Chapter 4

The entire room fell deathly quiet.

Tyler’s eyes went bloodshot as he lunged forward, trying to grab my throat.

"Summer, have you lost your mind?!"

I spun around and slapped Tyler across the face with everything I had.

Smack!

Tyler staggered, clutching his stinging cheek in pure shock.

"You... you dared to hit me?!"

I rubbed my tingling wrist, glaring at the pathetic pair.

"Hit you? That’s just the preview."

"I ought to beat you senseless, you ungrateful parasite."

"With an IQ that can barely run a toaster, you and that illiterate fraud deserve each other."

"Weren’t you waiting for Mr. Hayes from Pinnacle?"

"Fine. Let's wait for him together."

My dad pointed a shaking finger at me, his face red with rage.

"You rebellious brat! Are you trying to destroy this entire family?!"

"If Mr. Hayes sees this mess, Chloe’s career will be ruined!"

Brenda flopped onto the floor, throwing a full-blown tantrum.

"God have mercy! We can’t live like this!"

"Summer is insane! She’s trying to crush our family's only hope!"

My mom clamped onto my arm, sobbing hysterically.

"Summer, I am begging you!"

"Get on your knees and apologize to Chloe!"

"When Mr. Hayes gets here, tell him you were just jealous and caused a scene!"

"Please, your mother is begging you!"

I yanked my arm out of her grip.

"Don't touch me."

"The second you pushed that waiver in front of me, I stopped having parents."

Chloe held her swollen cheek, cowering behind Tyler while spitting venom.

"Summer, you're dead!"

"Mr. Hayes despises manipulative, dramatic women!"

"Once he arrives, I’ll make sure he blacklists you from the entire industry!"

I laughed until tears nearly formed.

"Blacklist me?"

"Chloe, I dare you to try."

Right at that moment, the double doors of the grand ballroom were pushed open.

Several bodyguards in sharp black suits marched in, briskly flanking the entrance.

A tall, impeccably dressed man walked into the room.

He wore a bespoke charcoal-black suit that hung flawlessly on his broad shoulders.

His features were sharp, commanding, radiating an aura of cold authority that demanded instant silence.

The entire room froze.

Every eye locked onto him.

Brenda’s eyes flashed with manic joy as she scrambled up from the floor.

"It’s Mr. Hayes! The CEO of Pinnacle is here!"

Chloe frantically smoothed her rumpled dress, transforming back into a delicate, mistreated victim.

She rushed toward him.

"Mr. Hayes! You’re finally here!"

"Please, you have to help me!"

"My cousin is jealous that I won the Gold Award, and she’s ruining my wedding day!"

"She even forged fake design files to smear my reputation!"

Tyler scrambled after her, extending his business card with both hands.

"Mr. Hayes, sir! I’m Chloe’s fiancé, Tyler Reed."

"Summer is just acting out of spite."

"Don't worry, this won't interfere with Chloe starting at Pinnacle at all!"

My dad and mom rushed forward too, their faces plastered with groveling smiles.

"Mr. Hayes, we apologize for the disgraceful scene!"

"It’s our family’s misfortune to raise such an ungrateful child."

"We’ll throw Summer out immediately so she doesn't ruin your day!"

Mr. Hayes stopped in his tracks.

He didn't touch Tyler’s card.

He didn't spare Chloe a single glance.

His piercing, icy gaze cut straight through the crowd and landed squarely on me.

Seeing his lack of reaction, Chloe grew even more anxious.

"Mr. Hayes, look at the screen! Those source files are all faked by my cousin!"

"She’s an unemployed housewife! How could she possibly create a design like that?"

"You’re the top authority in luxury jewelry—you can tell she’s lying, right?"

Mr. Hayes furrowed his brow slightly, his eyes skimming the layered files displayed on the big screen.

Brenda chimed in eagerly from the side.

"Exactly, Mr. Hayes! Summer is pure poison!"

"She’s a nobody, so she wants to drag Chloe down with her!"

"Please, call the police and have her locked up!"

Mr. Hayes turned his head, his cold gaze pinning Chloe in place.

"You claim these files are fabricated?"

Chloe nodded furiously, her eyes wide with manufactured innocence.

"Yes! I saw her hack into my laptop and steal them with my own eyes!"

Mr. Hayes let out a dry, chilling chuckle.

His voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the silence like a razor.

"I reviewed the conceptual sketches for 'Nirvana' three months ago."

A shockwave rippled through the room.

Chloe froze, her tongue tripping over her words.

"M-Mr. Hayes... you saw them three months ago?"

"How is that possible?"

"I hadn't even finished the rough draft three months ago..."

Mr. Hayes looked at her with pure disdain.

"Three months ago, the initial drafts were sent directly to my private inbox."

"In fact, I personally provided detailed revision notes to the designer."

Chloe was completely stunned, her mind grinding to a halt.

"To... to whom did you send revision notes?"

Mr. Hayes didn't even acknowledge her.

He stepped straight past the frozen crowd, walking directly toward me.

Then, under the stunned, breathless stares of every single person in the hall...

He leaned down slightly and extended his right hand toward me.

"Summer."

"You certainly made me search high and low for you."