Chapter 455

Rock narrowed his eyes even further. "Who the hell are you?"

"Someone who can help you. Do you want to align with the Blanchet family to win over Winnie? Do you want to bring Lawrence crashing down from his pedestal in Trento City? Just follow my lead, and all this can be yours."

"What do you want?" Rock felt a chill run down his spine. The voice was utterly unfamiliar; he was certain he didn't know this person.

"You don't need the details. Just give me your answer."

Rock gripped his phone tighter, his normally gentle brows clouded with stormy intent. He was determined to rise above, to soar high in Trento City, and to give Lawrence a taste of the humiliation he had suffered the night before.

"I agree," Rock replied fiercely, his ambition flaring.

Following the employment notification provided by Carlos, Winnie arrived on time at the Blanchet family's ST Company at 2 pm sharp.

The company was housed within a towering building owned by the Rodriguez family group, occupying only three floors. Winnie recalled overhearing something the other night about the Rodriquez family having a controlling stake in ST.

She didn't dwell on it.

The company was known for selling finished jewelry, high-end leather goods, and luxury perfumes, though it was not very large.

After completing the onboarding process in HR, Winnie stepped out and immediately ran into a familiar face.

It was Melanie, the girl she had once had dinner with at the Blanchet residence. With her nametag prominently displayed, her short hair gave her a sharp, clean look, her eyebrows communicated a no-nonsense strength. She was nothing like Angela's domineering and jealous demeanor.

"Hello, Winnie, I'm Melanie," she said, extending her hand warmly.

Winnie returned the smile, "Hi there. Are you Angela's Winnie?"

"I'm of mixed heritage, an illegitimate daughter, a remnant of my dad's wild years before he became an in-law with the Blanchets," Melanie said with self-deprecating humor.

Winnie got it-no wonder Melanie seemed out of place that night at the Blanchet household, almost invisible. Winnie wondered if she was following her dad, trying to make a living with the Blanchets.

"Do you work at this company?"

"Yeah, just a salesperson," Melanie replied with a chuckle, shifting her expression as if caught between emotions. "Let me introduce you to my colleagues."

As she led the way into the office, Winnie followed and glanced at her own name badge; Carlos had appointed her as the Assistant Sales Manager.

It looked like her father had directly placed her in middle management, which was quite a leap from the 'internship' Paul had mentioned.

"Everyone, quiet down, please. This is our new Assistant Sales Manager, Winnie, also known as Miss Blanchet," Melanie announced with a certain emphasis.

The colleagues, who initially paid little attention, suddenly looked over with renewed interest, sizing up Winnie.

Winnie met Melanie's gaze and confidently introduced herself. A few words were enough to set the office vibe, and she encouraged everyone to get back to work.

Later, in her cubicle, Winnie overheard Melanie chatting with coworkers in the break room. "Winnie's approachable and beautiful. After meeting her, I think she's pretty easy-going."

"Is she really Paul's newly acknowledged eldest daughter?" someone asked.

"Absolutely. She holds 10% of the Blanchet family's shares. That shows how much Paul values her. We should all be eager to work under her lead."

Melanie took a sip of her water, addressing the curious crowd.

The revelation caused a stir. "10% of the Blanchet family shares! I heard even the young lady doesn't have that much. Looks like we should respect this Winnie!"

Winnie paused for a second, narrowing her eyes.

She soon walked back to her cubicle and invited Melanie in.

"Winnie, did you need to see me?" Melanie stood erect and attentive.

Winnie closed the door, her eyes narrowed with a soft smile as she appraised her. "You're spreading the word about me having Blanchet shares and speaking highly of me to our colleagues. You seem to be paving the way for my smooth entry into the workforce. Should I be thanking you or should I be wary?"

Melanie didn't seem malicious-more like she had her own agenda, and Winnie was certain of it.

Melanie looked up, candid. "Winnie, I'm picking sides, and I think you've noticed. During dinner with the Blanchet family, I noticed something remarkable about you. Your deft handling of Ishara Angela really impressed me.

"Ishara and Angela has bullied me since we were kids. I never sucked up to Angela or Ishara, which left me ostracized. At the Blanchet house, I was treated like a beggar on the streets!

"You wouldn't believe how sly Ishara can be, and Angela is her little pawn. I've had a tough time.  Admittedly, my intentions weren't pure, but I've never harmed Winnie. I just wanted to lift you up to challenge Ishara!"

She's forming alliances, so she's laying the groundwork for Winnie in the company, extending the olive branch.

Winnie doesn't need her alliance, but hearing Melanie describe Ishara as dark and shady, she wonders. They grew up together. This meant Melanie knew her well.

If Winnie wants the inside scoop on Ishara, she would need Melanie.

"All right, if there's any way I can help you, I will," Winnie offered generously.

"Thank you, Winnie!" An assertive smile spread across Melanie's face.

Prettier than Angela and with a noble air, Melanie's achievements stemmed from her own struggles. This was unlike Angela, who relied on Ishara and indulged in a debutante's lifestyle of shopping and luxury every day.

Melanie and she shared some similarities, actually.

"Winnie, Uncle Carlos has set you a sales target for jewelry. Meet it, and you'll sail through your probation period. I know you won't stay at ST long; once you move up to Blanchet headquarters, things will get better," Melanie said while handing her a sales plan.

Warmth filled Winnie's heart; her father knew she ran a jewelry company and now she was selling jewelry.

This wasn't a problem.

She spent the afternoon getting to know the company and would start her new role the following day.

Upon hearing about her new position as assistant sales manager, Olivia scoffed. "What a roundabout way to secure your footing in the Blanchet family, just to investigate your stepmother. From a female CEO to a basic-level position?"

"What I do is irrelevant; you said it yourself, I have my reasons." Winnie laughed. "By the way, did you drop off the medicine at Melissa's hospital?"

"You're too kind-hearted, still caring for Lawrence's mom? I delivered some medicine for her heart and lungs, but Dr. Moore insisted on checking everything. Really, does he suspect you're poisoning her?"

Winnie felt a tinge of bitterness in her heart. She harbored an attachment to Melissa that she couldn't shake off, despite the hurt she'd suffered at her hand.

"It's okay, patients need to be careful with their medication. I just wonder how she's doing now."

"She seems pretty bad. Melissa has frequent nosebleeds. When I visited her the other day, she seemed really weak..."

Winnie let out a silent sigh. It was just organ failure, so it didn't make sense for her condition to deteriorate.

The following morning, after ensuring Sidney was all set, Winnie headed out to work. The buzz was that the executives from the Rodriguez family's holding company would be inspecting ST Corporation today.

No sooner had his mom left than Sidney dashed out of the hotel. The Rodriguez family's car, which he had arranged in advance, was waiting for him, whisking him away to Camellia Mount, to the Rodriguez family estate, and to Leah's embrace.

Leah had just finished breakfast when she saw her treasured great-grandchild. "Sidney, I didn't expect you'd be so eager to see me again! What a surprise!"

Dropping his cool demeanor, Sidney snuggled into Leah's arms for a moment of affection.

Then, with a sly squint, he revealed his agenda. "Great Grandma, I'm bored of playing around the Rodriguez estate. Could you take me to see my dad's girlfriend's house? I've heard the Blanchets also have a place up on Camellia Mount."

"Why do you want to visit that young lady's home?" Leah sniffed the scent of a scheme.

Nonsense, if he didn't confront the Blanchets, he wouldn't have had a face off against Ishara. He was determined to find out if Ishara had ever met Oscar.

He could contact his grandfather on his mother's side and go directly to the Blanchets, but if Leah were with him, the Blanchets wouldn't dare lay a finger on him.

Sidney was plotting carefully, determined to scope out the Blanchets first!

Lawrence got out of bed, suited up, and glanced at the day's agenda that Bryan handed to him: morning meeting with the Rodriguez family's corporate group, inspecting subsidiaries and holdings...

Suddenly, his phone rang and he furrowed his brow, looking at the caller ID before answering.

Jeremy spoke, "Mr. Rodriguez, you need to get down to the abandoned car lot, stat! I found the black car that kidnapped Oscar! Remember I mentioned someone else was looking for that car? I spotted him!"

A momentary pause, then Lawrence's eyes lit up with invigorated focus.