CHAPTER 161: CHAPTER 161: TRACELESS (2)_1

Her eldest brother wants to send me out to work, but I don’t want that at all!

"Bro, Bro, I know you’re the kindest, please don’t make me go to work..." Soon, Adele Horne’s ingratiating voice drifted down from upstairs.

Scarlett Taylor looked at Ruby Bluen’s swollen right cheek, her heart aching. She gently reached out to caress it and asked softly, "Does it hurt?"

"Mom, I’m okay, let’s go home." Ruby suppressed the anger in her heart. Considering Glades was no longer dwelling on her fleeing the wedding, she decided not to pursue the matter with Adele. She took her mother’s hand away from her cheek and, walking up to Gian Horne and Mila Anderson, she said politely, "Uncle, Aunt, I sincerely apologize for my actions, and I’ve already apologized to Glades as well. It’s getting late; we should go now."

Having said that, she pulled Scarlett Taylor and headed towards the exit of the house.

Her gait and even her silhouette radiated a surprising joy, making the Horne family members blink. They were unsure what change had occurred to sweep away Ruby’s earlier wan look and pain.

Upstairs, Adele was still clinging to Glades Horne’s arm, shaking it ingratiatingly. "Bro, I don’t want to go to work! You know I’m not good at anything. I don’t want to go to the company every day; it’s like being in prison with no freedom!"

Glades first lifted his left wrist to check his watch. Confirming that half an hour hadn’t passed yet, he turned his head to glower at Adele. In a stern tone, he said, "You’re becoming more unreasonable by the day. No matter what Ruby has done, you can’t resort to violence." He knew his sister’s personality all too well. Precisely because of this, he had warned her to stay at least three meters away from Julia.

He hadn’t gone downstairs and hadn’t seen Ruby’s face. He only heard his sister’s voice, realizing she intended to hit someone. He wasn’t yet sure if she actually had, as the little rascal had hurried upstairs to grab him before he could ascertain the situation.

Later, I’ll have to call Ruby and apologize for my sister’s impulsiveness. Never mind our past; just the fact that Ruby is Julia’s sister means I can’t let my own sister bully her.

"She deserved it! It’s her fault for embarrassing you!" Adele retorted stubbornly, refusing to admit she was wrong. In truth, the person she really wanted to slap was Julia.

"Report to the company tomorrow. You’ll start as a tea-serving assistant with a monthly salary of three thousand yuan," Glades said, shooting her a hard look before standing up to head to the top floor. Julia was still up there waiting for him.

"Bro, I don’t want to!" Adele shrieked.

A tea-serving assistant? Ugh, she was the Horne family’s cherished little princess, adored by everyone! And now her brother was punishing her, making her a tea-serving assistant at the company, all because she hit Ruby Bluen. A monthly salary of three thousand yuan? That might be good for a tea server, but for her, it wasn’t even enough to buy a pair of shoes!

"If I don’t see you at the company tomorrow, your bank card will be frozen. And if you don’t do your job well there, not only will your bank card be frozen, but your salary will also be docked." Glades’s cold voice drifted down from the third floor.

Adele was so furious she stamped her feet.

Once she started working at the company, a nine-to-five job, she’d have no time to cause trouble for Julia. Her brother was sending her to the company to protect Julia, that was all there was to it! No, she couldn’t let her brother get his way. She had to come up with a plan, quickly. Her parents couldn’t change her brother’s mind. Grandma could, but Grandma wouldn’t help her easily. There was only one person who could easily change her brother’s mind: Julia. Heavens, did she really have to go beg Julia? She absolutely didn’t want to! But if she didn’t beg, she’d have to go to work at the company.

Adele’s mind spun, thousands of thoughts racing through it.

「Horne Kitchenware Company.」

In the General Manager’s Office, James Horne sat behind his desk. His usually cold, handsome face showed a flicker of unease, and his hardened heart struggled to find peace. He tossed the pen he was holding onto the desk, then closed the stack of unprocessed documents and carelessly threw them to the other side.

He rose and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, yanking open the heavy curtains. He then pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and leaned against the window, his gaze slanted as he looked out at the world.

Today was the day his brother and sister-in-law returned from their honeymoon. He hadn’t stayed at home, but his heart had stubbornly remained there, unwilling to accompany his body back to the office. They must have reached home by now. He desperately wanted to rush back immediately, just to see them. But even if he saw them, what then? He could only greet them with "Brother, Sister-in-law," then sit in a corner, watching everyone else flock around them. This feeling of being pushed out of their world only made his heart ache more. It had been a week since he’d added Julia on Twitter. He logged in every day, hoping she would come online. Perhaps she was too busy having fun with his brother; she hadn’t been on Twitter since that first day. Every time he stared at her grayed-out avatar, he was filled with a tangle of complex emotions. He would silently open her Twitter profile, only to find she didn’t seem to write posts at all—not a single one, not even reposts from others. She hardly posted any updates either. Her photo album, however, was full, packed with pictures of her and his brother taken during their travels abroad. In every photo, his brother looked handsome, his expression full of doting affection for her, a sight that stung James’s eyes. He knew his brother cared for him too, but as time passed, that care had become deeper, less obvious on the surface. Yet, he still found himself jealous of Julia. And Julia... she always smiled so sweetly, so beautifully, her lively almond eyes always sparkling with confidence. Yes, she was an anomaly among the wealthy elite—she disliked following family arrangements, had no interest in inheriting the family business, and instead, had gone out to find her own job. Her every smile, every expression, tugged deeply at his heartstrings, making it impossible for him to look away, even for a second. As the time of their return drew nearer, his heart became increasingly conflicted. He wanted them to come back soon so he could see them every day and ease this ache of longing, yet he also dreaded their return, afraid that seeing them daily would make him lose control of his feelings and end up hurting them.

Wisps of smoke drifted silently, filling the entire office with the thick scent of tobacco.