The woman, Anita Salvatore who’s Lucas' elder sister, shifted her gaze to where Karina's car had disappeared, sporting a sly grin."She's classy," Anita commended."And beautiful too, Momma," her daughter, Lilly, chimed in, earning a chuckle from Lucas. "Uncle Lucas, were you on a date with the beauty?"Lucas hesitated, a hint of disappointment in his tone as he replied, "Um, not really, my dear.""But that woman, how do you know her?" Anita interjected before Lucas could respond, her head tilting in thought. "She looks familiar.""Yeah, Mom. I think she's the famous actress, K. Everhardt," Lilly answered.Anita's eyes widened slightly. "An Everhardt?"Lucas nodded, a sense of apprehension creeping in. "She's an Everhardt, Anita."Anita's expression soured. "What?""She's the granddaughter of Sir Lawson," Lucas clarified, observing his sister's jaw stiffen. "I understand why you're reacting this way..."Leaning closer, Anita whispered through gritted teeth, "Then why are you sociali
Shaking like a leaf in the wind, Marcus stuttered, “It's... It's your ex-wife, Karina Everhardt, sir." Aidan's grip on Marcus loosened slightly, his expression softening at the mention of her name. “She's the new CEO of Everhardt Corporation,” Marcus continued cautiously, taking a step back. Cruzita and Amira groaned in frustration, their anger palpable. “That wretch!” Cruzita exclaimed, echoing Amira's seething sentiment. Wally, nervously biting her nails, interjected, “I had a bad feeling earlier, everyone. If we let that horrible Karina take control, we're doomed. I fear more trouble is coming…” “Enough!” Cole silenced her, turning his attention back to Aidan. “You, Aidan! I warned you about this. Why did you proceed despite the risks?” Aidan remained composed, rolling up his sleeves. “I will personally go to the company to pitch our proposal and secure a deal for our company.” “You'll just give her the chance to insult you personally? No, son, it's not worth it,” Cruzita int
Karina gracefully entered the conference room a few minutes later, finding the board of directors gathered and Aidan positioned before them, poised to present his proposal. She exchanged a disapproving glance with Gina, who offered her a sympathetic smile before nudging Aidan to begin. She took the seat at the head of the table, reserved for her as the CEO. Settling into it, she observed Aidan deliver his pitch flawlessly, while stealing longing gazes in her direction. As he wrapped up, she could see the approving nods and expressions of most of the board members. After he finished, they all applauded, except for Karina who discreetly concealed her annoyance. "What are your thoughts on his proposal, Karina?" Gina inquired, cautiously. Karina stood up with a composed expression. "I will reserve my comments for now and..." she purposefully paused as her phone rang. Excusing herself, she left the room, feeling Aidan's eyes following her. After taking her call and stepping out into the
Gulping nervously and casting a fleeting glance at the rest of her family, who looked at her expectantly, Karina raised her chin and pondered the appropriate response to her daughter's question."Mommy, is my Daddy here?" Sophie tugged at her shirt once again.Karina averted her gaze, instinctively, and forced a reassuring smile. "No, sweetheart." Then, squatting down to her level, she whispered, "Let's not talk about him right now, okay?"Sensing her mother's distress, Sophie nodded with a wide grin.Karina kissed her cheek and stood up. Turning to her family, she muttered, "Excuse me. I need to go and rest. It's been a long day."Zora nodded and gestured for her to get some rest."Good night." Karina glanced at everyone and left with her daughter. An insidious grin spread across Martha's face as she thought, 'What a clever way to dodge a difficult question. How intriguing.' She made eye contact with Riley, who also smiled maliciously. Minutes later, Martha was removing her makeup
After a moment of contemplation, Karina set down her utensils and gazed at Martha, seated across from her at the dining table. "I will do it." "We have faith in you, dear," Zora reassured Karina with a warm smile. The atmosphere at the breakfast table grew tense as the family grappled with Martha's bold stance, leaving the fate of Karina's ascension uncertain. After breakfast, Riley burst into her parents' room, her mind buzzing with questions and disbelief. "Mom, why suggest such a challenge? Karina's going to take it and prove she's the rightful heir to the Algernon business empire. Ugh!" She clenched her fist in frustration. Martha, wearing a mischievous smile, rose from her seat. "Don't worry, darling. Do you know who Mike Henshaw is?" Riley furrowed her brows in confusion. "He's a notorious misogynist. That's why he'll reject whatever proposal Karina brings," Martha explained confidently. Riley's eyes widened in realization. "Wow," she chuckled. "She's bound to fail," M
After a moment of anticipation, Lucas turned to face his family and unveiled his plan. “I will make Karina fall for me and manipulate her into doing our dirty work.”Amira's smile widened in amusement at the idea.Juliana leaned forward with curiosity. “How do you plan to achieve that?”“She's already ensnared in my trap. She made a deal with me,” Lucas explained confidently.Anita's interest piqued. “What kind of deal?”“She asked me to pose as her boyfriend until she decides to end it,” Lucas revealed.Anita chuckled, finding the situation intriguing. “Fascinating.”“I've also uncovered something significant about her,” Lucas continued. “She happens to be the ex-daughter-in-law of our longtime rivals, the Algernon family.”Juliana's eyes sparkled with excitement. “Truly?”“Yes, Mother. I knew this would interest you the most. She's Aidan Algernon's ex-wife,” Lucas confirmed.Juliana exchanged a meaningful glance with Anita, a realization dawning on them. “This changes everything.”“
The man before her was antiquated in appearance. Karina spun around, giving a disapproving glare as he surveyed the restroom before finally fixing his gaze upon her."Excuse me? This is designated as the women's restroom.""Is that so?""You're obviously not visually impaired, so you must have noticed the sign above the door."He chuckled and shrugged nonchalantly.With a stern expression, she commanded, “Do leave now." Turning to face the mirror, she observed as he took a step closer and clicked his tongue in a distasteful manner."Feisty, huh? Oh, I love getting lost in the women's restroom and stumbling upon beauties like you."She sneered, rolling her eyes with annoyance."Oh, baby, you look exhausted. You know I can give you a quick and pleasurable time right here. Just promise you won't scream."She gulped as she realized he was a foreigner. He began to unbuckle his belt playfully as he took another step towards her.She stood her ground but glanced down at him through the mi
Not wanting to seem weak, Aidan averted his gaze, but couldn't resist looking back at her. He couldn't tear his gaze away from her face, which he desperately wanted to touch."I was a fool," he admitted, trying to make amends."I don't care," she replied with indifference. "Stay out of my personal matters."Sensing her provocation, he backed off. "By the way, I heard you're going after the deal with Well Land Resources.""I'll proudly secure the deal," Karina replied, looking away."It's your first time," he guessed correctly, causing her to snap."Do you think I'll fail?" She challenged him."I'm an expert in these things and I have a better chance," he boasted."Tell that to your amazing wife, Amira, I'm sure she would love to know how incredible you are," she sarcastically retorted."She's not a good listener like you," he replied, softening her coldness. His words made her shift her gaze so he wouldn't see her reaction."And she's not my wife," he added with a cool smile.Loweri