Page 107 of A Simple Reminder
Dread coils in my stomach, tightening with every word I read.
The Ayoub D'or Group's golden boy, Liam Ayoub, has been spotted getting very up close and personal with his Sophie Anderson, the interior designer working on their latest luxury hotel.
Forget professionalism—this steamy poolside moment, captured exclusively, shows the bachelor billionaire passionately locking lips with his ”talented” employee. It’s got everyone asking: is this her main project?
While Sophie Anderson has made a modest name for herself with smaller projects, it seems she’s found a shortcut to the top, courtesy of Liam Ayoub’s attention. The kiss captured in this exclusive photo speaks volumes, but so does the timing.
The whispers have started: Is this a genuine romance or another classic case of power dynamics gone wrong? Either way, the optics are anything but flattering for the Ayoub D’or Group’s youngest heir.
Stay tuned—because when billionaires mix work and pleasure, the fallout is rarely pretty.
The phone trembles in my hands, my vision blurring. I’m going to be sick. My knees give out, and I collapse onto the couch, staring blankly at the screen.
This can’t be happening.
Leora
What is this Sophie?
She sends a screenshot from another gossip page—this one French.
I can’t breathe.
The words blur, shifting, tilting. The room feels too small, too tight, like the walls are pressing in on me.
What’s happening? How is this spreading so fast?
My vision tunnels, narrowing to the glow of my phone screen.
I can’t get enough air.
I try to inhale, but it’s like I’m breathing through a straw. Shallow. My fingers tingle, numbness creeping up my arms. The phone nearly slips from my grasp.
I squeeze my eyes shut. Try to ground myself. But the spiral has already taken hold.
My heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my body. Tears sting my eyes, hot and fast. I try to stand, but my legs feel like they belong to someone else. My phone buzzes again, another notification. I flinch, dropping it like it’s physically burning me. I don’t even want to look, but I know I have to.
It’s an email from one of the big development firms that had expressed interest in working with me.
Subject:Collaboration postponed
Dear Miss Anderson,
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have decided to postpone the upcoming project. We are still finalizing our direction and may revisit the interior design requirements later. Thank you for your understanding, and we will contact you if the project resumes.
Best regards,
Lock & Key Development
My heart plummetsas the words blur before me.Unforeseen circumstances.I know exactly what that means. They’ve seen the articles. The photos. They’ve seen me. I don’t have time to process the sting before another email comes through. This time, it’s fromLion Co., the second big project I had lined up. It’s almost identical to the first one. Everything I’ve worked for and just like that. They both dropped me.
The tears spill over. The humiliation, the frustration, the sheer unfairness of it all—it crashes down on me like a tidal wave. I stare at the screen, willing the words to disappear. How many more messages like that are coming? How much of my future has this ruined?
My phone buzzes again, and I almost scream. It’s Leora.
Leora
Adeline knew, right? Of course, I’m the last one to find out. I already feel alone enough on the other side of the earth, and now you’re hiding things from me
