Stephen didn’t even hesitate before he refused. “No. This is an opportunity you earned for yourself.”

Then he turned to Abigail, frowning slightly. “Who told you to come here? You don’t meet the education requirements. Even if they gave you the chance, you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

“Are you done?” Abigail didn’t want to argue with them anymore. Since it was clear this wasn’t going to work out, she turned to leave.

Stephen was irritated by her indifference and snapped, “What kind of attitude is that? You’re the one who’s underqualified—who else do you think is to blame?”

Abigail turned back to look at him. Her voice was calm, but her eyes carried a trace of mockery. “And what kind of attitude would you like me to have?”

Stephen’s expression darkened. His voice tightened with anger. “Don’t act like the world owes you something. Dani earned her graduate degree through hard work. If you’d put in even half the effort she did, you wouldn’t have ended up—”

A soft laugh from Abigail cut him off. His gaze grew grimmer as he questioned, “What are you laughing at?”

Abigail gave a cold smile. “Three years ago, I was accepted into Vanguard University.”

The room went silent. Abigail looked straight at Stephen, her eyes full of ridicule.

Stephen said she didn’t try hard enough. From the moment Abigail returned to the Gibson family, she knew she couldn’t compete with the pampered and beloved Daniella. The only thing Abigail had was her grades.

To make the Gibsons proud, Abigail had thrown herself into studying like her life depended on it. And in the end, she got accepted into one of the best schools—Vanguard University.

The day she received the acceptance letter, Abigail had been so excited to tell them. And that was the day she found out they wanted her to take the fall for Daniella and go to prison in her place.

Stephen stood frozen, stunned, disbelief written all over his face.

Daniella clenched her teeth, silently thinking, ‘Abigail actually got into Vanguard University? That’s impossible.‘

“Abby, is that true? But we never got a call from Vanguard University. Abby, I’m not saying you’re lying, I’d be happy, too, if you really got in. I just…” Daniella stammered, flustered.

Stephen snapped out of it and turned to Abigail, his eyes full of suspicion. “Are you sure you got the offer? Abigail, this kind of thing can be verified. Don’t think you can fool me.”

Abigail was used to it. No matter what Daniella said, Stephen would always believe her. Not just Stephen—everyone in the Gibson family did, except Wyatt.

“Believe whatever you want,” Abigail said. Her face was so composed it was impossible to tell if she was lying.

Stephen’s thoughts grew complicated. ‘If it’s true, then we really did ruin Abigail’s future,‘ he thought.

As she walked out of the interview area, Abigail hesitated for a moment before sending a message to that person.

It wasn’t that she wanted to complain—he was the one who gave her this address, so whether it worked out or not, he needed to know.

At that moment, in the top-floor executive suite, the CEO’s assistant Jeremiah Walsh received a call from his boss. His expression shifted. “Understood. Do you want me to reveal your identity to Ms. Abigail Gibson?”

Chapter 297

“No need,” came the man’s deep, indifferent voice.

Just before the call ended, Jeremiah heard him add, “She’ll figure it out.”

“Ms. Gibson?” Jeremiah rushed out just in time to catch Abigail before she left the building. “Ms. Gibson, one moment, please.”

His eyes quietly scanned her. ‘So this is the woman who made our usually distant CEO pull strings behind the scenes. She really is beautiful—but that aura of hers is cold as ice,‘ he thought.

Jeremiah kept the thought to himself and showed nothing on his face.

Abigail looked at the clearly forced smile on his face, a trace of confusion in her expression. “Did you need something from me?”

“Actually, I have a position that I think would be a great fit for you, Ms. Gibson. Would you be interested in giving it a try?” Jeremiah didn’t waste time, getting straight to the point.

Something flickered in Abigail’s eyes as her gaze settled on his face. For some reason, he actually felt a hint of pressure.

“Why me?” Abigail asked. As her cool, indifferent voice rang out, the pressure instantly vanished.

Jeremiah’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought, but he kept his smile polite. “Ms. Gibson, no need to overthink it. The reason it’s you is simply because someone gave the order.”

Abigail was silent for a few seconds. She really did need a job—after she visited Wyatt, she’d have to leave the Gibson family for good.

“All right,” she said.

Jeremiah had completed his task. He gestured politely with a smile. “Ms. Gibson, this way, please.”

By the time Abigail walked out of the company, the sun was already setting. She strolled slowly toward the bus stop, taking in the deep crimson glow along the horizon.

But after waiting at the stop for half an hour, she finally realized—the buses had probably stopped running.

She glanced at the time. It was already seven. Abigail vaguely remembered the route back to Gibson Villa. Since she had promised to return, she wasn’t about to go back on her word. She still hadn’t seen Wyatt.

At eight o’clock, at the dining table in Gibson Villa, Stephen sat with an increasingly sour expression, staring at the empty chair. “Mom, let’s stop waiting,” he said.

“No,” Bianca replied firmly. Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, “Abby will come back. She promised me she’d stay here.”

“Then she needs to start treating this place like home. Mom, if she’s still not back by now, it’s obvious she never planned to come back. She’s just tricking us.” Stephen was fuming, his face twisted with rage, feeling completely duped.

“Stevie, maybe Abby’s not coming back because of the job. It’s all my fault. I should’ve given the opportunity to her. Abby must be mad at me.” Daniella’s voice trembled as she spoke, ending with a choked sob.

Chapter 298