As Lily and her team walked away, Merissa's shoulders sagged, finally recognising Celina as their senior and the person who stood up for Lily at the restaurant the other day. She clenched her fist and glared at their retreating figures with a deep-seated hatred.Mrs. Smith, who had also taken time to digest the scene and the information she had just seen and heard, turned to her daughter with a confused expression."Since when has Lily been moving with those kinds of people? Why did you break off the friendship, knowing she had such a connection? Or is that not the young Miss of William's family?" She asked while silently accusing her daughter of being slow.'Why would you break off such a friendship that could connect the family to higher status,' was her initial question, but seeing how people were paying attention to them, she changed it.Merissa pursed her lips and folded her arms. "Who knows? I bet she slept her way in there; after all, what else could she have offered? She is no
"You can pick any fabric and items of your choice. However, your usage will be among the things judged during the sewing stage, so it is advised you pick the things you actually need and nothing else," the guide explained, leaving them surprised."Are we having a sewing competition too?" Avon asked curiously, and the guide chuckled."The process will be recorded, and the outcome will be judged before it goes onto the runway," the guide replied."Every team member will be judged by the expert in their field: the designer, the tailor, and the model. Any cloth that doesn't pass the sewing stage will not be allowed on the runway, it's to protect the reputation of the company you all are representing," the guide explained further, and Avon nodded in understanding."I better put on my best game; I wouldn't want to lose to our team's designer," he voiced with a chuckle, and he walked into the store to pick the fabrics."Why is this so intense, though? I thought it was just a fashion show for
"Alright! We have come to the end of this segment for today! How you all had fun while creating your masterpiece," the host chuckled as the second alarm went off, signalling the end of the sewing segment. The group of seamsters and seamstresses walked out of their workspace, some looking tired and others looking relaxed and calm.Those whose work was not completed felt a chill down their spine and those who were able to complete it in time let out a sigh of relief.Everyone stood by their workspace in anticipation of the judges' criticism and observations."Display your end products please," Ivan, the first judge announced and the representatives brought out their mannequins.Starting from the first team, the judges began to inspect their sewing works."I appreciated the effort put into this piece. Your technique shows your familiarity with your work. However, probably due to the pressure you were under, your stitches are quite sloppy and unattractive and the fabric you picked is not
Sinful: I have finished the first sample but I need you to test it and you'll have to give feedback for further improvement or bug removal. I've only run a stimulation test and so far it's great.Mark, who had just finished his night shower, heard his private computer go off with the special notification sound he had set for Sinful and hurriedly discarded the towel in his hand before going to check out the message she sent.Seeing the green light beside the name, he felt somewhat excited to finally Sinful online. Reading the message, he immediately got into a business mood; the fatigue he felt from his long day had disappeared as his fingers touched the keyboard.Alpha: I've prepared the hardware and other things that are needed. Testing it should not be difficult. My team will be ready to do the installation and the testing when you send it.He replied and sighed, "It was a good thing I asked them to produce the hardware earlier. How are they this fast with the programming? It's onl
"What's going on? Why are all your faces dark and gloomy? Did someone pull at your inverse scale or something?" Lily asked as she and Avon returned to their room after finalising the finishing touches for the outfits that would be modelled tomorrow night, only to see the rest of their teammates sitting around the room with angry faces."Did something happen while we were away? Was it Evie and her group? Or some other people?" Avon pressed, feeling curious as to what might have caused the tense atmosphere in the room."It's them, alright! I can tell they are the ones who would do something like this just so they would win! It's not the first time Evie has ever pulled such a stunt! I'm going to tear that bitch's head off when I next see her!" Celina gritted out angrily as she continued to scroll through the show's page, reading the negative comments she had been tagged with.Lily pursed her lips, already having a feeling of what might be the problem. She walked into the room and casuall
"She's trending again. Are you sure it's a good idea to leave her on your team? Bad media is not good for you or the company you know. Those rivals are always watching, looking for a way to bring others down, and we can't afford to behave badly," Mrs. William voiced exasperatedly as she spoke to Celina over the phone the following morning."Mom, she did not do any of those things!" Celina argued."You know she didn't do it, and I believe you, Lina. But the internet is different. They believe everything they see, and even when you eventually clear your name, it's not the same because there are people who choose to believe the bad things about others," Mrs. Williams explained, and Celina sighed."Even then we can't just change teammates in the middle of the show; that shows unprofessionalism, and then we drop her and her name is cleared, then what? Would we apologise to her? Come on, Mom, you know whether we get involved or not, those hyenas would find something to claw in and make it b
A smashing sound resounded through the room as Freya, Evie's assistant's phone, came into contact with the wall, shattering at the great impact. Freya flinched and glared down at her feet, unable to voice her dissatisfaction with the seething Evie, who had thrown the device. "Who the fuck is this 'Just a concerned citizen'?" Evie screamed angrily while flailing her hands in all directions."The account is newly created, and we have not been able to find the poster's IP address; it's been redirecting us every time we checked. Which means it was created by a hacker or someone very proficient with internet networking," Dan, the PR staff assigned to Evie for the show, explained, and Evie sneered."Then try harder! You have to fucking try harder and take down that post before the runway show tonight!" She demanded. Evie bit her nails anxiously as she walked back and forth. She had tried to get help from her family to clear the post, but immediately she put the call through to her father
Lily walked into the waiting room attached to the runway stage to see her team having a heated staredown with Evie's team. Her brows furrowed as she continued to walk in."What's going on?" She asked and stood beside Celina and Avon."Oh, you are here; we've been waiting for you," Mila declared with a polite smile as she turned to the confused-looking Lily.Lily raised her brows and asked, "Who are you? What do you want with me?" She demanded coldly as she saw Evie standing behind the rest of her team with an indifferent expression. "I'm Mila, the female model for team six," Mila introduced, and Lily nodded in acknowledgement."We wanted to apologise to you for the post circulating on the internet; it was immature of us to attack you that way," she explained, and Lily's frown deepened while she pretended she wasn't aware of what was going on."What are you talking about? Wasn't the post made by an internet user? What has that got to do with you and your team?" She asked with a confus
"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