Chapter 549:

Then, in a sudden burst of rage, she grabbed him by the collar. “You are not to design a ring for Caden. If I find out you’re working with him, I’ll have my father destroy you.”

The designer, startled, stared at her in shock, remembering the graceful, poised heiress he once knew. Now, she seemed unhinged, consumed by anger and pain. Corey interjected sharply, “Are you waiting for her to actually cut your throat?”

The designer, speechless, left in stunned silence.

Once he was gone, Yolanda steadied herself, her mind flashing back to the harrowing experience at the police station—the threats, the revolting physical contact. Though they hadn't escalated to the worst, the memory haunted her. The snakes, symbols of misfortune in her culture, had crawled over her, making her skin crawl. She knew it was all Caden's doing; he had wanted her to suffer.

Yolanda’s face hardened with hatred as she turned to Corey. “Help me,” she whispered, her voice venomous.

Corey glanced at her, unimpressed by her sudden determination. Without a word, he tossed the documents onto her desk. “The Q Robot has a bug, stemming from the chip Caden provided. I need you to fix it.”

Distracted and shaken, Yolanda snapped, “I can’t deal with work right now!”

Corey’s voice was firm. “Then why agree to work with me? If you’re unwilling to focus, we can end this contract now.”

Yolanda bit her lip, speechless. After a tense moment, she gritted her teeth, picked up the documents, and flipped through them. They were minor issues, easily handled.

“Fine,” she said at last. “I’ll solve everything by tomorrow—but only if you help me first.”

Corey raised an eyebrow. “Help you with what?”

“Caden wants to propose to Alicia,” she explained, her voice wavering. “He’s looking for a designer to create the ring. The designer you saw earlier once worked with my father and assumed I was Caden’s fiancée.” Her face fell; heartbreak trembled on her lips. “I won’t let him propose to her.”

Corey let out a cold laugh. “Do you really think you can stop Caden from doing what he wants?”

Yolanda’s eyes flashed with defiance. “If they get married, you can forget about ever having Alicia.”

Corey’s expression remained indifferent. “Whether Alicia marries him or not means nothing to me—as long as she’s alive.”

“But if you want Alicia, she’ll have to leave Caden first, won’t she?” Yolanda’s voice was steady as she gripped his hand. “I have a plan, but I’ll need your cooperation.”

Corey hesitated. He didn’t particularly want to scheme with Yolanda again, especially after her recent attempt to shift blame onto him. However, the Q Robot issues were pressing, and Yolanda was the only one who could help.