LOGINWhat is that homewrecker doing here?Althea stared at Vivienne standing in the doorway as though she had stepped straight out of a luxury fashion magazine, smiling at everyone like a flawless model on a runway.Before Althea could make sense of the unexpected appearance, Julian pushed his chair back and stood up.“Vivienne! Darling, I didn't know you were planning to surprise us today.” His expression had changed completely. The coldness he had shown Althea moments earlier was gone as he walked towards Vivienne and kissed her lightly.Althea lowered her eyes and looked away; she didn’t know he could be this sweet.“I decided to stop by,” Vivienne said with a sweet smile, giving him a brief hug. “I heard you had an important board meeting today, so I thought everyone might appreciate some refreshments. You must have been sitting here for hours.”Julian smiled at her. “You shouldn't have gone to so much trouble.”“It was nothing.”One of the directors chuckled. “That's very thoughtful o
This son of a bitch of an ex-husband! Althea muttered, clenching her fists as she stood at the entrance of Cross Global's building. She had known Julian wouldn't let her get away with acquiring 49% of his company without a fight, but she hadn't expected him to stoop this low."I'm sorry, ma'am, but I've been instructed not to let you upstairs without authorization," the security guard repeated."Who gave you those instructions?" Althea asked, her patience thinning."I'm afraid I can't disclose that.""Then call the person who gave you those instructions. Tell them Althea Evans is here for the meeting scheduled for nine."The guard hesitated, his eyes moving towards the other security personnel standing nearby. After a moment, he picked up his phone and stepped aside to make the call.Althea stood quietly, holding her handbag. She wasn't going to argue with an employee who was simply following instructions. If Julian wanted to turn her arrival into a spectacle, she would let him explai
She had never imagined she would end up facing Derek under such circumstances. Mrs. Gable had assured her that he wouldn't return until late that night, and she had no reason to believe the bathroom would be occupied. She had simply wanted a relaxing bath after the exhausting day.But now, standing naked and trembling before him, with his hand still wrapped around her throat, she couldn't think of a single word to defend herself.Derek's eyes burned into hers with a lethal intensity. Her damp skin glistened beneath the bathroom lights as the water from her wet hair kept dropping on his hands. His gaze moved briefly to her face before dropping lower, his eyes briefly catching the bareness of her breasts, realizing she was completely naked.His expression changed instantly. He released her and turned away so abruptly that his shoulder struck the glass partition."Jesus Christ!" he snapped.Althea stumbled forward, coughing as she struggled to catch her breath. She reached blindly for so
Althea's head felt light with excitement as she returned to the house. She had never experienced anything like this in her adult life. The only moment she could compare it to was her tenth birthday, when her late father had thrown a special celebration for her. It was the same breathless, childlike happiness she had felt back then, and today, that same joy was rushing through her veins all over again. She had never imagined that a nobody like her would ever live to see a day like this."Mrs. Gable!" she shouted as she entered the house, jumping excitedly in the foyer. "I did it! I really did it!"Hearing her scream, Mrs. Gable came rushing out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a napkin."Oh my goodness, Althea!" she exclaimed, hurrying towards her with the same excitement on her face."I did it!" Althea repeated with a huge grin. "I actually faced him today. I stood up for myself in front of everyone!""I knew it!" Mrs. Gable beamed, pulling her into a tight hug. "I knew you had a
Immediately, the grand doors of the Cross mansion swung open. Mrs. Beatrice quickly stood up, dressed extravagantly as if she had been waiting for a spotlight. Vivienne and her brother also rose from the dining table, where a lavish celebratory spread had already been set up. They all rushed to meet him, with Mrs. Beatrice wearing a smug smile as she moved ahead of everyone."Goodness me, Julian, you're home already!" Mrs. Beatrice exclaimed, holding Vivienne's hands as she beamed. "I know the world has finally seen the kind of wife you married. I can't wait for you to introduce our sweet, dearest new daughter-in-law to the world.""Hey, baby," Vivienne murmured, sounding a bit too shy as she smiled up at him.Julian didn't answer. Right now, words couldn't even find him. His face was stark white, his tie violently ripped open and his chest heaved with barely contained rage. Sweat poured down his face despite the freezing cold of the air conditioning."I have been refreshing the tablo
Althea shifted uneasily, her palms already sweating. She knew what had happened in that suite could become one of the biggest humiliations of her entire life. If Julian had the video, there would be nowhere for her to hide.And Derek... She still didn't know if she could trust him, even now.What if he had been working with Julian all along?The assistant aggressively clicked through the timeline, but the video didn't change.For the entire five-minute recording, the camera showed nothing more than Althea sitting quietly, her shoulders shaking as tears streamed down her face.The assistant aggressively clicked through the timeline, but the video didn't change. Throughout the entire five-minute block, the camera only captured Althea sitting idly, her shoulders shaking as tears tracked down her face. There was no lookalike. There was no gigolo. There was no compromise.Althea looked up at the screen, and for the first time, a small, bitter smile touched her lips. She turned her head back







