Chapter 217 Unmasking

Chapter 217 Unmasking

Half an hour later, Adeline left the studio. Elysia hadn't mentioned Ronald's marriage alliance again and was even hesitating about continuing the collaboration with the Murphy family. Before Ronald returned to the country, Elaine had already begun searching for new partners to acquire higher-quality diamonds. Coincidentally, Adeline's parents had friends in the business; smaller companies didn't necessarily mean lower-quality diamonds. Faced with Adeline's thorough preparation, Elysia understood that the Murphy family was indeed not their only option.

"Ms. Smith, are you alright?" Ulysses had been waiting at the door, worried something might have happened. Seeing Adeline's calm expression, he breathed a sigh of relief. "So it really was just about work? I thought my aunt would give you a hard time."

"Mrs. Williams is very nice. We just discussed work," Adeline said with a smile. She wasn't lying; she had simply used the work discussion to indirectly clarify the relationship between the Williams and Murphy families. It was the Murphy family's greed that had given Adeline the leverage she needed.

"That's good. Now that the design is approved, we can start making the jewelry. We'll be seeing each other a lot," Ulysses said, smiling at her.

Before he could say more, a sharp female voice cut in.

"Adeline! You bitch!" Gemma ran towards Adeline, her eyes red. "Tell me, what tricks did you use to make Ronald acknowledge your relationship? On what grounds?"

Yesterday, Ronald had received a call and rushed back. When Gemma learned about Adeline's indecent photos being leaked, she had secretly rejoiced. Even if Adeline was innocent, the Williams family would never accept a woman with a tainted reputation. But she never expected Ronald to publicly announce their relationship.

Gemma had already told her family that she was about to get engaged to Ronald. That was the only reason she was allowed to return to the country and have a chance to work in the company. Now, everything was ruined. The thought of her family's questioning and the power being taken away from her filled her gaze with hatred for Adeline."Adeline, you and Ronald are not a match at all! You must have used some trick, or he wouldn't have made your relationship public!"

"I've seen the videos online. Don't give me that AI crap. You're just a slut. You're not worthy of Ronald at all!"

She tried to lunge forward, but Ulysses quickly stopped her. "Gemma, that's enough. How can you say that?"

"Ulysses, don't you know Mrs. Williams has always wanted me as her daughter-in-law?" Gemma practically screamed. "Everyone knows I'm going to marry Ronald! What does he mean by announcing he has a girlfriend now? How could he do this to me?"

"He never said he was going to marry you, did he?" Adeline looked at Gemma coldly. "You're the one who has been telling everyone you're going to marry him, constantly making people misunderstand that you're an engaged couple, trying to make me back off, right?"

"You're lying!" Gemma stared at her venomously.

Gemma took a deep breath, then clutched her stomach, a cruel smile on her face. "Adeline, Ronald acknowledges you as his girlfriend now only because he still has some feelings for you and is afraid you'll damage the company's reputation. If he knew I was pregnant with his child, do you think he would still be with you?"

Ulysses looked at her in shock, then glanced at Adeline.

Seeing Adeline remain silent, Gemma grew bolder. "No matter how much Ronald likes you, the Williams family can't just ignore the child in my belly. Adeline, what do you have to compete with me?"

"That day you sent the photo and asked Ronald what was going on? He was sleeping with me, what else could it be? He never even replied to you. Don't you get it?"

She expected Adeline to be angry, sad, but Adeline just sighed. "Ms. Murphy, you have a good family, a good background. Why must you lie like this? That day, you deliberately posted that message, took Ronald's phone, and deleted the message I sent him. Did you think you could stir up trouble like that?"

"I've always been able to look at Ronald's phone whenever I want. He allows me to. He doesn't like you at all!" Gemma's voice trailed off as she saw Ronald approaching. She couldn't utter another word.

Ronald looked at her coldly. "Even lies have a limit. You took my old phone, didn't you?" He wrapped an arm around Adeline's shoulder. "Adeline, we need to go to the police station. They need your statement."

"She said she's pregnant with your child," Ulysses whispered.

Ronald scoffed, giving Gemma one last glance. "A child? Slander is also a jailable offense." His voice was devoid of any emotion, and Gemma trembled involuntarily.

Ronald continued, "I've already canceled the collaboration with the Murphy family. You have no reason to stay in Avalonia. Let's go."

After they left, Gemma stood frozen, staring at Ronald in disbelief. He had canceled the collaboration between their families just for Adeline?

"Gemma."

Hearing Elysia's voice, Gemma turned. "Mrs. Williams, Ronald, he..."

"The diamond prices offered by the Murphy family were indeed too high." Elysia walked up to her, her eyes full of disappointment. "You kept telling me the Murphy family was very sincere about the collaboration, and I know you genuinely like Ronald. Is this how you handle things?"

Elysia handed Gemma the documents Adeline had given her. "Since the Murphy family lacks sincerity in this collaboration, you should go back."

Gemma's heart sank. She quickly flipped through the documents. They contained not only the Murphy family's quotes but also quotes from other companies in Avalonia. The Murphy family's diamond prices were, in many cases, double those of their Avalonian counterparts. She wanted to explain, but Elysia had already left.

Ulysses patted her shoulder. "I know things aren't easy for you in the Murphy family, but this price is too high. Ronald is rich, but he's not stupid. And my aunt isn't a fool either."

Gemma staggered back, her heart hitting rock bottom. She knew she had failed the task her family had given her. She had even lost her status as Ronald's fiancée.

Just then, her phone rang. Seeing it was her father, Gemma hesitated to answer. He called a third time before she finally picked up. "Dad."

"Opulent Treasures has already rejected the collaboration. They've even transferred the penalty for breach of contract. What on earth is going on?"

"Dad, I'm sorry. I'll handle this. Ronald will definitely continue the collaboration."

"How will you handle it? Ronald has already publicly announced he has a girlfriend. Gemma, you've disappointed me so much! Come back immediately. Transfer all your files to your cousin. That's all."

Hearing the dial tone, Gemma knew she was truly finished. If all her projects were transferred, what kind of Murphy family heiress would she be?

She turned to look at the doorway, the hatred in her eyes intensifying. This was all that bitch Adeline's fault! Suddenly, an idea struck her. A smirk formed on her lips. Adeline had made enemies too. If she thought she could live happily ever after, she was dreaming!