Nine months too late: After divorce

"She didn't get a wink of sleep the whole night," Raphael spoke behind him. "After you left, I'd gone to sleep two hours later and returned at midnight to find her still working. To be honest, I was shocked to the teeth."

He crossed his hands behind his back. "I've never seen someone so determined, boss. So resilient. If I hadn't watched her myself, I'd have believed she used some kind of magic. She's-" he searched for the right words. "-Something else." Kage didn't need to doubt that she hadn't slept at all. The heaviness and dark circles under her eyes told him it was the truth. One could easily think she hadn't slept for weeks. Something shifted in his chest - something dark and dangerous.

How could she be this determined to deprive herself of sleep. For who? For the stupid Chengs who didn't care about her?

t more importantly, how could she go this far to prove him wrong?

A memory teased

sed at the edges of his sanity. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply.

The blood. The screams.

A shudder ran through his shoulders. He opened his eyes, forcefully shutting the memories out.

Looking at t her again, he was reminded of the reason he 'hated' her. It was all her fault. She ruined him, and it was even more painful that she didn't know it yet.

Two hours

s later, Sylvie finished with the dress..

For the first time in twenty-four hours, she smiled brightly, her eyes twinkling with pride.

he did it!

She

Not only had she met with the deadline, but she made the dress better than it was in the picture.

had never been prouder of herself.

Sylvie had

She looked around the room, wishing there was someone around to congratulate her. But she was all alone. Her smile faded, the emptiness of the room reminding her that she's been that way for most part of her life. However, she was proud of herself. rounded

She

ded up and left the room, going to find Kage. But outside his office, she met Raphael who wouldn't let her in "He's busy right now. But don't worry, I'll let him know you're done and he'll check it out when he can." Raphael said. Sylvie wasn't so pleased. "Maybe, I can wait for him. When he's free, we can both-"

"I wouldn't recommend you waiting, Ms. Sylvie. Mr. Hawkins will check out the dress when he can. You don't have to worry- he's aware you met up

with the deadline and didn't use any cheat method. What is left is for him to check out the dress to be sure you did the right thing," Raphael explained, offering a smile that looked rather forced.

But Sylvie still wasn't cool with it. She had been hoping Kage would check it out as soon as she was done and assure her that they had a deal.

"How do I know that he'll keep to the end of our deal?" She frowned.

Raphael sighed, lowering his head and pinching his brows. When he looked at her again, he appeared exhausted.

It dawned on Sylvie that Raphael wasn't a man that liked explaining himself. He seemed impatient, and taking his time to 'calmly' speak to Sylvie seemed to be something he rarely did for others. "The thing is, he doesn't want to see you," his voice was calm. "I'm sure you should know what that means."

His words sent a throb through Sylvie's heart. Of course, she knew what he meant. she wasn't dumb.

"But be rest assured, Mr. Hawkins doesn't go back on his word," he added with a smile.

Sylvie was finally forced to leave, seeing that there was no way she was seeing Kage. But she counted on him to indeed, keep to his word.

Moreover, she was exhausted and needed a good shower, a meal and long hours of sleep. Her back and limbs ached, and her head wouldn't stop pounding. Sylvie found it fortunate that she hadn't passed out already. Walking towards her car, she checked for the umpteenth time if the strange number had texted again. Since the previous day, she had texted three more times, demanding further explanation, but the person wasn't replying to any of her texts. She tried calling too, but the line was switched off. She was beyond disturbed. Maybe she'd have to look for a way to track the owner of the line.

Distracted by her phone, she bumped into someone.

God! I'm s-" She lifted her head to apologize and paused when she stared into the familiar face.

"Sylvie?" He called, also surprised.

Her blood ran cold instantly, her hands clenching into fists.

Lancelot.

She stroke her hair back as she stepped away from him.

"Woah! What a surprise," he chuckled.

Her eyes

were

down on the floor, unable to hold his gaze any longer. It's been years, yet she wished she hadn't met him.

She tried going away, but he reached out, holding her hand. "How have you been?" There was unfeigned concern in his voice, yet it still p***ed Sylvie.

"I don't want to talk to you," she murmured, keeping her eyes on the floor.

Lancelot frowned, noticing there was something strange about her. She didn't have her usual wit and fire. Her confidence.

He blinked off the surprise in his eyes as quickly as he could.

you." He released her hand. "I was surprised you were gone and even got worried that something might have happened to you. Did you leave the country to have the kids?" Sylvie's eyes watered as she looked at him. Her grip around her bag became so tight, but it was the only thing stopping her hands from trembling.

The

"I um... hurt in hes was

I looked I for

unmistakable. Not saying a word, she turned around to leave.

"Sylvie," Lancelot took a step forward. "What happened with the kids? They're fine, aren't they?"

09:57 Tue,

Nov 5

She halted but didn't turn around to face him. The pain came rushing in at her, fresh like it'd just happened yesterday.

She felt the whips on her back, her scream, and the cry of her twins.

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43

She wished she could turn around and yell at Lancelot, hit him in the face and make him understand she'll never stop hating him. Because even if he hadn't released the recording himself, it didn't change the fact that it existed in the first place because of him. He's always been the cause of her problems. And Sylvie was so sure that she and the kids would've been safe had she and Kage been on good terms. She was convinced that things would've ended differently. She moved forward, running into her car and releasing the pent-up tears as she drove away.

Her vision blurred, she feared she might get into an accident i if she wasn't careful.

She was a failure, a mother her kids didn't deserve. She had failed them.

Sylvie became so angry, her grip around the steering became impossibly tight.

No, she needed to talk to someone, and she knew exactly who the right person was.

Initially, Sylvie had thought it was pointless confronting Cindy, but now she wanted to.

She was her best friend! Sylvie wasn't sure if Cindy had looked for her as well, but how could she be in a relationship with Kage? When did they even start?

She turned the car around, heading to Cindy's apartment.

**********

Astrid wore a polished smile as she watched Mr. Harry go through the pages of the book, bobbing his head at each turn.

"Wow. These are indeed, exceptional, Astrid." He commended.

Astrid's smile widened. "I told you you'd love t

them."

"If you had these this whole time, why didn't you present them to me?"

"Well, those are my VIP designs. I didn't want to let go of them just get. But then, I realized you needed a little pushing and needed you to see how exceptional Astréa Label is."

"Impressive." The aged man nodded his head, reaching the last sketch on the book.

Closing it up, be handed it back to Astrid. "These are really nice. They're the best designs I've seen so far."

Astrid kept her smile on, even if she was irritated that it was Sylvie's work that was receiving this much admiration.

Why the hell did she have to be so good? Astrid's works had never been this appreciated before

"For this, I think we'll be having a deal." Mr. Harry said the final words that sent Astrid's lips parting.

She gasped, her eyes beaming.

"Are you... Are you serious?" She couldn't hide her excitement.

"Of course." A small smile crossed the man's rigid face. "I'll have the contract ready as soon as possible so we can start working on the designs."

Astrid wanted to scream.

Astric

09:57 Chapter 122

Yes! She did it! She did win Timeless Tale from Chic Mirage! She proved everyone wrong! She wanted to laugh.

But despite the bubble of emotions in her heart, she forced herself to remain composed and professional. "Thank you so much for giving our brand this wonderful opportunity. Trust me, Mr. Harry, it's a decision you won't regret."