The next day was the pageant for the International Socialites Gala.Last night, Melanie had slept peacefully. Her skin was glowing this morning. She carefully applied her makeup and had breakfast with Eliza."Melanie, I've transferred half of my shares to you. You will be a board member of the Jones Enterprise from now on," her mother said, before pausing to inquire, "Which department do you plan to oversee when you join the company?""I’ll start from the weakest portfolio in Jones Enterprise—I'd like to take charge of the research and development for the new perfume line," Melanie replied. She presented the proposal she had been working on to Eliza. "Here's the new perfume product line I've been planning. I've gotten it looked over by professionals. What do you think?"Eliza skimmed through the proposal and her eyes lit up. "I trust you. With your abilities and talent, you can bring that portfolio back to life."With her mother's approval, Melanie smiled from the bottom of her
"Oh! Isn't she Melanie Jones, the heiress of the declining Joneses? She’s the one whose fiancé was stolen by Lena Jones! Is she really this naive or just putting on a show by coming here to aid Lena?"Two unknown celebrities led the mockery, quickly joined by others.Melanie remained composed. Before she could respond, someone stepped up to defend her."How can you say that? Melanie is my cousin! When you criticize her, you're criticizing me!"Lena, with a sweet and innocent appearance, navigated through the crowd and took Melanie's hand. She whispered in Melanie's ear, "Mel, I knew you wouldn't be mad at me. Last night was just a huge misunderstanding. There was nothing between me and Bryan."Melanie turned to Lena, her lips curved into a sarcastic smile. "Is that so?"Lena's eyes glittered. She continued, "Of course, Mel! There are too many people here. Let's talk later. But I'm grateful that you've already secured an international endorsement deal for me this morning."Melani
"Are you among the judges later?" Melanie asked.Stephen grinned mischievously. "Although I won't be there, my uncle is here today. He'll be handing you your pass. Does that make it more prestigious?"Melanie took a step back, not appreciating Stephen's tone.Stephen did not linger further. He said, "I should get going!"Stephen was the second young master of the Morgan Group, and his words must carry some weight when it came to selecting the contestants. Melanie's open interaction with him made others envious.As Stephen left, mocking voices began to fill the air."A cripple aiming for the socialite gathering? She must be deeply affected by her fiancé's affair. It's that or she's lost her mind!""I heard that Melanie used her charms to promote Lena in the past. Now, she's gone all out for her own sake. Maybe there's something between her and Stephen…""Come on! Stephen wouldn't even glance at her!"Melanie could not stand the ridicule any longer. She turned around and spilled
Melanie maintained a professional smile as she gazed at the judges' panel. One of the figures among the judges was a man named Mr. Hans. She remembered him as the father of Lena's friend—the girl Melanie slapped at the bachelorette party. Melanie anticipated that the man might try to make things difficult for her.Unfazed, she projected her prepared materials onto the screen."Here's my resume. I've tailored it for my participation at the International Socialites Gala," Melanie said calmly.Slide by slide, her presentation showcased her achievements."I started learning the piano, arts, and music from a young age. I also learned how to dance from the age of nine and excelled in various genres, especially ballet."This is the certificate I received from the Royal Academy of Dance at the age of fourteen for achieving the highest level in ballet."And these are photos from my performances in renowned ballet productions."Melanie presented her accomplishments confidently, but it was
“That’s correct.” Jeffrey Morgan’s voice resonated in the room.The statement finally put an end to Mr. Hans' need to impress. He adjusted his suit and thought, ‘We might finally secure that investment from Morgan Group next quarter!’“Miss Melanie.”At that moment, Jeffrey spoke again, addressing Melanie, “Prep yourself. You’ll be attending the International Socialites Gala with representatives from Morgan Group.”What?Mr. Hans had initially nodded along but his smile had now frozen in place. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. Mr. Hans stammered, "Mr. Morgan, a-are you confirming your selection?"Jeffrey’s voice turned cold, and he inquired, "What? Do you think I have poor judgment? Or that I’m blind?""N-no, I-I dare not..."Mr. Hans trembled in fear, no longer concerned about his company's growth. He was solely thinking about how to save his own skin.The other judges in the room exchanged uncertain glances, realizing that not speaking up earlier had been a stroke of luc
The crowd fell silent as realization hit. No one dared challenge the person who had just secured the prestigious spot. They also kept their eyes off the event organizer, but more importantly, they avoided crossing paths with Melanie, who had just secured a significant victory. Instead, they turned their disdainful gazes toward Lena and vent their frustration through sarcastic remarks.However, some quick-thinking, opportunistic folks swiftly changed their allegiance to Melanie. They rushed over to flatter her with congratulatory words, but Melanie had no interest in these fickle admirers. She simply walked away with her cane in hand to the elevator.As she reached the end of the corridor, someone caught up with her from behind and said, "Miss Melanie, we will send you the invitation to the International Socialites Gala as soon as possible. In addition, we will need you to provide a medical report."The employee from Morgan Group continued, emphasizing further, "You understand, we wa
Things were going awry with the cheating pair.A rising star's secret rendezvous with her cousin's fiancé and getting pregnant before marriage. What a juicy piece of news!After leaving the nurse's station, Melanie took out her phone and saw a message from Annie Snow: [By the way, the Wests have been claiming that your engagement to Bryan remains intact and that it'll be held again in a week. What now?]Melanie replied: [Don't worry.]She quickly typed a message, [Tomorrow, I'll have the entire world know that if I marry Bryan West, I'll be the dumbest person on Earth!]Annie asked with anticipation. [Does this mean we're in for a show tomorrow?][Exactly! But I'll need your help.] Melanie replied: [Where are you? Let's meet.]The two found a spot at a nearby coffee shop and spent half an hour coordinating their plans.In the end, Melanie handed Annie the access card to Bryan's office, a card he had given her in the past.Annie clutched the access card tightly, her anticipatio
It was good that Lena was here. It saved Melanie the trouble of looking for her.Melanie walked past the reporters and overheard their questions."Lena, Melanie Jones is your manager and your cousin. Why is she competing with you for a spot at the International Socialites Gala? Are you not getting along?""How was she selected by the judges? Is there some foul play involved?"Lena, with an innocent expression, exclaimed, "No way! It must be a misunderstanding. Melanie isn't like that. She's a capable person with great ideas. Over the past two years, she's the one who's sealed all of my business deals. She even manages things in Jones Enterprise. She's amazing.""Are you saying Melanie Jones has the support of Jones Enterprise and knows how to get things done behind the scenes?" The reporters interpreted Lena's implications perfectly.Lena covered her mouth with her hand, pretending to have made a slip of the tongue. Her assistant stepped in to protect her, saying, "Please stop as