Chapter 04 I Have Nothing to Lose, I'm Not Afraid of You!
After Elijah's car disappeared from Yvonne's sight, he slowed down.
His "Four Treasures" WhatsApp group with his three friends, Mason Brown, Philippe Jones, and Louis Harrison, had several unread messages.
Elijah casually clicked on a voice message, and Philippe's teasing voice came through. "Elijah, this hundred-year-old tree has quietly blossomed, and we three were kept in the dark!"
Then, the following voice message started playing automatically:
"That woman has a hot body. She looks amazing! When she walks, her waist twists so seductively! Damn it, Elijah actually likes this kind of woman!"
"I clicked on the video and watched it carefully. That beauty is wearing the Brooks Group uniform. Isn't Elijah engaged to the boss's daughter from the Brooks Group? Could this be our future sister-in-law?"
"Mason, what nonsense are you talking about? I've met Grace. She's gentle and well-behaved, nothing like the woman in the video."
"Elijah, how many women have you hooked up with? Come out and clarify!"
Elijah listened with confusion and parked the car. He found the topmost video in the group and clicked on it.
It turned out to be a video of him and Yvonne kissing in the car, with a few middle-aged women crowding around, watching.
Yvonne got off the car five seconds before the video ended, and her every move was full of charm. Even through the screen, Elijah felt his heart racing.
Philippe had a cousin who worked in the surveillance department. It must have been him who sent the video to Philippe.
In the group, Elijah directly replied to Philippe: "Stop spreading rumors! It's not what you think! Help me delete it immediately!"
Philippe replied: "It's already taken care of. Your license plate is so eye-catching. Even if I didn't see you, I would still know it was you."
Elijah: "Thanks."
Mason jeered: "Just saying thank you is not enough. Tonight at Zero Club, Elijah will treat us!"
Elijah readily agreed, saying "Ok."
Exiting the group chat, Elijah suddenly noticed a friend request from Yvonne on his WhatsApp from last night.
Yvonne's avatar was a charming cartoon doll, squinting one eye with pouting lips. Her name was listed as "sparkler," and her personal statement read: "Hold on to sand, just let it go."
Elijah opened Yvonne's Instagram profile, only to see a faint three-day visible dividing line.
Elijah inexplicably remembered the soul-stirring kiss in the car, and an indescribable enchantment surged within him.
Over the years, he had encountered many scheming women getting close to him, but Yvonne was the boldest one yet.
He put down his phone, but Yvonne's coquettish voice calling him "Baby" repeatedly appeared in his mind.
Perhaps it was because he had been away from women for too long, that he had such a delusion.
An hour later, Yvonne returned to the Brooks Group. Grace's meeting had already ended.
Yvonne entered the marketing department, and several colleagues anxiously asked her where she had been.
Before she could respond, Grace followed and threw a letter of dismissal at Yvonne. "You were absent during the company meeting. Go directly to the HR department to complete your resignation procedures!"
Yvonne didn't even look at the paper. She tore it to shreds and threw it toward Grace. "George isn't dead yet, and you, a mere marketing department manager, think you can dismiss me without a cause?"
Several employees were present, so Grace didn't dare to argue with Yvonne. In front of others, she portrayed herself as a gentle and virtuous intellectual.
Yvonne's confrontation made Grace's face turn red with anger. "Yvonne, go and process your resignation immediately. I will explain everything to Mr. Brooks."
"If you want me to leave the Brooks Group, fine. But I want George to tell me this himself." Yvonne crossed her legs and smiled, looking at the furious Grace.
Grace bit her lip hard. "Don't expect him to shield you today!"
"Then let's give it a try." Yvonne smirked with her red lips. "If I leave the Brooks Group tomorrow, I'll be your nanny for free. If I stay, you'll kneel and apologize to me in front of the entire marketing department!"
Grace angrily slammed the door and left.
"Yvonne, now you've really offended Grace!"
"Don't worry, you are a talented architecture graduate from Seattle University. You were underrated in the Brooks Group anyway."
"If Mr. Brooks has even a little bit of discernment, he won't listen to Grace's instigation!"
"After all, you are Mr. Brooks's distant niece. At least there is some blood relation between you and Mr. Brooks. Grace solely relies on her mother's instigation..."
Several colleagues began to comfort Yvonne.
Yvonne didn't care, as she was used to Grace's threats.
In the end, her trump card was bringing up George.
If George dared to show any favoritism this time, no one would have a good day!
At noon, a client named Mr. Granger called.
He was a small business owner in the foreign trade industry. Last month, he bought a newly-built house of over 200 square meters and consulted Yvonne through a mutual acquaintance regarding the decoration matters.
Yvonne hadn't signed any contracts this month, so she urgently needed to boost her performance. She presented three different decoration proposals to Mr. Granger, but he was wavering between the mid-range and high-end options.
Mr. Granger had called Yvonne to say that he was ready to sign the contract and pay the deposit.
Yvonne was delighted. "I don't know if you've had lunch, but I'd like to treat you to a meal and bring the contract over for your review."
Mr. Granger chuckled meaningfully. "I'm sorry, Miss Brooks. I can't spare any time for lunch. Let's meet in the evening. It's actually my birthday today, and I've reserved a table at the Zero Club. You can bring the contract there."
Zero Club was a paradise for the wealthy, a place of revelry in Winslow.
When men and women go there, it inevitably carries a hint of ambiguity.
Even if Mr. Granger opted for the mid-range decoration proposal, Yvonne would still earn over ten thousand dollars in commission.
So Yvonne couldn't find a reason to refuse.
Before ending the call, Mr. Granger reminded her to come early after work.
Just as she hung up, George called.
"Yvonne, come to my office right away!" George's tone clearly indicated that he was instigated by Grace.
Three minutes later, Yvonne entered George's office while he was busy on the phone.
Yvonne didn't beat around the bush and directly sat on the chair opposite George.
"Elijah is excellent. It's an honor for my second daughter to marry into the Harper family. We have no requirements for the betrothal gifts and bridal presents. Everything will be arranged according to your wishes." George's attitude was respectful.
They were discussing the engagement ceremony, so it looked like she had to pick up the pace.
"Yvonne!" George ended the phone call and forcefully slapped his desk.
Yvonne casually spun in the chair, mocking George with her gaze. "What bad things did Grace say about me this time?"
"How dare you seduce Elijah!" George lowered his voice, afraid of being heard.
Yvonne touched her slightly throbbing forehead with one hand. "Grace wants me out of the Brooks Group. I want to know where you stand on this."
"Yvonne!" George suddenly changed his attitude. "Grace is just angry. Why don't you leave the company for a while? When she calms down, I'll bring you back."
Indeed, she meant nothing to George!
Yvonne shook her long hair behind her head and smiled. "Fine, today I'll leave the Brooks Group. Tomorrow, be prepared for the police to come knocking on your door."
"You still have that recording, don't you?" George's face turned pale as he grabbed a stack of documents and threw them at Yvonne.
Yvonne dodged out of the way in advance.
"Do you want to blackmail me with the recording?" George's arrogance diminished.
Yvonne picked up a lighter from the desk, lit a cigarette, and threw the lighter back in its place.
"If you don't force me, we can all live in peace. If you insist on standing up for Grace and kicking me out of the company, then be prepared for me to go to the police station."
A white smoke ring slowly rose from between Yvonne's red nails.
Half a month ago, the Brooks Group was facing financial difficulties. George, in order to secure a loan from the bank, had given a million-dollar painting to Mr. Martínez, the bank's manager.
At that time, Yvonne and Grace were engaged in a heated battle, so she took precautions and secretly placed a mini voice recorder in George's briefcase, successfully capturing his bribery conversation.
George's face turned livid, and his voice became much softer. "I don't believe you would send your own father to jail!"
"I have nothing to lose, why should I fear your threats? If you really don't believe me, let's try it." Yvonne flicked her finger, and ash fell.
"That recording is in my email, set to be sent on a schedule. If not retracted, it will be sent to the Economic Investigation Division of Winslow Police Station tomorrow morning at eight."
George got so angry that he grabbed a glass and smashed it to the ground. "You angered Grace by getting into Elijah's car. She insists on kicking you out of the company. What should I do?"
Yvonne smiled indifferently. "If you really want to go to jail, I won't stop you."
George remained silent with a darkened face for a long time before speaking in a softer tone. "I'll go to Grace and speak on your behalf, but this won't happen again."
"Mr. Brooks might as well act like a good person and transfer me to the design department." Yvonne proudly blew smoke rings, gazing at the ceiling above. "You always claim to value talent. I studied interior and exterior design, so being in the marketing department is a waste of my abilities."
George sensed a hint of threat and fell silent once again.
Yvonne intentionally glanced at her wristwatch. "I still have to go to the cafeteria for lunch. I can only give you one minute. Consider it well."
"There aren't many days left this week. Next Monday, you will report to the design department," George replied, with a furrowed brow.
Yvonne was a talented architecture student at Seattle University. George had brought her into the Brooks Group with the intention of placing her in the design department.
However, Mary suggested that Yvonne should go to the marketing department first to temper her pride and sharpen her skills before returning to the design department.
Yvonne had been with the company for three months, but she had constant conflicts with Grace. It would be good to separate them.
"Mr. Brooks, don't forget to follow the workflow." Yvonne stood up and walked away.
George called out to her, "Elijah is Grace's fiancé. I forbid you from seducing Elijah!"
Yvonne sneered, "If Elijah remains faithful to Grace, then there's nothing I can do to lure him away."
"Your mother has found a suitable young man for you. You'll meet him the day after tomorrow, which is Sunday," George said before Yvonne disappeared.