I forced a faint smile and stepped into the room. “I just came from the office. Everything’s nearly wrapped up. All that’s left is for Miss Quinn to release a clarification video.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Jenna buried her face in Zac’s chest and started sobbing softly.

The speed of her shifting her demeanor was nothing short of astonishing.

Zac held Jenna protectively and turned to me with a cold expression. “Jenna only has me, while you have so many people who love you. Why must you target her?

“I asked you to suppress the trending topic because I didn’t want this to affect Jenna. And this is how you handle it?

“Nina, it’s hard for me not to question your professional competence.”

Zac’s voice grew colder, his gaze turning icier with each word.

Right on cue, Jenna shifted subtly, tilting her pale, slender neck as she spoke in a soft, nasal tone. “It’s all my fault, Uncle Zac. Don’t be upset. I’m willing to do anything for you.”

Her delicate neck was fully exposed, and if I hadn’t noticed the Angel’s Tear necklace she was wearing, I might as well have been blind.

While Zac reassured her that she would never have to make a public statement, he glanced at me with clear displeasure.

Perhaps noticing my gaze lingering on Jenna’s neck, Zac followed my line of sight. His expression grew a bit uneasy.

He pulled the blanket higher over Jenna and cleared his throat. “It’s just a necklace. I’ll get you a new one at the next auction.”

I pressed my lips together but said nothing.

He knew full well that I had adored that necklace for ages, yet he gave it to someone else.

And now, he had the audacity to criticize me.

Sensing the tension, Jenna reached up to remove the necklace, her face apologetic. “I didn’t know this was something Uncle Zac bought for Aunt Nina. I’m sorry. I’ll give it back to her right away.”

Zac grabbed her wrist and frowned deeply. “It’s yours now. She’s your aunt. She’s not the type to fight over a necklace with you.”

At this point, if I insisted, I would only make myself look petty.

“If you like it, then keep it,” I said flatly.

Without another word, I turned and left, not bothering to say goodbye as I walked out.

When I returned to the apartment, I fell into a deep sleep.

Finally, I felt like myself again.

That evening, Zac knocked on the door of my apartment.

Standing outside, he pressed his lips together slightly. When he saw me in my pajamas, looking like I had just woken up, he said, “You’ve worked hard these past two days.”

Hearing that, I thought he had come to apologize, and some of the frustration I had been holding onto eased a little.

Before I could respond, another figure appeared from behind him, clinging tightly to his arm. She looked at me with a hint of provocation in her eyes. “Hello, Aunt Nina.”

I didn’t reply, but Zac spoke up, explaining, “There are too many paparazzi around these days. Jenna’s health is still fragile. You’re her future aunt, so I feel comfortable leaving her here with you.”

He said it so matter-of-factly, as if the unpleasantness before hadn’t even registered with him.

I let my face harden. “She’s not welcome here.”

“Aunt Nina, it was all my fault before,” Jenna interjected, her voice soft and syrupy. “I was just so worried someone might trick Uncle Zac, and I overreacted because of my condition…”

Before she could finish her insincere apology, Zac stepped in protectively.

“Nina, I bought this apartment, so I have every right to let Jenna stay here. And it’s not just this place—if, after we’re married, she wants the master bedroom in the Quinn estate, you’ll have to give it up for her.”

I froze, my breath catching. I never thought I would live to hear someone say something like this to me.

When I first set my eyes on this apartment and planned to buy it, Zac used his connections to purchase it ahead of me, claiming it was a gift.

To repay the favor, I even went out of my way to have my best friend secure a major deal with Quinn Corporation.

I stayed silent, no longer trying to stop Zac from letting Jenna move into my home.

Jenna wandered through the apartment, looking around before sweetly suggesting she take my bedroom.

She claimed that room had the best sunlight and said she wanted to wake up each morning bathed in the first rays of light.

Zac patted her head affectionately. “Whatever makes you comfortable. Nina, go tidy up the room for her.”

Jenna sat cautiously on the sofa, her expression timid. “Aunt Nina, it’s all my fault for causing you trouble. Maybe I should just go back abroad.”

Zac couldn’t hold it in any longer, his voice rising. “Nina! Can you stop being so selfish? Jenna just recovered from her illness, and you’re giving her attitude!

“The house you live in, the job you go to—everything you have is because of me. What right do you have to throw a tantrum here?”

I froze in place.

Up until now, I had only felt anger over everything that had happened, but his words brought a sudden and chilling clarity.

So, in Zac’s mind, I was nothing more than a woman dependent on him, someone who couldn’t accomplish anything without him.

But was it really just Zac’s influence that earned me the position of Director of Public Relations at Quinn Corporation?

Over the past three years, Quinn Corporation’s reputation had steadily improved, thanks to my efforts. I had single-handedly resolved several major PR crises. At one point, Zac’s competitors even offered me triple my salary to lure me away. It wasn’t until he publicly announced our engagement that the poaching attempts finally stopped.

And now, according to him, all my accomplishments amounted to nothing. I had been reduced to nothing more than a clinging, parasitic woman who relied entirely on him.

Heartbroken and exhausted, I turned to pack my belongings. “Since this is your place, I’ll leave.”

Zac’s expression changed, and he instinctively moved to follow me, perhaps to explain himself. Jenna quickly grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“Uncle Zac, I’ll talk to Aunt Nina. We’re both women, and it’ll be easier for us to have a heart-to-heart. What you just said wasn’t really how you feel.”

Hearing this, Zac hesitated, then relaxed and sank back onto the sofa. “Thank you, Jenna.”

Jenna immediately followed me into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

Seeing me take a few expensive coats from the wardrobe and fold them into my suitcase, she walked over and yanked them out, throwing them onto the floor.

Lowering her voice, she hissed, “Everything you own was bought with my uncle’s money. Do you think you could afford coats like these on your own? Don’t even think about keeping what isn’t yours. Women like you, gold diggers dreaming of marrying into wealth, I’ve seen plenty of them!”

With that, she stomped her foot on a pristine white coat.

I glanced at the coat on the floor. It was indeed a gift from Zac.

We had attended an auction together, and when he noticed my dress was too thin for the cold, he picked out the coat to match my gown.

Now, the once-pristine white fabric bore an ugly black footprint—a perfect reflection of what my relationship with Zac had become.

I shoved Jenna aside, packed the rest of my belongings into my suitcase, and turned to leave.

“Ah—!” Jenna let out a sharp cry.

Zac rushed in immediately, panic etched across his face. “Jenna, are you okay?”

I stood by the door, watching Jenna’s clumsy performance as she threw herself to the floor.

“Uncle Zac, I tried to reason with Aunt Nina, but…” Jenna whimpered, tears glistening in her eyes.

Zac helped her up, his face red with fury. “Nina, you’re absolutely vicious!”

I let out a cold laugh. “Jenna, using such cheap tricks on your uncle? Anyone who didn’t know better might think you’re in love with him.”

With that, I turned and walked away, missing the way their faces changed in unison.

It was meant as a jab at Jenna, but as it turned out, my words hit closer to the truth than I had realized.

Sitting in the back of a cab, I glanced at my phone, only to see an image of Zac and Jenna passionately kissing.

I had always chalked up Zac’s affection for Jenna to familial love. Never had it occurred to me that their relationship could be something more.

When I had bought the apartment, I installed surveillance cameras—not for spying, but for safety. I never expected to uncover such a shocking scene.

No wonder Jenna had reacted so strongly to Zac’s engagement. She had gone so far as to drag the Quinn family into a scandal.

Whether her goal was to push me out of the picture, stake her claim, or simply disgust me, she had miscalculated.

The footage showed them retreating into the bedroom. Not long after, a text from Zac popped up on my phone. “Be back in thirty minutes, or don’t bother showing your face again.”

So now he was threatening me with my job and our engagement?

I sneered and replied. “That was quick. Do your dead parents know you’re harboring feelings for your niece? You two are perfect for each other! Just don’t drag anyone else down with you.”

Hitting send, I turned off my phone without hesitation and headed straight to finalize my family’s marriage alliance.

When I returned to my parents’ house, the first thing I saw was my father’s stern expression.

Clearing my throat, I dragged my suitcase toward the stairs.

“Well, look who’s here! You finally decided to come home?”

I stepped forward and firmly took my father’s hand. “Dad, I’ve thought it over, and you’re absolutely right. A marriage alliance between the Walker and Mason families is the smartest move. Only by marrying the Mason family heir can we elevate our family to the next level.”

Yes, my family had an arranged marriage agreement with the Mason family, a pact made during my grandfather’s generation.