Chapter 5
I arrived at the restaurant right on time.
The private room door opened to reveal three people sitting stiffly, as if they had already rehearsed their roles.
Damian occupied the head seat, his expression grave. Serena sat to his right, her eyes still red and puffy, looking utterly drained. Across from them, Amber had her arms crossed, impatience written all over her face.
I walked in and took the seat opposite them.
Silence.
For about thirty seconds, no one spoke.
Then Amber couldn’t hold back any longer.
“You actually have the nerve to show up?” Her voice was shrill. “Get on your knees right now and apologize to Serena! And hand over that endorsement and necklace!”
I looked at her but said nothing.
“Are you deaf? I’m talking to you!” Amber slammed her palm on the table. “Stop pretending! The whole internet already knows about the disgusting things you’ve done!”
Serena tugged at her sleeve, fresh tears spilling. “Amber, don’t…” Her voice trembled. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t come back to Kingsford City, none of this would have happened.”
“Serena, don’t blame yourself!” Amber immediately turned to her. “You’re not the one at fault-she is!”
She jabbed a finger in my direction, venom in her tone. “You think just because you have some dirty money, you can steal someone else’s man and their things? Do you know how many people online are cursing you right now?”
Still, I didn’t speak.
Then, Damian finally broke his silence.
“Evelyn.” His voice was weary but laced with condescension. “Apologize. This is your last chance.”
I lifted my gaze to meet his.
There was no guilt on his face-only impatience and indifference.
“You’ve made enough trouble,” he continued. “This scandal is spreading everywhere online, and it’s affecting my career. Apologize to Serena and Amber, give up the endorsement, and we can put this behind us.”
“Otherwise…” He paused. “You know the consequences.”
A threat.
Barefaced and unapologetic.
I took a deep breath, about to speak-
Then the door swung open.
My assistant, Lauren Dawson, stepped inside, followed by a group of people.
The legal director of L&W Group.
The brand director.
The CEO of Horizon Pictures.
And several investors-people I rarely interacted with, but whom Damian definitely recognized.
They lined up behind me in perfect formation.
The room fell dead silent.
Damian’s face paled. Serena froze, her tears halting mid-fall. Amber gaped, looking like she’d seen a ghost.
Slowly, I stood up.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” I said. “Let’s begin.”
The brand director stepped forward, placing a document in front of Serena.
“Miss Hart, this is a legal notice from our company, accusing you of spreading false claims that you were L&W’s spokesperson, thereby damaging our brand reputation.” Her voice was crisp and authoritative. “You are required to issue
a public clarification within three days and compensate for the losses incurred.”
Serena took the document, her hands shaking. “W-what does this mean?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“It means your live-stream claim-that the necklace was designed exclusively for you-constitutes an infringement of
L&W’s brand rights,” the brand director explained.
The CEO of Horizon Pictures turned to Damian. “Mr. Grayson, due to the severe reputational damage your personal
conduct has caused to our film project, we are terminating our contract with you.” He placed another document on the
table. “The penalty for breach of contract totals 80 million. Payment is due within one month.”
Damian’s face went completely bloodless.
“Evelyn, you-” His voice shook. “What is this?”
I didn’t answer him.
Instead, I reached up and unclasped the necklace from around my neck, then walked over to the promotional poster hanging on the wall.
It was a founder’s portrait for L&W Group.
In it, my grandfather sat behind a desk, with a younger version of me standing beside him.
That photo was taken when I was sixteen-back when my grandfather said he wanted to groom me as his successor.
I held up the necklace, letting the light catch its facets.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” I said, turning back to the three of them. “L&W Group? It’s mine. You said I was wearing a fake?”
