Chapter 31

Britney laughed in disbelief. “How could it be her? She only knows how to cook. She’s just a maid. A cheap maid who’d feel eternally grateful to her employer for earning ten thousand dollars a month.”

Even as she said it, Serena could tell Autumn was definitely not some maid.

“Then think, do you have any enemies? Who else would dare go after you like this?”

Briney’s face darkened further.

Serena asked, “What’s wrong?”

Britney replied coldly, “I have too many enemies. I can’t pick just one.” With her temper and intolerance for the slightest grievance, she had offended far more than 100 people. But because of her status, even when people were provoked, none dared confront her directly. Still, there were probably countless people cursing her to death behind her back.

Britney didn’t care. Sparing them even a glance would lower her status. Her phone was full of explosive content. A leak was inevitable. She might be at a disadvantage now, but once she caught a trace of the person behind it, she’d be able to lock them down.

Britney swore silently—whoever it was, she would make sure they paid. She had been dealt a nasty blow this time, but she wasn’t someone who shied away from confrontation.

Downing a shot in one go, she suddenly fixed her eyes on Serena, her gaze sharp. “Your judgment is trash. How could you possibly think Autumn’s a hacker? Does she look like she has even a shred of hacker energy? That guess of yours deserves to be nominated for Joke of the Year.”

Serena flinched slightly under Britney’s glare. Even among close friends, there were lines not to cross. Respecting each other’s boundaries wasn’t wrong.

“My bad. I’ll take three shots as punishment.”

Britney watched Serena down three drinks, then took one herself to match. Even though she’d been played, Autumn had seen the video. Her goal tonight had been to make Autumn miserable—and she had succeeded. So, her mood wasn’t entirely ruined.

Autumn had only wanted to teach Britney a small lesson. She had no interest in snooping through her private files; she didn’t even look. One click and everything was wiped. Then she went right back to her own work.

Meanwhile, Dawson had returned home next door. He had just moved in. The place was still a mess. Janie had called in professional organizers to tidy everything quickly and arrange all items according to Dawson’s preferences.

“Mr. Faulkner, do you want to keep this trench coat?” It was a high-end luxury item, brand new, with no visible damage or stains. Since there were no signs of daily life in the home and the trash bin was spotless, the staff assumed it had fallen in by mistake, which was why they asked.

Dawson looked at the coat and took a second to recall how it had ended up in the trash. It had only been worn briefly by a woman. That alone didn’t justify throwing it away.

“Send it to the cleaners.” Dawson withdrew his gaze and turned to head into the study.

The next day, Autumn left for work on time. The moment she opened her door, she thought of her neighbor, Dawson. Would she run into him? She didn’t see anyone in the elevator and finally let out a breath. She didn’t want to be forced into work mode before even arriving at the office.

Dawson had returned to the company yesterday afternoon, but no one in the secretary group chat had said a word about it. The company-wide group was completely silent. With how stunning Dawson looked, it was impossible that no one was curious. He had clearly issued a warning—no gossip allowed.

Rachel had taken the day off yesterday. Autumn hadn’t dared to take any pictures, so she was the only one who hadn’t seen him in person. Today, she came in early just to catch a glimpse of Dawson.

But Rachel couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Tell me. Just how handsome is he?”