Do You Understand?
Meanwhile, over at the head office of Carnegie Jewelers.
At the largest shop under the Carnegie Family banner, the interior was designed decadently and
luxuriously while the attendants at the counter were well-trained to have a discerning eye for who could
bring them the highest commissions.
The moment Elise entered the shop, three attendants surrounded her.
“Is there anything we can do for you, pretty miss?”
So outstanding was Elise’s temperament that they were certain she came from an extraordinary
background and would be generous in her spending. They were dying to get a commission from her.
However, since she was here for somebody, she only looked around the shop to no avail.
Elise figured that it was better for her to use a simpler method, so she cut to the chase by asking the
attendants, “Where’s Frostine Murray? Shouldn’t the designer be introducing her works in the shop at
this moment? Why isn’t she here?”
The attendants exchanged looks with each other. “Is there a designer here by the last name of Murray? I
don’t think so.”
There was no way Elise could have come to the wrong place.
“Are there other employees in the shop?” she asked.
“Only the logistics employees, but they don’t come to the front,” the slightly older attendant answered.
“What kind of logistics employees would a jewelry shop need?” Elise couldn’t understand.
“Oh, you know, a couple of employees to clean the shop, take out the trash, move some things, and so
on.”
In fact, she was referring to the cleaners, but the phrase ‘logistics employees’ sounded better.
“Um, Miss, allow me to be blunt, but this is a jewelry shop, not a detective agency. We don’t have time to
be playing such games as hide-and-seek with you here,” the youngest attendant spoke dismissively,
relying on the fact that she was the best-performing employee in the shop to get away with it.
“Is this how you treat your customers?” Elise asked with her eyes dangerously narrowed.
“Have you spent any money here yet, self-proclaimed customer?” the attendant retorted strangely.
It made Elise chuckle before she mumbled to herself, “Yes, money makes the world go round. My charm
is nothing in comparison to money.”
“We’re sorry, Miss. She’s new here and doesn’t understand the rules. Please permit me to assist you,”
the older assistant from before hurried to mediate.
The youngest assistant mocked, “Some people like to act the good guy based on their seniority. Go
ahead and mind other people’s business, then, but don’t come blaming me when your work performance
drops!”
Nonetheless, the oldest attendant only smiled with pursed lips and ignored her before moving in the
direction of the lounge. As she went, she gestured with an outstretched hand. “Please come this way,
Miss.”
The moment the attendant said that, Elise pulled out a card and placed it in her hand. “Ten million. A tip
for helping me locate Frostine Murray.”
The overjoyed older attendant opened her mouth to thank Elise when the younger attendant rushed over,
snatched up the card, and simpered, “It’s better that I serve you, miss. I’m the top-performing, most
professional employee in the shop. I’m sure I will do it to your satisfaction.”
As Elise crossed her arms over her chest, she demanded, “Are you committing outright robbery now?”
The smile on the younger attendant’s face froze and she stood there with the card, looking at a loss.
“I want this attendant to serve me. Do you understand?” The corners of Elise’s mouth lifted, but there
was no smile in her eyes—only resoluteness.
The awkward younger attendant quietly placed the card back in the older attendant’s hands.
After tightening her grip around the card in delight, the older attendant bowed before once again
gesturing, “Please come this way, Miss!”
Elise gave a tight smile before she lifted a foot to walk toward the employee lounge only for the door to
suddenly open before she even got behind the counter. From inside, a short-haired woman with tanned
skin but blonde hair and blue eyes walked out. She was lanky but skinny—an indication that she was
biracial.
“No need to go to so much trouble. I’m right here.” Her voice was clipped.
At her introduction, Elise frowned with a heavy look in her eyes.
“Felicia Murray? Why are you here instead of unloading the goods, Manhands? Look at how you’re
dressed. You’re going to scare the customers away! Get back there!” The younger attendant vented her
anger by disparaging Felicia.
“Felicia Murray?” Elise curiously repeated the name.
“Yes, there’s only one person by the last name of Murray in the shop, but she’s not a designer. I have no
idea whether she’s the person you’re looking for, Miss,” the older attendant explained softly.
“She is.” Elise sighed.
The true identity of the so-called ‘Manhands’ Felicia Murray was jewelry designer Frostine Murray.
While Frostine couldn’t exactly be considered an old acquaintance of Elise’s, Elise had been friends for a
while with Frostine’s mentor, the internationally renowned jewelry designer Clemence Murray when Elise
studied fashion design. Later, she lost contact with Clemence and naturally never saw the girl whom
Clemence raised again—Frostine Murray.
“Seems I was right to look for you here.” As she stared at Frostine, Elise parted her lips to murmur, “Let’s
go. Dukethorn isn’t where you should be.”
Nevertheless, Frostine stood at the same spot with not much of a change in expression. “Thank you for
the reminder, but I can’t go anywhere before I am able to locate my mentor.”
“Don’t you ever think about anything else?” Elise asked somewhat irritatedly as her eyes flashed with
complicated emotions. “What if you can never find her?”
“That’s impossible!” Frostine finally lost her cool and glared at Elise, nearly growling as she clenched her
fists and argued, “She’ll come back! I can’t leave. This is where all of the jade in the country is collected
and distributed; she will show up here someday!”
While approaching Frostine with her eyes glinting dangerously, Elise asked, “Are you sure you want to
stay here?”
“Yes! Umm—”
The stubborn yell was interrupted as Elise’s silver needle entered Frostine’s neck in the next second,
causing Frostine to collapse.
Behind Elise was Tom, who asked in shock, “Was there a need to be so direct?”
Was this still his gentle boss? What kind of witchcraft had she done on Frostine?
Like a common bandit, she shoved Frostine at him and ordered, “Take her away.”
Before Frostine could regain consciousness and throw another fuss, they left the jewelry shop and
directly boarded a plane.
When Frostine finally opened her eyes and saw the clouds outside the window, she balled up her fists
once again and turned to say to Elise through gritted teeth, “I’ll find a way to come back no matter where
you take me. Even if I die before I see Clemence again, I’ll die in Dukethorn!”
Clenching her jaw, Elise snapped impatiently, “Do you really think I can’t do without you?”
Instantly, Frostine lost her cool. “Well, you didn’t have to kidnap me! Who asked you to meddle? I stayed
there voluntarily. What right do you have to interfere with my life?”
“If you keep throwing a fuss, I’ll kill you right now and you won’t be able to see her again for the rest of
your life!” Elise threatened roughly, lifting a finger to point in Frostine’s face as she warned, “I hate people
like you who only know how to wait as if the whole world revolves around you. It’d be fine if Clemence
were still alive and wanted to look for you, but have you ever considered the possibility that she might
have gotten in trouble? How would she look for you then? With her spirit?”
“What do you mean by that? Has something happened to her? Something must have happened to her.
Tell me what happened!” Frostine grabbed Elise’s arm fearfully.
“Shut up!” Elise reprimanded. Unexpectedly, Frostine fell quiet before Elise continued, “A number of
physicists have gone missing in the country these past two years and Clemence’s second husband is on
the list. I suspect Clemence went missing as well.”
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