm. The mother hurried off to prepare supper so the couple would not miss dinner, and the grandmother declared she wanted grandchildren.

When the footsteps vanished, Chloe collapsed against the wall in exhaustion. Ethan, equally drained, told her to draft a contract when she returned home, listing everything—the price, the extra costs, and boundaries—so she could not claim he reneged. Chloe agreed, adding that any new “gigs,” especially heavy acting like today, required advance notice and might cost more.

At dinner, Chloe continued serving Ethan as though newlyweds, placing spicy chicken on his plate. Ethan, who did not eat spicy food, forced himself to swallow it anyway and claimed he had simply gotten too excited and choked because his wife’s food tasted especially good. Chloe, watching him “go all out,” thought his performance outshone hers. If she were not being paid, she might have believed he genuinely liked her.

She smoothed over the earlier mistake by telling the family she and Ethan had fallen in love at first sight and had not yet learned each other’s likes. The grandmother and mother laughed it off, telling her not to spoil Ethan.

After dinner, Ethan’s mother summoned Chloe to her room and showered her with jewelry, delighted to finally have a daughter-in-law to receive the things she had bought for years with no daughter to share them with. Chloe praised her lavishly, calling her “Mom” with easy affection. Then the mother presented 1 more gift: a large box Chloe assumed contained expensive jewelry. The mother told her not to open it yet and to wait until tomorrow when they returned. She also handed Chloe a card and urged her to buy accessories without saving money.

Back in her room, Chloe guarded the box possessively and refused to tell Ethan what it was. Ethan let it go.

Jules then barged in, complaining that Ethan wanted to throw her out. Chloe intervened, pleading with Ethan to let Jules stay because Jules was broke and would have nowhere to live. She flattered him—reminding him he was the richest man around—and argued that supporting a couple more people should be as easy as watering flowers. Ethan agreed to let Jules stay, but only on the condition that she find a job and move out in 7 days.

Jules protested, calling him harsh, then declared she would get a job in 1 week. Chloe, half amused, offered to go with her. Jules turned the moment into melodrama, insisting she was a kid nobody loved, but she accepted Chloe’s support.

The next day, Chloe and Jules went shopping. The mall, Jules said, belonged to Ethan, so they could ask him for a discount. Chloe’s eyes lit up. If it was his, they should pick more.

In a jewelry store, Chloe selected a bracelet—only for Daphne to appear again and claim it. Jules called Daphne a thief, accusing her of always stealing or snatching what belonged to others, from boyfriends to bracelets. Daphne dismissed them with contempt, declaring the bracelet only cost about $30,000 and mocking them as small-minded. She boasted that the Dawsons were the second-largest family after the Huxleys and demanded they use the moment to witness real wealth.

A man named Liam Lee arrived, and the situation twisted further. Daphne cried to him that Chloe kept stealing from her and attacking her. Liam, eager to please Daphne, suggested humiliating Chloe. Daphne demanded Liam kneel. Chloe exploded at the cruelty, saying he was not a dog. Daphne forced him down anyway, laughing that the man Chloe had once been crazy about was only a dog to her now.

Jules clutched her chest theatrically, claiming she was about to have a heart attack and telling Chloe to call 911. Daphne laughed harder, calling Chloe pathetic for pitying Liam. Chloe told Daphne the truth: it had been a setup, and the two of them belonged together. If they stayed matched, at least they would not bother others.

Daphne, still hungry to dominate, began outbidding Chloe and Jules. When Chloe selected items, Daphne offered double. Chloe pretended to consider, then asked Jules whether, since the mall belonged to Ethan, making a lot of money for him might earn them a share—some pocket money. Chloe called Ethan on speaker with innocent charm, saying she was there “on behalf of your mall,” and asked whether he would share profits if she made him money.

Daphne sneered that Chloe’s choices were too cheap, “more for those who pick up trash,” and strode toward luxury bags. She ordered the salesperson to wrap every bag on the wall. Then she turned back to the accessories Chloe had chosen and claimed them too, determined to prove herself richer.

The total for Daphne’s accessories came to $150,000,000. Daphne announced she would show Chloe what it meant to be rich.

Chloe and Jules, instead of panicking, laughed. Jules reminded Chloe that Ethan had promised them 1%—meaning they had just made $1,000,000. Chloe pressed the store to charge it.

Daphne demanded to know why they were laughing, convinced Chloe could not afford anything and was pretending. The staff, however, received a call: the mall’s ownership had been transferred. The person on the line told Chloe that “the president” had transferred ownership of Starlight Galleria to her, making it her asset, and that profits would now go into her account.

Daphne insisted it was impossible. She claimed Ethan would never give Chloe a mall and accused Chloe of using “charm” to cheat him. Chloe, smiling, thanked Daphne for buying so much and ordered the staff to upgrade Daphne to VVVVIP status, promising her special discounts in Chloe’s mall and forbidding anyone from charging her double again.

Daphne tried to call the police, shouting scam, but the manager confirmed headquarters had notified them: Starlight Galleria belonged to Chloe Johnson now.

Daphne lunged, and Chloe slapped her, calling it the price for being insulted. Daphne screamed she would kill Chloe. Chloe hit back, and the store erupted into chaos until Daphne, humiliated and furious, was forced out.

That night, Chloe returned home with Jules in triumph. She opened the large box Ethan’s mother had given her and discovered, to her astonishment, that it contained condoms—an “open-minded” gift intended to produce grandchildren. Chloe hurried to hide them before Ethan saw.

Ethan caught her anyway, noticing her secrecy. Chloe tried to wave it off, claiming the items were from his mother and that he would not need them. Ethan, calm and unreadable, replied that since it was his mother’s wish, they could not let her down.

Chloe stared at him, startled by the shift. She tried to retreat into sleep, half thinking that if he were truly capable, perhaps they could have been closer. Ethan lay awake beside her, watching her sleep too soundly, too carelessly, as if she saw him as no threat at all, and he wondered how he could show his feelings without frightening her.

The next day, Chloe found her design plans in his hands. Ethan said he had found them on the floor. He praised her talent and asked whether she had ever considered working. When Chloe admitted she had considered it briefly after being kicked out but said she had him now, Ethan suggested she apply to Huxley Group’s jewelry division, which was looking for designers. He told her that the company valued talent and that even without special treatment she would be fine.

Chloe, bristling at the implication, insisted she would succeed on her own merit. She announced she would interview herself and secure the job because the starting salary was $30,000 a month—and she intended to add it to her pocket money.

She walked into Huxley Jewelry confident.

Her resume impressed the interviewer, a man named Mr. Zhang. Chloe mistakenly called him “uncle,” corrected herself, and was told she was hired.

But as Chloe left, she saw Daphne at the same place, being dismissed without questions. Daphne protested favoritism and accused the company of openly using connections. Mr. Zhang insulted Daphne’s resume as trash and ordered security to throw her out.

Ethan arrived in time to hear it.

He said he had not trusted the interview process, so he had come to check. He fired Mr. Zhang on the spot, condemning him as scum and demanding the company remove people like him immediately. He ordered security to drag him out and blacklist him from being hired again, then instructed his assistant to arrange a fair interview for Chloe without mentioning their connection.

A new interviewer, Miss Xiao, evaluated Chloe’s ideas and praised them as bold and suited to the company’s needs. Chloe was hired to start work the next day.

On the way home, Chloe declared victory and insisted again she had not needed Ethan to pull strings. Ethan told her she truly was talented. Chloe admitted she still had to thank him for handling the “backdoor agent” so fast, furious that someone’s niece would dare use connections in front of her when Chloe was the CEO’s wife and still had not used them.

To celebrate, Chloe proposed wine. She drank too much, insisted she never got drunk, and began touching Ethan’s chest, praising his muscles, then mocking that such muscles were “useless.” Ethan warned her to stop. Chloe refused, teasing him for never finding a wife and asking if he could not do it.

Ethan tried to walk away. Chloe grabbed him, promising they were “just sleeping.” She complained she was hot and kept calling him “hubby.” Ethan’s restraint snapped, and he told her she had asked for this.

In the haze of the night, Chloe felt something strangely familiar, as if she had been here before, as if a memory was trying to surface beneath the intoxication. When morning came, she woke in alarm and asked herself what she had done to Ethan Huxley. He was her boss. What if she had upset him and ruined her pay?

Ethan, awake, told her he would not hold a grudge against a drunk. He urged her to hurry and get ready for work.

Chloe asked directly whether she had done something to him. Ethan answered lightly, refusing to accuse her. Chloe apologized for touching a sore spot. Ethan told her to report to work.

At Huxley Jewelry, Chloe was placed at a workstation and assigned to collaborate with a man named Owen Fuqing. The assistant, Lin, introduced Chloe to the team and offered her small comforts. Owen, attentive in a way that felt intrusive, replaced her broken chair and hovered with eager friendliness, drawing quiet suspicion from other coworkers who called him a creep who loved staring at pretty women.

Elsewhere, Ethan’s assistant reported that Owen seemed interested in Ethan’s wife. Ethan replied that Chloe could handle herself, yet admitted he would not stand by if another man pursued her. Still, Chloe saw Ethan only as boss and employee. Ethan’s assistant suggested an old saying: act partly drunk and she would cry for you. Ethan rejected the idea, offended at the thought of acting pitiful.

That evening, Owen drove Chloe home and offered her flowers, calling it a department tradition for welcoming new people. Ethan appeared at the entrance. Owen asked whether Ethan was Chloe’s boyfriend. Chloe introduced him simply: Ethan Huxley.

Owen, thinking quickly, asked where Ethan worked. Ethan answered that he stayed at home. Owen’s eyes brightened, assuming unemployment made Ethan easy to replace. He offered to help Ethan apply to Huxley Group and mocked that if interviews failed, cleaning work might be available. Ethan refused, saying his wife was willing to support him. Chloe leaned into the performance, calling herself “the working emperor” and Ethan “the pampered pretty boy.”

As Owen left, Ethan told him to treat his nail fungus.

Inside, Ethan demanded the flowers. Chloe handed them over. Ethan sighed, and Chloe asked what was wrong. Ethan implied he felt insecure: Owen was well dressed, wore an expensive watch, drove a luxury car, and clearly wanted Chloe. Yet Chloe had chosen to work under Ethan, her boss. They still had at least 1 year before the marriage ended.

Chloe told him he was overthinking it. Ethan insisted he could read another man’s intentions clearly. Chloe called him jealous. Ethan argued it was not jealousy but avoiding scandal; if the grandmother found out Chloe was entertaining another man, it would become a mess. Chloe promised she would never cheat and declared she hated crossing that line. She said even as his employee she had professional ethics.

Ethan replied that words were not enough and demanded reassurance. His demand was blunt: from now on, Chloe would keep at least 5 meters distance from other men. Chloe agreed, astonished that the richest man and CEO could be so insecure.

The next day, she told Owen they should keep distance, explaining that Ethan was not her boyfriend—he was her husband—and he was jealous about private interactions. Owen’s shock turned into a darker thrill. A married woman, he thought, was “more exciting” to steal away.

Soon after, Owen invited Chloe to a jewelry exhibition at the Huxley Hotel for inspiration on their project, promising to send the address. Chloe agreed.

On the day of the exhibition, Owen offered Chloe a drink. She accepted, unaware. As the alcohol hit, her mind blurred. Owen’s demeanor changed. He admitted he had given her something to “make her happy,” then mocked her husband as a bum and asked whether she and Ethan had even shared a bed. Chloe told him to watch his mouth. Owen grew cruder, claiming Ethan could not satisfy her and that Chloe relied on Ethan’s money to buy anything. He offered himself, boasting wealth and implying more than money.

Chloe called him an animal who thought only below the belt and compared him to a teddy bear. Owen advanced anyway.

Ethan arrived in time to stop it. He struck Owen and revealed the truth: he was not unemployed. He was the CEO of Huxley Group, and Chloe was his wife. Owen collapsed into panic, trying to bargain and insisting Ethan did not need to compensate him for anything. Ethan, cold, asked how much compensation he should pay if he ruined Owen instead.

Owen begged. Ethan ordered him fired and sent to the Justice Department.

Chloe, still dizzy, clung to Ethan and whispered she was scared. Ethan told her nothing had happened and that he was there. Lin reported that Ethan had seen Owen carrying Chloe toward a room. Chloe thanked Ethan, admitting she might have been finished if he had not arrived.

Ethan took her home, holding her steady as she walked, and told her to slow down. Chloe, shaken, repeated that her head hurt, and Ethan told her not to be afraid.

The incident did not end there. At work, Chloe’s designs earned praise, and colleagues said she would win the Huxley Jewelry Design Competition. In the midst of that confidence, the department head announced a “new designer” joining the team: Daphne Dawson.

Daphne entered as if she owned the room and demanded a specific seat. When told someone was already sitting there, she ordered the person to move, invoking her status as the eldest daughter of the Dawson family and her lifelong ties to the Huxleys. Chloe, seated first, was told to switch. Daphne pressed her advantage with threats and contempt. Chloe gave up the seat rather than fight in the moment, then watched Daphne immediately decide she wanted a better one—still driven to take what belonged to someone else.

At home, Chloe complained to Ethan that Daphne had joined Huxley Jewelry. Ethan said Daphne had not asked him or his mother; she had gotten in herself. He offered to transfer Chloe to another team. Chloe refused, insisting Daphne was not much of a threat and that Chloe was “pretty awesome.” Ethan smiled and agreed she was.

But Chloe could not rest. The competition was coming, and Ethan quietly instructed Lin to investigate how Daphne had joined the company, then asked for details and the address for Chloe’s competition entry. Lin said Chloe would definitely win and that her design was amazing.

Daphne, overhearing, insisted she would join too. She sneered that if Chloe could enter, so could she. She even said that if necessary, she would copy something. She then targeted Chloe’s design directly. She ordered someone to cancel Chloe’s contest application.

When Chloe arrived to confirm her entry, her design was missing. She confronted the staff, insisting she had signed up. At the event, people admired the “Heart of the Ocean” design—only to read the name attached to it: Daphne Dawson. Daphne stepped forward, claiming it as hers, boasting she had graduated from Harvard, and accepting praise that she was surely the champion.

Chloe demanded answers. Daphne tried to dismiss her, but Chloe dragged her aside and accused her of copying her work. Daphne answered without shame: it was just a draft, and Chloe should feel lucky Daphne liked it. Daphne declared taking Chloe’s design was Chloe’s “privilege.” She insisted that when Chloe knew Daphne was entering the competition, Chloe should have handed over her draft.

Chloe called her shameless, accusing her of a upbringing defined by stealing and snatching. Daphne threatened her with the power of the Dawson family, warning Chloe not to think Ethan’s presence could protect her.

Chloe told her she was insane.

Ethan appeared, and Daphne immediately shifted tone, calling it all a misunderstanding and claiming Chloe had forgotten to join and was now falsely accusing her. Chloe pointed out Daphne’s sudden reversal and declared Daphne had admitted to stealing. Ethan, unmoved by Daphne’s charm, accused her of plagiarism and said Huxley Jewelry would not keep someone like her.

Daphne demanded evidence, confident because she had deleted Chloe’s design files. Ethan said he had designs for comparison and ordered them fetched.

Chloe rushed back to the office to find her drafts—only to discover her folders empty, her process images deleted. Panic rose. Without proof, she could not win against Daphne, and if she was labeled a plagiarist, her career would be over. Ethan told her not to panic. Chloe would return to the event and keep an eye on Daphne; Ethan would handle the rest.

Back at the competition, Daphne basked in praise, declaring herself an award-winning top designer. Chloe confronted her publicly, calling her a despicable thief. Daphne’s allies mocked Chloe as uncultured and jealous, insisting Chloe had no evidence. Daphne stood smugly in the belief that her status would protect her unless she was caught plagiarizing on the spot.

The announcer called the room to attention. The winners were about to be declared.

In the next moment, the competition took a turn no one expected.

The hall quieted as the announcer prepared to reveal the winner of the Huxley Jewelry Design Competition. Conversations faded into a tense murmur. Designers stood in tight clusters, waiting for the result that could change their careers.

“The winning piece this year is Heart of the Ocean.”

A ripple of excitement passed through the audience. Daphne Dawson stepped forward immediately, her posture confident and expectant, already basking in the attention. Cameras turned toward her as if the outcome had been predetermined.

Ethan Huxley’s voice cut through the noise.

“Designed by you?”

Daphne nodded quickly. “Yes.”

Ethan’s expression remained calm but unreadable. “Then explain your design concept. Why did you choose 108 facets, and what is the symbolism behind the blue-green gemstones?”

The question froze her smile.

“Well…”

She hesitated.

“A real designer can explain the meaning of their work,” Ethan said evenly. “If you can’t, it means it wasn’t your design.”

Silence stretched through the room.

Ethan turned toward the crowd. “Does anyone know the meaning behind this piece?”

A voice answered.

“I do.”

Chloe Johnson stepped forward.

“You said the 108 facets are meant to reflect the diamond’s beauty and maximize its brilliance,” she said clearly. “The blue-green gemstones represent the ocean’s vastness and acceptance, symbolizing elegance and nobility for the wearer.”

Whispers erupted immediately.

“That means she’s the real designer.”

“Daphne Dawson plagiarized her work.”

“So the Harvard background was fake?”

“Ugly people really do act strange.”

The murmurs grew louder as reporters rushed forward with microphones and cameras.

Daphne’s expression tightened, but she refused to retreat.

“You’re accusing me of plagiarism,” she said sharply. “Then show evidence.”

She lifted a folder.

“I have the original drafts.”

Gasps rippled across the room as she displayed them. The papers contained the same design sketches for Heart of the Ocean. Dates and annotations seemed convincing.

Reporters turned instantly toward Chloe.

“Miss Johnson, if Daphne Dawson plagiarized your design, why can she present the original draft?”

“Do you have evidence that this design belongs to you?”

“Did she revoke your eligibility from the competition?”

Chloe’s heartbeat hammered in her chest. Without the deleted drafts on her computer, she had nothing to show.

Daphne smiled slowly, enjoying the moment.

“Everyone, don’t listen to her nonsense,” she said. “She’s always been jealous of me. I won the New Moon Designer Competition years ago. Why would I copy someone less talented than me?”

“Exactly,” someone in the crowd agreed. “A genius designer wouldn’t copy a loser.”

Chloe’s fists tightened.

“That’s ridiculous,” she said. “She stole my designs, deleted my drafts from the computer, and submitted them as her own.”

“Then show proof,” the reporters insisted.

“Hurry up and present evidence.”

“Admit you plagiarized if you can’t.”

“Stop!”

The commanding voice cut across the chaos.

Ethan stepped forward.

“I know she didn’t plagiarize,” he said calmly.

Daphne forced a laugh. “Brother Ethan, you can’t believe her without proof.”

“You wanted evidence,” Ethan replied. “Here it is.”

He handed a set of papers to the reporters.

“These are the original sketches.”

Chloe stared in shock.

“Where did you find them?” she asked.

“They were under your bed,” Ethan said. “They must have fallen there when you moved into the Huxley residence.”

The sketches contained the early drafts of the design. Each page carried Chloe’s signature and dates that preceded Daphne’s supposed drafts.

Reporters compared the documents.

“The corrections and revisions are here.”

“Daphne’s version is too polished—no designer produces a perfect draft immediately.”

“That proves Chloe Johnson created the design first.”

The hall erupted again.

Daphne’s composure finally cracked.

“Everyone listen!” she shouted. “She’s lying!”

But her voice trembled.

“Daphne Dawson just admitted it herself,” one reporter said.

“Now we know who the real plagiarist is.”

Ethan turned toward the press.

“I trust you will report the truth.”

The reporters nodded quickly.

Security approached Daphne as murmurs of condemnation spread across the room.

Ethan spoke again, his tone cold.

“The Huxley Group does not tolerate plagiarism or deception.”

Daphne’s face drained of color.

“You can’t do this to me,” she said desperately. “We grew up together.”

“My patience with you has limits,” Ethan replied. “Don’t think family ties give you permission to do whatever you want.”

Security escorted her away as reporters documented every second.

When the chaos finally settled, the announcer cleared his throat.

“The winner of this year’s Huxley Jewelry Design Competition is Chloe Johnson.”

Applause filled the hall.

“Additionally, the Huxley Group has decided to promote Miss Johnson as Head Designer of Huxley Jewelry.”

The audience erupted again.

The design Heart of the Ocean would become the company’s featured product.

Chloe bowed slightly, overwhelmed.

“Thank you, everyone.”

That night, exhaustion caught up with her.

Back at the Huxley residence, Chloe collapsed on the sofa while Jules applied a facial mask to her face.

“You look exhausted,” Jules said.

“Work was brutal,” Chloe replied.

Jules grinned.

“By the way, didn’t my uncle say you had to find a job within 7 days? Did you start yet?”

“I’m waiting until the last day,” Jules answered lazily.

Then she leaned closer with sudden curiosity.

“Did you notice something interesting?”

“What?”

“My uncle treats you very differently.”

Chloe shook her head.

“We’re just partners. Even if he’s my boss, I solved a huge problem for him. Of course he’ll treat me well.”

Jules wasn’t convinced.

“My uncle doesn’t care about personal relationships. Is he falling for you?”

“No way,” Chloe replied immediately.

She laughed.

“Besides, didn’t you say he couldn’t… do it?”

Jules considered that point and nodded slowly.

“Fair enough.”

Meanwhile, far away from their quiet conversation, another crisis was unfolding.

At Chloe’s grandparents’ home, the Jiang family faced a disaster.

For months the Dawson family had been secretly attacking their business. Loans had been withdrawn, contracts cancelled, and suppliers pressured.

Without new funding, the Jiang company would collapse within 3 days.

Chloe’s grandparents hid the truth from her, afraid the stress would break her heart.

But the news eventually reached Chloe anyway.

Jules burst into her room one morning.

“Chaochao! Check the news! Your family’s company went bankrupt!”

Chloe froze.

“What?”

The trending headlines told the story clearly: the Dawson family had forced the Jiang company into financial collapse.

Fury ignited in Chloe’s chest.

“I’m going to find Daphne Dawson,” she said.

Jules grabbed her arm.

“Don’t go alone! It’s dangerous!”

But Chloe was already leaving.

Daphne’s family had gathered at Central Hospital, where Daphne was recovering from the earlier confrontation. Chloe marched straight inside.

Daphne saw her and laughed.

“Well, well. Chloe Johnson delivered herself to me.”

She leaned back smugly.

“Your company’s fate is in my hands.”

“If you touch me,” Chloe said coldly, “I’ll destroy everything your grandfather built.”

Daphne laughed again.

“You brought this on yourself.”

She leaned closer.

“Go ahead. Kill me. If you do, your whole family will suffer.”

Chloe’s eyes darkened.

“I’m not afraid to deal with you,” she said quietly. “I just don’t want to dirty my hands.”

She lifted a small knife from the table.

“But maybe carving a few words on your face would be interesting.”

Daphne’s arrogance vanished instantly.

“No—please—don’t!”

“You were pretty arrogant when bullying my family,” Chloe said.

“Where did that courage go?”

“I won’t do it again!” Daphne cried. “There won’t be a next time!”

“Too late.”

Just as Chloe moved forward, a voice interrupted.

“Stop!”

Lin Le rushed into the room.

“If you harm her, the Dawson family will destroy your grandparents’ company.”

Chloe paused.

“Call them,” she said. “Tell them to stop attacking my family.”

Lin Le hesitated, then dialed.

After several tense moments he nodded.

“They’ll withdraw.”

Chloe lowered the knife.

“Deal.”

She turned to leave.

But Daphne suddenly burst into laughter.

“You really believed that?”

She pointed at Chloe mockingly.

“Now it’s my turn.”

Before Chloe could react, several men surrounded her.

“Are you afraid of Ethan Huxley’s revenge?” Daphne sneered.

“If you’re not afraid, go ahead and hit me.”

One of the men hesitated.

“She’s Mr. Huxley’s wife…”

“Who cares?” Daphne snapped.

“Rip her clothes off and carve ‘I am a fool’ on her face.”

The men moved toward Chloe.

“Let go of me!”

Suddenly the door slammed open.

“Take her away.”

Ethan’s voice echoed across the room.

The guards froze.

Ethan stepped inside.

“You dared attack my wife,” he said coldly. “Are you looking for death?”

Daphne tried to smile sweetly.

“Ethan, I know you’re still angry with me. That’s why you’re acting cold.”

“I don’t care who you are,” Ethan replied. “No one touches my wife.”

“For humiliating her, you’ll pay 100-fold.”

His bodyguards stepped forward.

Daphne’s confidence finally collapsed.

“Wait!” she shouted. “Did you forget the promise you made to me 2 years ago?”

Ethan paused.

“You want me to repay that promise now?” he asked.

Daphne nodded quickly.

“Don’t punish me for today. Think about the past.”

Ethan stared at her.

Then he slapped her.

The sound echoed through the room.

“This slap is for attacking the Jiang family,” he said.

“If it happens again, one slap won’t settle it.”

He stepped closer.

“The favor I owed you for the jade pendant 2 years ago is repaid.”

“If I ever see you harm my wife or her family again…”

His voice dropped to ice.

“Old debts and new ones will be settled together.”

Security dragged Daphne away as she screamed.

Later, back home, Chloe finally asked the question that had been haunting her.

“You and Daphne Dawson… were you really close?”

Ethan frowned.

“I barely know her.”

Chloe crossed her arms.

“Really? Because the way she looked at you didn’t seem like strangers.”

“Trust me,” Ethan said quietly.

Chloe hesitated.

But doubt still lingered in her mind.

Daphne had mentioned something strange earlier.

The jade pendant Ethan always carried.

According to Daphne, she had given it to him.

Chloe suddenly remembered something else.

That pendant was kept in a locked box inside a room across the hall.

If she wanted answers, she would have to see it herself.

And that decision would lead her to a discovery that would change everything.