Dumping My Fiancé For His Uncle

Chapter 23

After the auction ended, Darwin walked in, holding a tray draped with a red cloth. Thea barely glanced at him until he approached her directly.

"What's this?" she asked, her heart fluttering slightly as she instinctively looked over at Nicolas.

Nicolas's gaze shifted to the tray. "Open it. It's for you. Consider it an apology on behalf of the Hendrix family and Avon Ventures for Jake's behavior."

Thea hesitated, then lifted the red cloth, revealing a pair of earrings. They were silver, shaped like crescent moons, each adorned with pure light blue gemstones that seemed to capture the glow of moonlight.

The earrings were none other than Moonlight Fantasy, the final creation of a world-renowned jewelry designer, with a starting bid of 10 million dollars. Nicolas had won them for close to 15 million dollars.

No woman could easily resist such exquisite jewelry, and Thea was no exception. Still, she shook her head. "Mr. Hendrix, thisis too much."

Nicolas's calm gaze rested on her. "If you hadn't spoken up today, I might have assumed Jake handled all those projects himself

"I was about to entrust him with a deal worth tens of millions of dollars. By telling the truth, you saved me from taking a major risk. These earrings are simply compensation for all the bonuses Jake took credit for in your name."

Thea's cheeks warmed as she listened. She had done so much for Jake in the past, never expecting Nicolas- who was known to be ruthless to not be angry and even acknowledge her contributions. She guessed he must value her abilities.

With that realization. Thea smiled and accepted the gift. As she held the earrings, she couldn't help but wonder when Nicolas had started looking out for Jake so much, even wanting to clean up his messes.

Jake had always painted Nicolas in a negative light. He'd told Thea that Nicolas was cold-

hearted and emotionless, even recounting how, when his grandmother passed away in front of him, Nicolas hadn't so much as blinked. Jake had made him sound utterly indifferent to anything and anyone. Thea had believed it. For years, even when she saw Nicolas at family gatherings, she had kept her distance.

For seven years, her perception of the Hendrix family's leader had been shaped by Jake and his parents' fragmented, critical comments.

But in a twist of irony, the man Jake had described as heartless was the first to truly consider her side of things.

Whether it was because he valued her skills or because of Jake, it didn't matter. What mattered was that Nicolas had given her an opportunity to keep going.

The announcement from headquarters came swiftly. Thea was cleared of any wrongdoing in the company data leak, and the real culprit was still under investigation

While her former position as deputy manager wasn't reinstated, she was given a new role as secretary to the CEO's office at Avon Ventures, with authority equivalent to Jake's

Meanwhile, Madelyn's position as deputy manager was eliminated. Coing forward, Jake would need Thea's approval for any decisions.

As Thea moved her belongings back into the office, she made a point of passing by Madelyn's workspate.

The office door was ajar, revealing Jake and Madelyn in an embrace. Madelyn sobbed uncontrollably in Jake's arms, her frail form trembling as if she might faint.

Jake held her close with one hand, murmuring reassurances, but his other hand was clenched in a fist, his suppressed rage.evident.

Thea knocked on the door, cutting into their moment. "Excuse me, Miss Terell. Could you hurry and pack your things? Mr. Nicolas Hendrix has assigned me a lot of work, and I need to get started.

"You wouldn't want to hold up someone else's job, would you? Also, I don't like the tacky decorations in this office, so make sure to get rid of everything."

Madelyn's sobs grew even more pitiful

Jake's eyes reddened with fury as he shot a glare at Thea. "Are you happy now? Look at what you've done to Madelyn."