When he came back, he pinned the brooch on my chest as if it were a treasure. “It looks good. As long as Vanessa likes it, no matter how much I pay, it’s worth it.”

He would give me everything he thought was best.

Thinking of this, I smiled happily. “I also think Stephan treats me very well…”

They praised him enviously and someone asked, “Hey? Why hasn’t Mr. Marshall come back yet? Didn’t I just see him chatting with a girl? Where is he now?”

I looked around the living room on the first floor, but didn’t see Stephan.

Another person answered, “It seems he went to the garden. I saw him answer a phone call just now and then went out.”

I put down the goblet and said politely, “Have some snacks first. I’ll go find him.”

“Okay.”

When I arrived at the back garden, I saw a tall figure standing in front of the rose bushes, with his back to me, answering the phone.

In order not to disturb him at work, I lifted my skirt, tiptoed to a place a few meters away from him and waited quietly.

The evening breeze blew on my bare shoulders, bringing a slight chill. I touched my shoulders, which were covered with goose bumps and heard a vague sentence in the wind.

“What did you say? Bianca returned home?”

I paused, my eyes falling on Stephan who was a few meters away.

Having been with him for two years, I was able to notice the change in his mood almost instantly. His excitement was mixed with restraint and a hint of anticipation, which was completely different from his usual self.

Bianca.

I knew her.

She was Stephan’s childhood sweetheart.

In the few years before I appeared, she was the one who stayed by Stephan’s side.

They spent their youthful school years, the best time for boys and girls and they had each other.

However, the most ridiculous thing happened in the rich family. The elders of Marshall Group did not allow poor female students to climb up the rich family. Even though Bianca had excellent design talent, the two were still separated in the end. She was also forced to voluntarily go abroad.

Later, Stephan inherited the position of the head of the Marshall Group and took all the power into his own hands in a swift and resolute manner.

But he didn’t go to look for Bianca again.

Then I showed up and Stephan gave me all his love, as if to make up for his past self and I never asked him anything about Bianca.

The evening breeze was cool, I lowered my eyes, unable to sort out my thoughts for a moment.

At this time, Stephan finally hung up the phone, turned around and saw me. He hurried over, took off his suit jacket and put it on me. “Vanessa, why did you come out? It’s cold outside.”

I calmed down and smiled. “They were all waiting for you. They urged me to come out to find you. I saw you were busy with work, so I didn’t disturb you.”

“Well, I do have some work to do.” He looked away. “I can’t accompany you tonight, just stay at home and behave yourself.”

“Yeah, okay.”

As night fell, the birthday party ended quickly, leaving the living room in a mess.

The housekeeper, Audrey, said respectfully, “Mr. Marshall is busy with work. Miss Martin, you should also go and have a rest. I will clean up here.”

“No, you should rest first. I will collect these things tomorrow. I need to rest now and you will disturb me.”

“Okay, Miss Martin.”

After Audrey left, the clock pointed to twelve o’clock. I looked at the empty living room and suddenly felt a sense of depression rising slowly from the bottom of my heart.

In fact, it was my birthday now.

When I was 20 years old, which was also my birthday, my parents who loved me suddenly passed away and the Martin Family fell.

When I was crying my heart out, Stephan took me home. I didn’t celebrate my birthday that year.

Later, Stephan said that I should celebrate my birthday one day in advance to dilute the sadness with happiness, so that my parents would be relieved. On my real birthday, he would put aside all other things to spend it with me.

He did it when he was twenty-one and today, just over a year later, he seemed to have forgotten it.

His mind was filled with the news that Bianca had returned. He didn’t even feel the pain when his fingertips were pierced by the thorns of a rose when he was making a phone call in the garden just now.

I stared at the living room in a daze until my phone vibrated and broke my thoughts.

“Hello, Vanessa, I’m Emmett.”

It took me a moment to react, then I remembered that this was my senior from college.

“Emmett, what’s wrong?”

“I have to tell you that I’m in Draport now. By the way, do you know Albert?”

“Yes. He has established a unique jewelry brand in the world and is at the forefront of fashion. He is a very powerful person.”

“Yes, I’m planning to create a new global brand with him, but we don’t have enough manpower here.” Emmett’s voice was a little hesitant. “I showed him your work without telling you in advance and he was very satisfied. I sent word that I hope you will join me.”

I was stunned. “Creating a new global brand with Albert?”

“It’s like this. I heard someone say before that you followed Stephan to work in Marshall Group. Will it bother you? Actually, I’m just asking. It’s okay if you don’t want to. I just think it’s good to be with Albert. It’s a particularly good opportunity to be together…”

Emmett’s voice was hesitant and regretful.

Indeed, Albert was a well-known figure in the jewelry design industry and many people would beg for his services, but I never expected that he would be interested in my work.

However, if I wanted to start a brand with Albert, I would have to go abroad, leave ShenStephan and go to Draport for a few years.

I was silent for a long time. “Give me some time, I’ll think about it.”

“Okay, I look forward to hearing from you.”

I returned to the room and didn’t know when I fell into a deep sleep. When the sunlight filled the whole room and the back of my hand was wrapped by a warm palm, I opened my eyes.

Stephan sat on the bed, still wearing the suit he wore yesterday.

“Vanessa, were you exhausted yesterday? You went straight to sleep without even changing into your dress.”

He ruffled my messy hair and said distressedly, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have arranged so many procedures.”

I was a little surprised that he would come back at this time. I pursed my lips and said, “Don’t you have work to do?”

“It’s true that I’m busy at work, but Vanessa also needs my company.”

My nose felt sore and I threw myself into his arms.

Stephan hugged me and said, “I was wrong. I should have stayed with you last night. Vanessa won’t be angry, right?”

I shook my head and buried myself deeper in his arms.

He was my salvation, how could I be angry with him?

Leaning against his chest, listening to his steady, strong heartbeat, a hint of unique perfume permeated my nose, the top note being an elegant white rose and the base note leaving a faint moonlight.

It was not my taste, nor was it Stephan’s taste.

My heart skipped a beat and my hand subconsciously reached out for the collar of Stephan’s shirt. As soon as I unbuttoned a button, my wrist was grabbed.

“I’ve been a little tired from work lately, maybe next time.”

He stood up and buttoned his clothes again. “By the way, last time I said I wanted to learn how to make shrimp and scallop porridge from Audrey. Have you eaten yet? Wait for me for a while and I’ll let you taste my cooking skills.”

Stephan turned and left the room. I was stunned for a moment and looked at the bouquet of white roses on the bedside.

Every day he would cut a few white roses from the garden and put them by his bed, saying they looked beautiful.

I lowered my eyes and threw all the white roses and the vase into the trash can.

After resting for a few days, I returned to the company.

My university major was jewelry design. After graduation, Stephan brought me into the Marshall Group and separated the jewelry product line of the Marshall Group into a branch company with the brand name “Radiant Creations”.

And I, at a young age, became the person in charge of Radiant Creations.

I told my assistant Jessica. “The summer new product launch is about to begin. Gather the planning and design drafts from each department. I want to review them one by one.”

“Okay.”

I flipped through the design draft and the more I flipped through the plan, the more my brows furrowed.

I was away during this period and didn’t monitor their work, so the content became more and more confusing.

I took a bunch of design drafts and went to the design department with Jessica and saw a middle-aged woman cracking melon seeds and chatting with people around her.

Her name was Zera. She was a veteran in the company and the one with the highest salary based on seniority in the design department, but she was also the one with the worst working ability.

I put down the design draft and said, “Zera, tell me about the concept of these designs.”

“Oh, it’s just a design, why do you have to talk about the concept?” Zera came over impatiently. “I worked day and night with everyone to draw these designs, aren’t they all pretty?”

“Pretty?” I took a deep breath and took out a few manuscripts. “This one is a copy of the new autumn product of Timeless Studio last year. And this one, wasn’t it the design I rejected last year? What does it mean to submit it again? ——”

“Wait, Miss Martin.” Zera’s voice rose. “What do you mean by plagiarism? Isn’t it normal for designers to have the same ideas occasionally? You’re going too far by saying it’s plagiarism! And the reason I submitted the design again is because I think this design is very good, but you rejected it because you don’t have the vision to appreciate it.”

Zera’s attitude was so arrogant that I became more and more depressed. Everyone else kept silent and didn’t dare to speak.

Zera sneered, “Miss Martin, you are young and don’t know as much as we do about some things. Didn’t you rely on Stephan to gain a foothold in the Marshall Group? Without him, you wouldn’t even be able to step into the threshold of the Marshall Group. You have no ability and you got everything you have now just by climbing into bed. It’s people like you that I can’t stand the most.”

Before I could respond, Jessica angrily retorted, “Watch your words. What do you mean by incompetent? Last summer, all the best-selling products were designed by Vanessa alone, but the products you designed didn’t even sell well. It’s very ugly.”

Zera choked and snorted, “You lackey!”

I looked at Zera coldly. “Then don’t do it.”

This Zera had been causing troubles since I took over the branch two years ago. Before, I never bothered with her because she was a company veteran, but now her attitude was arrogant. One bad apple spoilt the whole barrel. If we continued to keep her, there would be big problems with the new product launch of “Fiery Summer”.

Zera’s voice became sharp. “Why? I was transferred here from the headquarters. Even if they want to fire me, it should be the headquarters that fires me!”

“Then the headquarters will also fire you.”

A deep, magnetic voice sounded at the door of the office. Stephan stepped in and the air pressure in the office dropped instantly.