Thea looked up at Nicolas, her voice steady. "Mr. Hendrix, I want to end my engagement with Jake. I want nothing further to do with him."

Nicolas raised an eyebrow, momentarily surprised. "Are you sure about this?"

Thea gripped her knees. "I am. I hope you understand. No one wants to be cheated on. I didn't intend to embarrass the Hendrix family."

Nicolas remained silent, then said calmly, "Take a few days to think it through. Don't make a rash decision you'll regret."

Thea misinterpreted this as a threat, her face paling. "Mr. Hendrix, I—"

"I helped you today, but there are conditions," Nicolas interrupted, shifting in his seat, his demeanor cold and distant. "I know you don't want to stay at Avon Ventures, but you need to finish the Warren Group project. You're a valuable employee, and I intervened because it was the right thing to do."

Thea's anxiety eased slightly. She offered a sincere smile. "Thank you, Mr. Hendrix."

Avon Ventures was a key subsidiary of the Hendrix Group. Thea had joined the company with Jake. He hated company rules but stayed due to family pressure, leaving Thea to do most of his work. She handled millions of dollars' worth of projects without recognition. The Rowland family hadn't objected, partly assuming she would marry into the Hendrix family and partly because her work benefitted them as well. Now, Thea realized she'd spent years working for others' gain.

Upon arriving home, Thea quickly disappeared into the night.

Darwin returned from a phone call, looking irritated. "Mr. Hendrix, they're displeased with your unannounced return."

Nicolas's expression remained icy. "Are the executives at the foreign office completely useless?"

Darwin hesitated. "You clearly disapprove of Jake's behavior, so why did you tell Miss Rowland to reconsider breaking off the engagement?"

Nicolas's eyes narrowed. "That's enough."

The next day, rumors followed Thea into Avon Ventures.

"Did you hear? Miss Rowland went crazy at the family party. She hired thugs who almost raped Miss Terell," one employee whispered.

"That's extreme," another replied.

"Well, Madelyn shouldn't have been the other woman," someone added.

"But Miss Rowland and Mr. Hendrix weren't married. I heard he wanted to break up with her. He and Miss Terell are in love, but she won't let go. Jealousy makes people crazy," another chimed in. "She's just using her money and connections. I'd choose Miss Terell too," a woman scoffed.

Thea remained impassive as she headed to the meeting room. However, a colleague stopped her. "Miss Rowland, all meeting rooms are booked. Did you have an appointment?"

"I do. The Warren Group is reviewing our products. If all goes well, we'll sign the contract this afternoon."

Her colleague hesitated. "Mr. Hendrix took Miss Terell. He said you wouldn't be coming, so he brought her instead."

Thea's mind went blank. She rushed to the meeting room, but it was too late. Madelyn was already showcasing the products to the Warren Group representatives. The process was being recorded and photographed. Jake stood nearby, beaming at Madelyn.

Their eyes met, full of affection. After last night's drama, they seemed bolder. The product descriptions Madelyn was presenting were those Thea had painstakingly prepared. Jake showed no sympathy.

People looked at Thea with mockery or pity. A Wintean representative spoke to Madelyn. "Miss Terell, could you please repeat that in Wintean?"

Madelyn's smile vanished, replaced by panic. She looked helplessly at Jake. She didn't speak Wintean and only had the position through Jake's connections. Jake tried to reassure her silently.

The client frowned. "Are you serious? You can't even handle basic Wintean communication?"

Madelyn looked overwhelmed. Jake scanned the room, his eyes landing on Thea. His expression darkened. "Thea, are you just going to stand there and watch Madelyn struggle?" His tone was sharp.

Before Thea could respond, Jake lightly pushed her forward. "The company's reputation is on the line. Don't be petty. Help Madelyn so we can get this contract signed."

Thea nearly laughed. She stood firm, crossing her arms, and gave Jake a cold look. "When you handed my project to Madelyn, did you tell her not to make things difficult for me?" She spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Madelyn's body trembled. In a tearful voice, she tried to shift the blame. "It's not like that. My name is on the project. I worked late on several proposals, and everyone knows that. Mr. Hendrix just wanted to give me more experience, so he asked me to handle the reception today. This is all my fault. You're the only one who knows Wintean, and now I've embarrassed myself. Miss Rowland, you must have forgotten to mention the clients were Wintean."

Before the project, Jake had insisted on adding Madelyn's name. Thea hadn't liked it but was too busy to object. Madelyn's proposals were worthless. Thea had been tolerant, not calling her out for contributing nothing. She never expected this.

Madelyn's tears painted Thea as the villain. Thea controlled her anger, refusing to defend herself. She looked at Jake, her eyes cold. "Mr. Hendrix, what's your take on this?" The others might not know the truth, but he did.