Europe.After wrapping up a commercial shoot, Cheryl dined with several well-known directors and screenwriters, making a memorable impression.Aurora then selected a new gift for Ms. Luce. Once everything was in order, the group embarked on their journey home.Evelyn still reveled in the glory brought about by the European film festival, while Elowen suddenly became a household name designer back home. With her talent and striking beauty, she quickly rose to unparalleled fame.Following her loss at the domestic film festival, Yvonne officially announced her retirement from the entertainment industry due to family and health reasons, stating she would no longer take on any commercials or drama roles.Aurora, browsing the news, remarked, "Yvonne's exiting showbiz for health reasons? She seemed perfectly healthy to me!"Vespera chuckled and replied, "Her health is unpredictable; it fluctuates.""You seem to know more than I do!" Aurora said with a laugh.Vespera just smiled and returned
Aurora forcefully pushed Yvonne aside, exclaiming, "Jay! Take her away!"Jay kicked away the servants staring at him, lifting Vespera from the ground, and moved to Aurora's side.Aurora, dismissing Yvonne without a word, followed Jay out to the car. She checked Vespera's neck, finding her pulse and breathing normal, yet worry clouded her features. "Jay, head to Lysander's," she urgently commanded.Jay sped through the streets to the hospital. Aurora had already called Lysander, who took charge upon their arrival.Within mere minutes of entering the examination room, Lysander emerged, reassuring, "She's fine, just drugged with a sedative. A good sleep, and she'll recover."Aurora breathed a sigh of relief, following Lysander to his office. She inquired, "Do you know what's happening with the Thornfield family?"Lysander, shedding his lab coat, asked, "What aspect are you referring to?""I can't pinpoint, but Yvonne was there when I visited the Thornfields today. Is Yvonne a member of
Aurora was somewhat puzzled and asked, "If Yvonne has the Thornfields backing her, shouldn't she be having a smooth sailing career in the entertainment industry? How did she end up like this today?"Vespera chuckled and explained, "Our family is rather conservative. In the eyes of our elders, being an actress isn't considered a noble profession. Plus, Yvonne hasn't been without scandals since she entered the industry. To prevent her from tarnishing the family's political image, we've never publicly acknowledged this identity."Aurora understood; thus, Yvonne's departure from the entertainment scene didn't subject her to ridicule like Sophia. Instead, she was living a better life now, being the cherished daughter of the Thornfield family."Why did she drug you today?" Aurora inquired.Vespera gave a sardonic laugh, "Because I suddenly became your studio's designer. She couldn't stand seeing me doing better than her, planning to drug me and send me off to some executive's bed. It was ei
"Heath has always treated you like a precious gem, afraid you might fall if held too loosely, afraid you might break if held too tightly. How come you're arguing now?" Vespera teased.Aurora, tugging at her hair, replied, "We didn't argue. It's precisely because we haven't argued that I'm troubled. I don't know what I did to upset him. He's always so aloof it's unreasonable, and I have no idea how to cheer him up!"Vespera chuckled and said, "And you still wonder why he's upset? What kind of man is Heath? The scion of a wealthy family that every socialite in the city dreams of getting close to. Yet, you, you've been hiding him like he's some sort of secret, not even attending the gala with him last year. How could he not be angry?"Aurora paused, asking, "Are you saying he's angry because I didn't attend the gala?"Vespera replied helplessly, "It's not just about the gala; it's because you two haven't gone public yet. Right now, so many people still think Heath is single!"Aurora laug
Aurora pouted, asking, "This Director Mars, is it a man or a woman?"Heath paused, pulling Aurora closer, questioning, "What does it matter if it's a man? And what if it's a woman?""A woman? If it's a woman, I'll—" Aurora's words cut off abruptly, too embarrassed to continue."And then what?" Heath raised an eyebrow at her."I'll chop you up!" Aurora glared at him, her temper flaring."Oh, getting bold, are we? Who told you I have another woman here?" Heath teased, pinching her slender waist.Aurora huffed, "The receptionist at the front desk said... you have lots of women looking for you every day..."Wrapping his arms around her, Heath said, "Later, I'll have Kieran fire her."Aurora pursed her lips, "No need, she was probably just talking nonsense."Heath shook his head, "Discussing my private life at the company is against the rules anyway. She should be fired."Aurora didn't stop him; she wasn't fond of that receptionist anyway, always acting as if no one could get close to Heat
In the world of entertainment, the very thought of collaborating with the Fairbank Corp was a distant dream for many, and for those in the business world, securing a partnership was even more daunting.Imagine the surprise when a small, underestimated studio not only launched a leading actor and actress within a mere two years but also a pop sensation sweeping the charts, and a young designer known in every household. And now, this modest studio had somehow snagged a partnership with the Fairbank Corp!Evelyn was seething with envy. Aurora, of all people, had managed to secure a collaboration with the Fairbank Corp. Did this mean Aurora was inching closer to the prestigious circles of the Fairbanks than she was? This was something Evelyn couldn't stand for. She was determined not to let Aurora outshine her.Elowen was beside herself with frustration. She had humbled herself to propose a partnership to Heath, only to be outright rejected. Yet now, Heath had turned around to collaborate
Upon hearing Evelyn's tone, Aurora understood that Evelyn still cared deeply for Maxwell. Deciding not to intervene further, she ended the call and requested Jay to drive her to Lysander's hospital.Rushing to the hospital in urgency, she found her grandpa in the emergency room, with Leen and Little Fish anxiously waiting outside. Aurora approached them, asking, "What happened? How did he faint all of a sudden?"Leen, head hung low in guilt, replied, "He was just taking a stroll. He asked me to fetch him some coffee, and by the time I returned, he had already collapsed. It's my fault. If I had stayed by his side without leaving, this wouldn't have happened..." Having served the old man for most of his life, Leen was overwhelmed with self-blame.Aurora comforted him, "Don't blame yourself. Grandpa will be alright."After a tense two-hour wait outside the emergency room, the lights finally turned off, and Lysander emerged, removing his mask. Meeting Aurora's gaze, he sighed, "Come to my
Aurora found the situation utterly bewildering, yet couldn't help but burst into laughter.Her ridiculous father had abandoned his wife and daughter, only to find that two of the three children he'd painstakingly raised weren't even his own.Aurora couldn't contain her laughter, but Heath wrapped her in his arms and said, "Rory, you're crying."After a few seconds of silence, Aurora burst into tears. Kieran and Jay tactfully made their exit, leaving Aurora to sob uncontrollably in Heath's embrace.Her foolish mother, what kind of man had she married?A man of hypocrisy, selfishness, and failure, while her mother, who appeared as graceful as a princess, had wasted her entire life on him.Had anyone ever questioned Madeline's past or the parentage of the three children, perhaps her mother wouldn't have ended her days in depression.Heath held her, gently patting her back, and said, "Rory, it's all in the past now."Sniffling, Aurora replied, "Yes, it's in the past.""What do you plan to
The next morning, Vespera was woken up at dawn, barely getting a few hours of sleep. Known as a dedicated designer, she was usually the first one awake, but today she could barely keep her eyes open. As the stylist worked on her hair and makeup, Vespera sat half-dazed, drifting in and out, completely unaware of the hands tugging her in all directions.Two hours later, with her hair and makeup done, Vespera finally slipped into her wedding dress. The reality hit her, and for the first time, she fully realized she was about to get married.Memories flooded back, particularly that first encounter with Alaric. He’d been sprawled on the steps outside, a bit too tipsy, looking up with half-closed eyes, asking, “What’s wrong with me?” Vespera, surprising even herself, had replied, “Nothing at all.”Back then, he was just a bright, headstrong young man, carrying so many dreams and frustrations. Somewhere along the way, he’d grown into this strong, grounded man. And somehow, after everything,
It wasn’t until a few days after their engagement that it even crossed Vespera’s mind to ask about the villa.Alaric confirmed he’d bought it, explaining that he’d thought she might like it and decided to go for it. As for renovations, he wanted to wait until she officially agreed to everything; after all, they’d eventually need their own place—living with Zane forever wasn’t exactly an option.By now, the news of Alaric and Vespera’s engagement had spread everywhere. Alaric was practically ready to announce it to the world on social media, but thankfully, Aurora stepped in, suggesting he keep things low-key since he was the company CEO. Plus, Vespera wasn’t exactly a fan of the public spotlight.Alaric reluctantly held back but couldn’t resist dropping hints in his friend group chat every other day. Heath and the rest were used to it by now—except Lysander, who constantly complained that he was drowning in a sea of "lovey-dovey vibes," being the lone single guy among them.When Auror
The next morning, Alaric woke up, remembering last night’s events. He pinched himself—no, it wasn’t a dream. Vespera had actually said yes.He jumped out of bed, showered, changed, and even straightened his tie before driving to her studio. There she was, focused on work, wearing a stylish dress and light makeup, looking absolutely radiant.When he walked in, Vespera looked up, surprised. “Finally awake?” she asked with a smirk.Alaric simply nodded, taking her hand without a word and leading her downstairs. She stumbled after him, asking, “Where are we going?”Alaric gently nudged her into his car, driving her toward a villa. Vespera was clueless and a bit shocked, glancing around, unsure of what was happening.They finally arrived at a beautiful villa. Alaric opened the door, and she asked, “Did you just buy this?”&n
The next morning, Alaric was finally over his fever. When Vespera woke up, he was already waiting in the living room. After breakfast, they both headed to their respective offices.Aurora’s team reported they’d successfully returned to the Whitmore family’s estate. For her, that had been a fierce battle. For Vespera, however, the real challenge lay ahead: the design competition.Ever since her last conversation with Yvonne, where Yvonne had hinted that everything she had was due to Aurora and Alaric’s support, Vespera had been determined to prove herself. She wanted to be worthy of Alaric and was pouring all her energy into this competition.After submitting her designs, Vespera anxiously waited at home for results. When the winners were finally announced online, she saw her name in second place. The relief and pride were overwhelming. She had finally achieved something worth sharing with Alaric. Now, with the award ceremony in the UK, she had no choice but to let him know.Expecting
Vespera had reclaimed her brand, and Alaric seemed to be maturing by the day, treating her like she was his entire world. Everything seemed to be falling into place.After that showdown in Alaric’s office with Elowen, she hadn’t shown her face again. Vespera figured it was over, that Elowen had finally given up. Everyone else thought the same.But on the day they took graduation photos, Aurora disappeared. Heath and Alaric eventually tracked her down — Elowen had taken her. Vespera was frantic, blaming herself for not protecting Aurora better.Heath and Alaric couldn’t stop Aurora’s flight at the airport, so they booked tickets to the UK to get her back. Vespera had too much to handle here to join them, so she only saw Alaric off at the airport.He held her close, whispering, “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon, and Aurora will be safe.”Vespera hugged him back tightly. She trusted him. Alaric and Heath would get this done — Elowen had crossed a line that couldn’t be ignored, and she knew
This past week, Aurora had been tirelessly setting up to counter Evelyn and her allies, Yvonne and Elowen. Meanwhile, Alaric, working alongside Aurora to reclaim Elowen’s brand.A week later, the press conference went ahead as planned. Alaric helped Vespera pick an outfit, stayed until she’d finished her makeup, and then drove her to the venue himself.The conference, led by Evelyn, was a disaster for her team. They failed to take over Aurora’s company, couldn’t drive her out of the Pendleton family, and made no progress in placing Yvonne and Elowen as CEO and head designer. Their plans had backfired entirely.Leaving the venue, Yvonne, clearly shaken, stepped in front of a car without looking and was hit, blood pooling around her. Vespera, stunned and dizzy at the sight, would have collapsed if Alaric hadn’t steadied her.Frantically, Vespera fumbled with her phone to call home, stammering, “It’s Yvonne… she’s bleeding so much…”As someone unaccustomed to such violence, Vespera was t
Alaric looked at Vespera with an innocent expression and said, “It’s not what you think. I’m not a creep.”“Not a creep?” Vespera glared at him. “Then what were you doing in my room?”Alaric almost groaned. “If I told you I was here to give you a massage, would you believe me?”“Total creep!” she shouted. “Sneaking into my bed while I was asleep!”Alaric shot back, “I did not! When I woke up, you were the one curled up on me!”Vespera paused, recalling the moment she woke up. Okay, maybe she had been cozying up to him. Wait a second—was he implying she was the one acting out of line?Seeing her hesitation, Alaric grinned smugly. “See? You were just as comfortable with it!”“Get out!” Vespera yelled.Alaric left the room, trying not to smile too much. Sure, nothing happened, but just getting to hold her felt amazing. Although… his shoulder was sore from her leaning on him all night, so he headed back to his room to grab a few more hours of sleep.Vespera, alone in her room, listened as
Vespera walked ahead, casual and carefree in a T-shirt and shorts, no makeup, and even bare of high heels, while Alaric trailed close behind with a jacket in hand, grinning like a fool. Everyone in the lobby couldn’t help but notice—their usually composed CEO was tagging along, practically beaming.Catching up to her, Alaric draped his jacket over her shoulders. “How could you leave without dressing warmer? You’ll end up with a stomach ache tonight,” he said, his voice soft with affection.Vespera felt a warm flutter in her chest but stayed quiet, letting his jacket settle around her as they walked out. Alaric was thrilled she hadn’t brushed him off; emboldened, he slipped his hand into hers, wrapping her cold fingers in his.For a moment, she stiffened, then relaxed, letting her hand nestle securely in his. Together, they headed to the parking lot, Alaric practically floating with joy. This felt better than winning the lottery!Bringing her home, Alaric felt out of his depth—things h
Alaric stood in his office, with Elowen right in front of him, her hand tugging at his tie, a faint smirk hidden beneath her slightly indignant expression.Seeing the scene, Vespera nearly turned around and left right then and there. But she reminded herself of her purpose for coming today. She was done hiding from Elowen. Even if Alaric wasn’t hers in the end, she’d be damned if he ended up with someone like Elowen.So Vespera strode into the office, fixed her gaze on them, and asked, “What’s going on here?”At the sound of her voice, Alaric spun around, fumbling to free his tie from Elowen’s grip. But Elowen held tight, glancing over at Vespera with a slight smile. “Miss Thornfield? You’re here?”Vespera closed the door behind her, gave a slight nod, and asked again, “What exactly is this about?”Elowen smirked. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just wanted to ask Alaric if I could borrow a few people to help promote my new fashion line. Not sure if he’s on board with it, though.”“Not a chance,