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Ch63 - Expose
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2025-01-07 21:00:00The crowd’s attention zeroed in on the waiter and the manager.
The manager, startled by the sudden turn of events, flushed red and pale in quick succession. Waving his hands defensively, he stammered, “I’m really here to resolve the issue, not to divert attention or help anyone escape!”Though clearly rattled, he stayed rooted to his spot. Alaric’s gaze shifted past him, locking onto the waiter. “What are you so nervous about?” he asked coldly.The waiter’s face turned ashen, and he seemed unable to form a single word.“He’s probably just scared,” the manager quickly interjected, his eyes darting toward the waiter in a silent plea for him to speak up. The intensity of his stare made it seem like his eyes might pop out.When the waiter remained silent, Alaric motioned for Iris to continue what she had left unsaid. She glanced around, clearly hesitant, before taking a deep breath. “I’m not sure if I saw it wrong, but after he bumped into me, he deliberately adjuste
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Rivals to Lovers Ch64 - Humiliation
"Why does she get everything so easily?!" Gary shouted, louder than before.Everyone froze in shock, especially Lena, who was directly addressed. She looked utterly baffled. "What are you even talking about?" she asked.A quarter of the room had gathered around by now. Many hadn't caught the whole exchange but were keenly aware of the brewing drama, whispering amongst themselves with growing curiosity.Gary, visibly agitated, lunged toward her but was stopped half a step in by a security guard. He remained far from Lena, with Alaric standing as a barrier between them.Pointing a trembling finger at her, Gary snarled, "Her! Just one drink, and she clinches deals we couldn’t crack no matter how hard we tried. Look at her... ha! She's always shielded, no matter the situation."Alaric, noticing Gary’s escalating behavior, instinctively stepped in front of Lena to shield her. His protective move, however, only fueled Gary’s irritation. "If you feel there’s some injust
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-08Rivals to Lovers Ch65 - This March
Lena shivered slightly, as if this man had stripped her bare with his gaze.Her unease eased a little when a large, warm hand patted her shoulder. She felt Alaric’s chest trembling with anger. “Fabricating or spreading false claims that harm a colleague’s reputation is something our company absolutely will not tolerate. Expect a lawyer’s letter soon.”“Let go… Let go of me… You think you can shut me up with power? Mr. Ridley knows better than anyone whether they know each other or not!” Gary’s gaze at Keaton was like grasping at a final straw.Alaric’s bodyguards could have dragged him away effortlessly, but they couldn’t risk causing visible injuries in front of so many witnesses, especially with the police on their way. Their primary responsibility was to ensure he didn’t harm anyone else.Keaton became the center of attention. He took his time, speaking unhurriedly. “You mean her?”Ignoring Alaric’s sharp glare, he scrutinized Lena’s face, tilting his head slightly. For Lena, those
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-09Rivals to Lovers Ch66 - Evidence
Lena thought about tonight’s party and how Elise would probably explode if found out. Elise was her best friend, but she decided it was better not to tell Elise for now. With Elise’s personality, who knew what kind of dramatic revenge might plot? Lena didn’t want to drag Elise into this mess—she preferred to handle it herself.The rumors in the office had finally quieted down over the past couple of days.“I'm taking a two-hour break this afternoon,” Lena told Iris.Iris knew her schedule. There weren’t any meetings or business trips planned for the afternoon, so Lena must be leaving for personal reasons. Instead of agreeing immediately, Iris asked with concern, “Do you want me to come with you?”Lena patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll have a bodyguard with me, and I’m going to a public place. If I’m not back in two hours, I’ll let you know.”Dressed in a crisp white pantsuit, Lena walked with purpose, her stride exuding an aura that made it seem like she was on her way to confro
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-10Rivals to Lovers Ch67 - Smoking gun
As Lena’s figure disappeared, Fred could no longer keep his cool. He snatched up the stack of documents on the table. It wasn’t just a few sheets of paper—page after page revealed itself as he flipped through them, his face growing darker with every turn.He quickly made a call to HR, and by the time he hung up, his gaze was icy.Thud! A crumpled stack of papers slammed back onto the desk. Fred clenched his teeth. “Get Stellan in here. Immediately!”In his own room, Stellan had no idea what was brewing. He leisurely returned a watch he’d been admiring for ages to the safe. “What does he want with me this time? Ever since Dad went abroad, he’s been hounding me non-stop this month.”He muttered his complaints under his breath.Meanwhile, his assistant, crumbs still stuck to his lips, quickly wiped his mouth with a tissue and said cautiously, “Ms. Carrington left his office not long ago—”“Who did you say?” Stellan’s head snapped up, startling the assistant. Sta
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-11Rivals to Lovers Ch68 - Downfall
The room fell into dead silence for a moment, followed by a sharp, loud gasp.“Five million!” Stellan’s eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets. His Patek Philippe watch was worth just over a million dollars, yet the company was now losing several times more than the benefits he’d gained.Fred rapped his knuckles on the table, snapping Stellan out of his daze. “Dolphin Real Estate submitted a report on our substandard materials. Five million is just for returning the defective goods, resupplying qualified ones, and covering the costs they’ve incurred from using the unqualified materials. This doesn’t even include the cost of a full internal investigation into our quality issues, nor the expenses of finding new material suppliers. We don’t even have a final number yet.”“Why should they return everything? Only a fifth of the materials had problems!” Stellan blurted out, visibly agitated.Fred let out a heavy sigh, looking utterly exhausted. “Do you think th
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-12Rivals to Lovers Ch69 - He worried
The elevator wasn’t too far, but still a bit of a walk. She held her breath and focused her strength on her hand.“Lena.” A man’s voice called out, slightly breathless.Lena exhaled sharply, her tense expression softening. Her hand slipped out of her bag as she turned around swiftly, ready to give someone an earful—only to be met with Alaric’s face, taut with worry.Her movements paused, and she asked in confusion, “Where did you come from? And why are you so nervous? Did something major happen at the company?”His sharp eyes scanned her from head to toe. Once satisfied she was unharmed, Alaric finally spoke, though his brows still furrowed slightly. “Your phone was unreachable.”“Huh?” Lena looked at her phone, shaking it slightly. “Not sure why, but I wasn’t getting any signal earlier. You… came all the way here just for that?”“The banquet incident wasn’t that long ago, and you’re already bold enough to wander around alone?” His tone was stern, catching he
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-13Rivals to Lovers Ch70 - Honest for once
Alaric's breath hitched suddenly, his heart thundering in his chest. His gaze instinctively flicked to his right hand, then followed the delicate arm upward until it landed on Lena's eyes.There was a gentle warmth in her gaze, tinged with a probing curiosity. "Why would you go this far for me?"Her directness caught Alaric off guard, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words. Surprise flickered across his face before he quickly composed himself, lowering his gaze. A corner of his mouth curved into a sly, meaningful smile. "What’s this about?"He dragged out the last word, his tone playful as he slowly lifted his eyelids.Anyone could tell his question was teasing.The hand resting on the back of his remained motionless. Alaric released the mouse, flipping his hand over naturally to hold hers. He made a deliberate show of it, his broad, warm palm brushing slowly against her cool skin, sending a shiver through her.She made no move to pull away. Instead, he
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-14Rivals to Lovers Ch71 - Tell me everything
“Were you just saying this one is delicious?” Lena gestured toward a small, dome-shaped cake with a blue gradient design. It was decorated with white sugar pearls of various sizes, perfectly sized for two at four inches.Cassian snapped back to attention. "Oh, right. Yeah, this one’s pretty good—and not too sweet, actually."He was a regular at the shop, often buying cakes for his younger sister. Having sampled nearly everything on the menu, his recommendations carried weight, a fact Lena had already guessed."I’ll take one of these, please," Lena told the staff.Cassian picked out his choices, too. Lena noticed he’d selected four different desserts and asked curiously, "Are these all for Tessa?" Lena knew he wasn’t fond of sweets himself."Yeah, she did well on her test, so I promised her a reward," he said, his voice dripping with affection.Another day of envying the sibling bond others had. She muttered under her breath, "So lucky."With their cakes neatly boxed, they paused outs
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-15
Bab terbaru
Rivals to Lovers Ch116 - Final
Lena’s dress was made of pure white satin, its smooth fabric reflecting a delicate sheen under the lights, exuding an aura of elegance and sophistication.The minimalist design featured thin straps and a square neckline, perfectly outlining the graceful curve of her shoulders and collarbones.The highlight of the dress was the double thigh-high slits on both sides, adorned with delicate pearl and metal buttons. Paired with a shimmering silver ankle-tie stiletto, the entire look was effortlessly stunning.This time, Elise didn’t overload her with extravagant jewelry, said that simplicity and elegance suited the occasion best.Elise dragged Lena to a commercial high-rise that looked strikingly similar to the one they had visited months ago. Lena frowned in confusion. "Are you sure he’s here?"The "he" she referred to was Elise’s boyfriend—the owner of the nightclub they had gone to last time."Yes," Elise pointed upward. "One of his bars is on the top floor."Lena was taken aback. If he
Rivals to Lovers Ch115- No longer Carrington
A month and a half later, Alaric’s injuries had completely healed.Just in time for Lena’s court case against her adoptive parents. He was by her side through it all.The trial officially began in mid-January. When Lena once again faced her family in court, she felt none of the past longing or hesitation—only a detached sense of calm.Her brother wore his usual arrogant expression, looking down on her even from the defendant’s seat, his gaze filled with disdain. Her father’s face was unreadable.As for her mother… she looked far more haggard than before. The once-radiant woman was nowhere to be seen. When their eyes met, Lena thought she caught a flicker of guilt, perhaps even regret.
Rivals to Lovers Ch114 - After holiday
Lena stayed at Alaric’s home for a few days, spending a surprisingly pleasant Christmas and New Year with his family.Since Alaric was still recovering from his injuries and couldn’t go out much, they welcomed the last night of the year in his garden—counting down to midnight while setting off fireworks.The garden was adorned with golden string lights wrapped around the trees, gently swaying in the night breeze. The twinkling lights resembled scattered stars, casting a warm glow over the flower beds, where vibrant hellebores were still in full bloom, bringing life to the winter night.As the countdown on the television echoed through the air, Lena clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and silently made a New Year’s wish.She ho
Rivals to Lovers Ch113 - Family gathering
Twelve hours on a plane had taken them from the sweltering heat back to a city blanketed in snow.Alaric had already received a reply from his grandmother, Isla, telling them to head straight to the house."Your house? Won't your mom not want to see me?" Lena asked, skeptical.Alaric shrugged. "No idea. Whatever method Grandma used to convince her, it worked."After landing, the family driver picked them up."But if you don’t feel comfortable going, I can ask the driver to bring Grandma out instead. I booked a restaurant before, and I haven’t canceled it yet.""
Rivals to Lovers Ch112 - Christmas Gift
On Christmas Eve night, this country, surrounded by the sea, welcomed the festive cheer. The sound of church bells and street carols intertwined as the moist evening breeze drifted in.Before the shops closed, Lena stepped out to buy some essentials nearby. Alaric said he’d take care of dinner, so she didn’t have to worry.But while passing a charming boutique, she decided to get into the holiday spirit and bought some gingerbread along with two treats—a pair of Christmas Santas made from strawberries.Clutching her treats, she headed back to the hospital. Remembering the call with Elise and the report that had just come out, she asked Alaric as she entered his room, "You must be happy now, right?"She didn’t notice the dimmed lights inside.
Rivals to Lovers Ch111 - Loving is beautiful thing
"Whoa! Lena, you’re crazy—this is true love!" Elise didn’t care that she was in the middle of a date on Christmas Eve; as soon as she saw the trending news, she immediately made an international call to Lena."The whole world knows now—you and Alaric are officially the ‘golden couple’!"Her tone was so exaggerated, as if she had never heard of this before.In reality, when Lena was waiting to board her flight to Singapore, she had a feeling that she might be spotted by reporters. So, to be ahead of the news, she had proactively told Elise that she and Alaric were officially together.Elise had always suspected that there was something going on between them, so back then, her reac
Rivals to Lovers Ch110 - U should take her offer
This doubt was resolved in no time.A young woman’s figure emerged from the patient room, and when she looked up, she was surprised to see Lena."This is Emma, the fund financial advisor from Ridley’s investment side," Zayn introduced.He hadn’t realized they’d already met.Though everyone was surprised to see each other here, they quickly resumed their usual expressions. Lena greeted her,"Hi Emma, are you here on a business trip too?""Ah, yes, I arrived a few days ago to handle a merger case, and I’m here to spend Christmas as well—my family is in town," Emma explained after a moment’s thought.Then she added,"Keaton told me that Alaric ended up in the hospital an
Rivals to Lovers Ch109 - Sth. must have happened
Lena shook off Daisy’s words with a forceful gesture, taking a deep sniff as she pushed open the revolving door of the building.A blast of cold wind hit her—much chillier than she’d imagined. Snowflakes settled on the tips of her hair and on her scarf, giving the impression that she was draped in a delicate layer of white gauze.When she looked up to snap a photo with her phone, fresh snow landed on her cheeks and melted instantly from her body heat.After sending the photo to Alaric, thinking he should be calling any minute, she decided to wait for his call out on the street.But two minutes passed, then five, and she still hadn’t received any call from him. Alaric was always punctual.
Rivals to Lovers Ch108 - His mother
In Lena’s eyes, Daisy was never the traditional kind of mother.Maybe it was because she’d always been fiercely independent. When Alaric’s grandparents—Daisy’s own parents—transformed their trading company into a real estate business, Daisy poured a lot of effort into Winfield.She and her husband were married through a family alliance, and at the time, the company was just getting started. Daisy needed a husband who could help support her career. In other words, she was willing to sacrifice even her marriage for her career without complaint.That mindset even extended to how she raised her son—as if nurturing a business.In that respect, Lena felt Daisy was somewhat similar t
