These days, Niamh’s name was everywhere–her rising fame impossible to ignore. Meanwhile, Marina’s world was unraveling: a mass exodus of her staff, with employees jumping ship left and right. Just that morning, she’d overheard two women in the restroom snickering about her, mocking her for accepting shoots from “third–rate magazines.” The most humiliating part was, deep down, Marina knew her designs barely measured up to dime–store trinkets.
“Oh, come on, Marina,” Edna finally snapped, unable to watch her daughter spiral any longer. “You’re throwing a fit over something so trivial–aren’t you a little old for this?”
Marina had been like this for days: volatile, quick to tears or rage, refusing to go to work, her only routine now consisted of sulking or lashing out.
“Trivial? Mom, you have no idea how mortifying this is!”
“So what?” Edna’s patience was thin, her disappointment obvious. “It’s happened. What’s the point of getting angry now? Niamh’s got the momentum, she’s the talk of the town. Maybe it’s her lucky break, her career taking off. But what about you–do you even know what you should be doing right now?”
Edna’s words cut through Marina’s tantrum, forcing her to pause and collect
herself.
“Mom, what are you saying…?”
“Jonathan, of course!” Edna tapped her manicured nails pointedly on the coffee
table.
“If her career is taking off, then hit her where it hurts–her relationship. Make sure she loses on the love front.”
“I’m not stealing her man! Jonathan was mine to begin with. I met him first, I’m the one he really loves!”
Marina stood with her hands on her hips, bristling with indignation.
“Exactly! Instead of sitting here brooding over Niamh’s career, put your energy into Jonathan. Get him to divorce her and marry you. Marina, no matter how bright Niamh’s star burns, it won’t last. She’s just a designer–how much can she possibly be worth? But The Thomas Group? That’s real money, real power.”
Marina listened, her expression intent, wide eyes darting as she considered her mother’s argument.
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“Once you become Mrs. Thomas, Niamh won’t even register on your radar. You’ll have everything–money, status, fame. And Niamh? She’ll end up with nothing.
Edna’s words soothed Marina’s bruised ego. She drew a deep breath, the storm clouds of anxiety and envy clearing away.
She was just about to fix her makeup, ready to march over to The Thomas Group and find Jonathan, when a trending headline caught her eye. The shock was so intense she nearly dropped her phone; it slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a loud clatter.
The Thomas Group.
President’s Office.
Niamh slammed her phone down on Jonathan’s mahogany desk, the screen still aglow with the latest news headline.
“Jonathan, care to explain this?”
Her anger radiated across the room. Jonathan, handsome as ever, regarded her with an icy stare, his jaw set, lips pressed thin.
He said nothing. The silence stretched, cold and heavy. Niamh’s shoulders sagged; her righteous fury was running out of steam.
She pulled out a chair and sat opposite him, facing him squarely.
At that moment, Prescott knocked softly and entered, gliding in with quiet efficiency to set two mugs of coffee–steaming, just the right temperature–before them. Without a word, Prescott slipped out, leaving the air thick with unspoken tension.
Niamh took a grateful sip, her throat parched and raw. Prescott’s timing was impeccable; she’d been burning for a drink.
As she sipped, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
That morning, she’d packed the divorce papers and set out for work, steeling herself for what was to come. But she hadn’t even reached the lobby of Pinnacle Tower before she found herself surrounded by a swarm of strangers. Some wielded shotgun microphones, others hefted bulky cameras, still others jabbed their phones in her direction.
She wasn’t scared–mostly, she was baffled. She didn’t think her fame warranted this kind of mob, the press hounding her every move.
Only after hearing their barrage of questions did Niamh finally piece together what had happened.
Chapter 2700
Chapter 275
