Realizing the level of trust he was placing in her was significant, Lilah accepted the key, its cool metal feeling reassuring in her hand.

"Thank you."

With that, Gerard left for his office.

Meanwhile, Iker departed from Starlight Mansion with a stormy look, heading to his workplace. Upon reaching, he prepared for an impending senior executive meeting.

During Iker's presentation of his project proposal, a derisive voice interrupted. “So focused on women that you've forgotten about the company? And you're backing this project?"

The voice belonged to Alex Lewis, his cousin. Iker's temper flared.

The animosity between them was well-known, but Alex had rarely been this brazen in public. “What are you implying, Alex?" Iker snapped.

"You're not oblivious to the fact that you're at the helm of the Lewis Group, which mirrors our company's reputation. And you, dear cousin, are tarnishing that image."

Before Iker could retort, other senior executives, clearly on Alex's side, joined in. “Iker, your personal escapades are yours to indulge in, but they shouldn't become public fodder. The company's stock has been on a downward spiral since morning, costing us tens of millions in market value."

A sinking feeling enveloped Iker. He glanced toward his assistant, who leaned in to share some whispered information. Iker's face darkened further. "This issue will be addressed. Meeting dismissed."

Once in his office, Iker went straight to his social media. The trending topic was about him.

Footage from a bar depicted Iker, intoxicated, in the company of two striking women, his behavior brazen and lascivious.

Iker had once painted a picture-perfect image with Adaline, gracing many hot topics. This gave him a reputation as a genuine gentleman among the rich. Yet, this recent video blew his fake front wide open.

Adaline had recently become a laughing stock online because of a lackluster design compared to Lilah's. And that only added fuel to the fire.

That was how Alex mustered the courage to mock him today. The fallout from the video was larger than anyone had anticipated.

"Who's responsible for this?" an angry Iker shouted. He slammed a glass down and demanded, "Get in touch with the press and knock us off that trend List!"

Iker threw money at the problem, hoping it'd go away. And for a while, it worked. The story vanished quickly.

However, something felt off to Iker. It seemed too easy.

Just as he suspected, in less than sixty minutes, the news climbed to the top trend.

The harder he tried to bury the story, the more intrigued people became. They took it as gospel. The outrage grew fiercer, taking a toll on his company's image.

It dawned on Iker that he'd walked into a trap. Someone was pulling the strings from the shadows. But who?

The image of a man named Gerard popped into his head, filling him with a cocktail of bitterness and fury.

He bemoaned his rotten luck. Now, he was in the hot seat.

Over at Aurora Jewelers, the moment Lilah entered, she found herself swamped by folks, each vying for her attention.