Lately, Sophie’s workload had been smooth sailing.

Angie had given her enough time to work on the designs. Being the lead for jewelry and accessories in LUXE Fashion’s upcoming issue, Sophie had already settled the themes.

Her job now was to put together three collections, each with five jewelry pieces. That meant at least fifteen finished sketches.

It might seem like a lot, but for Sophie, it was completely manageable.

She was running her own team these days. Two lead designers were working under her, along with a group of fresh recruits. As the one in charge, Sophie mostly handled concept direction and fine-tuned everyone’s drafts.

When the day wrapped up, she headed for the garage just like she and Sarah had agreed, hanging around to wait for her.

Sarah climbed into the passenger seat without saying a word, catching Sophie off guard.

A puzzled look crossed Sophie’s face. “You alright?”

Usually, Sarah would circle the car first, gush over it, and maybe crack a few jokes. She had even been ready to toss her the keys for a quick spin.

Instead, Sarah looked tense. “Sophie… something’s eating at me. I don’t know if I should say it.”

Sophie started the car and kept her eyes forward. “Go on. What’s bothering you?”

Sarah hesitated before saying, “I just heard some gossip about Daisy.”

One of Sophie’s brows lifted. “What, are you suddenly a fan? Sorry, I missed the chance to get her autograph for you last time.”

Sarah waved her hands quickly. “No way! I can’t stand her!”

Sarah had once asked Sophie for an autograph as a joke, since she enjoyed hoarding celebrity signatures. In truth, Daisy never mattered to her.

Everything changed when Sarah noticed Daisy setting her sights on Sophie’s husband. That was the end of the line. From that moment, Daisy was no longer harmless fluff in Sarah’s eyes. She became nothing less than a scandal waiting to explode.

Sarah even dipped into Daisy’s fan groups, eager to toss her secrets into the spotlight. She wanted the fans to see what hid behind the glitter and polished image.

But when she sought Sophie’s advice and got turned away, Sarah realized she had to back down.

Frustrated, Sarah clenched her fist toward Sophie. “If she’s your rival, then she’s mine too!”

Sophie burst out laughing. “Relax, cowgirl.”

“Well,” Sarah muttered, deciding Sophie still needed the warning. The truth was something Sophie deserved to hear.

Without hesitation, Sarah said, “Listen, I came across this article saying she and Adrian were spotted on a date!”

Shock left Sophie speechless.

The car jolted to a sudden stop. Both of them lurched forward before the seatbelts snapped them back into place.

Still rattled, Sarah shouted, “Cool down! I didn’t make things up. The tabloids wrote it!”

In a steady tone, Sophie replied, “Send me the link. Right now.”

Sarah quickly shared the piece with Sophie.

As Sophie scanned it without showing emotion, Sarah’s nerves spiked. Lately, Sophie gave off the same icy aura her husband carried everywhere. Cold seeped into Sarah’s skin, even though the air conditioning wasn’t running.

With no pause, Sarah said, “This is garbage. I’d wager Rory’s just cross-dressing again!”

After skimming the write-up, Sophie realized Sarah had sugarcoated the whole thing.

The headline screaming back at them was this: “Glamorous actress Daisy caught with a mystery companion. Could this be romance?”

The gossip sheet had loaded the page with sneaky photos.

One captured them at a café, close enough to look like a kiss was only seconds away. Another showed Daisy in a luxury shop, her smile bright as she flaunted a handbag and asked the man’s opinion. In the next frame, he trailed behind her, weighed down with shopping bags.

To any passerby, the two of them could have easily been mistaken for lovestruck newlyweds.

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