Refusing 174
As June progressed, Cromont City became increasingly hot. Walking down the street, the scorching sun above felt almost unbearable. Julia and Valerie strolled along the road in an upscale villa district, holding parasols, yet the dense trees around them failed to provide adequate relief from the blazing sun.
Valerie continually fanned herself with a tissue to alleviate the heat, while Julia was drenched in sweat. Near tears, Valerie asked Julia, "How much longer do we have to walk? I'm about to melt."
"It should be just ahead. Hang in there, and we're almost there," Julia replied, feeling equally exhausted by the heat. "This client specifically requested us to design their jewelry. Are you going to give up halfway?" Valerie squatted down, refusing to get up. "We've come this far, and of course, I won't give up now. I just find it odd that they specifically asked for us. We're not the most famous designers in the company."
Julia had her suspicions when she received the request, but without any solid evidence, she kept her doubts to herself. Even Kathy didn't know why the client made such a peculiar request.
"Stop complaining and let's keep moving. Better to find the place quickly than to stand out here in the sun," Julia said helplessly.
The upscale villa community did not allow external vehicles unless permitted by the residents. Since they couldn't reach the client by phone and had already set an appointment, they decided to walk in to avoid delaying their work. Even if anything happened midway, the client would definitely inform them in advance.
Julia hadn't anticipated the walk would be so long, making their trek under the scorching sun feel torturous.
"I'm starting to think she's deliberately messing with us," Valerie grumbled as she reluctantly got back on her feet. "We had an appointment for three o'clock, but the phone stopped working at two-thirty. If we get there and find she's not home, this will all have been for nothing."
Looking back at the long distance they had already covered and dreading the return trip, Valerie felt her spirits plummet.
Yet, unable to convince Julia otherwise, she continued to follow,
Suddenly, Valerie shouted, "We found it!"NôvelDrama.Org: owner of this content.
Valerie pointed at the house number ahead. 'What luck! I feared a longer trek but realized we were almost there, she wondered. Valerie eagerly knocked on the door and waited for a while. Just as her patience was about to wear out, the door finally opened.
A young man in black loungewear appeared, looking slightly apologetic as he addressed Valerie and Julia. "I'm terribly sorry. My fiancée suddenly felt unwell, and I've been taking care of her so I didn't hear the phone."
Julia gently pulled Valerie behind her and said softly, "It's alright We just arrived as well."
Valerie had long suspected they were being deliberately played with and had kept silent, simply following Julia. Given how exhausted she was from the heat, she barely had the strength to speak.
Once inside, a wave of cool air greeted them, and Valerie immediately felt a bit revived. She wiped the sweat from her forehead as she and Julia took a seat in the living room on the ground floor.
"I'm so sorry," the young man said, "My fiancée isn't feeling well, so she couldn't come down to meet you. I apologize for the inconvenience today."
Valerie almost lost her composure at this, but Julia quickly pulled her back, knowing she was also feeling frustrated but had
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no choice but to remain polite. "Mr. Colbert, we'll come back another time."
Julia led Valerie outside again. After a brief rest, facing the scorching sun once more, Valerie broke down completely and sat down on the ground, refusing to move. "I can't go on. Why did you pull me back earlier?" "Do you want me to just watch you argue with the client? You've always wanted a chance to prove yourself, and this was it," Julia said, looking at Valerie with a mix of exasperation and concern. "But-"
"No buts. Get up so we can go back to the office. Staying here will only make it worse."
Meanwhile, on the second-floor window, a woman in a white dress stood smiling at Julia and Valerie. Afterward, the door behind her opened, and Marlon Colbert slowly walked in. "I've sent them on their way." Arya turned to look at Marlon. "You seem unhappy."
"You're making it too easy to expose yourself. Do you want Harry to find out you're back?" Marlon said coldly.
"I told you before I came back. How I handle things is my business, and you only need to get me back to Cromont City. You handle your own affairs, and we'll stay out of each other's way," Arya responded with her usual icy demeanor.
"I understand. But I hope you don't waste my efforts. It wasn't easy to keep your return a secret from Harry. If he discovers you, it will be even harder for you to stay in Cromont City."
A farà Jescating. For her, being back in Cromont City but unable to confront Harry
didn't care about Marlon's as torturous as being in Mestoura. Watching Julia and Harry together from a distance was unbearable.
Without a word, Arya grabbed a nearby vase and smashed it over Marlon's head in a fit of rage. "My affairs are none of your business."
Marlon fell silent, picking up the broken pieces of the vase. Before leaving, he said, "I'm heading back to Mestoura in a couple of days. You can contact me if you need anything while you're in Cromont City."
Arya snorted. "It doesn't concern me."
Marlon left the room without looking back. Arya glanced out the window again but saw no sign of Julia and Valerie. Furious, she threw another object in frustration.
Arya walked over to a corner shrouded by black curtains. With a firm tug, she pulled the curtains apart, revealing a wall covered in photos of Julia, including images related to her social connections.
Arya furiously scratched Julia's face with a red pen. When she came across a photo of Julia with Harry, her rage escalated. She violently divided Julia's head and body into two halves before staring at Harry's picture and laughing maniacally. Meanwhile, Julia and Valerie faced a frustrating situation. After being turned away, they went straight home after work. When Harry came to pick Julia up, he saw her in an intense conversation with Valerie, who looked visibly angry. Once Julia got into the car, Harry casually asked, "Did something happen between you and Valerie?"
"Oh, you noticed?" Julia recounted the events of the afternoon to Harry. "It's normal for Valerie to react that way."
Taking the opportunity, Harry suggested. "Why don't you quit? I can set you up with your own studio where you can still make a name for yourself."
"Here you go again," Julia said, sitting sideways and staring intently at Harry. "It seems like you really want me to quit. But why? Is there something you're not telling me? I suspect you're hiding something."
Harry quickly reassured her. Since the incident in Mestoura with Arya, he had been completely honest with Julia. "I just
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don't want you t