How ridiculous. As the door opened, I quickly gathered my emotions.
Shania immediately helped me up, holding my hand, her eyes full of concern when she said, "Why are you sitting on the floor?"
I replied casually, "I stayed up too late. Just wanted to sit down and rest a bit. Didn't expect you to come out right then."
"You don't need to push yourself so hard. As long as I love you, I won't care what others think. I'll take you home to rest." She gently caressed my face, tried to escort me home.
But I turned my head to avoid her touch. How could she speak of loving someone else one moment, then say she loves me the next?
She was momentarily stunned by my avoidance, confusion flashed in her eyes. I quickly handed her the flowers in my hand and said, "No need. I just came to give you these flowers. I'll go home and rest now. You girls enjoy your night."
At my words, her expression finally settled and surprisingly, she even walked me out of the clubhouse.
Back at the Timberson residence, I quietly opened the room that was of utmost importance to her.
As the door swung open, the first thing I saw was a hand-drawn portrait. The lines were already fading, clearly from being touched too often.
The walls were covered with photos of Luke Hudson, arranged in chronological order. The first one was from the day of our wedding.
So all these years, every time she said she handled 'important business' in here, she was actually reminiscing about Luke.
There was also a safe in the room. I keyed in Luke's birthday and it opened. There was nothing of value inside, just the love letters Luke had written her.
Started from my first business failure, every time he received my data, he wrote her a letter. Each one filled with deep, lingered emotions.
Even knew now that I was just a pawn in Shania's grand lie, my heart still felt like it had been torn in two.
Every time I failed, Shania would help me analyze the data, offered her guidance. I truly believed in her love for me, I fell hopelessly for her. I never imagined it was all just a way to easily pass my work on to Luke.
Among the contents, there was also a letter she never sent.
My hands trembled as I opened it. After I read it, tears poured uncontrollably down my face. Shania planned to propose to Luke after she got my final dataset.
Even if she couldn't give him a legal marriage, she still wanted to throw him a wedding.
And me? Because my parents had just passed, she said we shouldn't celebrate our wedding. Aside from a marriage certificate, I got nothing.
I wiped my tears with bitter self-mockery and used my phone to photograph every letter.
These were not only proof of Shania's betrayal, they were also evidence that Luke had stolen my work. After documented everything, I carefully restored the room to its original state.
After closing the door, I made a phone call. Someone said on the line, "Mr. Lambert, you've agreed?"
I said, "Yes. I agree to sell all the data to you, but the release timing is up to me!"
Just as I hung up, I heard Shania's familiar voice behind me, "Gabriel, who were you just on the phone with? What are you planning to release?"
I quickly put my phone away and replied calmly, "Nothing. Just some lab-related stuff that needs reorganization and publication. Your gathering with Sofia is over? I'll go make you some tea to sober up."
She didn't press further, just wrapped her arms around my back, rest her head on my shoulder, breathed softly against my neck.
