The words hit like a thunderclap. A low murmur rippled through the air as the guests spoke in hushed tones, their eyes flickered between Charlotte and Mr Macaulay Charlotte's face was drained of color. "There must be some mistake," she stammered. "That's not what yesterday's press conference said. I haven't received any notification about my company's listing being terminated."Her phone buzzed.She hesitated, her heart hammering, before she finally looked at the screen, opened the text message, and scanned it with her eyes."Your company's IPO has been halted due to suspected violations. You are required to submit all relevant evidence within three days or face a formal investigation."Charlotte's hands shook so violently she almost dropped the phone. What's happening? This can't be true, right? She felt her whole being tremble.Daniel. Yes, Daniel. He had a lot of connections and had been the one who made this possible for her in the first place. She thought and clutched Daniel's s

Charlotte furrowed her brows. “What house are you talking about?”“The key card is right here,” she added quickly, fumbling through her purse until she pulled out a blue card. “I just wanted to check if anything was missing or out of place so I could start arranging things before you moved in. Who would’ve thought the door alarm would malfunction and bring in a whole squad of security guards treating us like thieves?”Daniel froze. He never imagined this foolish woman would take his casual words so literally. The key card he’d given her was just an old one he’d picked up from a cheap motel—and she had actually used it to open a door!He almost felt like crying. She was about to expose his lie, and he couldn’t allow that. His mind raced like an engine as he tried to think of a way out of this.He forced a laugh and quickly snatched the card from Beatrice’s hand. “Oh, this is all my fault, not my mother-in-law's. I was too impatient that day and gave her the card before I even register

After the bell rang, Anna tried to find Mark but couldn’t. She felt a bit worried, especially since she wanted to share her joy and appreciation with him, yet he was nowhere to be seen.She walked to the restroom. She was tired of the fake smiles and the empty congratulations she had been receiving all day, and she just wanted to go home. If she saw Mark now, she planned to ask him to take her back.Suddenly, a burly man walked into the restroom. He was wearing a large hoodie. The hood covered his head, and under the dim light she couldn’t see his face.She immediately grew cautious. She had a natural fear of burly, muscular men. She was also the only one in the restroom since everyone else was still in the hall, chatting and connecting.The burly man stopped in front of her and removed his hood.Her eyes brightened when she recognized him, and she calmed down.“Liam, right?” She smiled.“Mmm.” He nodded.He was Mark’s subordinate. She had met him before when Mark took her to a hotel

Yesterday had been hectic for Anna as she was trying to kick-start her company, and today wasn’t any better.She was buried under a pile of work on her table when her phone suddenly beeped. She glanced at the screen carelessly and was about to drop it, but then she grabbed it immediately.It was Mark! A wave of excitement washed over her. She had been trying to call him for the past two days, but his number had been switched off the whole time, and it had worried her deeply. Seeing his message now made her heart race.She opened it instantly.“Are you free?” the text read.“Yes,” she typed back without hesitation, ignoring the mountain of work glaring at her from the table.Ding.A new message. She opened it right away.“Do you mind having lunch with me? I’m nearby.”“Of course, I will be delighted,” she replied.Soon, another message arrived. “Meet me at the parking lot.”“What! He’s already here?” She quickly packed up, grabbed her handbag, and hurried to the elevator.She met her a

"Please, security, escort them out of here, and use force if necessary. Also, if they have a VIP membership card, revoke it. From today onward, you are banned from entering any store owned by us," the manager ordered.Charlotte realized things were getting serious. Some people had already pulled out their phones and were recording them. She felt profoundly ashamed—so much so that she wanted to bury her head in the ground.She looked at Daniel, her face filled with worry. "Do something!""His number isn’t going through. Let's just go for now. I'll call him later to resolve this," he said. He grabbed her hand and began pulling her away. It was better to leave immediately; staying any longer would only mean suffering even more disgrace.After they left, the manager offered another apology. "I'm deeply sorry about what happened, sir.""It's alright. You may go now," he replied, waving his hand impatiently. The manager, understanding that he did not want to be disturbed, left with the dire