Chapter 9 The Windsor Group Investment
Emily stood tall, her gaze sweeping across the poorly made garments and the disinterested employees scattered throughout the store. "Let it fall apart then. After being messed with by the Johnson family for so long, this place is no longer my mother's Mirage Fashion. It's tainted with schemes and greed. There's no point in salvaging it."
She paused, glancing at Clara, whose face was growing increasingly pale, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Perhaps I'll start my own company. I'll use my mother's designs as a foundation and continue her legacy. That way, the new company will operate independently, without being tied to the Johnson Group. Cleaner. Freer."
"You wouldn't dare!" Clara shrieked.
Go independent? How would she revive Mirage Fashion then? How would she prove her worth to Simon? His nephew would secure his position as heir to the Johnson Group without opposition.
Emily was pulling the rug out from under her feet!
"Why wouldn't I?" Emily arched an eyebrow. "I'm Jane, after all. Starting a fashion company shouldn't be difficult for me."
Seeing Emily's resolve, Clara turned her attention to Stella, her last hope.
"Stella, you're the intermediary here. If this deal falls through, how will you explain it to Charles?" Clara's tone carried a hint of threat, a stark contrast to her earlier fawning manner.
Stella responded with cool indifference. "Ms. Johnson, this is between you and Jane. As an intermediary, I shouldn't interfere."
Stella had disliked Clara for a long time, flaunting her power thanks to Charles's support, really thinking she was so capable. Now, she was left speechless by just a few words from Jane—serves her right!
She had no interest in getting involved. Charles had only asked her to make the introduction, not guarantee success. Besides, Jane clearly had the upper hand—why step into that mess?
Clara observed Stella's indifferent demeanor and Emily's confident expression, feeling a suffocating pressure in her chest that nearly took her breath away.
If sweet talk wouldn't work, she'd have to use force.
Clara exchanged a meaningful glance with Celeste, who immediately understood.
Celeste excused herself to the restroom and left Mirage Fashion. Emily watched her retreat, instinctively sensing they were plotting something.
But Clara didn't give her time to think, asking, "Emily, have you heard of the Windsor family?"
The Windsor family of Emerald City—a powerhouse with tentacles reaching into both business and politics. Their influence was so vast that ordinary families didn't even have the right to aspire to their level.
Noticing Emily's slight hesitation, Clara's eyes gleamed with smugness, her tone growing more arrogant. "This hundred million investment comes directly from Charles Windsor, the heir to the Windsor family! Do you really think Jane's reputation can protect you in Emerald City? Cross the Windsor family, and you'll be lucky if you can even remain in this city, let alone start a company!"
She deliberately emphasized Charles's name and implied their close relationship, attempting to intimidate Emily with the Windsor family's power.
Emily remained silent for a moment. Even overseas, she had heard about the Windsor family's tremendous influence, far beyond what the Johnson family could ever achieve.
But watching Clara's smug expression, something felt off—why would Charles take an interest in Clara? And why would he use the Windsor family's resources to target her over something so trivial?
"Ms. Johnson, it's best not to use the Windsor family as a shield. Do you really think the Windsor family would involve themselves in such trivial matters?" Emily's voice remained even.
Clara's expression instantly darkened as her thoughts were exposed. "You! What do you know? Charles and I..."
She swallowed the rest of her sentence. Charles had forbidden her from discussing their relationship publicly, so she could only hint at her connection to him rather than openly claiming to be his girlfriend.
After all, Charles had never publicly acknowledged her as his girlfriend. Their relationship was merely a speculation that Charles had never bothered to deny.
At that moment, Celeste returned and, standing where Emily couldn't see, nodded subtly to Clara.
Clara immediately caught on and lowered her voice. "Emily, you really think you're something special? You're nothing but a slut who slept your way to the top. Who knows how many men you've been with these past years?"
"And your mother—that useless woman spent her entire life on Mirage Fashion only to die sick and alone. This pathetic place she left behind should have been demolished and burned to the ground! You want to continue her legacy? Let me tell you, as long as I'm around, you and your mother will remain a joke!"
"Shut up!"
Emily's voice turned cold, the air around her instantly freezing.
"I won't shut up! Your mother was just a..."
The sharp sound of a palm meeting flesh echoed through the hall.
Clara's head snapped to the side, five distinct fingermarks immediately visible on her cheek. She clutched her face, but the look she gave Emily contained not just hatred but also a glint of satisfaction.
"I understand you have no interest in Mirage Fashion or collaborating with me. I apologize for overstepping," Clara suddenly changed her tune, sobbing as she portrayed herself as the victim.
The change in Clara's expression immediately put Emily on alert.
Just then, the glass door of Mirage Fashion swung open.
Charles's tall figure stood backlit in the doorway.
His gaze swept over Clara's reddened eyes and tear-stained face, his brow furrowing as the atmosphere around them grew so heavy it felt suffocating.
"What happened here? Who struck you?" His voice was cold, and when his gaze fell on Clara's swollen face, it lacked warmth but carried a sense of protection.
Six years ago, Clara had used her body to save him from the aphrodisiac.
He wasn't ungrateful—he understood the weight of both a life debt and lost virginity.
He had intended to settle with a large sum of money, but Clara had insisted on staying by his side. Out of gratitude, he hadn't refused, keeping her close and allowing her to pose as his girlfriend, conveniently deterring unwanted admirers.
He couldn't generate any genuine affection for this "benefactor," but Clara was sensible and understanding, so Charles had no reason to let her go.
Clara immediately rushed to clutch his sleeve, her tears falling more profusely. "Charles... it was Jane. She refused to cooperate and then... then she hit me..."
Only then did Charles turn his attention to Emily.
Emily stood in the shadows, her back straight, her face expressionless, with only the lingering anger still visible in her eyes.
Though this was supposedly their first meeting, he felt he'd seen those eyes somewhere before, especially the slight upward curve at the corners, like a needle pricking at his memory.