Chapter 21

Upon hearing the charges, Lyra forgot about Joycelyn and flew into a rage. She rained punches on Lucian, screaming, “You disgusting pig! You’ve been screwing around behind my back!” Lucian, surprised by the attack, didn't dare defend himself. He endured Lyra's relentless assault.

Iris was equally shocked by the news of Phineas's cheating, but she was much more timid. Before she could speak, Phineas scowled and cursed, "Your damn daughter is nothing but a jinx." Turning to the officers, he barked, "We can walk ourselves. You can keep those cuffs." The police officers escorted the two men from the building. Lyra and Iris, ashamed, quietly went home.

Meanwhile, at the group president's office, William entered after knocking. "Mr. Grant, the two men were detained and escorted out by the police. Security has been instructed to bar their entry," he reported. He continued, handing Ellison a folder, "I've looked into their backgrounds. Phineas Mercer, in particular, is quite a scummy character. It seems Joycelyn avoided him as much as possible, staying in the school dorms since high school."

Ellison's expressionless face belied his eyes. "Have the police detain them for forty-eight hours and inform me of their release."

"Yes, sir," William replied, then turned back, his demeanor shifting. His voice gleeful, he said, "By the way, Mr. Grant, congratulations on your marriage! Shall I organize a wedding planning team?"

"That's not necessary. She's shy, so it's better to avoid fanfare," Ellison answered, his icy demeanor softening when he spoke of Joycelyn.

"How about lunch arrangements? Will the missus be dining with you?" William asked.

"She wants to keep a low profile, so probably not," Ellison said.

"Got it," William replied, grinning subtly before leaving.

"Hold on. Go to Accounting and get her account number. Email it to me," Ellison instructed.

"Alright. I'll head there now," William said, quickly leaving for Accounting.

"Joycelyn, it's time for lunch!" Aurelia and Selene called.

"Yes, I'm coming," Joycelyn replied cheerfully, turning off her computer. She grabbed her phone and joined them, the three heading to the staff cafeteria.

Three cafeterias, each with a different theme and award-winning chefs, served the three floors. Joycelyn enjoyed the tasty, reasonably priced food. Previously, she'd budgeted three hundred dollars a month for meals, but now, having cut ties with the Mercer family and her mother, she wanted a lavish meal.

Joycelyn ignored her vibrating phone, distracted by the food. She was drawn to the spicy tacos and joined the line. While waiting, she checked her phone and saw a bank notification. Her eyes widened. She carefully counted the digits in her account balance: a six-figure sum, three hundred thousand dollars more than before. It had been transferred from Ellison's personal account.

Fearing someone might see, she quickly closed the app. Ellison had said a prenup wasn't necessary, but they hadn't discussed specifics. Joycelyn assumed separate finances, and was surprised by the large sum.

She texted Ellison: [Did you transfer money to me?]

Ellison replied: [Yeah.]

Joycelyn typed: [Why?]

Ellison: [It's for you to spend. Buy whatever you want. Feel free to let me know if it isn't enough.]

He saw it as responsible husbandly care, but Joycelyn felt pressure, not joy. She replied: [It's not necessary. My salary is enough. And you already spent money on me yesterday.] She tried to transfer the money back, but her account had a transfer limit, so she returned half, texting: [Sorry, there's a transfer limit. I'll return the rest soon.]

Joycelyn was adamant about not accepting the money, fearing she'd mistake these gestures for love. It was easy to be grounded in pain, but in love, breaking free might be a struggle.

Ellison frowned upon seeing her text: [Don't transfer it back. I won't say this again.]

His finality and annoyance were clear. She didn't refuse again, replying: [Okay. But this amount is more than enough, so don't send me any more. I can't spend it all.]

Ellison stopped replying. Joycelyn's suspicions were confirmed: he was upset. She said nothing more, placing her order and paying digitally; her hand shook as she tapped her phone.

As Joycelyn, Aurelia, and Selene enjoyed lunch, Aurelia brought up the joint venture. Selene added, "It's too bad my boyfriend's birthday is today, otherwise I'd go with you."

Aurelia disagreed. "This type of networking isn't suitable for young girls. If Linda hadn't insisted, I wouldn't have allowed it."

Selene wasn't convinced. "We'll be representing the Grant Group; surely that counts for something."

"The Grant Group is reputable, but we're salaried workers. Those mid-sized enterprise bosses are looking to work with the Grant Group, but it's also not beneath them to try and take advantage of their female associates," Aurelia explained.

"I'll be careful," Joycelyn said, self-consciously looking at her conservative, professional outfit.

After lunch, Joycelyn took a power nap, her heart still pounding from her bank balance. Around five, Linda instructed Aurelia and Joycelyn to accompany her to an evening event. Joycelyn texted Ellison to inform him.

At the hotel, they waited at the entrance. Several luxury cars arrived. The first, a Mercedes Benz, belonged to Mr. Iman Cross. Linda rushed to greet him, "Mr. Cross, it's been a while. You're looking handsome!"

Joycelyn and Aurelia rolled their eyes. Linda introduced them: "Mr. Cross, these are Joycelyn Maynard and Aurelia Finch, rising stars in the department."

Tommy Cross's eyes lingered on Joycelyn. "Hello, you pretty"

Joycelyn politely shook his hand. His hand lingered, his eyes glued to her face. Aurelia intervened, shaking his hand to relieve the awkwardness.

At the entrance, Octavia, in her boyfriend Fred's car, saw Tommy and said, "Fred, isn't that your father?" She then saw Joycelyn with him, realizing the implications. Knowing Tommy's history, Octavia saw an opportunity to marry into the family.

"Baby, we went at it too hard; I'm aching. Shall we cut classes?" Octavia pouted, stroking Fred's chest. Fred grinned, "Sure thing. I can give you another rub down." Octavia laughed. "Your dad's over there. Want to say hi?"

Chapter 22