At F&K financials. “Is everything set?” Leon asked his PA as he exited his office. “I need everything to be perfect. She can't fumble this opportunity, or we'll go bankrupt!”“Okay, sir,” the woman nodded. “But it’s twenty minutes past nine, and she’s still not here.”Leon glanced at his watch and confirmed her words. “Don’t worry about that. All that matters is that she shows up, brings the designs, signs the budget, and supervises everything!”The woman smiled and walked away. Everyone understood the stakes: the person they were expecting was not only their largest shareholder but also a representative from Sky Investments.“Is she still not here?” Hailey stepped out of the office, wine glass in hand, as she approached her boyfriend. “It’s almost 9:30, and punctuality is always a problem with them,” she complained.Leon turned to her. “No need to worry, sweetheart. I don’t care if she arrives at noon. I just need her to show up, sign the budget, and then we’re good to go.”Hailey r
Ivy followed the directions and was led to the office they had arranged for her. It wasn’t large, but it was a cozy space, well-furnished and equipped with everything she might need during her stay to oversee operations. However, Ivy was not impressed.Her lack of enthusiasm stemmed from the fact that this office was provided by Leon and Hailey. She scrutinized the room for a moment before scoffing, “They can put in their best effort, but it will never be enough for me.”Meanwhile, Leon and Hailey waited outside, anxious for Ivy’s reaction. Hailey nudged Leon, whose thoughts were elsewhere, preoccupied with his ex-girlfriend. “What’s going on, Leon?” she asked, her voice filled with frustration.“Hey, keep your voice down,” Leon cautioned. “We need to maintain the act until she leaves.”Hailey scoffed. “What do you mean? I can’t work with that woman! You know I can’t stand her!”Leon took her hand, fixing his gaze on her. “Babe, listen to me. We need to do this if we want the deal. If
Ivy smiled, knowing she was getting on his last nerves. “Just get me wine,” she said.With that, Leon quickly turned and hurried off. He wanted to catch Hailey before she went back to the office or did something even crazier, like calling her parents.Leon had made a deal with her parents' company, and they only agreed to it because of his relationship with their daughter. He pulled open the office door and found it empty.Sighing, he rushed to the rooftop where Hailey usually went to smoke and clear her head.As he reached the rooftop, he found her there, smoking and sipping a drink.He moved closer, trying to console her. “Hey babe, look, I know—”Hailey's eyes flashed with anger as she cut him off, her voice sharp. "Don't you dare bring up Lousy's excuses. You could have given her another office, but you let her take mine without a fight. It seems you want her back in your life, right?"Leon raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Hailey, listen to me. I had no choice. We need her—
Leon furrowed his brows in confusion as he examined the design on the table. He had seen it countless times and could tell it was both unique and suitable for the fashion launch. The day Hailey had presented her design, he felt a surge of pride that she had created something impressive. So, seeing Ivy attempt to disparage the design was not going to sit well with him."Why do you ask, Ivy?" he questioned. "Aren't the designs good enough for the launch?"Ivy blatantly ignored him, focusing her attention on Hailey. "I just asked you a question. Where did you get these designs from?"For a moment, Hailey was silent, sensing that Ivy had figured out that the designs were hers and that she had stolen them.Ivy had always been passionate about fashion, sketching designs she dreamed of bringing to life. This one happened to be one of her signature creations.Looking at the book again, Ivy muttered, "Damn, she couldn't even change the old sketches! What a dumb move!"Hailey’s smile faltered,
When Ivy reached home, Damian was already inside. He sat in the living room with his legs crossed, engrossed in the doctor's report regarding his condition. Following the doctor's advice, he had decided to try a more aggressive treatment, but the results were still disappointing. His phone beeped, and he picked it up. It was a message from his doctor: “Mr. Forbes, we will need another 75 days to use the native herbs to assess the outcome.” Frustrated, he turned his phone upside down and slapped it onto the couch, letting out a deep sigh. Seventy-five days felt like an eternity—more than two months. He couldn’t possibly wait that long, especially when he needed a child to secure his position as boss. Meanwhile, Ivy stood a few inches away, watching him react. She couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his mind. She walked closer and sat next to him. “Is everything alright?” she asked calmly, hoping he would share his distress. After all, didn’t they say a problem shared is
Ivy gulped, struggling to find the right words. She hadn’t anticipated that he would be so knowledgeable about such intimate matters. As she stylishly looked away, her face flushed with embarrassment. She tried to think of a way to deflect the conversation, but her mind was blank. “I… uh… I meant to say that I need some time to prepare,” she stammered, hoping to sound convincing. But Damian wasn’t buying it. He raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. “Prepare?” he repeated. “Ivy, I don’t pay you to think. I pay you to follow orders. And my order is clear: you will be ready to conceive my heir in five days.” A surge of desperation washed over Ivy. She knew she couldn’t refuse him, but the thought of going through with this was unbearable. She attempted to appeal to his emotions, but he remained unmoved. “Damian, please,” she begged. “Have mercy.” Without a word, he turned and walked away, leaving Ivy feeling defeated and trapped. She understood she had no choice but to
--- About thirty minutes later, Ivy made her way into the company. In truth, she wasn't there when she called Leon, but she had eyes and ears at every corner of the company without Leon and Hailey knowing who was giving her information. She strutted out of the car and politely slammed the door before waving at Lucas. She watched him zoom off into thin air before she turned and made her way inside. As she walked in, each of the staff had an adorable smile plastered on their faces. They couldn't help but envy how beautiful her Dolce & Gabbana dress was. Ivy was also charismatic. As she passed, she jokily encouraged the staff and greeted them before heading to her office. Once she entered, her eyes caught a familiar figure. It was none other than Hailey, but this time Ivy couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Is she really naked?" she thought before walking in to take a closer look at the inappropriate outfit Hailey was wearing. As Ivy entered her office, her eyes widened in shock a
Leon was having coffee at the dining table when someone barged into the house and slammed the door so recklessly that he thought it would fall off. Raising his gaze, his eyes met those of Hailey. He quickly dropped his cup onto the table and advanced toward her. "What is the problem? What happened? Hailey, what happened? Why are you back?" He bombarded her with questions, trying to understand what was going on. Barely looking at her face, he could see she was agitated. Her fists were clenched in anger, and her eyes were red as she paced around the room in silence. She looked like she was about to kill someone. But he pressed on. "Hailey, what really happened? Why are you back so early?" "Th… that… that… bitch!" She sneered. "Guess what she just did? She sent me back home to change my dress like she was my mother or some high school teacher!" "That bitch, Ivy, thinks she's so perfect with her Dolce & Gabbana dress and her condescending attitude!" Hailey spat, her voice venomous. "