Chapter 34

Melanie had no intention of engaging further with Gabrielle. Instead, she reached out and pushed her aside. Gabrielle, ever alert, saw Edward emerging from the office building and let out a dramatic gasp before feigning a fall to the ground. "Ms. Smith, let's talk this over. What do you think you're doing?" she said, immediately putting on a pitiful expression. Edward was chatting with a colleague nearby when he noticed the commotion and quickly made his way over. "What's going on?" he asked Melanie, concern etched on his face. Melanie wasn't buying into Gabrielle's act. It felt like she was trying to pull a fast one on her. "Ms. Graham, the ground's pretty hot. Aren't you worried about burning your backside? Maybe you should get up. It doesn't pay to overheat yourself just to try to smear my name," she retorted, a mocking tone in her voice. Gabrielle's face flickered between shades of annoyance and embarrassment. The pavement was scorching under the summer sun, and even the f