"Do you know how it affects mypany?" ire raised her eyebrows waiting for Lisa to answer.


    "Of course, you don''t know. You don''t even own apany. So, what I do now, is nothingpared to what you did to me."


    ire''s tone was sharp, but there was a yful glint in her eyes. She raised an eyebrow, waiting for Lisa toe up with some excuse.


    Lisa''s fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms. "Of course, you don''t know," ire continued, not missing a beat. "You don''t even own apany. What did I do? It''s nothingpared to the mess you made for me."


    Lisa''s jaw tightened as she took a step forward, jabbing her finger in ire''s direction. "You''re lucky you''re rich, ire. Otherwise—"


    "Otherwise, what?" ire interrupted, her voice calm and collected, not a trace of concern on her face. "You''ll do what, Lisa? Throw another tantrum?" She smirked, the corners of her lips curling up as if she was savoring the moment. "If I were you, I''d leave before I make you leave. And for the record, I''m not deleting or removing anything from the news."


    Lisa''s eyes burned with frustration. She wanted to wipe that smirk off ire''s face, but instead, she hissed, "This isn''t over." With that, she stormed out, banging the door shut behind her.


    ire barely flinched. She just watched Lisa leave, the smirk still lingering as she leaned back in her chair, utterly unfazed by the drama. "Goodbye, Lisa," she muttered under her breath with a casual wave at the door. "Don''t let it hit you on the way out."


    Meanwhile, Alex was sitting in the back of his car, heading to a meeting with the furnishingpany that had partnered with Harris Hotels for years. He was staring out the window, the radio ying softly in the background. But then, something caught his attention. His head snapped forward when he heard ire''s name being mentioned on the radio.


    "Did you hear?" The female radio broadcaster said in a bubbly tone. "I saw ire Peterson and Adrian earlier at the pier restaurant. They looked so romantic!"


    The other broadcaster giggled, chiming in, "I saw a picture of them online too, and I have to say, they make a cute couple!"


    Alex''s frown deepened, and before he knew it, his phone was in his hand. His best friend, Christian, who was sitting next to him, turned and raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin on his face. "You gonna search them up?" he asked, chuckling.


    Alex ignored him, his thumb quickly navigating to X. Sure enough, there were pictures of ire and Adrian all over social media. Thements were full ofpliments, people gushing over how perfect they looked together. It made Alex''s blood boil. His grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles turned white.


    "Hey, man, easy," Christian said, noticing how tense Alex had be. "You''re gonna break your phone."


    "Why is she hanging out with Adrian?" Alex muttered, more to himself than anyone else, but Christian heard him loud and clear.


    "Maybe Adrian''s a nice guy?" Christian suggested with a shrug.


    Alex shot him a re. "Are you saying I''m not nice?"


    Christian''s eyes widened in rm, and he quickly backtracked. "No! No, that''s not what I meant. I just... you know... maybe ire likes hanging out with him because he''s, I don''t know, nice or something."


    Alex huffed, turning his attention back to the window, his annoyance clear on his face. "Well, I don''t like Adrian hanging around her," he grumbled.


    Christian chuckled softly. "Jealous much?"


    "Not jealous." Alex snapped, though the way he clenched his jaw suggested otherwise. "I just don''t like the guy."


    "Uh-huh, sure," Christian teased, nudging him yfully. "You know, for someone who says he''s not jealous, you''re acting pretty jealous."


    Alex red at Christian, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I''m not jealous, okay? I just... I don''t like seeing her with him. That''s all."All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Christian leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms with a knowing smirk. "If you say so, buddy."


    The sun was shining brightly as ire stepped out of her car, a sleek ck sedan that gleamed under the morning light. It was one of those rare mornings when everything felt just right. She was in a surprisingly good mood, considering how hectic her life had beentely. With the robot designpetitionlooming in two weeks, the pressure was on.


    She had initially nned to give the contestants a month to work on their designs, knowing howplicated and time-consuming creating a design. But deadlines were deadlines, and with Alex''s hotel opening in just seven months, time was not a luxury she could afford. As she walked down the street, her heels clicking against the pavement, ire spotted a few paparazzi lingering on the corner, their cameras at the ready.


    "If they think there will be drama today, they are wrong." She rolled her eyes behind her oversized sunsses. They were like vultures, always circling, waiting for the smallest slip-up. But today, she wasn''t in the mood to deal with them. She had more important things on her mind-like her breakfast.


    The smell of freshly baked bread


    and coffee hither as she opened the door to her favorite bakery. It was a small, cozy ce with wooden tables and a warm atmosphere. She hadn''t been here in a while, and the familiar scent brought a smile to her face. There were only a few people inside, probably because she hade early, hoping to avoid the usual morning rush.


    She took off her shade and joined the short line, ncing around as she waited.


    It was peaceful, exactly what she needed to start her day right. When it was her turn, she stepped up to the counter. "I''ll have a hottte and a chocte Danish, please," ire said.


    "Thank you," she said with a smile as she took her order, the warmth of the coffee cup seeping into her hands.


    But as fate would have it, the universe had other ns.


    Just as ire was heading toward


    the entrance, her coffee in hand and ready to enjoy her breakfast, someone bumped into her with all the grace of a runaway bull. The jolt sent the steaming coffee flying out of her cup, and while ire managed to step back just in time to avoid getting scalded, the hot liquid still sttered onto her pristine white dress.


    "What the heck?!" her re snapping to the person responsible-a woman standing right in front of her, lookingpletely unbothered. If anything, she seemed more amused than concerned. "Oh my gosh, I''m so sorry!" the woman gasped, though her tone wasced with mockery. Her lips curled into a smirk as she continued, "I guess someone wasn''t paying attention, huh?" ire''s good mood evaporated like the steam rising from her spilled coffee. She narrowed her eyes, her voice cold. "What''s your problem?"


    The woman''s smirk deepened, and she crossed her arms, looking ire up and down with disdain and amusement. "My problem? Oh, I don''t know. Maybe it''s you being such a bitch."