NovelBookQueenie’s exhibition went off without a hitch. After a few rounds of negotiation, they finally settled on Liam and
another rising film star as the new faces of the joint brand.
Liam’s meteoric rise took Alessia by surprise; he seemed born for the spotlight, drawing attention wherever he
went. With his striking looks and undeniable charisma, he catapulted to stardom, quickly becoming a household
name.
Endorsement offers soon flooded in. Still, for all his fame, Liam hadn't yet landed a signature hit-no defining
moment or body of work people could point to and say, “This is Liam.” He was well aware of it, too. What he
needed was a breakout single, something custom-tailored to him the way Tristan had received when Alessia
wrote a song that launched his career. So, whenever he wasn’t busy with daily commitments, Liam could be
found sequestered in the studio, working late into the night.
Everyone was immersed in their own projects, and for once, it felt like things were moving in the right direction.
Almost without realizing it, the year slipped quietly to its end.
“Lessie, are you busy right now?” Karen's voice cthrough the phone.
Alessia set down the file she was reading and rubbed her temples. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was
already dinnertime.
Ever since the holidays started, Vera called almost daily, urging her to stop by the office. It was ironic-she was
the owner, yet somehow she’d ended up with the daily grind and anxieties of an employee.
Still, Vera couldn’t really be blamed. The company had just expanded several divisions at once, which meant a
mountain of new work. Sthings needed Alessia’s personal oversight, and with the end-of-year rush, having
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtan extra decision-maker around was simply more efficient.
“In a few days it'll be New Year's Day,” Karen said warmly. “Why don’t you bring Cole over to celebrate with the
family? The more, the merrier.”
Alessia hesitated. “I'll ask him.”
“Good. Just tell him to cfor dinner, and leave it at that,” Karen instructed.
Alessia agreed, chatted a bit longer, then hung up.
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12:37
Chapter 249
She understood what Karen was getting at-she was worried Cole would be reminded of his parents, or worse,
spend the holiday alone. Alessia tried to recall how she and Cole had spent the New Year before.
Most years, she’d suffer through an overindulgent lunch with the extended Tate family, then sneak off to Cole’s
place in the evening. Together with Parrish and Jade, they’d visit Xander and share a proper holiday meal.
Since Parrish passed and Jade fell ill, neither she nor Cole had much heart for festivities. Last year, they'd simply
joined Xander for a quiet dinner and then gone their separate ways.
Another year gone in the blink of an eye, and the ache of old memories lingered.
“Boss, here's the last report. If everything checks out, the project's good to go and we'll schedule the launch
after the holidays.”
Snapping out of her reverie, Alessia reviewed the document and signed it.
“Have the year-end bonuses been distributed?”
“Finance says they finished payouts this afternoon.”
“And the holiday memo?”
“It went out. We're officially on break starting tomorrow.” Vera took the signed
papers.
“Are you spending the holidays at the hospital again this year?”
Vera seemed caught off guard by the question, but nodded.
“Eddie Chase has a friend who's a specialist in psychiatry. Here's his card-I've already given him a heads up.
He'll be back in town on the third and has stthen.”
Vera's eyes
lit
up. “Thank
you, boss.”
“I'm just making the introduction.
You'll have to hand 116 fees and
I
afrapgeménts yourself” The content
is on novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
Alessia had always known how to
help without overstepping, careful to
offer support in a pay @ateespetted
bpundahies eben her kindness was
measured—genuine, but never so
much that it beca burden or an
unspoken The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
debt.
That, perhaps, was why her
generosity never backfired, Sper
undersigog hurazh hele: give too
mudi, and people start to expect it.
Better to keep a safe distance, The
content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!
213
12.57
where gratitude never turns into entitlement.
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