<b>Chapter </b>123


    Ian’s puppy–like devotion to pleasing her was almost too much–he’d gone all out with his look, all just <b>to </b>win her over, and wow, was it working.


    Ynda had never been intentionally teased or flirted with like this before, and honestly, she couldn’t handle <ol><li>it. </li></ol>


    Thenn leaned in, the soft, hazy light making his intentions


    Crustal clear. “Shall I?” he murmured.


    Ynda swallowed, and honestly, there was no way she could say no to that.


    Time seemed to blur into one big, hazy mess.


    After it was all over.


    Ian nced over and asked, “Did you like it?”


    Ynda felt like she was about to lose herselfpletely, as if he’d stolen her soul.


    Her vision was hazy, as if she were a kite lost in a sea of clouds, drifting aimlessly with nowhere to focus.


    Ian’s fingers yed with her hair,zily twirling stray locks–each touch making her heart skip.


    Ynday there for ages, struggling just to steady her breath.


    Their eyes locked, and the air between them grew heavy, sparking with something electric.


    Ynda’s face red red, embarrassment and irritation mixing as she instinctively tried to shove him away.


    Ian nuzzled deeper into her neck, whining softly, “Come on, cut me some ck. Just stay put.”


    Ynda froze, her mind racing as she realized what he meant.


    The bedsidemp was still on, casting a gentle light. Ian stayed quiet for a long moment before finally whispering, “So… did you like it?”


    “Yeah…” she answered, her voice barely audible as she buried half her face in the nkets, cheeks on fire.


    Ian let out a low chuckle, his chest trembling withughter.


    Ynda was all flustered and a tiny bit annoyed, but the exhaustion hit her hard. With half her face tucked in the nkets, she dozed off, cheeks still burning.


    Ian settled in next to her, letting his eyes drink in every delicate detail of her face. He reached over to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.


    She was unbelievably cute and downright gorgeous–and even when she got mad, she couldn’t utter a mean word.


    7:50 <b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>


    When Ynda woke up,n was already gone–off to shoot his scenes, no doubt


    She felt totally refreshed, like she’d just stepped out of a spa or something:n probably made sure the was all cleaned up before slipping out.


    She’d slept like a rock, and now it was already ten in the morning.


    She picked up her phone and dialed ke.


    ke was out on a date with Renee today. Ever since he’d dropped to his knees, begging her not to leave him, Rence hadpletely melted. Their rtionship was stronger than ever.


    These days, ke was practically glued to Renee’s side, taking her out all over the ce. Renee hadn’t been home in over two weeks.


    She’d been in a pretty dark ce after losing her finger, but with ke by her side, she was slowly starting to pull herself out of it.


    The Sinir family had no idea she was out having fun with someone else, but whenever they called and heard her happy, upbeat voice, they felt a little more at ease.


    ke nced at Renee waiting in the distance for him to deliver her snacks, his voice rxed and a bit teasing. “Don’t worry, just wait till the morning sickness kicks in.”


    Ynda hung up the phone and picked up the Starlight files, getting right back to her reading.


    Half an hourter, she got word about Grady’s passing.


    Grady used to be a force to be reckoned with in Beloris–no one dared mess with him. Now that he was gone, rumors were swirling everywhere.


    Ynda’s fingers gripped the files tight, and she just knew in her gut this was Charles’s handiwork.


    In Charles’s world, challenging his authority only led to one oue–this.


    Even the mighty Andrade family couldn’t escape his wrath.


    Ynda drew in a deep breath, any trace ofst night’s heat wiped clean. She really had to keep Ian out of sight otherwise, she’d be done for before she even realized it. Charles would make sure she was wiped off the face of the earth.


    With Grady gone, Vivian wouldn’t be able to give her any grief for the next few days–but that wasn’t Ynda’s ultimate goal.


    Pain didn’t scare her, but even so, there was no way she could stand against the Grant, Sinir, or Andrade families now.


    In a city ruled by families like these, she was just an insignificant ant. All she could do was attack their hearts.


    <b>7:50 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>


    When it came to dealing with someone like Vivian, Ynda knew she couldn’t let up for a second–the <b>timing </b>was everything if she wanted to really mess with her head.


    Feeling smug, she fired off another tweet.


    [Just picked up some interesting news–mood’s on point! Time to treat myself and hit the shops!]


    After firing off that tweet, she sent Charles a message without a second thought.


    [Got a bunch of juicy details from Aunt Simonest night. Feeling seriously good about Starlight now.]


    She even tossed in a heart emoji at the end, just to mess with him a bit.


    Back in the day, she would’ve never dared to send something like that–she was always so worried about upsetting Charles.


    But now that she waspletely over him, she could say–and send–whatever she damn well pleased.


    Charles just stared at that little heart emoji, totally stunned. For the first time ever, he actually went and liked one of Ynda’s Moments.


    Back then, out of the handful of posts she’d ever made, Charles hadn’t liked a single one–not even those about his own birthday or their anniversary.


    Word spread fast; everyone knew she’d been chasing after him for years. Folks always thought she was way too hung up on him.


    But now? The moment her friends saw Charles give her post a like, her notifications blew up–likes poured in and it hit a new record high.


    Ynda strolled back to Moonbay Estate, took her time with breakfast, then changed into a fresh outfit–she was really heading out to hit the shops.


    But to Vivian, that post was a straight–up smack to the face–like Ynda was deliberately rubbing it in.


    Vivian had always thought Ynda wasn’t worth her attention, but after getting hit with jab after jab–and losing Grady on top of it–seeing that Twitter update nearly set her on fire inside.


    She sent all the files on her desk flying, her teeth practically rattling with fury.


    “Ynda! Bitch! Total bitch!” Vivian yelled, her voice trembling.


    Cedric burst in, his brow furrowing as he took in the chaos. “Vivian, calm down,” he said, his voice steady.


    By rights, Vivian was always the cool–headed one–way moreposed than Cedric. But the moment Charles came up, it was like she lost all sense, turning totally obsessed and unhinged.


    No one ever realized just how much she adored Charles. All those years, she kept her feelings locked so deep, she was terrified to even admit she liked him, desperate to cling to any fragile thread tying them together.


    Vivian’s chest rose and fell rapidly as she sank into her chair, feeling utterly drained. “Cedric, did you find out


    <b>7:50 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>


    anything?” she asked, her voice trembling.


    She pressed on, unable to hide her anxiety. “Was that gun really Grady’s?”


    Cedric shook his head, gathering up the mess on the floor. “Grady’s gone, and with no proof left, there’s nothing we can do. The way he always handled things, no one’s going to buy that he was set up. With Minister Howard in charge, there’s zero wiggle room. For now, we have to keep it low key. Grandpa Jonathan wants you home tonight–he’s not happy.”


    Back in the day, Vivian managed to be CEO of the Andrade Group–a tough spot for any woman. It was Grandpa Jonathan who supported her every step and made sure she held onto that power.


    Honestly, unless it was something to do with Charles, nobody could touch Vivian in the business world–she was a force to be reckoned with.


    The scary part was, anyone who understood how much she cared about Charles could use it against her and drive her absolutely crazy.


    Vivian instantly sobered up the moment she heard Grandpa Jonathan wanted to see her, her face turning pale.


    Getting called in by him was never good news. With the whole Andrade family gunning for her spot–and now that one of her biggest backers was gone–she knew everyone was ready to swoop in the moment she slipped.


    She took a long breath, swallowing back all her rage and anxiety. “I get it,” Vivian forced out, voice barely steady.


    Cedric set the files back on the desk and tried to soothe her. “Just wait for my chance, Viv–I’ll make Ynda pay, I promise. You just have to grit your teeth and hold on a little longer.”


    A sh of viciousness crossed Vivian’s face, but for now, this was all she could do.


    Later that evening, Ynda’s phone buzzed–it was Charles calling: family dinner at the Sinir house tonight.


    Back then, she’d practically bend over backwards, prepping little gifts for the Sinirs, hoping to score some points and curry a bit more favor.


    But now she knew better; she’d rather spend her cash spoiling herself. No matter what she did, the Sinirs were never going to be happy with her anyway.


    <b>***** </b>


    Charles’s car pulled up to the mall to pick her up, and he gave her a quick reminder. “When you see Renee, try not to get worked up.”


    Ynda nodded, settling back in her seat to rest. <fn8347> Original content can be found at find(?)ovel</fn8347>


    Charles kept quiet, and the whole ride to the Andrade manor was wrapped in silence.


    <b>7:50 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b>26


    食品


    As soon as they walked in, Wyatt called Charles off to the study, and Ynda found herself stuck facing May alone.


    May’s re could’ve stripped paint off the walls. She didn’t even let Ynda sit down, just jabbed a finger at the kitchen and snapped, “Why are you still standing there? Get in there and help out! Did you think marrying into the Sinir family was some kind of ticket to luxury?”


    After everything that went down with Renee, May’s hatred for Ynda was pure poison.


    Ynda didn’t bother saying anything–just walked straight into the kitchen and pretended to help.


    Back when she was naive, she actually tried to do all the work herself. Now? She just leaned against the counter, ying on her phone, knowing full well nobody here was going to make her do a thing.


    If some servant who didn’t know better tried to give her orders, Ynda would toss back a halfhearted reply and go right back to messaging.


    She’d act like she was listening, but she wasn’t about to actually do anything.


    Plus, hanging out in the kitchen was a hundred times easier than having to stare at May’s resentful mug all night.


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