Without giving Jared the chance to say another word, Justine ended the call.

He was nothing more than a man who relied on others to get ahead.

As long as she refused to marry him, there was very little he could do to threaten her.

The person she truly intended to deal with now was Chloe, that shameless bitch.

If her memory served her correctly, Chloe was in the middle of using one of her patented skincare formulas to secure an exclusive partnership with the internationally renowned Lloyd Group.

Chloe wanted to use her invention as a stepping stone, then steal all the Bailey Group's resources?

As if she'd ever let that happen!

A faint, knowing smile crossed Justine's face as she slipped out of bed and got dressed.

The instant she stood upright, however, her knees nearly gave out beneath her.

Last night had been far more intense than she expected.

After taking a few moments to steady herself, she got ready to leave the hotel, returned home to retrieve the original patent certificate, and made her way straight to the Lloyd Group.

Meanwhile, inside the conference room, the negotiations had reached their final stage, and both sides were only moments away from signing the contract.

Just then, the doors suddenly opened.

Dressed in a striking crimson dress, Justine walked in with graceful confidence, instantly drawing every pair of eyes toward her.

For a brief moment, the room fell completely silent as everyone stared at her in open admiration.

Across the table, Chloe nearly bit through her lip with jealousy. Her fingernails dug so deeply into her palms that they almost broke the skin.

Even so, she forced a faint smile onto her face and hurried over to greet Justine.

"Justine! What a surprise. What brings you here?"

Without sparing Chloe so much as a glance, Justine strode past her as though she didn't exist and stopped directly in front of Aiden Lloyd, the man at the head of the table.

Settling comfortably into his seat, Aiden regarded her without saying a word. His dark eyes revealed nothing, though a faint smile lingered on his lips as if he found the situation mildly entertaining.

For some reason, Justine couldn't shake the feeling that she had met him before.

But then, she quickly dismissed the thought.

As one of the most influential figures in the business world, Aiden was constantly featured in financial news, so his face naturally seemed familiar to her.

Taking a steady breath, Justine reached into her bag, took out the patent documents, and placed them neatly in front of him.

She then said with an easy smile, "Mr. Lloyd, would you consider choosing another business partner? The Bailey Group is the rightful owner of these patents, and we're the company you should be working with."

The room instantly fell silent. One after another, every executive turned toward Chloe, their expressions no longer filled with admiration but with suspicion and disdain.

So, the woman celebrated as the beauty industry's rising star had built her reputation on someone else's work?

Never in a million years had Chloe imagined that Justine would expose her so bluntly in front of everyone.

Justine had always let her take the formulas without saying anything. Why had she suddenly chosen this moment to grow a backbone?

Even so, Chloe wasn't the least bit flustered. Since she had manipulated Justine countless times before, she believed that she could do it again.

Forcing the anger from her face, she hurried over and affectionately linked arms with Justine. She said with an innocent laugh, "Justine, what are you talking about? Did Mom and Dad ask you to come help me? You don't have to worry. I've read the contract with the greatest care. I'd never do anything that would tarnish something you worked so hard to create. Your formulas will be put to good use."

Every sentence was carefully crafted to mislead the others in the room.

By deliberately saying that, she revealed their family ties to everyone present. Then, by speaking as though the formulas had been willingly entrusted to her, she subtly planted the idea that Justine had already allowed her to use them, leaving no room for anyone to suspect infringement.

The executives quickly accepted her explanation, and many of them nodded as the suspicion in their eyes gradually disappeared.

However, Justine calmly removed Chloe's hand from her arm, the corners of her mouth lifting into a cold smile.

"Wait a second. When did I ever give you permission to use my formulas?"

Her direct question struck Chloe like a slap. Her expression stiffened as her face turned red. Embarrassment and panic battled across her features, leaving her momentarily at a loss for words.

Before Chloe could think of an excuse, Justine reached into her bag once more and laid another thick stack of documents before Aiden.

"Mr. Lloyd, I think you should take a look at these," she said. "Every product Chloe Cosmetics has put on the market was made with formulas protected under my patents, and I never gave them the right to use any of it."

A stunned silence swept through the conference room. If what she said was true, then every product Chloe Cosmetics had released was being sold in violation of her patent rights.

The implication was heavy.

Within seconds, the room erupted with whispers as the executives exchanged shocked looks.

The composure Chloe had struggled to maintain collapsed in an instant. Her warm smile disappeared, replaced by unease as she rushed toward the documents, desperate to snatch them away before anyone could read them.

But before her fingers could reach the papers, Aiden lifted his eyes toward her. That single glance from him froze her in place.

After all, he was the man powerful enough to make the business world tremble with one decision.

No matter how desperate she felt, Chloe didn't dare move another inch.

All she could do was stand there and watch as Aiden picked up the patent files and began reading through them page by page.

With every page he turned, the look in his eyes grew more intrigued.

So, the woman whom he accidentally slept with because of that drugged drink was far more capable than he had first assumed.

And after what had happened last night, he already knew she was quite wild, too.

The lazy air around him disappeared as he straightened in his chair and offered Justine his hand.

"I hope this marks the beginning of a successful partnership," he said to her.

The moment he did that, the distance separating them shrank.

The warmth of his presence brushed against Justine, stirring an odd sense of familiarity inside her.

For one fleeting instant, an unbelievable thought crossed her mind.

Could he possibly be the man from the previous night?

Still, the idea sounded far too ridiculous to be true.

Justine quietly dismissed the suspicion, took a small step backward to compose herself, and shook his hand.

"I'm looking forward to working with you as well, Mr. Lloyd. I promise this partnership will be one of your best decisions," she said with a bright smile.

She had already been recognized as an exceptional skincare researcher. Now that she also possessed knowledge of the groundbreaking formulas that would dominate the industry in years to come, she had absolute confidence that no one could rival her in this field.

She was beautiful enough to turn heads wherever she went. And that confident smile of hers only made her even more captivating, giving her an untamed charm that was impossible to overlook.

Aiden's throat tightened as he swallowed. He answered in a slightly hoarse voice, "I'll be waiting to see what we can accomplish."

Once they agreed to meet again another day and settle the remaining details, Justine turned and left the conference room. The instant she left, Chloe's eyes followed her retreating figure, burning with resentment and envy.

Her expression darkened. What the hell had gotten into Justine today?

No matter what, she couldn't afford to lose the Lloyd Group's partnership.

It was the key to seizing control of the Bailey Group's resources, and she refused to let Justine ruin everything for her.

After leaving the Lloyd Group, Justine hurried home without wasting a second.

As soon as she walked into the foyer, she saw her parents sitting together on the sofa.

In her previous life, both of them had died in a car accident one year after her wedding.

Their car had gone over a cliff. By the time they were found, their bodies had been so badly damaged that their faces could no longer be recognized, and their limbs had been mangled.

That tragedy had happened on the exact day Chloe Cosmetics became a publicly listed company.

Justine fought back the tears that threatened to fall. She hurried over and threw her arms around them.

"Dad! Mom! I've missed you both so much!"

Her mother, Elaine Bailey, looked at her in surprise for a moment. Soon, her expression softened into resigned affection.

"You're already a grown woman. Why are you still acting like a little girl?"

Justine's father, Richard Bailey, looked directly at the marks on her neck, and his face immediately darkened. "Where were you last night? And what are those marks on your neck?"

Without showing the slightest sign of unease, Justine answered, "I went drinking with a few friends last night and ended up sleeping in one of the private rooms at the bar. I have no idea what bit me there."

She didn't consider it a lie.

After all, she didn't exactly know who that man was.

Richard studied her for several seconds before the stern look on his face eased a little.

"Don't stay out all night again."

In her previous life, Justine had always hated how strict her father was. She had even believed that he didn't truly care about her.

Now, however, that same strictness made her eyes fill with tears. She knew he was like this because he loved her.

"Okay, Dad. I won't do it again," she replied with a smile.

When Elaine noticed the tears gathering in Justine's eyes, she assumed Richard's harsh words had upset her. She gently tugged at his sleeve.

"That's enough. Justine is about to get married. Stop treating her like she's still a child."

Justine was just about to tell them that she decided to call off the wedding when the butler, Arthur Finch, walked over and spoke respectfully. "Miss Bailey, Mr. Nelson is here."

He had barely finished speaking before Jared strode into the house.

After giving Richard and Elaine a brief nod, he grabbed Justine by the arm and pulled her aside.

His voice stayed low, but every word carried a sharp edge. "Justine, do you know how much effort Chloe has put into getting that deal? How could you take it away from her?"

Justine didn't answer him.

Instead, she folded her arms across her chest as a slow, mocking smile appeared on her face.

"It sounds like you and Chloe are pretty close. Close enough for you to march into my house and question me, your fiancée, just because of her?" she said in a calm voice.

Cold sweat instantly covered Jared's back, and he began stumbling over his words.

"W... what? No! That's not what I meant! I only care about the matter because she's your sister—"

In her previous life, Justine had listened to that same excuse more times than she could count.

Before he could continue, she cut him off. She turned around and sat back down beside her parents.

She casually crossed her legs and looked at him with calm indifference.

"Since you're already here, there's something I need to tell you."

Jared was still shaken by what she had said earlier. All he could manage was a confused, "What?"

A faint smile spread across Justine's lips, but there wasn't a trace of warmth behind it.

"It's nothing serious. I just wanted you to know... The wedding is canceled. I don't want to marry you anymore."

Her words lingered in the room, and silence immediately took over.

Jared was the first to recover from the shock.

He looked at her with complete disbelief. "Why?"

His brows drew together tightly. She had always loved him so deeply. Why was she acting like a completely different person today?

Justine let out a quiet, mocking laugh. She slowly stood up and walked toward him. Every word left her mouth with calm certainty.

"Because you're not worthy of me."

After saying that, she looked toward Arthur. "Throw him out."

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Before Jared even understood what was going on, Arthur had already thrown him out through the front door.

"You are going to regret this, Justine..."

His furious shouting echoed in the air outside the house.

Inside the house, complete silence filled the living room.

After what felt like forever, Justine's parents finally spoke. "Are you... absolutely certain about this?"

Justine nodded without hesitation. "Dad, Mom, I'm really sorry. I've been so blind, and I've only caused both of you to worry in the past."

Her apology seemed to lift a heavy burden from Elaine's heart. Her face lit up with excitement. "That's wonderful! This is great news! I'm calling everyone right now to tell them the wedding has been canceled!"

Even Richard, who rarely showed much emotion, immediately headed toward his study. "I'll prepare an official announcement."

Seeing the joy on her parents' faces, as though they had just won the greatest prize in the world, eased the weight that had been pressing on Justine's heart.

Everything she had failed to do for them in her previous life, she would repay a hundred times over in this one.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she rested one hand against her sore back before making her way upstairs.

From the very beginning, Chloe had planned to use Jared as a way to keep her under her control. Now that the wedding had been called off, that plan had completely fallen apart.

After everything that had happened at the Lloyd Group today, Chloe would almost certainly rush home from her apartment tonight and try to convince their parents to take her side.

Right now, Justine believed that she needed proper rest.

She had to regain her strength so she could expose Chloe's lies and make sure she paid every bit of what she owed, with interest.