Chapter 44: Who Exactly Is Annabel?

Annabel followed Rupert back to his office.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

Rupert sat on the sofa, crossing his legs. He then pointed to a spot beside him.

"Sit down," he ordered.

Confused, Annabel sat next to him.

"Rupert, what's the matter?" she asked again.

Rupert opened his thin lips slightly and said calmly, "You were the initiator, weren't you?"

The initiator? Was he angry? Was he upset that she'd exposed Nina publicly? Or unhappy about having to fire Nina? Was he blaming her? Annabel looked at him warily and asked, "Rupert, what do you mean?"

He turned his expressionless face, his eyes—deep and unfathomable whirlpools—meeting hers. He nodded slightly, shifting closer.

"You knew Nina would replace the drawings, and you arranged for Talia to expose her. You orchestrated everything, didn't you?"

Rupert already knew the answer; he just wanted to hear it from Annabel. She must have known Nina planned to frame her, so she'd set a trap. Nina was exposed and fired from Benton Group. This also served as a warning to Bernice—two birds with one stone. Annabel controlled everything. Her methods were precise, ruthless, and decisive. He admired her. It was hard to believe such a smart, courageous young woman came from the countryside.

Rupert shifted even closer. The distance between them vanished, making Annabel's face flush with embarrassment. Why was he so close? She quickly moved away, saying seriously, "No. Nina was the initiator. I didn't set her up; I defended myself. She tried to frame me. Could I just sit and wait for her to destroy me? If she hadn't tried to frame me, none of this would have happened. I simply gave her a taste of her own medicine. I don't think I did anything wrong."

"Did I say you did something wrong?" Rupert asked, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

Annabel was shocked. Hadn't he brought her here to blame her?

"You're free to tell me if such a thing happens again," Rupert said, moving closer again. Leaning sideways, he placed his hands on her sides. His lips were near her ear as he whispered, "I won't stand by and watch my fiancée being set up."

Wrapped in his presence, Annabel's heart pounded.

"I can handle such a small matter. You don't need to worry."

His closeness made her uncomfortable. What was wrong with him? Wasn't he afraid Candy would be jealous?

"So, who the hell are you?" Rupert asked, his captivating eyes dark with curiosity. "Why do you know jewelry design? If I'm not mistaken, the design software you used today was Ada's. What's your relationship with her?"

Annabel was stunned. Was her true identity exposed? She quickly stood, smiling.

"You know who I am. I'm your nominal fiancée. If there's nothing else, I'd like to return to work."

She turned and left.

Rupert stared at her retreating figure, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him. After a moment, he called Finley.

"Do a background check on Annabel. I want everything!"

"Annabel?" Finley was surprised. Wasn't she the CEO's fiancée? Why was the CEO investigating his fiancée? It was odd.

Receiving no response, Rupert shouted, "Hurry up!"

"Yes, sir," Finley responded, jumping to obey.

An hour later, a slightly anxious Finley returned.

"Mr. Benton, I've checked it."

"What's the result?" Rupert asked eagerly.

Finley handed him the information. "I only found this."

Rupert read the few words: Annabel, 20 years old, lived in suburban Georgia. No information on her parents or education.

"That's all?" Rupert asked, his eyes narrowed.

"No other information?" Finley shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, sir. I couldn't find anything else."

"Fine. You can leave," Rupert dismissed him.

Alone, Rupert fell into deep thought. If Finley couldn't find anything, his fiancée wasn't ordinary. He had only one option left: ask his grandfather, Bruce. Since Bruce had arranged the engagement, he would know her well.

Rupert drove to Bruce's house. He found Bruce tending his garden.

"Rupert, shouldn't you be at the company? Why are you here?" Bruce asked, surprised.

"Grandpa, I'm visiting. How are you?" Rupert took the watering can, helping Bruce.

"I'm fine," Bruce said, noticing his grandson's distracted air. "What do you want?" He knew his grandson well; if it wasn't important, he wouldn't be here during working hours.

"Grandpa, who is Annabel, really?" Rupert asked bluntly.

Bruce tilted his head. His grandson had left work just to ask about Annabel? He seemed interested.

"What? You finally see how good she is?" Bruce asked, smiling.

"I'm just curious," Rupert shrugged. "She's very different from what I expected."

"You'll have to find out yourself. I'll only say that, though old, I'm still sharp, and I wouldn't choose the wrong girl for my granddaughter-in-law," Bruce said proudly, stroking his beard.

"All right."

Seeing his grandfather wouldn't reveal anything, Rupert said goodbye and left, feeling frustrated. If not for Candy, he might consider Annabel. She was beautiful, smart, confident, capable, and bold—very attractive. But his heart belonged to Candy. He'd promised to marry her, and he wouldn't marry anyone else.