“What about Ivy Kendrick? She’s been spending time with Luca, and from what I hear, she’s not exactly on board with this new regime. If she starts poking around, we could have a problem.”Bella scoffed. “Ivy Kendrick is an airhead. She’s more interested in playing dress-up and partying than running a company. Let her play her little games with Luca. She’s no threat to us.”Victor frowned slightly but didn’t argue. “We’ll keep an eye on Ivy, just in case. If she starts to become a problem, we’ll deal with her. But for now, our focus should be on draining the accounts and preparing to release the evidence.”Damien raised his glass. “To the fall of Kendrick Enterprises.”The group clinked their glasses together, the sound of their toast echoing through the room like the ringing of a death knell for the Kendricks.As the night wore on, the conversation grew more animated, with the associates discussing the finer details of their plan. Each of them contributed their expertise, ensuring tha
The hospital room was dimly lit, only the soft hum of machines filling the silence. Ryan Kendrick lay in the bed, his face pale but his sharp eyes alert. Luca sat beside him, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, listening closely as Ryan recounted the fragmented memories that had finally started to return to him.“So, you remember everything?” Luca asked, keeping his voice low. His eyes scanned the room, almost as if he expected someone to be listening in. Ryan nodded slowly, his voice rough from disuse. “Almost everything. It’s still fuzzy in parts, but I know enough to understand what’s going on.” He shifted slightly, grimacing from the pain in his side. “I need you to promise me something, Luca.”Luca’s brow furrowed, concerned. “What is it?”Ryan took a deep breath, glancing towards the door before meeting Luca’s gaze. “You can’t tell anyone I’ve regained my memory. Not yet.”Luca blinked, surprised. “Not even Ivy?”Ryan’s expression hardened. “Especially not Ivy.”Luca le
“I have recordings, Ryan. Of Victor and the others. They’re planning to empty the company’s accounts and expose your father’s dirty dealings to ruin his name. They think they’ve already won.”Ryan’s face hardened further, a dark storm brewing in his eyes. “Good. Let them think they’ve won. It’ll make it that much sweeter when we take them down.”There was a pause, the weight of the conversation hanging in the air. Luca shifted in his seat, thinking about the gravity of their situation. This wasn’t just about saving Kendrick Enterprises—it was about taking back control from everyone who had betrayed Ryan.“So,” Luca began cautiously, “how do we go about this without tipping anyone off? You know your mother is going to be watching closely. If she senses anything, she’ll act.”Ryan’s eyes narrowed, his mind already working through the details. “We need to make her believe she’s in control. Let her think everything is going according to her plan. Meanwhile, we gather our evidence, quietl
Ivy paced the polished marble floors of the Kendrick mansion, her phone pressed tightly to her ear as her heart raced. The voice on the other end of the line was cold, indifferent, delivering a message that felt like a punch to the gut.“I’m sorry, Ivy, but we have no choice. Effective immediately, you are relieved of your position with the agency. The accusations of stolen designs are serious, and we can’t afford to keep you on under these circumstances.”Ivy’s breath hitched in her throat. “Stolen designs? That’s insane! I’ve been loyal to this company for years. I created those designs myself!” Her voice shook with disbelief, and her hands trembled as she struggled to maintain composure.“Ivy, the evidence is all over the internet. We’ve received multiple complaints from other designers. You’re trending on every major blog and social media platform right now, and it’s not in a good way. Our hands are tied.”The call ended abruptly, leaving Ivy staring blankly at the phone in her h
The call ended, leaving Ivy even more devastated than before. She dropped the phone, her body going numb. Her world was truly falling apart.Luca’s eyes widened as he realized the magnitude of what was happening. “Ivy… we need to find out who’s behind this.”Just as he said that another notification popped up on Ivy’s phone—a headline that made both of them freeze."Bella Kendrick Inherits Major Shares in Kendrick Enterprises. A New Era Begins!"Ivy’s eyes narrowed as a dark realization dawned on her. “Bella…”Luca grabbed her phone and quickly read through the article. “She’s claiming your father left her a substantial part of the company. She’s using this scandal to distract everyone while she takes control.”Ivy’s hands clenched into fists, her anger now boiling over. “That bitch! She’s been plotting this the whole time.”Luca stood up, pacing the room as his mind worked through the possibilities. “It makes sense. Bella’s always wanted power, and now with Ryan out of commission and
Ryan sat on the edge of his hospital bed, still groggy from the effects of his recent injuries, when his phone buzzed on the bedside table. He picked it up, squinting at the bright screen. The notification that greeted him made his stomach churn—"Ivy Kendrick Caught in Stolen Design Scandal!" blared the headline, followed by endless comments tearing his sister apart. He stared at the screen in disbelief, scrolling through post after post that dragged Ivy’s name through the mud.“What the hell…?” Ryan muttered, his heart pounding as he quickly dialed Ivy's number. It rang once, twice, before Ivy’s shaky voice came through. “Hello?”“What the hell is going on, Ivy?” Ryan barked, his voice sharp with concern. “What is this? I’m seeing all over the Internet about you stealing designs. Is this some kind of joke?”Ivy sniffled on the other end, but before she could respond, Ryan cut her off. “I’ll be at the mansion in ten minutes.”He ended the call abruptly, his blood boiling. Shoving his
Bella stepped into the quiet Kendrick mansion, her heels clicking on the marble floor as she surveyed her surroundings. The house seemed unusually still, almost eerily so. She furrowed her brows, half expecting to see Ryan lounging on the couch or flipping through business papers, but the living room was empty.Her curiosity piqued, Bella stopped a passing maid. "Where's Ryan?"The maid looked startled for a moment before she quickly composed herself. "Mr. Ryan left the house earlier today, ma'am. He hasn’t returned yet."Bella’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. "He left? Where did he go?"The maid shook her head. "I’m sorry, ma'am. He didn’t say."Bella waved the maid off, feeling a knot of unease begin to form in her stomach. Ryan leaving without telling her was one thing, but his being gone for hours on end without a word? That was out of character. Especially now. Her mind raced, thinking back to the last few days and the subtle changes she had noticed in him. Ryan had been quiet, unus
The atmosphere inside the dimly lit room was suffocating, almost too quiet for comfort. Iris lay on a small, uncomfortable bed, her hands resting over her swollen belly. She could feel the weight of each breath she took as if the air had become heavy with tension. The room had become her prison for months now, but lately, she could feel a shift—her time was drawing near.She winced slightly as the baby inside her kicked, a reminder that she wasn’t alone, despite the loneliness that consumed her. She was nearing her delivery date, and the nurse who came to check on her regularly had confirmed it during her last visit.“It won’t be long now, Ms. Iris,” the nurse had said softly, a hint of sympathy in her eyes. “You need to rest as much as you can.”But how could Iris rest? She had spent the last month locked up in this room, her fate uncertain, surrounded by enemies who were waiting for the moment she became vulnerable. She knew that once she gave birth, her life would be in even gr