Mr Smith's blood boiled with anger as he scrolled through the students' platform. The more comments he read, the more his hand tightened around the armrest. His round face flushed in anger and you could see the imaginary smoke coming out of his ears and nose.He had been in a meeting, setting a business deal with an important client when he got a call from the Stark family, demanding an explanation about the rumour!"Yes! Rumour It should only ever be a rumour or else!" He threatened coldly and the servants and everyone around him flinched in fear."Try to calm down, you can't believe everything that is going on online! You should try and trust your daughter, she could never do such a thing," Mrs Smith voiced, trying to get her husband to calm down before their daughter returned home. Knowing his temper, she was scared he'd do something that would hurt her. "You expect me to calm down in this situation? The Stark family is trying to break off the engagement and they have threatened
"Are you alright?" Chloe asked worriedly while checking Lily for any physical pain or discomfort. Helplessly, Lily gave a nod for the tenth time since they got home."I am fine, Mom, nothing is wrong with me," she replied."You were going through such a thing, you should have called us! No one can bully my daughter like that and go scot-free!" Chloe fumed angrily."Even that young man, how could you fall in love with such a scumbag? He is nothing but a useless and a fickle-minded idiot!" She continued."I was not in love with him," Lily confessed. It was not a lie, the original Lily, according to her memories, only liked Zach, and she was not in love with him. It was only natural that the bit of likeness would disappear when Victoria replaced her."My daughter has truly suffered outside! Look at you, you have lost so much weight, that your clothes barely fit. I should make a lot of nutritious food for you to take back with you, are you staying the night? You should," Chloe rants, feel
"You want me to apologise to her? On the school platform?" Merissa asked in bewilderment while looking from her father's stoic face to her mother's solemn one, unable to believe her ears she repeated the question."Really?""Yes, you'll have to apologise using your actual profile. It would be good if you did a video, instead of a write-up," Mr Smith replied and Merissa's face turned pale."Father! Why would I have to bow my head to the likes of her? Can't you just settle their family with some money and then have them take the post down? They are the ones that need to apologise to us, not the other way around!" She whined."We can't. You saw the way they reacted yesterday. And even now, the whole thing has escalated beyond what we can control and to settle it, we will need you to apologise to her," Mrs Smith explained calmly."But mother! If I apologise to her, then it would mean I am admitting to doing what she said!" Merissa voiced and Mr Smith scowled."Did you not do them? Did you
"Oh! You are here!" Celina exclaimed as she pulled open the door to see Lily standing by the door awkwardly."Hello!" Lily greeted with an awkward smile, feeling the eyes of those walking by on her. Celina chuckled as she noticed how uncomfortable Lily was, she pulled her into the executive dorm and closed the door behind her."I'm sorry for bringing you here this late," Celina breathed out. "There was no one else I could call," she added."It's fine, I had nothing to do tonight anyway. Is there a reason you have called me here though? And did those securities know I was coming beforehand?" Lily asked curiously."Yes, I told them you would stop by," Celina explained."Oh, that explains it, I was wondering why they casually allowed me into the executive building without question." Lily chuckled as she sat on the couch. She looked around the room, feeling impressed by the extravagant yet simple decorations used."So, the Paris event has been brought forward and it will be taking place
Merissa screamed angrily as she threw her phone across the room. Her face flushed with a bright shade of red, showing how angered she was."Lily!" She gritted out with a cold and malicious tone."I will ruin your life just like you have done to mine! I will make you regret your existence!" She declared. Mrs Smith pushed open the door after knocking twice without any reply. She paused at the door as she noticed Merissa's disoriented appearance and puffy eyes."Mom!" Merissa choked up as she noticed her mother's presence in the room."Did something happen during the dinner with the Stark? Your father has been angry since you two returned," Mrs Smith asked curiously. "Was the deal cancelled?" She asked, making Merissa who had just managed to reign in her tears burst out crying again."I don't want to marry into the Stark family again. My life will be miserable there!" She cried out and Mrs Smith felt an ache in her heart."Tell me, what happened?" She probed as Merissa narrated the din
"Hello, you must be Lily, Celina told me a lot about you," Mrs William greeted as Lily entered William's home. "Hello, Mrs William, I am Lily, Miss Celina's junior," Lily greeted with a polite smile, making the older woman smile."You don't have to be nervous or overly polite with me. Come on in, the others are here." Mrs William beckoned as she led Lily into a large hall where two males that looked to be around the same age as Lily and a middle-aged man were already waiting."These are the other members of your team, try to mingle and get to know one another. Celina will be with you shortly." Mrs William smiled and left.Lily stood awkwardly by the door as all three pairs of eyes were fixated on her, some with curiosity and others with plain acknowledgement. "You are the protagonist of that fashion school gossip, aren't you?" The shorter guy with long and curly black hair asked, his question taking Lily by surprise."I don't think that's the kind of questions you ask people when yo
"Welcome to the Paris fashion show of the year!" The host announced and cheers erupted through the hall as the audience clapped with enthusiasm. "As you all know, this event is held once every year ranging from three days to one month and this year we have something more exciting to add!" he added and the audience cheered even more. "Alright! This year we've seen a lot of business growth fashionistas. We are proud to announce to you that seven companies are participating in this event this year. Each company has a representative for both senior and junior segments!""These are the list of the companies participating in this year's fashion show! First, we have our three big sponsors, Gefine, Lam and Brianz. And then there is Apil, Maxi, Gaven's and PeenPii...""Huh! I always hate the introduction part of these events. It's always so boring and too long. I would not have attended this part if it weren't for Mrs Williams insisting," Avon complained while making a disgruntled face. "Sh
"You still have not gotten in contact with the expert who developed the Waves software?" Chairman Watson, Mark's grandfather asked with a dissatisfied tone as he poured himself a cup of freshly brewed tea."They told me they had some other commitments and it takes them a while to settle it," Mark replied calmly, unbothered by the old man's temper."And you let them off just like that? What if they are going to work for another company? What should we do by then? For those genius experts, their newest works are always better than the last one and you know what that means when our rivals get them to work for them?" The old man argued, his face contoured in annoyance as he glared at his grandson.Despite Mark being his favourite amongst his children and grandchildren, Chairman Watson forgets the favouritism when the group business is involved. Mark smiled and picked up a cup of tea. "You have nothing to worry about, I already have a project planned with them and it is scheduled to begin
"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