A Doormat
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 him before that she was going to sell Alexis.
So Kenneth is being so kind to us because he really values our potential? Somehow, at the thought of
this, he 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 he found
out that Elise was planning to found Alexis, he had been aware that the jewelry brand was a gift for
“Alexander.” As he was well aware of her intentions, he defended Alexis at all costs—even if it caused
him to be accused of “shielding” the jewelry brand. However, he didn’t expect that Elise would be willing
to present to him with both hands the gift she 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, she thought. She
could be certain that Kenneth had nothing to do with this, but for a moment, she 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 he 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 her 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 her 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, she was startled.
Why is she so well-meaning as to blow her own cover? She smacked her lips. When she looked at
Elise again, she noticed the malice that lay behind the latter’s smile, which instantly gave her the
creeps.
Then, she 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 she 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 her cell phone. Then, she
dialed a number, saying, “I know you’re nearby. Come in. I’ve got you another person on your list of
achievements.” With that, she 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 her back to the police department for interrogation,” Elise replied.
Jackson turned to glance at the woman. Then, without another word, he took out his handcuffs and
frogmarched her away. As he walked out of the store, he 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!” he urged the woman fiercely.
Frightened, the woman held her 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 she sat down. At first, she had wanted to keep her distance from
Kenneth, but today’s incident had made their relationship even murkier. Now, in the eyes of outsiders,
her 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 her 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 her eyes without refuting him. How could she not understand this? But now that she
already had Alexander, she didn’t want to give anyone else a chance, nor would she give herself a
chance either. However, it seemed that things weren’t going according to her 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 her 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 she 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 her thigh and stood up before walking out of the room. “It’s
decided!” What a genius I am! she thought.
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