Chapter 707
Lemira saw the message, a cold smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
As expected—this was just like Asher, desperate and reckless when pushed to the edge.
She glanced at her phone and replied: [If you destroy what Mom and Dad left me, I’ll destroy you. You know I’m more than capable of it p>
No sooner had she sent the message than Asher started calling her repeatedly. Lemira glanced at the incoming calls but didn’t answer.
Stella spoke up, “Asher’s probably going to find a way to force your hand. This project is a big deal to him. I remember hearing Edith talk to him about it—he’s poured a lot of money into this. If it fails, his company’s going to be in trouble.” “He’ll have to face the consequences of his own actions,” Lemira replied calmly. She had already made up her mind: she would let Asher off the hook this time, but she wanted to see him fall into an even deeper pit soon enough.
Oanice came over, grinning. “So, what’s the deal with you and Mr. Everhart? His whole heroic rescue moment—it was like something out of a TV show p>
Stella chimed in, testing the waters, “Were you even a little bit moved p>
“It would be a lie to say I wasn’t. I’m not made of stone,” Lemira admitted with a
sigh. “But things between Orion and me aren’t that simple. We can’t just think about love. You can’t live life that selfishly p>
“Honestly, you still feel like things aren’t stable between you and Orion, so you’re not totally sure of yourself, right p>
Lemira heard this and managed a bitter smile. “Maybe p>
She really wasn’t sure of herself.
That night, lying in bed, Lemira thought back over everything that had happened that day, Orion’s mature and handsome features filling her mind.
Lost in thought, she drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Lemira was awakened by her phone ringing.
Yawning, she saw it was Debby calling and quickly picked up. “What’s up p>
“Check the news! The Langston Group just released footage from yesterday’s interview. That love story they fabricated is all over the trending lists p>
Lemira unlocked her phone and saw it for herself.
People loved these kinds of beautiful, dramatic romances-and with the male lead’s disability as part of the story it added a moving, spirational element that drew even more attention.
The topic was blowing up, with countless people talking about it online.
Lemira shook her head. “Looks like Asher isn’t about to give up on this project p>
“We’ve already reported it to Mr. Everhart, and we’ll keep monitoring things on our end,” Debby said.
“Alright,” Lemira replied, now wide awake.
Stella had gotten up as well. “I heard
too. It was the Langston
family-they must have paid off a reporter to do this. Looks like they’re trying to get ahead by controlling the story. Public opinion is everything now Even if the Langston Group gets exposed for plagiarism later, your company will probably still get targeted by haters p>
“Is the business world really using fan culture tactics now?” Lemira asked, half- joking.
“You wouldn’t believe it. Sometimes this kind of hype is even more useful than a multimillion-dollar celebrity endorsement. And since the product is made for people with disabilities, this kind of relatable, touching love story is perfect for advertising,” Stella said, a bit worried. “If the Langston Group gets their project out first and builds up name recognition, Maple Group could really fall behind with any future Al products p>
“I know,” Lemira replied, her expression serious.
She hadn’t expected Asher to make such a preemptive move.
Still, she had a feeling Orion wasn’t without his own backup plan.
As she headed to class, Lemira forwarded the trending news article to Orion.
She quickly got a WhatsApp message from him: [Are you free for lunch? Let’s meet and talk about work p>
Lemira hesitated: [Can’t we just meet at the office p>
[I’m a bit tied up and can’t make it to the office. The best I can do is swing by your campus to talk p>
Lemira understood—someone in Orion’s position was bound to be busy.
After class, Oanice said, “Want to grab lunch in the cafeteria p>
“I have something to take care of. You and Stella go ahead,” Lemira replied.
She left the school and saw a luxury car parked by the curb. She hesitated, not approaching right away.
Just then, her phone rang-it was Orion. “Get in p>
The window rolled down, and Lemira saw his familiar, handsome face.