Chapter 3

I took a screenshot and sent it to Jack: [So she's living in my house, wearing my clothes, cozying up to my man. And you call that innocent?]

Jack replied almost instantly: [Queenie, Anna was making soup for me and got her clothes dirty, so she borrowed yours temporarily. She meant well. Don't read too much into it.]

I let out a cold laugh and texted back: [Meant well? Please. Making soup is only her cover. She's worming her way in to take my place. Wearing my clothes, playing house, acting all innocent?

[Does she really think squatting in my home will get her promoted to Mrs. Wilson?]

Jack replied: [Can you stop being so harsh? You're hardly around, and Anna went out of her way to take care of me. Can't you show some grace? Queenie, you never used to be like this. When did you get so tough and so distant?]

I looked at the screen and let out a bitter laugh. Tough? Distant? Was that what Jack thought of me now?

Back when the Wilson Group was about to go under, I was the one who stepped up, drove my team to pull all-nighters for a month straight, and landed that make-or-break investment for Jack.

When his dad was gravely ill, it was me, the so-called distant one, who put aside a merger worth hundreds of millions and stayed by his bedside for two weeks.

Jack used to say he loved my drive and ruthless efficiency. But then, with his gentle little angel around, suddenly I was too strong and too distant for him?

*****

My aunt insisted I stay with her, so it wasn't until the third day that I finally caught the earliest flight home.

The fingerprint lock was still there, but my fingerprint had been wiped. I stood at the door and pressed the bell.

Anna opened the door. This time, she was wearing Jack's shirt, the hem barely covering her thighs. Her hair was still wet from the shower.

"Queenie?" She sounded genuinely surprised. "Why are you back? Mr. Wilson is still asleep."

I cut her off. "What, I can't come home to my own place now? Get out of my way."

"That's not what I meant." Anna stood her ground at the door, refusing to move. "Mr. Wilson is still sleeping, and you look really upset. I'm worried you'll wake him up."

I wasn't in the mood to argue. I shoved her aside. "Get lost!"

Jack was woken up and hobbled out of the bedroom, leaning on his crutches.

Sensing the tension in the air, he frowned. "What's going on here?"

Anna's tears started falling before she could even speak. "Mr. Wilson, I'm sorry. You were so tired last night, and I wanted you to get some extra rest. I didn't mean to upset Queenie."

She was hiccupping with sobs, looking like a pitiful little bunny who'd been bullied. The tips of her ears turned bright red.

Jack turned his head and coughed twice before speaking. "Queenie, you've got Anna all wrong. Say sorry to her."

I ignored him and sat down on the couch.

When I looked up, the framed photo of Jack and me had vanished from the display shelf. In its place sat that glass bottle, the one stuffed with Anna's handmade paper stars.

There was lingerie scattered across the coffee table, none of it mine.

I sneered, "No wonder you tried to keep me out. Jack, it looks like you two have been having a good time, huh?"

Anna hurriedly grabbed her lingerie, tears streaming down her face. "I-I washed them. I was drying them here."

"Here? In the living room?" I snorted. "Jack's got a busted leg. How's he supposed to take care of you?"

Anna's face flushed bright red. "Queenie, you've really got it wrong. Nothing happened between Mr. Wilson and me. I swear."

"Enough!" Jack shot me an impatient glare. "Queenie, do you have to say something so vulgar to embarrass her? She's a sweet kid, not like you, always plotting and calculating."

I looked up at him. "What am I plotting?"

"You're plotting how to embarrass her, ruin her reputation, and make me revolve around you forever."

Jack got more and more worked up. "Yeah, I did let her stay, but nothing happened between us.

"She took care of me, and I'm grateful. That's all there is to it. Why do you always have to twist everything into something dirty?"

"I couldn't care less about how dirty people's hearts are." I produced a document. "But what I do care about is this.

"Six months ago, you used Wilson Group funds and resources to bankroll a car dealership for Anna, poured 7 million into it, and recorded it as a 'charitable investment.'

"Jack, did you get the board's approval for that? So, embezzling company funds to support your mistress. How's that for a charge?"

Jack's face went pale. "You had me investigated? Anna is not some side chick."

"Then what is she?" I got up and walked straight over to Anna. "Ms. Davis, why don't you tell us? What exactly are you to him?"