They picked someone up at Skyview Bay.
“Caleb, look what I brought for you.”
The woman had exquisite, light brown, long, curly hair and was dressed in a tasteful, high-fashion women’s business suit.
On her wrist was a pre-order model watch that hadn’t even been released yet, with a light gold band and an elegant, diamond-encrusted gold face.
Every inch of her screamed sophistication and luxury.
She was all smiles as she held out an exquisite breakfast.
But beside her, Caleb Lawford’s eyes were dark, his profile icily handsome.
When he ignored her, her smile faltered, a hint of worry showing through.
“Caleb, are you in a bad mood today?”
Her fingers lowered slightly, clenching tightly in her lap.
“I heard you went to pick up Ms.
Grant yesterday.
Is she… still holding a grudge against me for reporting her back then?”
Caleb Lawford’s fingers suddenly froze.
He had already scrolled through several pages on his tablet, but he hadn’t read a single word.
The breakfast beside him gave off a faint, enticing aroma.
He remembered how Ruby Grant used to make these exact toast rolls for breakfast every day before she went to prison.
When he came downstairs, he would always see her busy figure in an apron.
Even though he had already eaten, Caleb Lawford couldn’t resist reaching for one.
But the moment he put it in his mouth, the deliciousness he subconsciously expected turned cloyingly sweet and nauseating.
‘Why?
It looks exactly the same.’
“She brought it on herself.
Yana, in that finance case a year and a half ago, the legal documents you prepared defeated the Spade Family’s famous top lawyer.
You’re a genius in the legal world!
With you, The Lawford Group is a force to be reckoned with.”
“As for her…”
Caleb Lawford put the food down, grabbed a bottle of water, twisted it open, and brought it to his lips.
Only after rinsing away the taste did his brow relax slightly, but the tight line of his mouth curled into an even deeper sneer.
“She’s just an ex-convict.
Not worth our time.”
His expensive watch reflected a cold light.
After speaking, his lips pressed into a thin, tight line.
“But Ms.
Grant was my mentor, after all.
She was the one who brought me into The Lawford Group as an intern lawyer back then.”
Yana Grant sighed, feigning deep concern for the “Ms.
Grant” she spoke of.
“If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t have been stuck in an intern position for so many years.
She was jealous of your talent and abilities, so she took the arguments you worked so hard on and used them to shoot to the top.”
“She’s so malicious, and you’re just too kind.”
Caleb Lawford gave Yana a gentle smile, his eyes showing nothing but contempt and disgust for the person they were discussing.
Seeing this, Yana Grant secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, as if sighing unintentionally, she added:
“I know.
Who would have thought Ms.
Grant was capable of betraying the group’s interests?
She knew that man from the Spade Family was your mortal enemy, yet she still plotted with him to set you up, forcing you to rely on her…”
As she spoke, Yana acted as if she was still frightened by the memory, placing her hand on Caleb Lawford’s knee.
“Yes.
Luckily, I had you.”
Caleb Lawford patted the back of her hand, his thoughts unconsciously drifting away.
‘That woman… where is she now?’
‘Didn’t she prize the title of Mrs.
Lawford more than anything?’
‘She really didn’t come back all night.
Don’t tell me she’s actually sleeping on the streets?
Rummaging through trash cans for food?’
‘Or is she just plotting her next big move?’
At that thought, a cold sneer touched Caleb Lawford’s lips.
In the ambiguous atmosphere, Yana Grant’s face quietly flushed.
But a hint of contempt flashed in her eyes.
‘So what if you’re out of prison?
You’re still just my stepping stone.’
‘An ex-convict with a criminal record.
No matter how glamorous you were, no matter what a top-tier lawyer you used to be, you’re still worse than the mud on the ground!’
‘Ruby Grant, your position is mine!
And your husband is mine, too!’
SCREECH!
The car suddenly slammed on its brakes.
Yana Grant was thrown into Caleb Lawford’s arms.
Caleb wrapped his arm around her to prevent an accident, his cold eyes fixed on the road ahead.
“What’s going on?!”
The driver wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
“There’s a street cleaner up ahead.
I’m sorry, President Lawford, I almost hit someone.”
Caleb Lawford looked ahead.
A woman holding a broom, her head and body bundled up in a faded scarf and a bulky cotton jacket, was sweeping puddles and leaves from the road.
She was so petite that the broom looked bigger than her.
She swept the dead leaves clumsily but meticulously.
The puddle water soaked her pant legs, but she didn’t seem to mind the cold.
The screech of the brakes seemed to have startled her.
She looked over, but the next second, as if she’d seen something terrifying, she quickly ducked her head.
Caleb Lawford’s eyes narrowed.
‘This woman…’
He saw her sweeping motions quicken, not even seeming to care that her feet were submerged in the puddle, as if some vicious beast were chasing her.
Looking closer, he could see something strapped to her chest…
“Is that a baby?
Is this woman insane?”
“Sweeping the street with a baby strapped to her?
If she’s not fit to be a mother, why have a child in the first place!” Yana Grant had seen it too.
She crossed her arms and criticized her with disdain.
Caleb Lawford’s brow furrowed as well.
For some reason, he felt that the woman’s figure was somewhat familiar.
‘I feel like I’ve seen the color of that baby’s clothes somewhere before…’
‘Right, the woman holding the baby on the bus outside the prison!’
A ripple of realization spread across his features.
“President Lawford, what should we do?
Should I get out and help her?” the driver asked, feeling sympathetic.
He was a father himself and couldn’t bear to see something like this.
Before Caleb Lawford could say anything, Yana frowned.
“You’re Caleb’s driver.
Wouldn’t you be embarrassing him by doing a street sweeper’s job?
Can’t you just drive around her?”
“Well… how about we wait two minutes, President Lawford?
Just two minutes, and she’ll be done.” The driver said this because it was obvious to anyone that the road was only so wide.
If they “drove around,” the un-swept puddle water would splash all over the woman.
And that was water that had collected after a whole night of rain.
Never mind how dirty it was; in this cold weather…
‘She’ll probably get sick.’
‘And she’s carrying a child.’
“If anyone’s to blame, it’s the rain that fell all night.
And she’s the one who chose to sweep this flooded street.
It’s not us making things hard for her, it’s fate!”
Yana pouted.
Noticing Caleb Lawford’s silent expression beside her, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly feigned a helpless tone.
“Caleb, it’s not that I don’t sympathize with her, it’s just…”
Before she could finish, the man’s chillingly indifferent voice cut in.
“She’s just a street sweeper.
Drive on.”
He gently patted the back of Yana’s hand.
“I know, you’re just worried about delaying the meeting.” He looked at her with a tender expression, but then turned, his voice becoming glacial.
“What, can’t you hear me?”
The driver flinched, clenched his jaw, and stepped on the gas.
The puddle water went SPLASHING into the air, with only a few drops falling back to the ground.
The woman froze on the spot as if flash-frozen, her hands only managing to shield what she held in her arms.
It seemed she didn’t even have the strength to pick up her fallen broom.
The car sped past.
Yana glanced in the rearview mirror, her eyes filled with triumphant satisfaction.
‘That filthy street sweeper, daring to block Caleb and me.
Hmph…’
“WAH!
WAH!”
The baby, apparently startled, began to wail on the vast, cold street.
The car was far down the road, but the sound of crying hadn’t stopped.
The driver cursed inwardly at the cruelty of it all.
In the back, Caleb Lawford went back to reading his documents, seemingly unconcerned.
But he didn’t turn a single page for a long time.
“Ceci, be good~”
Ruby Grant’s eyes reddened as she watched the car drive away, continuously trying to soothe the baby in the carrier on her chest.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry~”
Passersby stared at the scene.
Someone took out their phone to film it, thinking it was amusing, and shared it online.
“Look, this street sweeper auntie is covered in dirty water, this is hilarious.”
“Awesome!
Let’s get those gifts rolling, I’ll give you all a close-up.”
The surrounding voices reached her ears, but their words couldn’t break her.
But the sound of Ceci’s frightened cries made tears suddenly fall from Ruby Grant’s eyes.
One landed on the tightly wrapped swaddling clothes of the baby in her arms.
Ruby quickly reached up to wipe it away, afraid her tears would dampen the blanket and make Ceci cold.
But as she touched it, she realized the dirty water on her hand had smeared the blanket instead.
Holding her wailing baby, gazing at Ceci’s red, tear-streaked face that she couldn’t seem to calm, Ruby Grant suddenly lost all control and doubled over.
She had seen the man and woman embracing in that car.
Her prized mentee, her so-called “good sister,” and her former husband…
She had fallen into the mud, while they stepped on her honor and dignity to secure their high positions!
‘She had only herself to blame for loving the wrong person.
She had devoted everything to him, and now she was finally facing the consequences.
Who else was there to blame?’
‘But Ceci…’ Ruby Grant hugged her daughter tightly.
As her thoughts trailed off, the scarf covering half her face slipped, revealing her features.
It was a beautiful face, like an ink wash painting on white paper, with expressive eyes, a delicate, straight nose, and thin, rosy lips.
But a scar ran across her entire left cheek, ruining everything and making people gasp.
The mother holding her baby crouched in the puddle, crying silently.
The scene was silent, yet deafening.
The streamer who had just been shouting, “Awesome!
Let’s get those gifts rolling!” suddenly lowered his hand, his cheeks burning hot as if they could give off smoke.
“Uh, I’m sorry.
I was just trying to get views.”
“That car was way out of line.
Let me expose them for you.”
Ruby Grant quickly stopped crying, though her voice was still a bit hoarse.
She shook her head and pulled the scarf up to cover her face more securely.
“Please, can you delete the video?”
The man looked at her almond-shaped eyes, glistening with tears.
‘What beautiful eyes,’ he thought.
‘Such a pity…’
Under the gaze of those clear eyes, it felt like he could agree to any request.
He fumbled for his phone.
“Okay, okay, I’ll delete it.
Look!”
“Thank you.”
The woman thanked him in a low voice, then turned, picked up her broom, and continued to sweep the puddle.
‘Once I finish sweeping this puddle, my work for the day is done.
Ceci must be hungry.’
‘Ceci, even if Mommy has to sweep streets, I’ll work hard to build a world for you.’
A minute later, the woman silently pushed her cleaning cart and left.
Her silhouette was slender, yet resolute.
Only then did the onlookers snap back to reality.
“That woman is so young.
Couldn’t she find a better job than sweeping streets?”
“Maybe she’s filming one of those ‘slice of life’ short videos?”
This immediately drew scorn from the crowd.
“These days, people will do anything for money.”
“That car was probably part of the act, too.”
“There’s no low people won’t stoop to for attention!”
Only in a car parked not far away did a figure sit ramrod straight.
Miles Spade watched the woman’s departing figure with a complex expression.
“Is that… Ruby Grant?”