"Well, what? Did you see anyone take it?" Kate's heart was thudding in her chest not because she was worried her phone was lost but because the video was Irene's trump card, and she lost it! If she didn't post the video before the wedding ended, she would be done for. Irene wouldn't let her off..."It was you who stole it...""Why would you say that, ma'am? I... I... didn't take it, I swear." The woman refuted, ready to walk away. Staying any longer might make her suspicious."Come back here!" Kate pulled her hair. "Return my phone!" Kate was on the brink of breaking down. Where would she go if Irene threw her out of her apartment?"Ma'am, let go of me." The assistant struggled to break free from her tight grip. Kate was huffing as she held onto her hair. She had a feeling she took her phone, and she would do anything to get it back. She would have nowhere to go if Irene abandoned her. "Give me back my phone...""I didn't take it." There was no way she was telling the truth. Bearing t
The news of the billionaire and once-famous actress marriage was still hot on the search buttons. Many would have doubted their marriage, but since the words came from the billionaire himself, it was a confirmation beyond doubt. Many view her as a seductress, seducing the billionaire just to gain wealth. Since the rich heir wasn't good enough for her, she found a way to cling onto his uncle. But many still wondered how? She was attractive but there were other women with better social standing that came from a reputable family; she doesn't even have a good background. She was just an actress who backed out, out of the blue with unknown reasons and since then they never heard anything about her; within a few days, she was involved in a scandal with her as the hot topic with the Anderson family. It was truly something to gossip... "How did she end up with him?" "So he really wasn't gay after all..." "At first, we thought she was miserable, but now she is the luckiest woman on eart
The Anderson family was known as legends in the perfume industry for more than decades, producing expensive and the best fragrance across the country. As the founder, Roy Anderson, he was old and the company was presently run by the eldest son, Albert Anderson, the father of Dave, with the second eldest son, Henry Anderson, as one of the shareholders. Zack, being the youngest, built his own business empire from scratch to gain his achievements rather than living off someone else's company. Although he invested from his shares and expanded his business far and wide, gaining wealth from multiple businesses. His wisdom in performing business was one of the many things Roy Anderson loved about him. But one thing that made him upset was that he cared too much about money and his business that he never considered marriage as an option. So when he picked the statement 'my wife,' he was overjoyed that he told him to come over for a family dinner to celebrate, even though he didn't inform them
The onlookers' eyes widened at the sight in front of them. The public display of affection was too surprising to believe. Are their marriage really based on love? Ivy's head was placed on Zack's shoulder as her hand was hooked around his arm, slowly walking to the living room like they were alone in their world. Zack, in turn, had a slight smile on his face as he approached the eyes that were darting back and forth between the two. The sound of glass shattering made everyone turn their gaze, "I'm sorry, I…" "Are you okay, Donna bring the first aid box quickly!" Henry, seeing her bleed, had to call the maid for help. Albert saw her blood dripping on the glass table, quickly took out a handkerchief from his pocket. Irene stretched her hand so he could help her wipe off the blood in her hand, but his next action made Ivy release her restrained snort… Albert wiped the blood on the exquisite glass table instead! Irene was too stunned that she left her mouth wide open in surprise
Ivy looked down at her plate. "They died when I was still a teenager." As she said this, she squinted at Irene, who had a fake smile on her face. "That's so sad to hear." Irene could only play along, pretending to be touched by her story. Dave frowned as his eyes darted between the two sisters. They just repudiated their relationship in front of the family. Do they plan on disowning each other? Or did they decide to cut ties after everything that happened? Roy noticed the exchanged glares between the two women and suspected they must know each other. "Have the two of you met before?" "No." They both denied in unison, still retaining their fake smile... 'What the.....' Dave couldn't understand why they were doing all this. He knew the three of them had their issues,so furrowed his brows, readying himself to say what he felt at the moment... "Will the both of..." He cleared his throat as he noticed Irene's gaze. He understood that he shouldn't interfere. It was obvious who wo
Albert gave up on the question; he could see their resemblance, but they still declared they were not related. Dwelling on the conversation would be useless. The purpose of the family get-together was finally achieved. Roy got to see the beautiful woman that made his wish for his youngest son come true. In his eyes, they were the perfect match, even if Ivy was younger than him. Both couples left the mansion at the same time. As they made their way to their respective cars, Dave couldn't help but steal glances at the two whose hands were still intertwined as they walked towards their car. He had a lot to say to Ivy; he never knew she had such guts to marry from his family, his uncle of all people... The perfect opportunity to ridicule her surfaced. Zack's phone rang, and he could tell it was important as he left her to answer the call. "I forgot something; I'll be right back," he told Irene, who was busy on her phone. She ignored him as her eyes were fixed on the screen. Dave wa
That's too extreme, Ivy," Irene frowned. Having escaped from Henry's muffle, she said abruptly walking up to Ivy, but she stopped in her tracks when her eyes met Zack's glare."And how is it extreme?" Zack responded in Ivy's place, taking a step forward and crouched slightly to meet Dave's height. "You heard her. Kneel."His powerful presence made Dave's knees weaken, and he gave in with a thud. His knee touched the ground, only then did Ivy release her restrained smile."I'm sorry, Ivy," Dave said with his head lowered as he forced himself to produce each word. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would apologize to his ex."Aren't you taking this too far?" Albert couldn't stay silent watching his son get bullied, well, that's what he thought. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop his younger brother but had to say something at least.Zack ignored him and held his wife's waist, leading her to the car as the driver opened the door for the both of them. "Don't ever let t
Irene paid her a visit at the apartment as promised. It took Kate roughly five minutes for her to open the door. Irene, seeing the expression plastered on her face, knew something must have gone wrong. Whatever it is, she was going to find out....Without coming in, she asked, "Tell me the real reasons you haven't posted that video, Kate."Kate sighed. There was nothing she could do to avoid the question. "I'm sorry, I don't have it anymore.""What?!" Irene closed the door behind her and sat on the sofa. "What the hell of a joke is that?"Kate sighed again. She had been sighing since the start of the day. Here comes the hard part. She would have to explain how it disappeared and listen to how she chose to fix it, because she knew Irene would stop at nothing to achieve what she wants."Zack Anderson made me delete it. I swear it's the truth. He knew about the video and I don't know how..."If Kate had told her those exact words before the family get-together, she would have doubted. Sh
ONE WEEK BEFORE THE TRIAL The blanket stirred, ripping like a wave, as Zack and Ivy's bodies moved in sync. Their lips were pressed tightly together, their breath mingling in the quiet room. Ivy had her hand wrapped around Zack's neck, deepening the kiss. Her soft moans filled the room. But just as they were getting lost in the moment, the shrill ring of Ivy's phone shattered the intimacy. Ivy pulled away, reaching for her phone on the bedside table, but when she saw who the caller was, she cut the call and let out a frustrated sigh. “Judy again, isn’t it?” Zack asked, irritation creeping into his voice. Ivy nodded and slumped back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Judy had been blowing up her phone nonstop, sending her a barrage of texts and voicemails. It had become increasingly annoying by the day, and Ivy felt like just meeting with her and giving her a piece of her mind. On the other hand, she didn’t feel like it, as she knew Judy wouldn’t stop apologizing. “I
FEW DAYS LATERIvy sat in the therapist's office, fidgeting with her hands as she tried to process the events of the past few weeks. Firstly, discovering her father was alive, then his repulsion, then the truth behind her mother's death. She sighed. It was all too overwhelming—Zack was right, she needed help if she wanted to dive into the road of vengeance. She had to be emotionally stable to handle the heat. That's why she had agreed to visit a therapist, as the nightmares were becoming unbearable. Ivy couldn't shake off the feeling of helplessness that had consumed her for so long.Dr. Thompson, a middle-aged woman with a kind face, took a seat across from her with a warm smile on her face."Welcome, Mrs. Anderson," she greeted, and Ivy returned the smile, forcing her lips to curl up.She looked up at Dr. Thompson, who was watching her with a compassionate gaze, and she asked, feeling a sense of desperation wash over her, "Where do I even start?"Dr. Thompson leaned forward, her eye
"Ivy, Ivy," Zack called softly, standing at the door to their bedroom. Ivy had locked herself in again and refused to answer.It made Zack wonder if he had been too pushy, too insensitive. He knew Ivy was strong and capable, but he also knew that she was still vulnerable, still hurting from her past. And it was like a thorn to his heart to see her suffering.He hoped that she would forgive him, that she would understand that he was only trying to help. But as the minutes ticked by, Zack couldn't shake the feeling that he had made a mistake—one that might take some time to repair."I'm sorry, Ivy," he whispered. "I promise to listen to you, to understand you. Please, just let me in."Zack paused, hoping that Ivy would respond, but there was only silence. He sighed, feeling a pang of regret and worry. He didn't want to lose Ivy, not even for a moment. He wanted to be there for her, to hold her, to comfort her.He tried again, his voice softer, more gentle. "Ivy, please. Don't shut me ou
Once the kitchen was spotless, Ivy and Zack got to work cooking up a storm together. They chatted and joked, with Ivy doing most of the work, supervising Zack on what to do."I'll start chopping the veggies," Ivy said, picking up a knife and heading to the cutting board."What do you need me to chop?" Zack asked, standing beside her."Can you chop the bell peppers and onions?" Ivy replied, starting to chop some broccoli.Zack nodded, taking the knife from Ivy and beginning to chop the bell peppers and onions. The sound of sizzling vegetables and the aroma of stir-fry filled the air as they worked together.As they chopped and cooked, Ivy felt a sense of calm wash over her. This was what she needed – a normal, quiet evening with her husband, away from the drama and stress of her family's secrets. She wished every day could be like this, problem-free.But as they cooked, she couldn't help but think about her conversation with Irene earlier that day. She knew she had to tell Zack about i
Upon hearing Irene, Ivy recall what she had gone through a few months ago with Jake's situation. The danger, fear, and anxiety all came flooding back. Her eyes glazed over as she stared blankly into space. Was she ready to face that kind of situation again? It seemed her father's cruelty was beyond her imagination. "Having second thoughts?" Irene's voice cut through the fog, snapping her back to reality. "It would be better if we don't do anything rash, at least not now." Ivy shook her head in disapproval. She refused to sit back and do nothing while he had threatened her about Jeremy's trial. Upon drifting to this thought, she tugged on Irene's sleeve and forced her to sit back down. Irene didn't resist Ivy's pull but sighed in frustration. "We can't just sit back and do nothing, Irene," Ivy continued. "He's threatening me with Jeremy's case." Irene's brow furrowed in confusion. "Jeremy's case as in—wait." She paused, her eyes widened in shock. "Jeremy is back!" Ivy nodded a
Ivy refused to sit back and let things unfold before her eyes. Though she hadn't recovered from the trauma of her past, she had to take action.Ivy concealed her plan from Zack and her decision to investigate on her own. She needed Zack, but there were actions to be taken without Zack's help.So, the next day as Zack left the office, Ivy put on a brave face, not wanting to arouse any suspicion and also to avoid the retort of a therapist. She waited until Zack was out of sight, and with a sense of purpose and trepidation, Ivy dialed Irene's number.The line went through, and Irene's voice sounded with a hint of irritation."What do you want now?"Ivy ignored Irene's icy tone and got to her point."Let's meet up at the French bistro," she said flatly, leaving no room for protest.Irene chuckled at Ivy's slightly commanding tone, intrigued by whatever reason Ivy might have."What do you want?" Irene repeated, exasperation creeping into her voice."I'd rather discuss that in person, and I
As Zack swept her into their bedroom, Ivy's heart skipped a beat, racing with anticipation. She felt the wall against her back as Zack's strong hands pinned her in place."Late noon sex won't be so bad after all," Ivy teased as she felt Zack's hands cradle her hips, lifting her higher, his fingers digging gently into her skin.Ivy was breathless as her body was pressed closer to Zack's, their faces merely inches apart. The movement sent a thrill through her, and she felt her body responding at all turns."I'm glad you like the ideas," Zack finally spoke, a soft whisper in her ears, as he held her suspended, her hips at his mercy.Ivy's lips parted slightly, her body leaning into him. Her heart throbbed. Instinctively, she found her hand already wrapping around Zack's neck, pulling him close.She knew she should probably pull back, as it wasn't their usual position, but she couldn't help herself. She was drawn to Zack, and she didn't realize it at first, but she needed him right now. H
"Yeah, I don't see tears on your cheek," Susan said, her voice laced with sarcasm as she gently wiped away the tears streaming down Ivy's face.Ivy's eyes widened in embarrassment, and she quickly looked away, trying to compose herself.Susan's expression softened, and she wrapped her arms around Ivy, pulling her into a warm hug. "It's okay, Ivy. Let it all out. I'm here for you."Ivy's resistance crumbled, and she buried her face in Susan's shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably. Susan held her close, whispering words of comfort and reassurance as Ivy finally allowed herself to release the emotions she had been bottling up for so long.As Ivy cried, Susan stroked her hair, murmuring softly, "That's it... Don't worry about the time; we have all day."After what felt like an eternity, Ivy's sobs finally subsided, and she pulled back from Susan, her face red and puffy from crying. Susan handed her a tissue, and Ivy blew her nose, feeling a little more composed."I'm sorry," Ivy said, her voic
Susan's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly composed herself and hurried around to the driver's side of the car. "Okay, Ivy, let's get out of here," she said softly, starting the engine.Meanwhile, Anna merely stood by, observing as Ivy's car disappeared into the distance. It appeared that her pleasant chat with Ivy would need to be postponed, as it was clear that Ivy had her own issues to address. Anna sighed and shook her head, feeling a pang of concern for Ivy. She had no idea what was going on but made a mental note to reach out to Ivy later and check in on her.As she turned to head back to her own car with her PA, she noticed a figure watching her from across the parking lot. It was a man, and the moment their eyes met, the man turned away and hurried out of the parking lot."I think that's a paparazzo," her PA suddenly spoke up from behind her, having also noticed the man."Or a journalist," Anna remarked. "Either way, we should be careful," Anna continued, her eyes scann