"Ugh, I'm so tired!" Lily groaned as she flopped on the couch in Bryan's office the next day. She covered her face with her palm, trying to spit out the sun that was causing her headache."Well, that much is expected since you spent the whole night in an upper-class banquet; how was it?" Bryan replied without taking his eyes off the files he had been working on before she walked in."It was okay, not as lit as the one I used to host back then, but fair enough." She replied with a shrug. "I made some amazing connections and I met some annoying people, but overall the purpose of going as Mark's date was met, with a little more profit, might I add," she added with a small chuckle as Rose's annoyed face flashed through her mind."I take it you met a new opponent?" Bryan asked knowingly, and Lily chuckled."Do you take me for a troublesome person?" She asked with a raised brow, and Bryan scoffed."You and your mom have too much similarity for me not to know what that dreamy look on your fa
"Good morning, Miss Lily," Mr. Wallace greeted as Lily walked into his office carrying two cups of steaming hot coffee."You look exhausted," she chuckled, and she set a cup before him. With a nod, he picked up the coffee cup and carefully took a sip. "How is it going?" She asked."I called you here because I've been able to rope Drake Gibson to our side. He's agreed to work with us on a contract term of two years," Mr Wallace explained as he passed Drake's file to Lily."That sounds suspicious," Lily muttered. "I wasn't expecting him to agree that readily. What did you offer?"Hearing her words, Mr. Wallace scrunched up his nose before letting out a small laugh. "I didn't offer anything out of the ordinary. It was the salary we both agreed on previously and yes, he rejected it at first," he explained."So what changed?" Lily asked with raised brows."I showed him half of the game blueprints you made, and he was hooked and even offered to be on the project with a slash in his payment,
As Lily's car came to a stop in front of her studio, another car parked right behind her and waited until she came down before turning off the light.Frederick stepped out of his car and looked around before approaching her with an obvious forced smile. "What a coincidence, I wasn't expecting to run into you here again, Miss Lily. How have you been?" he greeted, his voice sounding calm yet arrogant."I wouldn't call it a coincidence, Mr. Frederick," Lily replied with a smile of her own. "You've been following me since I left Starlite Cooperation after all.""Makes me wonder if there is something you want from me," she added with a little edge to her tone, silently sending him a warning."You don't have to be on edge around me; I was just curious about the woman who caught my cousin's attention," he replied. "You look beautiful but nothing special, so how did you get his attention?" He asked with a smirk making Lily duke in annoyance."Do you perhaps have a collaboration with Starlite
After her dinner with Celina, Lily went back to a newly rented apartment close to the studio. With the studio enlargement, she cleared out the living area of the studio and made it into a large showroom for their products. She had no intention to continue living in the school building, so she decided to rent a small apartment close to the studio and the academy to ease her mobility while also giving her some privacy. Upon arrival, she showered before getting to work on the blueprints given to her by Bryan. Lily had been studying the blueprint since she had received it from him. And the more she studied it, the more she realised she only knew a little about her mother and her work. All the technology used in creating the vault was so advanced that it dwarfed all her experiences for both lifetimes. She could understand why the system had insisted she learn something new if she wanted to tackle the vault. And although she had a lot on her hands, there was indeed a need to advance he
"What's going on here?" Lily demanded as she walked into Lily's fashion to see the place in total disarray, with several people holding up their cameras and Alana standing in the middle with a lady dressed in high-end outfits and expensive jewellery.Lily's eyes were met by Alana's frustrated ones, and she quietly walked to the middle. "Are you the manager here?" The rich second-generation lady asked arrogantly. Her face filled with contempt as she glared at Lily, who was dressed in a simple sweatshirt, and joggers and had just returned from her evening jog."Yes, I am Lily, the owner of this place," Lily replied. "How may I be of help?" She hacked politely, and the lady sneaked out, giving her a disgusted look."I see," she drew out without making any effort to continue her words.Bewildered, Lily turned to Alana with a raised brow, and the other began to explain. "She is a fashion influencer, and she works here, offering to advertise our products, and as a repayment, we have to give
As the crowd dispersed, Lily let out a heavy sigh as she sank into a chair in the reception area, her body still sore from the long jog she had done. Alana handed her a cup of water, brows furrowed in concern and annoyance."I'm sorry for making you witness that scene," Alana apologised, her voice filled with frustration. "I tried to handle it calmly, but they took it too far, and those extra people just stormed in."Lily took a sip of water, shaking her head. "It's alright. We'll have to get used to situations like this. It won't be the last time." She replied. "In fact, I'm expecting this group to be back anytime soon. Just make sure you keep an eye out.""You were definitely targeted," Light pointed out as he climbed down the stairs with a sandwich in one hand and a cola in the other; his eyes narrowed with concern upon seeing how they had trashed the whole place up. "Bron is notorious for stirring up trouble online. Did you cross anyone recently?"Lily's brow furrowed as she recal
"I heard Roseline came back earlier than scheduled; have you two planned a date yet?" Jessica Watson, Mark's mother, asked as he fed her a bowl of chicken soup. Mark let out a sigh, knowing that it was going to be another long night of discussion with his sick mother. "We haven't," he replied calmly as he scooped another spoonful of broth. She turned her face away from the spoon, brows furrowed in annoyance. "And why not?" She demanded."And don't give me the crap about you being busy with no time to spare," she hissed. "You could make some time for a girl that came back to the country just for you!" "I trained you better than to treat a woman so poorly!" she reprimanded.Knowing she would no longer accept the soup from him, he set it on the stool and gently helped her wipe the stains on her mouth. "I really have been busy," he replied. "And I have made it clear several times and again that I do not like Roseline," he clarified, further making her annoyed.She glared at him while
User 1: 'Oh, my goodness! It finally launched!!! It was freaking expensive but I got the pod!' Game freak: 'I also got mine today!!!'Do not disturb: 'You already got yours? How? Where? When?!'Carry me: "Ahhhh! This is crazy! The pod is so comfortable, and it has a massage function too! I feel so relaxed lying inside it!" I live for the thrill: What?!!!!!! Did you see all those buttons? Did you see all the functions? What do you mean I can game all night and my body and brain will feel so relaxed as if I had the whole night's sleep?Be warned: Well, it also has a function to kick you out after you spent more than forty-eight hours in the game without a break. This feature is very good if you ask me. And it's only one person per account, you can't have multiple accounts on one pod.Hoping on life: When is the game officially going to open? When can we start playing? How do I get the pod @alphatechDave the Rave: Oh. Well, Alpha Tech is not the main producer of the game. They are jus
"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