Chapter 17
Hope buried her face in her pillow, her heart reeling with pain. Her heart kept gyrating faster as though it would burst out of her chest.
“ Am I jealous?” She muttered to herself as she could hear her pulse quickening in her ears.
“ No! I shouldn't be! I'm just pissed off on how this coward girl spoke to me!” She rolled her eyes, trying to wave off the reality. Perhaps, no matter how hard she tried to wave it off, she still couldn't deny the fact that she was falling abruptly in love with her step brother.
As she was lost in her thought, she received a call from Penelope. Staring at the caller, she swiped it to the left, hanging it up. She wasn't in the mood to talk about anything for now. Not even VALLENCE LUXURY HOLDINGS.
But as Penelope noticed she was hanging up , she sent her a message.
As the message popped up on Hope's phone, she was forced to tap on it and read.
“ Hello, ma. There will be another test tomorrow by 9 am. Have you prepared? Don't be distracted, please” The message reads.
She heaved a deep sigh, locking her fingers into another as she rested her chin on her cupped hands.
Tomorrow was another day to prove to them that she was the best manager VALLENCE LUXURY HOLDINGS could ever had in history. She had no supporter. Apart from Penelope who reasoned beyond being an ordinary P.A, she was the only doing everything.
She flanked her eyebrows, determination engulfing her. “ Tomorrow, I would prove these cowards wrong.”
—--
The next day, Hope had prepared for work already. She looked at her self in the mirror and smiled a bit even though she had no reason to smile.
As she stepped out of her room, she met an eyesore.
Collette and Noah were facing each other, like perfect couples, staring into each other's eyes.
She doubted if Collette and Noah have had something together yesterday night. She wasn't even aware that Collete would be sleeping over In their mansion. The thought of Noah having something to do with her made her hate Noah.
A strange shock, with a pang of jealousy jolted through her body. She froze in her spot, her fist clenched unintentionally. Soon as she walked down the downstairs, their eyes and hers met.
Collette smirked as Hope walked out to the sitting room.
“Bright and early, Hope,” Collette teased, tracing a fingertip around her wine glass. “Ready to prove you’re more than just a pretty face?”
Hope closed her notebook with a soft snap. “I’m not here for compliments, Collette. I’m here to win.”
“A noble goal,” Collette purred. “But don’t get ahead of yourself.”
He set the folder on the table with a soft thud. “Ten minutes until we begin,” he said, voice calm but carrying weight. “We each present a ten-slide plan for the new product launch. I’ll judge which proposal gets fast-tracked.”
Collette rose gracefully and drifted to Noah’s side. Her lips brushed his cheek in a deliberate, measured kiss—one that spoke of secret alliances and unspoken promises. “You know I’m your best bet,” she whispered, soft enough for only him to hear.
Hope’s jaw tightened. She looked from Collette to Noah, whose eyes held a glint of something unreadable.
Noah turned back to Hope, stepping into her space so that only she felt the shift in air pressure. “Hope,” he said quietly, tone edged with challenge, “you’ll fold under pressure. You don’t have the instinct to navigate politics like she does. You’ll crack before slide three.”
The accusation landed like a physical blow. Hope’s breath caught—and then she did the only thing she could. She lifted her hand and struck him across the cheek in one swift, undeniable motion. The room held its breath as the sound of palm against skin rang out.
Noah staggered back, hand flying to his cheek, eyes wide with surprise. Collette emitted a sharp gasp and pressed the heel of her palm to her brow.
Hope stood, heart hammering but posture unbowed. “Don’t patronize me,” she said, voice steady. “I’ll show you I belong at this table.”
Noah blinked, expression flickering between shock and admiration, before he ran a finger along the red line she’d left. “Point taken,” he said, voice low.
Collette recovered first, stepping between them with a fury in her eyes. “You’re reckless,” she snapped at Hope. “You think that slap proves anything? You’re off-balance—emotional.”
Hope’s glare was cold. “Coming from someone who courts favors instead of forging strategies?” she shot back. “I win on merit, not manipulation.”
Noah raised a hand. “Enough,” he said, but his voice carried a strange softness. “We’ll start in five minutes.” He turned and slipped back into his office, closing the door with a definitive click.
Silence settled over the sitting room. Collette pressed her fingertips to her lips, recovering her composure in measured breaths. “Well,” she said at last, “you’ve certainly made a statement.”
Hope sank back into her chair, closing her eyes for a moment. “Now I just need to back it up.”
Collette studied her for a long beat, then offered a tight smile. “May the best proposal win.”
Hope opened her eyes, resolve blazing. “Oh, it will.”
Immediately she spoke, Julian's steps broke in, cutting through the silence.
By his side was the family's butler, holding him tightly.
“ Good morning, children. Today is another day to prove to us that one of you is capable of bringing out the best from the VALLENCE LUXURY HOLDINGS,” His old voice spoke barely audible.
“ Yes, daddy. It's another day to prove I'm better and I'll do better than Hope, showing how she has wasted those years that should have been profits to the company,” Noah spoke, his words cutting through Hope’s heart.
Ever since Collete came yesterday, Hope had noticed a strange behavior from Noah . As If he was now ready to discard her essential at the VALLENCE LUXURY HOLDINGS. He seemed to be dancing to the tune of his mother.