On the Flight to London.
First Class.
Luca had already put on his eye mask and slipped into a restful state. He had informed the flight attendant not to disturb him, allowing him to catch up on some much-needed sleep.
To ensure he made this flight to London, he had stayed up late handling work and was still busy dealing with tasks during the car ride to the airport. Thankfully, he managed to board the flight on time.
Originally, Vanessa should have arrived in London much earlier on an earlier flight, but due to a last-minute meeting, she had to reschedule to this flight.
Both of them were completely unaware of each other’s presence.
Nearly ten hours later, the plane landed safely and on time.
They still did not realize they were in the same place until they stood at the same exit, waiting for their cars.
The Second Day in LondonOn her second day in London for business, Vanessa was so busy that she barely had time to sleep. Meanwhile, Luca seemed to have all the time in the world, constantly interrupting her work.She had hoped to balance her workload with adjusting to the time difference, aiming to be fresh and alert for the upcoming negotiations. However, after twenty-four hours of continuous work, Vanessa felt her head growing heavier, her breaths becoming increasingly labored.Despite not yet reaching her designated rest time and worrying that the time difference might affect her performance, she pushed herself to continue.Eventually, unable to endure any longer, she decided to step out for a drink of water. But as she staggered toward the door, she dismissed her unsteadiness as merely the effects of sleep deprivation.Crash!Suddenly, Vanessa felt dizzy and collapsed.Hearing the noise, Luca rus
Luca wouldn’t dare ask her about it.After all, even if he did, Vanessa wouldn’t tell him the truth.The next day.After finishing her IV drip, the nurse handed Luca the discharge papers. Once he settled all the hospital fees, he drove Vanessa back to the hotel.As soon as they arrived, the front desk staff stopped them, relaying, “Mr. Kensington, the lady in the presidential suite would like to see you.”Upon hearing this, Luca glanced at Vanessa, as if wanting to explain the situation to her.But Vanessa’s cold and indifferent demeanor made him feel it was best not to say anything.“Okay, thank you,” he replied and followed Vanessa into the elevator.Inside the elevator, he tried to lighten the mood. “Are you upset, Miss Saxon?”Vanessa frowned slightly and turned to look at him, finding his attempt amusing.“Mr. Kensington, after all these years, you’ve learned how to joke?”Confused by her remark, Luca
Luca didn’t want to drag her into the scandal, knowing that once involved, she would be caught in the whirlwind of gossip, with even her personal information likely to be exposed.Thinking this over, he decided to drop the matter.“There's no need for you to trouble yourself with this,” he said.To Vanessa, it seemed he was dismissive of any association with her.However, the nature of such rumors is often ambiguous—perhaps they really did have something going on? If that were the case, her insistence on getting involved could only be seen as reckless.“Alright, if you need my help, just let me know, Mr. Kensington,” she replied. Still half-asleep, she felt she could squeeze in a bit more rest. With that, she offered a vague response and headed back to her room.Luca, however, might have misinterpreted her demeanor, thinking she was upset about the rumors, which made him involuntarily smile a little.As rumors swirle
The assistant's expression was a bit awkward as he quietly and humbly reminded her, “But, President, we’ve been trying to secure Cassandra as a spokesperson. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, we haven’t been able to reach an agreement. This time might be just as challenging…”As he spoke, the assistant’s tense demeanor revealed his fear of saying something wrong and being met with Beatriz’s wrath.“Due to scheduling conflicts?” Beatriz scoffed, tossing a file at him, which landed perfectly in his lap.Opening the file, the assistant wasn’t surprised, but his legs started to tremble with fear.“President, we’ve really made efforts to negotiate. We’ve spoken with Cassandra’s manager multiple times, but they insist on the schedule being unworkable unless…”Beatriz perked up at the mention of an opportunity, her expression softening slightly. “Unless what?”
Luca paused, knocked on the door again, and said, "The designer from LW Brand, Eric, will also be joining us for dinner tomorrow."‘Eric, the designer from LW Brand?’ This was the primary reason she had come to London. If she could collaborate with Eric, it would open doors for Cortex to enter the jewelry design market and expand its multi-disciplinary projects.But after several days in London, all her attempts to meet Eric had been rejected. Yet, Luca managed to arrange this so easily?A trace of doubt crossed her mind. She opened the door, meeting his gaze as she asked, "Are you serious about this?"Luca smiled confidently. "Of course. I never lie."Despite her hesitation, Vanessa couldn't resist the opportunity to meet Eric. She gave a small nod, signaling her agreement."Send me the time and address for tomorr
She looked like she was sulking, her tone intentionally childish, as if trying to annoy him.To Luca’s surprise, he found it a bit endearing. Unconsciously, the corners of his mouth lifted, revealing a doting smile.Fueled by the alcohol, Vanessa noticed his smile and immediately reached out to pinch his face, fuming. "What are you smiling at? Are you laughing at me?""Ow, not so hard."Luca didn’t get angry. Although it hurt a little, he just frowned slightly, still speaking in a gentle tone.But Vanessa didn’t seem pleased, grumbling, "Serves you right. Compared to what I went through, this little pain is nothing..."Thinking he hadn’t heard her, she continued to mess around for a while before finally falling asleep in his arms.In the taxi, Vanessa rested her head on his shoulder, her steady breathing confirming she was a
Vanessa looked at him with a cold smile and said, “Mr. Kensington, you think too much.”Her distant tone and indifferent reaction caught Luca completely off guard.He was momentarily at a loss for words, using the last bit of his patience to calmly say, “I’ll wait for you to finish. Shouldn’t we have a talk?”Vanessa wanted to refuse, but seeing he had no intention of giving up, she sighed in resignation and turned to her assistant. “Please have Mr. Kensington wait for me in my office.”After saying that, she turned and headed to the elevator, continuing with her work meeting.The assistant respectfully led Luca upstairs and prepared some tea before leaving to attend to his own tasks.Luca observed Vanessa’s office, noting a photo of her and Isla on her desk—with no one else in the frame.This piqued his curiosity.
Screech— The deafening sound of brakes. Bang— The violent crash. At the scene, one car collided with the nearby fence due to brake failure, while another car ran a red light, resulting in a severe rear-end collision. In an instant, the situation turned catastrophic, with dozens of cars involved in a chain reaction, and the front vehicles crumpled beyond recognition. The only car that avoided the worst of it was now wedged against the fence, the airbag deployed, trapping Vanessa inside. With everyone working together, they first rescued the terrified Isla from the back seat, who had been crying uncontrollably. When Isla saw the horrific scene of the mangled vehicles, her cries abruptly ceased as she struggled in the arms of a bystander, repeatedly calling for her mother. Vanessa, with a slight bleeding on her forehead, was disoriented and unaware of the severi
“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