Chapter 16

Alicia Stewart stood at the floor-to-ceiling window in her apartment, gazing out over the city's nightscape. Her reflection was mirrored on the glass, her long blonde hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders, accentuating her fair skin and delicate features. She was wearing a simple white silk robe, holding a glass of red wine, and her eyes sparkled with thoughtful light.

There were still two weeks to go until the launch of the new product, and Alicia's mind was already forming a vague outline of a plan. She knew that the event was not only crucial to the company's future, but also a golden opportunity for her to get closer to the Black family.

She took a sip of her wine and recalled the meeting earlier that day at the company. James from the marketing department had proposed a bold idea: "We should invite Alexander Black, the young head of the Black family, to the launch event. This will give our new product huge exposure."

Alicia had merely nodded and smiled, but inside she was surp