She Was Never Just a Pretty Face novel Chapter 45

Morning.

Aegis Group Headquarters.

Luther was flipping through a stack of documents when his secretary, Lori, knocked and entered. "Mr. Sanford, Ms. Lovell is here. Shall I send her in?"

Luther gave a brief nod.

Moments later, Jolie drifted into the office.

She was wearing a pristine white Chanel suit.

—Elegant and intellectual.

Clearly aware of the Sanford family's decision, Jolie looked ecstatic. She leaned against the edge of his desk in a pose that was simultaneously intimate and suggestive, her eyes shining with delight. "Honestly, Luther, you should give my sister a chance to gain some experience. It's not like I was born knowing how to do this."

Luther set down his pen.

He rested his hands flat on the desk.

His expression remained entirely neutral—

"It wasn't my decision."

"It's what my parents wanted."

At the mention of Nathan and Eleanor, Jolie's cheeks flushed, and she brought a hand to her face in faux modesty. "Oh! It was their idea? Luther, is that really okay? Hilda has already moved back into the estate. Even if that child isn't yours, to the outside world, she is. Hilda should be the one in the spotlight. I'd hate to steal her thunder."

Luther watched her in silence.

After a moment, he stood up from behind the desk and stepped over to her.

Jolie's eyes instantly welled up. She stepped into his space, wrapping her arms around his waist, her voice a fragile, breathy whisper. "Luther."

The two of them stood there in a quiet embrace for a long time.

Half an hour later, Jolie walked out, an unmistakable look of triumph on her face.

—She was going to win it all.

She pulled out her phone and called her aunt to share the good news. On the other end, Yara was equally thrilled. Jolie was her niece; of course, she was going to help her crush Hilda. Once Jolie officially became Mrs. Sanford, Yara's own status would skyrocket.

As for Hilda, she was nothing but a useless placeholder.

As long as Yara was around, not a single maid at the estate would dare follow Hilda's orders, lest they lose their jobs. In reality, Yara was the one who controlled the inner workings of the Sanford home.

But she overestimated her own power, and severely underestimated Hilda.

…

Four o'clock in the afternoon.

Luther hadn't originally planned to return to the estate.

But Jolie called, claiming her car had broken down.

So Luther made the trip back.

Luther stepped out of his car just in time to witness the slap.

He frowned deeply. "Where are your manners, Hilda? This is incredibly tasteless."

Nathan tried to smooth things over. "Hilda, apologize to Yara and we'll leave it at that."

Eleanor didn't want a scene either.

She gently urged Hilda to offer an apology.

The surrounding maids began whispering, clearly outraged on Yara's behalf.

Hilda let out a cold, sharp laugh. She reached into her bag, pulled out two sets of documents, and held them up for everyone to see—

"First of all, I'd like to clarify exactly who this 'manager' is."

"Mom, Dad. You probably aren't aware."

"Yara is Jolie's biological aunt."

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Nathan and Eleanor froze.

Yara had never disclosed that they were so closely related.

Even Luther looked genuinely shocked. He turned to Jolie, his eyes demanding a rational explanation.