Chapter 4
After receiving the recording Malcolm sent her, Loretta instructed the driver, “Take me to Uncle Cohen’s”
The Broderick family originally made their fortune through tomb raiding. Loretta’s grandfather was the one who shifted away from that practice, turning to the antiques trade instead.
However, since this business was risky, Loretta’s father, John, began investing in the jewelry industry when Loretta was a kid. Now, he had built his own brand, expanding their business into international markets.
In recent years, the antiques trade had become increasingly difficult, and Cohen, John’s brother, who had once opposed John’s shift in business, had started to cozy up to him.
Today, both Amy and her mother, Maria, were at home. Ever since Amy had turned twenty, Maria had been busy trying to find her a suitable husband.
Amy, who secretly loved Bruno, was annoyed by her mother’s efforts. “Mom, Loretta isn’t married yet, so why are you pushing me like this?”
“Can you really compare yourself to Loretta? She’s had a boyfriend for a long time now, and her boyfriend is a professor with a good family background. If you could find a boyfriend like that, I wouldn’t be so worried,” Maria said.
Hearing this, Amy’s eyes flickered. She mischievously hooked her arm around her mother’s and asked, “What if I find someone just like Bruno? Would you stop setting me up on blind dates then?”
Well, go ahead and find one,” Maria said.
“Fine. I’ll call Bruno right now and ask him to introduce me to one of his colleagues,” Amy said.
As she said this, Amy reached for her phone. The thought of Bruno attending Patrick’s birthday party with Loretta while she had to stay home made her uncomfortable. She figured this was a good excuse to call and talk to him.
Just then, Loretta walked in from outside, asking as she entered. You two look so happy. What are you talking about?”
Loretta was still wearing the dress from the party. With her stunning, elegant appearance and the luxurious gown, she looked so radiant that it was hard to look away.
Seeing her like this, Amy’s hand tightened around her phone, a surge of jealousy rising within her, though she quickly masked it with a cheerful expression. “Loretta, good to see you! You look absolutely gorgeous today.”
Maria warmly invited Loretta over. “Loretta, what brings you here at this hour? Weren’t you at Mr. Pearson’s birthday party?”
Loretta glanced at the two women. She still remembered how fiercely her uncles had opposed her father’s idea of starting a jewelry business when she was a child.
In the end, the family had split their assets, with John’s branch becoming independent. Only then did the tension settle down. Even though relations between the families had eased over the years, Loretta still found it hard to feel close to them.
Amy, however, was an exception.
Army was just a year younger than Loretta. When they were children, she had always been attached to Loretta. Even during the worst of the family feuds, Amy would sneak away to play with her.
Loretta had no memory of her mother. When she was a delicate little girl, John had worried that she would get bullied. Despite financial hardships, John had ensured her protection by hiring bodyguards and enrolling her in boxing lessons,
During that time, Amy had been the one who often kept her company, making her lonely childhood a little less dull,
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Loretta had always believed that Amy truly saw her as a sister. Whenever John went on business trips, Loretta would ask him to bring back gifts for Amy, too.
Amy’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “Loretta, we were just talking about asking Bruno to introduce one of his colleagues to me as my boyfriend.”
Loretta turned her gaze toward Amy, whose face had a girly, innocent expression. She thought to herself, ‘Amy is really good at acting
She wondered if Amy had been pretending in front of her all these years. Maybe Amy had done it so convincingly that she had never once doubted her, but having been tricked by both Amy and Bruno still made Loretta feel like a fool.
At this thought, a coldness rose within Loretta. She made up her mind to expose Amy’s true self, layer by layer. She wanted to see how far Amy was willing to go. “Why bother to do that? If you like Bruno, I’ll let you have him.”
Both Maria and Amy froze in surprise.
“Loretta, what are you talking about?” Amy exclaimed, “Bruno is your boyfriend! How could you say something like that? Besides, I’ve always seen him as a family.”
Amy looked both shocked and indignant. “How can you joke about something like this? Even if I were looking for a boyfriend, it wouldn’t be Bruno, I’ve never had any feelings for him.”
Maria chimed in, “Loretta, did you and Bruno have an argument But Bruno doesn’t seem like the type to make you angry. Maybe there’s a misunderstanding? If so, you should talk it out. There’s no need to say things that could cause confusion.”
A small smile played on Loretta’s lips as she replied casually, “Ty already broken up with Bruno; we’re not in a relationship anymore. If Amy truly loves him, she’s free to go to him now.
“I don’t want Bruno!” Amy raised her voice to show her stance.
Loretta smoothly changed the topic in a carefree manner. “Aunt Maria, do Uncle Cohen and Tony have any free time lately! The company needs to procure a batch of raw gemstones. My dad isn’t back yet, so I plan to go personally
Maria, though still unsettled by Loretta’s strange behaviors earlier, felt a surge of joy at these words.
She quickly responded, “You’re a young woman; it’s not safe for you to go alone. Let Cohen and Tony accompany you. That way, you won’t have to worry about those gemstone traders taking advantage of you just because you’re a woman.”
Raw material procurement was a critical part of any business, and ever since John’s business had taken off, the other families had wanted to partner with him. But John had always refused.
If Cohen and Tony went along with Loretta to the source of the gemstones this time, they could gather information on prices. Even if they couldn’t join John, the information they gathered could benefit their own jewelry business in the future
“Yes, that’s exactly what I am thinking,” Loretta replied.
In her previous life, John had never involved his brothers in raw material procurement. He didn’t trust them when it came to such important matters.
But Loretta had lived through one lifetime and knew for sure that Amy and Bruno were not the only ones responsible for her father’s death.
Not long after this point in the previous timeline, John had purchased a very significant antique at an international auction. He had planned to give it to the government, a decision widely covered by the media.
But when the antique was brought hotne, it mysteriously broke. That incident was when Loretta’s talents became known to her uncles and Bruno,
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In her past life, Loretta had been far too naive. She had believed that family and love were the two things that would never betray her. In the end, she had lost everything.
This time around, Loretta’s relatives and Bruno were the people she trusted the least.
“Oh, then I’ll call Cohen and Tony now,” Maria said excitedly. “Since you’re going to the gemstone source, it’s best to start preparing as soon as possible.”
“There’s no rush, Aunt Maria. The trip won’t be for another week I just wanted to give you a heads–up today,” Loretta replied casually before turning her gaze to Amy.
At that moment, Amy’s phone buzzed with a message. She glanced at the screen–it was from Bruno, asking her to find a way to get Loretta to the Imperial Club tonight.
As Amy read the message, Loretta’s earlier comments about Bruno lingered in her mind. She felt something had definitely happened between them. Putting her phone away, Amy looked up and asked, “Loretta, did you have a fight with Bruno today?
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