Lily let out a soulless laugh at Rosaline's words, her eyes stained with unshed tears. Rosaline, on the other hand, scowled at her while looking around them to see if people were watching.Wiping away the tears that gathered, Lily cleared her throat, and her lips spread in an amused smile. "You crack me up, Missy," she breathed out. "You think your little threat will faze me?""What do you want?" Rosaline asked, trying to maintain her calm despite the anger and shame she was feeling."Me? What do I want? From you?" Lily asked with a frown while sitting upright. "You came to me; I should ask you that question. And I don't want anything from you," Lily said with confidence. "There is nothing you can offer me that I do not have," she added, her tone full of pride and arrogance while giving Roseline a condescending look.Roseline, realising there was no way she would be winning the argument against Lily, sneered in anger, picked up her wine, and threw it on herself while screaming to get
Lily waved the two good night, knowing full well tonight's scene would be all over the media by the time she woke up the following day.Letting out a sigh, she closed the door behind her and groaned, "I've appeared in the media this year more than I did all through my life as Victoria.""Of course, there is always a reference when you've already reached the top and when you are just coming up," Bryan replied and started the car. "I got your message.""I thought you said you were out of the country; how come you are here tonight?" They said at the same time, followed by a moment of silence to allow each other to talk before continuing."Father called me home," Bryan provided. "It wasn't something much so I didn't have to stay longer than necessary. So what's that about your message?" He urged impatiently."Well, I have built that lock system you sent in a virtual space. Most things went smoothly, but something is still missing, and I might need to see the real thing for myself to know
"Hey," Mark greeted as Lily pulled open her door the following morning to see him standing with a basket of what seemed to be like breakfast and a bouquet of white and pink roses with other mixtures of flowers in it.A small smile appeared on her lips, reflecting how warm she was feeling on the inside as she realised the effort he had put into making such a romantic gesture."Good morning, Mark," she greeted, stepping aside to allow him entry into her apartment. "This is quite the surprise."Mark returned her smile, a hint of nervousness in his expression as he stepped into the apartment. He looked at the place, liking how simple but cosy it felt. "I just wanted to apologise for last night." He started "Mr. Roux was right; if I had dealt with the situation earlier, you wouldn't have had such an encounter with Roseline. I'm sorry," he apologised.Lily let out a small chuckle as she led him to the dining area. She gestured for him to sit while she brought out plates for breakfast. "Th
"What was that stupid stunt you pulled the other night?" Frederick demanded, his tone cold and filled with anger as he walked into the private booth to see Roseline already waiting for him.Roseline frowned as she adjusted her jacket while crossing her legs over the other. "I don't understand what you are talking about," she huffed, and Frederick glared at her impatiently."Why would you go confront Lily like that?! You didn't just trash her studio; you even had the boldness to meet up and try to frame her?!" Frederick exclaimed. "How could you do something like that?!"Roseline's eyes narrowed as she met Frederick's furious gaze. Her voice remained calm yet held an edge of defiance as she responded, "Are you on her side?" She asked."I'm on your side!" Frederick grunted out. "You went behind me to do all those things. You think she's just some nobody you can bully around?""She's just a start-up fashion designer; what's there to be upset about?" Roseline huffed in annoyance, hating
"It's been a while since I've been here, and the atmosphere looks even more busy than the last time," Lily noted as she walked into Mr. Wallace's office.Her brow shot up in surprise as she took in the huge stack of files on his table and how overworked he appeared to be with his tired eyes and hug under-eye bags. "Please tell me you get a few days off in a week," she voiced worriedly and took her seat in front of him."Well, I'm supposed to, but I've not been able to do so these few weeks," Mr. Wallace replied. "On the brighter side, I've learnt to stay hydrated with water instead of other sugary drinks." He added, making Lily worry even more."Okay! Okay! You can pack up and leave now. You'll resume three days later," she encouraged hastily. "I will not have my employees overwork to this extent. You look like a homeless madman despite the expensive suit you are wearing!""I'm fine, I promise," Mr. Wallace sighed. "Let's discuss why I've called you here today, and then maybe I can t
Lily let out a groan as she read the reminder from Dark Star about his last work. Somehow, she had pushed the work out of her mind almost immediately after she had gotten it.However, having been reminded of it, she read through their chat again to refresh her memories of the job description."Investigate a hacker… ok?" She muttered to herself as she continued to read. "I still don't understand why I'm the one who wants to do such a simple job but anything for the money... and the opportunity to screw them over, I guess?"Without wasting time, she logs into the Hamilton's company security system, navigating through the angles and corners, trying to find the traces of the hacker and what they had done or undone."It's pretty easy to break in though," she commented with a frown. "How long ago have they updated the security system around their database?"Lily's fingers danced across the keyboard as she delved deeper into Hamilton's security system. The ease with which she navigated the n
"Hey," Lily waved shyly as Mark's car came to a stop in front of her studio. Mark smiled and got down from the car, dressed in a casual black dress shirt and pants.He reached into the back seat of his car and brought out a bouquet and a box of sweets. Mark approached Lily with a bright smile, his eyes warm and inviting as he took in the sight of her."Hey there," he greeted her, his voice smooth and comforting. "You look lovely tonight."Lily blushed, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink as she accepted the bouquet and the box of sweets. "Thank you," she replied, her voice tinged with a hint of nervousness as she took a sniff of the flower. "These are beautiful." She compliments."Not as beautiful as you," Mark replied, his tone sincere. "I thought we could start the evening with a little sweetness."Lily smiled, her eyes bright with excitement as she opened the box of sweets, the tantalising aroma wafting between them. "This is perfect," she murmured, selecting a delicate choco
"What's wrong with you?" Frederick asked with a frown as Roseline stormed into his office with a flushed face, slamming the door behind her without a care.Roseline, not saying a thing in reply to his question, dropped her bag and walked towards his wine shelf to serve herself a drink. "I'm glad you are comfortable enough to waltz around here like you own the place," Frederick hissed, his tone full of sarcasm and annoyance."They spent last night together," Roseline gritted out after downing the whole glass of wine. Reaching to serve herself another glass, she decided against it and took the whole bottle with her as she sat on the couch opposite Frederick's working area."You are talking about Mark and Lily, right?" Frederick asked with raised brows as he relaxed into his chair, and Roseline nodded in reply before taking a big gulp of wine. She scowled as the pictures she had received resurfaced in her mind. "Mark hasn't slept outside his home, not even at his parent's since he move
"Is that Mark's private car?" Lily asked with a frown as she watched the video gotten from the camera close to the factory address sent to her.{The plate number index matches that of Mark's private car. However, this video was made about three weeks ago.}Frowning, Lily replayed the video again. It was a car driving on a highway in the middle of the night. Seeing the date, she recalled she had a date with Mark that night and after he had hurried off. All through their time together, it was even more restless than usual. "Is this all you found?" {There is a similar video of him returning back to the city. But he hasn't gone back to the factory after that.}She jumped off her chair, got changed into a comfortable sweatshirt and pants, and a black sneaker. She picked a small hiking backpack from the closet and her wallet as she exited her apartment.{You are going to the factory?}"Yes," Lily replied calmly. "I at least need to figure out why they sent the note even if I don't know w
"Can you arrange a meeting with Annabelle Wilson?" As she sent the message, Bryan replied almost immediately. Lily glanced at Bryan's text and smirked. "De Ox tonight, between 8 PM and 9 PM. Perfect."She quickly tapped out a reply: Thanks. It's such perfect timing.Bryan: Need help?Lily: I'll be fine on my own. With her plan in motion, Lily pulled up the files containing Henry's promiscuity, one she had meticulously prepared for Henry’s misdeeds. Photos, text messages, and financial transactions—everything she needed to plant the seed of doubt in Annabelle’s mind was compiled neatly in a folder.At exactly 8:15, Lily walked into the dimly lit lounge, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. She gave off an air of confidence, dressed in a sleek black dress that hinted at authority and poise. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Annabelle Wilson—a striking woman in her early forties, elegantly dressed in a champagne-coloured gown.Annabelle looked up as Lily a
"I think now is the perfect time to get the computer," Lily announced over the phone. "Given the news about his wife's scandal, Henry and William will be too busy to guard the company like a guard dog." "You want me to send people in there pretending to be electricians to retrieve the computer?" Bryan asked, and Lily hummed. "It will be a bit difficult for me to retrieve it at the moment." Lily replied. "Heard you've not been out of your apartment since the announcement. That's a week ago; that's unhealthy." Bryan sighed. "I'll come pick you up later today, and then we can discuss whatever your plans are." "There won't be a need for that," Lily gritted out as she worked away on her laptop. "I can't afford to be distracted right now.""Is this about Mark's engagement to Roseline?" Bryan asked, making Lily pause as her eyes narrowed at the screen of her laptop. "This has nothing to do with Mark or his engagement." She breathed out, massaging her forehead as she felt her eyes stingi
Lily walked into the living room with an extra sway in her hips as she remembered the event from the previous night. A small smile played on her lips, feeling giddy and excited about the news from the previous night's banquet. She picked up the remote and turned on the TV while waiting for the news with a warm cup of tea in hand. However, instead of the scandal she was expecting, she was met with Mark and Roseline's red carpet photos. Frowning, she turned up the volume just in time for the reporter to announce:"Next on the line of news is Mark Watson, the newly appointed CEO of the Watson Group. The genius businessman has finally announced his engagement with Roseline Anderson, the popular A-list actress."Lily’s smile froze, the warmth from her tea doing little to quell the chill that spread through her chest. Her hand tightened around the cup as she stared at the screen, unable to believe what she was hearing.“Engaged?” She whispered, her voice shaky. “That’s not possible.”The
{Now we wait.} "Can you hack into the security cameras around here?" Lily asked as she returned to the main banquet, still holding the glass of wine in hand. As she walked in, she noticed Henry looking around the hall with a furrowed brow. His shoulders tense and his fingers tightly wrapped around the wine glass. She scowled, her eyes narrowing as she lifted the new wine glass to her lips just in time for Henry to look her way. He visibly breathed out a sigh of relief while his eyes held expectations at seeing her take the drink. {You should know that's a piece of cake. You want me to monitor Kate's movement?} "Yes, get the recordings and send them to the media. I want it to be the first news tomorrow morning."{Consider it done, my lady.}"How long will it take you to hack it?" Lily asked as she began walking towards the toilet area, where she could easily escape the crowd and get out of the banquet.{By the time you make it out, I'll be done.}"I need to pretend I'm affected by
"We got an invite from Hamilton to attend their end of the year banquet," Mr. Wallace reported as he gave the invite to Lily. Lily accepted the invitation, her eyes scanning the elegant gold-embossed card. The Hamilton End-of-Year Banquet—a perfect stage for her next move. She set the card down on her desk and looked up at Mr. Wallace, her expression neutral but calculating."Who else from the company received an invitation?" she asked."Just you, Miss Turner. It’s marked as a ‘personal guest’ invite," Wallace replied. "Of course it is. Henry wouldn’t miss the chance to match me with his son." Lily snickered as she read the details of the invite. Wallace hesitated, his expression full of worry. "Do you plan on attending? It’s bound to be a huge event, and given the recent public opinion about them, it may affect the image of our company if you are seen mingling with them." Lily chuckled softly at Wallace's concern, leaning back in her chair. "The Hamiltons love theatrics. If Henry
"Can you arrange a meeting with Annabelle Wilson?" As she sent the message, Bryan replied almost immediately. Lily glanced at Bryan's text and smirked. "De Ox tonight, between 8 PM and 9 PM. Perfect."She quickly tapped out a reply: Thanks. It's such perfect timing.Bryan: Need help?Lily: I'll be fine on my own. With her plan in motion, Lily pulled up the files containing Henry's promiscuity, one she had meticulously prepared for Henry’s misdeeds. Photos, text messages, and financial transactions—everything she needed to plant the seed of doubt in Annabelle’s mind was compiled neatly in a folder.At exactly 8:15, Lily walked into the dimly lit lounge, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. She gave off an air of confidence, dressed in a sleek black dress that hinted at authority and poise. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Annabelle Wilson—a striking woman in her early forties, elegantly dressed in a champagne-coloured gown.Annabelle looked up as Lily a
"All the traces of the investigation and the clue we've gotten so far lead towards the Andersons," Dexter announced, his voice muffled over the shuffling of documents on the phone. "But we haven't gotten any conclusive evidence that will have them legally checked yet which is why I am saying we are in a dead end." "There should be something you are missing," Mark replied as he shrugged off his jacket, his eyes narrowing on the opened file on his laptop. Despite staring at it, none of the words registered in his mind. After his altercation with his mother, the one that landed her in the hospital, he had been focusing his attention on the investigation. And as if a higher power was involved and supporting them, they were able to have several breakthroughs. However, despite the evidence they've gathered, none of it was solid enough for them to point fingers. Dexter let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, Mark, I’ve tried hacking into their financials, their private communications, even th
"I'll advise you to let go of your stubbornness and pay the money for the costume," David breathed out, his voice strained as he messaged his temple, trying to ease out the build up tension from the past few days. It's been three days of constant back and forth with Lily's Fashion team and his PR team about the issue of the costume, and despite knowing Roseline had been the one at fault, he had tried to play the game in the way that would benefit them. Who would have known that the person behind Lily was someone strong enough to throw his crap back in his face. His eye twitched in annoyance as he noticed there is another topic about the issue trending on almost all special media. To make matters worse, the other side didn't even hire internet trolls to boost the popularity of the whole fiasco. Instead, the situation had attracted enough audience purely based on Roseline's and Lily's reputation. One is the award winning actress from a wealthy family and the other is the winner of