تسجيل الدخولI said my goodbyes to Mrs. Whitmore first, after making sure there was nothing more that needed to be discussed that day. The older woman still managed to wave with a warm smile as I walked toward the Ashford Corporation car waiting in the front yard.Behind me, the other team members were also beginning to leave the mansion one by one. Before long, the car I was in slowly pulled away from the old house that held so many memories.I leaned back into the seat, letting my gaze drift out the window. The old trees lining the road gradually gave way to city buildings.Inside the car, the atmosphere was far more relaxed than it had been during the inspection.Some of the team members began to chat."Mrs. Whitmore is so warm, isn't she," said one of the staff with a smile. "At first I thought she'd be very difficult to discuss things with.""Right," another replied. "Clients of her caliber are usually extremely particular. Turns out she's such a welcoming person.""And funny," someone else a
Arvan and I turned at the same moment.Meanwhile Mrs. Whitmore continued speaking casually, unaware that the scheming woman she was referring to was me — the very same person she had just been praising."Get close to Reyna before someone else claims her," Mrs. Whitmore added. "I heard she's still single. Is that right?"Mrs. Whitmore glanced toward me."I heard it from Olivia," she said with a friendly smile. "She mentioned you're still single. Not yet married. Is that true?"I fell silent.Such a simple question, yet it made my chest tighten.Without thinking, I stole a brief glance at Arvan.His face remained expressionless. Not the slightest change. As though the question had nothing whatsoever to do with him.Yet I had known him too long.The sharpness in his eyes told a different story. There was something he was holding back.I drew a quiet breath.My marriage to Arvan had always been kept secret.Even after becoming his wife, almost no one knew me as Mrs. Hargrove.Not a single
Reyna's POVTwo days passed faster than I had imagined.Since the coordination meeting for the Mrs. Whitmore project with Hargrove Group, the busyness had left almost no room to think about anything else.Together with Sera, I refined several design details based on the technical team's feedback. A few times Ms. Brennan also called me in to make sure all the documents were ready before the renovation work truly began.I was grateful those two days passed without having to face Arvan again.At least I had time to settle my mind after our encounter that had felt so awkward.This morning was the next stage.The first site inspection at the home left behind by Mrs. Eleanor Whitmore's late mother.I tidied the folder containing the blueprints and final evaluation notes into my bag before leaving the villa. Today was not merely a field visit. Every technical decision we made here would form the foundation on which the renovation began.I drew a long breath.Whatever happened later, my focus
Arvan's POVI stood in front of my office window for a long time after Lara and Rio left.The door was closed.The room had gone quiet again.Yet somehow, my mind only grew louder."Maybe Reyna isn't as bad as I've believed all this time."I dragged a hand roughly across my face.Why had I said that?The words even sounded strange to my own ears.For four years I had always been certain that Reyna was the source of every problem in my life. The woman who had deliberately trapped me. The woman who was skilled at playing with tears. The woman who had used Kirana to keep me tethered to that marriage.But now... every time I met with her, that certainty seemed to lose its footing a little more.Especially after today's meeting.The image of Reyna filled my mind again.She was standing in front of the presentation screen in a simple cream blazer. Hair tied back neatly. Her voice calm as she walked through every detail of the Whitmore mansion renovation. Not a trace of uncertainty on her fa
Lara's POVThe elevator stopped at the executive floor of Hargrove Group with a soft chime.I held Rio's hand and stepped out. The corridor outside Arvan's office always felt composed — marble floors reflecting the light, glass walls partitioning the meeting rooms, employees moving quickly without much talk."Mama, where is Uncle Arvan?" Rio whispered, his head swiveling left and right."We'll see him shortly," I answered. "Remember what Mama said. Be on your best behavior."Rio nodded obediently.Before I could take another step, the door to the secretariat opened. A man came out carrying a stack of documents.Daniel.Arvan's personal assistant. The man who had always been trusting enough with me — and whose mouth was sometimes looser than he realized.He looked briefly startled, then smiled politely. "Mrs. Lara?""Daniel." I returned his smile warmly. "What good timing. I was hoping to see Arvan."Daniel glanced toward the door of the main office. "I'm sorry, Mr. Arvan is in an onli
Lara's POVI stared at my phone with a clenched jaw.My screen displayed a series of photos of Arvan and Reyna. All of them sent by the insider I had been paying to monitor Reyna's every move at Ashford Corporation.The first photo showed Reyna entering the conference room with a bag full of documents. The second showed Arvan seated at the far end of the table, his dark suit immaculate as always. The third made my fingers tighten around the phone.Arvan was watching Reyna.His gaze wasn't obvious. Anyone else might have taken it for ordinary professional attention. But I had known Arvan longer than anyone. I knew the way he looked at people. I knew how his eyes changed when someone caught his interest.And I did not like what I was seeing.The last photo made my blood boil.Reyna and Arvan both reaching for the blueprint on the table at the same time. Their fingertips nearly touching. Just a few centimeters apart."How dare she." I threw my phone onto the sofa. "That woman never gives
The clock in the corner of the laptop screen showed eight o'clock in the evening as most employees began to leave. One by one, the room lights were turned off. The sound of keyboards and phones gradually disappeared until the design division floor became almost silent. I was still sitting at my d
I stood stiffly in front of Ms. Brennan's desk. Both hands clenched tightly at my sides. Ms. Brennan's last words echoed in my ears. "A low woman who only relies on her appearance to get a job." Lara still stood beside me with a thin smile full of triumph. "Ms. Brennan," I said in a voice I trie
Reyna POV Damian's car stopped in front of the villa. I got out while hugging the first place trophy that felt heavy and real in my hands. "Let's go in!" Damian said while grinning. "Aldric and Seraphina already know you won. They must have prepared something." I followed him with slow steps
Arvan POV The car drove through the night streets. My hand gripped the steering wheel tightly, annoyed at Reyna who had caused so many problems. Lara sat beside me sobbing. Her body trembled. She had been crying since getting in the car. Her sobs sounded disappointed and desperate. I knew she wou







