It was already late when Isabelle finally returned to the company. The night air was cool, the city lights glowing dimly through the office windows. She stepped into the conference room where Ethan and Allison were waiting, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and anticipation.Ethan was the first to speak. “Are you okay?” His voice carried both concern and curiosity.“Yes,” Isabelle replied, dropping into a chair. “Just a long day.”Allison grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. “We couldn’t watch it live, but Meredith and Frank gave their press statement earlier. Let’s see how it went.”The screen flickered, showing the two executives standing before a row of flashing cameras, their voices calm and controlled as they addressed the press. Their words were measured—assurances that Anderson Corporation was handling the issue responsibly, vague statements about ongoing investigations, and subtle hints that Taylor Monroe’s involvement was more complicated than the public initially bel
Allison sat in her car, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white. The picture had loaded on her screen, and there was no mistaking the face staring back at her. Laura.Her heart pounded with anger, disbelief simmering beneath the surface. The very person who had worked beside her, the one who promised to not do anything that will harm the project or Anderson Corp, had been the one pulling the strings to bring her down.The voice on the phone hesitated. "Ma’am, do you know the person in the picture?"Allison inhaled deeply through her nose, forcing herself to sound composed. "I know her too well," she said coolly. "Thanks for your help. I’ll reach out if I need anything else."She ended the call and tossed her phone onto the passenger seat. Her hands clenched into fists as she tried to make sense of it. Why? Why would Laura—of all people—want to ruin the very project that she was a part of? This wasn’t just an attack on Valmont Luxe or Anderson Corp. This w
Liam stirred awake, stretching slightly before reaching toward the other side of the bed, expecting to feel Isabelle’s warm body. But his fingers touched nothing but the cool sheets. His brows furrowed as he blinked his eyes open, the realization sinking in—she wasn’t there.He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he looked around the room. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a golden glow across the bed. The faint scent of coffee drifted through the air, making him smile.With a groggy groan, he threw off the covers and stepped out of bed. He didn’t bother putting on a shirt, only pulling on a pair of sweatpants before padding barefoot toward the source of the aroma.The sight that greeted him made his lips quirk into a smirk.Isabelle stood in the kitchen, facing the counter, her back to him. She was dressed in nothing but one of his shirts—his favorite one, he noted. The oversized fabric draped over her petite frame, barely covering her thighs. Her hair was still
The morning air was crisp and filled with an electrifying energy as preparations for the digital event were in full swing. Anderson Corp’s media team buzzed around the set, ensuring everything was perfect for Taylor’s grand reappearance. The scandal had shaken the industry, but today was about reclaiming her power.Ethan stood at the entrance, his sharp eyes scanning the area as he waited. A sleek black car pulled up, and the door opened smoothly. Taylor stepped out, her head held high, her presence commanding attention. Dressed casually for now, she exuded confidence—though a hint of nervousness flickered in her gaze. Behind her, her manager followed closely, checking the schedule on her tablet.“Taylor, welcome.” Ethan greeted her with a polite nod, offering a reassuring smile. “How are you feeling?”Taylor sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Better. A bit nervous, but ready to face it.”Ethan appreciated her honesty. “That’s the spirit. We’re keeping the format simi
The sharp, insistent knocking on her window made Isabelle wince. Her head throbbed from the impact, and her vision was still slightly blurred. She assumed it was the driver who had hit her car, coming to check on her. With a shaky hand, she reached for the window controls and slowly lowered the glass, groaning softly from the pain.But the person standing outside was not some apologetic stranger.It was Laura.Isabelle’s heart lurched. What is she doing here?Laura’s eyes widened in mock shock. “It was just a small hit. Why are you bleeding so much?” she asked, tilting her head as if she was truly puzzled.Then, in the next breath, she burst into laughter. A cold, malicious, bone-chilling laugh.Isabelle’s fingers clenched around the steering wheel as unease settled in her chest.Laura leaned in closer, her voice dropping into a venomous whisper. “This is just a taste of what’s coming, you thieving bitch.”A shiver ran down Isabelle’s spine.“I was hating the wrong person all along,”
Monday morning arrived, and Isabelle walked into Anderson Corp’s office building with her head held high, though the dull ache from her injury still lingered. She had taken care to let her hair fall over the bandage on her forehead, hoping it wouldn’t be too noticeable. However, there was no hiding it completely. As she made her way through the office, she could feel the stares of her colleagues—some curious, others whispering amongst themselves.She finally reached her desk, and her gaze immediately fell on Laura. The woman sat in her usual place, her eyes fixed on the laptop screen, typing away as if nothing had ever happened. No guilt. No hesitation. No indication that she had been the one responsible for Isabelle’s near-fatal accident.Isabelle clenched her jaw. How could she be so shameless?As if sensing the stare, Laura slowly lifted her gaze, meeting Isabelle’s eyes with an expression so indifferent, it was infuriating. Then, ever so slightly, she smirked.A silent warning.Do
Laura paced the length of her living room, unable to sit still. Her fingers curled around her phone as she impatiently checked for messages. Every second that passed without a response sent irritation crawling up her spine. Finally, she gave up waiting and dialed her informant.The call barely rang twice before a lazy voice answered."Haven't you found anything? It's been two fucking days!" Laura snapped, gripping her phone tighter.The informant sighed. "Chill, that girl—Isabelle Rivers—is so hidden. It’s hard to find anything on her."Laura’s patience snapped. "So what? Did you find something or not? I paid you all you asked, and you can’t find a little piece of information? What is she? The president’s hidden daughter?""Calm down, Laura. I did find something. And you’ll like it."Laura stopped pacing. "Go on.""She has a family. I made a lot of findings, and guess what? She was married before. Her case blew up a lot then—soon after, she disappeared, and the man she was married to
Laura sat in her living room, a glass of red wine in her hand, twirling it absentmindedly as she stared at the flickering flames in the fireplace. The weight of her thoughts pressed on her as she strategized her next move against Isabelle Rivers. She had waited too long, let that woman take too much. It was time to act.As she exhaled deeply, the doorbell rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. A knowing smirk curled on her lips. That must be Estella.She rose from her seat, smoothing out the fabric of her silk robe before heading to the door. Upon opening it, she was met with the sight of Estella, standing there with her arms crossed, her lips twisted in a sly smirk."You certainly took your time," Estella remarked, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.Laura shut the door behind her, a chuckle escaping her lips. "I like to keep people waiting—it builds anticipation."Estella rolled her eyes and plopped down onto the luxurious couch, her gaze sweeping across Laura's lavi
The city lights flickered past in a blur as Frank maneuvered the car through the streets. The atmosphere inside the vehicle was tense, filled only with the steady hum of the engine and the faint tapping of Liam’s fingers against his iPad. His gaze was locked onto the screen, scanning through endless articles, reports, and anything remotely connected to the name Marcus Carter.Frank, who had been watching his boss out of the corner of his eye, finally spoke. “Alright, boss, where exactly are we headed?”Liam didn’t respond immediately. His brows furrowed deeper as he scrolled, his jaw tightening.Frank sighed. “And what are you looking at so damn intensely? I swear, you’ve been at it since we left the office. Did we get a project that I don't know about?”Liam let out a slow breath, lowering the device slightly. “I’m going through everything online that has Marcus Carter’s name on it.”Frank frowned. “Marcus Carter?” He repeated the name, searching his memory. “Can’t say it rings a bel
The drive to Westford University was tense. Isabelle gripped the steering wheel firmly, her mind racing through possible ways to handle the situation. Next to her, Selena sat with her arms crossed, tapping her nails against her knee impatiently.“I still don’t see why we have to be nice about this,” Selena muttered, shifting in her seat.Isabelle sighed, keeping her eyes on the road. “Because we need them to trust us. If we go in there guns blazing, they’ll only become more defensive.”Selena scoffed. “That’s assuming they deserve any respect after what they pulled. They didn’t just reject our partnership—they publicly trashed Polaris Tech. If they had doubts, they could’ve kept it internal.”Isabelle nodded. “I agree. What they did was irresponsible. But think about it—did they say anything false?”Selena frowned. “Well—no, but—”“They didn’t outright lie,” Isabelle continued. “They didn’t fabricate anything. They just repeated what they thought was true. And whether we like it or no
By the time Isabelle finally walked through the doors of the house, exhaustion weighed down on her shoulders. The day had been long—Crestview’s success, Westford’s betrayal, and the revelation that Laura and Estella were behind the attack on Polaris Tech.And worse, the growing suspicion that Marcus had been orchestrating this entire thing from the start.She barely had time to gather her thoughts before she heard the deep, familiar voice from across the living room.“You’re late. Again, Isabelle.”She looked up to see Liam standing by the bar, sleeves rolled up, tie loosened, and a glass of whiskey in his hand. His piercing blue eyes locked onto hers, sharp and unreadable.Isabelle sighed, setting her bag down by the couch. “I know. I'm sorry.”Liam placed his glass down and crossed the room in three long strides. Before she could react, he cupped her face, tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to meet his gaze.“Are you alright?” His voice was low, laced with concern.She swa
The next morning, Isabelle and Selena sat in Isabelle’s office, scanning an email from Professor Langston.Crestview University had officially agreed to host the Polaris AI demonstration next week.Selena grinned as she leaned back in her chair. “We finally got a big one. This could set off a domino effect for other universities.”Isabelle nodded, feeling a rare sense of accomplishment. “If Crestview endorses us, others will follow.”But before they could fully celebrate, another email arrived—one that wiped the smiles off their faces.Westford University, another top university on their list that they visited and pitched their ideas too had rejected their proposal outright. Worse, they had publicly warned students against using Polaris AI, citing “concerns over long-term data privacy.”Selena’s expression darkened as she slammed her hand onto Isabelle’s desk. “This is bad. If one university publicly doubts us, others will hesitate too.”Isabelle scanned the content of the email showi
Isabelle arrived at Polaris Tech that morning, fully prepared for a long day. The student discount marketing plan was in motion, and she had no room for mistakes. The moment she stepped into her office, a member of the PR team handed her a thick folder filled with reports and updates. She barely had time to flip through it before her phone buzzed with a meeting reminder.Taking a deep breath, she headed toward the conference room. Inside, the marketing and PR teams were already gathered, with Marcus seated at the head of the table. Greg, the head of marketing, was going over the discount structures they had decided on—tiered percentages for students based on their courses and subscription plans.After some final adjustments, Marcus turned to Isabelle and Selena. "Your job is to make sure students actually know about this. Partnerships, ads, outreach—whatever it takes."Selena crossed her arms. "Universities would be the best way to go. If we get academic institutions to endorse Polari
Isabelle took a deep breath before stepping out of her office. It was time for the meeting with the marketing team, and she had already put together a few ideas on how to boost Polaris AI’s public image. As she made her way toward the meeting room, she spotted Selena walking ahead of her, her posture stiff, her steps quick and purposeful."Selena," Isa called out.Selena didn’t stop.Isa frowned but quickened her pace until she caught up and gently grabbed Selena’s arm. The woman turned sharply, her eyes flashing with irritation."What do you want?" Selena asked coldly.Isa let go of her arm and met her gaze with calm confidence. "Look, I know you don’t like me here. You think I’m here to take your position, but you don’t have to worry about that. I have no intention of staying in Polaris Tech permanently."Selena’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of curiosity in her eyes."I’ll be gone in three weeks," Isa continued, her voice steady. "I was brought in temporarily,
The towering glass building of Polaris Technologies loomed before Isabelle as she stepped out of the car. The sleek, modern exterior was almost like Anderson Corp’s, yet there was no sense of familiarity—this wasn’t her first time here. But today, everything was different. Today, she was not a visitor or a negotiator. She was an employee. Even if temporary.With a deep breath, she adjusted her blouse and made her way through the entrance. The moment she stepped inside, the air changed. Whispers rippled through the lobby like a wave, eyes discreetly flicking in her direction. Some employees murmured with excitement, others with skepticism."So that’s Isabelle Rivers? Liam Anderson's wife?""I heard she’s brilliant.""I heard she played a big role in the security breach scandal. She even held a press conference. What’s she doing here?"" Has she been hired permanently by Mr Carter?"Isabelle kept her head high, ignoring the murmurs as she reached the reception desk. The receptionist, a
Isabelle stood in front of the mirror, absently gathering her hair to tie it up. But the moment she lifted it, she froze.Hickeys.Deep, reddish-purple bruises littered the pale skin of her neck and collarbone, evidence of last night’s passion. She inhaled sharply, her fingers grazing over them.Her cheeks flushed.She should be annoyed—it was inconvenient to go around with these marks. But instead, a small, traitorous smile tugged at her lips.Liam was insatiable.She bit her lower lip, caught between amusement and frustration. There was no way she could wear her hair up today.Behind her, the door to the walk-in closet opened, and Liam stepped out, dressed in a sharp navy-blue suit. His hair was neatly styled, and he was adjusting his tie with practiced ease. The sight of him, so effortlessly put together, made last night’s memory even more vivid.Liam glanced at her reflection in the mirror and smirked. “What’s got you so happy this early in the morning?”Isa snapped out of her daze
Isabelle gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white as she maneuvered through the dimly lit streets. She wasn’t supposed to be doing this.Both Allison and Ethan had warned her—stay away.But how could she?The way Vivian had been dragged away, the panic in her eyes, the sheer weight of what had happened—it wouldn’t leave Isa’s mind. And Marcus... she had never trusted him completely. Something about him had always felt off.Now, more than ever, she needed answers.She arrived at the detention center, her heart pounding as she stepped out of the car. It was a grim-looking building, surrounded by barbed wire and guarded heavily. What the hell am I doing? she wondered. But it was too late to turn back now.After going through security and the necessary formalities, she sat in the visitation area, waiting. The fluorescent lights flickered above her, making the dull gray walls feel even colder.The door on the other side of the glass partition buzzed open.Vivian stepped in.I