Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Rachel walked downstairs, where Cecilia was still waiting for her . As soon as she appeared , Cecilia rushed t " So , what happened ? " she asked eagerly . " It didn't work out . Just like the rumors say , he's impossible to get through to . " Not only that , but Rachel had almost exposed herself in the process dup to her . +25 BONUS As she was about to leave his office , she had heard Tyler's deep voice behind her : " I heard you went dead because of Mr. Lewis back then , Mrs. Lewis . Looks like you're all better now . " Rachel wasn't sure if Tyler would keep her secret , but deep down , she felt that even if she asked him , he wouldn't help . Cecilia looked at her with guilt and said , " I'm so sorry I couldn't help you . " " It's fine . Actually , I think I've caused trouble for you . " Rachel shivered as she remembered Tyler's words to his subordinate earlier . As she was about to speak again , the noticed Cecilia standing still , frozen in shock . Her eyes were wide open , and she seemed lost in thought . Rachel waved her hand in front of her . " What's going on ? Are you okay ? " Cecilia slowly turned her head , her face full of disbelief . " I … I didn't sign to you just now , but … you could hear me ? " Rachel quickly covered her mouth . " Keep it down . Come here . " ' Once they were out of earshot , Rachel explained what had happened . Cecilia's reaction was pure excitement . " That's amazing ! Why didn't you tell me earlier ? I was over here looking like a fool , clumsily signing to you . " Cecilia wasn't great at sign language , but luckily , Rachel was smart . Even if the person Rachel was talking to wasn't fluent in sign language, she could roughly tell what they were saying from the shape of their mouth . " But you need to keep this secret for me . Not even William knows . And tell your friend who helped set this meeting that there's a good chance they might lose their job over it . " Rachel's voice grew softer as she repeated Tyler's words to Cecilia . Cecilia hung her head , clearly upset . " This is bad . Tyler really is as ruthless as they say . It looks like your plan is going to fall apart . " When Rachel got home , she sold the custom wedding dress William designed for her . She had finally come to a decision . Whether or not she got the Oasis Project , she needed money for the future . She wasn't the rich daughter of the Lloyd family anymore ; she was just an ordinary person now , and to survive , she needed money . She thought it would take days for anyone to buy the dress , but to her surprise , within three minutes , someone paid an unbelievable price for it . Five million . She stared at the deposit notification on her phone , feeling a strange sense of satisfaction . She was already thinking about what to do with the money . Just then , the door burst open . William walked in , sweat beading on his forehead . He knelt down in front of Rachel , looking desperate , his hands moving quickly as he signed . " I saw you sold the wedding dress online . I designed that myself . Did I do something wrong ? Are you mad at me ? " Chapter 5 +25 BONUS Rachel could see nothing but worry in William's eyes . She had always believed she understood him completely . " Rachel pretended to be unaffected , patting his hand lightly . " Of course not . We're all alumni of the same school . Helping each other is the right thing to do . Don't overthink it . " After he heard that , William's tense face softened , his sharp features relaxing into a smile . " That's a relief . I knew you weren't that petty . Don't worry , I'll make sure everything goes smoothly with the project . I won't let anything go wrong " Rachel almost laughed out loud . In William's eyes , he was being generous enough by giving away the most important thing to him . She knew now that getting him to give her the project was impossible . Her only chance was with Tyler . Just as she was thinking that , William's phone rang . He glanced at it quickly , about to ignore it , but Rachel had already seen the name on the screen . It was Samantha . A bright , radiant smile crossed Rachel's face . " Who's calling ? Why aren't you answering ? " William hesitated for a moment , then slipped the phone back into his pocket , forcing a smile . " It's just the company . But right now , I need to focus on you . You're much more important than work . " .He spoke softly , a trace of affection in his eyes as he gently pinched Rachel's cheek . However , she said , " Go ahead , take the call . It might be something important . " William didn't want to answer , but Samantha kept calling . He ruffled Rachel's hair , nodding toward the door to let her know he needed to take the call . She quietly watched as he walked out , the light in her eyes dimming little by little . What she had once considered so important seemed to mean nothing to him , as it left his lips so casually . Had he forgotten what he had told her before ? That as long as he was around , the project would be hers , no matter the cost ? Now , he had casually handed it over to Samantha with just the excuse of it being the higher - ups ' decision . The vibration of her phone pulled Rachel back to reality . It was a message from Cecilia . [ I heard that Tyler will be attending the charity auction tonight . Not sure if he'll actually g events like this . You'll have to take a chance . ] Lough . I heard he rarely attends Rachel wasn't sure if Tyler would actually be there , but she had to go . Maybe she would get lucky . She quickly typed a reply : [ Thanks . ] As soon as she sent the message , William came back into the room after his phone call . He crouched down in front of her , looking anxious . " Hey , I've got to meet a business partner , so I might not be able to have dinner with you . But I'll come back as soon as I can . " Rachel quickly replied , " Don't worry about it . You go ahead . We can eat together another time . " She was actually glad he wouldn't be around tonight . She wasn't sure how to turn him down if he insisted on taking her out . William couldn't help but kiss her forehead . " You're the best . When I get back , I'll buy that bracelet you liked at the auction . " " Alright . Go ahead , " Rachel replied , playing the part of the understanding wife . 2/3 Chapter 5 +25 BONUS She turned her head , avoiding his kiss . Just the thought of those hands , that mouth , having touched Samantha made her feel utterly disgusted. William didn't notice that something was off with Rachel . She could see how he was almost about to float off the ground with excitement . She knew she didn't want this forced relationship anymore , and couldn't bring herself to care about a love that didn't feel real . Once William left , Rachel quickly grabbed some clothes from the closet and put on light makeup before rushing out the door . When she arrived at the charity auction , she took out the invitation . The brand had invited Lewis Enterprise , so it wouldn't be too hard to get in . Inside , she searched the room but couldn't find Tyler . Instead , she saw two familiar faces - William and Samantha . Samantha was adjusting William's tie , looking at him with eyes full of affection . Rachel couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh . This was his idea of meeting a business partner ? But that wasn't the worst of it . What happened next left her stunned . A staff member came over and handed William a beautiful red velvet box . Slowly , he opened it , took out a bracelet , and gently placed it on Samantha's wrist . Rachel's heart skipped a beat , and her legs felt heavy as she stood frozen . The bracelet meant so much to her - it was the first piece of jewelry she ever designed . Back when her mother couldn't afford treatment , Rachel had sold it . William had promised he would buy it back once it was up for auction . But now , seeing this , she realized that his promises meant nothing . For a man , what he said one moment could mean nothing the next . He could be loving and caring , always saying he loved her , but then turn around and act the same way with another woman . Rachel bit her lip hard , trying to steady her breathing . She didn't even notice the small trickle of blood from where her teeth pierced her skin . She watched as Samantha smiled brightly and threw herself into William's arms . " William , you're the best ! " Then , with worry - filled eyes , she added , " But if Rachel finds out , do you think she'll be upset ? " 3/3