Bella rolled her eyes as she exchanged glances with Aaron, saying, "Could he possibly know that you were the one who swapped the flash drives?" Having a second thought about it, Bella gulped with Aaron as they stared inquisitively at Lisa whose brows furrowed."Ah, no, Mother. He didn't," Lena said, shaking her head."Oh, Lisa, are you sure…?""Yes, Aaron, you fool. I'm not a dunce like you, you know.""Okay." Aaron let out a bitter chuckle before sitting back on the bed."Lisa?""Mother, I am a hundred percent sure about that," Lisa said and gave a certain nod. "You know, Duncan is a fool. He came to clean the office that morning and I can bet my fortune that he doesn't even suspect me."Feeling assured by her daughter's words, Bella smiled broadly. "You are really my daughter, Lisa. I am proud of you."Lisa smirked and lifted an eyebrow. "And?""And, dear, I believe in you. I am sure you will topple Zinnia and Marcus. You will win your grandmother's heart with your presentation and
The following morning, Lisa was checking her wristwatch as she headed down the hallway to join the waiting family members for breakfast, a smile plastered on her face. Then she stopped when Marcus came out of his room and walked up to her."Good morning, Lisa," he greeted with a half grin, showing his awful set of teeth.Lisa was a bit surprised that he greeted her first because Marcus usually commands to be greeted first most times. With puffing shoulders, she nodded, acknowledging his greeting before responding, "Good morning, Marcus.""You look happy this beautiful morning.""It's indeed a beautiful morning for me. I am going to blow everyone's mind away at the dining table by announcing the readiness of my presentation and I am going to rub it in on Zinnia."Marcus nodded, unbuttoning one of his vest's buttons, saying, "Hm, good. I can't wait. But, first, let me see." He stretched out his hand, making Lisa narrow her eyes at him."What do you mean?""I am talking about your presen
Everyone's eyes grew bigger as Ma'am Luna glared at Lisa who couldn't stand up straight and stared at her. Lisa's emotions swirled inside her, a tumultuous storm of shame, humiliation, and confusion. The stinging sensation on her cheek served as a constant reminder of the physical and emotional impact of her grandmother's slap. As her family members arose, her parents' expressions were a mix of concern and disbelief, Lisa felt the weight of their collective judgment pressing down on her. Feeling exposed and vulnerable, Lisa's eyes darted from one family member to another, briefly making eye contact before dropping her gaze to the laptop screen in front of her. The screen, once a source of comfort and escape, now seemed like a portal into her own darkness. She couldn't help but question herself, wondering if the person in the video was truly her. Doubt gnawed at her, but deep down, she knew it wasn't her. It was a relief to have that clarity, but it also intensified her need to find
Back in the office, the tension was building with each passing second. After Marcus told them how he got the video, he started wondering who dropped the flash drive in his office. For him, he could only think it was someone else who wished ill for Lisa and it baffled him the more of who could be Lisa's enemy. Whatever prompted the person to drop the flash drive in his office or whoever the person was, he didn't care. He was more happy that through the flash drive, he was able to get back at Lisa too for being insolent and pompous to him earlier that morning."I am so ashamed of you, Lisa," Ma'am Luna groaned. "You know I had hopes for you because you have never disappointed me, I wanted to give you a chance but you ruined it by stooping so low and committing such a shameful act. I regret ever believing in you.""Ah, grandmother, don't take this to heart, please," Bella uttered, intervening for her daughter's best interest. "I am sure Lisa didn't mean that. She only wanted to prove tha
With their faces just inches away, Karla felt her cheeks burning locking her eyes onto Duncan's. When he lifted his brows, she arched a brow and nodded lightly before he glanced at her hand.Not taking her hand off, she poised to continue. "I am sure you're not fretting because of your wife, right?""I'm Duncan Walton.""Correct. And…?""I'm bound to win in any game I partake in. Yeah, I was thinking Lisa was going to do the presentation but I had a change of mind this morning and without thinking of the aftermath, I proceeded with my new plan.""What do you mean?"Not bothering to give her a long narration, he went on talking, leaving her confused."I need to make a good presentation to beat Zinnia's no matter what.""Sure, I am here to help you.""No. Take your hand off." Karla blinked uncontrollably as he gave her a steel expression before she proceeded to withdraw her hand."Also, you're not capable of helping me, Karla.""What? I…"Before Karla could finish a statement to defend
The next morning, the Lennarts were having dinner. Zinnia found herself using her eyes as a tool to search for Duncan around the house while she enjoyed a peaceful breakfast with her family. She had not seen him when she woke up and so she was wandering where he had gone.Taking a look around the dining room, Ma'am Luna asked about Duncan's whereabouts."And where is that irresponsible husband of yours, Zinnia?"Unsure of his location, Zinnia simply answered, "I don't know."Laila took the opportunity to express her disdain, remarking, "Well, it is good we did not get to see his ugly face this morning."Her comment was laced with bitterness. But Zinnia remained composed and focused on the task at hand- delivering the presentation to get the contract. She didn't know why she felt a bit anxious and she was trying to act cool to hide it. She had done over a couple of presentations for the company before and succeeded in getting the deals but this one was different and she wasn't thinking
Duncan entered the meeting room with a confident stride. As he stepped inside, he observed the representatives of the company engaged in a lively conversation about the previous presenter which was Zinnia. Their animated gestures and impressed expressions indicated that her presentation had left a positive impact. Not wanting to interrupt their discussion, Duncan approached the group with a friendly smile and greeted them. The sudden realization of his presence caused a brief pause in their conversation. Acknowledging his arrival, one of them kindly requested him to wait outside the meeting room for a moment. Respecting their request, Duncan agreed and stepped back out into the hallway. As he stood there, slightly taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, his attention was captured by the sight of Karla rushing toward him, clutching some papers. Her hurried footsteps slowed as she reached Duncan, and she greeted him with a mix of surprise and concern. "Why are you here?" she
After the long silence, Sir Logan said, "Though I haven't personally seen my grandson, I can beat my hand on my chest and say that he's no less a man like his father, my late son, Dunstan. In fact, I believe he's better than his father and I can't wait to see my grandson. I have been longing to see him for two decades now. I want to know how he has grown all this while.""I am happy you believe him too, Father. I don't know what's wrong with Luke." Lady Zelda felt a growing unease settle within her as she pondered the recent argument with Luke. Though she understood his concerns for her son, Duncan, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more beneath his reaction. A subtle shift in his demeanor or the tone of his voice had caught her attention, leaving her with a lingering sense of uneasiness. Her thoughts drifted to Duncan, who was currently working on securing a crucial deal for their company. Lady Zelda's heart swelled with a mix of pride and worry for him. She