Chapter 12 She Left for Good
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Moments later, James called back.
“Mr. Diaz.”
“What did she say?”
“Ms. Rivera…” James stuttered, “She said you were insane.”
Reece’s eyebrows twitched.
.
“She said to just throw all her things away. She’s busy. Don’t bother her… She also said…”
Before James continued, Reece simply hung up.
The chill of the cold night crept straight into his chest with the moonlight.
Those sleeping pills were messing with his mind.
He should never have asked so but thrown her things away.
But the unease and emptiness these past few days were too real to ignore.
Early the next morning, Julissa followed the address Zayne gave her. She was surprised to find herself at the Fowler’s house.
It was tucked away in a quiet place. She saw a vintage house with red brick walls at the far end of a narrow street.
She had heard of how the Fowler’s house held the family treasures that had been collected for generations. Half of their jewelry empire was built from this place.
She expected tight security, but the rusted gate creaked open with a light push.
Inside, the courtyard was open, with a pavilion and neatly trimmed greenery.
Zayne leaned lazily on a wooden rocking chair under the sunset, wearing a light robe. The scene looked like a paint- ing. It was calm, quiet, unreal.
Julissa once thought the Fowler family survived brutal business wars with nothing but sharp claws and cold hearts.
But now, she understood why even a young man with achievements like Reece couldn’t shake them.
Inheritance outweighed personal efforts.
The Fowler family was entitled to the oldest and most valuable things.
“Julie!”
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Chapter 12 She Left for Good
Zayne’s voice broke the moment. Her mood soured instantly.
“Mr. Fowler, why did you bring me here?” Julissa asked warily. “Are you trying to set me up again?”
“How could I?” Zayne smiled. “Come on in.”
Behind the house was a small room. The lighting was perfect, and the breeze was soft. It was a pleasant place.
Every tool a jewelry designer needed was laid out neatly on the table.
“This place is all yours,” he said.
She hadn’t expected this. The tools were tempting, but she still rolled her eyes.
He always knew just what to prepare.
A familiar voice sounded, “Ms. Rivera.”
Melvin walked from inside.
Julissa froze, and then her face turned cold.
She hadn’t even settled the score with him over the stolen design.
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Sensing her anger, Melvin stayed calm and put down the stone in his hand. “I’ve seen the online posts about ‘Harvest‘. I indeed gave that design to Cristina.”
“That’s enough,” Julissa cut in, eyes sharp. “Mr. Fowler, if working with this stone means working with Mr. Barrett, I’m out.”
“Don’t be so quick to leave.” Zayne blocked the door. “I promise, I’won’t make you do anything you don’t want to.” He gently pulled her to sit down and patiently explained, “Mr. Barrett will never tell his disciple to steal another per- son’s design. He loves carving stone and wishes all the best for the industry.”
Julissa’s face relaxed a bit.
But she snapped again, her voice full of frustration, “He admitted it himself!”
Zayne couldn’t help but smile.
She was always cute and full of surprises.
“Cristina asked Mr. Barrett for help when she tried to design ‘Harvest‘. Mr. Barrett thought the design reminded him ⚫ of one from Caroline years ago. He let her see the design to learn from it. He never expected Cristina to copy it out-
right.”
Zayne sat across from her and bent down slightly as he spoke, meeting her at eye level.
Little by little, Julissa calmed down.
“Are you telling the truth?”
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Chapter 12 She Left for Good
Zayne just looked at her.
He thought she acted like a kitten about to stretch its claws when she was angry.
“What are you staring at?” she frowned. “Are you mentally damaged?”
“No.” Zayne tilted his head. “I was just wondering why you are like this.”
“Like what?”
“How can someone be so smart and still kinda dumb?”
She wanted to kick him.
Then he added with a soft tone, “But cute.”
She froze.
Zayne looked gentle, but underneath that was something dangerous. He was complicated.
She hid her thoughts and cursed him in her mind.
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She quickly changed the topic. “Anyway, Mr. Barrett,” she said, “If you knew the truth, why didn’t you say something when ‘Harvest‘ launched?”
Melvin sighed as if all the air had left him.
“Cristina’s talented,” he said, “She has potential.”
Julissa frowned but listened.
“She just cares too much about winning and losing. Fame and success mean everything to her. But she is still my stu- dent. She’s young, and there’s still room for her to grow and change. If she gets branded a thief, her design career is over.”
Julissa sneered. “So it’s okay to let her steal another person’s design?”
“Everyone makes mistakes,” Melvin said, “She’ll pay for it eventually. But she’s got real talent. I couldn’t crush that with my own hands.”
Julissa couldn’t agree.
Melvin added, “You can hate me if you want. But this piece of stone is rare, and your skills aren’t there yet. Let me help you finish the design. Then we can talk.”
Melvin valued the stone above all.
As long as he could select real talents to pass on the cause, he would take the blame himself.
Whatever happened next was between Julissa and Cristina. That was their business.
Julissa thought for a long moment and nodded.
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Chapter 12 She Left for Good
288 ¡Vouchers
She stayed at the Fowler’s house day and night, learning from Melvin and pouring all her focus into designing the piece.
The whole drama had sparked something in her.
She wanted to design a piece of jewelry in memory of her mother.
Zayne dropped by sometimes, only to quietly watch her work and sneak a few photos.
Each time he took photos, she would glare at him until he stopped.
One morning, the plants smelled fresh with a soft breeze, and sunlight poured in. She was holding her favorite stone and working on what she loved.
For the first time, Julissa felt like she was truly alive.
She leaned back in the chair to rest, glanced at her phone, and saw the latest headlines about the Diaz Group.
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