Beatriz was taken aback and quickly pushed her away, retreating as she said, “What are you talking about? I don’t understand!”
Vanessa gave a slight cold smile. “Since you don’t understand, I won’t bother explaining further,” she said, preparing to roll up the window and drive away. Halfway through, she suddenly remembered something and added, “By the way, I believe you know that both our companies successfully entered the second round of the bidding. See you then.”
With a casual smile and bright eyes, she rolled up the window and drove away.
Left behind, Beatriz stomped her feet in anger.
“This is what you’ve forced me into, Vanessa!” With hatred in her eyes, she had originally just wanted to keep Vanessa away from Luca, perhaps letting her off the hook, but now it seemed this woman couldn’t be spared!
...
HM Group’s President Office.
“Is the recent news about VH your doing?” The short, plump man gl
Vanessa walked over, carrying the prepared dishes and waved her hand, saying, “It’s good that you’re awake; come and eat!” “Mommy, is there the braised beans I love the most tonight?” Vanessa lifted her onto the child seat and smiled, “Yes, yes, yes, you little eater!” At the dinner table, Mariah appeared somewhat reserved, making the mother and daughter both notice her demeanor. “Sister, my mommy told me to call you auntie, but I think you’re so pretty you shouldn’t be called that,” Isla said sweetly, offering Mariah a piece of braised bean. “Can I call you sister?” Mariah was taken aback and blushed at the sight of the braised bean. “Um, sure.” “Yay! Then what is your name?” “Mariah.” “Hello, Sister Mariah!” “Hello,” Mariah replied, returning the gesture by giving her a piece of braised bean and asking, “What’s your name?” Isla looked at Vanes
The Next Day.*Morning News*“Late last night, a car accident occurred on X Road. According to witnesses, the accident was caused by brake failure, and the injured driver is identified as Vanessa Saxon, the president of Cortex Group. A bystander who provided video footage reported that the driver fell into a coma and is currently undergoing emergency treatment in the hospital...”Luca was shocked. After confirming that the injured party was indeed Vanessa, he postponed the morning meeting just to visit her at the hospital. His assistant looked helplessly at the pile of work left behind and muttered, “If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have acted like this.”At the hospital, Luca inquired and found himself in the corridor outside the emergency room. The area was filled with cries and the chaotic sounds of families and doctors discussing cases, making it uncomfortable for him.At the end of the corridor, he saw a familiar figure and a brigh
At that moment, there was a senior executive and two employees in the office, creating a very awkward atmosphere.Beatriz felt a bit flustered but could only force a smile and say, “Grandpa asked me to tell you not to be late for tonight’s dinner.”“I’ll speak to Grandpa myself,” he replied.Beatriz stood in place, clearly uncomfortable. Luca’s words and expression were already a clear dismissal, yet she continued to smile at him, showing no intention of leaving.“Does Grandpa have any other messages for you to convey?”Beatriz shook her head. “No, just that Grandpa invited me to tonight’s dinner as well. I was wondering if you had a partner—”“I won’t be going home tonight.”“But Grandpa—”‘Slap!’Luca slammed the documents shut in anger and then turned to scold the employees. “It’s just a few pages, and there are four typos! Did you not graduate from elementary school?”The employees and the senior executive kne
Richard rushed back through the emergency exit, looking flustered and gripping his phone tightly, as if he were hiding a secret. Seeing him, the supervisor immediately yelled at him, “Richard! What gives you the right to slack off during work hours? Look at those interns with higher submission rates; they’re all diligently revising their drafts! What are you doing?! Huh? Useless!” Richard had always been the type of top student who excelled in design but struggled with communication. After stammering for a long time, he finally managed to say something useful, “Um... I have a headhunter interested in me.” The supervisor rolled his eyes, full of sarcasm. “A headhunter is looking for you? Then hurry up and leave!” “But... but I still have drafts to finish...” “Then why aren’t you hurrying to finish? What are you dreaming about?!” Feeling a bit wronged, Richard softly retorted, “I’m not dreaming...” &nb
At Ness Corp.“You just said Vanessa met with whom?!”Beatriz was still fretting over the theme for the second bidding. Despite having recruited so many outstanding graduates from prestigious universities, she always felt they fell short. Now, hearing about Vanessa’s meeting with Luca only added to her distress.“It’s President Kensington from K Group.”Bang!Beatriz angrily slammed her coffee cup onto the floor, her eyes filled with jealousy as she yelled, “I already know, no need for you to tell me!”The secretary trembled in fear, not daring to respond, and could only crouch down to clean up the broken pieces, accidentally cutting her hand in the process.“Hiss—”Seeing this, Beatriz’s mind flashed with Vanessa’s seemingly pitiful expression, intensifying her fury!“Stop prete
In the following days, Cortex Group successfully poached nearly ten people from K Group through headhunters. Although this posed no threat to K Group—after all, such incidents occurred every year or two, and the upper management had grown accustomed to it—Luca sensed something was off. “Look into it. Check if all the people who left really went to Cortex.” The assistant was momentarily stunned, asking in confusion, “President Kensington, what do you mean?” “Get me the investigation results as soon as possible, and arrange for me to meet with Cortex’s CEO.” He said this while looking out at the fiery clouds in the sky, a hint of warmth flickering in his eyes. He added, “Don’t mention my name.” “Understood. I’ll arrange it right away.” The study was dimly lit, a habit he had developed over the years, wanting to cherish each sunset, as if that was the only way to slightly melt the frost within his heart
The man’s eyes darted, his legs trembling as he stammered, “No... nobody. If you have the ability, take me to the police!”Not wanting to waste more time with this type of person, Luca knew it was quickest to send him to the police.“Call the police. Fulfill his request.” After saying that, he worried that Vanessa might be in danger, so he rushed to follow her, only to find that she had already vanished as soon as he stepped outside.In the underground parking lot.Beatriz suddenly appeared, blocking Vanessa’s path with an air of pride and arrogance. “You actually dare to come back?”Vanessa felt that Beatriz’s intelligence hadn’t changed at all in the five years since they last met. She kindly reminded her, “It’s only been a few days. Miss Langley, are you already missing me?”“Vanessa Saxon, what exactly are you back for?”“What for? Don’t you know?” She feigned an innocent smile, moving closer, and lightly whispered in her ear, “Of
The next morning, Vanessa had breakfast with Isla and felt happy seeing her appetite.“My dear Isla, make sure to listen to Sister Mariah today, okay?” Vanessa patted Isla’s little head.Isla turned to look at Mariah and playfully asked, “Sister Mariah, am I the most well-behaved little friend?”Hearing the little girl’s question, Mariah paused with her spoon and smiled, nodding. “That’s right, Isla is the best.”“Mom, did you hear that?” Isla confidently looked up at Vanessa.Vanessa kissed Isla and hugged her affectionately. “Mom will miss you, but I have to rush to work now.”Mariah took Isla’s little hand and walked her to kindergarten, only to unexpectedly run into Beatriz. Beatriz glanced at the two of them with disdain and continued walking past.Isla, who wanted to greet Ezra, instinctively retracted her hand.Beatriz was chatting and laughing with a teacher, and Mariah didn’t think much of it. She squatted down and sof
Daxton watched the affectionate scene between the two, his jealousy flaring hotter by the moment.Why?! Why could Luca hurt her so deeply yet still make her love him helplessly, while his own silent devotion had gone unnoticed?Rage nearly consumed Daxton’s reason.If that was the case, then he had no need to hold back any longer.With a cold sneer, he didn’t know whether he was mocking the tragic lovers before him or ridiculing himself as a clown.Then, Daxton pulled a handgun from behind him, loading a bullet into the chamber, and aimed it at the two. “Luca, I’m giving you a choice. Only one of you can leave here today. Will it be Vanessa or yourself?”Vanessa frowned and shouted, “Daxton, are you insane?!”This time, Daxton didn’t glance at Vanessa but fixed his gaze on Luca.Luca had anticipated that things wouldn’t be simple. The current situation was within
“I…” Daxton looked into Vanessa’s eyes, momentarily at a loss for words.Taking a moment to compose himself, Daxton sat down beside Vanessa, taking her hand in his. “Vanessa, you know I’ve always liked you…”The sudden touch and inexplicable words made Vanessa furrow her brows in confusion.She forcefully pulled her hand away from Daxton and interrupted him, her voice firm. “You brought me here just to say this? In this way? Daxton, do you realize this is kidnapping? Let me go right now; I have a mountain of work waiting for me at the office.”As soon as he heard Vanessa wanted to leave, Daxton’s expression changed dramatically. He grabbed her by the neck and hissed, “Want to leave? So you still want to be with Luca. Don’t dream; I won’t let you go this time. You’ll never escape.”With the oxygen in her lungs dwindling, Vanessa's face turned red as she
Even though Vanessa insisted she was feeling fine, Daxton and Mariah were still uneasy. They insisted on giving her a full check-up before they would relax.“I really am fine. Daxton, you should head back. I have Mariah here to keep me company,” Vanessa said, reluctant to face Daxton. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off with him lately.Daxton glanced at Vanessa but didn’t say much. He only reminded her to rest well before leaving the hospital.As he pushed open the door to his home, the stark emptiness of the room was accentuated by the numerous photos lining the walls.Upon closer inspection, they were various pictures of Vanessa, many of which were clearly taken from hidden angles.Daxton stepped closer, gently tracing the images with his fingers, as if he were caressing Vanessa herself.
After sending Daxton away, Vanessa immersed herself in her work, carefully examining the design blueprints. Inspired by Luca's suggestions, she picked up her pen and began to sketch.In the following days, Vanessa stayed at the company, and thanks to the team’s hard work, the progress on the project revisions was steadily moving forward.However, thinking of Isla made Vanessa feel a pang of guilt. She had been so busy with work lately that she hadn’t spent enough time with her. She wondered if the little one was feeling neglected.Just as she was lost in thought, Luca arrived.Vanessa was already used to his frequent visits.In the past few days, Luca had come by almost every day, but their discussions were all about company collaborations.Vanessa tried hard to control her thoughts, convincing herself to think of him only as a business partner to avoid future disappointment.That said, each time Luca came, Vanessa’s
Cortex.As soon as Vanessa arrived at the office, she saw Ora pacing back and forth at the door, seeming anxious about something.Feeling a bit surprised, Vanessa furrowed her brows and asked, “Is something wrong?”The moment Ora spotted Vanessa, it was as if she had found a savior, and she quickly stepped forward.Vanessa opened the office door, and as Ora followed her inside, she began reporting the latest updates.However, when she reached a certain point, Ora’s expression changed. “President Saxon, I’ve contacted several suppliers, and they all said that the original materials are in short supply. It seems the previous design plan may not work.”Vanessa frowned. “Is it the main material in the design plan?”Ora shook her head. “Not exactly, but this material is used in several places in the plan, so…”Vanessa understood what Ora meant and interrupted, &ldquo
Upon hearing this, Beatriz's face turned pale, then flushed with anger.This was originally her trick. Worried that Luca might discover something, Beatriz cautiously glanced at him, relieved to see he wasn’t paying attention to her.Picking up on the sarcasm in Vanessa's words, Beatriz felt a bit unwilling to accept it and retorted, “President Saxon, what are you saying? Ezra is indeed feeling unwell, and as parents, it’s only natural for us to be cautious. Why does it become us slandering you here?”Vanessa found this amusing. “Miss Langley, your ability to twist facts is truly impressive. However, there’s no need for your little act in front of me; I’m not falling for it.”Seeing Vanessa’s disdainful expression, Beatriz became even more irritated. She tugged at Luca and said, “Luca, say something! Everyone in the mansion knows that Ezra is unwell. It’s not like we’re trying to sland
Back in her office,Vanessa was so angry that she paced back and forth by the window, pulling out her phone to call Daxton directly.After a few rings, he answered.Daxton spoke as if nothing had happened, cheerfully asking, “Vanessa, have you arrived at the company?”“Yeah,” she replied coldly, immediately confronting him about the assistant change. “Why did you unilaterally decide to replace my assistant? What does our argument have to do with him? Who else do you want to swap out?”Despite her agitation, Daxton remained calm and gentle in his tone. “Ora is quite capable and won’t require your extra effort. Besides, your previous assistant didn’t take care of you at all. Ora was carefully chosen by me; she’s trustworthy. Trust me,” he added, hinting further, “the headquarters k
Vanessa’s wrist was suddenly grabbed, and looking down, she sighed, wanting to break free from Luca's grip, but it only tightened.“Mr. Kensington, if you don’t let go, I’m going to call the police,” she said, already pulling her phone out of her bag with one hand, about to dial when the phone was snatched away.Frowning in anger, she was interrupted by Luca, who said, “Let’s collaborate.”The sudden proposal for collaboration caught Vanessa off guard, and she scoffed, “I don’t think your request for cooperation is sincere, Mr. Kensington. If you want to use me, then don’t even think about it; I won’t collaborate with you.”As she spoke, she stubbornly shook off Luca's hand. Finally free, she returned to the bedroom to collect her belongings, preparing to leave.Suddenly, Luca, who had been sitting on the sofa, spoke up, “I know what yo
Ezra seemed to be on the verge of losing the whole world. He looked hollow, cowering and hiding behind Beatriz, constantly on alert, worried that one wrong move would lead to being abandoned by his dad and grandpa...Downstairs at the Kensington residence, Grandpa received numerous calls from his old friends, inquiring about the gossip and urging the Kensingtons to make a decision about who they wanted as their daughter-in-law.“Whether it’s Beatriz or Vanessa, Luca will decide for himself,” Grandpa replied helplessly. However, this remark was overheard by Beatriz, who had just come downstairs. She immediately clenched her fists. Grandpa's words were just to appease his old friends' gossip, but she took them to heart.“Alright, alright, we’ll gather again another day,” Grandpa said, hanging up the phone, looking weary as he leaned back on the sofa.