Zoe retorted, "You can be an incel all your want, but Alyssa Taylor will never have eyes for you! You'll only end up with nothing!" "Zoe Harper!" Landon roared at his sister, making her flinch, frightened. "Even if she doesn't marry me, that still does not give you an excuse to harm, humiliate, or defame her! "She is a well-educated, respectable, and honest woman. Even though she's quick and lethal at times, she would never be the first to intentionally harm another person. "If, like you said, she tried to harm you, then you must've caused her trouble first!"Zoe was so angry she might pass out."Need I also remind you to give up on Jasper as soon as possible? The one woman he's interested in is Alyssa herself. Any person can see that fact clear as day except himself," Landon sneered.Even the way Landon mocked his friend was restrained!"You are coming with me to apologize to Alyssa tomorrow morning, in person," Landon snapped, then turned to leave."Are you out of your min
Yet those words had to come from his kin—his beloved kid sister. A deep part of him still didn't want to see her suffer from too harsh a punishment. The conflicting emotions pained Landon to no end."Are you having PMS or what?" Jasper flicked away the ash on his cigarette. "Seriously. What the hell is up with you?"Landon took a deep breath. "Zoe was the one who had someone make the counterfeit jewelry for Betty."Jasper's eyes darkened, but he remained silent."Did you know this from the start?"Jasper nodded. "I did."Guilt plagued Landon's heart. "Jasper, my sister is—""There's something else you should know now that it has come to this point." Jasper huffed out a puff of smoke. "Your sister was also the one who set up the reporters to catch Alyssa unaware."Landon's expression fell, as if he was stuck in quicksand that he could not pull himself out of.A moment later, he murmured weakly, "I'm sorry, Jasper."Jasper merely said, "The person who should be saying that is y
In the three days Alyssa stayed at home, she did nothing except eat and sleep like a farmed animal. Her three stepmothers took exceptional care of her. Lyla whipped up delectable dishes, leading to Alyssa gaining over three pounds in three days."I'm turning into a pig if I keep eating!" Alyssa groaned."Alright, just one last meal, dear," Lyla and Colene coaxed her toward the dining hall.With Winston and Jonah away in another state for an important event, Alyssa found herself sharing lunch with her stepmothers."Ms. Alyssa, good news!" Sean rushed in with a grin on his refreshing face. "The police have arrested Betty Beckett for suspected business crime. Sophia Kirkman is worried dead for her daughter, and Javier Beckett is busy bailing his daughter out!""It took them three whole days to arrest Betty. The Solana City Police Department certainly isn't as efficient as our Belbanks police," Alyssa remarked without surprise and gracefully dabbed her mouth with a napkin."They
Colene plugged her fingers into her ears and mumbled, "Nope, not listening to you!"Alyssa was speechless at her antics."There was indeed some history between Lyla and Sophia. Lyla wouldn't have retired from the entertainment industry at the peak of her career if not for that woman." Mandy's unfeeling voice seemed to materialize out of thin air, causing Colene and Alyssa to yelp in shock."Gosh, what are you doing, Mandy? You have a talent for sneaking up on people silently. Are you an apparition?" Colene rested a hand on her chest. It was funny that she never acted cute in front of Winston, but she was unusually adorable around Mandy."Mandy, since when did you show up? I had no idea." Alyssa sighed with relief, grateful that it wasn't Lyla who had walked in on them."I've been here since the beginning of your 'private conversation,' which was far too loud to be considered private," Mandy quipped, briefly glancing outside the door before closing it. She went up to them an
Alyssa was quiet on the way from Belbanks to Solana City. There was no hint of her good mood from days ago. Her face was shrouded in gloominess.Back at the hotel, she kept Sean out and locked herself in her office. Then, she plunged into her investigations about Lyla's incident years ago."The anniversary celebration was the darkest moment in Lyla's life. Yet, it was because of this incident that her relationship with Winston Taylor blossomed," wrote an article."The internet was in its early stages back in those days. People read their news from magazines or newspapers. "Winston Taylor was rumored to have bought all the publications that reported on the incident and destroyed all the evidence to suppress the news. "On top of that, he meted out punishments for the reporters who penned stories on Lyla's mishap.""Still, there were some foreign media at the event. Someone filmed the incident and uploaded it to the internet. Winston Taylor had sent his men to take the videos down
Alyssa pursed her lips coldly, looking unbothered and even a little impatient. In contrast, Zoe was furious, almost ready to explode right then and there.For Zoe, Jasper openly taking his ex-wife's side felt like the harshest blow he could deliver.Why on earth would Jasper choose his former flame over her—an attractive, well-bred single lady? What made him go back to a woman he had once let go?Besides, Alyssa always had many men around her. She had been close to Landon before, and lately, she had been seen with someone named Jameson Schmidt, who wasn't particularly well-known. Who knew how many men she had been involved with?Zoe couldn't help but wonder why Jasper didn't find Alyssa repulsive."I heard that you brought Ms. Harper here to apologize. That was why I took the time to meet with you. You should know that I'm not just Alyssa Taylor but also the renowned designer, Alexa."Many are lining up to meet with me, spamming my secretary with calls. I don't have the time
Jasper inhaled sharply. That hit Zoe where it hurt."Tyler might be from Yoarkley, but he understood the importance of respecting one's mentor. He's my mentee, and he'll never betray our trust for short-term gains," Alyssa said with a smirk. She then added, "So, Ms. Harper, you made a mistake from the beginning. One shouldn't have underestimated the noble character of a gentleman with one's questionable values."It was a clear insult directed at Zoe.Jasper wore a grin on his lips despite looking calm. Landon's lips drooped as his face looked clouded, losing his composure.He had braced himself for Alyssa's straightforwardness but hadn't expected it to sting so deeply."Alyssa Taylor! You're a sly, devious bitch!" Zoe was seeing red. She pointed a finger at Alyssa, which only highlighted her farcical behavior. "Y-You acted like you didn't know I met with Tyler. You knew Betty would give Ada Kingsley that necklace, but you said nothing until the charity auction. Was that to hum
Alyssa decisively walked out of the door and added, "I will be donating the compensation to Solana City Hope Foundation. I won't take a single cent."Landon was surprised by her statement and then smiled wryly.Alyssa not only exuded ethereal beauty; she was strangely devoid of human emotions as well.…Alyssa returned to work in her office while Sean brought Landon to settle the compensation matters. As an attorney, Sean had itemized the compensation, which was an astronomical sum for the average citizen.That was the price for forging Alexa's work.Landon let out a heavy sigh when he looked at the agreement, a bitter taste in his mouth. He could afford to pay up, but the humiliation was too much.He had once truly loved Alyssa. Even though they weren't destined to be lovers, he still hoped to remain friends with her and never thought of hurting her.Sadly, their friendship seemed to drift further away with each passing day.On the way to the parking lot, Zoe was sobbing and