At K Group, Richard hurried to complete the new design draft, spending the entire day on it. When he reached the president’s office, ready to knock, the assistant stepped out.
“The president has left. Just hand it over to me,” the assistant said.
Richard shook his head, cautious. “No, I’ll deliver it personally tomorrow. I can’t risk the draft leaking again.”
Back at his desk, after some thought, Richard decided to take the design home for safekeeping.
Perhaps it was his designer’s instinct, but he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him—like he was being followed.
However, every time he turned around, there was no one.
The next morning, Richard received an unexpected message:
"Let’s meet. I have information you need."
The message contained the address of a restaurant, signed by none other than Vanessa!
Distracted all morning, Richard finally gave in to curiosity and went to the
About half an hour later, they arrived at the entrance of the banquet hall.Daxton stepped out first, offering Vanessa his hand. She took it gracefully, linking her arm with his. The two of them made quite the striking pair.It wasn’t every day that people saw such a good-looking couple, and the guests near the entrance began whispering among themselves.“Isn’t that the president of RC Group? Who’s the woman with him? I’ve never seen him with anyone before.”“That’s Vanessa Saxon, the president from the last Cortex bid. I didn’t know they were close.”As they entered the hall, a server approached with two glasses of wine. They raised their glasses in an elegant toast.“Still as charming as ever—you had those young men absolutely mesmerized,” Vanessa teased.Daxton grinned, not missing a beat. “Don’t flatter me—it wasn’t just me. You had their eyes glued to you, too.”Vanessa gave a playful scoff but turned her attention elsewhe
At Cortex Group, everyone seemed thrilled with Richard's arrival. “Richard, welcome!” “Yeah, we’re all family now. Here, have a bag of snacks!” This warm reception filled Richard with an unprecedented sense of belonging, solidifying his belief that he had made the right choice. Vanessa patted his shoulder. “Do your best.” Perhaps being in such a happy state could inspire even more creativity. From the moment he sat down, Richard began scribbling and drawing on the blueprints. As night fell, he finally finished everything and headed to Vanessa’s office with his design drafts and models. “I’m impressed by your speed,” Vanessa teased, raising an eyebrow. After examining Richard’s designs and models, she found them remarkably mature, showing no signs of needing revisions—better than those from Ness Corp. “I knew I didn’t make a mistake in choosing you; you’re truly outsta
Vanessa returned to the company with good news.As soon as she entered the office area, everyone surrounded her with curious looks.“What’s wrong? Is something going on?” Vanessa asked, maintaining an expressionless face.“President Saxon, what’s the result?”“Is Cortex in first place?”“What do you all think?” Vanessa replied coolly, without a hint of a smile.Everyone felt deflated and turned back to their desks, a hint of sadness lingering in the air.Then Vanessa spoke again, “You guys really don’t have faith in yourselves, huh? I’m just joking! Don’t be scared. Let’s celebrate our victory together tonight!”Laughter erupted in the office, and even Richard cracked a rare smile.That evening, Vanessa made a point to pick up her daughter after school.“Isla, did you miss Mommy?” she asked, hugging her lovingly.“Mo
Kensington Mansion.Grandpa Kensington was fully engrossed in painting, his strokes flowing like clouds, his penmanship like smoke.Seeing that Grandpa Kensington looked a bit tired, the butler hurried over with a cup of herbal tea.Seated in the rosewood chair, Grandpa Kensington became lost in thought again.“Old master, I heard Miss Saxon has returned,” the butler suddenly spoke up.“Oh? When did this happen? That kid never mentioned it to me,” Grandpa Kensington replied, still trying to process the information.After hesitating for a moment, the butler continued, “It’s been some time, but it seems Young Master and Miss Saxon’s situation isn’t very optimistic.”Thinking about how Luca had treated her previously, Grandpa Kensington couldn’t help but sigh.Shaking his head helplessly, he put down his teacup. “Our family has let that girl down. It’s a pity such a good child has been hurt.”To reassure the old man, the bu
Unknowingly, time had come to a special day. Vanessa stared blankly at the date circled in red on her calendar.Having taken a leave in advance, she changed her usual attire and wore all black.Mariah was going to ask her something before leaving, but seeing her demeanor, she chose not to say anything.“Isla, you have to listen to Sister Mariah, okay? Mommy has to head out first.” Vanessa smiled as she hugged Isla.Isla happily kissed her.After getting in the car, Vanessa first went to a flower shop to buy the white bells, her mother’s favorite flower, before driving to the cemetery.On this day each year, Vanessa’s mood would inexplicably turn heavy. She glanced at the white bells on the passenger seat and then accelerated.At the cemetery, Beatriz was walking toward a gravestone with a bouquet of chrysanthemums, gently placing the flowers down before beginning to pay respects.She softly murmured, “What happened back then wa
“No results,” Mariah replied succinctly.Vanessa didn’t press further. She knew how complicated the situation was, so she had to make herself stronger. One day, she would uncover the truth.Once back in her office, Vanessa immersed herself in work as if under a spell.She glanced at the stock market performance of the company today; everything was running smoothly, but that wasn’t nearly enough.That one bidding win was just the beginning. The business world was like a battlefield; if she stood still, she would soon be crushed by others.Therefore, Cortex Group couldn’t rely on a single development model. She had to explore new industries.After staring at the screen for a while, an ad suddenly popped up that caught her eye.“Millennia-old antiques, one day in X City.”The antique industry seemed like a promising direction for development.Just then, her assistant rushed in, flustered.“President Saxon, bad
The first item up for auction was a classical tea set from the last century, said to be one of a kind.With a starting price of 100,000, Vanessa thought it was reasonable.A middle-aged man next to her raised the bid to 150,000, and his assistant quickly lifted the bid card.On the other side, the bids kept climbing, reaching 200,000, which intrigued Vanessa even more about this industry.The auctioneer began calling: “200,000, going once… going twice… sold!”With the final hammer strike, the tea set was claimed by another buyer.Vanessa realized that the following items were even more exquisite, their prices skyrocketing.Finally, it was time for the grand finale. Four staff members carried a transparent glass case onto the platform.A dazzling vase sparkled under the lights, leaving the audience in awe.“This is a real treasure!”“I’ll take it home tonight!”Vanessa felt tempted to snap a photo but restra
After hanging up the phone, Vanessa felt a twinge of nervousness—she would finally uncover the mystery that had been bothering her.Meanwhile, Luca pondered for a long time.“Have Lesley meet with her,” he instructed before continuing his work.“Understood, President,” the assistant replied and took the documents to find Lesley.Arriving at the agreed coffee shop, Vanessa had arrived early to wait.After about five or six minutes, the doorbell rang, and she looked up to see a stranger approaching with a briefcase.“Hello, are you Miss Saxon?” the well-dressed man inquired.“Please, have a seat,” Vanessa gestured for him to sit.Although she didn’t know this man, she suspected things weren’t as simple as they seemed.As they discussed the details of the deal, she was surprised to
“What do you want to talk about?” Leonardo asked, watching William’s back.William abruptly turned around, grabbing Leonardo by the collar. “You’ve got some nerve asking that!” he growled.Before Leonardo could respond, a harsh slap landed across his face.Leonardo didn’t retaliate. He calmly touched his cheek where the slap had landed and said lightly, “My face is insured. If you want to hit me, aim somewhere else.”Seeing Leonardo’s nonchalant attitude, as if this had nothing to do with him, William became even angrier, throwing punch after punch, this time sparing Leonardo’s face and landing the blows on his body.Seething, William spat, “How dare you come here? What right do you have to see Mariah?”Originally standing there as if made of stone, Leonardo’s calm demeanor finally cracked. He responded with a sneer, “Oh? If I have no right, then what g
Seeing that it was getting dark, Vanessa glanced at William and suggested, “It’s getting late. Why don’t you go home and get some rest? I’ll stay here and take care of things.”William shook his head. “I’ll stay with Mariah. You both should go home and rest.”Vanessa hesitated, feeling the weight of the complex relationships between everyone involved, which only made her headache worse.Luca watched with a detached look and said to Vanessa, “Vanessa, maybe we should go. Isla’s still waiting at home, and with William here, I doubt there will be any problems.”Reluctantly, Vanessa nodded, especially after seeing Mariah’s silence, and decided to leave.Meanwhile, Leonardo was still filming a show and hadn’t checked his phone.When filming finally wrapped up, Leonardo grabbed his phone, only to have it immediately taken by his manager.“Leo, we have another gig lined up
After Mariah left, she didn’t go straight home. Feeling unsettled, she wandered the empty streets alone, letting the evening breeze cool her frustration.Looking at the desolate street, Mariah felt an even deeper emptiness inside her. She had thought that Leonardo at least had some feelings for her, but now it seemed that, despite their mutual attraction, it wouldn’t lead anywhere. There were too many barriers between them, and just the unspoken rule that celebrities couldn’t date was enough to crush any tender hopes she held.Lost in thought, she didn’t notice a drunken man stumble out of a nearby alley, heading straight toward her.Without warning, he bumped into her, sending her crashing to the ground.Seeing this, he lunged at her. Luckily, Mariah had learned a few self-defense moves and managed to dodge him. But the drunk man was relentless and con
Mariah also felt the oppressive atmosphere in the car and shifted restlessly, moving closer to Leonardo to create some distance from the manager. The manager immediately frowned and sneered, “I didn’t expect Miss Hutchson to be this kind of person. Last time at the hospital, you promised me you would keep your distance from Leonardo. How is it that just a few days later, you can’t help yourself? Let me tell you, don’t think these tricks can fool everyone; I’ve seen many seduction tactics like yours.” Mariah's expression instantly turned cold, and she was clearly displeased. However, due to the manager’s status, she suppressed her anger and tried to explain patiently, “You’ve really misunderstood; I absolutely don’t mean that.” The manager curled his lip, not believing Mariah’s words. Leonardo also became a bit unhappy; he had initiated this meeting, so why wa
“Grandpa, I know everything. But haven’t I already been dismissed?” Luca’s calm voice came through the receiver, and the old man could detect a hint of grievance in his tone. Clearing his throat, the old man replied solemnly, “Luca, this situation has come up unexpectedly. I plan to personally go to the company, and I’d like you to come with me.” After a moment of silence, Luca refused, “Grandpa, I think I’ll pass. It’s rare for me to have a break, and I’d like to rest a bit more.” Hearing this, the old man sighed. “Alright then, I won’t force you.” He understood that Luca’s reluctance to return to the company was likely due to Vanessa. It was a rare opportunity for Luca to spend time with her, and he didn’t want anyone to interfere. Besides, going to the company now might not be very useful anyway. Beatriz was no
Vanessa posed as a wealthy investor and contacted the founder of the public account through its backend, claiming she was interested in investing in the platform and requesting a meeting.The public account was still in its early stages. Although it had gained a modest following, it wasn’t influential enough yet. Being approached by a potential investor left the founder both surprised and excited, and he immediately agreed to the proposal.Seeing the red dot notification pop up on her chat box, Vanessa smiled—her prey had taken the bait. After adding him as a friend, she wasted no time and called him directly. The man answered within seconds: “Hello? Is this Ms. Saxon?”“Yes, it is,” Vanessa replied calmly.“I heard… uh, that you’re interested in investing in our account?” The man’s excitement was clear in his voice.Vanessa remained silent for a moment.
Ever since William met Cassandra, he feared rumors would surface that could harm her reputation, so he didn’t stay at her house that night.Even though he left, William couldn’t stop worrying about her. Despite repeatedly reminding Cassandra not to open the entertainment news sections or care about the hateful comments, the barrage of insults still infuriated him. He couldn’t bear the thought of Cassandra reading those words and feeling hurt.William knew that he was already deeply involved, but he accepted it willingly.Determined to help her get through the storm, William devised a plan—to confess his feelings as soon as possible. He believed that if they were together, it would give her the strength to leave the scandal behind.A confession was something a man had to take the lead on, and William had made up his mind. But uncertainty gnawed at him—what if Cassandra didn’t feel the same? This thought
A day had passed, but the overnight scandal involving Cassandra and Luca showed no signs of dying down. Instead, the uproar online grew louder.An anonymous user even dug up old photos of Cassandra and Luca together, claiming the two had known each other for a long time. Some netizens fixated on Cassandra’s expressions in the pictures, saying that she had admired Luca back then, with her eyes full of affection for him. This, they argued, only proved the accusations of her having ulterior motives.Under these posts, the comments were filled with sarcasm and insults directed at Cassandra.Some users even went to the social media pages of brands still working with Cassandra, threatening to boycott their products unless they canceled her endorsement deals, putting enormous pressure on the companies.At this point, Cassandra was practically trapped at home. Her agent, Nicole, ordered her to stay off the internet and avoid reading the posts and comments.
Seeing this, Vanessa elaborated, "Mariah wanted to protect Leonardo, so she asked William to pretend to be her boyfriend. William might have liked Mariah before, but now he has someone else he likes."Before Cassandra could feel happy about the first part of that statement, her mood plummeted at the latter half.Vanessa didn’t notice the change and continued, "However, they’ve changed their minds again. After your incident, William and Mariah don’t plan to pretend to be a couple anymore."The thought that her situation had influenced William’s decision made Cassandra feel a flutter of excitement, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he cared about her.But if they weren’t pretending to be a couple, what would happen to Leonardo?Cassandra voiced her concerns, and Vanessa reassured her, "You’re barely holding it together; why worry about others? Don’t worry, everything is fine with Leonardo. He’ll