Chapter 241
Phoebe was well aware of both the Vaughan Group and the Woodward Group. The Vaughan Group was a prestigious, long-established jewelry family—the undisputed leader in the domestic jewelry industry, with a strong international reputation. In contrast, the Woodward Group had once been nothing more than a third-rate jewelry company. However, in recent years, it had risen rapidly, fighting its way up to become the second-largest jewelry company, right behind the Vaughan Group—especially famous for its emerald jewelry.
While Phoebe knew about the Woodward Group, the Woodward and Jenkins families moved in completely different circles, so she had never paid much attention to their internal affairs. Now, hearing Remy mention a case of swapped heiresses, she raised an eyebrow, feigning curiosity. “What do you mean by a real and fake heiress?”
Remy wasn’t surprised by Phoebe’s interest. After all, she herself had once been a lost-and-found true heiress—it was only natural for her to be sensitive to such topics. He explained, “The Una we were just talking about? She’s not actually from the Woodward family—she was switched at birth twenty years ago.”
“Eight years ago, she went in for a routine checkup and discovered that her blood type didn’t match the Woodwards’. She informed the family herself and took a DNA test, only to find out she wasn’t their biological daughter.”
“When the Woodwards investigated, they discovered that a nurse had accidentally switched two baby girls in the hospital. That’s when they found their real daughter—Claire—and brought her home.”
“But since Una’s biological family was poor and heavily favored sons over daughters, the Woodwards chose not to send her back. Instead, they continued to raise her as their own.”
Remy smirked coldly. “Over the years, Una became a major figure in high society, while the real heiress, Claire, remained practically invisible. There were even rumors that Claire had been secretly trying to sabotage Una, which led to Claire embarrassing herself several times at social events. The Woodwards decided Claire wasn’t ‘presentable’ enough and eventually stopped bringing her to gatherings altogether. On the other hand, Una frequently took Claire out, supposedly to help her integrate into society—but it only made Claire look even worse.”
“Thanks to this, Claire’s reputation plummeted, while Una’s only soared.”
Remy sighed. “And as if that wasn’t enough, Una is incredibly talented at stone-gambling. Over the years, she’s sourced countless high-quality emeralds for the Woodward Group, making her even more favored within the family.”
Remy’s voice darkened as he continued. “Una may seem gentle and refined, but behind the scenes, she’s ruthless. We attended the same high school, and I once saw her manipulate others into bullying Claire—who had only just been reunited with the Woodwards.”
“She didn’t do it openly, of course. She would subtly encourage the bullies and then, when Claire had been pushed far enough, she’d step in at the last moment, pretending to be her ‘protective friend!’ Because of this, everyone in school believed Una was kind and caring, while Claire was ungrateful and unreasonable for not appreciating her ‘sister’s love.’”
Remy scoffed. “That’s when I realized Una was far more cunning and merciless than she appeared.”
His voice turned thoughtful. “Honestly, I think she deliberately revealed the truth about her DNA test—not because she wanted to leave, but because she wanted to secure her place in the Woodward family while trampling Claire underfoot.”
“That’s why I suspect Una is behind the attack on Emmett.”
Emmett’s eyes narrowed. “No wonder my wife once warned me that Una wasn’t as simple as she seemed. She told me to avoid getting too close to her.”
Remy sighed. “Yeah, but unfortunately, your wife got completely won over by Una’s act and never believed me.”
Then he smirked. “But if Una really did try to kill you, your wife won’t let her off so easily once she finds out.”
Emmett’s wife loved him deeply—if she learned Una had tried to harm him, their friendship would shatter instantly. Emmett nodded. “I’ll start investigating Una. And I’ll also tell my wife what happened today.”
After a pause, he added, “If Una really is behind this, her goal isn’t just to eliminate me. She probably wants to prevent me and my company’s stone gamblers from attending the emerald public auction in ten days.”
“If I suddenly died, the Vaughan Group would descend into chaos. The executives would be too busy fighting for power to focus on securing top-quality emeralds. The Woodward Group could then swoop in and dominate the market.”
Remy nodded grimly. “That makes perfect sense. But even if we uncover something suspicious, there won’t be any solid evidence against Una. If we confront her, she’ll just play dumb.”
Emmett smirked coldly. “That’s fine. There are plenty of ways to retaliate without direct proof.”
He wasn’t someone to be messed with. And nearly killing Remy? That was a debt she would pay for.
Remy looked at Emmett seriously. “Are you still planning to attend the emerald auction? If they tried to kill you once, they might try again. And next time, it might not just be once or twice.”
He pointed at the emerald ring on the table. “If they’re using underhanded tactics like this, there’s no way to predict what else they’ll do.”
Emmett sighed. “That’s exactly what worries me. But this auction is the biggest one in a decade—I have to go.”
Emeralds were critical to their business. If he skipped this auction, it could severely impact the Vaughan Group’s future.
Remy felt a headache coming on. Then, as his gaze landed on Phoebe, an idea struck him. “Phoebe, are you free in ten days? If you are, would you be willing to accompany Emmett to the auction as a horoscope master consultant? We’ll pay you, of course. Or, if you prefer, I can exchange some entertainment industry resources for your help.”
Remy had witnessed Phoebe’s abilities firsthand today. If she was there, he’d feel much more at ease. He added, “If my body recovers in time, I want to go too.”
Emmett, having also seen what Phoebe was capable of, immediately agreed. He looked at her with hopeful anticipation. Phoebe had already planned on attending the auction herself. Now, they were handing her the perfect excuse on a silver platter. Of course, she wouldn’t refuse.
Besides, she was curious about the real Woodward heiress, Claire. Was she the same type of person as Sienna? For horoscope masters like her, increasing their strength was inseparable from emeralds. That fake heiress, Una, definitely seemed suspicious.
After a moment of thought, she nodded. “Alright. I’d like to see just how powerful this Una really is. I’ll talk to my director and try to finish filming my scenes within the next ten days.”
Then she added, “As for payment, we’ll see. Since I plan on buying some stones at the auction myself, if I run short on funds, you can cover the difference. If I have enough, Emmett, you can compensate me with entertainment resources when we get back.”
Hearing Phoebe agree, both Emmett and Remy let out a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Maddox’s eyes flickered with interest. He was definitely tagging along; it wasn’t every day an opportunity like this came up—he wasn’t going to miss out on the fun.
At the same time, Gauge, who had witnessed Phoebe’s incredible abilities firsthand today, was still processing his shock. She was far beyond any so-called master he had ever encountered. His gaze lingered on Phoebe, filled with deep contemplation. If she was truly this powerful, then maybe—just maybe—she could help with that matter.