"What's it to you?" Liam asked dismissively.

Lucy found him funny. Did he think he had hidden it well enough? She had encountered so many people in their lives that she could tell many things about them at a glance.

She had merely guessed that Liam had feelings for Zaria based on the fact that he had tried to create bad blood between them before. She tried poking fun at him but his reaction gave him away. He really had feelings for her! Who would have thought that these two friends who had trusted each other from their mothers' wombs, would end up falling in love with the same woman? This was going to be thrilling.

"What if… I could help you out?" She gave a sly smirk.

"I don't trust you." Liam frowned, wondering why he had even considered it for a second. This woman was the most deceptive creature in the universe, she was the devil herself. It was insane to sit near her because she had a billion tricks to deceive people, yet here he was.

"One way to find out. Why don't you try me?" She rested her chin against the back of her hand as she looked at him. "Not only will I help you out, but I will also ensure that Desmond does not succeed in retaliationg against you if he decides to." She promised, making him burst out laughing. She was totally insane.

"Lucy, I will not sell my shares to you." He dismissed monotonously.

"Not even if failure to do so would cause you trouble?" She threatened, making his lips twitch. She shrugged one shoulder. "Does your beloved brother know how Samantha became pregnant… with your baby?"

"Enough!" He could not believe that she could turn every stone just to find dirt on him. She had just brought up the worst mistake of his life, one he could kill to erase but unfortunately, it was irreversible. He had thought that all be well now that Samantha was no longer alive but who would have thought that the matter regarding that woman would haunt him even when she had almost been forgotten?

"I poked a painful wound, didn't I?" She looked proud of herself. To his relief, she grabbed her purse and stood up but before he could finishh sighing, she leaned over to him. "Liam, there are many things I have against you. I even have trouble just what to use to force you."

Even she couldn't comprehend why she was being so gentle with everyone when she had made plans to swiftly eradicate them since years ago.

"Thank Desmond, I guess." She stated when she finally realized it. Being close to Desmond in the past had affected him much more than she had expected. She couldn't bring herself to hurt him now, especially since he was Zaria's boyfriend.

She shrugged the thought off her mind. "Wait until you're desperate."

Liam watched her leave the restaurant before reclining in his chair. "I will never be desperate enough to take your insane offer."

__

Meanwhile, Devonte paced in the suite where he and Natalie were spending the night.

"You will do well, my love. Don't be nervous anymore. " Natalie teased and laughed at him, knowing what had gotten him so tense. He looked nothing like the actor who had already won seven bolar awards in a row.

He stopped to sit beside her. "I know. It's just that this time winning means something totally different."

He was already one of the most popular artists in Olphire and if he won the best actor category for the eighth time, he would have set a new record. He would doubtlessly be the most famous actor, not to mention his net worth would increase tremendously. However, it was not the award or the net worth that made him nervous.

Well, it was about that, but only because it would help him gain the approval of Owen and Ava Sparks as the right match for their daughter.

Natalie pulled closer to him and held his head to place it on her shoulder while caressing it. "You have already worked hard, my love. If this doesn't guarantee you the award, the worst that could happen is that we will have to be together regardless of what my parents think of us."

He chuckled at her words. "Don't make it sound like we have not been together for years already. Honey, do you remember what day it is today?"

"Oh my God! Is it your birthday? I'm so sorry I forgot." She exaggeratively covered her mouth.

"Don't be silly." He playfully pinched her nose. He was certain that she would never forget his birthday, nor would she forget what day it was. Or else she wouldn't have asked him out and decorated the room the way she had.

"Would you like to do something fun with me?" He asked as he turned to peek at her.

"What kind of fun?" She asked, already looking forward to whatever he had planned.

He took her hand to interlock their fingers. "Netflix, perhaps? Cake, Netflix and chill?" As he spoke, he stood up to lead her out of the room.

"Dev…"

"There's no one on this part of the hotel." He had made sure, and he knew that it was what she was worried about. Hearing his assurance, she walked down the corridor with him and took the elevator to the rooftop.

She looked around in awe at the beautifully decorated rooftop restaurant, where there was no one else in sight. The first thing that caught her eye was the cake on the corner table, with two burning candles on top of it-a one and a two.

Her eyes stung slightly. "Has it really been twelve years?"

He nodded as he walked to the table with her. Today marked the twelfth year since they met, and two weeks later would mark twelve years since their relationship began.

She was in her final year of high school when they first met, and at the time, they had thought that their relationship was too rushed. Who would have thought that it would last so long? However, their relationship had to remain a secret for all these years because unlike her, the daughter of a wealthy family, he was just a simple young man trying to place bread on his table.

"I should ditch you already. What am I still doing with a man I've been with for twelve years?" She joked, making him grab her hand.

"Don't even think about it. I'm yours for at least a century more." He declared in all seriousness.

___

Desmond glanced at his invitation for The Bolar Awards and cursed at what he had forgotten. As a businessman and the owner of a conglomerate, it was not uncommon for him to be invited to such ceremonies, but he had forgotten that he wanted to bring Zaria with him this time.

Luckily, he had managed to convince her to stay over so he sought her in the kitchen and asked, "Would you like to be my companion tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? For the Bolar Awards?" She asked as her tone pitched slightly. There wasn't any other place he had to go according to his schedule, so she knew that her guess was accurate. When he nodded, she jumped into his arms and kissed his face in a flurry. "Of course! Thank you boss."

He chuckled as he held her to kiss her. It sounded so wrong of her to call him boss while kissing him, in his kitchen. Didn't she know this?

___

The following evening.

The Bolar Awards cereemony this year was the grandest of all time, and guests flooded the venue. The fans who managed to get seats in the venue were in the thousands, but that was a drop in the ocean compared to those who were watching the live event on their televisions and the livestream on the website.

When Jupiter—the actor most of the fans were anticipating—walked down the red carpet, the livestream chat was full of red hearts while the fans inside almost detonated the venue in their excitement.

When he greeted the fans and made his way into the hall, the situation was almost out of control.

Aside from many who passed out after seeing their idol so close, there were even several undergarments flying in the air.

"These girls!" Devonte heard a low curse beside him as he sat in his VVIP seat.

He almost tripped when he saw her. "N… Miss Sparks?" He almost called her name out in shock. What was she doing here, and in the seat next to his?

"Hello, Jupiter." She smiled cunningly. Of course she would attend the event to support her boyfriend.

Although that was the case, she said something different when she spoke up. "I'm accompanying Desmond and Zaria."

He nodded and sat down so he wouldn't lose his cool. She looked so beautiful that he wanted nothing more than to kiss the breath out of her.

…

Amid the anticipation from the directors, producers and artists, the ceremony finally rolled off.

With every announcement, Devonte's heart sank. He had been nominated for the award thanks to his latest movie, A Thousand Dragons, but among all the eleven categories that had been revealed, it had only won the best Screenplay.

The next category was Most Popular Actor, and when the screen displayed the current votes of the fans, he wanted to close his eyes.

Natalie looked on, since there was still five minutes before the votes for this category would finalize. However, she gritted her teeth when she recalled the fans' votes only amounted to sixty percent—and the actor in second place was only five hundred votes away from catching up with Jupiter.