It wasn't until they reached the end of a quiet corridor that Julian stopped and slowly released her wrist.

Celine jerked her hand back; a clear red mark was already left on her wrist. "Julian, what on earth are you doing?"

"There's no one else here. You don't need to keep pretending."

Julian looked down at her, his eyes holding emotions she couldn't understand.

Celine furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

"When they were questioning you just now, I already had someone check the internal structure of this company and the registered list of all interviewers for this round."

Julian paused, the coldness in his eyes deepening. "From beginning to end, your name was not on that list."

"Celine, you are not an interviewer."

"Continuing to act will only make it harder for you to step down. I stopped you because I didn't want to watch you bring this humiliation upon yourself."

Chapter 3

Celine looked into his eyes, stunned for a moment, and then let out a cold laugh.

"Five years later, and hearing that sentence from your mouth still feels as nauseating as ever."

Five years ago, although Celine had decided to study abroad, she didn't want to be branded a cheater for nothing.

During that time, she had exhausted all her energy, staying up late to organize her complete notes and preparation records from before the exam, comparing her problem-solving logic line by line.

She had even gone to the education bureau to retrieve surveillance footage and finally obtained substantial evidence.

Daring not to delay, she rushed to the police station.

But just as she was about to start her car, a slender figure suddenly blocked her path.

By then, Sienna had already shed her usual gentle and proper expression, and a hidden, irrepressible sarcasm lurked in her eyes.

"Celine, stop struggling. It doesn't feel good to have your results canceled for cheating, does it? Why bother with this deathbed struggle, making people think you're both cheap and a sore loser, just to become a laughingstock?"

She took a step forward, smiling triumphantly.

"You didn't expect this, did you? You like Julian so much, but in the end, the person he has always liked is me. Whatever I ask him to do, he will help me."

"So, you put in all that effort to instigate Julian, using such despicable means to pin the cheating charge on me, is that it?"

"So what if I did?"

Sienna’s smile grew even brighter, arrogant and domineering. "This is the price for daring to compete with me."

"Then you two deserve each other—a bitch and a dog."

Celine’s gaze grew cold.

"Do you really think you’ve done this perfectly? Evil-doers eventually bring about their own destruction. Sooner or later, all your scheming will come back to haunt you."

Sienna’s expression changed. "What do you mean?"

Celine didn't want to waste her breath and opened the car door to get in.

But just as the car started and moved forward an inch, Sienna beside her suddenly went limp, stumbling and falling to the ground in a pathetic heap, her elbow hitting the ground hard and immediately bruising.

"Ah!..."

Sienna cried out in pain. "Celine, you—you actually hit me?"

Celine only found her clumsy attempt to frame her laughable.

"Celine!"

The next second, an angry voice arrived.

It was Julian.

He appeared out of nowhere, having just caught this scene.

Julian rushed to the car, grabbed the edge of the window, his black eyes surging with rage.

"If you have a grievance, take it out on me! What kind of skill is it to bully an innocent person?! You are truly malicious to the core!"

Malicious?

A flash of mockery crossed Celine’s eyes.

But she merely turned her gaze away coldly, her tone calm and devoid of ripples: "I have no time to play this act with you."

Having said that, she rolled up the window, shielding herself from his angry gaze, and sped toward the police station.

The evidence in the back seat was her only hope.

As long as she reached the police station and submitted all the evidence, she could completely clear her name.

But she never expected that when the car was not far from the station, two glaring high beams would suddenly light up behind her.

A black sedan was tailing her closely.

Celine’s heart tightened; she subconsciously gripped the steering wheel, wanting to speed up and evade it.

The next second—

"Bang—!"

The car rammed straight into her!

The massive impact made the car body tremble violently; the tires shrieked against the ground, and the vehicle instantly lost control, plunging forward.

The airbag deployed, and the force caused blood to seep from the corner of her mouth, her body feeling as if it were being crushed.

Through her blurred vision, she saw Julian get out of that car.

She watched him take the evidence she had worked so hard to collect.

Right in front of her, he set it on fire.

"Celine, give up."

He looked down at her from above.

"With the influence of the Julian family, it's useless even if you reach the police station. Continuing to be stubborn will only make it harder for you to step down. I stopped you because I didn't want to watch you bring this humiliation upon yourself."

Chapter 4

"And what if I refuse?"

Celine's voice was weak, yet exceptionally resolute.

Why should those who framed and conspired against her get away scot-free?

Why should she be unable to prove her innocence when she was clearly wronged?

But as Julian looked at her, covered in blood, though a ripple of emotion crossed his eyes, it vanished quickly:

"Then don't blame me for being heartless."

In the end, Celine was thrown into a detention center on charges of a hit-and-run.

Outside, rumors swirled, claiming she had been detained because she was caught cheating and refused to repent.

Celine's father was so enraged that his health collapsed, and he was sent to the hospital.

The burden of the family fell entirely on her mother, who, exhausted in body and spirit, fell down a flight of stairs and broke her leg—an injury that would ache whenever it rained for the rest of her life.

"I know I truly let you down back then."

Julian let out a breath, a flash of guilt crossing his eyes, though his tone remained flat.

"But I clearly offered you compensation, which you refused to take yourself."

"Compensation?"

Celine laughed.

"By telling me that with my ability, I would always get into a university, so repeating a year was no big deal? And even if I couldn't pass the entrance exam, you would arrange for me to attend a vocational college?"

"Julian, everyone’s time is precious. Who would willingly give up their dream school when they have the ability to get in? What right did you have to destroy me for your own selfish desires, and then interfere with my life, hypocritically making choices for me? Don't you feel hypocritical?"

Julian's brows furrowed tightly.

In his mind, he could see Celine as she was back then—her eyes red-rimmed, yet she resolutely tore the check he had handed her into shreds.

That broken yet stubborn image had lingered in his mind for five years, unable to be shaken off no matter how hard he tried.

He pressed his lips together, as if unwilling to recall the past any longer.

"Then you don't need to come back specifically to put on a show for revenge. These kinds of petty tricks are childish and useless."

He pulled out a business card and handed it to her.

"I know you won't find a good job with your resume. As it happens, my company is short of a secretary, and I can make an exception to hire you."

The tone, the condescending posture—it was no different from offering charity.

"No need to trouble yourself, Mr. Julian."

Celine took the gilded business card between her fingers. The next moment, right in front of him, she tore it in two, threw it into the trash can, and said,

"Without you, I can live just fine."

She didn't want to waste any more time on him and turned to leave.

"Celine!"

Julian instinctively reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Must you be so stubborn?"

His eyes surged with a complex emotion.

"What exactly do you want? As long as you are willing to soften your stance, it’s not like I can't agree to your demands..."

Before he could finish, Sienna’s voice reached them.

"Julian!"

Sienna jogged over, her eyes red.

Julian let go of Celine’s hand and looked at Sienna with deep concern: "What's wrong? Why is your face so pale?"

"It’s all because of that bitch, Celine!"

The classmates also walked over, shocked and furious.

"Sienna’s and our interview qualifications have really been canceled!"

Chapter 5

Upon hearing this, Julian’s expression turned ugly.

"It was the person with Celine. She went into the interview room and we don't know what she said to the interviewers, but our qualifications were actually canceled..."