The following day, Lily woke up to her phone blowing up with calls and messages. She groaned and shut the phone off before going back to sleep only to wake up at noon, feeling more refreshed and relaxed.As she checked her phone, she noticed she had several missed calls from almost all her close friends and parents and several other messages from Celina and Avon. Clicking on the message from Celina, she frowned in confusion. Celina: Hey! How are you?Celina: Why aren’t you picking up? Are you okay?Celina: Pick up the damn call and talk to me. You are making me worried!Celina: Stay off social media!Celina: Damn it! I’m coming over to your place!Celina: Don’t worry, Mark is handling the media.Furrowing her brows, she clicked on the other messages from Avon and Alana to see they were all similar. Letting out a sigh, she decided to check out what made them all panic. However, before she could, her mother’s call came in. “Hello Mum”“Lily! Are you okay?” Her mom asked immediately w
"Boss, all the accounts in charge of Lily’s case received a court notice," a middle-aged man announced as he walked into the dimly lit office with several computers and a wild-haired lady sitting in front of them with several empty coffee cups littering the whole table."From who?" Kayla, the lady and the journalist who took the picture of Lily and Mark in the restaurant, asked, her voice laced with exhaustion as she turned to face the middle-aged man. Her eyes were bloodshot and sagging from sleepless nights and stress."It’s from Bryan Roux," he replied, and Kayla shivered in fear as she let out a frustrated groan. Somehow she had been trying to avoid confrontation with the gentle-looking devil. Which was why she never focused on him too much when writing the article about Lily's relationship scandal. However, she should have known better than to think she'd be able to walk away with mentioning his name. Anyone in the media sector or anyone with working brain cells in the busines
Hearing Dexter's words, Mark's hand movement stopped as his mind took several seconds to process the information. His eyes flickered towards Dexter's, trying to see if the other was messing with him like he always does, but seeing how serious Dexter looked, Mark knew this wasn't one of his usual jokes. "You are talking about the driver from the accident scene, are you not?" He asked in confusion, not wanting to believe what he heard the first time. "The one that was supposed to have died in prison?" Dexter gave a nod and sank back into his chair. "The exact one," he replied. "I'm talking about Mister Parker.""How is he alive? We confirmed he was dead; I saw his body myself." Mark mused. "Well, apparently he wasn't. Someone else took the fall for him in prison, and the dead body we saw that time was made," Dexter began. "It took me a lot of digging through some archived files and trying not to get caught before I was able to get that much information.""He's living on one of those
"You don't look as wormed out as I was expecting you to look," Frederick muttered with a dissatisfied frown as he took in Lily's beautiful and elegant appearance.Hearing the comments, Lily turned back to see who had made it. Seeing Frederick standing behind her, dressed in a trench coat while standing beside a black Lamborghini, she rolled her eyes and continued her walk."It's not good to ignore someone talking to you, Missy," he called out with a dark chuckle. And with a signal from him, two men dressed in black suits blocked her path.Irritated, Lily hissed and glared at them before turning to Frederick with resentment-filled eyes. "Given the type of education you had, one would expect you to understand what it means to be left alone, but alas, I can only wish," she gritted out, and Frederick smiled."How can I possibly leave such a beauty alone?" He replied. "The more you struggle, the more I want you," he added and began walking towards her."I was expecting to see you with mas
"So what were you doing in our part of the city tonight?" Lily asked as they both settled down while waiting for their orders."I was coming to look for you actually," Mark replied truthfully. "I stopped by at the studio, and your manager told me you had just left, which is why I came in the direction I met you."Hearing his explanation, Lily nodded with a frown. "It's very unlikely for you to come looking for me without calling. Trouble in paradise?""You and I both know it was never a paradise," Mark chuckled with a glint in his eye. Talking to Lily had somehow ease all the tension he had accumulated throughout the day."I'm sorry if I caught you off guard," he added, making Lily shake her head."You don't have to apologise; I'm already eager to help." She waved him off. "So what's the matter this time? Does it have anything to do with why Frederick came after me today?""No," Mark replied. "It's a different issue. This one is about my late sister and the cause of her accident."Lil
As Mark dropped Lily off at her apartment, she went straight to the washroom to get cleaned before settling down to do some more studying of the materials given to her by the system. As she sat down in her work area, she noticed she had a message from the hacker's website. Deciding to take a detour before going back to work, she logs into the website to see that Dark Star has sent her several messages. Dark Star: We found the culprit.Dark Star: You will be compensated for defamation as agreed upon. Dark Star: I also have a new job for you; when you are available please send a message here. I'll be hoping to hear from you.Lily let out a chuckle as she read the messages. Even without buying the shares, she had wiggled her way into the Hamilton's. However, the only way she could have more say in the company's decision-making would be to have shares... as many as possible.Sinful: I did tell you the fault was not from me. I'm glad my name has been cleared. Sinful: I will be expect
"I've been expecting your call," Frederick chuckled into the phone immediately after picking up. "It took longer than expected, though; were you reporting me to your little boyfriend? Or maybe the cops?" He mocked.Lily scowled at the time in his voice; she felt her blood boil while glaring at his image that she had meticulously hung up on the wall. Picking up a throwing knife, she aimed it at the right eye in the picture, and without much effort, she hit her target.Letting out a satisfied sigh, she returned her attention to the call just in time for Frederick to go on again. "You were the one who called, and now you are silent? Don't tell me you are intimidated by my voice.""What do you want?" Lily questioned, her voice sounding unnaturally calm and composed. Frederick, hearing her words, raised a brow in surprise. He had been expecting her to be scared, panicking, or at least angered by his pranks.He let out a loud laugh, seeing how she was still unmoved by his pressure. 'Oh, how
Over the next few days, Lily continued to study how to break the Roux family's vault while making preparations for her major comeback and her revenge on the Hamilton family and those who had supported Henry in taking over her mother's company.As promised, Mark helped her acquire shares at the Hamilton Cooperation. The acquisition process was made even easier after the news about Dan Vick's scandals hit the news and the shareholder became desperate to jump ship to another company.Although Mark wasn't sure what exactly she wanted to do with the shares, he had gone above board to get her as much as he could acquire in that short period. And now, with his help, she had become the third person who held the most shares in the Hamilton Company, the first being Henry and the second being a shareholder who had gone missing almost immediately after Victoria's mother died.Lily let out a small chuckle as she read the document, showing that the shares belonged to her. Her eyes were filled with
"Given the report received about Frederick Watson's involvement with both Anderson and Hamilton family. An investigation has been launched against him. However, our latest report says he is currently in hiding and possibly out of the country." "Search parties will be sent out to go after him, and the local authorities will be collaborating with international authorities to bring him to justice.""In the meantime, after the case with the Andersons had been settled, the internet users speculated about how Mark had gotten close to Roseline for his revenge.""And although there has been no statement agreeing or disagreeing with the people's speculations, Mark had officially proposed to the beautiful, raiding star in the business sector, Lily Turner—a lady who has been an enigmatic figure since her first appearance in the fashion competition. And has further spread her wings.""To commemorate their beautiful engagement, Lily and Mark had announced a new product they worked together on. Th
Destroy It From The Inside Out"You know?" Lily muttered as she stood by the large window of her bedroom, looking down at the bustling city night. "I never really figured out how my mum was able to know I would be reborn." "I had hoped that gathering all her work in one place would provide me some answer. I thought she would leave an explanation behind," she said while swirling the wine in her hand. "With everything she left behind, she was sure I would be reborn as Lily Turner. Yet, I can't figure out how she know and how she did it." {...} The system remained silent as it listened to Lily's rant. "There has to be something I'm missing right? She's never one to leave me this confused and lost about anything," she continued. "I mean, since you are involved in this you should know better right?" {That was your goal from the beginning wasn't it?} The system asked with a knowing sigh. {You want to know how I came to be?}"Yes." {I already told you when we first met. I'm not from th
Lily sat at the dessert store, her fingers lightly drumming against the table as she stared out of the window. The bustling streets outside felt distant, a blur compared to the storm in her chest. The message from Mark replayed in her mind."Can we meet up?""I'm an idiot, I know, but we really need to talk."She had almost ignored it. Almost.She wanted to make him desperate, but somehow, she found herself picking the most sexy dress in her closet and dressing up to meet up with him.The sound of a chair scraping across the floor snapped her out of her thoughts. Mark stood there, hesitating, his usual confident demeanour replaced by uncertainty.“Hey,” he said softly.Lily didn’t respond immediately, her gaze steady and unreadable. “You’re late,” she said finally, her tone flat.“I know,” Mark admitted as he sat down. “Thank you for coming.”She crossed her arms, leaning back slightly. “What do you want, Mark?”"You didn't tell me anything; I found out through the news, and then you
"We received a tip from an anonymous sender," the news anchor announced. "Evidence of crimes committed by a certain family whose name has recently been on the internet where a certain banquet video was uploaded." "This evidence includes the cause of both Mabel and Victoria Hamilton's untimely deaths. As well as many other criminal cases that would ultimately lead to the downfall of the prestigious family." "At the same time, we got news that the leadership position of the corporation owned by this family has changed hands. For now, this particular news has not been confirmed." The following morning, chaos erupted. News outlets were flooded with breaking stories about Henry and Kate’s crimes. Social media exploded with outrage as videos and documents went viral. Law enforcement agencies were forced to respond, launching immediate investigations."Oh goodness! Why are all the big corporations and names getting exposed this year?""Is justice finally coming out into the open?! My moth
"It's turned on," Lily reported to Bryan over the phone as the other asked about the computer that was delivered to him. "And I've confirmed that it really was the one that has been sending those messages to Hamilton.""It's connected to that AI-powered robot in the vault." She continued. "And to top it off, all evidence of Henry's misdeeds was recorded in it. Including notes written by my mother." "Are they enough to send Henry out?" Bryan asked "Yes, and his wife too." Lily replied. "There are several videos of Kate poisoning my mother while she was still pretending to be a housekeeper. And also a clear video from my last moment as Victoria." Bryan's voice grew tense. "Lily, if we release this information, it won't just end Henry and Kate's hold on the Hamilton family. It could ruin Hamilton completely.""It won't," Lily breathed out. "At first I just wanted to ruin everything and get it over with, but now I want to cherish my mother's hard work and the legacy she left behind."
"Is that Mark's private car?" Lily asked with a frown as she watched the video gotten from the camera close to the factory address sent to her.{The plate number index matches that of Mark's private car. However, this video was made about three weeks ago.}Frowning, Lily replayed the video again. It was a car driving on a highway in the middle of the night. Seeing the date, she recalled she had a date with Mark that night and after he had hurried off. All through their time together, it was even more restless than usual. "Is this all you found?" {There is a similar video of him returning back to the city. But he hasn't gone back to the factory after that.}She jumped off her chair, got changed into a comfortable sweatshirt and pants, and a black sneaker. She picked a small hiking backpack from the closet and her wallet as she exited her apartment.{You are going to the factory?}"Yes," Lily replied calmly. "I at least need to figure out why they sent the note even if I don't know w
"Can you arrange a meeting with Annabelle Wilson?" As she sent the message, Bryan replied almost immediately. Lily glanced at Bryan's text and smirked. "De Ox tonight, between 8 PM and 9 PM. Perfect."She quickly tapped out a reply: Thanks. It's such perfect timing.Bryan: Need help?Lily: I'll be fine on my own. With her plan in motion, Lily pulled up the files containing Henry's promiscuity, one she had meticulously prepared for Henry’s misdeeds. Photos, text messages, and financial transactions—everything she needed to plant the seed of doubt in Annabelle’s mind was compiled neatly in a folder.At exactly 8:15, Lily walked into the dimly lit lounge, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. She gave off an air of confidence, dressed in a sleek black dress that hinted at authority and poise. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Annabelle Wilson—a striking woman in her early forties, elegantly dressed in a champagne-coloured gown.Annabelle looked up as Lily a
"I think now is the perfect time to get the computer," Lily announced over the phone. "Given the news about his wife's scandal, Henry and William will be too busy to guard the company like a guard dog." "You want me to send people in there pretending to be electricians to retrieve the computer?" Bryan asked, and Lily hummed. "It will be a bit difficult for me to retrieve it at the moment." Lily replied. "Heard you've not been out of your apartment since the announcement. That's a week ago; that's unhealthy." Bryan sighed. "I'll come pick you up later today, and then we can discuss whatever your plans are." "There won't be a need for that," Lily gritted out as she worked away on her laptop. "I can't afford to be distracted right now.""Is this about Mark's engagement to Roseline?" Bryan asked, making Lily pause as her eyes narrowed at the screen of her laptop. "This has nothing to do with Mark or his engagement." She breathed out, massaging her forehead as she felt her eyes stingi
Lily walked into the living room with an extra sway in her hips as she remembered the event from the previous night. A small smile played on her lips, feeling giddy and excited about the news from the previous night's banquet. She picked up the remote and turned on the TV while waiting for the news with a warm cup of tea in hand. However, instead of the scandal she was expecting, she was met with Mark and Roseline's red carpet photos. Frowning, she turned up the volume just in time for the reporter to announce:"Next on the line of news is Mark Watson, the newly appointed CEO of the Watson Group. The genius businessman has finally announced his engagement with Roseline Anderson, the popular A-list actress."Lily’s smile froze, the warmth from her tea doing little to quell the chill that spread through her chest. Her hand tightened around the cup as she stared at the screen, unable to believe what she was hearing.“Engaged?” She whispered, her voice shaky. “That’s not possible.”The