The internet was buzzing about Evelyn's foul-mouthed rant. Her fans were busy clarifying that she was just emotionally unstable and not usually like that.But the woman in the video, with her fierce eyes, was nothing like the gentle Evelyn people knew. No matter how much her fans tried to clean up her image, there were still those who questioned the real Evelyn.Meanwhile, some media outlet, probably bought off, released a clip of Evelyn hitting someone on set. "Evelyn's Image Crumbles" trended again.Because of this, the ad campaign that was up for grabs between her and Yvonne landed firmly in Yvonne's lap.Furious, Evelyn stormed into Winters's office, where she found Aurora sipping coffee. Winters had warmed up to Aurora since their last encounter."Evelyn, with all the negative press you've been getting, it's not a good idea for you to be in the public eye right now. Just lay low for a bit," Winters advised."Lay low? If I disappear for a few days, I'll lose fans! Are you giving a
The moment the topic came up, Evelyn was visibly angered. She had always had a smooth ride in the entertainment industry, so it was unthinkable that she'd be outmaneuvered by Aurora, that little upstart."Aurora, don't get too cocky. I heard you took on Ivy's project, trying to prop up that old woman. I can't wait to see how you'll clean up this mess," Evelyn spat out."Alright, Sis. Just you wait and see," Aurora responded with a smile.Fearing that Evelyn would lash out at Winters, her assistant hurriedly pulled her away from the scene.As Aurora turned to leave, Yvonne grabbed her arm and whispered, "Thanks for just now."Aurora turned back and looked at Yvonne's timid demeanor. "What's the point of thanking me? If she hits you, why don't you hit back? Are you planning to let her bully you for the rest of your life?""I... I don't dare," Yvonne said, lowering her head.Aurora was speechless. Yvonne then asked, "Did you really take on Ivy's project? She's not someone you can easily
Everyone in the upper echelons of several drama crews knew that Sophia and Aurora were the Pendleton heiresses. They wouldn't dare meddle in the affairs of such a wealthy family.Sophia stumbled back, shocked. She thought Aurora wouldn't dare lay a hand on her in public. But what she failed to realize was that Aurora had no such reservations.Before Sophia could even argue, Aurora grabbed her wrist, her eyes icy cold. "Sophia, I've been too lenient with you lately. How dare you mess with my people?"The grip hurt, and what made it worse was that Aurora was covered in blood, looking as menacing as a demon straight out of hell.Unable to break free, Sophia screamed, "Help! Someone, help!"Aurora glared at her, "If anything happens to Ivy, not even God can save you. I'll personally send you to hell."Some people rushed over to separate them, while others urged Aurora, "Let's go, you need to get to the hospital to check on Ivy."Finally, Aurora let go and headed for the hospital.At the e
Over the past month, freshmen had been trickling into the Imperial University. For some reason, the campus had caught "freshman beauty queen" fever.The school forum was constantly updating with photos of pretty new students, all vying for votes. Vespera nudged Aurora, "You're so pretty, Aurora. Why not post a pic?"Aurora just rolled her eyes. "Not interested."She really couldn't care less about this beauty contest stuff.But the next day, as she arrived at school, there was a commotion at the entrance. Aurora and Vespera looked to see what was happening. Stepping out of a luxury car was none other than Sophia.Aurora knew Sophia had been admitted to the Media Studies program, but shouldn't she be on a film set right now? What was she doing here?Sophia looked like she'd just stepped off the red carpet, wearing a tailored white gown, her curly hair cascading down her back. Her makeup was flawless, making her look like a doll.As the crowd jostled, Aurora got pushed and stumbled into
The next day, a bombshell post exploded onto the trending list: "Aurora Pendleton and Sophia Pendleton: Biological Sisters or Frenemies?"Attached were incriminating photos of Aurora physically assaulting Sophia. In these snapshots, Sophia looked like a wounded puppy, her face covered in her hands, while Aurora's eyes were icy, her demeanor menacing.The forum was set ablaze once again. The majority of comments were a relentless barrage against Aurora, while Sophia was lifted onto a pedestal."Seriously, how did Sophia end up with such a witch for a sister?""Born from the same mother, but could they be more different? Aurora's just vile.""Remember that time Sophia waved at Aurora in front of the school? Aurora just snubbed her. What's she trying to prove?""Aurora's this brutal to her own sister? Just slapping her around?"The tide of public opinion was overwhelmingly in Sophia's favor, and her fan club swelled in numbers.Sophia was bewildered. She hadn't started this firestorm. Wh
Aurora ascended the stage step by step, her presence commanding an eerie silence that enveloped the entire auditorium. All eyes were on her and Sophia. Would they shake hands and make peace, or would the situation escalate into something more volatile?Aurora reached Sophia and sidestepped the microphone, leaning in to whisper, "You were all gung-ho about airing our dirty laundry from the past. Why the sudden mute button?"Sophia's face was a shade of white you'd associate with a ghost. Her voice, shaky and devoid of its usual confidence, responded, "Aurora, don't talk nonsense. You're not going to ruin me."Aurora simply smiled, a knowing grin that hinted at secrets untold. "Whether it's nonsense or not, you'll find out soon enough."Sophia, in a desperate move, clutched Aurora's wrist tightly. "Sis, I'm begging you, don't destroy me."Aurora's smile turned radiant, almost glowing in its brilliance. "When you orchestrated my assault, when you swapped out the props to harm Ivy, did yo
As the votes kept rolling in, the top three contestants were finally decided.First place went to Xander, second to Yorick, and third to Daxton.The rest were unfortunately left in the dust.The director from Skyline Media was quick to sign Xander, while Harmony Media snagged Yorick.What shocked everyone was when Daxton suddenly stepped forward, announcing his withdrawal from the competition. Silas Song, who was in fourth place, took his spot and made his debut.Not just the hosts and the audience were stunned, but even people watching the live stream in the mall were frozen in disbelief.Aurora turned to Vespera and asked, "What's the deal with this Daxton guy? Quitting out of nowhere, isn't he afraid of getting blacklisted?"Vespera rolled her eyes and said, "Silas Song is from the Song family. It's not surprising he'd pull some strings to get into the top three.""The Song family?" Aurora wasn't sure if the Song family in the capital was related to the one in Seaview."Yeah, they'
Aurora was comfortably sprawled on the sofa, her head tilted as she looked at Heath. "So, let me get this straight. If I decided to go on a killing spree, you'd have Kieran prepare a dagger for me, wouldn't you?"Heath shook his head, his expression unchanging. "No, I wouldn't."Aurora's lips curled into a smirk, ready to retort, but Heath cut her off. "I wouldn't need him for that. I'd hand you the dagger myself."Aurora's face flushed a deep shade of red. She sprang up from the sofa, hastily grabbed a stack of files, and retreated to her room like she was fleeing the scene.Kieran, who had been standing off to the side, felt like he was exuding the lonely aura of a single guy. Meanwhile, the living room seemed to fill with the nauseating smell of his boss's love life.Heath glanced at him, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Is there anything else?"Kieran hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Boss, Miss Aurora has been getting quite close to a certain Miss Thornfield from the Thornfie
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,