Nelson chuckled. “Callie, don’t tell me you’ve never…”
Callie knew exactly what he meant but didn’t want to admit it. Admitting it felt like losing.
“Who says I haven’t? Of course I have!”
Nelson’s laughter faded, his face turning serious.
After a moment, he let out a noncommittal hum and then drove at breakneck speed, making Callie’s seatbelt dig into her painfully. She didn’t dare complain.
This man definitely had a talent for switching moods.
At the 27th floor of Oconnor Group, Callie stepped out of the elevator, feeling deflated, and ran into Litzy, who was full of energy. “Morning!”
“Morning…”
“What’s wrong? You look exhausted. Lorelai’s gone, so you should’ve slept sound.”
“Unfortunately, I fell into a wolf’s den last night.”
Litzy didn’t understand but suddenly her eyes widened as she noticed the necklace on Callie’s neck. “Callie!”
Her shout startled everyone nearby. Callie, already feeling guilty, nearly jumped out of her skin. “What?”
“What’s that around your neck?”
All eyes turned to Callie. On her fair neck was an exquisite necklace. As designers, they could tell at a glance it was high-quality.
“Wow, Callie!”
Callie was scared by their screams.
She tried to stay calm. “Why are you all staring? It’s just a replica! I couldn’t afford the real thing, no matter how rich I was. Doesn’t it look real?”
Everyone carefully checked it and agreed. Callie was known to be frugal.
“It does look great.”
“Yeah, I knew it couldn’t be real. But it looks good on you. Too bad it’s just a replica,” said Skye, another designer.
Since Lorelai left, everyone speculated who would be the next director, Callie or Skye. Both were the top designers in the department.
Skye, the leader of Group A, had a slight edge. But Callie’s recent success made her a strong contender too.
Litzy wanted to defend Callie, but Callie stopped her. “Alright, let’s get to work.”
Litzy sighed and then noticed something else. “Hey, what’s with the ring on your left hand? Is it fake too? Why are you suddenly wearing so much jewelry… Wait, is that your wedding ring?”
Indeed, it was.
Nelson had insisted she wear it when they saw Old Oconnor yesterday. She left in such a rush this morning that she forgot to take it off.
Callie forced a smile. “No, it’s just an accessory. I’m wearing it for fun.”
Once everyone dispersed, Callie took off the ring, feeling the necklace was too conspicuous.
She couldn’t keep explaining it was a replica to everyone. She needed a better solution.
Meanwhile, Cora had witnessed the morning commotion in the design department.
After talking to Jaylin the day before, Cora felt uneasy. She suspected there was something between Mr. Oconnor and Callie. On her way to work, she impulsively pressed the button for the 27th floor and saw the scene unfold.
Necklace, ring…
An employee passing by greeted Cora. “Miss Weber, what brings you here? Is there something Mr. Oconnor needs?”
Everyone at Oconnor Group knew Cora was Nelson’s right-hand person. She had been with him since the company’s early expansion days and held significant influence. People treated her with utmost respect.
Cora snapped out of her thoughts. “No, just looking around. I’m heading upstairs now.”