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
Sean returned to Alyssa's side after completing his task. He quizzed, "Are you really going easy on Ms. Harper? This is the nicest you've ever been."Sean couldn't help but smile when he noticed Alyssa's high heels carelessly strewn on the floor. He neatly placed them under her table.Meanwhile, Alyssa was engrossed in a gaming session, relaxing by wreaking havoc in the virtual world.Lucifer, also known as the Queen of Killers, had become a revered figure for most players in the gaming community. Every time she live-streamed her gameplay, she'd attract hundreds of thousands of viewers, further proving her popularity.She snickered. "Who do you take me as? Be kind to her? I'm an enthusiastic philanthropist, but I'm no Mother Teresa."I haven't dealt with her because I do not have solid evidence. Betty was her scapegoat, and she wasn't directly implicated. My hands are tied now.""Looks like Ms. Harper has really rubbed you the wrong way," Sean said indignantly. "She doesn't see
Alyssa squealed as a powerful force gripped her arm, pulling her into an embrace. She collided with Jasper's chest, feeling the warmth of his frenzied breath atop her head. A surge of warmth enveloped her.He hugged her tightly and heavily. It all felt strange yet familiar to her.He was perhaps worried she might twist her ankle from wearing high heels. So, he cinched his grip around her waist.His grasp was firm, charged with a mixture of complex emotions. On the one hand, he wanted to protect her; on the other hand, he worried she might escape."Jasper Beckett, how did you get in?" Her cheeks were flushed with anger as she struggled to free herself."Landon said the security here's tight, and it will take some effort to get in," Jasper said in a raspy, nonchalant tone, his gaze narrowing as he looked at her.Navigating past the hotel security was a breeze for the top graduate of the military school. Ever since assuming the presidency of the Beckett Group, he had his staff t
When Alyssa realized she was completely cornered, she yelled, "Help! Somebody—Mmph—"Jasper lost his composure when he heard her screams. Gripped by a sense of urgency, he sealed her mouth with a kiss and stopped her from shouting.Her eyes wavered, and her mind went blank like a grenade had gone off in her head.His hot breath surrounded her shaky lips. His sweaty palms held her wrist. Even his forehead was dotted with sweat.The last time he had kissed her so passionately, he was under the influence of alcohol. He had no better excuse for crossing the line this time."Jasper Beckett, you are divorced. You shouldn't do this," a voice in his mind warned.But he had lost his bearing of right and wrong and succumbed to passion. He was overcome by an urge to claim her.At that thought, his heart raced as he clung to the final shred of self-control. Eyes burning with lust, he had initiated the kiss to stop her from shouting, but it progressed into an aggressive kiss like he wanted t