로그인"That's my girl," Henry Vale said, a smile of triumph spreading across his face. He had just finished watching Lila’s livestream, and the kind of satisfaction he felt was intoxicating. The moment she pointed a finger at Jane as the mastermind, Henry knew they had won. Someone had to take the fall for the recent disasters, and Jane was the perfect sacrificial lamb. She was already vulnerable, and she would be easily crushed. "Dad," Leo called out, his voice almost came as a whisper. Henry looked at his son irritably, the smile vanishing. "You aren't supposed to say anything. You’re the CEO, but you’re standing there doing nothing. Your sister, who is just the head of cosmetics, is doing everything she can to save this company while you watch." Leo’s breathing hitched in his throat. He shot his father a sharp, sidelong glance before snapping. "If I remember correctly, the current mess is only this heavy because of Lila." He looked away, his jaw tight. "She should be doing everyt
Jane pressed her lips together, but it didn’t help. Her shoulders shook slightly, and her hand came up to cover her mouth as her eyes filled slowly with tears she didn’t understand. She was trying so hard not to laugh but she couldn't help it.She sat beside Dravyn, watching Lila’s livestream.From the start, everything felt off. Every tear Lila dropped looked placed. Every cough came too perfectly. Even the pauses felt rehearsed.Jane didn’t know if others noticed it, but to her, it was obvious. Too obvious that she couldn't overlook.She decides to open the comment section.She already knew what to expect. Blame, insults, mockery, accusations, and people agreeing with Lila.She had prepared herself for it. In fact, her heart was now strong enough to take any form of insult.But the moment she started reading the comments, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her lips parted, and her gaze fixed on the first comment she saw.l“My sister works there and she hasn’t come home in day
Lila practised her tears before she went live.“We at Vale Corp are known for our integrity and truthfulness,” she said, her face tightening deliberately until faint wrinkles formed around her eyes.She held the expression to let the tears gather.“Eww.” She dropped her face instantly, grimacing at her reflection. “I look so ugly like that.”She turned her head left and right, checking every angle to ensure no lines were left behind.“I don’t have a choice,” she muttered under her breath. “I have to do it.”She stepped away from the mirror and moved toward the camera, adjusting the lighting carefully until it fell perfectly across her face, bright enough to capture every twitch, every tear, every movement.Everything had to be seen. Everything had to be believed.Her eyes scanned the room before she walked to a chair that stood alone, she positioned it exactly where she wanted it.“I feel awful that Vale Corp is in this state,” she began softly. “Cough... cough... cough...” She paused
“Good day, Chief.”Dravyn’s voice was calm, yet it carried an authority evident in the way he carried himself. He stretched out his hand, his grip firm but controlled.“Good day, Mr. Woods,” the Chief replied, matching his handshake.Chairs scraped against the floor as everyone took their seats. Dravyn came with only one person, Jane. She stood slightly behind him at first, composed, observant, playing her role perfectly as his personal assistant.The Chief, on the other hand, came with a full entourage of men who watched everything, spoke little, and checked everything in silence. Once a force to reckon with in law enforcement, he had built something just as powerful in the automotive industry. His presence alone carried weight.“With me is my personal assistant,” Dravyn said, his tone smooth but deliberate.He didn’t miss the way every eye in the room turned to her. Even the Chief leaned forward, studying Jane.“She looks very familiar,” he said slowly. Then a smile broke across his
Han had always loved silence but tonight, it felt wrong. Too heavy, too aware.His gaze stayed on Betty as she lay on the bed, her breathing finally calm, her face no longer twisted in discomfort. A damp towel rested on her forehead, and now and then, he reached out to adjust it, his movements quieter than usual, as if afraid to disturb something fragile, like a newborn.He exhaled slowly. At least her fever had gone down.He picked up his laptop, which he had asked the maid to bring earlier, and powered it on. The screen lit up the dim room, pulling his attention away, even if his mind refused to follow properly.Governor Nathan’s list of companies to review, deals to consider. Work didn’t stop just because his thoughts were scattered.His fingers moved across the keyboard, scrolling through files and opening them again. Every few minutes, his attention drifted back to the bed. He would reach for the towel, dip it into the bowl of water, squeeze it lightly, and place it back on her f
Lila and the rest of the Vales stormed into Henry’s office, Greg trailing behind them.Lila dropped onto the couch as if her legs could no longer carry her. She bent forward, both hands gripping her head tightly, her fingers pressing into her scalp.Heavy suffocating silence filled the room.No one moved closer. They all stood at a distance, watching her carefully. They knew Lila too well, one wrong word, one wrong step, and she would explode.Minutes passed, then.“Ahhhh!” Lila screamed, her voice tearing through the quiet.Kate flinched but quickly gathered herself. She stepped forward slowly, cautiously, like approaching something fragile.“Lila, dear, everything will be fine, okay?” she said softly.Lila lifted her head. Tears had already gathered in her eyes.“Mom,” her voice cracked. “I did everything I could. Everything I thought was right. And now,” Her lips trembled. “I’ve brought disgrace to the Vale name.” A tear slid down her cheek.Kate sat beside her and pulled her into







