Free Web NovelChapter 206: Chapter 209: This Is Where It Ends
The jewelry box was only palm-sized, a perfect square. Lynn Preston only needed a single glance to guess what was inside.
Her lips curled into a smirk. She looked up at Liam Joyce, a ghost of a smile playing on her face. "Mr. Joyce, you’re right. The relationship between us really should change."
Liam Joyce used his index finger to push the jewelry box forward, slowly sliding it in front of Lynn Preston.
"Go on, open it. If what’s inside is what you want, I’ll put it on you myself."
"Alright." Lynn Preston agreed readily, picking up the box and flipping open the lid.
"..."
She had guessed correctly. Inside the box was indeed a ring—a big, sparkling diamond ring.
The ring was beautiful. If it hadn’t been a gift from Liam Joyce, she probably would have loved it.
’What a pity.’
"Lynn?" Lynn Preston had seen the ring but still hadn’t reacted. A knot of nervousness formed in Liam Joyce’s stomach, and he couldn’t help but call her name.
"Hm?" Lynn Preston hummed in response, but she didn’t look up.
He leaned forward slightly, unconsciously moving closer to her. "Well? Is this what you want?"
"..." Lynn Preston didn’t answer. She took the ring out of the box and held it up to the light, examining it closely.
A diamond ring might not hold its value, but it was the dream of many women. Lynn Preston was no exception.
It was brilliant and dazzling, a symbol of purity and eternity. Ever since she was a little girl, Lynn Preston had fantasized about the day she would receive a diamond ring.
Now, that fantasy had come true, but the person giving her the ring was not who she had imagined.
"Hmph..." She quirked the corner of her mouth in a soft scoff and placed the ring back in its box.
"...What’s wrong?" The gesture sent a jolt through Liam Joyce’s heart. Unease and dread washed over him in an instant.
"Lynn, you don’t like it?" he asked apprehensively, trying to suppress his frantic heartbeat.
But Lynn Preston didn’t answer, retorting with a question of her own. "Mr. Joyce, how much did this ring cost?"
"...Why do you ask?" Liam Joyce frowned, confused.
Lynn Preston offered no explanation, just asked again, insistently, "The diamond on the ring is so big. It must have been very expensive, right?"
Liam Joyce watched her, unable to figure out why she was asking this. But from her displeased expression, he could sense that she wasn’t happy.
"It wasn’t that expensive," Liam Joyce said, feigning calmness. "I bought this ring from a friend. After the discount, it was less than a hundred thousand."
"Less than a hundred thousand..." Lynn Preston mulled over his words for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "You’re so generous, Mr. Joyce. To spend that much on a ring so casually."
Liam Joyce: "Lynn, this ring wasn’t just casually..."
"A hundred thousand!" Lynn Preston suddenly raised her voice, cutting him off. "Mr. Joyce, do you have any idea what a hundred thousand means to the recently bankrupt Preston Family?"
"...Huh?" The question came out of nowhere. Liam Joyce had no idea how to respond.
"Heh..." Lynn Preston let out a cold laugh. It wasn’t like she expected an answer from him anyway.
"A hundred thousand." Lynn Preston kept emphasizing the number. "When the Preston Family first went bankrupt, my brother sold off everything valuable we owned. He used the money to pay off debts and cover employee salaries. After all that, he was left with less than ninety thousand in his pocket."
"And with that ninety thousand, he had to support his family, raise his child, keep his studio afloat, and provide for the longtime employees who had been with him for seven or eight years! He even had to chip away at miscellaneous debts from time to time!"
"If my sister-in-law hadn’t sold all her luxury goods right away, and dragged herself around looking for work while pregnant, the Preston Family would probably be starving on the streets by now!"
"..."
After her forceful, resonant words, Liam Joyce was completely stunned.
But he wasn’t stunned with shock, but with sheer confusion. He had absolutely no idea why Lynn Preston was suddenly bringing this up.
’What does this have to do with me? The Preston Family went bankrupt. Isn’t it normal for them to be struggling?’
"Lynn," he said, still maintaining his smile and patiently asking, "why are you suddenly talking about this? Does it have anything to do with our theme for tonight?"
His voice was soft, tinged with a hint of bewilderment, as if he had completely forgotten how the Preston Family ended up bankrupt in the first place.
Every emotion on Lynn Preston’s face froze. The indignation and bitterness from moments before instantly dissolved into a profound sense of helplessness.
"My, you important people certainly have short memories, don’t you, Mr. Joyce?" She pulled her phone from her purse, found the photos she had secretly taken of Liam Joyce and Ethan Lockwood’s private meetings, and shoved the screen in his face.
"It’s no secret that Ethan Lockwood plotted against the Preston Family. Mr. Joyce, you’re so close with Mr. Lockwood. Don’t you dare tell me you know nothing about the inside story of my family’s bankruptcy."
"..." Liam Joyce stared at the photos on the phone, the smile on his face freezing over, bit by bit.
There were five photos in total, each one crystal clear. There was no way he could deny his close relationship with Ethan Lockwood.
Lynn Preston stared hard at his face as she slowly pulled her phone back. "Mr. Joyce, allow me to venture a guess. You had a hand in the Preston Family’s bankruptcy too, didn’t you?"
"I—I didn’t!" The lie came out with no conviction. He placed his hands on the table, his fingers curling into tight fists, gripping so hard his arms began to tremble.
"Lynn, I didn’t! I wasn’t involved!" he argued futilely.
The corner of Lynn Preston’s eye twitched upward, her gaze filled with scorn. "Are you sure about that, Mr. Joyce?"
"I..." Liam Joyce choked. The rest of the lie was suddenly stuck in his throat.
The truth was already clear, and Lynn Preston didn’t need his confession. To her, whether he admitted it or not was meaningless.
"Mr. Joyce, the Preston Family and Ethan Lockwood are irreconcilable enemies. And so are we with you."
"As an accomplice in the plot against my family, how dare you make a grand gesture and ask me to be with you? What kind of person do you take me, Lynn Preston, for?"
"Lynn..." Liam Joyce stammered, trying to salvage the situation, but Lynn Preston gave him no chance.
Lynn Preston pushed her chair back and stood up, looking down at him. "Liam Joyce, that pathetic excuse for love you’re offering isn’t even worth shit in my eyes. Anyone who hurts my family is an enemy of Lynn Preston."
"We’re done. The next time we meet, we’ll be mortal enemies!"
With those words, the pent-up frustration in Lynn Preston’s heart was finally released.
She grabbed her purse from the table, pulled out her phone, keys, and a few other small items, then threw the empty purse at Liam Joyce.
"Take back what you bought! I don’t fucking want it!"
With that, she turned and walked away without a second glance.
"Lynn!" Liam Joyce kicked his chair aside and rushed over from the other side of the table, grabbing her hand. "Lynn, don’t go! Listen to me—"
"Let go of her!"
A cold, sharp male voice suddenly cut through Liam Joyce’s plea.
Before Liam Joyce could even react, a large, powerful hand clamped down fiercely on his wrist.
