Chapter 74: A Perfect Opportunity
To everyone’s astonishment, Jane grabbed the dress and skillfully removed all the buttons from the back using a pair of scissors. People were baffled by her actions. Was she ruining the dress? Why was she taking off all the buttons? Jane then efficiently repositioned the buttons into a pattern that required one less, and her dexterity left everyone in awe.
Patrick’s gaze remained fixed on Jane. He was surprised once again by her capabilities, considering her rural background. How could she boldly make alterations to such an expensive piece of clothing if she didn’t have the skills? After all, the dress was a product of Loe Studio.
In just five minutes, Jane had rearranged the nine buttons, leaving no evidence of her alterations. The dress appeared as though it had been designed that way from the beginning.
“Done,” Jane announced, putting away her needle and thread.
Patrick approached her, lowering his voice to speak privately. “You know how to do this too?”
Jane met his gaze with a smile. “Have you forgotten that I came from the countryside? How can I make a living if I don’t learn new skills and improve my old ones?”
Ignoring Patrick, Jane handed the dress to Maria, instructing her to try it on.
Maria took the dress into the fitting room. When she emerged, she looked even more stunning in the dress than Annie had.
Jane was highly satisfied, and Patrick’s admiration for her deepened slightly. Maria was indeed a better fit than Annie for the role of spokesperson.
With everything set, Jane directed the photographer to begin the shoot. Maria had never worked on such an important advertisement before, and she was nervous, leading to somewhat awkward movements.
Jane paused the shoot several times to personally guide Maria. “Don’t be nervous. Relax. Pretend it’s just another day at work.”
Patrick couldn’t help but smile as he watched Jane work. Her dedication to her job was evident, and he found himself increasingly impressed with her.
There seemed to be nothing Jane couldn’t excel at. His grandfather had been right; Jane had numerous qualities worth exploring.
However, when Patrick thought of Candy, his expression darkened. Despite years of searching, he still hadn’t received any information about her. Where was Candy now?
Maria, a humble and diligent learner, gradually reached the level of comfort Jane expected after several attempts. “Great, keep it up,” Jane encouraged.
Two hours later, the shoot concluded, and Maria expressed her gratitude. “Thank you, Jane, for teaching me so much.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Jane replied with a warm smile. “Be here at nine o’clock tomorrow morning. We’ll be shooting the outdoor scenes.”
As Osborn invited Jane to dinner to discuss important matters, Patrick put his arm around her waist, declaring that she didn’t have time tonight.
Patrick’s display of affection left Jane blushing. Was he trying to assert his claim to her? Their engagement was only nominal, and he had no right to make decisions on her behalf. Besides, Osborn had important information to share over dinner.
The intimacy between Jane and Patrick visibly perturbed Osborn. With a tight-lipped expression, he turned and walked away without a word.
“Osborn…” Jane called after him, intending to explain, but Patrick’s grip remained firm.
Jane glared at him with frustration. “Let me go.”
“What, you can’t wait to be with Osborn?” Patrick’s face darkened.
“It has nothing to do with you.”
Jane broke free from Patrick’s hold. “Leave me alone.”
She left, uncaring that Patrick’s cold gaze followed her.
Lately, Florence had been growing increasingly annoyed. She had intended to use Annie to deal with Jane, but Annie had proven to be incompetent. Additionally, she couldn’t fathom Jane’s consistent streak of good luck in turning situations around.
Florence was preparing to go shopping with Erica when the butler informed her that someone named Miss Betsy was waiting outside.
“Miss Betsy? I don’t want to see her,” Florence dismissed with a wave of her hand.
“Understood,” the butler replied and left.
Once the butler was gone, Florence finalized her plans with Erica to go shopping. She was about to leave when a figure suddenly rushed in front of her car.
Florence was forced to brake abruptly to avoid an accident, nearly being thrown into the windshield. She stepped out of the car, seething with anger. “Psycho!”
She cursed the reckless individual responsible for this near mishap. It was Monica, the person who had nearly caused the accident.
“What are you doing?” Florence frowned. “Are you crazy? Why did you jump in front of my car?”
“Miss Doyle, please help me,” Monica implored, looking somewhat embarrassed. She had been struggling to find a job since her expulsion from Pansy Group and was running out of money. In her desperation, she remembered that Florence had once tried to recruit her.
“Help you? We have unsettled matters between us,” Florence responded angrily. “You stabbed Patrick, after all.”
“It was an accident! I was aiming for Jane. I didn’t expect Patrick to shield her. It’s all Jane’s fault. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have been fired. Now I can’t find a job anywhere!”Property © NôvelDrama.Org.
“As you said yourself,” Florence replied, “Jane is the one who put you in this situation. So, why don’t you seek revenge against her instead of bothering me?”
“I wanted to,” Monica clenched her fists. “But I can’t get near her, let alone get even with her. Jane is always either at the company or at Patrick’s house.”
“I see,” Florence said after a moment of consideration. “I heard that Jane is shooting an ad at Lover Lake tomorrow. Many people drown there every year. If something were to happen to Jane, say, an accident…”
“Yes, an accident!”
Monica’s eyes gleamed with sinister intent. Tomorrow seemed like the perfect opportunity.