Chapter 105

Ian's POV

Looking at Serena now, my face darkens with barely contained rage. All these years together, and I never knew she was Lumi Nova.

Back when we first met, she was performing on the streets. Without my help, she probably would have starved on those foreign streets. When we were together, she mentioned something about a good career opportunity abroad. But that was right when my family's company was in crisis, and my parents called me back home. I dismissed her opportunity as nothing significant - in my mind, it was just another job that would barely pay the bills.

I could sense her reluctance to let it go, but the Whitmore Group meant everything to me. I have to admit, my feelings for her were genuine then, and I selfishly wanted to keep her by my side.

I never imagined how much she would help me. She stood beside me as I entered the family business, worked in public relations, helped secure numerous sponsorships. Initially, her dedication moved me, and I planned to give her a good future.

Then Nina came along.

Nina was completely different from Serena. She was more attentive to my feelings - she could sense my slightest displeasure and worshipped me blindly. She made me feel like a man. Meanwhile, Serena would challenge my decisions in front of the company executives, and worse, they would often take her side. My authority in the Whitmore Group diminished daily, leaving me feeling increasingly frustrated and humiliated.

The stark contrast drew me closer to Nina, leading to that night when I pretended to be drunk. While Serena had barely let me hold her hand during our entire relationship, Nina gave herself to me completely, without asking for any commitments. This increased my affection for her.

Even then, I couldn't bring myself to break up with Serena. Our history was real, and I hesitated to end it - until the shot at our engagement forced my hand when I chose to save Nina, exposing our relationship.

Despite the breakup, I felt I owed Serena something - after all, she had saved the Whitmore Group. I thought I could still look after her, until she moved on to other men. I had always believed she would only love me, and couldn't accept her loving anyone else. That's when I started working against her, determined to make her regret her disloyalty!

But time after time, she proved me wrong. And now, she's become a sensation. I spent so much money on publicity for Nina in this competition, even preparing articles announcing her victory. Just when I had finally pushed Nina to the pinnacle, Serena delivered this devastating blow!

Once again, I've been humiliated by Serena!

I clench my fists, glaring at her image on the screen with undisguised hatred.

Serena's POV

The stage lights burned against my skin as silence descended over the audience. Under the harsh glare of dozens of cameras, I could feel every eye in the venue fixed on me.

"We regret to announce that we must disqualify Serena Sinclair from the competition," the host's voice echoed through the venue's sound system. "The rules clearly state that all designs must be original."

I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze directly. "I did create an original design."

The host paused, his professional smile faltering for a moment. "Miss Sinclair, the rules are very clear-"

"Yes, they are." My voice cut through the whispers that had begun to ripple through the crowd. "I followed every rule. My original design was replaced without my knowledge or consent."

A collective gasp rippled through the audience. On the massive LED screens above the stage, I could see my own face, composed and determined, alongside Evelyn's rapidly paling complexion.

"Are you suggesting..." The host trailed off, clearly thrown off script.

"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm stating a fact." I turned slightly, making sure the cameras could capture my next words. "My assistant, Mia, replaced my original design."

In the wings of the stage, I caught sight of Mia's face draining of color. She took an involuntary step backward, nearly stumbling into a lighting rig.

Her panicked look told me I was right.

The murmur from the audience grew louder.

"OMG plot twist!"

"I knew something was off!"

"Look at Mia's face!"

"These are serious accusations," the host interjected, trying to regain control of the situation. "Do you have proof?"

"When the producers stuck me with an assistant I didn't know, I got this bad feeling, so I planted a hidden camera in my backstage workspace. It totally caught Mia on camera moving my dress in the opposite direction from the dressing room." I kept my voice steady, watching Mia's experssion crumble further.