Shadows Of A Forgotten Spring

Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Her performance was flawless. She allowed her hand to stretch out in a desperate manner, her fingers quivering as if reaching for someone who immediately stepped back. She then closed her eyes again, letting her head drop to the side as though she were slipping away.

Feeling good about the shots, she sat in front of her laptop and started editing. The video was perfected.

She added filters to her skin to make it even paler, and the blood darker. She edited the lighting and made it haunting.

A wicked smile appeared on Annie's lips as she watched the final cut of the video.

Perfecto! A masterpiece! Emma would not see it coming, neither would any of them. The thought of the chaos she was about to unleash filled her with a weird satisfaction, her chest tightening with the thrill of her carefully laid plan.

Emma.

Just the thought of her nmade her lips formed an ugly, straight line.

Just the thought of her was enough to make Annie's blood boil.

Emma's nhad haunted her since the first day she joined Emma's highschool.

Annie could still remember the exact moment she saw her, poised, radiant, and effortlessly commanding the attention of everyone around her.

And she made mental note to stay as far away as possible from her, dismissing Emma as just another girl with a silver spoon in her mouth. But then cthe whispers in the hallways, the rumors that eventually proved true, Emma wasn't just one of the most beautiful girl at school; heck, she was also one of the smartest students they have ever seen; and she turned out to be the daughter of a powerful man whose last nwas a symbol of power in the country and to top it all, She was BETROTHED to Alexander Blackthorn, the heir to the most powerful conglomerate in the world.

That revelation hit Annie like a punch to the gut, leaving her seething with envy.

How could one person have everything? Beauty, brains, wealth, privilege, and now the most eligible bachelor in the country. It wasn't right. All her life, Annie had had to fight tooth and nail for every scrap of recognition, for every ounce of validation, while Emma seemed to get it all handed to her on a golden platter.

Not even Annie's father loved her and that old motherfucker proved it till the end.

Since then, Annie had made it her life's mission to take everything Emma held dear. If Emma had something Annie wanted, she would steal it. And if she couldn't, she'd destroy it with no hesitation, no guilt and no mercy. Emma's happiness becher target and her success a challenge.

For fourteen long years, Annie had carried this vendetta in her heart, fueling her every move.

She stole Emma's friends, spread rumors to tarnish her reputation, and even tried to sabotage her academic achievements. Then, years later, Emma introduced her to Alexander.

Chapter 174 Her jealousy reached a fever pitch as she watched the couple and Annic knew she couldn't let Emma marry him. She'd wormed her way into Alexander's life by using every trick in her hat to make him see her instead of Emma. And for a time, it worked; he fell for her lies, her charm, her facade so well-constructed.

Annie eventually managed to drive a wedge between him and Emma, and she reveled in her victory.

But it didn't last long.

Alexander had chosen Emma in the end, fulfilling his heart and family's wishes, and Annie was left with nothing but her festering hatred. Annie stared at the video she had just created; somehow, she felt a renewed sense of purpose.

Emma might have won once again, but Annie wasn't done yet; she would never be done with Emma.

Emma had absolutely no reason to be happy.

She promised to make sure to shatter her, piece by piece, until there was nothing left.

Sipping her wine, Annie smiled softly.

The video would go viral within hours, and the public would eat it up.

Emma would be caught off guard, her outation dragged through the mud, her carefully rebuilt life crumbling as a result of 1. it.

Her fingers clamped onto the bottom of her glass, as she thought of the years she had spent in relentless pursuit of the shadow of Emma.

She would not stop now, not after all the years she had wasted.

Not until Emma was stripped of everything, her love, her family her dignity.

Emma might have been born with the world at ho Annie standing above her, smiling.

feet, but Annie would make sure she fell, and when she did, it would be She stepped into the bathtub, her water warm, just like she loves it while sipping her wine.

With a couple of clicks, she anonymously forwarded the video through routed e-mail to one of the most notorious gossip. writers there was known for scandal and . Annie knew they wouldn't hesitate to publish it. All she had to do now was wait.

AAAAA Just as Alexander was reaching his peak of release, the moment.

harp insistent buzzing of their phones cut through the heated Firrst, they tried to ignore it, their concentration on each other, but soon, the ringing was impossible to ignore.

Groaning with frustration, Alexander pulled out of Emma's pussy reluctantly, running a hand through his disheveled hair as he reached for his trousers on the floor. Fishing his phone from his pocket, he glanced at the screen. It was Kevin who was calling him. Simultaneously, Emma rummaged for her phone inside her purse.

17:42 Sat, Feb 1 Chapter 174 |b☐☐☐ 81%u She pulled her blouse over her chest and answered the call professional although slightly out of breath and irritated.

It was the head of her legal department.

The urgency in his tone immediately set her on edge.

"Ma'am, we have a problem," he said, his voice shaking slightly.

Emma rose to her feet, her heart sinking at the fear in his voice What problem?" she asked, her fingers tightening on the phone.

"Our stock price is plummeting," he replied, panic lacing every word.

Emma froze, her breath caught in her throat. "That can't be happening," she muttered to herself rather than to the man on the phone.

The tons of insults and accusations she had been dealing with all because of Annie Weroverwhelming, yet none seemed to have any reasonable impact on her company's stability. How could things have unraveled so quickly in the span of an hour? "There's... a video, ma'am," he said hesitantly.