Semua Bab No Way to Win Me Back: Bab 211 - Bab 220

Celeste’s POVI stood in the middle of my studio, staring at the photographs spread across the worktable.The walls that once smelled of resin and lavender now felt suffocating, too quiet except for the faint hum of the heater and the soft tap of Ryan’s tools against metal.Evelyn had made Mr. Lee and his team leave not even half an hour ago, but her words still echoed in my head.“They’ll be back, Celeste. And next time, they won’t just ask questions. Watch your back.”Ryan leaned on the edge of the desk, arms folded.His face was unreadable, but the lines around his eyes had deepened.“Do you believe them?” he asked quietly.“I believe they’re looking for someone to blame.” My voice came out tighter than I intended. “And I believe we’re the perfect targets right now.”The door creaked open, and Jenny slipped in, clutching her tablet like it was a lifeline.“Ms. Sinclair,” she said, a little breathless. “You… you need to see this.”“What is it?”She hesitated, glancing at Ryan before

Ryan’s POVMy phone buzzed for the third time in five minutes, and I finally picked it up, expecting some minor work update. Instead, it was Vivian.I sighed and swiped to answer.“Hey, Viv. How are you settling in?” I asked, trying to keep my voice light after a long day of meetings with Evelyn and thinking about what the Jewelry Association might throw at us tomorrow.Vivian didn’t wait for small talk. “Ryan, it’s chaos here! Molly refuses to go to school, she won’t talk to the other kids, she’s sitting in a corner doing nothing. I’ve tried everything—bribes, threats, her favorite breakfast, even songs—and nothing is working.”I felt my stomach knot. “Molly? She’s… she’s really acting out?”Vivian’s voice cracked. “She’s miserable. She keeps saying she wants to go home. She misses you, she misses Aunt Celeste… I don’t know what to do anymore!”I rubbed my face. “Okay, okay. Let me talk to her.”“Be gentle, Ryan. She’s inconsolable right now,” Vivian warned.I took a deep breath and a

Vanessa’s POVI hadn’t stepped foot in Maximilian’s office in two weeks. Not since the board started tearing into the blood diamond investigation, all thanks to the act I had put on.But today was different.Today, I had something he couldn’t ignore.When I walked in, his eyes lifted slowly from the papers in front of him.His face was filled with anger. I knew I had upset him by the little act I put in front of the board, but I had to get the upper hand so Maximilian thought twice before putting the blame on me for something he overlooked.“Mr. Edwards,” I started softly, one hand instinctively pressing against my belly. “I… I know you’re busy, but I really needed to talk to you.”He didn’t say anything for a moment, just leaned back in his chair and studied me like I was a puzzle he’d already solved.“You’ve been avoiding me, Vanessa.”My throat tightened deliberately. “I thought it would be best. After… everything.”“Hm.” His tone was dry. “And now?”I lowered my gaze, pretending to

Celeste’s POVI knew the people from the International Jewelry Association would be back, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so soon.It hadn’t even been a week since they came barging into the office and Evelyn had to intervene, so I was a bit surprised when Evelyn called and told me that they provided the necessary paperwork that would allow them to legally audit Rosemary Atelier.When I looked up from my desk, three men in tailored suits stood in the doorway, holding clipboards and stamped folders embossed with the insignia of the International Jewelry Association.“Ms. Sinclair?” one of them asked. “We’re here on behalf of the Association to conduct the continued audit of Rosemary Atelier’s operations. We’ll need access to your design archives, supplier records, and production logs.”Behind them, Evelyn appeared, calm as a queen in litigation armor.“Of course,” she said before I could respond. “I’ll be representing Ms. Sinclair throughout the audit. You’ll find that everything is in

Ryan’s POVThe name Avalon Club wouldn’t leave my head.I’d typed it into every search engine I could think of but had gotten nothing.No website. No social media handles. No grainy Google reviews. Nothing except a defunct travel bar in Manchester and a fantasy-themed nightclub in Seoul that shut down a decade ago.If there was one thing I’d learned from my father, it was that the more invisible a name was, the more dangerous it became.I leaned back in my chair, tapping the edge of my laptop.Celeste had looked pale when she told me about the card, one small rectangle of glossy paper that now had half the atelier on edge.She’d tried to brush it off as an irrelevant clue, but something about the timing didn’t sit right with me.A break-in. A mysterious card. And now a business no one could trace.No, this wasn't a coincidence.I shut the laptop and reached for my jacket.I had other fires to put out tonight, namely, at Crown Luxe.The board had demanded an emergency review with our to