Lara curled her lips into a suggestive smile. ‘But I guess every cloud has a silver lining, huh? Now that you’ve become good friends with Mr Wilde, you’ll have a solid foothold in our company.’The way she emphasised the words ‘good friends’ left Alessia in no doubt about what kind of relationship Lara thought she had with Logan.She choked on the water she had been drinking, coughing uncontrollably.Lara asked, ‘Are you okay? Sorry about that.’Alessia finally managed to catch her breath. ‘It’s fine. I just choked.’Unfazed, Lara continued with her inquiry, curiosity burning in her eyes. ‘So, Alessia, where did you go with Mr Wilde today?’‘It’s a house somewhere on the outskirts of the city, I guess,’ Alessia said, eager to end the conversation.‘And what did you do?’ Lara prodded, undeterred by Alessia’s lack of enthusiasm.Alessia hadn’t expected Lara to be so nosy.‘We had a brief chat. I apologised sincerely, and that was that.’Lara was clearly unconvinced, her gaze fixed on Al
Plucking up his courage, Terence added, ‘If you genuinely desire someone’s company, there must be a better way, sir.’Logan glared at Terence, his displeasure palpable.‘D*mn, I’m so getting fired today,’ the assistant thought to himself. ‘Maybe it’s time to polish up that resume.’‘Get lost!’ Logan roared.Hastily, Terence made himself scarce.He returned to his own office and wondered if he should start looking for a new job.Mr Logan Wilde was a generous boss, but his mercurial moods made it hard for his employees to anticipate his demands.Just as the assistant was lost in his thoughts, his phone abruptly rang, jolting him back to reality.He picked up the call. ‘Wilde Enterprises. How may I help you?’A female voice came through the line. ‘Mr Baird, this is Olivia Anderson. I would like to see your boss.’Terence arched an eyebrow, recognising the name. ‘Miss Anderson, I’m sorry, but Mr Wilde is not available at the moment.’Undeterred, Olivia persisted. ‘Your boss must have hear
Alessia took a deep breath and reluctantly acquiesced. ‘Fine, I’ll go with you.’Soon, they arrived at the waiting van, where one of the bodyguards pulled open the sliding door.Sitting in the middle of the back row, radiating an air of arrogance, was Olivia Anderson.Her disdainful gaze locked onto Alessia, and she greeted her with a sardonic smile. ‘Miss Jansen, we meet again.’The actress leaned back against the headrest, her visage adorned with intricate makeup that accentuated her elegance.Alessia observed her carefully, knowing all too well that the recent scandal had only bolstered Olivia’s position in the industry.Misunderstood as Logan Wilde’s secret lover, Olivia had effortlessly cemented her place in the show business world, reaping the benefits of her association with the young and successful entrepreneur.Alessia maintained a composed exterior, neither humble nor pushy, as she prepared herself for the impending confrontation. ‘Miss Anderson, what can I do for you?’‘Com
Alessia couldn’t help but find the situation absurdly amusing. ‘If you can dish it out, why can’t you take it?’A surge of fury shot through Olivia. ‘You insolent little—’ she began, only to be interrupted by Alessia’s cool and collected response.‘What? Were you expecting me to just take it and turn the other cheek?’ Alessia shot back, her own anger rising.Today had been a day of unexpected slaps—one from Jeramy Chavez and now one from Olivia Anderson.If she didn’t stand up for herself, they would continue to trample all over her.Olivia, her voice quivering, pointed an accusatory finger at Alessia. ‘But you slapped me twice!’Alessia smirked, a glimmer of satisfaction dancing in her eyes. ‘Consider the second slap as interest,’ she quipped.Roaring with rage, Olivia raised her hand once more, determined to deliver another blow.However, Alessia had anticipated this move.As Olivia’s hand descended, Alessia swiftly intercepted, catching Olivia’s wrist in a vice-like grip.The space
Alessia stepped back quickly before the bodyguards could make a grab for her phone. ‘Don’t bother. It’s already uploaded to my mailbox and cloud drive. If you dare lay a finger on me, I’ll send a copy of the recording to every news outlet in Veridian. In less than twelve hours, the entire city will know your true colours.’Olivia’s voice reverberated with fury. ‘You wouldn’t dare!’‘Release me,’ Alessia’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. ‘And I’ll pretend this never happened.’Olivia hesitated, pride and suspicion warring within her. ‘How can I trust you to keep your word?’Alessia’s lips curled into a sly smile. ‘Do you really have any other choice?’Olivia clenched her teeth, torn between her options.Should she release Alessia and risk the exposure of her own dark secrets?Panic surged through her as she spotted Logan’s figure in the distance.Desperation engulfed her as she ran toward him, her voice wrought with desperation. ‘Logan! Jansen set me up, got me recorded. Please,
Olivia’s eyes searched Logan’s ruthless face, her hands clenched tightly.Suddenly, a smile crept across her lips, dispersing the tears that had threatened to spill.She had always been a skilled actress.‘Well, Mr Wilde, I admit my mistake. I won’t cross any boundaries again,’ Olivia said, her tone composed and respectful.Alessia watched the scene unfold, her emotions oscillating between anxiety and awe.Olivia’s ability to switch from teary-eyed vulnerability to an ice-cold demeanour left Alessia both impressed and intimidated.Logan’s gaze lingered on Olivia, his expression cold and unforgiving. ‘Make sure you understand your place and act accordingly in the future.’Olivia mustered a smile, her head bowed slightly. ‘Mr Wilde, I was wondering if you could give me another chance to represent your company. I truly need this job.’A flicker of something flashed in Logan’s eyes, his gaze penetrating as he studied Olivia.After a long pause, he finally responded, his voice leaving no r
Logan stared at Alessia intently.Then he got out of the car and said to his assistant, ‘Terence, take Miss Jansen home, and make sure you verify her marriage certificate. If she fails to produce it, consider yourself fired.’Terence’s eyes widened in shock. ‘But, sir, I—’Alessia, too, was stunned by the order.Swiftly exiting the car, Alessia confronted Logan with a pale face, her voice trembling, ‘Logan, I won’t show your assistant my marriage certificate.’‘You won’t, or you can’t?’ Logan seemed to see right through her. ‘You can’t show it because you don’t have one, do you?’Alessia’s complexion paled further, her strength faltering. ‘W-who said I don’t have one?’Logan’s lips curled into a knowing smirk. ‘Then why are you stuttering?’‘No! I... I didn’t,’ Alessia stammered, her attempts to defend herself only exacerbating her nervousness.‘No?’ Logan chuckled, his voice dripping with sardonic amusement. ‘No stutter, or no marriage certificate?’Alessia was at a loss for words.H
‘Urgh!’ Alessia groaned, frustration etched on her face as she sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time that night.She was sitting at the kitchen table, her laptop open in front of her, surrounded by stacks of papers and empty coffee cups.Milo, her precocious five-year-old son, looked up from his book, ‘The Art of Electronics,’ curiosity twinkling in his eyes.Finally unable to contain himself, he blurted out, ‘Mommy, are you in love?’Alessia snapped out of her daze and stared at Milo, her surprise evident. ‘What? What did you just say?’Milo maintained his serious expression, studying his mother intently. ‘Mommy, what kind of person is he?’Alessia was taken aback once again, her mind racing to comprehend her son’s sudden curiosity about her love life.But Milo had a determined look on his face, as if silently saying, ‘Mommy, don’t lie to me.’She sighed, realising that she couldn’t escape this conversation. ‘No. Milo, Mommy is focused on you and doesn’t need a boyfriend. I’m