Lisa re-read the article and the rification post that had just been published. Anger bubbled up inside her, making her heart race. She couldn''t believe that ire would do this-publiclybel her as a depressed, crazy woman due to heartbreak. And to make matters worse, there was a picture apanying the article. Even though the image was blurry, anyone who knew Lisa could easily recognize her. Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. The screen showed Ka''s name. Lisa stared at it for a moment, debating whether to answer. She needed to sound calm, and maybee up with another lie to protect her reputation. Losing Alex had already damaged her image among her friends, and if they found out about this article, the news would spread like wildfire at the office. She couldn''t afford to lose her job too. Everything was getting moreplicated by the minute.


    With a deep breath, Lisa answered the call, trying to keep her voice steady. "Hello?"


    "Lisa? Are you there?" Ka''s voice was curious, bordering on concern.


    "Yeah, I''m here," Lisa replied, forcing herself to sound casual.


    Ka didn''t waste any time getting to the point. "Is that you in the article? The one they''re calling a ''depressed crazy woman''? I thought it looked like you."


    Lisa let out augh, though it came out awkward and strained. "Ka, you''ve got it all wrong," she said, trying to deflect. "Why would you think that''s me?"


    "Well, the photo looks like you, even if it''s not clear," Ka said, her tone curious but cautious.


    Lisa''s mind raced. She couldn''t let Ka suspect anything. "Oh, please," Lisa scoffed, injecting arrogance into her voice to mask her anxiety. "That''s definitely not me. It''s probably just some fan who had stic surgery to look like me." Ka chuckled on the other end, seemingly convinced. "Maybe you''re right. It''s just... I don''t know, it felt like it could be you."


    "Trust me, Ka, it''s not me," Lisa said firmly. She was relieved that her lie had been swallowed so easily.


    Ka paused for a moment before shifting the conversation. "So, what''s going on with you and Alex? Are you guys still together?"


    Lisa froze. Her mind scrambled for a response. Should she tell the truth or keep up the lie? The answer came to her almost instinctively. "No, we broke up," she said, the lie rolling off her tongue as easily as the others. "I dumped him." Ka gasped. "What? Why?"


    Lisa hesitated for just a second before crafting another lie. "Because ire stole him from me," she said, bitternesscing her words. It was easier to paint herself as the victim, especially to Ka.


    There was a moment of silence on the line, and then Ka spoke, her voice tinged with annoyance. "That''s awful, Lisa! You should get back at ire for what she did."


    Lisa smirked to herself, pleased that Ka had so easily believed her story. "Maybe I will," she said, keeping her tone light and nonchnt.


    After the call ended, Lisa''s expression darkened. The anger that she had managed to suppress during the conversation with Ka returned full force. She wasn''t going to sit back and let ire tarnish her name. She had to talk to ire and set things straight. But as she started to dial ire''s number, she realized with frustration that she didn''t have it.


    She chewed the inside of her lip, thinking about how to get in touch with ire. Thest thing she wanted was to show up at Metacortex


    ire sat in the back of the car, watching the cityscape of London pass by as she made her way to the restaurant. She had received a text earlier from the London High Socialite group, reminding her of their annual meetup. It had been weeks since she''dst seen any of them, her work at Metacortex consuming nearly every waking hour. Now, she was making a rare appearance, hoping to catch up with her friends and perhaps take her mind off the endless demands of her business.


    As the car pulled up to the restaurant, ire took a deep breath, trying to shake off the tension in her shoulders. The valet opened her door, and she stepped out gracefully, her heels clicking against the pavement. The waiter at the entrance greeted her warmly and directed her to the private room where the group was gathering.


    Inside the room, ire immediately spotted several familiar faces. April, always the first to notice new arrivals, beamed and hurried over to her. "ire! How wonderful to see you!" she eximed; her smile as bright as ever.


    ire returned the smile, feeling a bit more at ease. "It''s great to see you too, April. I''ve been fine, just... incredibly busy, as usual."


    April nodded understandingly. "We''ve missed you!"


    Before ire could respond, Miranda appeared beside her, wrapping her in a warm hug. "ire, you look as stunning as always. Are you really, okay? You''ve been working yourself to the bone."


    ire hugged her back, appreciating the concern. "I''m managing, Miranda. Don''t worry about me.


    The door to the private room opened again, and several more members of the group entered, chatting animatedly. Among them was Adrianna Saint Laurent.


    However, what caught ire''s attention wasn''t Adrianna, but the person who walked in behind her.


    Adrianna made her way to ire with a warm smile and a hug. "ire, darling, how have you been holding up?"


    ire returned the hug, smiling as she replied, "Busy, but I''m surviving. How about you, Adrianna?"


    "Oh, you know me, always juggling a million things," Adrianna said with a yful sigh. But ire''s eyes had already drifted to the person standing next to Adrianna.


    A wide smile broke across ire''s face as she recognized him. "Fancy seeing you here," she teased.


    Adrian, looking slightly out of ce but undeniably charming, chuckled lightly. "I didn''t expect to see you here either," he admitted.


    ire raised an eyebrow, amused by his response. "Are you one of the members now? Last I checked, this club was fordies only," she teased, her tone light.


    A blush crept up Adrian''s cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit shy. "You caught me," he confessed, his smile sheepishly. "When I heard you wereing, I decided to tag along with my mom." Adrianna, always quick to support her son, chimed in with a proud smile. "Isn''t he the sweetest? He just wanted to see you, ire." She side-hugged Adrian, who looked slightly awkward but endearingly so.


    ire chuckled at the scene, finding


    it both amusing and heartwarming.


    "Well, I''m d you did," she said, genuinely pleased to see him. The easy banter was interrupted when April ever the gossip, decided to bring up a topic that ire had


    hoped was long forgotten.


    "So, ire," April began, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "is it true that you and Alexander Harris are married? I read the news about it but I just wanted to hear it from you."


    ire felt a twinge of difort,


    her smile faltering slightly. She had


    hoped that the news had faded from everyone''s minds, but it seemed some people still remembered.- nced at Adrian, who was watching her with a calmAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    nove


    expression-he already knew about her past, but that didn''t make the conversation any easier.


    "Yes, it''s true," ire said, keeping her tone light and controlled. "I did marry Alexander, but it was more for his grandfather than anything else."


    April, however, wasn''t satisfied with that answer. "But why didn''t you go public with it? I mean, he''s such a high-profile figure, and so are you..."


    Before ire could respond,


    Adrianna quickly stepped in. She pped her hands together, shing a bright smile. "I don''t know about youdies, but I''m starving! Let''s get this lunch started," she said cheerfully, calling the server over to take their orders.


    Adrianna gently nudged April towards the table, effectively steering the conversation away from ire''s personal life. She shot ire a quick wink, letting her know she had her back. ire couldn''t help but feel grateful for the subtle intervention. As they all moved to their seats, Adrian fell into step beside ire. "Ladies first," he said with a yful smile, holding out a chair for her.


    "Thank you, Adrian," ire replied, smiling as she took her seat.