Not in the mood for games, she retorted, “Out with it."

“I've been doing some soul-searching,” Matthew began, choosing his words carefully. "I know I was wrong in the past. Let's meet tomorrow and talk. I'll cook that dish you loved as a child..."

His words were cut short as Lilah ended the call, not interested in his charades. She had seen through these tactics too many times before.

Noticing her agitation, Gerard offered, "If he's bothering you, let me deal with him."

Lilah shook her head. "No, I can manage this."

The following days were relatively quiet. While the online vitriol persisted, Gerard's interventions had minimized its impact. Yet, business at Aurora Jewelers suffered. Orders were down, and tensions ran high in the office. Staff treaded lightly around Lilah, sensing the gravity of the situation.

Joseph grew impatient. Having trusted Lilah's assurances of a resolution, he had waited in hope. But with no visible change in the past two days, he could no longer stand by idly. Before the workday concluded, he sought out Lilah, knocking on the door of her office.

"Miss Phillips, we've waited for two days, and our reputation is taking a severe hit!" Joseph stated exasperatedly.

Lilah leaned back in her chair, unfazed. “It's been a mere 48 hours, Mr. Merritt. Remember when the main office faced its crisis? They weathered a quarter's worth of setbacks but came out stronger. We will too."

Joseph's retort died in his throat. Despite being her senior, her poise left him feeling outmatched. Taking a deep breath, he said, "This subsidiary doesn't operate like the main office. Our local competitors are ready to swoop in and seize any clients we lose."

With a confident tone, Lilah replied, "By the day's end, you'll see a boost in Aurora Jewelers’ sales."

Not having a comeback, Joseph left with a mix of hope and skepticism.

His frustration was soon forgotten when a slender, attractive woman breezed into his office, quickly closing the gap between them.

“Joseph, any updates on the crisis?" Nevaeh purred.

Lost momentarily in her embrace, Joseph replied, "She's keeping her plans to herself."

Nevaeh's eyes narrowed. "It seems she doesn't respect you enough to keep you in the loop. The way she's been operating, she might overshadow you."

A wave of realization washed over Joseph. It was true. Lilah's demeanor toward him bordered on dismissive.

Nevaeh continued, her voice dripping with insinuation, “She's cleverly endeared herself to our designers. If she stays, she could overshadow you. And why did the headquarters send her here, to begin with?"

A gnawing suspicion began to eat at Joseph. Was it possible that the headquarters envisioned Lilah as his replacement?

Nevaeh sensed his agitation and added, "Of course, I might be wrong.

She's new and already mired in controversy. Maybe she won't last."

Joseph's face hardened. “She's inexperienced. If she can't manage this, she'll be heading back to where she came from."

Even if Lilah was the famous L.P, he wouldn't let her steal what was his.

“Mr. Merritt, you truly are unparalleled," Nevaeh said with a sly grin, moved closer to Joseph, and kissed him, who responded by holding her close.