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Chapter 3 Falsely Accused

Noticing the exchange of glances between the two, Nova quickly stepped in front of Zachary, feeling a bit uneasy. She worried they might recognize each other, given the mysterious events of the past. She wasn't sure if they had figured out the truth.

'Damn it! If it weren't for that useless David, things wouldn't have turned out like this,' Nova cursed inwardly.

Because of this uncertainty, Nova didn't dare to act rashly. She was thinking about how to discreetly get rid of Alice.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Nova said.

"Take a good look, did she create this?" Nova asked, giving a meaningful look.

"Yes, she did..." The man hesitated, noticing Nova's strange behavior, and tentatively said, "Or maybe not?"

"Why don't you two get your stories straight first?" Alice couldn't help but interject.

Zachary, annoyed by Nova's behavior, waved his subordinate away and adjusted his demeanor before speaking to Alice, "So, you are the Alice who was supposed to be engaged to me back then? I didn't expect our first meeting to be here."

Nova's heart sank, her worst fear had come true.

"I've heard some things about your past. I mean, you can't blame others for looking down on you after you did all these shameless things, can you?"

Zachary had heard that Alice led a promiscuous life. He might have been one of her targets back then. Fortunately, James was sensible and not only didn't hide the truth but also explained and canceled his engagement with Alice.

"What do you mean by that?" Alice frowned. It was their first meeting, yet he was full of hostility towards her.

"Nothing, I just find it hard to believe that a woman like you with such a debauched life could create such pure works," Zachary said.

Nova breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Zachary hadn't suspected anything about the past.

Trying to salvage her image, Nova quickly said, "Zachary, Alice was just young and liked seeking thrills back then. She's not a bad person."

Alice glared at Nova with a cold smile, knowing that she must have been the one spreading rumors and slandering her.

"Mr. Hall, a person like you, also believes one-sided stories? I thought Mr. Hall valued evidence, but it seems that's not the case!" Alice was no longer the lamb to be slaughtered. Her years abroad had taught her that only by becoming a hedgehog could she avoid getting hurt.

"And you!" Alice turned to Nova and retorted, "Isn't it a bit late to start pretending now, or do you think the person next to you is a fool who would believe a hypocritical woman like you?"

Seeing Nova's angry expression, Alice felt triumphant.

Zachary frowned, deep in thought. Indeed, all his negative impressions of Alice came from Nova. He had never investigated, as who would bother to investigate someone they didn't care about?

Realizing he might have been hasty without verifying the truth, Zachary began to take Alice more seriously. Her current demeanor and actions were indeed different from the uneducated sister Nova had described.

But Nova had been with her, after all. It wasn't something she had wanted, but it was done, and he couldn't just stand by and watch Alice bully her.

"Miss Blair, you are not yet qualified to judge my employees, as you haven't officially joined JewelSparkle," he said.

Nova was secretly pleased to hear Zachary speak up for her, looking proudly at Alice as if to say, "You'll never beat me."

"Alice, you did such shameless things back then, making our father furious. Now you want to cause trouble here? Are you trying to embarrass him?" Before Nova could finish, Alice stepped forward and slapped her hard!

She shouldn't have mentioned their father, James. If it weren't for her false accusations, Alice wouldn't have been kicked out of the house and forced to go abroad.

All the hardships Alice had endured over the past five years were caused by this vile woman, and now she dared to insult her again!

Alice wouldn't tolerate it. She was no longer the weak person she was five years ago.

With a crisp sound, Nova's cheek instantly swelled.

Zachary finally reacted. She dared to hit Nova in front of him. He grabbed Alice's wrist angrily, "How dare you? Apologize!"

Alice looked at Zachary, noticing his furrowed brows and the faint scent on him, momentarily lost in thought, recalling that night five years ago.

Zachary stared at her, saying, "Don't make me repeat myself!"

Hearing Zachary's cold voice, Alice snapped back to reality. She broke free, gently rubbing her wrist, and smiled, "Apologize? If she dares to slander me, she should be prepared to get hit."

Nova's eyes welled up with tears as she leaned closer to Zachary, looking pitiful, "Zachary, let it go. Alice just doesn't know proper manners. Maybe she wants to come back and take our father's inheritance. She was always so rude when asking him for money."

Nova turned to Alice, "Alice, I can give you money, but you can't cause trouble at the company or be rude to Zachary. JewelSparkle has thrived thanks to Zachary's support. You should apologize to him."

Alice resisted the urge to slap her again and said harshly, "If you slander me again, I will make your other cheek swell too."

Zachary stood in front of Nova, his gaze heavy, "I'll say it one last time, apologize!"

"If she apologizes to me, I might accept it," Alice said coldly, unafraid of his gaze. "You brought me back from abroad at great expense, confirmed my identity, and then humiliated me. Is this how your company values talent?"

"And without investigation, you have no right to speak. Don't just look at the surface, it will make you foolishly used by others." Alice added.

Nova panicked. Many details from that night couldn't be scrutinized. She couldn't let Alice ruin the life she had painstakingly built.

Nova lunged at Alice, but Alice deftly dodged, causing Nova to lose her balance and fall.

Tears welled up in Nova's eyes as she cried out, "Zachary! She's bullying me."

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