Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl

"Okay, stay put. Let's finish bandaging up that wound so we can head home and rest sooner," Richard said.

Suddenly, Pearl recalled something and asked, "Did you strip Hugo and leave him on the street?"

With heavy rain outside, Pearl worried that Hugo might get sick. And knowing his vengeful nature, he might come after Richard soon.

It was fine even if he did. But he would bring them a lot of trouble.

Richard shrugged. "That should be humiliating enough for him."

Pearl shook her head. "Hugo's all about his reputation. He's definitely going to be mad at you for this."

"He didn't like me much before anyway. But he had eyes on you. So, I had to make it clear that you're mine. No one's taking you away," Richard said firmly, a hint of coldness in his eyes. Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

"Okay, just make sure you're safe. Even though we shouldn't fear Hugo, he's a real headache. Watch your back," Pearl warned.

Richard raised an eyebrow. "I'll keep an eye out."

"I know you're not afraid, but still, you need to be careful..."

Richard smiled and nodded. "Sure thing, I'll listen to you."

It was quite amusing that despite being groomed to lead the Waldorf family, Richard was ready to follow Pearl's lead. Surprisingly, he had a knack for humor, which made Pearl burst into laughter.

*

Days passed, and Hugo remained quiet. Pearl started doubting her judgment of him.

Richard found it weird too, but he figured Hugo was just biding his time.

Then one day, a shocking piece of news hit the internet. Pearl felt a surge of annoyance when she saw a photo of her and Richard at the old warehouse.

Hugo finally made a move.

Initially, Pearl thought it was just some smear campaign against her and Richard. But then she noticed a familiar name.

Winona?

That news exposed Winona's cruelty, how she trapped Pearl and Richard in the warehouse before leaving. It was clearly a well-planned scheme.

Reading through the article, Pearl realized they were painted as the victims. It was a relief that Hugo hadn't caused any direct trouble.

But it left her baffled. Why would Hugo try to frame Winona, especially knowing the Jesselton family supported her? If Hugo went against Howard, he'd make some powerful enemies.

Comments flooded in, condemning Winona and even her family. It put the Jesseltons in a tight spot.

Pearl couldn't shake the feeling that Hugo was stirring up trouble.

Just then, someone barged into her office. She recognized the voice before she saw the person.

"Pearl! Dad warned you not to mess with Winona, yet you framed her. You deliberately trapped her and took that photo to ruin her, didn't you? How could you be so evil?"