Noticing Blake's evident fury, Jackie trembled, her voice quivering as she spoke. Despite her efforts, she found herself unable to refrain from commenting about Eva."Blake, how dare you speak to me in such a manner? That woman is nothing but trouble. She played with fire, and now she's getting burned. I can't believe you're defending her!" "Blake, your tone is unacceptable. That woman is deceitful and manipulative. She pulled dirty tricks on us, even going so far as to steal our project. My response was merely sending a lawyer's letter. Count yourself lucky I didn't involve the police!"Blake's expression hardened as he spoke, his voice carrying a stern edge. "I made it clear that I would handle this matter. No one has the right to meddle in my affairs."Jackie's carefully crafted smile faltered under the heat of his glare. A wave of fear washed over her, momentarily silencing the venomous retort that had been on the tip of her tongue. But beneath the surface, a steely resolve har
"Marian!" Jackie hissed, her voice laced with a barely controlled fury. The shock of betrayal battled with a surge of anger, leaving her speechless for a moment.A wave of crushing disappointment washed over Blake. His eyes, once filled with affection for his sister, now held a chilling emptiness. "Marian," he breathed, his voice laced with a barely contained fury."Marian, this is…unbelievable. Selling those documents to DIY Group? Look, I understand frustration about the frozen cards, but this? We always took care of you. You had everything you needed." His voice, laced with disappointment, trailed off.Marian bristled under the heat of Blake's glare. In a defiant gesture, she crossed her arms, a flicker of anger momentarily overriding her fear."I've already worn all that jewelry before. "Look, I needed the money, okay? And those files were just lying around, practically begging to be used! It's not like they were some top-secret documents, even Eva could go in there and clean
"Xian Senna was behind this!" Axel exclaimed.Eva's brow furrowed at the mention of Xian's name. It wasn't a surprised. After all, she'd won his beloved car in a recent competition knowing his competitive streak, she wouldn't put revenge past him.Even as Xian enacted his revenge, an unexpected calm settled over her. Fear was nowhere to be found. "Eva" Axel inquired with a glint in his eyes. "Do you want me to hire someone to counter the online attacks?" Maybe we need some damage control online" Axel suggested."Let me deck that dude, Ev!" Owen's jaw clenched and a dangerous glint entered his eyes. He muttered through gritted teeth. Eva shook her head, a playful glint in her eyes."Revenge isn't my style" Eva smirked."No need to worry, Eva reassured them a resolute glint in her eyes. "I won't stoop to his level but Xian will learn from his actions."Eva plotted her revenge in the gleaming sheen of the freshly painted Bugatti Veyron. The once familiar car was now a shocking shade of
A tense silence hung in the air as Blake met Eva's gaze. A ghost of a smile played on his lips, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. He extended his hand, the unspoken words "I wish us a pleasant cooperation" hanging between them. Eva's expression remained a mask, her emotions carefully guarded. Slowly, deliberately, she turned to Irish, offering a firm handshake and a genuine smile. "Wish us a successful collaboration, wouldn't you agree?"Irish's smile faltered slightly as she grasped Eva's hand. A ripple of disquietude seemed to emanate from Blake, a subtle shift in the atmosphere that sent a prickle of unease down Irish's spine. She offered a polite, "Absolutely, a successful collaboration is what we all aim for."With a furrowed brow, he retreated into his thoughts. The weight of the issue pressed down on him, leaving him paralyzed by indecision. He yearned for a simple solution, a way to navigate this crisis without further complications.Eva signed the contract, b
"Mom," he began, his gaze fixed on some invisible point in the distance, "have you reached a decision? Going to court is a gamble we might not win. In all likelihood, it'll just cost us more in the long run."Jackie's heart broke when she realized she would lose more money. After all, she didn't want to give a single penny to Eva.Swallowing her pride and apologizing in public felt like a humiliating defeat. She'd rather take the blame silently than risk losing face.Jackie felt losing money was better than carrying the humiliation for the rest of her life."Fine. How much does that woman want?""Twenty million dollars." Blake said indifferently."Twenty million dollars?!" Jackie exploded, her voice echoing through the room. "Is she out of her mind? This is highway robbery, not a lawsuit! Everyone will know what she's doing - this is pure blackmail!""There's another factor to consider, Mom," he began, his gaze fixed on a point beyond her shoulder. "If this goes to court, the potent
Eva felt a prickle of unease crawl up her spine. Diego Chen's gaze lingered on her a beat too long, a subtle judgment in his narrowed eyes. She stifled the urge to address it, channeling her focus back to the meeting at hand.As the meeting commenced, Eva took center stage, her voice radiating confidence as she unveiled her concept for the urban construction project. She then meticulously outlined the anticipated outcomes of the design, ensuring everyone grasped its potential impact.Heads nodded in unison, captivated by the elegant simplicity and ambitious scope of her design. Detailed explanations of the intended outcomes flowed effortlessly from her lips, painting a picture of a revitalized cityscape.All eyes were on her, except for Mr. Chen.No matter how meticulously Eva explained her design, Mr. Chen remained unmoved. His sharp interjections punctuated her presentation like unwelcome discord. A dismissive shake of the head followed every explanation, his voice dripping with co
The past few days had been a simmering pot of emotions for Eva. On the surface, she remained quiet, a mask of composure hiding the turmoil within. But beneath it all, her mind raced with strategies, waiting for the opportune moment to strike back.Diego misinterpreted Eva's quiet demeanor as weakness. Emboldened by her perceived submissiveness, his arrogance inflated with each passing meeting. His comments grew increasingly pointed, his tone laced with a newfound condescension. Yet, Eva remained an enigma.Diego and Eva's plan was difficult to implement. He constantly asked her to revise it and began bossing her around."The complete removal of trees is unacceptable! This project needs to prioritize sustainability. We absolutely must replant trees and find ways to make this space environmentally responsible. Revise it!""To break up the monotony, consider incorporating diverse entertainment venues. A rooftop bar with a stunning city view or a multi-purpose ballroom could be great addi
Diego, shaken but regaining his composure, picked up the document. He examined it closely and muttered, "There seems to be no issue here."Irish's composure faltered upon hearing that. "Ms. Lowes, perhaps you could explain this to him why we agree to your plan."Eva cleared her throat and provided a detailed explanation of why Diego's suggestions were ridiculous."Mr. Chen asked us to keep the trees in the development area to retain green space, but he overlooked that their growth would affect construction and damage the buildings. Considering costs, he designed straight roads without accounting for the basic topography. Additionally, he wanted to add more bars and ballrooms, placing them next to the school and the library."Everyone at the meeting had relevant experience in architecture, and Eva's explanation enlightened them.Even a novice architect wouldn't make such glaring mistakes. It was appalling that Diego, a supposedly experienced engineer, made such errors.Everyone turned