Chapter 119

William was back again, his voice rough. "That Harper you mentioned last time..."

Christina shuddered, painful memories crashing over her like a tidal wave.

Harper. He had no right to bring up that name!

She couldn't hold back any longer, glaring at him with eyes full of hatred. William smirked, "What? Did I hit a nerve?"

Christina pressed her lips together, staying silent.

The ringing of a phone broke the tense silence between them. William answered, his expression growing serious. "Yeah, what is it?"

As he listened, his face became increasingly grave.

"Alright, I'll be back soon."

Christina watched him warily, still silent.

William sighed, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "You should rest. Don't worry about anything else. I'll take care of it."

With that, he turned and left.

Christina let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Not seeing him was the best thing.

But then Kelvin sent her a message, "The blueprints are due tomorrow."

"Got it."

She nearly pulled an all-nighter to finish the blueprints. When she delivered the draft, Kelvin stopped her.

"Why haven't you been at the office these past few days?"

"I had some personal stuff to deal with," Christina replied, not wanting to elaborate.

Kelvin nodded knowingly and pulled a file from his drawer, placing it on the desk. "This is for someone important in the industry. Deliver it and make a good impression."

Christina glanced at the file, understanding that Kelvin was trying to help her advance. She nodded in agreement.

"Sure, I'll deliver it."

The address was a hotel.

Probably here on a business trip, Christina signed the visitor log before heading up.

She knocked on the door, and an impatient voice came from inside. "Leave the room service at the door."

"I'm Kelvin's student, here to deliver some important documents. Could you please sign for them?" Christina said politely.

After a moment, the door opened.

The room was a mess, with blueprints scattered all over the floor.

Christina raised an eyebrow. "You..."

"Sorry, I don't like people in my room when I'm working on blueprints. Just give me the documents," said the man inside, who looked to be in his forties or fifties.

Christina forced a smile, understanding his quirks.

She handed over the documents and left the hotel.

It was rush hour, and she couldn't hail a cab. She decided to walk to a busier street.

Just as she turned, she saw Jennifer and a man sneaking out of the hotel. They seemed to be hiding something.

Jennifer was dressed very discreetly in a beige trench coat, a large hat, and sunglasses covering most of her face.

But even with the disguise, Christina recognized her.

Jennifer and the man seemed quite close.

Christina rubbed her eyes. "Am I seeing things?"

She decided to follow them.

Jennifer and the man didn't take a cab but walked, chatting and laughing.

The man occasionally leaned in to speak intimately with her. Their relationship was definitely not ordinary.

Christina suddenly remembered past events. Could it be that Jennifer had been with this man all along?

And William had no clue?

Driven by curiosity, she followed them.

Jennifer and the man went to a nearby mall. The man even picked out gifts for Jennifer, whispering to each other. Christina was too far to hear what they were saying.

She didn't dare get too close, just followed at a safe distance. Their behavior made it hard not to suspect something between them.

Jennifer put on a necklace, turning to the man with a smile. "How does it look?"

"Anything looks stunning on you," the man praised without hesitation.

Jennifer beamed, turning to the mirror for a closer look, but suddenly saw Christina standing not far away.

Jennifer's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned away.

Christina guessed that Jennifer had seen her through the mirror and pretended to take a phone call.

"Yes, I'm here."

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

Jennifer turned back, avoiding looking in Christina's direction.

The man noticed her unease. "What's wrong?"

Jennifer looked like she'd seen a ghost. "I think someone's following me."

"What!" The man frowned.

They glanced back, but Christina was no longer there.

Jennifer bit her lip. "She's always been against me. I need to teach her a lesson."

"Alright, I'll help you."

The man narrowed his eyes.

They thought they had time to plan, but unexpectedly ran into Christina on their way out.

Jennifer and the man exchanged a look.

A hand reached out to Christina, who was about to step down the stairs. She lost her balance and fell.

The stairs weren't high, but as she tumbled down, she felt like her bones were breaking, and stars danced before her eyes.

When she managed to get up, the stairs were empty.

Concerned bystanders gathered around.

"Miss, are you okay?"

Christina mustered the strength to say, "I'm fine."

"Do you need an ambulance?" a kind passerby asked.

"No, I'll be alright after a rest." Christina sat on a bench at the bottom of the stairs.

She rolled up her pants and sleeves, revealing bruises on her knees and elbows. Even a light touch was excruciating.

It had to be Jennifer!

She had felt someone push her.

But should she call the police?

She went to a pharmacy for some ointment and slowly made her way home.

Every inch of her body ached. She carefully applied the ointment and finally relaxed, slumping into a chair.

Her phone buzzed.

It was a message from Kaitlyn.

She called Kaitlyn right away. "What's up, Miss Fisher?"

Kaitlyn laughed. "You always tease me. Are you free tomorrow? Let's go shopping."

Christina pretended to be serious. "I'll have to check my schedule."

"Cut it out," Kaitlyn said, rolling her eyes. "It's settled!"

Christina, defeated by her straightforwardness, agreed. "Alright."

The next day, they met up.

Christina was still limping from her injuries. Kaitlyn noticed and asked in surprise, "What happened to you?"

Christina shrugged, trying to play it off. "Just a little accident. Nothing major."

Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't look like 'nothing' to me. You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Let's just enjoy our day," Christina insisted, not wanting to dwell on the incident.

Kaitlyn nodded, though she remained unconvinced. "Alright, but if you need to take a break, just let me know."

As they walked through the mall, Christina couldn't help but keep an eye out for Jennifer. She didn't want another surprise encounter.

Kaitlyn noticed her distraction. "You seem a bit on edge. Is something else going on?"

Christina hesitated, then decided to confide in her friend. "I saw Jennifer yesterday. She was with some guy, and they seemed pretty close. I think she might have pushed me down the stairs."

Kaitlyn's eyes widened. "Are you serious? That's crazy! You should definitely report it."

Christina sighed. "I know, but I don't have any proof. It's just my word against hers."

Kaitlyn frowned. "Still, you can't just let her get away with it. Maybe we can find a way to catch her in the act."

Christina nodded slowly. "Yeah, maybe. But for now, let's just focus on having a good time."

Kaitlyn smiled. "Deal. But if you need backup, I'm here for you."

Christina felt a surge of gratitude for her friend's support. "Thanks, Kaitlyn. I really appreciate it."

They continued their shopping trip, enjoying each other's company and trying to put the troubling events out of their minds, at least for a little while.