Lena had been so busy since Tuesday that she barely had time to sleep. At work, she was collaborating with the PR department to steer the company clear of a string of negative press. In her personal life, she was discussing the most advantageous legal strategies with her lawyer.
During this time, she received dozens of anonymous calls. She figured they were either reporters or her brother, who was probably itching to hurl more sarcastic remarks her way. Her lawyer advised her to avoid any private contact with them. Even if they couldn’t elicit anything incriminating from her, it might still complicate future court proceedings.“If there’s anything to be said, let it go through the lawyers,”The once-fiery public sentiment about the "adopted daughter turned ingrate" had now died down completely. Fred, surprisingly protective of his significant other, had hurried off to Dolphin Real estate to address the issue himself, determined not to let anyLena’s gaze was fixed on the ground as she focused entirely on the conversation over the phone, completely oblivious to the person standing by the door.On the other end of the call, Cassian sounded hesitant. “Owen didn’t exactly ask me to help arrange a meeting with you.”So, he’s asking for money?Lena wasn’t surprised. Her family had taken such a huge risk agreeing with Dolphin Real Estate’s scheme to bring down Winfield, only for nothing to come of it. Winfield emerged unscathed—in fact, the rumors about her and Alaric only seemed to have amplified the attention on Winfield Real estate.The six-percent stock drop they experienced had not only recovered but was now trending upward. Even their future projects, li
Her words brought a long silence.Lena had no idea she completely missed the point.She shot back with fierce momentum, expecting an instant rebuttal from Alaric. But he didn’t respond.Instead, he pressed one hand against the bookshelf behind her, leaning in close, his gaze fixed straight on her. His eyes locked on the tips of her long, dark lashes, glimmering faintly in the light.“No problem. This way, you can take responsibility for sleeping with me.”What?Lena froze as if struck by lightning. He’s bringing up something from centuries ago again.If he said that just to score a quick win and banter with her, well—he won.
Lena read on with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. The letter went like this:“Seen the report card? I got first place this time, and you’re second. Don’t make that face like you’re not convinced. I know you’re already plotting how to beat me next time. Victory doesn’t come easy, especially when your rival is me.But, if you’re willing, we could work together to grow stronger instead of fighting like it’s life or death every day. Let me know in 24 hours.—Your rival, and the only one who gets to call you an idiot.”The handwriting was youthful but neat. The content was... immature.
Feelings are like a floodgate that, once opened, cannot be closed. Alaric had no intention of trying to hold it back.When Lena’s breathing finally steadied, Alaric slowly pulled back, meeting her gaze filled with tenderness. He cupped her cheek gently, pressing a kiss to her forehead.If not for the constraints of time and place, he would have held her until the night deepened.Exhaling softly, he shifted his gaze to rein in his emotions, straightened her shirt, and brushed stray strands of hair behind her ear.“Thirsty?” he asked.Lena nodded, taking the glass of water he handed her and drinking most of it in one go. The water felt like sweet relief, helping her regain clarity.
Just after confirming their relationship, Alaric wanted to take things to the next level—bringing Lena to meet his family. He was eager to announce the good news to the world.Lena's pupils shrank slightly. She suddenly recalled that Alaric’s mother had visited her office not long ago, probing her, trying to confirm that she had no romantic feelings for Alaric.She had put on a flawless act back then.If she treated social interactions like high-stakes business deals worth millions, she could conceal her emotions without a trace.But now, Alaric had blindsided her with his confession.One moment, she was putting on a front of complete indifference in front of his mother, Daisy. The next, she’d be showing up
In a private club suite, there were about seven or eight men, each with one or two attractive women in revealing clothes clinging to them. The room was thick with the smell of cigars and cigarettes, and countless bottles were scattered across the tables, creating a scene of indulgent decadence. At the center was Stellan, lounging back on the sofa. He pulled a woman in a short skirt onto his lap, unapologetically running his hands along her legs as she leaned closer to him. “Stellan, shouldn’t you be comforting that fiancée of yours right about now?” one of the men sneered. The woman on Stellan lap pouted and tapped his chest, “Oh, so you’ve got a girlfriend and you’re still here fooling around? You’re so bad…” Stellan looked utterly unbothered, even pleased. Grinning, he took hold of her chin. “We broke up,” he said. The girl looked surprised, then giggled, pressing her lips against his in a kiss that quickly turned passionate. The others barely paid them any mind, long use
If her friend Diya hadn’t been forbidden by her family from contacting her, Lena wouldn’t have had to turn to that so-called "fiancé" of hers—who broke up with her the moment her family hit financial trouble. Lena stepped out of the club, her solitary figure starkly contrasting with the lively scene she’d just left behind. The memory of what happened inside left her feeling sick to her stomach, lingering unshakably. Feeling unsteady, Lena clutched her transit card and headed toward the bus stop. Ironically, she’d only learned how to use public transportation a few days ago. Even though she was adopted, her parents had never treated her any less than their own, spoiling her like a little princess. But times had changed. Now she couldn’t even afford gas, let alone a car of her own. She sighed softly. After walking just a short distance from the club, she felt an intense gaze from the street. Looking up, she saw a tall figure leaning against a red sports car. She didn’t need to
Lena returned home to the vast, empty mansion, once filled with warmth and life. Her family was gone, the household staff dismissed, leaving only a hollow shell of the place she used to know. The house itself was now collateral under the company’s assets, with everything inside tagged for repossession. In a few days, it would be sealed off and auctioned to repay their debts.She didn’t have the energy to pack. Instead, she went straight to her bed, lying down and staring blankly at the ceiling. She kept thinking back to last month when her parents had celebrated her twenty-sixth birthday. They had carefully planned every detail of the party: floral arrangements, balloons, creating a dreamy atmosphere. She wore a custom black satin gown with a delicate strap and 3D white feathers adorning it. One of her gifts that night was a set of jewelry with aquamarine gems, the same color as her eyes—a necklace, along with a pair of platinum earrings set with diamonds and pear-shaped aquamarine s
Just after confirming their relationship, Alaric wanted to take things to the next level—bringing Lena to meet his family. He was eager to announce the good news to the world.Lena's pupils shrank slightly. She suddenly recalled that Alaric’s mother had visited her office not long ago, probing her, trying to confirm that she had no romantic feelings for Alaric.She had put on a flawless act back then.If she treated social interactions like high-stakes business deals worth millions, she could conceal her emotions without a trace.But now, Alaric had blindsided her with his confession.One moment, she was putting on a front of complete indifference in front of his mother, Daisy. The next, she’d be showing up
Feelings are like a floodgate that, once opened, cannot be closed. Alaric had no intention of trying to hold it back.When Lena’s breathing finally steadied, Alaric slowly pulled back, meeting her gaze filled with tenderness. He cupped her cheek gently, pressing a kiss to her forehead.If not for the constraints of time and place, he would have held her until the night deepened.Exhaling softly, he shifted his gaze to rein in his emotions, straightened her shirt, and brushed stray strands of hair behind her ear.“Thirsty?” he asked.Lena nodded, taking the glass of water he handed her and drinking most of it in one go. The water felt like sweet relief, helping her regain clarity.
Lena read on with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. The letter went like this:“Seen the report card? I got first place this time, and you’re second. Don’t make that face like you’re not convinced. I know you’re already plotting how to beat me next time. Victory doesn’t come easy, especially when your rival is me.But, if you’re willing, we could work together to grow stronger instead of fighting like it’s life or death every day. Let me know in 24 hours.—Your rival, and the only one who gets to call you an idiot.”The handwriting was youthful but neat. The content was... immature.
Her words brought a long silence.Lena had no idea she completely missed the point.She shot back with fierce momentum, expecting an instant rebuttal from Alaric. But he didn’t respond.Instead, he pressed one hand against the bookshelf behind her, leaning in close, his gaze fixed straight on her. His eyes locked on the tips of her long, dark lashes, glimmering faintly in the light.“No problem. This way, you can take responsibility for sleeping with me.”What?Lena froze as if struck by lightning. He’s bringing up something from centuries ago again.If he said that just to score a quick win and banter with her, well—he won.
Lena’s gaze was fixed on the ground as she focused entirely on the conversation over the phone, completely oblivious to the person standing by the door.On the other end of the call, Cassian sounded hesitant. “Owen didn’t exactly ask me to help arrange a meeting with you.”So, he’s asking for money?Lena wasn’t surprised. Her family had taken such a huge risk agreeing with Dolphin Real Estate’s scheme to bring down Winfield, only for nothing to come of it. Winfield emerged unscathed—in fact, the rumors about her and Alaric only seemed to have amplified the attention on Winfield Real estate.The six-percent stock drop they experienced had not only recovered but was now trending upward. Even their future projects, li
Lena had been so busy since Tuesday that she barely had time to sleep. At work, she was collaborating with the PR department to steer the company clear of a string of negative press. In her personal life, she was discussing the most advantageous legal strategies with her lawyer.During this time, she received dozens of anonymous calls. She figured they were either reporters or her brother, who was probably itching to hurl more sarcastic remarks her way. Her lawyer advised her to avoid any private contact with them. Even if they couldn’t elicit anything incriminating from her, it might still complicate future court proceedings.“If there’s anything to be said, let it go through the lawyers,” The once-fiery public sentiment about the "adopted daughter turned ingrate" had now died down completely. Fred, surprisingly protective of his significant other, had hurried off to Dolphin Real estate to address the issue himself, determined not to let any
Lena didn’t realize that Alaric had gone out in the afternoon until he returned, and only then did she discover he’d paid a visit to Hawthorne Construction. Since Stellan’s downfall, there was no longer any doubt about Hawthorne’s successor. It had always been clear that Fred was the top contender. Whether in terms of work capability or temperament, Fred was far steadier than Stellan had ever been. Naturally, Alaric’s visit this time was to meet Fred. Although their last meeting had been far from pleasant, Lena had privately handed over evidence of Stellan supplying substandard materials to Fred instead of making it public. Lena didn’t have to do that. Even though Stellan was solely responsible, exposing the matter would have only hurt the company’s business and led to incalculable losses. Thus, Fred owed them a favor. Alaric’s visit today was to cash in on that favor. Even if Fred didn’t like Alaric one bit, he still maintained proper etiquet
Lena kept thinking about it and couldn’t shake the feeling that something was seriously off with Alaric. He was always meticulous at work, never allowing even the slightest imperfection. Yet, he seemed to tolerate the trending topics linking the two of them. Wasn’t he the one who despised having their relationship misinterpreted?Sure, they had shared some physical encounters in the past, but that didn’t mean anything.Some of Alaric’s words and actions, however, unintentionally sparked unrealistic fantasies in her mind. Lena had always prided herself on her self-control, but she always seemed to crumble in his presence.Sitting in her office, she swiveled her chair slowly, one foot dragging against the floor as she turned to face the window. The reflection in the glass showed her silhouette.
Everyone was watching the drama unfold, saying this time Lena had really hit a wall. Winfield was thrown into chaos, with rumors flying that they’d eventually fire her.They also mocked Winfield, thinking they’d hired a great helper, but instead, the company’s reputation was now in shambles.What no one expected, though, was that within just two hours of the public uproar, Winfield had already instructed the PR department to release a statement on behalf of CEO Alaric.The statement declared that every employee had been hired through legal means and strongly condemned false reports and any behavior that tarnished the company’s reputation.The gossiping crowd dissected the statement repeatedly, but there was no hint of blame directed at any employee.Around 4:30 p.m., Lena glanced out the window and saw the swarm of people still gathered outside the office building.The security team was doing an excellent job, not letting a single journalist slip in. But Lena, having seen it all at he