Chapter 156

‘Is that really her?”

Amber’s expression stiffened even more!

Back in college, she and Braylee were thick as thieves, but Braylee came from a modest background. They had lost touch after

graduation.

With Neil’s relentless pressure, carrying Olivia, and being ousted from the Chesire family, Amber was too ashamed to reach out

to her old college friends. Little did she know, Braylee had climbed the ranks to become a top executive at Jacobsma Group and

was in charge of that major acquisition!

“Miss Chesire, hello.”

As she spoke. Braylee’s boyfriend, Yorick, approached with a glass of red wine in hand.

Yorick’s eyes sparkled as he caught sight of Amber’s beauty, and he offered his hand with a suave smile. “Yorick Schneider, the

second son of the Schneider family. It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Miss Chesire.”

“Hello to you.” Amber replied, a touch awkward. She avoided his handshake and quickly glanced back at Alexander. “Oh, I

almost forgot, this is my husband. We've been married for five years!”

Alexander had overheard Braylee and Amber’s conversation and wore a slight grin.

He confidently reached out to Yorick. “Head of Security at New Chesire Group, Alexander.”

What?!

Yorick’s eyebrows quivered as he glanced over at Braylee, who stood frozen, her shock outstripping his own.

“Amber, New Chesire...”

Braylee’s voice trailed off, her smile dimming, her forehead creasing with worry. “No way, Amber, you’re the Head of Security at

New

Chesire, then that means you're...”

“Amber is the manager of New Chesire Group.”

Alexander kept his smile. He said gently. “The Chairman is my father-in-law, Amber’s dad. New Chesire Group is our family’s

latest venture.

Braylee’s smile vanished completely.

She had one mission in Ol‘ Mare: to back Yorick to the hilt and secure the New Chesire Group, no matter what. Her modest roots

did not impress the Schneider clan. Only by pulling off that major coup could she dream of joining their ranks!

“Yorick, we overvalued New Chesire Group in our initial offer.”

She was icy, her earlier warmth nothing but a show, as her eyes flicked dismissively over Amber. “Miss Chesire, my old college

buddy, got cast out by her own family. With what she’s got, she can’t possibly keep New Chesire Group afloat.”

“Mark my words, in six months, New Chesire will hit rock bottom. Our takeover is their only lifeline!”

Amber’s face went ghostly white in an instant as if she was meeting the girl in front of her for the very first time. She stared in

utter

disbelief.

What on earth had she just said? Why put herself down like that? Was the bond between classmates really so worthless when

weighed

against personal gain?

“Miss Jacot, I’m taking your words as a challenge!”

Alexander clasped Amber’s hand and gave Braylee an icy glare. “You’re Amber's classmate, so I'll give you one chance to

apologize. Now.”

Apologize?

Braylee let out a mocking laugh, then jabbed a finger at Amber, her face twisted with bitterness. “Tell me, what did I say that’s not

true? Back in college, have her looks, smarts, perspective, or skills been better than mine?”

15:36

+15 BONUS

“Besides her family’s status and being slightly more attractive, what does she have that even comes close to me?”

“I worked my tail off to become a project manager at Jacobsma Group, and she just waltzes in and becomes the general

manager of New Chesire without lifting a finger! Amber, explain to me, how is that fair?!”

Amber bit her lip, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.

The trials she had faced over the past five years were no less harrowing than Braylee’s. The Chesire family’s aloof demeanor,

her uncle's tyranny, the relentless setbacks... She had poured her heart and soul into New Chesire Group’s success.

“Till tell you what Amber’s got that you don’t!”

Alexander’s gaze softened as he saw the tears on Amber’s cheeks, but then he turned back to Braylee with a steely look.

Braylee’s face, sculpted to the latest internet celebrity craze, was a mockery. “Amber’s beauty is the real deal-no lip tattoos, no

eyebrow embroidery, no silicone implants, no fillers, and no face-—lifts!”

“Amber's the genuine article, beautiful inside and out, not a phony like you!”

Bang!

Braylee’s face flushed crimson, her crystal—painted nails digging into her palms.

She had secretly flown out of the country, spending a fortune on one of the world’s top plastic surgeons to achieve her seamless

look. A job so well done only a seasoned pro could spot the signs.

Alexander was just a security chief, yet he had seen right through her.

“Your insincerity doesn’t stop there. Your brow’s a mess, your hips are slack, and you've been messing around with guys since

you were barely a teen. Your life’s a train wreck!” Alexander said, his voice as icy as ever, pulling no punches.

“I can smell the decay on you from here! And you think you can measure up to Amber?”

“A streetwalker has more class!”

His words were like daggers, stabbing into Braylee’s heart, leaving her gasping for air, each jab hitting its mark. She clutched her

chest, on the verge of losing it.

“Is he telling the truth?”

Yorick, who had been brooding silently, finally spoke up with a chill in his voice. “You told me that night was your first time. There

was even blood.”

“It was all lies!”

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