Riley started working hard to learn Eulalia's every glance and smile, trying to be a worthy replacement.When Trent saw that she'd learned enough, he set a time for her to go keep Percival company.From the very beginning, he hadn't made Riley into Eulalia's replacement for himself. He wanted to use this little stand-in to keep Percival in check.For the past three years, Percival had been half-dead because of Eulalia's death. Give him a replacement, and he might even be grateful.In Trent's eyes, Riley had always been obedient. Even knowing she was just a replacement, she played the part without complaint, accepting it easily.Telling her to go be with another man - she probably wouldn't refuse that either.Riley didn't refuse. She just said in a hoarse voice, "Once you give something away, you can't take it back."At some point, she'd stopped seeing herself as a person. She was just a thing, an object Trent could use and manipulate however he wanted, something he could give away fre
Trent knew about what went down between Riley and Percival that night she went to his room. He thought it was weird - how could Percival not feel anything for someone who looked so much like Eulalia? Even Trent himself was a little shook.After Riley left, just like she said, she never came back.When Riley returned to showbiz, she got bullied hard since she had no connections. Everyone assumed Trent had dumped her because he totally ghosted her.Leaving without a word like that made it easy for people to think she must've pissed Trent off somehow.And who was Trent?The richest dude in Luminara. Nobody dared mess with him.Riley was like a ticking time bomb. The agency that signed her totally misread Trent's intentions. They figured he must hate Riley's guts and want payback, so they took it upon themselves to show him what's up. They bullied her left and right, made her life hell, and squeezed every last drop they could out of her.Trent's cold indifference said it all - he was gett
Eulalia spoke clearly and confidently, her words well thought out.Taking down X Entertainment from the inside wouldn't be easy. They had quite a roster of artists, including the super popular Evette, who'd won Actress of the Year.Victor had been fed up with X Entertainment for a while now. Even if Eulalia hadn't come to him today, he would've made a move to wipe out the company sooner or later.Others might not know, but after nearly three years in showbiz, he was all too familiar with its dirty underbelly.Take Eulalia's case, for instance. The company signed her just to be a scapegoat for others. What's ridiculous is that without a single photo, clear video, or audio recording, they could sway public opinion with just a few lines on social media.Ruining someone's reputation was that simple.As Eulalia had said before, it's like village dogs. One dog barks, and the rest join in. They're barking in the depths of the village, not even knowing why they're barking.But in Victor's opi
Eulalia Island Amusement Park was built by Percival for his beloved wife, Eulalia. He spent almost 5 million just to buy the island, and the park became famous even before construction began. Percival invested another $500 million, bringing the total cost to a cool billion.In the three years since Eulalia's death, Percival poured most of his energy into this project. Knowing Eulalia's love for candied haws, he had the designers incorporate many elements inspired by the treat. Because she had a sweet tooth, he made sure the park looked like a candy house straight out of a fairy tale. He even included paper stars and cranes, which Eulalia used to fold.The entire project took three years to complete. Percival often visited Windwatch, spending most of his time at three places: the small villa where he and Eulalia lived for four years, Mrs. Young's dumpling shop, and this amusement park. He'd often come at night when the park was closed, sitting beneath the Ferris wheel, lost in memories
As they walked in, snippets of conversation floated around them.Eulalia and Victor turned heads the moment they appeared. Despite wearing masks and trying to blend in, their height and build, not to mention their natural aura, made them impossible to ignore.An older lady approached them casually. "Are you two here for the matchmaking event?"Victor felt his face heat up under his mask. He glanced at Eulalia, who calmly shook her head.Eulalia's long eyelashes were like delicate fans when she lowered her gaze. Victor had to resist the urge to reach out and touch them.The older lady's eyes lit up when she saw Eulalia shake her head. "Oh, I see! You must be siblings. Big brother accompanying his little sister to find a match, right?" She rubbed her hands together eagerly, giving Eulalia a quick once-over.Even with her face covered, those exposed eyes were enough to tell she was a real beauty. Good skin, tall - she looked like quite the catch."Young lady, I can tell you're single. Ho
Eulalia let out a soft "Mm" and said, "Why don't you hold her?"Victor tensed up again, unsure how to handle the situation.In the end, Eulalia gently placed Misty in his arms. He held her stiffly, like a newborn baby, every movement careful and tentative, afraid of hurting the little creature.Eulalia couldn't help but laugh at his wooden posture. "You won't hurt her. Try petting her back - Misty used to love being stroked. And scratch under her chin too."Victor began earnestly grooming the cat in his arms, scratching her neck with such concentration that he started to sweat.At first, Misty was a bit nervous too, but once she realized Victor meant no harm, she relaxed.Eulalia reached out to stroke Misty's head, her fingertips brushing over the cat's damaged ear. Her heart clenched with a sudden pang.Victor noticed her change in mood. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, like where the cat came from and how she got those burn scars. But he chose not to pry, knowing these wer
"I don't think this is about finding a parking spot," Eulalia mused. "do you want to come over?"Victor felt like he'd been caught red-handed. His ears twitched nervously, and after a moment's hesitation, he decided to be direct: "Can I come home with you?"Eulalia had said "come over," but Victor said "come home." One word made all the difference.Eulalia was momentarily speechless, staring at his face without reacting.She had just been making small talk, but Victor took it seriously.In her mind, Victor was like a teenage boy just entering puberty – passionate about his feelings but also cautious and shy.She used to tease him by calling him "Mr. Hollywood," and his ears would turn red, the blush spreading down to his neck like a cooked shrimp.She expected him to shy away this time too, but surprisingly, he stared at her stubbornly, like a puppy waiting for its owner to take it home."I'm sorry, that was too sudden," Victor finally backed down. He took a deep breath and popped fou
After handling the most difficult task at hand and getting off to a good start, Eulalia's next focus was on investments.She had many expenses coming up, and although she still had over $600 million left, it could disappear quickly if she wasn't careful.Eulalia wasn't one to sit idle and deplete her resources. Back at home, she lay on the couch with her laptop, analyzing the recent stock market trends. Eventually, she invested $10 million in a promising stock.The Clearwater family had been involved in various businesses in the past – jewelry, construction materials, real estate, and more. If Eulalia chose to stick to these familiar industries, things might be easier. However, Percy and Trent were the leaders in those fields, and getting involved would inevitably lead to confrontations with them.After much consideration, Eulalia decided against it. She was too vulnerable right now to go up ag