Chapter 6 " It's fine . She's generous and not that petty. Think of it as a welcome gift from me . Rachel is really good at what she does . If you work with her , you'll learn a lot , " William said , his voice full of concern for Samantha . From a distance , Rachel overheard his words , and her heart sank . Generous ? In William's eyes , she could give up everything - the project , her design work , even her mother's last wish . And now , she was even giving up her husband . She could feel the weight of her own humiliation , even without looking in the mirror . " Rachel Lloyd , how did you end up like this ? " she asked herself quietly . Just then , a teasing voice interrupted her thoughts : " I wondered why you suddenly wanted to work with me . Turns out , your husband has found someone new . " Rachel jumped back in shock . Her heel slipped , making her lose her balance and start to fall backwards . Her mind raced , fearing the worst . But in the next moment , steady hands gripped her waist For a moment , she was relieved that Tyler at least seemed a bit compassionate . But then , she saw the mocking smile at the corner of his lips , and his hands suddenly left her waist . Rachel couldn't believe it - he was playing with her . In that split second , a burst of strength flowed through her . Just as she was about to hit the ground , she grabbed onto the edge of Tyler's suit jacket . His deep eyes showed a flicker of surprise before he reluctantly caught her again , pulling her back . She stumbled into his hard , firm chest . Looking up with a frown , she was met with his intense , unreadable gaze . " Are you trying to use me as a cushion ? " he teased . Rachel couldn't stand this man , especially after the way he had played with her . She pushed against his chest , trying to create some distance between them . She couldn't admit it was intentional , so she muttered , " It was just a reflex . I'm sorry , Mr. Hunt . " If it weren't for him messing with her , this near - disaster wouldn't have happened . Rachel clenched her fists , trying to stay calm . She still needed him for the Oasis Project . For now , he was like her only lifeline ! She took a deep breath , letting the tension leave her body , and forced a smile back onto her face . " Mr. Hunt , you must believe me now , right ? I'm not a spy sent by Lewis Enterprise . I really want to work with you . " Tyler tucked his hands casually into his pockets as he lazily replied , " Who knows ? Maybe you and your husband are just playing me . " Rachel pursed her lips tightly . This man had a trust issue the size of a mountain . She imagined any woman who married him might never even get a chance to talk to another man . She smiled wider , trying to stay patient . " Why would I bother ? Besides , we both know you could uncover the truth with one phone call . You've got that kind of reach . " Everyone at Nevalis University knew about Samantha and William's past relationship . After a moment , Tyler spoke again , his tone reluctantly serious . " If you're determined to work with us , let me make one thing clear Once this project is under LS Enterprise , William will eventually find out about you . Once that gets out , it will cause a scandal for us at LS Enterprise . Who knows … " He paused , leaning slightly closer to her . His warm breath brushed against her ear as he whispered , a dark chuckle escaping his lips . 1/3 Chapter 61 +25 BONUS " People might say you and I are in this together . Do you think you can handle that kind of accusation , Mrs. Lewis ? " Rachel stiffened , the weight of his words hitting her hard . She understood exactly what he was saying . If she pushed too hard now , she could burn everything down . But as long as she could finish the project before leaving , the gossip wouldn't matter . Slowly , the tension in Rachel's face began to fade . She knew what she had to do . " That's hardly your concern , Mr. Hunt . You're a businessman . As long as this project turns pure profit , nothing else should matter , " she said . She could tell Tyler wasn't the type to fear William's wrath . The man had an air of confidence that made him seem unafraid of anything or anyone . With a faint smirk , he dropped his scrutinizing gaze and slumped back into his signature lazy posture . " Hey , " he called out to her . Rachel looked up at him . " Yeah ? " His eyes moved past her , landing on the other side of the room . His voice took on a playful tone as he added , " Your husband seems to be staring right at us . " Rachel froze . She quickly turned her head , and sure enough , William was looking straight at her . The moment their eyes met , they both froze . William's face showed a flicker of surprise when he saw Rachel , but when his gaze landed on Tyler next to her , his expression darkened . Samantha completely missed the odd look on William's face as she cheerfully came over to greet Rachel . " Rachel , what a coincidence ! If I had known you were coming , I wouldn't have joined William . Oh , but don't misunderstand . I just came along as a favor because he didn't have a plus - one . " Samantha seemed a little flustered as she gestured toward Rachel , her face turning pink as she nervously stole a glance at her . Her eyes showed signs of discomfort , and Rachel couldn't help but feel like some kind of a wicked stepmother , as if she had been deliberately bullying Samantha . Just then , William seemed to snap out of his thoughts . He walked over and took Rachel's hand . " I thought I told you to rest at home . Why did you come out on your own ? " For a moment , Rachel couldn't tell if he was concerned or blaming her . She kept her face neutral and said , " Remember I told you about the bracelet I designed for my graduation project ? I heard it's being auctioned off today . Since you're busy with work , I decided to just take a cab and come . " When Samantha heard that , she instinctively tried to hide her wrist . However , Rachel's eyes landed on her wrist " Ms. Judd , how did you end up with that bracelet ? " she exclaimed in surprise . Samantha tried to hide it , but Rachel grabbed her wrist , revealing the soft blue bracelet to everyone . Tyler had taken a seat when William and Samantha came over , He leaned back in his chair , his arms crossed , clearly enjoying the scene unfolding . The atmosphere grew tense . Rachel then looked directly at William , raising her voice as she said , " I get it now . You secretly bought it and wanted to surprise me , right ? " William was momentarily stunned , but then nodded along with her . " Yeah , I thought I'd swing by after my meeting and pick it up for you . That bracelet's been sitting around for so long , so I thought I'd have Samantha try it on for you . " Rachel smiled widely , her eyes sparkling . " I knew it ! You really went through all that trouble , huh ? But since I'm right here , I can try it on myself . " 2/3 Chapter 6 +25 BONUS Samantha's face turned pale with a mix of anger and embarrassment . Though she was clearly fuming inside , she couldn't say anything . Rachel extended her hand , and Samantha reluctantly removed the bracelet and gave it to her . Rachel put it on her wrist , making sure to flaunt it in front of William and Samantha . She shook her wrist slightly . " How does it look ? " " It looks great , " William replied patiently , as he always did . Then , Samantha suddenly spoke up , her voice soft and sweet as she asked , " Wait , isn't this man Mr. Hunt ? How did you end up with him , Rachel ? I thought our company wasn't working with LS Enterprise . "