With her conversation with Henry ending unpleasantly, Aubrey stormed back to her room, distracted but also empty-handed.Gwyneth, perceptive as always, sensed that something was wrong right away—Aubrey told her she would bring food upstairs before leaving earlier.And now, she was clearly out of it…"Aubrey?" Gwyneth called out tentatively, deeply worried even as she met Aubrey's blank gaze.Smiling exasperatedly, she sat beside Aubrey and said, "What's wrong? Weren't you going downstairs to get some food? Are you not feeling well, or did someone upset you?"Food…Aubrey appeared distressed even as she came to her senses. "Sorry, I forgot about that…""Why are you apologizing?" Gwyneth smiled in wry amusement, tousling her hair as she rose to her feet. "Take a break—you look terrible. I'll go get us food instead.""No!" Aubrey suddenly shrieked as she sprang up from the couch, stepping in Gwyneth's way immediately. If she let Gwyneth go, what if she ran into the bonehead name
Liam had planned the anniversary celebration months ago, starting with getting a specifically designed ring.It went without saying that he put heart and soul into it, and fortunately, he was satisfied with the returns.Later, even in the dimness of their room, their shadows were reflected on the way, intertwined. Gwyneth's slender arms were wrapped around Liam's neck with passion and melting beneath him with passion like never before.Meanwhile, as the anniversary surprise concluded happily, Aubrey was left endlessly disappointed.Even so, Henry remained utterly oblivious and yapping away beside her.Biting her lips, she wheeled on him as she had enough, snapping, "Just stop! Give it to me straight, Henry Munroe—do you even care about me?!"She did not want to get that far, but reality was now leaving her wondering if Henry actually took notice of her, especially when she compared what he did for her to what Liam did for Gwyneth.Like a broken dam, all the grievances she kept i
"You're going to paint?"It took Liam a while to realize even though he was watching Gwyneth's every move.He was already curious when Gwyenth brought the easel. Still, personally watching her set it up and ready to paint still left him surprised that she could do that too.Gwyneth paused as her heart skipped a beat, and her fingers clenched at her sides. "Yeah, I'm going to paint. Don't you think that the scenery here is so beautiful?"Pursing her lips and guiltily avoiding Liam's gaze as she remembered something, she added, "That said… you shouldn't hold out too much hope. I'm just doing this on a whim after getting inspired by some masterpieces."Despite what she said, Gwyneth knew very well that 'on a whim' never applied to her painting.She did not want to expose herself in front of Liam, but the scenery on the hills were so enchanting. She was in a great mood as well, and her fingers itched for a paintbrush.Liam did not press the issue and tenderly tousled her hair. Und
Gwyneth wanted to reject Helen's offer but could not come up with a suitable excuse.Helen proved persistent on her part, and as Gwyneth stayed silent, she offered again. "I happen to know a good cafe nearby. Care to give it a try? I'm paying."Gwyneth was left dumbstruck and had no choice but to agree to go under Helen's repeated invitations.Even though they had just met, Gwyneth could tell that Helen was dead sure about who she was. In that case, she had to come up with an idea to allay Helen's suspicions about her.The cafe Helen mentioned was indeed nearby and quiet too—undoubtedly a good place for a chat.Helen seemed to be a regular guest there, quickly ordering two coffees before whipping out a catalog. All paintings in it were works from famous artists, and one of them was Niki's.Gwyneth was flipping through it aimlessly, and her fingers paused for a moment. She remembered that when it was sent for auction, countless patrons of the arts competed for it.An anonymou
Before Liam came to his senses, Gwyneth had already opened their wardrobe and packed everything into her suitcase."What's the hurry?"He was left smiling in wry amusement—he really thought Gwyneth would stay in Glido longer since it was rare for her to relax. Instead, she was done after just a couple of days.Still, noting how quick and determined she was packing up, Liam tactfully did not press the issue. Instead, he planned their next trip in his head for when their schedules freed up—whatever reasons Gwyneth had, he wanted to have more time with her alone.After packing their bags, they headed to the front desk to check out, so by the time Helen returned to ask about Gwyneth, all she got was nothing. Finding no one in her room either, she had to ask the hotel staff about Gwyneth and Liam or where they went.Though they could not give her any good answers, it only made Helen positive that Gwyneth was Niki. Would a plain Jane go that far to hide her tracks otherwise?Moreover
After Larry was done investigating, and it was revealed that the woman who was tailing them was the one who proposed a partnership, Liam blacklisted her permanently without hesitation.Gwyneth breathed a sigh of relief when the news reached her—as this went on, she just had to stay calm and hide until Helen gave up.Her plan was perfect, and Liam worked with it in perfect tandem.However, no plan accounts for every change—there were always variables that changed endlessly around them even if they dug in.In one of AMC Group's long standing projects abroad, one of their potential partners was finally about to give a green light. All that was needed was Gwyneth personally showing up at the negotiating table and giving her approval, as well as a press conference to show that their partnership was important to them.It only proved to be a real headache for Gwyneth.While these conditions would have been no issue on any other occasion, it was clear that there was a catch this time.
"It's simple." Helen looked Gwyneth in the eye with a smile. "I told you I wanted you to paint for me the first time we met. You're already exposed as I've broken down your habits in detail, so why deny it? Perhaps you're worried that I'd expose you as Niki?""If memory serves, I told you that I'm not Niki," Gwyneth replied, glaring at her coldly and just stopping short of projecting disgust on her face.Somehow, Helen found her words amusing. "Please, Niki. Would your art bear the same intricacies otherwise? Isn't your eagerness to avoid me also proof that you're worried that I would expose you?"Pausing for a moment as if sensing her displeasure, Helen shrugged innocently, "Don't worry, though—I'm your loyal fan, and I mean no harm. All I feel toward you is admiration.""And yet, your behavior has severely affected my life." Gwyneth appeared unmoved, her fingers tapping on the table even as an idea occurred to her. "And did you think you're Niki's only fan? I don't mind telling y
Gwyneth promptly planned her script as she ignored Helen's surprised reaction and left the cafe."Ms. Glen!" Helen cried out, almost giving chase in response.However, Gwyneth's warning seems to echo in her ears, forcing her to stop right then even though she kept her eyes fixed stubbornly on Gwyneth.Outside, Gwyneth stopped in her tracks as Liam alighted from the black car, looking dashing as always.Helen had done her investigation thoroughly enough to know that Liam was Gwyneth's legally married husband, and their marriage was a loving one.Was he the reason why Gwyneth refused to admit that she was Nikii? Because she did not want him to know that she was Niki?Helen was pensive but could not come up with any other reason aside from Liam.On the other hand, Gwyneth was fidgeting endlessly even as they sat together in the car, worried that Liam would suddenly ask questions she could not answer.Fortunately, he appeared neutral and was not curious, only asking after her. He