Chapter 45 "I really can't expect any good words from you."
Ethan, lying on the floor, suddenly started laughing sadly. His lifeless eyes turned red, and tears streamed down his face.
Lila watched him silently.
Lila, Victoria, and Ethan were high school classmates. They hadn't seen each other in years, but she remembered Ethan well. He used to be a top student, praised by teachers for his bright future. But he threw it all away.
Lila sighed, "Ethan, it's been years. Clara's doing great, and she's about to marry Lucas. And you? You've got nothing, and you're hiding in this dark place."
Ethan had thought about it too, but he felt trapped.
He used to be a good student. The year he graduated, he made two big mistakes.
One day, Clara asked him to bring Victoria to a storage room behind the school, saying she wanted to reconcile. Everyone knew they didn't get along, but as class monitor and having a crush on Clara, he agreed.
When they got there, they were locked inside. The smell of gasoline filled the room, followed by a fire. He was stunned, but Victoria stayed calm and found a way out. She saved him, and he got burns on his hands from that incident.
He confronted Clara later, but she claimed she was in the hospital with a fever. He saw her hospital records and didn't suspect her.
His crush on Clara grew, and before graduation, he did something unthinkable. He kidnapped Victoria to stop her from attending a piano competition.
Luckily, Lila noticed Victoria was missing and called the police. Ethan got three years in prison for kidnapping.
After Victoria and Lila left, Ethan muttered, "I'm sorry."
But it was too late.
Soon after, three men in black broke into Ethan's apartment.
One of them said coldly, "Take him away!"
Vertex Holdings Group.
President's Office.
Dylan finished a call and reported, "Matthew has taken Ethan away."
"Matthew said Ethan's wrists and ankles are broken," Dylan added, wincing.
Alexander was momentarily surprised but quickly composed himself.
"I see."
"Should we delete the online rumors about Ms. Kennedy?" Dylan asked.
Alexander thought for a moment. "Delete them."
Dylan went to carry out the order.
Meanwhile, on their way back to the company, Victoria and Lila noticed the rumors about Horizon Group had been retracted. The five girls posted a video apologizing and admitting they were instructed to defame the Starry brand perfume.
Lila scrolled through Instagram in the car, pouting. "These netizens are so fickle. One minute they're saying nasty things, the next they're all praise. No independent thinking."
"Alright, it's not a big deal. The internet's a place for free speech," Victoria said nonchalantly.
"What about Clara? Are we just letting her off? Even if it seems like Ethan's doing, Clara definitely pushed him to do it," Lila fumed. She couldn't stand Clara.
Victoria thought for a moment. "She'll pay for this."
Meanwhile, at the Kennedy Family home, Clara was fuming. Victoria had resolved the issue in less than half a day. She was disappointed and angry with Ethan for his incompetence. She tried calling him but couldn't get through.
Since Victoria had fixed the problem, Clara couldn't do anything despite her resentment. She thought about Alexander being with Victoria yesterday, which made her even angrier.
Since Lila was around today, Victoria didn't have lunch with Alexander.
At four in the afternoon, Lila took Victoria out for a shopping spree. It had been a while since they hung out.
They went to Infinity Mall, the largest shopping center in Ridgewood, offering everything from food to fashion to daily necessities. It was the only mall with global brands and had chain stores in every major city.
Infinity Mall had seven floors: the first and second for beauty and jewelry, the third and fourth for men's and women's clothing and bags, the fifth for baby and furniture products, the sixth for food, and the seventh for movies and entertainment.
They started on the first floor and entered a jewelry store. Lila pulled Victoria inside.
"Welcome, Miss. Are you looking for necklaces or rings?" the store clerk greeted them.
Lila said grandly, "Both."
Her tone suggested she was ready to buy everything.
"Darling, I think this pair of rings is quite beautiful," Lila said, pointing at a pair of simple silver rings.
Victoria glanced at them. They were indeed nice, simple yet elegant.
The store clerk said, "Miss, you have a good eye. This is our store's most precious item, a unique pair of rings symbolizing a lifetime of love for one person. So far, no one has been the right fit for these rings."
Lila asked curiously, "Why?"
The clerk explained, "Because the sizes are either too big or too small."
Lila fell silent.
"These rings are quite special," Lila said, while thinking to herself, 'Isn't this just a marketing gimmick? If they can't sell them, they can't sell them, why make up such excuses?'
But the rings were indeed uniquely designed and truly beautiful.
"Darling, you want to try?" Lila asked Victoria.
As soon as she spoke, the clerk took the rings out of the display case for them.
Victoria remained silent.
"Looking at rings without even having a boyfriend?" a familiar, sharp voice sounded behind them.
Lila turned around to see Clara and Julia. What a coincidence.
Lila retorted, "You really can't say anything nice, can you?"
Julia's face immediately turned ugly, and she pointed at Lila, "Lila, who are you talking about?"
Lila looked at her leisurely, "Whoever responds, that's who I'm talking about."
Julia was furious.
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