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
The woman happened to be a friend to a reporter, so she texted him the audition location and who she saw. At first, she was doubted; how would an actress who had been blacklisted by three different agencies have the nerve to attend an audition, especially after being involved in a recent scandal that was still circulating all over... For the woman to prove it was true, she took a selfie making her back face Ivy's direction, capturing herself and a glimpse of Ivy's side view. Ivy might have put on a slight disguise, but it wasn't enough to conceal her distinctive features as her overall features are easily recognized. Her dimples were clearly visible on her face even when she wasn't smiling. Just the movement of her lips was enough to summon the indent. Number 41 was called; it was the girl's turn to audition. Ivy could only wish her good luck on her arrogance; she should prove it out there and not to her face... When the girl entered the audition room, she was told to act out a scen
As Ivy exited the audition room, she put her glasses back on and smiled all the way to her car."Are we going back to the villa, Ma'am?" The driver asked as he tapped his hand on the steering wheel."Yes, but let's first stop by the flower shop," she replied. 'It's June 28.' Her mind trailed off when she thought of the reason she wanted to buy flowers. It was her parents' anniversary, and since their death, she had been buying flowers to mark the occasion. She sighed and tried shaking off a lingering thought popping up in her head. She promised herself not to dwell on the thought, but it was unavoidable. June 28 brought a lot of bad memories that weren't supposed to be considered a special occasion. She refused to let the particular date bring her sadness, which is why she continued to buy flowers and turned it into the complete opposite of what it truly was.The car drove off, leaving the audition venue, and a young woman stepped out of the building with a dimple clearly visible on h
The question hung in the air, thick and heavy. Ivy’s breath hitched as Nadia’s words landed like a direct blow. The anger that had fueled her outburst at the cemetery now mingled with a chilling dread. She looked at Nadia, really looked at her, seeing the raw grief and desperate need for answers reflected in her tear-filled eyes. This wasn't just about her own loss anymore; it was about Nadia's too. "I…" Ivy started, but her voice seemed lost. She wanted to deny it, to protect Nadia from the harsh reality, but the lie wouldn't come. How would she even explain that? She had let her anger take over, and now she had Nadia hearing her accusations. "Answer me. Is it true?" Nadia pressed firmly, her voice trembling... Ivy froze, her eyes wandering over Nadia's face. Her anger was long gone, now replaced by uncertainty. Should she tell her? But there was no proof yet, and she didn't want Nadia to get involved. "Ivy, answer me. 'Cause it seems like an accident to me. Why would you acc
As Ivy's screams echoed through the cemetery, Steve's face turned pale as he had become the center of attention. Ivy's words about him being a killer sent the mourners murmuring, whispering among themselves. Zack continued holding Ivy back, with Irene later stepping in. The fire in Ivy's eyes continued to burn fiercely, something Steve had never seen in her eyes before. This wasn't the same sweet, innocent daughter he used to know; he usually compared her to her mother, but Ivy had proved to be different—a drastic gap that sent his head spinning. He could no longer keep his cool; neither could he stand the scene unfolding, so he silently slipped out of the crowd, casting a brief yet menacing gaze at Ivy. "Ivy, please! Stop!" "You are not thinking clearly..." Zack and Irene's words faded into the background as Steve made his way to his car and slid into it, as though trying to shut himself off from the world. He couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that lingered inside him. Ivy
The sky was a deep, foreboding gray, as if it too were mourning the loss of Judy. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth as Ivy walked behind the hearse, her eyes fixed on the polished wooden casket adorned with a spray of white lilies, Judy's favorite flowers.As they reached the gravesite, the mourners gathered around, their faces etched with grief and sorrow. But Ivy's eyes were fixed on one person alone, one person she wished she could crush, melt, break, or kill if it wasn't against the law. Steve stood in front of everyone else, his face showing the grief more than anyone else. Many would relate, after all, it's his sister that died, but Ivy saw through that facade. It seemed Steve enjoyed killing; he should start bracing himself for his own death!"Ivy. Ivy! Snap out of it, okay?" Zack called, pulling Ivy from her thoughts. "Don't cause a scene, at least not now."Ivy didn't even realize her face was scrunched like a ball that had been crushed by a hydraulic press. She
Ivy trudged through the front door, feeling emotionally drained. The image of Judy’s lifeless body repeatedly flashed before her eyes as she blinked back the tears that had threatened to fall.She felt like she was drowning, unable to escape the overwhelming ache that had settled in her chest. It stung so much that she could hardly breathe. With a shaking hand, she reached for the sofa, collapsing into it, craving the comfort that it should offer, but it never came. All she felt was numbness that refused to go away. The pain of losing a loved one... it was so familiar, so daunting, bringing back old painful memories. Judy was gone just like that? Now she was nothing more than a memory, one she wished she could bring to life once again. Tears flowed down her cheeks, having lost the will to fight them.She took a deep breath and pulled out her phone to call Zack, the one she could lean on.Zack picked up on the first ring, his voice sweet and casual. "Hey, how are you?"Ivy sniffled, tr
The courtroom erupted into chaos, and Steve's face turned beet red with anger and frustration. He abruptly stood up and stormed out of the room. Ivy watched him go, a mixture of emotions swirling inside her. She felt a sense of vindication, knowing that Jeremy had been found guilty, sooner Steve will be next.Ivy pushed the thought aside and turned to Zack, a smile spreading across her face. "We did it," she whispered, her eyes shining with tears. Zack grinned back, pulling her into a tight hug. As they hugged, Ivy's mind began to wander to Judy. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The call from the hospital had seemed so urgent, so real. What if it wasn't a ruse? What if Judy was hurt? Ivy's smile faltered, and she pulled back from Zack. "I need to go to the hospital," she said and Zack's expression changed from celebratory to concerned. "What's wrong?" Ivy hesitated. "I don't know if the call from the hospital was real or not. But I need to check. What if Jud
The courtroom was packed as Ivy and Zack took their seats behind the prosecutor's table. Steve arrived shortly and sat across from her, his eyes cold and calculating. Ivy's heart raced as she avoided his gaze, focusing instead on the prosecutor, who was shuffling through his notes.The judge, a stern-looking woman, entered the courtroom, and the bailiff called the room to order."This court is now in session," the judge declared, her voice firm and commanding. "The case before us today is the state versus Jeremy Hale. Mr. Prosecutor, you may proceed with your opening statement."The prosecutor, a tall, imposing man with a confident smile, stood up, surveying the courtroom before beginning his statement."Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the case before us today is a heinous crime. A young woman's life was almost cut short due to the reckless actions of the defendant, Jeremy Hale. We will present evidence that shows his actions were not only negligent but also intentional."Ivy felt a
The ride to the court felt like an eternity; it was as though the car was moving at a slow pace, which wasn't the case at all. Ivy let out a big gush of air, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. She was determined to see justice served, but the news about her aunt's accident weighed heavily on her heart.She glanced at Zack, who was seated beside her, his expression a mask of calm determination."Hey, you okay?" Zack asked, noticing her gaze.Ivy nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit nervous."Zack's eyes narrowed slightly. "I can tell by the way you're playing with your nails."Ivy's expression faltered for a moment as she stared at her hand and realized she had indeed been fidgeting with her nails. She dropped her hand, feeling a slight flush rise to her cheeks. "I guess I am a bit more nervous than I thought," she admitted, trying to laugh it off.Zack smiled reassuringly and took her hand in his. "It's okay to be nervous, Ivy. This is a big day. But you're prepare
Ivy stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her blazer for what felt like the hundredth time. She took a deep breath, exhaled deeply, and nodded to herself. Today was the day she'd finally face Jeremy in court and put him to justice.The door creaked open, and she turned around to find Zack dressed in a crisp, navy-blue suit, his tie perfectly knotted. He caught her eye and smiled, his expression confident."You okay?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close."Yeah, I am..." Ivy responded, her voice low but laced with steel. "I'm ready."Zack smiled softly, spun her around, and enveloped her in a reassuring hug. "You're going to do great."Ivy's warm smile faltered as she leaned into the comfort of his shoulders. The silence between them was soothing, filled with the gentle sound of his breathing. But the shrill ringtone of her phone pierced the calm, jolting her upright.She pulled away, her eyes locking onto the screen as she hesitated. The number was unkn
Ivy sat on the edge of the bed as Dr. Harrison examined her. Meanwhile, Zack watched anxiously from the corner of the room, his heart pounding in his chest. "Well, let's see," Dr. Harrison said, his brow furrowed as he checked Ivy's vitals. "Your blood pressure seems a bit low, and you're a bit pale. Have you been experiencing any other symptoms?" Ivy shook her head. "Just nausea and this… this bleeding from my nose." Dr. Harrison nodded thoughtfully. "And when was your last period?" Ivy hesitated, suddenly remembering she hadn't really considered that. "I… I'm not sure. Maybe a week ago?" Dr. Harrison's eyes widened slightly. "Mr. Anderson, I think we should run some tests. Just to be sure." Zack's heart sank. "What kind of tests?" Dr. Harrison hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Well, given Ivy's symptoms and the missed period, I'd like to rule out a few possibilities. We'll need to do a blood test and a pregnancy test." Ivy's eyes widened in disbelief. "A pre