CHAPTER 374: LUCKY OR NOT

To be fair, Aileen had already wanted Lola to sign Cedrick and make him MEG’s new ambassador. Not because Aileen knew Cedrick personally or cared about him, but because Lola was her muse.

All of Aileen’s designs were created with the image of Lola in mind. It was no wonder her collections were loved by many, and her brand quickly rose to prominence in the fashion scene. Naturally, Lola had rejected the offer to model for MEG herself, but she did tell Aileen about Cedrick.

So now, Lola needed Cedrick to attend the show and meet Aileen. It was a win-win situation: Cedrick could build a stronger foundation for his comeback, and Aileen would find an ambassador who embodied her company’s vision.

*

*

"Hey!"

Lola snapped out of her thoughts and turned toward Silo, who had appeared suddenly beside her.

"The heck?" She jolted and instantly narrowed her eyes. "Silo, you’re really getting good at sneaking up on me like that."

"Learned it from your kids!" he shot back before giggling, walking closer to her side. He rubbed his hands together like a merchant about to sell overpriced fake goods. "Lola, I know what you did."

"..." She blinked, walking more slowly. "What did I do?"

"You kicked Melissa out of here."

Hearing that, she rolled her eyes. "At this point, Silo, everyone knows what happened."

"What? How?"

"Don’t you check your socials?"

"I’m not the type, and besides, Slater harasses me there," he grumbled, clicking his tongue. "So? What did it feel like?"

Lola didn’t answer at first. She already knew exactly what it felt like to shatter the Youngs’ perfect little world.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" he scoffed. "How could you say nothing? That girl tormented you for years! She made you look bad in front of everyone and blamed you by default. How does that feel like nothing to you?"

"Because it feels nothing," she replied calmly, then stopped walking and faced him squarely. "Silo, if you’re thinking we should celebrate this and invite my boyfriend over, forget it."

"That’s not what I wanted."

"But your eyes tell me a different story." Lola shook her head and resumed walking. "Silo, prepare Cedrick for MEG Fashion’s show tomorrow. Aileen already sent over some accessories and outfits for him to wear. I’ll ask Baby to bring them to Cedrick’s place later."

Silo’s frown deepened as he watched her walk off like nothing had happened. He had been waiting for this day—for Lola to finally get her revenge—but the woman was simply going back to work, composed as ever.

"Tch." He clicked his tongue and shrugged before running after her. "Fine, you’re not happy about it. But did it at least relieve you? Even a tiny bit of the pain they caused you?"

This time, she cast him a sidelong glance, then looked away again.

"No," she answered honestly. "Their downfall, their misery—none of it made me happy or relieved. If anything, all I felt for them was... nothing."

Then she turned and gave him a cool, steady look. "But my life right now? That’s what makes me happy. That’s what brings me peace. And it’s not because of the Youngs, it’s because of my boyfriend and our children."

"Our children?" he gasped. "Lola, are you seriously assuming the role of stepmother!?"

"If I don’t, you would," she said dryly, her tone so nonchalant it made his breath hitch.

As her words sank in, his eyes widened.

"And for the record," she added, glancing over her shoulder with a faint smirk, "I’m not their stepmom."

She paused, her expression softening. "I’m their mom. Period."

*****

Meanwhile...

"Uncle Haji... where are you?"

The twins’ sweet voices might make anyone smile except the man they were calling for. Haji was currently crouched behind a pile of props, keeping his head low and trying to make himself as small as possible. For reasons beyond his comprehension, the twins had asked him to play hide-and-seek, claiming it was his favorite game.

"I don’t even know why I’m doing this," he muttered under his breath. "Why do those two keep asking me to play with them?"

There were so many other people who would happily play with the twins. Even Director Sarian would take a break just to humor them.

So why him?

If Haji had just asked them, he would’ve known the truth. It was because he was the only one who didn’t want to play with them. That, of course, made it all the more fun for them.

While Haji did his best to stay hidden, the twins sat nearby eating their snacks.

"Uncle Haji, where are you~!" Chacha called out dramatically before popping another bite into her mouth.

Both children sat with their legs swinging to and fro, looking as innocent as angels.

"Chacha, do you think Uncle Haji thinks we don’t know where he is?" Second asked curiously.

Chacha giggled. "Uncle Haji is like Uncle Silly. He doesn’t even know we can see his shoes."

The two of them snickered mischievously and turned toward the pile of props. It wasn’t as if they had superpowers. They just knew Haji’s hiding spot because of his strong perfume. The man’s cologne was practically a beacon.

"I wonder how long he’ll stay hidden there?" Chacha asked brightly. "Should we bet?"

"Betting is bad," Second said solemnly. But when he saw Chacha’s mischievous grin spreading ear to ear, his resolve crumbled.

"Betting is bad," she echoed, "but it’ll make Auntie Penny proud!"

And so, the twins made their bet—whether Haji would fall asleep and not realize no one was looking for him anymore, or if he’d get bored and move to another spot. Chacha won, of course, when Haji stayed put and started snoring.

For everyone else, life went on. Regardless of what happened to others, time never stopped. The world didn’t freeze because the Youngs were watching their empire crumble, nor because the NL Group was struggling to recover its losses.

Life simply continued.

*****

[Summit Partners]

"I will forgive the NL Group," Atlas announced calmly.

Travis, who had come to negotiate and settle their current project, perked up immediately. "On what condition?"

Atlas leaned back slightly. "One condition."

Travis cleared his throat, mentally bracing himself. "As long as it’s within my power, I’ll happily agree to any condition that helps fix the situation."

"Allen," Atlas said, glancing to his side.

Allen approached promptly, holding a folder. He set it in front of Travis as Atlas continued, "I’m planning a proposal. One so grand that even in her dreams, she won’t stop thinking about it."

"I’m torn between these three themes," he added, gesturing toward the designs inside.

Travis blinked at the contents, then blinked again. His mind drifted to something entirely unrelated.

Does this man even have friends? He wondered. He was starting to think Atlas only treated him as a convenient sounding board for personal matters.

He cleared his throat, but what slipped out of his mouth wasn’t what he intended to say. "Aren’t you already married?"

Atlas met his gaze head-on. "Didn’t I say I’d make the NL Group pay?"

And just like that, Travis dropped the topic. His curiosity evaporated as he turned his focus to the proposal plans.

"I’ll try my best to see what she might like best."

Allen, meanwhile, watched the exchange quietly. He didn’t know whether to pity Travis or applaud him.

This poor man came here to negotiate business and ended up helping plan a marriage proposal.

Either way, both Allen and Atlas knew Travis had insight into Lola’s preferences—and with his help, they could create the perfect proposal. One designed entirely, exclusively, for her.