By admin Alyssia was stunned by his question, momentarily caught off guard.
Alyssia carefully gauged Leonard’s intentions, then hesitated before venturing, “What if…I just give you my entire paycheck next month a
Alyssia thought to herself, ‘I swear to God, I’m dead serious this time!
‘Because, frankly, aside from my salary, I don’t have anything else of real value to offer at the moment, Alyssia thought to herself
But Leonard’s expression darkened again.
He said, “Grandfather’s birthday has been postponed to the week after next. The deadline I gave you still stands.”
‘The deadline… that ten–day ultimatum he’d given me last time…! Alyssia understood exactly what Leonard was implying, but this was one topic she couldn’t–or wouldn’t–address.
“Add me back on WhatsApp.” He shoved his phone at her. “And unblock my number–take it off your block list.”
Alyssia didn’t budge.
After a long silence, Alyssia finally spoke. “I’ll be there for the birthday.”
Alyssia said, “As for the rest, let’s leave things as they are.”
The moment she left Rosewood Manor, Alyssia had cleanly severed all ties with her past.
“Alyssia!” Leonard growled through gritted teeth, his voice low and tense. “Grandfather and Grandmother still don’t know about this. I warned you don’t be so childish. Must you turn this into a public spectacle?”
“Public, you say?” Alyssia retorted. “And who exactly is this public you’re talking about?”
She chuckled mockingly, “Rosewood Manor, the Rivera family, Clairivera Group’s executive office… Who else? Go on, list them all for me.”
He had never been willing to acknowledge her. Even when she visited his office and happened to run into someone from Clairivera Group, he would just offer a dismissive explanation. “She’s just a family friend.”
‘A ‘family friend‘… What does that even mean? That could be just about anyone,’ Alyssia thought bitterly. ‘How conveniently broad.”
In short, his deliberate avoidance practically screamed to everyone that there was absolutely nothing going on between him and Alyssia.
Alyssia thought bitterly, ‘Who would have guessed I’ve been by his side since I was ten?‘
Leonard was momentarily speechless.
Alyssia gave him a faint, dismissive smile, stepped out of the car, and headed home alone.
The previous issue of William’s magazine flew off the shelves.
Vanguard Media had pulled out all the stops with their marketing campaign.
They hyped it up with slogans like “His decade–long silence finally broken,” “Utmost sincerity can move mountains,” and “A once–in–a–lifetime exclusive They even crafted a vow–of–silence persona for William.
Alyssia’s article was witty and engaging, appealing to readers of all backgrounds.
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Chapter 72
Somehow, it sparked a collecting craze among readers.
The second issue wasn’t even out yet, but pre–orders had already soared past ten thousand. And on release day? It was an instant sell-out
The department was riding the William wave.
Everyone in the department was green with envy.
But now, the naysayers had noticeably quieted down. After Alyssia made a trip to the Finance Department, Diana practically begged on her knees for her
to return.
By now, everyone knew Alyssia was not someone to mess with.
Anyone with a clear head knew to give Alyssia a wide berth.
Yet the moment the official issue of the magazine arrived at Vanguard Media, Diana exploded with rage once again.
“What the hell is this? Who changed the article?” Diana stormed into the Printing Department, her voice sharp. “Check your damn emails–what exactly did I send you?”
Once things blew up, it quickly spiraled out of control.
The print shop owner wasn’t one to stand his ground–a little pressure and coaxing was all it took for him to sell Alyssia out.
Brianna also arrived promptly upon hearing the commotion.
“Alyssia, you’ve got some nerve! How dare you go to the print shop and swap out the manuscript on your own? Who gave you that right?”
Alyssia responded calmly but firmly, “The Printing Department made a mistake–the manuscript they sent to the print shop wasn’t mine, and even the images were wrong. Given how urgent the situation was, I had to act first and report later.”
“Act first, report later?” Brianna scoffed, a mocking laugh escaping her lips. “That’s really the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard!”
Alyssia fixed her gaze on Brianna. “Brianna, this is a matter for the Entertainment Department. Why are you so eager to get involved?”
“So just because Brianna is your superior, you think you can’t be held accountable for a matter of principle?” Diana’s face darkened. “Alyssia, you’ve really got some nerve–quietly swapping out our exclusive scoop without telling anyone!”
“A fabricated story bearing my name? Of course I changed it.” Alyssia’s tone was uncharacteristically firm. “Have you considered the consequences of defaming Mr. Harlow?”
Charlie had arrived earlier and, after listening to the commotion for a while, finally stepped forward to intervene. “Alright, someone tell me what’s going on here.”
“Mr. Dixon, we had secured an exclusive scoop on Mr. Harlow for this issue, but Alyssia went behind our backs to the print shop and secretly swapped out the manuscript without authorization!”
Diana accused sharply, “She took this action without notifying her superiors or obtaining proper authorization, causing significant damage to our publication!”
“Exclusive scoop?” Charlie frowned, his brows knitting in puzzlement. “This is the first I’m hearing of it.”
“It’s about Mr. Harlow’s wife! This is the real reason he’s never given interviews!”
Diana shot Alyssia a cold, mocking smile and sneered, “No wonder, Alyssia, you landed that exclusive interview with him. You must’ve uncovered his dirty secret and blackmailed your way in, didn’t you?”
Alyssia drew a steadying breath and said firmly, “I didn’t.”
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Chapter 72
‘No, I did,‘ Alyssia thought to herself.
The first time she visited, while trying to avoid Leonard, she accidentally stumbled into the secluded depths of William’s backyard. There, the
encountered a woman…
“Mr. Dixon! An eyewitness saw William lock his wife up–chained in the backyard! And there are even photos to prove it!” Diana’s voice thundered.
“We dug deeper, following the trail, and uncovered that William’s wife developed a mental illness ten years ago. To protect his reputation, he kept her locked away. That’s why he’s refused every interview–he’s terrified his despicable acts will be exposed!
“Just when we’d painstakingly finished the article and it was about to go to press, Alyssia intercepted it and replaced it with her own version!” Diana accused, her voice rising.
Diana was out of options now…
The Katherine incident served as a stark warning to Diana. She’d already angered Charlie, and now she seriously doubted how much longer she’d last at Vanguard Media.
Her only option was to bind herself to Brianna, becoming her pawn to take down Alyssia.
By currying favor with Brianna and scoring the scoop that would unmask William, she could secure a smooth transfer to Vanguard Video–at least she’d no longer report directly to Charlie.
“So, are you saying you wrote that article?” Alyssia pressed, her voice sharp with accusation. “Then why did I see my byline on it at the print shop? Last time, you couldn’t wait to claim lead writer credit for my work!”
Alyssia was uncharacteristically assertive–a side of her rarely seen.
‘How vicious! What a calculated scheme!
‘She used my byline to publish that slanderous article, complete with those damning photos.
‘By using my name to smear William, she not only ruined his reputation, but also sabotaged my own future.‘ Alyssia seethed.
Diana completely ignored Alyssia’s pointed questions. Instead, she jabbed a finger at her and demanded, “Just answer me this–Is it true that William’s wife is mentally ill? Has he really chained her up in the backyard, treating her like an animal?”
Alyssia raised her chin defiantly. “No. At least not from what I know
Diana sneered, “Heh, what a pity. We’ve already been to the hospital and obtained the medical records.” She scowled at Alyssia. “As a Vanguard Media reporter, you knowingly concealed the truth just to secure an interview. Do you even realize how unethical your conduct is?”