Early the next morning, Aurora received a phone call. Julian, sitting across from her, noticed her serious expression. The silver fork he held slipped from his hand and nged loudly against the te, the sharp sound breaking the silence.


    Outside, the heavy snow had finally stopped. Overnight, the world had been nketed in a thickyer of white, stretching endlessly into a deste, frozen expanse.


    Fortunately, the sun was shining brightly today, its warm rays piercing through the clouds and illuminating the snowy earth.


    Heather had woken up even before dawn. She didn''t know why, but unease had crept into her heart the night before, refusing to leave. By six in the morning, she was already up, moving about anxiously.


    "Are you insane? Go back to bed!" Gemma grumbled, flipping over and pulling the covers higher. The bed in this hotel was so soft, it felt like she was floating on a cloud.


    "If it weren''t for thepany footing the bill, I''d never get to stay in a ce this nice," Gemma thought to herself. "Might as well enjoy it while I can." She had no intention of waking up anytime soon and nned to sleep until the veryst moment.


    Heather had just finished washing up when the room''s phone rang.


    "What? Miss Candy''s having an allergic reaction? I''ll be right there!" Heather''s voice was tight with urgency.


    Hearing the word "allergic," Gemma couldn''t help the smirk that tugged at her lips. "Looks like the mango did its job," she thought smugly.


    "What''s going on?" she asked, feigning ignorance.


    Heather looked at her coldly. Last night, Gemma had seemed unusually cheerful.


    "Did you put mango in Candy''s juice?" Heather''s tone was sharp.


    "What? How would I know? I told the waiter to make it. You should ask them," Gemma replied nonchntly, clearly unwilling to admit anything.


    But Heather wasn''t fooled. Gemma had everything to do with this.


    Heather had been on edge for days, careful about every little thing. Yet in the mere ten minutes Ian had spent delivering something to her, everything had fallen apart.


    Normally mild-mannered andposed, Heather finally lost her temper. With a swift motion, she pped Gemma hard across the face.


    "Miss Montgomery and thispany have treated you well. Why would you stoop to such underhanded tactics to ruin herunch event? You know how important Candy is!"


    Gemma, despite the sharp sting on her cheek, was in a surprisingly good mood. She didn''t even bother retaliating, instead letting a smile creep back onto her face.


    "Still wasting time yelling at me? I suggest you take her to the hospital. Quickly," Gemma said with a mockingugh, dropping all pretense.


    Heather''s fury red again. "Gemma, if thisunch event is ruined, no matter what it takes, I''ll make sure you regret this!"


    Her second p sent Gemma sprawling onto the bed.


    Heather had never been this angry in her entire life. Aurora had given her so much, and she couldn''t bear to think of thepany''s efforts over the past two weeks being destroyed by Gemma''s petty jealousy.


    Getting fired didn''t matter to Heather. What worried her was the impact this would have on Aurora''s event.


    Candy was essential. Many media outlets, reporters, and fans hade specifically for her. Candy''s presence was key to stirring excitement and energy at the venue.


    If Candy didn''t appear, how would her fans react? The chaos that might ensue could ruin the entire event. A live broadcast of such a disaster would be humiliating for everyone involved.


    Heather pped herself hard in frustration. How could she have been so careless? She should''ve been more vignt.


    She couldn''t stop thinking about how Gemma''s actions stemmed from nothing more than petty jealousy. Gemma had always sought the spotlight, but Heather never imagined she''d go so far as to harm Candy.


    Now, Heather realized she had underestimated human nature. Gemma must have been triggered by the situation with Ian, and Candy''s dislike of her must have been the final straw.


    What Gemma failed to understand was the gravity of her actions. This wasn''t just about Candy-it could ruin Aurora''s reputation and theunch event, impacting sales and thepany''s image.


    Heather shook her head, unwilling to dwell on the worst-case scenario. She had to check on Candy immediately.


    Knocking on Candy''s door, Heather''s face was pale. A bodyguard opened it, staring at her with a cold expression that made her heart race.


    "Miss Candy, are you okay? I''ve already called the driver. We can leave for the hospital now," Heather said as she stepped inside. She saw Candy standing by the window, her back to her. Heather couldn''t tell how serious the situation was.


    In her haste, Heather tripped and fell,nding awkwardly on the carpeted floor. Thankfully, the thick carpeting cushioned her fall.


    "What''s the rush? Walk slowly," Candy said, turning around and helping Heather up.


    If you''re loving the book, nel5s is where the adventure continues. Join us for theplete experience—all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! Heather''s eyes darted to Candy''s face. "Miss Candy, didn''t you say you were having an allergic reaction?" Her skin was still wless, her face as radiant as ever.


    Candy pointed to her chin. "Right here."


    Heather leaned closer. There was a tiny pimple just beginning to form.


    Completely dumbfounded, Heather stammered, "Miss Candy, this... doesn''t really count


    as an allergic reaction, does it? You nearly scared me to death!"


    Candyughed. "Look at you, so worked up. You look exhausted. Didn''t sleep wellst night?"


    Heather copsed onto the sofa Candy had guided her to. "Miss Candy, I was so worried something would go wrong. I kept waking up every hour, counting down until morning. When you called, I almost had a heart attack."


    "Well, if I hadn''t been cautiousst night, I really might''ve ended up in the hospital today," Candy said, pouring Heather a cup of coffee.


    "Here, have some coffee and wake yourself up. Look at you-you''re a mess. If anyone sees you like this, they''ll think you''re on your deathbed."


    Heather sipped the coffee, still confused. "Miss Candy, what do you mean? Are you saying Gemma didn''t seed?"


    Candy nodded calmly. "Last night, Gemma brought me a drink. I didn''t suspect anything at first, but then she mentioned that you had bought it. She said you fell on the way over and asked her to deliver it for you.


    Her hair and clothes were damp, as if she''d juste in from outside. It was obvious she''d gone out to buy the drink herself. But instead of taking credit, she imed it was from you. That made me suspicious.


    Gemma''s always eager to show off in front of me. If she''d done something like this, she''d be bragging about it, not passing the credit to someone else. So, I decided to check the drink carefully. Sure enough, it smelled like mango.


    Heather, you really need to be more careful in the future. Don''t let someone sell you out and still make you count the money for them."