Chapter 140

The next morning, Anastasia woke up with an aching back, glaring at the refreshed man beside her as she threw a pillow at him. “Cassian! You went way overboard!”

Cassian caught the pillow easily, leaning over to steal a kiss. “Mrs. Rhodes, that’s what you get for attracting other men.”

Anastasia’s eyes widened. “I did no such thing!”

Cassian nodded seriously, though his smile was wicked. “You did. So Mrs. Rhodes better be more careful in the future, or I’ll make sure you can’t get out of bed at all.”

“You’re terrible,” Anastasia said, blushing.

Soon, her stomach started growling audibly.

Cassian chuckled. “I’ll go make breakfast. Come out when you’re ready.”

“Okay.”

After breakfast, Anastasia headed to work. Today she needed to visit the factory. Rhodes Global had its own jewelry manufacturing facility, and a client had ordered a custom piece that required her to coordinate with the master craftsmen. Some of the techniques were quite complex, but to achieve the desired effect, Anastasia needed to communicate extensively with the artisans to meet the client’s specifications.

After the morning meeting at the office, Anastasia prepared to leave for the factory. Sharlene was supposed to come with her, but Barbara had assigned her last-minute work. So Anastasia would be going alone. Since the factory was in the suburbs, she’d have to drive herself. But that was actually more convenient—it would make the return trip easier too.

Anastasia set off quickly.

Meanwhile, Sonia was still dealing with the fallout from the fake dress incident. Every time she went out, people whispered and pointed at her. She was absolutely livid.

Back at home, she stormed over to her vanity and swept all the expensive cosmetics onto the floor with a crash.

Jenny came in to find the mess scattered everywhere. “Sweetie, what happened?”

Sonia was fuming. “Jenny, I can’t take this anymore! Everyone knows I wore a knockoff. They’re all laughing at me behind my back.”

Whether it was her imagination or not, Sonia felt like everyone was gossiping about her. She was humiliated beyond belief. It was all that bitch Anastasia’s fault. If not for her, how would she have ended up being mocked?

“You’re overthinking this. Who would laugh at you? Don’t worry, it’s just a small incident. The buzz has already died down. Trust me, I’m here to help you,” Jenny reassured her.

Sonia felt somewhat better but was still resentful. “Seeing that bitch Anastasia so smug makes me sick. And now Cassian seems to be avoiding me too.” She just couldn’t swallow this humiliation.

“Don’t worry, honey. If we can’t do this openly, we’ll do it secretly. As long as we get rid of that woman, Mr. Rhodes will naturally return to you. Your relationship runs deep—there won’t be any barriers,” Jenny said confidently.

Sonia’s spirits lifted. “Jenny, do you have a plan?”

“Of course. I’ve had people watching Anastasia constantly. When the opportunity arises, we’ll eliminate her,” Jenny said sinisterly. “And that opportunity is now? Jenny, are you serious?” Sonia asked excitedly.

“Absolutely. I came in to give you this good news. Anastasia drove out alone on business today—she’s heading to the suburbs now. I’ve made arrangements,” Jenny said. She knew Anastasia was Sonia’s biggest obstacle. She was always prepared for such opportunities. Sonia was her meal ticket—she couldn’t let anything happen to her career. That Anastasia was insignificant, but since she was blocking Sonia’s path, she had to go.

Sonia’s eyes gleamed with malice as she looked in the mirror, smiling wickedly. “Excellent, Jenny. Well done. I can’t wait to see that bitch’s tragic end.”