<b>Chapter </b><b>127 </b>
Charles leaned back in his chair, remembering that the pendant was a family heirloom–he’d heard that straight from Jack.
Ynda was always so quiet about everything, so adorably meek it just made you want to tease her.
He picked up the documents next to him, his mood unshaken by what had just happened. He just told jack, “Go ahead with Minister Howard.”
Jack lowered his head, respectful as always. “It’s already in motion.”
Charles nodded. “Tomorrow morning, get things ready for Ynda…”
Well, he’d just handed her that ck card, and honestly<i>, </i>nothing else seemed to top that.
‘Fine. If Ynda really wants me to keep out of Starlight’s affairs, then once she officially joins them, I’ll just ignore what happens over there.‘ Charles thought to himself.
Jack kept politely waiting for further instructions, but Charles stayed silent.
“CEO?” Jack asked.
Charles rubbed his temples with a soft chuckle. “Jack, why does she have to be so sweet and obedient?”
It was clear he was talking about Ynda.
Jack was even more sure now–Ynda was slowly but surely making her way into the CEO’s heart.
*****
Ynda woke up feeling burned out and weak all over, like she barely had any strength left.
She got out of bed, went through her morning routine, and stared at her pale face in the mirror, pressing her lips into a thin line.
At seven sharp, like clockwork, she headed downstairs and found Charles waiting for her.
His gaze lingered on the pendant around her neck before slowly turning away.
“Are you feeling any better?” Charles teased lightly. “Just went along without thinking? Honestly, how can you be so naive?”
Ynda dropped her gaze, eyes a little misty. “He said he’d burn the pendant and I… I guess I got scared.”
“If it means that much to you, then why did you give it to me in the first ce?” Charles continued gently.
Ynda said nothing, just kept her head down and quietly ate her food.
Charles’s heart melted. He leaned in, kissed her cheek and murmured, “Dummy.”
7:51 Fri<b>, </b><b>Sep </b>26
Those four words kept echoing in his mind–she’s totally in love with me.
673
He’d always known about Ynda’s feelings–fifteen years and counting. But if he was honest, he’d just never cared much before.
Once Ynda finished eating, she stood up. “I’m heading to Starlight today.”
“Alright, you’re the boss now. I won’t bother about Starlight anymore,” Charles said.
Her eyes sparkled. She grabbed his hand, bubbling with joy. “Thank you, darling.”
She really was just too easy to satisfy.
Charles swept her into his arms, cradled her face, and kissed her.
The servants quietly slipped away, leaving them alone.
His kiss was soft and tender.
For some reason, Ynda suddenly found herself thinking about that silver pendant Ian wore at his waist the other night. It stung, big time.
‘Man, Ian really knows how to keep things interesting,’ she thought to herself.
Suddenly, she felt a light pinch at her waist. Ynda blinked, hershes dipping as she caught Charles’s eyes narrowing in obvious displeasure.
“Spacing out again?” he teased.
“Just thinking about Starlight,” Ynda replied quickly. “I got tons of advice from Aunt Simone–pretty sure it’lle in handy.”
Charles’s face turned dark. ‘Seriously, no woman has ever spaced out on me when I make a move, he thought, feeling more than a little peeved.
Suddenly, jealousy jammed up his chest. His hand tightened around her waist, just a bit more possessive. “Next time you zone out on me, I’ll kiss you so much you’ll forget your own name,” he teased.
Ynda’s face immediately went crimson. She snatched up a slice of bread. “Gotta go!” she mumbled.
Charles smirked as he watched her walk away.
Once Ynda got in the car, she finished her bread, her face already calm again.
Today was her first day at Starlight. She could finally put the whole Andrade family mess on pause for a while. Vivian had stepped way over the line one too many times, and Charles definitely wasn’t going to let it go.
Charles would never allow anyone to provoke him like that.
The feud between the Andrade and Sinir families? Ynda knew she was just a nobody–nothing she could do about any of it. So, for now, she decided to just head over to Starlight and see what was up.
7:51 <b>Fri</b>, <b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>
*****
P:
<b>198 </b>
Zarb vouchers
Meanwhile, over at Starlight Entertainment…
Mary Hall sat in her office, gazing down at a weeping young woman standing before her–the poor girl actually ended up kneeling, tears streaming down her face.
“Ms. Hall, please, I’m desperate here. Woman to woman, can’t you give me a break? I really don’t want to go to that dinner with Mr. Cole tonight,” she pleaded.
Mary Hall kept her hair cropped short, barely longer than most guys‘, giving her a crisp, no–nonsense look that always screamed efficiency.
She was d in a tailored women’s suit, and at the girl’s desperate words, Mary irritably shoved the documents aside. “Coming to me isn’t going to help you. See these papers? That’s my pay cut notice–they want me gone. I can barely hold my own around here.”
Mary was the only woman among the seven top execs at Starlight, and after thirteen years, she’d been forced to fight for her ce every single day.
As a woman in a ce like Starlight, you had to put in a hundred times more effort just to survive.
But even after all that effort, the other six execs at Starlight never truly epted Mary Hall. <fn646f> The source of th?s content is FιndＮovel</fn646f>
The ce was split into two inner circles, and they worked together seamlessly to keep her professionally sidelined, making workce bullying a daily routine.
If she hadn’t been so strong–willed, she would’ve walked out the door a long time ago.
The girl knelt at her side, sobbing so hard she could barely get the words out. “I heard there’s a new CEOing to Starlight. Maybe they’ll actually be able to change something.”
Mary snorted. “Starlight gets a ‘brand new CEO‘ every damn year, and none of ‘emst more than half a year. If you don’t have real clout backing you up, this ce will chew you up and spit you out. The only one who made it past six months? Busted for bribery. Honestly, Starlight’s already rotten to the core. If I weren’t so stubborn about all the time and effort I’ve sunk into this ce, I’d have packed up and walked a long time ago.”
At least I’m not stuck like those poor talents who get forced into ten or twenty–year contracts.
The girl’s face wentpletely pale. In a burst of desperation, she pulled a folding knife from her jacket and pressed it to her throat.
“Guess I’ve only got one way out,” she choked out.
Mary’s eyes went wide, anger and helplessness written all over her face.
It wasn’t that Mary didn’t care about these young kids–she’d tried over and over to help, but it was never enough. Now, she just felt numb inside.
Mary let out a deep breath, trying to steady herself as she slowly lowered herself back into her chair.
7:51 Fri<b>, </b><b>Sep </b>26
“Alright, just put the knife down, okay? I’ll go talk to Leon Cole and see what I can do, Mary said, her voice
calm but firm.
The girl’s eyes flooded with relief and gratitude. She bowed deeply, nearly dropping to her knees. “Thank you, Ms. Hall. Thank you, truly.”
8
Once everyone else was gone, Mary lit up a cigarette, the bitterness lingering in her mouth–so much like the bitterness she’d swallowed from this ce for years.
She stayed in her office for a full ten minutes, just letting the heaviness sit with her, before finally pulling herself together and heading up to Leon Cole’s office on the top floor.
Mary’s office was isted from the others, kept deliberately out of the loop while the rest of the seven execs upied a single floor together, like their own private clique.
When Leon Cole saw her walk in, his face lit up with smug satisfaction. “What’s up? Finally ready to quit?”
They’d already cut her pay three times, all part of their n to push her out.
Mary lifted her chin, her voice steady. “Don’t take that girl to the dinner tonight.”
Leon couldn’t help but scoff, a mocking smile twisting his lips.
“Mary Hall, who do you think you are? Women don’t get a voice in Starlight. If I tell someone to go serve drinks for the VIPs, that’s what they’ll do. And if one day someone actually takes a fancy to you–yeah, even you, you old hag—you’ll just have to y along. Otherwise, be ready for your fourth, fifth, hell, maybe even more pay cuts,” Leon sneered.
Leon’s little gang had three members, and the rival faction was made up of three too–keeping everything in a tense, uneasy bnce.
Mary? She was on her own, a lone fighter in a sea of enemies.
AD