Chapter 39



Kallie frantically locked her phone screen. She turned to Jake, a hint of guilt in her expression as she gestured that she was simply requesting time off from the studio.

“You told me it wasn’t a job, right? So why do you need to ask for leave?” Jake scoffed.

Kallie clarified that it was technically an apprenticeship, but she still had to follow protocols.

“And since it’s just an apprenticeship, how’s the workload? How much will Hayden chip in for the half-million repair bill from Stella?” Jake pressed further.

Once again, Kallie found herself at a loss for words. She hadn’t brought up the topic with Hayden yet. Despite her eagerness to earn, she knew that twenty million wasn’t going to materialize overnight. Hayden had been good to her. Even if the entire fifty thousand for Stella’s repair went to the studio, with nothing for herself, it was acceptable.

After all, her success at Jerome’s birthday celebration had already boosted her reputation, and she was optimistic about securing more restoration projects in the near future.

Luckily, Jake didn’t push the issue. He gave Kallie one last intense look before turning and walking away.

For the first time, Kallie had kept a secret from Jake. She watched him leave, her heart pounding.

After breakfast, Kallie hurried to the studio, knowing she needed to be back by noon and only had the morning to spend there.

She left behind the azure-glazed porcelain Jerome had gifted her, realizing she needed to gather more information before starting its restoration.

As noon approached, Kallie prepared to leave, but two girls from the studio approached her, suggesting they dine together. Kallie explained she needed to return home to eat, but the girls hesitated and asked, “Could we come over to your place?”

Kallie considered the offer. Jake had been home more often lately, but his visits were brief, and he hadn’t restricted her from having guests—only from going out herself.

Plus, one of the girls had defended Kallie when she first arrived at the studio, so Kallie felt comfortable accepting their invitation.

That afternoon, the two girls visited, bringing small gifts. It was the first time Kallie had hosted guests in her home, aside from Linsey.

The girls stayed until after dinner, and fortunately, Jake returned later than usual. He spoke little, merely asking about her meals before heading upstairs.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.

The butler answered the door and soon escorted in one of the girls who had visited earlier. “Miss Wilson thinks she may have lost an earring here and wants to search for it,” he explained.

Yvette Wilson, who hadn’t previously interacted much with Kallie, seemed out of place as she explained her missing earring.

Kallie nodded at the butler and suggested he ask Yvette where she thought the earring might have fallen, offering to help with the search.

“No, don’t worry about it. I’ll look for it myself. It probably fell while we were watching a movie this afternoon,” Yvette replied.

The home theater, where they had watched the movie, was next to the stairs on the first floor. Kallie asked the butler to escort Yvette there.

From a distance, Kallie overheard Yvette whispering something to the butler before he left, leaving Yvette alone in the home theater.

Suspecting Yvette might need assistance, Kallie was about to check on her when she noticed Yvette quietly exiting the theater, her behavior suspicious.

Kallie wondered if Yvette had been mistaken about where she lost the earring. But before she could inquire, she saw Yvette heading upstairs, unbuttoning her shirt and revealing part of her chest.

In that moment, Kallie realized Yvette’s true intentions. No one had gone upstairs that afternoon, so it was impossible for Yvette to have lost her earring there.

Clearly, Yvette hadn’t lost an earring. She was using it as an excuse to find Jake, with entirely different motives in mind.

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