Mag-log inThe announcement of Beckett Holding’s new Washington DC headquarters was prepared for this evening. Along with that, they would also announce the groundbreaking personnels. The event would be held at the Marriot Hotel, which was abuzz with preparation—champagne tower, a giant backdrop with Beckett Holdings logo, and staff moving efficiently.
Adrian fiddled with his phone, debating whether or not he should contact So
Phones ringing, the PR department running around in chaos. Calls coming one after another. When they thought they'd managed to control the situation, just when they finally managed to send all the reporters away, they immediately swarmed back in. All just because of a single post made from an anonymous account.Adrian’s heart sank. He knew who did it—the one behind the account. What he didn’t know was that she would actually do it.Why? He had defended her properly. He hadn’t exposed her, not even blaming her. People no longer thought she was a vicious, jealous wife. The situation was under control. He had told her it would. Why was she still mad?Gregory Abbott stood by his side, never not on call. Adrian himself was swamped, rejecting interview requests left and right. The HR department had been bugging him for a while. They had been since the first time the scandal happened. Their demand was clear: to suspend Julia Hall. He managed to convince them othe
Sophie didn’t need to wait long for the release to take effect. Of course, she had carefully picked the best and clearest photos. One that showed their faces in a way that was unmistakable. One that immediately made it clear that everything Adrian had said during the press conference were a lie.Just twenty minutes after she released the photos, her phone got busy with notifications. Articles, interview requests. She put her phone on mute after the fifth ding, with only a few exceptions on a white list.One of those on the white list was Lyla Orwell, her employee at her boutique, Meadow Lane.“Mrs. Beckett, are you okay?”Sophie chuckled. Twice she was asked the exact same thing.“Thank you for asking,
A day had passed and Sophie heard nothing about Julia Hall’s resignation.Gregory Abbott fed her information about the office’s atmosphere. As expected, it wasn’t good. Reporters swarmed the main door. Internal gossips flared even before the promotions. Now, with the online scandal as additional fuel, Julia Hall still came to work as if nothing had happened. It was a surprise that the HR department did nothing about it.Adrian Beckett cared a lot about image. He did say that if Julia resigned in this atmosphere, the implication wouldn’t be good. But that was before the scandal. Even if only for damage control, she would imagine him telling Julia Hall to not come.Turned out, Gregory had an answer for that, too.“Julia did nothing wrong. Her not coming to work would be an
It didn’t take long for Sophie to receive reports on the mysterious camera.In the comfort of her secret Manhattan condo, Sophie scrolled through social media. Her investigative team had set up an account for her because a new development arose.Apparently, a video was uploaded of her, and it quickly rose to the trending topic. The titles were dramatic, to say the least.[The True Face Of The Perfect Wife][True Nature Uncovered! Is Mrs. Beckett Really As Graceful As She Seems?!][Ugly Jealousy Of The Cinderella]Along with the scrolling of social media, she also quickly went through photographs sent by her investigative team. Of a figure wearing black hoodie, hiding in the
“Do you need to do all that, Sophie?” Adrian barged as they walked to the parking lot. “Must you say all that in front of everyone? In front of the Whitakers? You know we’ve been trying to get on their good side for ages.”“Evidently,” Sophie kept walking, her steps never slowed for even a moment. “Because you seem to take me for a fool.”“I’m not.”“Oh?” Sophie finally stopped. She turned, tilting her head. “Then explain it to me.”Adrian exhaled. “Julia is gone. I transferred her out of New York. Whatever happened between us is over.”“Is it?”“Yes.&rdquo
Sophie walked into Marriot Hotel’s convention hall, which had been decorated to the brim with muted elegance—one she carefully instructed. The kind that screamed old money, the kind that a newly founded company by a no-name newcomer like Adrian Beckett should never have. The fact that he seemed to possess this innate class contributed to his image.That Adrian Beckett belonged.Had Adrian ever loved her? Or had she just been good for his brand?Whatever it was, the things she had to do remained the same. And it was something that would benefit her cause, too, even in this battle that Adrian seemingly underestimated.Networking.She stepped alone into the venue, and was immediately met with stares. Not surprising.
The next thing Sophie knew, they were on a trip to Long Island.It was summer, and the beach provided a perfect summer escapade. Sophie heard the name a lot, and had been curious for a long time. Finally, one more thing to cross from her to-do list in America.When they started driving, it was dark
Early in the morning, Sophie woke up to yet another charade.When she opened her eyes, she couldn’t find Adrian. She found him in the kitchen, operating the coffee machine. It was what she got for their first wedding anniversary, back when Sophie said she wished to enjoy espresso anytime she wanted
Adrian fulfilled his promise. Just as the clock struck midnight, Sophie could hear the beeping of their door system. She swiftly assumed her usual role. The wife, who was always ready to welcome her husband back.“Adrian, you’re too much,” Sophie said with a pout. “Not a word, not even a text. Do I
Their dinner ended on an unsatisfactory note.Adrian had to leave because of a work emergency. Sophie couldn’t even tell if it was real or not—if Adrian was just stealing fractions of time to be with Julia Hall.“I’ll make it up to you,” Adrian had said.But it had been two days, and Adrian was now







