SLYVIA'S POVI didn't want to put my phone on silent after Grayson's several attempts to call me during my date with Raymond. "What the hell would he be calling me over and over again for?" I muttered to myself, annoyed.Raymond and I tried to get back into our conversation. I looked at him, trying to push Grayson's intrusive calls out of my mind. "So, how's work been?" I asked, genuinely curious but also hoping to steer the evening back to a more pleasant vibe.Raymond's face lit up with enthusiasm. "It's been awesome, Slyvia! Magazines are calling me left and right for cover shoots. Even some pop stars want me to star in their music videos!" His excitement was contagious, and despite my earlier irritation, I found myself smiling."That's amazing, Raymond! Congratulations!" I said, genuinely happy for him. Raymond had always been talented and hardworking, and it was great to see him getting the recognition he deserved."Thanks," he replied, his smile broadening. "It's been a crazy ri

ALICE'S POVI woke up that morning with a clear plan in mind, ready to set things in motion. The sun was just starting to peek through the curtains, casting a soft glow in my bedroom. I stretched, feeling a surge of determination coursing through me.First things first, I grabbed my phone and dialed my account manager. "Good morning, John," I greeted him, trying to sound as composed as possible despite the nerves. "I need 1.5 million dollars in cash today. Can you arrange that for me?"John sounded slightly taken aback. "Um, sure, Alice," he replied cautiously. "May I ask what it's for?"I chuckled softly, trying to maintain my calm demeanor. "It's for a project I'm working on," I said vaguely. "I'll explain later. Can you have it ready by 10 AM?""Of course," he confirmed, though I could sense his curiosity lingering in the air. He knew better than to pry too much, though. I trusted him with our finances, but some things were best kept private.After hanging up, I made my way to the

SLYVIA'S POVAs we drove home, I tried to keep the conversation light, asking about their day and their friends, anything to keep my mind off the looming legal battle. Their innocent chatter and laughter were a balm to my frazzled nerves.Back at home, I set the kids up with a snack and some coloring books before retreating to my home office to make some urgent calls. I needed to get ahead of this lawsuit and figure out what was going on.My phone buzzed with a call from Lisa. "Sylvia, I've calmed everyone down and got them back to work. Do you want to go over the details of the lawsuit now?""Yes, Lisa, thank you. Let's get our legal team on this immediately. I need to know what we're dealing with," I replied, my mind already shifting back into work mode."Will do. I'll set up a call with them right away," she assured me.Hanging up, I leaned back in my chair and took a deep breath. One crisis at a time, I reminded myself. The lawsuit was a hurdle, but I had overcome worse. I looked

GRAYSON'S POVJust when I thought things couldn't get any worse, the flashing red and blue lights outside the bar told me otherwise. The cops had shown up, probably called by the bartender while we fought. Great. Just what I needed.An officer approached me, his expression stern. "You're coming with us," he said, grabbing my arm."Wait, this is just a misunderstanding," I tried to explain, but it was no use. The other guy was on the ground, nursing a bloody nose, and the bar was a mess. There was no talking my way out of this one.They cuffed me and led me outside, the cold metal biting into my wrists. I could feel the eyes of the onlookers burning into me, their judgment palpable. They shoved me into the back of the squad car, and I slumped against the seat, my head throbbing from the fight and the alcohol.At the station, they booked me, charged me with assault, and threw me into a cell. The clang of the metal door closing behind me was like a final nail in the coffin of this disast

JOCELIA'S POVI picked up my phone, a smirk already spreading across my face. Alice, sitting across from me, noticed immediately."Oh oh, you have that smirk again. What are you about to do?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and amusement."Hastening the Sylvia breakdown," I replied, dialing my contact in the news. As the phone rang, I could already envision the chaos this would cause for Sylvia. When my contact picked up, I didn’t waste any time."Hello, it's Jocelia," I began, my voice low and conspiratorial. "I have a tip for you. There's a new lawsuit against Sylvia's company—fraud and false advertising. I need you to leak this story, make sure it gets maximum coverage. Destroy her credibility, ruin the reputation of her business."I could hear the excitement in my contact's voice as they agreed. They knew a good story when they heard one, and this one had all the makings of a scandal."Consider it done," my contact said before hanging up.I put my phone down, still smirking