Charmine pushed open the door and calmly stated, “Does Ms. Duncan want to terminate the contracts? No problem.” “No problem”? Did Charmine just say “no problem”? Rio gaped at Charmine before he quickly went right next to her and whispered, “Have you lost your mind, Charmine?” Eric was just as upset, evident with the frown on his face. Terminating the contracts would cost them ten billion of loss, and their artists would not have any opportunity to attend this event! There was no way of salvaging the situation. Charmine walked up to the meeting table and sat on the president’s chair. She looked at Gloria calmly. “Ten billion is no issue for me. I’ll pay you now, but do note that I’ll only lose out ten billion, while Ms. Duncan would lose a priceless opportunity in three days during Horizon Night.” With that, she gave the proposal a push. Skreet! A proposal document slid across the table toward Gloria. Gloria took the folder and opened it, and her eyes widened at the s
Gloria had been grateful to Julian ever since that day when he saved her. Even though his reputation was not at its best, Gloria’s respect for him remained. Julian took a look at the proposal on the table and said to Gloria, “These things are trivial and won’t cost you much. I believe Charmine is capable of sorting them out. If you’re still not satisfied, I’ll find you top artists to attend the show. Look, I even brought you a list of names.” With that, Julian took out a name list and handed it to Gloria. Gloria ran through the names on the list and found that the names were of well-known artists from HollyOak. Their heights and sizes were similar to Scarlet and the rest, so there was no need for costume alterations. Gloria’s expression changed for the better. “This is excellent! It’s always you who’s so considerate! I’ll wait for another two days then.” “Thank you, Ms. Duncan,” said Julian elegantly. “Keep up the good work, my boy. As the saying goes, ‘It’s never too late to
The underground parking lot had surveillance cameras all over the place. Who was that bold to do so much damage? Just as Charmine took out her phone, ready to investigate it, she realized that a few other cars in the vicinity were also damaged.The words written on every car were the following: [TRAITOR! GO BANKRUPT!] The tires of the cars were all punctured and were unusable, and RisingHawk had to ask technicians to tow the cars away. It was apparent that the repair costs of each vehicle would be at least hundreds of thousands. Was the perpetrator that brainless, blind in their hatred for the ‘third-wheeler’—or even RisingHawk—to have done these? The perpetrator and the attack seemed well thought out. With eyes narrowed, Charmine phoned Rio. “Do you have another car in the company’s garage?” “Huh? Why?” Rio was confused. “If you do, bring me the keys,” Charmine said flatly, “I need it.” Rio came down not long after Charmine ended the call, and his eyes widened in rage
“What plan? Tell me! I’m losing my mind already! Now that those people hate the RisingHawk so badly, parking Black at such a place can almost guarantee it’ll be damaged!” Rio said worriedly. Charmine’s lips curled into a smirk. “They better do. I’m more worried about them not coming.” With that, Charmine walked toward the window. Rio tried to make sense of her words without a clue. Worried about them not coming? If they came, his Black would be ruined! Downstairs, ten or-so people in black masks and gloves appeared as they eyed their surroundings, left to right. Once they were certain no one was in sight, they made their way toward the black supercar stealthily. Some of them had big swords in their hands, some had electric drills, and some had baskets of rotten eggs and fruits. They whispered as they walked, “I saw Charmine driving this car. We gotta trash it and teach her a lesson!” “You’re right! Who’d protect a third-wheeler anyway? Who knows, maybe she’s a third-wheel her
Meanwhile, Tiffany watched as the event unfolded with an evil smirk on her face. She eventually found out that Charmine was the one who told Julian that she was in Green Café back then and had no intention to harm her. Still, if it were not for Charmine calling Anthony to return home, Tiffany would have slept with him instead of Julian’s assistant, Oliver! Tiffany wanted Charmine to pay the price, and she took this opportunity to destroy Charmine! Tiffany was the mastermind who paid the vandals, and she even had backup plans to boot. One of those plans was that if Charmine tried anything against them, one of them would start to live-stream. That man was a popular influencer well-known for filming injustice things and speaking up for minorities. Because of that, the man garnered an impressive amount of followers. Charmine was done for if the man live-streamed everything! It did not take long for the live-stream to gain over ten thousand viewers, and since it was promoted by the pl
However, it did not take long for the vandals to snap out of their shock. The live-streaming man scowled at the guards. “Why are you all looking like dogs? Why help the traitor? Go away, get out of the way!” “Charmine protected the third-wheeler, yet you’re all still protecting her? Is RisingHawk’s dignity gone entirely?” “Seems like a case of a bad leader with bad workers! Charmine, you’re bullying us and used your manpower to harass us even more! You’re just crushing us with your resources!” “Let’s fight them! Fight them!” Someone called out and launched against them like a madman. The live-streaming man followed along. A woman inside the net picked up a stone on the ground, ready to throw it at them. Though the vandals were trapped inside the net, the force they exerted as they went toward Charmine caused the net to drag along with them, and the caterpillars were dragged with them as well. The situation got out of hand. Charmine frowned. If her bodyguards fought b
While some of the vandals were stunned silent at the new piece of evidence, some did not buy it and questioned it even more. “Where did you get this recording from? Did you find someone to make this up?” “Exactly. If this is the truth, why didn’t Scarlet come forward and make a statement?” “Did you use some program to forge this recording? Don’t try to fake a false claim to fool us!” Their accusations grew louder and louder. The pregnant lady then answered, “The reason why Scarlet didn’t say anything is that she couldn’t find proof! And this recording is gained from Charmine, asking the Unify Phone Service Company to work overnight just to get it. It’s the truth! “Hundreds of staff went through their phone conversations from over a couple of years ago. They checked every audio to finally get hold of this recording, just an hour ago. “The Unify Phone Service Company could verify the validity of this recording. If this is forged and a lie, they’re all willing to be punished
“You’ve all bashed Scarlet from the start, but did any of you blame Johnson for what he did? When a woman and a married man has an affair, should the woman be the only one to shoulder all the blame while the man can return to his family and be forgiven, completely scot-free?” Charmine’s powerful and well-articulated words were like a slap in the face for everyone. Netizens on the live-streaming platform gushed with praises for her. [Boss Jordan is right, Johnson is the one at fault! The douche deserves to be dead!] [Scarlet is too unlucky! Not only did the jerk lie to her for seven years, but he even took advantage of her. Now, she’s ridiculed and called the third-wheeler!] [Douchebag Johnson Spencer! Let’s attack his Twitter! Bombard him!] Everyone went on a verbal rampage. Meanwhile, Scarlet’s assistant helped her out of the company. Scarlet had a thick layer of bandages on her wrist, her face pale and weak. As she gazed at the scene outside the company building, tears
There was an unnoticeable glint in Sonia's eyes. She nestled herself further into Harry's arms as she added, "Let’s go to Pares. We'll come back after I give birth to the baby.""Alright."Harry stayed by Sonia's side as he watched over her, cared for her, and talked to her until she finally slept in his care.He stood up tiredly and walked out of the room to sit in the living room.Thuck!Something fell out of his pocket.He narrowed his eyes to the source of sound and spotted a USB.Since when did he have a USB in his pocket?With a small frown on his face, Harry curiously picked it up and noticed the front side of the USB glowing. Something was carved onto its surface, too.[Granger].Was it Dior’s USB? Why was her USB inside his pocket?Harry’s clear fingers held on the USB tightly. He thought for a moment before he took out a laptop, turned it on, and plugged in the USB.A moment later, the screen showed what seemed to be peculiar surveillance footage with a descriptio
Dior was still lost in her storm of thoughts when a shadowy figure zipped past her and ran toward Harry.When she spotted this familiar figure, she reacted quickly and held onto him."Let go of me!" growled Guy. "How dare he slap you and misunderstood you? I have to beat some sense into him!"Harry broke free and chased after Harry.Dior, despite having lost all hope and life in her, mustered the last strand of her will to chase after Guy and reeled him back. "Brother, don't," she muttered, "spare your energy…" Her sorrow clouded her eyes as she mumbled, "He’s the man I love. Even though he hates me, I won’t allow you to hurt him. As for the explanation…"Dior smiled ironically. "Whatever. That slap decimated every beautiful daydream I have about him, anyway."She no longer expected anything from him.He had no trust in her, so what would it matter if she finally got him? He did not even love her, and he did not trust her either.Dior smiled elegantly, but her eyes were fille
Dior looked forward to that new shift.She watched as Harry made his way into the restaurant silently, unable to deter her mind from the daydreams she had of him, of the new chapter of their story they would have.He would apologize to her, trying to redeem himself, and kiss her dearly as he embraced her. Later down the line, they would have a child of their own, too.Harry's long legs walked in strides, his dark gaze trained on Dior.The bright light shone on Dior’s delicately stunning face, and she also wore a red dress.He remembered her wearing this back in Mount Village.He could remember how alluring she looked back then, how they stayed in the same room, how she put down her ego to treat him with so much gentleness.Harry’s cold face mellowed down, but recalling a certain memory, the vague wistfulness in him vanished and he sat in front of her.Dior looked at him fondly, like she always would. "Long time no see."Her eyes burned brightly as if she wanted to drink in his
Dior examined the footage the moment she received it.True enough, it showed Sonia and George talking about their little deal. It also showed how Dior was telling the truth while they both ganged up on her.Dior’s frail heart felt as though it was rejuvenated once more, feeling as though blood was once more pumped into her heart. Her dull eyes devoid of hope regained their lost luster once more.Not thinking twice, she dialed Harry's number with this evidence, though he had to be busy, seeing as he did not pick up even after the phone rang for a long while.Just as she was about to hang up, Harry picked up the phone."What do you want?"On the other end of the call was the voice that she had missed for so long. His low, hoarse voice sounded so cold and emotionless.Hearing his voice brought Dior back to the image of his handsome face, and her heart skipped a beat.She tried her best to restrain her fluttering emotions as she tried to speak calmly, "Do you have time? I’d like to
At Mount Village…Inside the elegant bamboo house was Dior, dressed in a beige dress. She sat in the front yard as she took sips of her wine.The sunlight shone past the leaves and illuminated her, yet she exuded an air of loneliness.She swirled the glass and could not help recalling the moments she spent with Harry.In the beginning, she was attracted by his looks; he looked so gentle and elegant.She gave him money, kept him company, and continuously showed up around him in hopes of conquering him.Alas, she ended up in this state.The time she spent with him in Mount Village was the happiest time she had ever had. They had lived inside the bamboo house together, where he took care of her and claimed her to be his woman.They even laid inside the same room.Everything was so beautiful.Cursed was her luck, however, that it was just an illusion. He had been using her from the start, while he chose to stay with the woman who lied to him and even hurt him!No matter how mu
"Although Susan was unhappy, she should've voiced out her displeasure instead of bottling things. Cheating is wrong, regardless. Furthermore, if she wanted a career, she didn't have to stay home and depend on her husband."Grandma Bailey halted.Was that what Charmine truly thought of?Grandma Bailey thought Charmine would find Susan too aggressive unto herself.Charmine glanced at Susan again and apathetically commented, "She doesn't want to make money on her own, but she wants to be rich while complaining about her man not making time for her and taking care of her? If a woman has no ability of her own and also blames others for her miseries, all she's worth is to sit quietly at home and wait for her husband to come home. She also has no right to cheat! This is how the world works."Charmine patted Grandma Bailey’s shoulder and held Anthony’s hand, her words met with everyone's evidently surprised gazes and their silence.Grandma Bailey was shocked. Sure, Charmine sounded rathe
The colossal cruise started to drift away from the pier.Eric stood on the cruise and let the wind blow at him, loneliness and hatred still oozing from his being.He stared at the blue ocean ahead of him as Charmine's words rang in his mind unceasingly.'Will you really feel good after you've killed them?''You saw Susan suffering from a serious wound; would you still kill the one sibling you have left in the world?'"Forgive them and yourself.'Deliberating everything carefully, his lips curled into a bitter smile.It was true, after all, that Charmine understood him the most.Eric poured himself another drink and downed it with loneliness as he allowed the cruise to bring him wherever it would take him.…Susan was still inside the operating room when Charmine and the rest of the Baileys rushed into the hospital.Darryl stood before the room, his expression blank, his figure lonely and helpless.So many things had happened in half a day.He found out about his wife's inf
"No one's stopping you now. Eat!"Anthony clenched his hands tightly and took another glance at Charmine. He was more determined than before, and he was close to eating the pills in the bottle.Charmine, who was held hostage, gradually opened her eyes at that moment. Her gaze drifted toward Eric before she asked, her tone challenging, "Will you really feel good after you've killed them? You saw Susan suffering from a serious wound; would you still kill the one sibling you have left in the world?"Eric halted, and his eyes darkened.Charmine had just woken up, yet what she said…He cast a cold glance at Charmine. "It's my business, and it has nothing to do with you!"They were his family, and he did not want a family like this!Charmine looked squarely at him. "Eric, I don’t care if you used me or plotted against me all these years; I've treated you like a true friend, nothing more nor less. You were the only person who stayed by my side in the past five years, so I hope that you
Anthony's breath hitched when he saw Charmine.He clenched his fists and, without doubting himself, relented "I can agree to your terms, so let her go right away. This has nothing to do with her; you only hate me after all. As long as you let her go, I'll take the pill. Everything will end right away."Susan shook her head. "We'll die after eating the pill. I’m not taking that!"She had just reunited with Eric, and she did not want to die yet. She looked at Eric and begged, "Please let Anthony be, why don't you? He’s your brother, after all, and he doesn’t even know about your existence. If you’re really angry, just kill Charmine, and I'll make it up to you—"Anthony's expression contorted in sheer fury upon hearing Susan's plea, and he glared at her with murderous intent."This was all your fault, so what right do you have to make Charmine take your blame?!""What on earth are you going on about?" snapped Grandma Bailey. "Charmine has been kidnapped because of you, yet you want