Avery was dragged outside, both furious and frightened. "No! Selina, you wretched woman! I'll make sure you die a horrible death!"

But no matter how loudly she screamed, it wasn't long before she was forced into a car.

Inside the store, the guests couldn't help whispering among themselves.

"That man is clearly no ordinary figure. Katie always claimed the Clark family's eldest daughter was unmarriageable after losing Ryan. Look at this—the mistress's schemes have fallen flat."

"The Clark family must be humiliated. First, the news broke about Katie trying to sell off the eldest daughter, and now Avery's greed for the inheritance. I wonder how the Clark family will handle this mess…"

Selina glanced away and said lightly, "Alright, let's go—"

Before she could finish, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by the man.

Logan frowned slightly. "Didn't you say your hand hurt? Let's put some ointment on it."

Selina turned back in shock, nearly stumbling. She had only said her hand hurt to provoke Avery—Logan took her seriously?

She swallowed nervously. "I'm not that fragile. There's no need for ointment, really…"

Logan already held a tube of ointment in his hand. "I allow you to be fragile. Now, give me your hand."

Stunned, Selina extended her hand. For a moment, she was dazed. No one had ever treated her with such care before. Logan was the first man to genuinely ask if she was in pain.

While she was lost in thought, Logan had already applied the ointment. "Get in the car," he said.

The driver raised the partition, turning the backseat into a private space.

As soon as Selina sat down, she heard a faint *click.* It sounded like the zipper on her dress had caught on something.

She instinctively reached back to check, but with her hands covered in ointment, she had no choice but to turn to Logan. "Can you take a look—"

Before she could finish, the zipper gave out under the tension and snapped open.

The dress slipped down, revealing large swathes of her fair skin to Logan's eyes. Selina froze, clutching at the loose fabric as her brain short-circuited. Then, she instinctively looked up—

And met Logan's gaze.

His eyes darkened, sweeping over her, his voice low and hoarse. "Help you with what?"

Selina blinked, her unfinished sentence hanging in the air. "Help me with my zipper…"

Logan's Adam's apple bobbed as he said, "Turn around."

"Huh?" Selina, flustered and anxious, instinctively obeyed and turned her back to him.

Cool fingertips brushed against her bare skin, sending tingles up her spine. She shivered involuntarily.

His hands lingered as if studying the mechanism, sliding lightly over her back and leaving an odd, electric sensation in their wake.

Selina bit her lip hard, her pupils gradually dilating.

What was he doing…

Though they'd already done everything at the Clark family banquet, that had been under special circumstances, when she'd been drugged and had no choice.

Was he seriously planning to… here, in the car?!

A sudden jolt of clarity snapped her back to reality. Her voice rose in panic. "Logan, we can't… The car's too small!"

Logan's hands paused. He raised an eyebrow. "Too small?"

Selina's face flushed scarlet, a mix of shame and frustration coloring her every word. "There's a driver in the front… This just isn't the place!"

The car fell into an awkward silence.

Logan's expression shifted as realization dawned. How had her thoughts even gone there?

With deliberate precision, he adjusted the zipper and returned it to its proper place, his demeanor serious and restrained.

"Mrs. Reid," he said evenly, "I think you've misunderstood. I don't make a habit of forcing anyone in confined spaces."

The sound of the zipper sliding into place filled the quiet car.

Selina stiffened, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. Slowly, she turned her head, neck rigid, and stammered, "You… You were just fixing my zipper?"

Logan's smile was warm but tinged with amusement. "Mrs. Reid asked me to check her zipper, so I did. What else did you think I was doing?"

Selina: "…"

Her face turned a spectrum of colors in under a minute.

Logan had been entirely serious about fixing her zipper, and here she was, letting her thoughts spiral into complete nonsense!

What if he misunderstood something?

Selina, desperate to explain herself, opened her mouth, but Logan spoke first, his tone calm and indifferent:

"However, if Mrs. Reid prefers here, it's not out of the question."

Selina froze, her throat tightening. She immediately shut her eyes and leaned against the car window, pretending to sleep.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before the driver respectfully announced their arrival at Sapphire Valley Villa. Selina bolted out of the car like a gust of wind and dashed upstairs.

Logan's lips quirked slightly as he turned to Butler Miller. "How's the small garden design coming along?"

Butler Miller perked up with excitement. "Sir, Madam's design is excellent! Look!"

Logan glanced at the blueprint and raised an eyebrow, impressed. He hadn't expected her to have such talent in this area.

"Noah has returned to the country. If she's interested, he can provide some guidance."

Butler Miller was taken aback. Noah Brown was a world-renowned landscape designer, whose villa projects alone were worth tens of millions.

If Madam could receive pointers from Noah…

For a moment, Butler Miller hesitated. Is Sir being too attentive to Madam?

...

Upstairs, Selina's cheeks were still flushed. She decided to distract herself with something productive.

Her small garden design was nearly complete, and she opened her computer to refine it with software.

As she worked, a notification popped up: The genius designer Noah has returned to the country.

Noah…

She recalled that the Clark family had been pursuing Noah for a major project, sending people repeatedly to invite him, only to be rejected every time.

Coincidentally, she and Noah shared a casual friendship.

Her eyes sparkled with an idea.

...

At the Clark Family Estate.

Avery was dragged in, sobbing and wailing. "Auntie, save me!"

The commotion quickly alarmed the household. Grandpa Clark rushed downstairs, and Katie ran to embrace Avery. "What are you doing?! She's just a young girl!"

The lead bodyguard sneered. "Miss Bryant spent five million yuan at the RS boutique on Century Avenue and refused to pay. We're here to collect the debt."

The room fell silent. Katie's face went pale.

Grandpa Clark frowned. "What five million?"

The bodyguard handed over the bill with a mocking expression.

Katie's face drained of all color as Grandpa Clark exploded. "This has nothing to do with the Clark family!"

The bodyguard remained unbothered. "Miss Bryant clearly stated that she is Katie's niece, the Clark family's cousin. She even boasted about the Clark family's wealth, telling the store owner to bill the Clark family directly. Her words were heard loud and clear by the guests present."

"What now? Does a family of the Clark family's standing intend to renege on a debt?"

"You…" Grandpa Clark's throat tightened. With so many witnesses, refusing to pay would tarnish the family's reputation beyond repair.

Besides, there was no denying that Avery was Katie's niece.

"Sir," the bodyguard said, his tone casual, "would you prefer to pay the amount, or have Miss Bryant face jail time?"

He paused. "Five million is no small figure. If Grandpa Clark refuses to pay, the store manager will have no choice but to press charges."

"Miss Bryant spending some time in jail isn't a big deal. However, with her statements, people might start viewing the Clark family as cold and unkind. That's out of my hands."

At this point, what choice did Grandpa Clark have?