As the name slipped from Ethan's lips, Mel's mind raced with questions. How did he know her full name? She had always been known as Mel to everyone around her, except for two people—her friend Maya and her sister Zara. But there was another person, someone she hadn't heard from in a long time, who also knew her full name. The thought sent a shiver down her spine, stirring up a mix of curiosity and apprehension.Lost in her thoughts, Mel's mind raced with questions about how Ethan had discovered her full name. Before she could make sense of it all, her world was abruptly interrupted as she felt the soft pressure of Ethan's lips against hers. It was an unexpected and surprising kiss, catching her completely off guard. For a brief moment, she was frozen in surprise, her eyes widening in astonishment. It soon became evident that Ethan's kiss was not deliberate but rather a result of his intoxicated state taking control. Their lips remained intertwined for a fleeting moment, leaving Mel w
Meanwhile back at Kilton, Lisa stirred awake, her eyes groggily adjusting to the morning light. She reached for her phone on the bedside table, opening it up to browse the internet. A mix of curiosity and apprehension filled her as she scrolled through the news. But then, a headline caught her attention, and the anger she felt last night surged back with immediate effect.The image of Mel and Ethan, labeled as the best-dressed couple, pierced through Lisa's heart like a dagger. It seemed that their supposed romance was the talk of the town, adding fuel to her already simmering frustration. Resentment and jealousy swirled within her, a tempest of emotions. Her hands clenched into tight fists, and her brow furrowed in anger. The turn of events and the sudden attention on Ethan's date, Mel, clearly did not sit well with Lisa.As Lisa delved deeper into the article, a glimmer of hope flickered within her. Perhaps neither Mel nor Ethan had intentionally shared this news. It was likely the
Chapter: Media MayhemThe next morning, Mel woke up early, her mind filled with different thoughts. She couldn't help but wonder if the news of her and Ethan being in a relationship had reached the gossip hub of LIM.Approaching the office building, her steps faltered with each passing moment. As she turned the corner and approached LIM's entrance, she was met with a chaotic scene she hadn't anticipated. A throng of reporters and journalists had gathered outside, their cameras flashing and microphones at the ready. Her eyes widened in disbelief as their gazes fixed upon her, their attention honed in on her every move."Miss Mel, is it true? Are you really dating President Ethan?" one reporter shouted, stepping forward and thrusting a microphone in her direction. The barrage of questions came from all directions, their voices merging into a cacophony that overwhelmed her senses.Caught off guard, Mel struggled to find her footing amidst t
As Mel looked at the phone screen thrust in front of her face, she sighed, realizing that Leah had just discovered the news as well. Taking a moment to compose herself, Mel decided to confront Leah directly."Yes, Ethan and I are in a relationship. What does it matter to you?" Mel asked, her tone laced with a mix of weariness and defiance.Leah scoffed, clearly infuriated that Mel wasn't even trying to deny her involvement with Ethan. "There you go, trying to dodge my question. I knew you were plotting something all along.""Why are you so bothered by this?" Mel retorted, her patience wearing thin. "I didn't need to scheme or plot anything. Only fake relationships require that kind of manipulation."Leah's hostility persisted as she responded, "Oh, right. It's all over the news, and it involves President Ethan, so it's not something I can ignore. But I'm not quick to believe everything I see or read on the internet, including your supposed relationship with him."Mel scoffed, realizin
A while later, Lisa's car pulled up to Layla's house, its engine humming softly as she parked it near the curb. Stepping out, Lisa made her way to the front door, her hand reaching out to knock. The sound echoed through the entrance, and soon Layla swung the door open, her face breaking into a smile at the sight of her friend."It's been a while Lisa, I didn't think you still knew the way to my house," Layla said, feigning anger."Of course I do. I just have a whole lot on my plate. Moreover, it was quite annoying that you suddenly left the last time," Lisa replied with a sigh.'Lisa, I did send you a text informing you that my mom was sick. I must admit I'm a bit upset that you didn't reach out to me or even reply to that text." Layla expressed her frustration in return."Well, Layla, sorry about that. I hope your mom is okay now," Lisa said casually, grabbing a bottle of water and taking a nonchalant sip."It's fine" Layla, changing the topic, asked, "So, did you finally manage to ac
Meanwhile, Ethan sat in his office, engrossed in his thoughts when a knock on the door interrupted his solitude. "Come in," he called out, and his assistant, Charles, walked in with an eager expression on his face."What is it?" Ethan inquired, curious about Charles' enthusiasm."Sir, the court case, Darth has withdrawn from it," Charles exclaimed, his face beaming with excitement."Is that so? Did he provide a reason?" Ethan questioned, intrigued by Darth's sudden change of heart."Yes, they claimed that upon further investigation, they discovered that their accusations were baseless and false," Charles replied, relaying the information."Hmm, interesting. Thank you for informing me," Ethan responded, acknowledging Charles' update before dismissing him with a wave of his hand. As soon as Charles left the room, Ethan reached for his phone and quickly searched the internet. There it was, the headline confirming the cancellation of Darth's
A few days later, Ethan received a phonecall from jace, it appeared Jace had some feedback to give and so Ethan asked for them to meet at his office.The time was 2:49pm when Jace showed up, his face was etched with uncertainty as he stepped into Ethan's office, shoulders slumped. Ethan leaned forward, his gaze fixed on Jace as he wondered the reason for Jace's slumped expression "Did you find anything yet?" Ethan asked urging him to speak.Jace shook his head in response as he began to explain the situation "They're really tightening their security, boss," he said, his voice tinged with disappointment. "It's like they know we're onto something. I couldn't get any solid evidence from the outside."Ethan's brow furrowed, the weight of the situation settling upon him. He was convinced that there was no way they had found out just yet about their investigation, but one thing he knew about the company's style was that they were very good in secrecy and he wasn't suprised Jace's watch wasn
Mel's mind raced as she tried to process Maya's statement. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage, ready to convince Maya just as she had convinced the other"Maya, I'm sorry, okay, I know I was supposed to inform you earlier but I got caught up in dealing with the whole situation. Mel explainedStill unconvinced Maya asked further, "Mel are you being for real right now, have you finally decided to date, are you over him finally?" Maya asked and it made Ethan shoot an inquisitive look from where he was seated across Mel. The phone was on loud speaker and so it wasn't difficult for Ethan to catch a whiff of the words being saidMel didn't want her friend to emphasise on the issue about moving on too much, she couldn't blame Maya for bringing the topic up at such time, it just felt awkward because she could tell that Ethan also heard it. All she could do now was pray that Ethan would not get interested in asking a q and A session about that... "Look Maya, It might be hard for