Chapter 5

"Go get her," Zane repeated, his voice carrying a grim finality.

Adrian wiped away his tears as he headed toward the staircase.

I watched the scene unfold, a strange feeling spreading through my chest.

For the past three years, everyone in this family had looked down on me. They thought I was an embarrassment to the Reynolds family, a family packed with business geniuses. Yet when their lives were on the line, the first thing they thought of was using their last card to get me out safely.

I took a deep breath and turned back toward my room.

I walked over to the huge marble bar and switched on the custom-made coffee machine. The sound of the grinder seemed painfully loud in the quiet room. I took my time making a cup of freshly ground coffee. Soon, its rich aroma filled the air.

I picked up the delicate ceramic cup and headed downstairs in my high heels, one step at a time.

Adrian was halfway up the stairs when he saw me coming down. He froze.

I walked past him and headed straight for the living room. Every pair of eyes turned toward me.

I was wearing a seven-figure silk robe, my long hair loosely tied behind my head. In my hand was a cup of steaming coffee.

I looked completely out of place against the tense, desperate atmosphere filling the room.

When Julian saw me, his eyes lit up. His gaze shamelessly traveled over me. "Ms. Smith certainly lives up to her reputation."

He stood and gave me a slight bow, putting on his best gentleman act. "You're still drinking coffee at a time like this. Your composure is actually more impressive than that of these businesswomen."

I ignored him and walked over to the main sofa. I looked down at the spot where he had been sitting, frowning slightly.

"Which country bumpkin was sitting here? He got my sofa dirty."

My voice was not loud, but in the deathly quiet living room, every word carried clearly to everyone.

The smile on Julian's face froze. A flash of malice crossed his eyes, but it was quickly hidden behind his polished, gentlemanly expression. "Ms. Smith, you certainly have a sense of humor."

Jocelyn's expression changed dramatically. She grabbed me and pulled me behind her.

"Get back to your room. Now." Her voice was low, and her palm was covered in cold sweat. "This isn't the time for you to speak."

Maverick reacted too. He rushed over, instinctively covered my eyes with one hand, and pulled me backward.

"Yvonne, be good. Jocelyn told you to go upstairs, so go upstairs." His voice was tight.

At this critical moment, the entire family instinctively protected me. None of them wanted me to anger the madman who held the Reynolds family's fate in his hands.

"Zane." Julian's voice had turned completely icy. The polite mask was gone.

"It seems your Reynolds family refuses to bow until you've backed yourselves into a dead end. Since this Ms. Smith is so brave… Then there is no need for her to sign the divorce papers. I will personally watch your entire family lose everything."

He pulled his phone from his suit pocket and prepared to give the final order to wipe out Reynolds Group.

Zane closed his eyes in pain, while Cecilia collapsed onto the floor in despair.

As for me, I reluctantly turned around and pulled myself free from Maverick's grip. The moment I did, I caught sight of Julian's raised wrist. The sleeve of his silver-gray suit had slipped back, revealing a watch that gleamed beneath the lights.

It was a Patek Philippe, a custom Starry Sky edition. My hand froze in midair as I stared at it.

No way!

The big shot was wearing a fake watch?

I could not help laughing calmly to myself. "Putting on an act like some international tycoon…"

My clear voice rang through the living room, stopping Julian in the middle of dialing.

I pointed at his wrist. "The markings on that Patek Philippe are crooked. The certification documents for your three gold mines must've been made with Photoshop, right?"