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Lora’s laughter resonated around the conference room, making the employees stare at her as though she had grown an extra head. Was she pretending to have lost her mind to avoid the repercussions of her actions? They couldn't help but wonder. Ryan frowned and asked again, “Miss Davis?” The room fell silent as they waited for Lora’s response, still confused by her reaction. Why would she laugh happily in such a dire situation?Lora calmly stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with confidence. She smiled at everyone and said, “Miss Williams presented her design and now it's my turn. This was a competition and I have a right to present my design too before y’all jump to conclusions.” She gestured to Hannah, who went to the front of the room to help Lora display her work. Once the work was revealed, gasps echoed around the room. Their eyes grew and almost popped out of their sockets as they stared at Lora’s design. The design was so beautiful that it left everything’s mouth gaping in sh
“Miss L? The mysterious world-renowned designer?” Ryan furrowed his eyebrows and asked, his voice barely hiding his disbelief. The tension in the room was so thick that one could cut through it with a knife. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Lora, awaiting her response. At the same time, Lora was calm, her face devoid of any emotions. No one could tell what she was thinking. Seeing Ryan glance at Lora with so much interest in his eyes, Ivy gritted her teeth and clutched the arms of her wheelchair tightly, her heart racing. Something told her she wouldn’t like the outcome of this meeting. Sure enough, Lora took in a deep breath and finally admitted, “Yes. I am Miss L.” Gasps, followed by whispers erupted in the room among the employees. Others had dropped their jaws to the floor and their eyes widened in shock. Who knew that the woman they had accused of plagiarising was the mysterious world-famous designer whose work had taken the fashion world by storm? “What?” Ryan stared at Lora
The next day, the tables had turned and the internet was buzzing with headlines about one Miss L. [Highly talented world-famous designer, Miss L’s identity revealed!][Lora Davis exposed as Miss L. Her designs do the talking.]The internet pages were going wild with comments as almost everyone had something to say about this scandal.“Oh my God! Lora Davis is Miss L? She’s my idol!”“No wonder she was so calm. She was the real deal. What the hell was Ivy Williams thinking?”“Miss L, we are so sorry for insulting you! You’re the best!” Meanwhile, Ivy Williams was now a subject of ridicule as the scandal blew out of proportion. The headlines about her were not friendly.[Ivy Williams: The plagiariser!][Ivy Williams lost her touch.]Those who once loved and supported Ivy were disappointed in her. They now questioned her integrity and turned the comment section on the social media pages into a battlefield of mocking comments. “Ivy Williams should be banned! She’s a thief!”“Ivy Willaim
Lora arrived at the Davis & Co. Jewelry Company, ready to forge ahead and grow the company that her dear father entrusted to her. She had just stepped out of her car when a familiar voice called out to her. “Lora…” Lora turned around and found Ryan looking at her with a wistful look on his face. She frowned and placed her car keys in her branded handbag. That morning, she wore a short white skirt and a statement-making jacket which were complemented by white pointed stiletto shoes. Her hair was pulled up into a neat ponytail and it accentuated her beautiful facial features. “Mr Kingsley, what are you doing at my company this early morning?” She asked. “I’ve been calling you several times but my calls went unanswered. Lora… I mean, Miss Davis, let’s talk,” Ryan remarked. “There’s nothing to talk about, Mr Kingsley. I thought I made it clear last time. Our partnership is over,” Lora replied coldly. She was determined to cut Ryan completely out of her life. The last few days had pr
“Miss Davis, how could you ditch me after using me?” Ryan asked Lora when he followed her outside. She was waiting beside his car, trying to recover from her panic attack. When she heard Ryan’s question, she blushed. She crossed her arms and said, “I didn’t use you-”“Are you sure?” Ryan arched an eyebrow and stepped closer. He placed one hand on the car as he stared down at Lora, a side smirk crossing his lips. “Who was trembling in my arms just now?” “You-” Lora’s face was as red as a tomato. The moment when she clutched Ryan’s shirt tightly played in her mind and she had the urge to slap herself. “I didn’t ask you for help.” “Ungrateful, aren’t we?” Ryan let out a low chuckle. "I helped you because you looked like you were about to collapse. Shouldn't you thank me?" “I already thanked you, Mr Kingsley,” Lora said with an exasperated sigh. “Um… you did. But you ran away from me like I’m a disease,” Ryan remarked. "That's because there was no need to continue being in the wareh
“Lawrence, take down the trending news right now,” Ryan ordered his assistant on the phone. He cut the call and drove to the Williams’ mansion. Although he had ordered the removal of the news, the damage had already been done. Anger that he could barely contain rushed through him.His heart clenched painfully, an ache that had become all too familiar every time he thought about his past. That night… he saw the warehouse explode before his eyes, enveloping Larisa and drowning her in a sea of fire. There was nothing left… No body, no bones… all that was left of his beloved wife were her ashes. She must have died resenting him, thinking he had abandoned her… Ryan blinked and a lone tear rolled down his cheek before he quickly wiped it away. He laughed at himself self-deprecatingly. He didn’t deserve to cry for her… not after he failed her. However, he wouldn’t let anyone drag her name through the mud. The least he could do was protect her memory. As he drove up the driveway leadin
It was the weekend and Lora had just finished reviewing some reports in her study when her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and a smile crossed her lips when she saw Jason’s name. “Hello, Jay,” Lora answered. “Hi, Lora… or should I say Miss L now since the cat is out of the bag?” Jason teased on the phone. “You keep being in the limelight and now, there’s no day that goes by without the media houses talking about the highly talented designer, Miss L. Perhaps I should be good to you in case meeting you becomes so hard in the future… You’re more popular than idol stars now.” “Oh, stop it, Jason,” Lora said but her voice was light with mirth. “You’re exaggerating! I can’t be more popular than idol stars.” “Are you sure?” Jason remarked. “I’m afraid you’re going to need security soon because a lot of your fans will be flocking to you for autographs. With that said… can I be the first in line? Can I have the honour of inviting the talented designer to lunch today? I’ll get your a
Ivy’s hands trembled when she looked at the photos in her hands. Anger and hatred flashed through her eyes as she yelled, “No! No… it can’t be!”Her eyes were wide with shock as she went through the pictures. After realising she was losing Ryan to Lora, Ivy hired someone to follow Lora so that she could find out something she could use against her. However, what she received shocked her to the core when she saw photos of Lora with two children by her side. “Lora has kids?” She whispered to herself. Gulping air, she went through the photos again and studied the kids’ faces. The little girl resembled Lora, however, it was the little boy’s face that made Ivy’s heart sink. He looked so much like Ryan Kingsley. “What’s going on? How could Lora’s child look like Ryan? Unless…”“No! No, it must just be a coincidence!” Ivy squashed her thoughts immediately. She didn't want to think of the possibility. However, she couldn’t deny it… the evidence was right in her face. Both these kids had a
Hours earlier…After leaving the Kingsley Group building, Jason called his sister, Isabella and offered to take her for brunch. When Isabella arrived at the restaurant, her face lit up. She took a seat opposite Jason and said, “This is new. Did you invite me for lunch to celebrate our win? I take it you’re now the CEO of the Kingsley Group, congratulations, bro.” Jason didn’t respond to those words. He opened a bottle of champagne and poured Isabella some into a glass before handing it to her. “How well do you know our mother, Isabella?” Jason asked. Isabella happily received the glass of champagne. After taking a sip, she replied, “I know her very well. We are like best friends. She shares most of her plans with me.” Jason narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. He remarked, “I see.” Isabella didn’t notice Jason’s grim expression. She continued to sport a huge smile on her face as she remarked, “So, bro, what position will I have in the company? I want to be the Director of F
Ryan narrowed his eyes at Jason. He asked, “Did Celeste tell you about the kidnapping? Or you did a background check on me?”“I found out about it myself. I’m offering my help only because I don’t want the culprit to keep hurting people for her own gains,” Jason replied.“Her?” Ryan remarked, arching an eyebrow. “You know the culprit?”Jason clenched his hands into fists. He said, “Trust me, I wish I didn’t.”“Who is it?” Ryan asked although he already had an inkling.Jason’s troubled expression told him it was someone close to him. If so, was Jason really going to help him catch the culprit? Or did he want to get involved to protect the culprit?“I can’t tell you right now. I need to find proof first. Once I do and it’s proven that the culprit kidnapped you and attempted murder, I’ll lead the police to capture them myself,” Jason proclaimed.Ryan studied Jason’s face again. His brows were furrowed, his jaw tight and his fists clenched.Arching an eyebrow again, Ryan asked, “Are you s
Celeste’s triumphant smile froze, her eyes widening in shock as Jason’s rejection echoed around the conference room. “What do you mean you’re not interested?” She yelled, her voice a mixture of panic and anger. “This is your chance to take control of the company, Jason!”“You mean it’s your chance to gain power?” Jason asked, looking at his mother. “I know what you’re up to, Mother, but it won’t work. I’ve never been interested in the company anyway. I only tried to fight for it to please you!” The room fell silent after that. Shareholders exchanged confused glances, their earlier relief now replaced with growing concern. “That’s nonsense! I only wanted you to take over for your sake. It’s your birthright as a Kingsley! You deserve the position. Do you want Ryan to take everything away from you? He already took your father away from you… you had to grow up away from us because of him,” Celeste yelled, no longer concerned with pretending to be a kind person. Jason pushed his chair b
"I'm resigning as the CEO from now onwards and Jason will be the new CEO of the Kingsley Group," Ryan announced. Ryan Kingsley had been planning on how to step down from his position as the CEO of the Kingsley Group. Jason had not confirmed if he would take over as CEO, however, Ryan still announced it, hoping Jason was for the idea. A murmur swept over the room after Ryan announced that he would be stepping down. He looked at the shareholders’ stunned faces and asked, “Why the shocked faces? Isn’t this what you were all expecting?” Lora glanced at Ryan, confusion creeping into her. She didn’t know Ryan was going to hand over his position to Jason just like that.Why did he do that and when did he plan all this?Ryan sensed her gaze. He looked at her and gave her a small smile before he mouthed that he would explain later. Lora nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. Deep down, she knew why he did that but she didn't want to accept it. For her, there was still hope for Ryan to
[Ryan Kingsley is in his last days and the future of the Kingsley Group remains uncertain.][The Kingsley Group’s stocks keep dropping following Ryan’s declining health. Could this be the end of the Kingsley Group?] [The Kingsley Group is on the verge of collapse as Ryan Kingsley approaches his end.] The news of Ryan’s deteriorating health spread through the city like an angry wildfire. Ryan was going through his phone, reading the headlines when Lora grabbed his phone from him. He was better now but to avoid getting another infection, he still stayed in the isolation ward. Lora was there for her daily visit when the internet went crazy with the news of Ryan’s condition. “I don’t think you should read the news. It will just stress you,” Lora remarked as she put the phone away. “It’s funny how quickly these reporters get wind of information about me. I’m guessing this is Celeste’s doing,” Ryan replied, his eyes turning cold at the thought. “She just won’t let this go until I make a
Jason stepped into the private room and found Ryan seated at the table. He was in casual clothes and his slightly pale face was illuminated by the soft glow from the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. “Is it ok for you to be out like this?” Jason asked as he took a seat. It was a bit awkward to meet Ryan like this. They had never had a decent conversation and with what happened with Lora, the air around them was a bit tense. “It’s ok… but I can’t be out for long hours. I’m more likely to get sick if I receive many visitors but being in the open like this is ok,” Ryan responded. Jason’s eyebrows furrowed and a complicated feeling coursed through him. He glanced at Ryan and asked, “Why did you want to meet me?” Ryan suddenly smirked and asked, “Can’t I ask to meet my little brother?” Jason scoffed. He replied, “We both know we are not that close.” An awkward silence fell between them. After a few seconds, Ryan reached for a file that was on his lap. He placed it on the table an
Jason had been laying low the last few days after his last encounter with Lora. Even though he had told her he would never give up on her, the resolute look in her eyes showed him that she would never love him in this life. That night, his mother had invited him for dinner, claiming there was someone who wished to meet him for business. Although Jason was no longer interested in fighting Ryan for the position of CEO, he still went to see what his mother was up to. To his shock, he happened to overhear something that shocked him to the core. As he stood outside the VIP room, his heart raced as he listened to the conversation between his mother and an unknown man. “Celeste, don’t try to act innocent in this. You wanted to get rid of Ryan, so you asked for our help. Now that I have nothing else to lose, I want to destroy the Kingsleys once and for all. I want Ryan to feel the pain of losing something precious to him,” a man’s voice came. “I’m not trying to act innocent, David. You we
Ivy had a smug smile on her lips when she left Ryan’s room. Her heart was leaping with joy. Finally, she had her revenge. Ryan was dying and Lora would be alone forever with her two little bastards. “Oh, Lora, you thought you could beat me… who’s the loser now?” Ivy said to herself and giggled. She entered the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. Since Ryan was in a coma, she didn’t have to worry about being caught. He didn’t know she had sneaked into his ward and he would never know the truth about the past. The thought of Ryan still feeling a little guilty towards her thinking she had saved him in the past filled Ivy with joy. With a sense of satisfaction, Ivy waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor. When it finally did, she stepped out but her smile froze when she found two men in suits standing outside. Ivy was about to make a run for it when the police who were behind the men came forward and surrounded her. “Miss Williams, you are under arrest fo
“I thought I would have to work very hard to bring you down... who knew the heavens were on my side and did the job for me?” The woman said mockingly. "Look at you... who knew the great Ryan Kingsley could be so vulnerable?" The woman sneered as she looked around the ward. She wrinkled her nose at the scent of disinfectant and strong drugs. The sound of the beeping equipment irritated her to the core. "So, despite being a rich man, you couldn't save your life. Serves you right!" “I loved you, Ryan. But you chose that bitch, Lora over me. You even made me a fugitive! Now look at you! You’re a dead man! Haha! In the end, I won!”That’s right. The woman who had sneaked into Ryan's room was none other than Ivy Williams. However, she looked different from the Ivy Williams everyone knew. She had dyed her blonde hair black and she wore brown contacts to hide her green eyes. With her hair styled into a fringe, it was hard to recognise her. Especially by those who didn’t know her. Ivy had