Chapter 25


    Rosalie had not anticipated encountering Yvette again so soon.


    Yvette’s appearance hadn’t changed since the first time Rosalie hadid eyes on her. She remained


    stunning, her makeup meticulous, and her attire high fashion. A celebrity within the entertainment


    circle, she was veritably a socialite of the city.


    Even in those times when she ordered the extraction of Rosalie’s fingernails during her


    imprisonment, Yvette maintained her delicate and elegant appearance. She sported designer


    clothes that seemed out of ce within the grim confines of the prison.


    She looked so bright and dazzling.


    However, it was this socialite, this embodiment of nobility in the eyes of others, whomanded


    the removal of Rosalie’s own nails and carried out such cruel torments with a venomous voice.


    She became an enduring nightmare haunting Rosalie.


    Beside Yvette stood Meredith, who spotted Rosalie and promptly sneered, ‘Well, well, well, look


    who we have here. Isn’t she the lovely culprit who brought harm to your sister, Yvette? How poetic


    that she’s toiling as a sanitary worker now.”


    Rosalie’s face turned pale, and she remained silent. She lowered her head and continued to clean


    up the garbage on the floor.


    “You truly have no shame. If I were responsible for causing someone’s sister’s demise in a car


    ident, I’d likely be in tears. fervently seeking forgiveness on my knees upon encountering them.


    Yet here you are, asposed as can be,” Meredith continued her derisivementary.


    Summoning a deep breath, Rosalie lifted her head slowly. Tve already paid the price,” she dered,


    her gaze steady as she addressed both of them.


    -For an unfounded usation, she had endured three years of imprisonment, the revocation of her


    lawyer’s license, untold


    hardships within the confines of a cell, and upon release, she could only secure a job as a sanitary


    worker.


    The trajectory of her life had been irrevocably altered. The price she had paid was exorbitant.


    “You paid the price? Do you think serving three years in jail is a price? My sister lost her life,


    Rosalie,” Yvette retorted in a frigid tone.


    “So, what is it you want now?” Rosalie responded calmly. She had already faced the worst that life


    had to offer and lost everything. As far as she was concerned, there was little left to lose.


    Yvette’s gaze remained fixed on Rosalie, who donned the bright orange workwear of a sanitary


    worker.


    Three years of confinement had sapped the luster from her once-vibrant ck hair. Although her


    facial delicacy remained. her eyes bore a vacant expression. The hands that gripped the broom had


    roughened, a testament to the toil she hade to know all too well.


    Yvette vividly recalled the initial encounter when she had firstid eyes on Rosalie. At that time, she


    had been amazed by the smooth fairness of Rosalie’s hands. Even her nails had been meticulously


    cared for, and those hands appeared particrly enchanting when holding a pen.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Yet, those same hands now gripped a rough, soiled broom instead of an exquisite fountain pen.


    “It seems that your hand hasn’t beenpletely disabled. I was too lenient with youst time.


    Yvette snorted coldly.


    Her tone conveyed an objectifying disregard for Rosalie.


    A tense rigidity coursed through Rosalie’s body, her grasp on the broom involuntarily tightening.


    “Rosalie, you and Zachary are nothing to each other anymore. Don’t let your sister embarrass


    herself again, scheming to get


    roles through Zachary. Otherwise, your hands might not be capable of holding anything next time,”


    Yvette remarked, her ire ignited by the recollection of how all the projection advertising for Zachary’s


    proposal to her had been taken down due to Rosalie.


    The Xanthos family had been profoundly rattled upon discovering that Jonathan was the one who


    took down the advertisements. They were not sure whether Jonathan was still mad at them


    because of Mnie’s demise.


    Initially, the Xanthos family had interpreted Jonathan’s apparentpliance with the nned


    engagement between their families as a sign of his agreement. However, their convictions had been


    shaken.


    Rosalie found this line of reasoning almost ludicrous, “If that’s the case, you might want to convey


    those sentiments to my sister instead. There’s no need to direct them at me. I still have my work to


    complete, so kindly step aside,” she retorted.


    “If it weren’t for you, Zachary’s proposal projection advertising for Yvette would’ve never been taken


    down. You killed Jonathan’s fiancée, and he’s targeted the Xanthos family for it. Yet here you stand,


    sweeping the streets without a care,” Meredithshed out with indignation


    Rosalie was stunned. She didn’t expect Jonathan to be the one behind it.


    Reflecting on Jonathan, thest time Rosalie had managed to escape from William had also been


    attributed to Jonathan’s involvement.


    Jonathan wielded immense power in Strico, essentially reigning as its deity. He held dominion over


    the expansive Youngblood Group, an entity that no one dared challenge. His promations held the


    weight of royal decrees within the city.


    Rosalie herself shared a substantial history with Jonathan.


    It was Jonathan’s influence that had spurred Zachary to hasten their breakup. Moreover, in Strico,


    no attorney dared to represent Rosalie in her case, an oue simrly influenced by Jonathan.


    The prison guards had dismissed her plight despite her suffering within the prison, once again due


    to Jonathan’s sway.


    The cause of this dismissive treatment stemmed from the fact that Rosalie had caused the death of


    Jonathan’s fiancée.


    There was even a time in the prison when someone had forced her head into the icy water and


    nearly suffocated her. Back then, the fear of death was looming over her.


    The reason Rosalie was treated this way in prison was simply because people heard that the


    Youngblood family wanted her to suffer in prison. Hence, those vying to curry favor with Jonathan


    had cagerly partaken in her torment.


    Rosalie continued to sweep the floor and ignored Meredith’s scolding.


    Meredith was so enraged that she wanted to p Rosalie, but Yvette stopped her.


    “Yvette, Rosalie is far too arrogant. I want to teach her a lesson!” Meredith said indignantly.


    “What was the point?” Yvette’s lips curved into a sudden smirk as she said, “I seem to have lost a


    ring. I can’t be certain if it slipped off somewhere around here and was mistaken for trash. It


    appears I’ll require the assistance of the Environment and Sanitation Administration workers to help


    locate it.”


    Meredith paused for a moment, and then smiled as if she realized something. “Yes, indeed. We


    should search thoroughly since your ring is very valuable. All the garbage here must be sifted


    through to make sure nothing is missed here.”


    Addressing Rosalie, Meredith continued, “You were just sweeping here. The ring might have been


    swept into the trash. You better start looking for it.”


    Rosalie halted, her gaze resting upon Meredith with a steely coldness.


    “What are you looking at? Look for it now! If you can’t find it, then it can only be concluded that you


    deliberately stole the ring!” Meredith snapped.