"That's not all! How could they walk the red carpet after Ada Kingsley? Who do they think they are?""I didn't take any photos of them. Just a waste of my storage space.""I know Betty is Javier Beckett's daughter, and I heard that Zoe is Landon Harper's sister. They might not be famous, but they're filthy rich. I bet they paid a huge sum to show up last!"Betty and Zoe entered the venue with satisfaction, thinking that they had garnered enough attention.To their dismay, they found reporters clamoring to interview celebrities like Ada or brand designers. No one wanted to interview the two young ladies at all."This is unacceptable! Are they blind?" Betty stomped when she was given the cold shoulder. "How dare they ignore us? They don't know their stuff! Don't they know I could end their careers if they get on my bad side?""Reporters are only after those who are worth something. They'll come after you like sharks lusting for blood if you're famous, well-connected, or influential
Alyssa did not attend the jewelry show to flaunt her status as Winston Taylor's daughter. She had two goals. Firstly, to address the allegations of snatching the opportunity from Beckett Group through media interviews to stop the speculations. Secondly, she delivered pastries to Ada at the venue, mainly to monitor Betty's movements and gain control over the situation. She would never allow that calculative bitch to gain the upper hand.Ada showed up with a distinguished middle-aged man dressed in a brown suit."Ms. Alyssa, allow me to introduce you," Ada said with a smile. "This is Vincent Carter, the global CEO of AX and a dear friend of mine.""Vincent, this is Alyssa Taylor, the manager of KS World Hotel. She's a talented lady!"Vincent, a native of Yoarkley with blonde hair and blue eyes, hailed from a blue-blooded family."Mr. Carter, it's a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to Solana City," Alyssa greeted him with a warm smile as she extended her hand."Nice to meet you t
"Alyssa Taylor should have known such basic rules of the industry!""Of course she does! Maybe she just wanted to take advantage. These businesswomen always play dirty. Perhaps she had used the same tricks to win Ada Kingsley's trust and beat Mr. Beckett!""Tsk tsk. To think that I admired her before. Now, looking at her again, she seems quite shameless."Zoe snickered, feeling victorious for getting Alyssa into trouble. She thought that Alyssa had become too arrogant and decided to teach her a lesson that day, with the best approach being character assassination.Little did Zoe know that Jasper had arrived late and had witnessed the scene. He stood in the shadows quietly and cast an icy glare at the gloating woman.Tall and gorgeous like a deity, he stood stiffly in his suit and wore a glum expression."Mr. Beckett, that girl is bullying Madam!" Xavier was worried.Jasper pursed his lips and leaned forward. The look in his eyes hardened as he halted in his tracks. "Let's wait
There was a collective expression of shock among the onlookers.Even Ada Kingsley, who was not only Vincent's good friend but also Alexa's number one fan, found herself taken aback by Alyssa wearing jewelry from the elusive "Dark Rose" collection—a name she had heard of but never seen. She briefly experienced a rare moment of envy at Alyssa's wealth.Alyssa quietly cast Vincent a grateful look. There was no need for her to explain herself. This was Vincent's turf, and it was his job to address those who were up to no good. She wouldn't need to lift a finger for something as insignificant as Zoe's slander.Jasper's eyes had never left Alyssa. There was a hint of envy in them. He was sure that Alyssa knew that man, and the two shared a close relationship at that."Who's that old man?" Jasper demanded to know."Vincent Carter is the global CEO of AX. His grandfather holds the title of the last Duke of Yoarkley, and his grandmother is the founder of AX. In simple terms, they own the b
Betty took a step back, putting some distance between herself and Zoe to steer clear of the ongoing controversy.The reporters who came to their senses scrutinized Zoe. One of them remarked, "So, Ms. Harper was pointing fingers, even though she wasn't even a VIP member at AX. That's quite absurd."Another chimed in, saying, "She should have minded her own business."A third reporter added, "She believes she can have a say just because she bought a few pieces from AX. Look at her, making these bold accusations in front of the CEO, who probably doesn't even know her name. It's rather tactless. She's no match for Ms. Alyssa!"Zoe couldn't help but grumble inwardly about the media. How could they compare her to Alyssa? Zoe's mind went blank as she almost blacked out from the anger. That was the greatest humiliation she had endured in her young life.Alyssa paid no attention to Zoe as she left the scene, chatting merrily with Vincent and Ada.The reporters flocked after them, leav
Vincent led Alyssa and Ada to the backstage dressing room, where they chatted and sipped champagne.After a while, Ada's manager summoned her for an important interview, leaving only Alyssa and Vincent in the room."It's been three years since we last met. How have you been, Alyssa?" Vincent gave her a fatherly look, devoid of any romantic passion."Just like what you see. I'm still the old me." Alyssa opened her arms with a cool smile."You seem more worldly than three years ago. I can see in your weathered eyes that you went through a lot. Where did you go in the three years you vanished? Did you travel the world for inspiration?" Vincent detected a hint of melancholy in her expression and asked with genuine concern."Nah, I did not go traveling. I wasted three years working as a slave, and I'm completely burned out." Alyssa let out a sigh with an empty look in her eyes."You're as funny as before." He clinked glasses with her and chuckled. "When do you plan to reveal your iden
Whenever Jasper saw Alyssa getting close to someone from the opposite sex, it frustrated him. He so badly wanted to rid her of the men.He sensed that he was getting weirder and more begrudged by the day. The self-control he had always prided himself on was nowhere to be found when he was with Alyssa.Alyssa was riled up upon hearing his remark. She said mockingly, "Yeah, we do know each other. We're archenemies.""Alyssa," Jasper croaked. His chest tightened."An ex-husband shouldn't be out telling everyone about our 'relationship.' You should lay low and shut up. Don't you have any manners?"Her ex-husband? Vincent was shocked to learn that Alexa had been married. He hadn't heard of it, even as her close friend of many years. The question was, why did she marry Jasper?Alexa was a goddess who had better options. Why did she choose to marry a jealous fellow?"Mr. Beckett, you want to find trouble? I'm fine with that. The sight of you has already pissed me off anyway. But I don'
Jasper found himself standing before Alyssa, vulnerable and defenseless against her barrage of verbal attacks. She was right, though. He was the reason behind the shitty things she had to endure."Alyssa, there's nothing between me and Zoe. I only see her as a little sister!" His ears reddened from the anxiety as he struggled to make his point.Normally, he wouldn't bother explaining himself, but he was at his wit's end this time."Why bother telling me? It's not my concern," Alyssa snapped, her patience waning as she shot him a look of disdain. "I couldn't care less about your relationship with her, and I certainly don't want to hear your explanation. Let go. I'm going to watch the show.""Do you not care? If so, why did you have to bring it up? You mentioned it once at the police station and again this time!" He was resentful at the misunderstanding between them. His eyes brimmed with tears from the upsetting situation, and his shoulders quivered. He added, "If you care about w