Jacklyn arrived on time. As soon as she pushed open the cafe door, she spotted Sammy scanning the surroundings nervously.
She walked straight over and sat down. “Why did you ask to see me?”
Sammy withdrew her gaze and spoke seriously, “Mrs. Lloyd, before lunch, I went into Mr. Lloyd’s office and found that the gemstone necklace was gone.”
Jacklyn’s expression shifted slightly.
She had known it was only a matter of time before the necklace was taken, but she hadn’t expected it to be so soon.
Jacklyn put on an air of indifference and asked in a low voice, “So?”
“To be honest…” Sammy hesitated. “I suspect Mr. Lloyd gave the necklace to Penelope.”
Jacklyn lowered her gaze, long lashes hiding the flicker in her eyes.
Well, well, that shameless couple wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore. Even people at the company could tell.
Her chest tightened, but by the time she looked up again, her composure had returned. “How do you know he gave it to her?”
Sammy looked up and replied solemnly, “It’s obvious Ms. Stinson’s been seducing Mr. Lloyd. Every time she comes in, she stares at that necklace like she’s hypnotized.
Her words made Jacklyn fall silent.
After a pause, a glint of suspicion appeared in her calm gaze. “Why are you telling me this? Eugene is your boss. Or … do you want something from me?”
Sammy shook her head. “Ms. Stinson, have you forgotten? You were the one who got me this job.”
At that moment, the cafe’s background music abruptly stopped.
Jacklyn’s guard finally began to lower. Right, she had been the one to recommend Sammy to the company.
“Can I really trust you?”
Sammy nodded. “Of course.”
Eugene went to the Stinson residence after work. The moment he stepped in, Penelope leapt to her feet in surprise. “Gene, you really brought the necklace?”
Moments later, she frowned slightly, as if troubled. “But Gene, you gave that necklace to Jackie. Won’t she be upset if she finds out?”
At the mention of Jacklyn, Eugene’s expression darkened. “I’ll handle it. But you must keep it a secret. No one can know you have it.”
Penelope lowered her gaze, eyes darting subtly as her mind turned.
“I won’t say anything. It’s not like Jackie goes to the office anyway.”
Eugene gave a slight nod, then made an excuse to leave.
1/2
Chapter 36
+25 BONUS
Meanwhile, Penelope couldn’t take her eyes off the necklace. She kept stroking the gemstones.
“Penelope, time for your oatmeal,” said Rebecca.
As she stepped into the room, she saw Penelope admiring herself in the mirror.
“Is that a gemstone necklace?” Her face lit up with delight at the necklace. “For Eugene to give you something that valuable, you must mean a lot to him.”
Penelope smiled smugly.
“Mom, you have no idea how worried Gene was about me. As soon as he heard I fell, he skipped his meeting and came running! Plus, this necklace is one of a kind. It’s absolutely priceless!”
Rebecca’s eyes gleamed. “Penelope, just hold on a bit longer. Once the baby’s born, Eugene is bound to dump Jacklyn and marry you. Then, we’ll be living in luxury for the rest of our lives.”
Penelope narrowed her eyes, basking in the fantasy.
One day, she was going to crush Jacklyn beneath her heel.
Jacklyn showed up at Lloyd Group. If the necklace really had been taken, she wanted to hear Eugene’s explanation face–to–face.
It was a rare sunny Wednesday, and Jacklyn brought afternoon tea with her.
The moment Eugene heard she was there, he abandoned his meeting midway.
He arrived with a warm smile and took the things in Jacklyn’s hand naturally. “Jackie, what brings you here?”
Jacklyn smiled. “I just passed by, so I thought I’d drop by and bring some afternoon tea for everyone.”
She then reached out, casually brushing his hand away and walking straight into his office.
Right by the door, in its usual spot, the necklace was still on display.
Seeing Jacklyn staring at the necklace, Eugene shifted uneasily. He subtly stepped forward to block her view.” Jackie, the gemstone necklace is right where it’s supposed to be. I haven’t even touched it.”
Chapter 37
