CHAPTER 68.Take back your moment! As the men outside broke the door, Leo turned to Ivy and asked, "Are you ready?"She nodded. "Yes, I am!""Good!" His face lit up with a smile. "Now, once we get out there, you walk straight to the runway, wow them all, and seize the moment. Then they'll all forget that you weren't punctual!"Ivy nodded, took a deep breath, and once the door was open, she walked out. The bright lights and loud music of the fashion show hit her like a wave, but with Mr. Leo by her side, she felt a sense of confidence and calm as they both headed to the runway hall.Taking the elevator, Ivy closed her eyes, trying to gather herself. "Ivy, you can do this. Yes, you can do this!"Once the elevator opened, Ivy heard the loud cheers from the runway event and stopped. Looking at the wall screen, her breath hitched, and she stumbled back in shock, seeing Hailey standing in front of the hallway and waving at the audience as if she were the designer.She couldn't believe her e
CHAPTER 71.Cry on my Shoulder, we're in this together!His words caught in his throat as he glanced at her outfit. Rushing towards her, his eyes widened in horror. “Wh-wh-what happened here? What happened to your dress?”A torrent of tears streamed down Ivy's cheeks as she stood there, unable to explain what had just happened to her dress.Leon’s eyes swept from Ivy down to Hailey, and he saw the ink still plastered on her hand. The realization hit him like a lightning bolt: it was Hailey who had intentionally ruined the outfit.Leon's eyes widened in horror as he took in the sight of Ivy's ruined dress. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The beautiful design, the intricate details—all ruined by a splatter of blue ink. A wave of anger washed over him as he turned to Hailey, his eyes blazing.“Hailey, what did you do?” he demanded angrily. “How could you do this to Ivy? You just sabotaged everyone—the whole fashion show!”Hailey's face was red with anger, her eyes flashing with de
CHAPTER 72.I trained him better than that.As they stepped off the runway, the crowd gasped in surprise. But when they recognized Ivy and Leon walking toward them, they erupted into applause. The stained dresses were a hit, and Ivy and Leon exchanged smiles as they made their way down the runway.Once off the runway, Ivy turned to Leon, her eyes shimmering with tears. "Thank you," she said, her voice trembling. "Thank you for saving me, for saving the show."Leon returned her smile, warmth radiating from his eyes. "We make a good team, Ivy," he replied. "We always have. This is as important to you as it is to me."For a moment, Ivy forgot their crazy past and pulled him into a tight hug, her face lighting up with a radiant smile.A few minutes later, the host called her out to finalize the deal and sign the last papers with Damian. She quickly slipped off her heels and headed straight outside. As she walked the runway, she glanced around, hoping to spot him in the crowd."What a silly
CHAPTER 73.He is still lost.On the night of the launch, Ivy finished taking pictures with the models and junior designers who had helped bring everything together. She headed straight to her office to pack up her things.Letting out a deep sigh of exasperation, she reached for her phone to call her driver when Leon opened the door."You don't need to do that. I'll drive you home after our dinner," he said excitedly.Ivy sighed. "I'm very sorry, Leon, but I can't go to dinner tonight. Damian didn’t attend the launch; I need to—""Find him, right?" he scoffed. "Is he a kid who would get lost? He’s Damian Forbes; he can’t get lost because everything he wears has trackers. What would you even do if he were lost?""I would do everything I can to find him!" she fired back. "He hasn’t been seen since this morning when some men escorted him out of the coffee shop due to an emergency. Since then, no one has seen him."Leon laughed. "Did my aunt say she can’t find her grandson? Is that what sh
CHAPTER 74.You’re powerless.The following morning, around 5:00 AM, Ivy was already in the sitting room. She paced back and forth, repeatedly dialing Damian's number, hoping he would finally answer. It had been twenty-four hours since he had gone missing, and he still wasn’t picking up his phone.Meanwhile, Lucas stood on the balcony of the neighboring building. Perched on the rooftop, he was a bit distant from the main building where Ivy and the others stayed. He paced nervously, his mind racing with fear and worry about how Damian was coping with the bloodletting he was enduring. Lucas was the only one in the family who knew that Madam Victoria was subjecting Damian to this horrific treatment.He couldn't fathom how she could hurt her own son in such a desperate attempt to cure his illness.As he walked, a faint cry for help reached his ears. He stopped and listened intently as the cry grew louder and more desperate. Lucas's heart raced as he recognized the voice—it was Damian's. Bu
CHAPTER 75.Please ma'am…..Let him go! Ivy froze in shock. “What are you trying to say?”“All I'm saying is that you’ve been manipulative, and he was tired of it. Maybe he traveled to clear his head for a while. Give him some days, and who knows, he might come back.”Ivy scoffed. “Is that what you think?” She rolled her eyes in frustration. “You don’t even know your son well. Damian hates traveling! He would never go away unless it’s for work. He despises flying and only boards a plane when absolutely necessary!”Her anger blazed as she schooled Madam Victoria on Damian's preferences. "You don't even know your own son! Damian only travels for work, and even then, he’s reluctant. You're his grandmother! How can you not know these things and still suggest he went on vacation?”Madam Victoria’s expression remained unfazed, her eyes glinting with a knowing light that made Ivy’s blood boil. “Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong, my dear. I know my grandson very well. He’s a grown man who can
The man smirked. “I'm sorry, sir, but you have no authority over what happens in here, so I'd advise that you leave, or I will be forced to ask them to drag you down the stairs.”Tears welled in Lucas's eyes, his shoulders slumped, and his voice quivered as he spoke. “Let him go! He might just die from the pain. Please, I'm begging!”The man's lips parted into a deep smile. He said, “This is my job, and I hope you'll let me do it without any drama. Please, Mr. Lucas, take your leave, or I'd love to help you do that by all means possible.”With that, he walked back inside the room and slammed the door even before Lucas could follow him in. Lucas hit the door and began to scream. “Open up the fucking door! Let him go! I said let him go!”After a few minutes, Damian started to scream again in agony while Lucas was still outside. He slid down the door, hunched over, shoulders trembling with silent sobs as he kept hearing Damian scream for someone to come save him.Lucas made his way back
CHAPTER.Washington DC….This is your stop! I heaved a deep sigh of relief as the plane landed at the airport. I was back to all that I hated being around. I hated the city and the game being played, but not the people.It had been weeks since Vlad left me in Italy. I just hoped his mother was fine and recovering well enough.In the past weeks, I called him, and he said that the surgery was a success, but he still needed to stay with her for the time being. He assured me that he would be back in the next two days, and I didn’t tell him I was back in Washington, D.C. either. I wanted to surprise him and stay at his house, which was just a few steps away from mine.After a long ride, the car finally pulled up on the street, and the driver helped me take my luggage into Vlad's hallway.“Thank you, sir,” I said gratefully as I made my way to his door.As I stood in front of Vlad's door, I couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement. I was finally going to surprise him, and I couldn't wa