Chapter 134
There was only one person truly overjoyed by Alexander and Lily's breakup: Ariana. She had gone to great lengths to destroy their relationship. Ariana was aware that Lily had a plan and leaving Alexander's house was part of it. What she hadn’t counted on was Alexander allowing it because, despite his deep love for Lily, Ariana expected him to prevent her from moving out. His decision to let her leave meant that his feelings for Lily were weakening.
The information Ariana received was that Alexander had been furious with Lily after the accident and blamed her for it. This confirmed her suspicions and fed her belief that things were finally going her way. With that out of the way, she could now set her own plans in motion. However, before eliminating Lily for good, she planned to spread malicious rumors about her. Ariana wanted Alexander to hear these lies, so his love for Lily would fade. That way, when she finally got rid of Lily, he wouldn’t mourn her loss.
Ariana laughed wickedly, her joy evident as she reveled in her foolproof plan. Lily knew Ariana would come after her but had no idea of the smear campaign Ariana had in store for her before attempting to take her life. Everything was set to unfold in a few days.
"I'm going to let you enjoy your final days, Lily. Savor them while you can," Ariana whispered with a grin, sipping her coffee. As she gazed up at the night sky, she admired its beauty, basking in her triumph.
Samson was just arriving home when he spotted her sitting on the balcony. A sense of dread filled him, as he knew things were getting out of hand. Though he wanted to stop her, he couldn’t. He was too drawn to her to leave her alone in all this madness. Samson cared for her too much to let her face this on her own, even though he feared Ariana was losing her grip on reality—and fast.
The following morning, Lily was in the kitchen preparing a special breakfast for her grandfather. She asked one of the maids to inform him that breakfast was ready. Caleb came downstairs and made his way to the table, where his adorable great-granddaughter was already seated.
“How’s my lovely granddaughter this morning?” Caleb asked.
“Great Grandpa!” Viola jumped out of her chair and ran toward him for a hug. Caleb lifted her off the ground and held her close.
“How’s my little one doing today?” he asked warmly.
“I’m fine, Great Grandpa! How about you? Did you sleep well?”
Caleb chuckled. “Yes, my dear. And my morning just got even better seeing you.”
“The food smells delicious, I can’t wait to try it!” he added, catching the aroma from the kitchen.
“That’s because Mommy made it just for you!” Viola exclaimed proudly.
“Really? I’m in for a treat, then!”
Lily smiled as she watched them interact. She joined them and greeted her grandfather with a cheerful "good morning." The three of them sat down to enjoy breakfast together, and Lily was pleased to see how much Caleb enjoyed the meal she had prepared.
Once breakfast was over, she made sure Viola was settled for her home lessons with the arriving tutors before heading to her grandfather’s office. There, she updated him on the progress of her plans. Afterward, she got dressed and left to meet Jacob and Michael at their hideout.
When Lily arrived, she found Jacob working intensely on his computer. “What’s happening?” she asked.
Jacob turned to her immediately. “Do you know what Ariana’s planning now?”
“You mean Ariana?” Lily asked, moving closer.
He nodded. “She’s about to spread some major falsehoods about you across all media outlets.”
Lily raised an eyebrow. “What kind of falsehoods?”
Jacob revealed the details, and Lily smiled, unperturbed. “Let her spread them.”
“What? Why would you want that? You know how much Alexander dislikes Michael. When he hears these lies about you two being involved, especially with the fake evidence she’s manufactured, everyone will think it’s true! Your company will suffer, and who knows what Alexander will do!” Jacob ranted, his worry spilling out as Michael, who had just entered, overheard everything.
“What did I just walk in on?” Michael was taken aback.
Both Lily and Jacob turned to him.
“It’s nothing but lies,” Lily reassured him.
“Sure, but it’s going to ruin your reputation!” Michael protested. He cared deeply for Lily, almost like a sister, and couldn’t bear to see her name dragged through the mud.
“It’ll only be for a few days, just until she moves to the next phase of her plan.”
“So, you're willing to let this go on? Have you even thought about how Alexander will react when he hears about this? We might be forced to reveal everything before he turns on us!” Michael exclaimed, his fear not of what Alexander would do to him, but of what he would do to Lily.
Given Alexander's history, he despised disloyalty and infidelity. Even though he loved Lily, he wouldn't tolerate such betrayal. Ariana knew this, which was why she crafted these lies in the first place.
“And the deepfake she’s created looks incredibly real. She even fabricated a photo of you and Michael in bed together,” Jacob added, concerned.
Lily took a moment to think. She needed a solid plan now that Ariana was launching such damaging attacks. Once the rumors spread the next day, Alexander would surely come after Michael, and she needed to be ready.
The best move would be to play along.
“What’s going through your mind?” Michael asked, noticing her thoughtful expression.
“We need to play along.”
“Play along? What do you mean?” Michael asked, confused.
“We need to let her believe she’s winning,” Lily clarified.
“How?” he asked.
“You’re going to have to go into hiding.”
“I can do that. But what about you?”
“I’ll stay at my grandfather’s and wait for her next move.”
“If Michael’s going into hiding, does that mean I should too?” Jacob asked.
“Yes, you both need to go to the cabin we’ve set up in the woods. Everything you need is already there. I’ll stay in touch with you both and let you know when Ariana contacts me because she’ll want to after she’s convinced she’s successfully ruined my reputation.”
“In all of this, aren’t you thinking about how Alexander will feel?” Michael asked, struggling to understand Lily’s strategy.
Lily sighed. “This will be a test for Alexander too. I know he hates lies and betrayal, but he’ll need to prove how much he trusts me by not believing some internet gossip.”
Jacob and Michael exchanged uneasy glances.
“And what if Alexander believes the rumors?” Jacob asked quietly.
A tear slipped from Lily’s eye. “Then it means our marriage is over,” she said, her voice trembling.
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