Chapter 1527 Stop Deluding Yourself
Emily had never been the sharpest tool in the shed, and she couldn't handle being provoked. Her friends' words only fueled her cruelty as she grabbed Ann's head, ready to slam it against the wall.
But just then, someone knocked on the restroom door.
It was always the same—just when she was getting into her stride, someone would interrupt. Emily rolled her eyes and released Ann's hair. "Lucky you. Let me make this crystal clear—stay away from my brother. He's not for trash like you to touch."
She tossed her hair back and glanced at her friends. "Let's go."
"Emily, we're just letting her off the hook like that?"
Emily hissed, "Someone's here. If word gets out, it won't look good for us."
After all, Ann represented S.M Corporation now, and the company had a solid reputation in the industry. If news of their bullying leaked, there'd be talk, and while the Adams family could suppress the gossip, Emily worried it might make Paul care about Ann again—which would be counterproductive.
Better to keep dragging Ann into restrooms for these sessions until the woman couldn't take it anymore and left Silver Bay City on her own.
The thought brought a satisfied smile to Emily's face.
Her future sister-in-law would have to be the finest woman in all of Silver Bay City—certainly not someone like Ann.
As they opened the door to leave, Ann had already slipped into a stall. She began her practiced routine of touching up her makeup and changing clothes.
To protect the company's image, she always carried a spare dress in her bag for occasions like this, ensuring no one would notice she'd been doused with water.
She carefully wiped the water stains from her neck with tissues, tossed the ruined dress in the trash, and pulled out a compact mirror to fix her makeup. Only when she was certain her face showed no signs of what had happened did she emerge.
But the moment she stepped into the hallway and saw the man leaning against the wall, cigarette in hand, she froze. Her instinct was to flee.
It was Paul.
The hallway lighting was dim, but she'd recognize him anywhere. She lowered her eyes and tried to walk past him with feigned composure.
Over the past two weeks, she'd done things that made her despise herself. She'd called him dozens of times before he blocked her number, sent messages until he blocked those too. She'd even debased herself by going to find him in person—after all, when they'd been at that villa together, they'd both acknowledged their relationship. If it was ending, she deserved to hear it face to face rather than through cold text on a screen.
But Paul refused to see her, as if she carried some contagious disease.
By now, she'd managed to compose herself emotionally. Yet seeing his silhouette still made her chest tighten with that familiar ache.
She had no one to blame but herself for giving her heart away so easily.
Her throat burned as she quickened her pace toward the side exit, hoping to reach her car, when his voice stopped her cold.
"Did you cause trouble for Emily?" The question hit Ann like a slap.
Anyone who knew her even slightly understood that she never flaunted herself in front of these wealthy socialites, let alone went looking for trouble. For Paul to ask such a thing showed how little he truly knew her.
Her heart felt crushed in an invisible fist, her hands clenched so tightly at her sides that her nails bit into her palms. "No."
If only there were a switch in this world—one button she could press to take back every feeling she'd ever had. She'd trade everything for something like that.
"You came out one after the other. Hard not to be suspicious."
The dim lighting and Ann's averted face meant he could only see her profile, but something seemed off about her expression.
Ann said nothing, afraid that lingering any longer would bring tears she couldn't control.
But Paul clearly wasn't finished with her.
He said coldly, "Don't mess with Emily. She's not someone you can afford to cross."
Emily had bullied her, and here was Paul taking Emily's side. Only Ann had no one in her corner.
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