Chapter 261: Into the Gutter
Yunice gave a cold, twisted smile. Paul Powell had seen this before.
I had heard too many accusations in my life. I no longer wasted energy explaining myself to those who didn’t believe me.
Lifting the hem of her wedding dress, she turned and walked away, not even looking back at Wyatt to see his reaction. Her mind was strangely calm. No sense of injustice. No sorrow. All she could think about was one thing—how to destroy Paul Powell.
The familiar voice made her stop and turn. The hostility vanished from her face in an instant, replaced by a soft, harmless expression. Carl walked slowly toward her, each step heavy and deliberate. His pace said it all; he had thought carefully before calling to her. Seeing the seriousness on his face, Yunice’s heart sank fast and hard. There was a flicker of pleading in her eyes, silently begging him not to say anything that would shame her further.
Carl frowned and remained silent for a few seconds before finally raising his hand and patting her arm with quiet disappointment. “Put those bad thoughts away. Concentrate on your work from now on. Don’t make me feel like I misjudged you.”
Yunice clutched her wedding dress tightly. His words were more painful than if he’d scolded her directly. As he walked past her, she looked up slightly to see Victor following. Victor gave her a distant smile and walked away without a word.
Once everyone was gone, Yunice felt as if her strength had been completely drained. She dragged the heavy dress back to her room to change. I didn’t care what Wyatt thought of me, because I never expected love from him. Marrying him was only about gaining a powerful ally.
Chapter 261: Into the Gutter
He cherished me, and I want to return that kindness with everything that is good in me. But before I had the chance, he was already disappointed in me. The guilt grew inside her like a thorn rooted in her flesh. I can go and explain everything to Carl, explain what had happened today, and prove my innocence. But I couldn’t go back in time. I couldn’t stop the rumors. I couldn’t close every gossiping mouth.
Still, I wouldn’t carry this guilt forever. And I certainly wasn’t going to wear that dirty label for the rest of my life.
The reason I haven’t poisoned Paul yet is because I want to keep him alive so he could be forced to confess to every vile thing he’s done over the years.
As if nothing had happened, Yunice changed out of her dress and into civilian clothes. She slung her ordinary canvas bag over her shoulder and left the room. She didn’t go to Wyatt, nor did she look for Carl. Instead, she went back to the elevator control room. She searched every inch of it, retracing her steps one by one. Wyatt’s wedding ring is expensive. I can’t just let it disappear. She searched every nook and cranny but found nothing.
Given what I knew about Paul, how much he hated Wyatt, he probably would’ve thrown the ring away. Yunice’s eyes fell on the sewer grate. She walked over, set down her bag, and began to pry open the grate with her bare hands. Judging by the width of the pipe, she thought she could squeeze in.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The teasing voice made Yunice look up. Freya was standing with her arms crossed, looking down at her with amusement. Yunice’s foot was already halfway into the sewer.
“I think my ring was dropped in here.”
Freya watched her like a soft, stubborn little golden hamster. Yunice tilted her head up and asked, “Are you coming in to help me look?” Freya wrinkled her nose in disgust. “It stinks. No way.” Then she pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll give you some light.”
“Thank you.” Yunice bent down and began to carefully search the sewer for the ring.
Freya said, “You’re mad at Wyatt, aren’t you?” Yunice didn’t even look up. “No.”
Freya pressed again. “When people talk about you, why don’t you defend yourself? Just look at Elsie. She can turn black into white and still deny everything, even when caught.”
Still getting no answer, Freya changed the subject. “Well, she opened her mouth too much and talked trash about you, so Wyatt had someone sew her mouth shut.”
“What?” Yunice looked up, remembering the scene. Sewing Elsie’s mouth? He really did that?