Chapter 16

Lily's sudden change in behavior baffled everyone. Previously well-behaved and docile, her confident stage presence revealed an entirely different person. Nothing could have prepared them for this overnight transformation, which nearly destroyed MN Inc.

Nathaniel thought, "If I didn't need her, I'd have killed her on the spot! Does she know about Mel and me? Is that why she changed so drastically? That's impossible! If she knew, she'd have made a fuss, wouldn't she? Her lack of reaction is abnormal."

Lily found Melanie and Nathaniel's simmering anger, barely contained, hilarious. Initially, she planned to abandon her pretense; she hadn't signed a contract with MN Inc., and could leave freely.

However, their continued charade surprised her. Did they really think she was an idiot? Did they believe they could persuade her to stay after yesterday's events? Lily might be naive, but she wasn't a fool.

"They said" Lily drawled, creating suspense for the shamefaced couple. She paced slowly forward, head bowed, feigning indecision.

Behind her, Melanie and Nathaniel exchanged knowing glances. We were right. Someone's using her against us, their looks conveyed.

"What did they say?" Nathaniel asked anxiously.

"Well" Lily remained bowed, shaking her head, appearing internally conflicted. She was fighting back laughter. It was her turn to manipulate the shameless pair. It feels good to toy with them like this. This is just the beginning, she thought.

Within seconds, Lily decided to play along, devising the most spectacular show yet. They enjoy performing for me, and they're quite good at it. Let's see this show through to the end!

Frustration etched itself onto Melanie's face as she listened to Lily's hesitant speech. Yesterday's incident had been infuriating enough. Without Lily's intervention, Melanie would have gracefully accepted her award and made headlines.

Melanie did make headlines today, but the photos depicted her fainting, accompanied by accusations of plagiarism and theft. This was all Lily's fault, or so Melanie believed.

However, now wasn't the time to confront Lily. With this thought, Melanie stepped forward to stop her. "Lily, tell us quickly! What did they say? If you don't, I'll find them myself. Badmouthing a company for personal gain is terrible business etiquette!"

Melanie's words lacked conviction. As she blocked Lily's path, Lily stopped and abruptly looked up. Hesitation vanished. "They said" she blurted out.