Later that night.
In a presidential suite of a five-star hotel, Beatriz stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, a glass of red wine in hand, her eyes filled with a mix of pleasure and cunning.
“Originally, everything was going smoothly with the plan, but now there’s a small hill in the way. What do you think I should do?”
A refined man in a well-tailored shirt approached her, also holding a glass of red wine, his eyes filled with affection and intimacy.
“Who could possibly stand in your way?”
Beatriz didn’t respond, only smiled at him, making him deeply infatuated.
Unable to help himself, he reached out, his breath unsteady as he leaned in closer, saying, “Then let’s eliminate her!”
Upon hearing this, Beatriz smiled, allowing him to revel in her scent.
“Then I’ll leave this matter to you.”
“Alright, leave it to me…” He was so enraptured that he lost his senses. <
It was only around 3 PM, and Vanessa had already briefed her assistant before leaving work. She ran into Mariah, who had just seen off a client. “President, are you planning to work yourself to death, trying to stick it out until the very end?” Seeing her joke about herself, Vanessa pretended to be angry. “If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll seal your lips!” “Alright, alright, no more jokes. Where are you off to?” Mariah offered a few options. “Are you going to meet a client or the president of the K Group?” Vanessa rolled her eyes and explained, “Didn’t you say I should pay more attention to my daughter? I’m picking her up from school and taking her out to eat.” “Oh, how rare! President Saxon remembers she has a daughter.” “This is the company; don’t tarnish my reputation.” After some playful banter, Mariah finally laughed and said, looking at the time, “You should hurry; otherwise, you’ll be late.” Realizing the time, Vanessa immediately head
As soon as Isla heard the word “safe,” she immediately hugged Luca like a little ornament. With a charming smile, she sweetly asked, “Then, Uncle, can you come pick me up when Mommy is busy?” Luca was taken aback because, apart from Ezra, almost all the other children would avoid him, intimidated by his cold, emotionless demeanor. Sometimes, they would even cry in fear, making him hesitant to approach. During their first meeting, he thought she was afraid of him; now, why had she become so clingy? Vanessa looked surprised as well, trying to signal Isla several times, but she simply refused to get down from Luca's arms. With no other choice, Vanessa could only apologize awkwardly, saying, “She’s just a child; please don’t be upset, Mr. Kensington.” “Not at all.” His tone seemed to grow even colder. Just when Vanessa thought he didn’t like clingy kids— “Do you
After a few pleasantries, the renowned host was invited to manage the live program and proceedings. Following performances by several popular singers and idols, it was time for Luca to take the stage for his speech, after which the ball would commence.Vanessa felt a bit uncomfortable; ever since the misunderstandings arose, no one had cast her a friendly glance. The lecherous men around her looked at her with clear intentions.The ball began.Several gentlemen approached her to invite her to dance, but she turned them all down.The reason was simple: their gazes were somewhat frivolous, and if she agreed, it might be misinterpreted as consenting to some sort of deal or arrangement.She firmly declined and remained at ease.Cassandra, who had also rejected many invitations, approached Vanessa, looking rather tired.“None of
Cortex, Rooftop.Vanessa, along with the staff and Mariah, enjoyed beer and fried chicken on the rooftop, discussing dreams and watching the night sky.That night, they didn’t bring up work even once; it felt like they all had an unspoken understanding.They talked about life, ideals, grievances, and indulged in gossip.Eventually, the gossip turned to Vanessa herself, and the employees curiously asked if Luca and Cassandra were really a couple.She neither confirmed nor denied it, simply stating that their relationship seemed good, but they were just classmates in college. As for now… she didn’t know.While the others spoke with a tone of mere gossip, Mariah seemed to catch on to something deeper.As dawn broke, Vanessa called cars for everyone. After waiting for the drivers to arrive, they were sent home to rest.Just after finishing her shower and preparing to sleep before starting work again, Mariah stopped her.“Com
Everything had gone so smoothly, and it all surprised her, as if someone else were collaborating with her.From every aspect, she had benefited.Once back at the company, she immediately shared the good news with Mariah.Upon learning that all her efforts had not been in vain, Mariah finally relaxed and slumped onto the sofa in the president's office, looking utterly drained and lifeless.“President, my dear president, since the project has been approved, can you let me off for two days so I can rest?”Vanessa nodded with a smile, but before Mariah could celebrate, she added, “Just wait a moment. As long as the cooperation contract is signed, you can take three days off right away. How about that?”Mariah, feeling relieved and with no complaints, jumped up excitedly and extended her pinky to make a pact, saying, “No problem!”“How childish! Get back to work; slacking off will cost you a day off,” Vanessa teased.At her words, M
Mr. Pako's eyes grew hazy, and he gradually slipped into unconsciousness.Alden looked at the unconscious Mr. Pako, then at the dagger in his hand, and he regretted it...Yet he didn't want Beatriz to think of him as useless. He liked her so much that he would do anything just to see her smile.He glanced around, wanting to stage Mr. Pako's death as a suicide.This way, he could absolve himself and avoid being implicated.Suddenly, he noticed a classical dagger in a display case. It seemed to be quite valuable, showing signs of age and history.He quickly put away his own dagger and wiped down any surfaces he might have touched with white gloves, nervously gripping Mr. Pako's own dagger.After much hesitation, he finally closed his eyes and made the hard decision to end it…Following Beatriz’s instructions, Alden arranged the scene and then left through the back door, making sure to take all his belongings with him so nothing w
Vanessa was very alert; after all, the other party was Luca, and she wouldn’t let her guard down easily.“Go ahead, what do you want?”Luca suddenly let out a cold laugh, as if surprised. “Anything?”Hearing this, she frowned slightly and hesitated before saying, “Except for my daughter.”“Ha ha ha, what do I want with your daughter? Could it be...?”He deliberately left her in suspense.Vanessa fell for it, nervously asking, “Could it be what?”He shouldn’t know that Isla was her daughter...He shouldn’t know...“Is your daughter’s father me?” He had said this deliberately to probe her.The result nearly scared Vanessa into a trap; fortunately, she reacted quickly, warning him in anger, “If you joke like this again, then our cooperation can end here.”Luca hadn’t expected her to take his joke seriously.“It was just a joke, and you are actually a
At a high-end seaside restaurant, the waves danced like flowers, and the sea breeze was sweet. She arrived half an hour early, wanting some time alone to enjoy the scenery.Memories gradually washed over her, those brief yet beautiful moments with Luca, which momentarily clouded her mind like a dream.Hugging her knees, she sat on the beach, watching the waves and other couples frolicking in the sand, feeling a twinge of envy.“If five years ago you had believed me, maybe we would be a happy family of three by now…”Vanessa mumbled, surprised to find that she still harbored fantasies about Luca. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.“Vanessa…”The call from behind startled her, and she turned around in surprise.Seeing that it was indeed Luca, she concealed all her warmth and put on a look of disdain, frowning as she faced him.“Mr. Kensington, we aren’t close enough for first names yet.”She said coolly befo
“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