Never in his life had Nicholas Bennet run faster or avoiding more obstacles, but it took him only a second to get through the corridor, through the living room, and to the door. His mother looked at him reprovingly and pushed the morning paper against his chest. “You weren't planning to invite me? Or were you already sure I wasn't going to come?” asked Leyla, walking past him and into his apartment. “Because let me tell you something, I'm not going to that circus!” Nick opened the newspaper and read the note that accompanied the picture of him and Miranda. “What the hell is this?!” he shouted, shaking the paper as he read the announcement of their wedding for that very afternoon. “Aren't you going to marry her?” Layla questioned him. “No, no, no, of course not!” “Well, that says yes, yes, yes, of course you are,” Layla mimicked. “You really didn't know?” Nick shook his head, dumbfounded, and tossed the paper aside. “Do you think if I'd known I'd be sleeping through my wedding d

The following week was a whirlwind of news. Davies Inc.'s lawsuit toward Steven Harris's design studio resounded to such an extent that Harris bankrupted his company and fled to Europe to avoid the embarrassment in the circles where he was known. Although it wouldn't be long before he was forced to flee from there as well. As Nick had promised, first thing Monday morning, one of the company's lawyers filed a vandalism charge with the police, against Miranda and Anna. But Anna had disappeared, and the Joneses had told the press that their daughter was in retreat from the stress of being stood up at her own wedding by CEO Nicholas Bennet. However, try as they might to spin the story, some altar boy in need of a quick buck sold the video that had been left on the projector to the press, so within twenty-four hours the Joneses had to face a terrible public backlash. “They're not going to stay quiet,” Elliot assured them that morning. “Despite the scandal, they're loaded, they're well-co

Valeria read that letter from top to bottom. “Are you serious?” she asked, dumbfounded. “Are you going to resign from Bennet Designs?” “I'm resigning my position as CEO of the studio. I'll just stay on as one of the shareholders,” he explained. “But... why?” She didn’t understand what was happening. This studio was his whole life. “I'm tired, Val. I've been running that studio since I came of age. My whole life has revolved around it and... the last few years have not been good. I need to get away from it all,” Nick replied, clasping his hands together and crossing his fingers. Valeria shook her head, a little shocked by the news. “So what, are you're going to let me do whatever I want with your studio?” she queried, raising her eyebrows. “It's our studio now, troublemaker. Don't forget you're the majority shareholder,” Nick smiled at her. “Besides, we both know you'll do whatever you want with it, no matter if I'm there or not. Are you going to accept my resignation?” Valeria

Valeria felt the brush of his lips on her cheek, and he broke away a second later. “You'd better put it on my tab, troublemaker, because I'm likely to end up doing worse things to you than just kissing you.” “Stop it!” Valeria got annoyed, pulling away from him, and Nick smiled as he shook his head. Yes, that would be a war of attrition alright, but he would not be the one to give up. He reached the door and waved goodbye with a half-smile, and Valeria went back to all her papers. That night she had to stay late, and the two nights following that one were exactly the same. The workload of two studios—one of them with no CEO and no chief designer—was enormous. Valeria raised her head again only when she smelled food. “Richard?” She was a little surprised to see him enter accompanied by Layla. “Doll, do you know what time it is?” her brother reprimanded he, as he put two bags in front of her. Valeria looked at her watch. It was already past eight o'clock at night and she hadn't ev

Perhaps in another time, in another life, Valeria could have been able to say the words she wanted to say, but for now, only the truth came out. “Go, Alan. It's better if you go.” The doctor lowered his head, clearly understanding what those words meant. He had believed he could win Valeria’s heart after his return, but no matter how much she denied it, there was no way to make room in a heart that was already occupied. “I'm going to refer you to a colleague to keep an eye on you, okay?” Valeria nodded, and they said goodbye with a hug. She was going to feel his absence, but she preferred that to resenting his presence. She wasn't in love with Alan, and she couldn't deny it.” That day both Yuri and Jack escorted her to work, and when she arrived, Bruno, Oli, Layla, and Emma were already waiting for her in the boardroom. “What happened?” she asked, seeing the smiles on everyone's faces. “This has just arrived!” Bruno ventured, showing her a formal letter of proposal. Valeria put