Chapter 3

　　Plagiarism? 　　Lillian's heart froze as she looked at the comparative chart sent by the Larsen Group, but she couldn't help but find it ridiculous. 　　The designs shared nothing but basic structures. If that was considered plagiarism, then every architect in the business was guilty of copying. 　　She immediately called Jeffrey and said straightforwardly, "I did not plagiarize." 　　Jeffrey remained noncommittal, speaking in a flat tone. "The project team has already decided to use Ashley's design." 　　In an instant, all of Lillian's explanations were stuck in her throat. 　　Did the project team choose her, or did he choose her? 　　The words burned on Lillian's tongue. 　　Her eyes fell on the crystal ruler Jeffrey had gifted her. She blinked hard before whispering, "Do you still trust me at all?" 　　"You've earned enough in these years." 　　His tone was flat and devoid of any extra emotions. 　　Lillian was stunned for a moment before she finally understood the implied meaning behind Jeffrey's words. 　　When Jeffrey was building his career, he worked closely with her studio, charging below-market rates for all projects. 　　But in his eyes, those discounts were just advantages she took from him. It felt like a knife to the chest, and even the blood ran cold. 　　*** 　　The cooperation with the Larsen Group came to an end, but Stela was overjoyed and couldn't stop giggling. 　　In the evening, Lillian received a call from the hospital, saying that Chloe would be discharged today. 　　She went downstairs and was surprised to see Jeffrey's car parked downstairs. 　　"Get in the car." 　　Lillian looked at his indifferent face, with mixed feelings. 　　The car headed straight to the hospital. Lillian went upstairs to help Chloe organize her belongings. 　　As she turned to leave, she froze. The hospital room's trash can held an unopened specialty package from her grandmother Aimee Campbell in Starham. 　　Her chest tightened for a moment. She carefully retrieved it and slipped it into her bag. 　　Chloe was faster than her, she got in the car and sat in the passenger seat, and even took a sideways glance at Lillian sitting in the back seat. 　　She complained to Jeffrey in Ottaster dialect, "Your grandpa always favored your eldest brother. Now that he's engaged to an heiress. No wonder he's the CEO while you're just a deputy director. You see how it works? 　　"I don't know why you were making a fuss about marrying this housewife. She's completely useless." 　　Jeffrey was an illegitimate child. 　　When his father died, the Larsen Group's chairman threw both grandsons into the business, fueling their fight for control of the company. 　　Chloe never liked Lillian, convinced she couldn't boost Jeffrey's career. These bitter words had spilled from her lips a hundred times over. 　　Lillian sat in the back seat, looking at the silent Jeffrey in the rearview mirror, her heart sinking little by little. 　　In the past, when Chloe scolded her, he would still argue with her. Over time, it seemed that he also got used to listening. 　　Gradually, his silence became the norm in Chloe's eyes. As her words became more and more harsh, he never once stopped it. 　　And now, she hardly knew whether, in Jeffrey's silence, there was more helplessness or more agreement. 　　After Jeffrey sent Chloe back to her villa, he turned around and went back. 　　Lillian leaned her head against the car window, watching the dancing snowflakes outside, and suddenly asked, "Do you regret marrying me?" 　　Jeffrey did not answer. 　　The silence hung heavy. Lillian felt the chill first in her bones creeping into places no warmth could reach, even with the heater on full blast. 　　She shrank her body and after a while, she finally heard Jeffrey say, "We've married. Questions like that are meaningless." 　　Lillian suddenly welled up with tears and said in a hoarse voice, "Stop the car." 　　Jeffrey parked the car by the roadside. She immediately got out of the car, and the cold wind, carrying snowflakes, pattered on her face. 　　Jeffrey furrowed his brows and rolled down the car window. The handsome face was tainted with snow, and his gaze was even colder than the snow. 　　"What are you making a fuss about?" 　　Lillian shook her head, her throat choked up to the point where she could hardly utter a word. 　　Jeffrey furrowed his brows impatiently, glanced at her, and then lost his patience. He stepped on the accelerator and quickly left. 　　Lillian stood in the snow for ages, swallowing back the ache in her chest. When she finally looked up, a massive ad screen at the intersection flashed starlight bracelets. The tagline claimed each one had a unique code etched on it. 　　Lillian stared blankly at the words, then found herself walking into the jewelry store without quite knowing why. 　　She asked the shop assistant to check the code of the bracelet that Jeffrey had bought. 　　The code was 1314. 　　Lillian looked at the numbers, and her whole body seemed to freeze as if her blood had turned to ice. 　　The numbers on Ashley's bracelet were 1314! 　　Ashley's words kept echoing in her ears. "This is a gift for our second anniversary from my boyfriend."