Chapter 410
ter porcelain isn’t as broken as the one we’re working on,” Caleb sald. “Why’d you say it couldn’t be fixed after one look? Is there a reason?”
Alexander’s curiosity piqued. “What’s wrong with that porcelain?”
Skylar saw no reason to withhold the truth. “There’s definitely something off about that porcelain. It’s not meant for decoration; it houses a negative Item for some dark purpose.”
She’d also noticed something suspicious about the bracelet Annabelle wore. Her intentions weren’t pure. Alexander was taken aback. “Negative items?”
He wasn’t familiar with such things, but Viola was, and Skylar was her protégé. That was enough for him to trust her.
“No wonder I felt on edge when she came in, Caleb admitted belatedly. “I couldn’t explain it, but the feeling vanished the moment she left.”
The same for me,” echoed Alexander. “I thought it was just my age catching up with me, but I never imagined someone would resort to such dark magic.”
He sighed. It reflected the darker side of humanity–manipulative and opportunistic.
“Did either of you touch the fragments? Wash your hands if you did. We should also air out the room by opening the windows,” Skylar advised. The unpleasant odor still lingered for her.
Suddenly, she thought of Jeremy. Annabelle was Jeremy’s secretary, and they spent nearly every day together. Their constant interaction might influence him.
However, the company was large. Even with daily interactions, as long as Annabelle’s actions didn’t directly involve Jeremy, the impact would be minimal.
Furious after leaving Alexander’s office, Annabelle contacted several renowned restorers through a friend.
However, after sending photos of the shattered porcelain, all she received were messages of
helplessness. The porcelain was too badly broken, and even her high–price offers couldn’t tempt anyone to take on the job.
“Why is my luck so bad lately? Everything’s going wrong. Everything seems to be falling apart just as I’m about to become Mrs. Hughes!” she cried in frustration.
That morning, she shouldn’t have messed around with Jeremy in the living room. In a moment of recklessness, she’d accidentally knocked over the porcelain.
As the porcelain shattered, she tried to hide her nervousness, fearing Jeremy might suspect something.
Annabelle gently touched her still flat abdomen. The baby inside was remarkably calm. Despite all the passionate encounters with Jeremy, it seemed unaffected. She might have forgotten she was pregnant if
not for the occasional fatigue,
Just a little longer,” she whispered. “Soon, we’ll both be part of the Hughes family. No one will stop us. That Natalie can’t compete with me. Your father will eventually see how amazing I am, and we’ll all be a family.”
Gazing at the shattered porcelain, a deep unease settled over Annabelle. On some level, she sensed it signified something.
Natalie had planned to stay up late with Austin, but his evening shoot was abruptly canceled. The female lead sustained an injury and was rushed to the hospital.
Austin decided to rest, and so did Natalie. She passed by Jeremy’s company on her way back and decided to stop by. Instructing the cab driver to pull over, she dialed Jeremy’s number.
It was nearing the end of his workday, so he shouldn’t be too busy. As she expected, Jeremy answered promptly. “Nath.”
Natalia murmare, may be heading home tree Arn your busy today?
There was a twn–encond allence before Jeremy repliest. I’m heading to the airport now. I meant to call you from there, but things got hectic. Take care of yourself these next few days. I’ll make it up to you when 1 retum from this business tip
“Another trip? If I had known earlier, I would have come to the airport to see you off. We could have at least seen each other. Even though she was somewhat mentally prepared, Jeremy’s response still left Natalie feeling unsettled
“111 be back in just a couple of days, Nath. I’ll miss you.” Jeremy reassured Natalie in a gentle, soothing
tone
Natalie, mollified by his tone, simply said, “Alright.”
The driver saw Natalie end the call. “Ready to go?”
Natalie glanced longingly at the Hughes Group building. She’d hoped to surprise Jeremy.
Just as she was about to instruct the driver, she spotted Jeremy walking out. Her expression changed abruptly. Wasn’t he supposed to be rushing to the airport for his business trip?