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Chapter 8: Hidden Agendas
Last Updated:
2024-11-15 18:29:40
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In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 9: Unseen Bonds
Opening the door to a nicely furnished bedroom, his face soft, he gestured for Violet to enter. "Violet, this was my sister's room. My father has been renovating it over and over with the hope that one day she would come back. It's your room now."Violet's eyes widened as she took in the spacious room: soft lavender on the walls, with delicate silver Shannon accents that shimmered in the light. A huge plush bed sat in the center of the room, dripping in fine linens. Tall windows looked out over the gardens, and above hung a small crystal chandelier, casting a warm glow throughout the room."Thank you, Clyde," Violet whispered, still drinking in the sight around her.Clyde gave her a small smile. "I'll be in the room next door if you need anything."She nodded, trying not to let her excitement get the better of her until he was gone. The moment he went out and closed the door, she broke into a grin as she ran to the bed and threw herself on it. The bed was like a cloud, and she plunged
Last Updated : 2024-11-15In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 9: Unseen Bonds
Opening the door to a nicely furnished bedroom, his face soft, he gestured for Violet to enter. "Violet, this was my sister's room. My father has been renovating it over and over with the hope that one day she would come back. It's your room now."Violet's eyes widened as she took in the spacious room: soft lavender on the walls, with delicate silver Shannon accents that shimmered in the light. A huge plush bed sat in the center of the room, dripping in fine linens. Tall windows looked out over the gardens, and above hung a small crystal chandelier, casting a warm glow throughout the room."Thank you, Clyde," Violet whispered, still drinking in the sight around her.Clyde gave her a small smile. "I'll be in the room next door if you need anything."She nodded, trying not to let her excitement get the better of her until he was gone. The moment he went out and closed the door, she broke into a grin as she ran to the bed and threw herself on it. The bed was like a cloud, and she plunged
Last Updated : 2024-11-15In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 10: The Plan Unveiled
Eva was pacing around her grand room, waves of anger emanating from her. Another vase flew across the room and crashed into the wall. Tony grimaced, ducked his head slightly, and looked with wide eyes at the shattered pieces on the floor."Jesus, Eva," Tony cursed under his breath. "You don't need to break everything.""Don't even mention Jesus right now!" Eva snapped, clearly furious. "All that so-called evidence you presented backfired completely! And you're lucky that Clyde's father is still clueless or you'd have been out of a job right now."Tony tightened his fists, his cool faltering because the pressure was building up. "I've done everything you asked. How did I know he would go all guns blazing to protect her?"Eva's glare sharpened. "If you want that promotion, you'll have to try a little harder, Tony. You need to prove, once and for all, that this Violet is an imposter." She paused, crossing her arms as she gave him a withering look. "What do you even know about her, anyway
Last Updated : 2024-11-17In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 11: Unmasking the Truth
Eva stepped out of Violet's room, her hand clutching the strands of hair pulled from Violet, an expression of grim satisfaction etched on her face. Sharon, her mother, was waiting in the hallway; a smug expression played on her face as her eyes swept the evidence in her daughter's hand."Finally," Sharon whispered, a sly smile diffusing into her lips. "This will be our ace of spades. Till Friday, she will be identified as an imposter, and nothing will prevent Clyde or his father from acknowledging it."Eva nodded, and her eyes glinted. "I just can't wait to see the look on their faces when it all comes out. This charade ends now."The two women quickly made the arrangement to have the DNA sample sent out to a lab in which they had a high degree of confidence, knowing full well the results that would come from it would reveal Violet to be an outsider. They were already envisioning the scene: Clyde's father filled with disappointment and shame, Violet humiliated and cast out. Everything
Last Updated : 2024-11-17In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 12: A Birthday to Remember
The grand hall at the West mansion was something to behold, decked out to the nines to celebrate Violet's birthday. Chandeliers sparkled from above the well-laid tables, while soft murmurs of chatter filled the room; guests in their best, mingled with each other celebrating this occasion. Violet stood near Clyde, her unease masked beneath a polite smile. She wasn't accustomed to so much attention, and although the mood was celebratory, she had the nagging thought that disaster was imminent.Clyde leaned into her and spoke in hushed, comforting tones. "Relax, Violet. This is your day. Try to enjoy it.Before she could respond, their father, Robert West, stepped onto the stage. The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to him. He commanded attention and radiated warmth, and everybody was drawn to him."Thank you all for joining us tonight to celebrate a very special occasion, my daughter Violet's birthday." His voice was filled with warmth and pride, sparked a thunderous applause that s
Last Updated : 2024-11-17In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 13: The Birthmark Revelation
The air was heavy in Clyde's stepmother, Eva's, gaudy office. Eva sat behind her desk, her features contorted in irritation. Sharon, Eva's daughter, paced back and forth, while Tony sat in the corner, tapping his fingers on the armrest of a chair."We can't just sit and watch Clyde and Violet take everything away from us!" Eva declared, her palm slapping the desk. "They're ruining everything we've built!"Tony leaned forward, a sly smirk tugging at his lips. "I know Violet is an imposter. That DNA test was edited.""Yes, Mum!" Sharon chimed in, her eyes gleaming with malice. "They must have tampered with the results, but we can't let them win."Eva sank back in her chair, her eyes narrowing in thought. "That reminds me the real Violet has a birthmark on her back. Tony, are you positive Violet doesn't?"Tony was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No, she doesn't. When we were dating, I never saw anything like that."An evil smile curled Eva's lips. "That's it. We'll use that to
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Violet sat in Clyde’s office, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. She still wasn’t entirely sure how she’d ended up in this position. Clyde had called her that morning, and before she could wrap her head around what was happening, he’d casually announced, “You’re my assistant now.”That sounded simple enough, but Violet wasn't naive. She knew this would be anything but an ordinary job with Clyde's stepmother and stepsister lurking around every corner. Things had started well enough: Violet had sorted Clyde's schedule, fielded a few calls, and even managed to impress him with her multitasking. Her moment of bliss was short-lived as his stepmother, Sharon, and stepsister, Eva, burst into the office. "Violet," Sharon said with honey-tinged venom, "why don't you fetch us some coffee? Two sugars for me and cream for Eva."Violet hesitated, looking over to Clyde, who was too busy on his laptop. "Didn't you hear her?" Eva snapped, flipping her hair. "She said coffee." Viol
Last Updated : 2024-11-25In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 15: The Trap
Clyde's stepmother, Sharon, sat pacing up and down in her excessively elaborate living room. The shining red varnish on her nails tapped against the champagne flute with rhythmic precision. Her mind took her through plots and subplots. Across her, on the plush velvet couch, sat her daughter Eva, who regarded her mother with a mixed expression of admiration and impatience.We've tried everything," Eva said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "The DNA test, the birthmark, every angle we've used to discredit Violet has backfired. She's practically untouchable now." "Not untouchable," Sharon corrected tartly, her eyes narrowing. "We've just been going about it the wrong way. If we can't prove she's not Violet West, we'll ruin her another way. We'll take her down along with Clyde.Eva's eyes widened in interest. "What do you mean?"Sharon smiled-cold, calculated. "People already think it's suspicious how fast Clyde and Violet have become such close allies. Whispers have started regardin
Last Updated : 2024-11-25
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In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 70: Olivia escape
Her eyes darted from one corner to the next. The adrenaline coursed through her veins, andevery instinct screamed at her to keep moving, to find an escape before anyone noticed shewas gone. But as she reached the end of the corridor, her hopes began to falter.The door she had been heading toward, the one that she had thought might be her salvation,was locked—just like the others. Her fingers fumbled with the handle, desperate, and she pulledon it again, then tried to force it open. It was no use.Frustration surged through her, and for a moment, she wanted to scream, to give up. But shecouldn’t afford that. Not now.She looked around, trying to assess her surroundings. The hallway was eerily silent. There wereno guards in sight, but that didn’t mean she was safe. She needed to think quickly.Her mind raced. There had to be another way out. Perhaps there was a window or another doorhidden somewhere. She couldn’t let herself get trapped now, not when she was so close.As she tur
In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 69: Voilet recovery
Mathew’s expression darkened slightly, a hint of sadness flickering in his eyes. "That’s mydaughter," he said softly, taking the photo from Eva’s hands. "She’s been missing for severalyears now."Eva’s heart clenched. "Missing? What happened?"Mathew sighed deeply, his gaze fixed on the picture. "It’s a long story, but I’ve recently comeback to find her. That's why I’m here.”Eva reached out and laid a comforting hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry, Mathew. If there'sanything I can do to help, please let me know."Mathew gave her a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Eva. Your support means more than youknow."Violet continued to recover until the doctors were able to discharge her from the hospital. Clydewas always there by her side, seeing to it that she had everything she needed. As they cameout of the hospital, Violet inhaled deeply of the fresh air, feeling free and relieved.Upon arrival, the staff welcomed Violet with warmth; Clyde helped her settle down, and as theywere walk
In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 68: Leo Levine re
These days in the hospital soon became endless, all filled with physical pain and emotionalturmoil. The fall had not taken from Violet any more than a broken arm, but much morepriceless a loss that floated in the air around her. The nurses were in and out, giving hermedication and taking vitals, while Clyde sat beside her whenever he could, offering what littlecomfort he could.Yet within her frail frame, Violet refused to become a weak soul. She startedphysiotherapy to get her arm functioning again, but while doing all this-her heart was the onethat felt heavier. The hospital became a place of healing, not only for her body but also for herspirit.Meanwhile, Clyde was in the middle of all the chaos that engulfed the company. Despite Sharon and Leo's efforts to block his attendance, the meeting he had attended was just thebeginning of the war. The company was in disarray, and Clyde knew that unless he moved fast,the empire his father built could crumble.He spent hours in the
In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 67: The Bad News
"Trying wasn't enough," Leo snapped. "Now everything is falling apart. We can't afford any moremistakes, Sharon. If Clyde stays on top of this, we'll lose the whole game."Her face flashed with anger as Sharon's heart began to race. "Don't put this all on me, Leo. I'vebeen doing everything I can while you've been playing your games. Maybe if you had a betterbackup plan, we wouldn't be in this mess."Leo’s voice lowered, cold and dangerous. "We don’t have time for your excuses. Fix this,Sharon. Or you’ll regret it."The call ended abruptly, leaving Sharon fuming. She stood there for a moment, her breathcoming in sharp, shallow bursts. The pressure was mounting, and Leo’s anger only fueled herown.Sharon didn't so much as glance backward toward the entrance of the hospital as she spun onher heel and strode away. Her heels clicked sharply against the pavement, echoing thefrustration as she headed toward her car. She needed a new plan, and she needed it fast. Leowasn't going to g
In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 66: The frustrating moment
Violet smiled politely, but her eyes never left Sharon's, sensing the undercurrent of tension."That's very kind of you, Sharon."Upstairs, Clyde entered the bedroom, his mind already on the board meeting ahead. He movedwith purpose, selecting a sharp suit from his wardrobe as his mind played out the possiblescenarios at the office.The tie was correctly done, and his phone went off with the reminder of his meeting.Down the stairs he went, to rejoin Violet, who waited at the door. "I will be back before you knowit," he said, clasping her hand one last time."Be careful," Violet whispered, her eyes shaded with concern."I will," Clyde promised, his tone firm with conviction.Sharon thought quickly, trying to find a way to ensure Clyde wouldn't make that important boardmeeting. She had to think fast, and she knew just the thing to engage him-Violet. An almostdiabolical smile curled Sharon's lips as she contrived her plan.Sharon quickly ran into the kitchen and brought back a bott
In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 65: The accident
Violet sat on the edge of the bed and watched Clyde pacing across the room while her eyesshone with apprehension. He looked tired but not beaten, and after reaching the wall, he turnedto face her and started to speak."When I got to the warehouse, I knew something felt off, but I went in anyway," Clyde began, hisvoice firm, yet laced with residual fear from the experience. The place was dark and quiet, tooquiet. I called out for Olivia, but nobody answered, so I realized it was a trap.Violet's heart sank, though she maintained poise and nodded for him to continue."Before I could react, they jumped me," Clyde said, his fists clenched at the memory. "Theybound me up, and that's when I met Leo Levine. He was there to gloat-to tell me how heplanned to take everything from my father, our family's legacy. He even bragged about how, bynoon tomorrow, he'd be announced as the new CEO."Violet gasped, placing her hand over her mouth. "Oh, Clyde…Clyde reached for her, taking her hands
In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 64: The Romance
The post-euphoria of their passionate encounter went away; the room slowly relapsed into itsquiet stillness, with their mingled breaths being the only sounds that Eva lay on his chest,tracing lazy circles on his skin while her mind remained blissfully blank and savoring theafterglow.But then, suddenly, the shrill ringing of her phone resounded through the stillness, placing themboth in a shocked stillness. Eva's heart went a miss as she reached for her phone lying on thebedside table. Looking at the screen, her breath caught-it was her mother."Mom?" she answered, still sounding husky from the exertion."Eva, where are you?" her mother's voice came through, laced with worry and urgency. "I needyou to come home. Now."The concern in her mother's tone was enough to snap Eva out of her blissful state. She sat upabruptly, clutching the sheet to her chest. "Is everything okay, Mom?"There was a pause, and then her mother said, "It's important, Eva. Please, just come."Eva's heart p
In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 63: The Night Heats Up
Eva continued to talk with the man; with every word, it was an affair. His hand brushed againsthers, sending a spark coursing through her entire body. The laughter between them softenedand gave way to lingering glances, a growing tension that neither seemed in any hurry to break.The music in the bar had shifted to a slower, more sensual rhythm, matching the simmeringenergy between them. Eva leaned closer, her breath mingling with his, her fingers playing withthe rim of her glass. She felt the pulse of desire growing, a magnetic pull that drew her towardshim.“You’re intoxicating,” he whispered, his voice a husky murmur that sent a shiver down her spine.His eyes locked onto hers, dark and intense, promising something that made her heart race.Eva didn't answer with words. Her gaze dropped to his lips; her own parted slightly in aninvitation. He caught that subtle invitation; his fingers reached out and gently traced the line ofher jaw, pressing her face higher. The gap between
In The Smoke-Filled Room Chapter 62: The Unraveling
Sharon burst into her penthouse and slammed the door shut with a force that sentreverberations through the silent apartment. Her heels clicked loudly against the glitteringmarble floor as she marched toward the expansive living room, her mind a maelstrom of angerand frustration.How did he get away?" she whispered, the words repeating in her mind like a mantra. "It wasperfect-everything, every eventuality.She threw her coat onto the sleek leather couch, her hands shaking with barely restrainedanger. She began to pace up and down, trying to put together how Clyde had managed to slipthrough their grasp. The guards were doubled and the warehouse secure, yet somehow, Clydemanaged to outwit all.Sharon stopped dead in her tracks, her beady eyes now set on her phone, which lay on thecoffee table. Snatching it up, she scrolled down her contacts to Eva's number in a jiffy. Eva hadbeen one of their inside players, an important part of their scheme. If anyone had informationregarding
