"Congratulations, Meryl!" Iris exclaimed, overwhelmed by the incredible achievement.

"It's no big deal," Julia muttered, her voice dripping with jealousy.

"Don't be ridiculous, Julia," Iris said, Iris voice stern. "What Meryl did today was incredible. You're just too blind with jealousy to see it."

"What did you say?" Julia snapped, her eyes flashing with anger.

The showcase was a success, and Meryl's designs were the talk of the event. After months of hard work, it was all worth it. The Horton's chose their design, with the help of Ludovic Hans and Tyrson's ideas. And COY was awarded the contract.

Meryl felt a sense of relief that everything would be over tomorrow, but she also felt a sense of trepidation.
Talking to Tyrson had helped, but she knew it wasn't the end of her problems. In fact, it might have only been the beginning.

She knew there were still more challenges ahead, and she wasn't sure how she would face them. But she would do her best, and try to stay positive. After all, what else could she do?

                  FLASHBACK

"Tyrson, please," she begged, blocking his path to stop him from making a terrible mistake.

"What?!" he shouted, his eyes red with fury.

"Please, you can't do this," she pleaded, terrified that he would cancel the contract and report Ludovic Hans.

"Don't tell me you still care about him," he growled.

"No, I don't," she insisted, biting her lip as she struggled to find the right words to say.

"Are you really that stupid, Meryl?" he growled, his voice thick with anger. "He abused you, threatened to kill you, and spied on you in your own room and bathroom. That's too much to just let go of!"

"It's my life, Tyrson," she said, her voice firm but quiet. "I get to decide how to handle it. Let's just focus on what we're here for."

She wiped away the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes, and began to walk towards the door.

"Meryl," he called, and she turned to him.

"You know you can count on me, right?" he said in a calm voice compared to what he was feeling inside.

She nodded. "Thanks."

He ran his hand through his hair, and then approached her. "Come on," he said, and took her hand, leading her out of the room.

"Tyrson, wait -" she began, but he cut her off.

"Shhh, you don't want to wake everyone up, do you?" he whispered, placing a finger to her lips. She bit her lip, then nodded and allowed him to lead her away.

She stopped abruptly and pulled her hand from his.
"I can't go out like this," she said. "I'm not dressed properly, I'm still in a towel."

"Oh, right," he said, his brow furrowed. "You can borrow my clothes." He said and she hesitated not sure if it was a good idea.

"Look! What if there is another camera in your room?" he asked. "I'd rather not risk it."he added.

......

"You can stay here tonight," he said, and Meryl looked around his room, taking in her surroundings.

Tyrson walked to his closet and pulled out a shirt, which he tossed to Meryl, who was already lying on the bed. She sat up and caught it, then rolled her eyes.

"You can take the couch," he said. "I'll take the bed."

"No one is sleeping on the couch!" She confirmed and he just shrugged at her.

Meryl groaned and flopped back down on the bed, making a show of being annoyed. Tyrson just looked at her, arms crossed.

"You're not seriously going to sleep in that, are you?" he asked, and she let out a dramatic sigh.

"I don't know what I might do to you next if you continue to lie down in that," he said, a warning note in his voice.

"Turn around," she said, already standing up. "Turn around, or you won't be able to control yourself if you watch me lose the towel."

Tyrson's throat went dry, and he turned around quickly. Within seconds, he heard the towel hit the floor, and when he heard Meryl rustling around, he took a deep breath.

He turned around, a minute later, heard Meryl getting into the shirt. It was way too big for her, and the hem barely covered her thighs. The thin fabric clung to her body, and he could see the outline of her n*pples through it.

He tried to swallow and couldn't, his mouth suddenly dry. She got back on the bed and they lay there on their backs, staring up at the ceiling. The air was thick with tension. Neither of them knew what to say.
        
                        END OF THE FLASHBACK

As Meryl thought about the short time she had with  Tyrson, she suddenly realized he wasn't with them.

She excused herself and headed down the hallway, searching for him. As she wandered the place, she came across Ludovic, who was smiling strangely.

"You saw my welcome gift, then?" he said, clicking his teeth together. She took a step back, feeling uneasy.

"You didn't think I'd let you live a peaceful life without me, did you?" he taunted, moving closer to her. Meryl didn't back away this time, instead staring at him with pure hatred in her eyes.

"I told you I'd find you, and look where we are now," he said, chuckling to himself. Tears welled up in Meryl's eyes, and she tried to keep them from falling.

"I had no idea my little trick from years ago would still be working," he said, his voice full of smugness while Meryl tried to puzzle out his words.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked, her voice breaking as she tried to stifle her sobs. He smirked, glafld that his plan to make her vulnerable was working perfectly.

"Poor Joanna," he said, clicking his teeth together. A chill ran down Meryl's spine. Could he have had something to do with Joanna's abduction?

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice trembling. But she knew he had hit a nerve.

"You should really keep an eye on your little girl," he continued, his voice oozing with malice.

"Lodovico!" she cried out, the words catching in her throat. She was furious - he had clearly been stalking her, and how did he know about Michelle?

"Don't even think about laying a hand on her," she hissed, rage boiling up inside her. She couldn't let him get away with hurting Joanna, and she certainly wouldn't let him hurt Michelle.

"Or what?" he said, his smile widening. He reached out to grab Meryl's hand, but Tyrson caught his arm before he could, and his grin faded.

Meryl let out a sigh of relief. She was scared that she had dragged Tyrson into this mess and that his life might be in danger as well.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," Tyrson said through gritted teeth, trying to keep his anger in check. The last thing he wanted to do was punch this guy, but the temptation was strong.

"Tyrson," Meryl whispered, placing a hand on his arm. The two men glared at each other, their expressions filled with hatred.

"You should be grateful," Lodovic said, his teeth clenched. "Or are you going to turn your back on me now that you have the contract?"

Tyrson gave a dry laugh. "I would have won the contract without your help. Don't make things worse. Stay away from her." His tone was cold and serious.

"You'll regret this," Lodovico said, his eyes fixed on Meryl. He turned and walked away, leaving the two of them alone.

Tyrson took her hand in his, leading her away from the spot where they had been standing. When they were a safe distance away, he turned to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft and concerned and Meryl nodded.

*******

Cassie opened the door to the guest room, and smiled when she saw Michelle fast asleep. They were both staying at Mason's house, since it was the closest and he had offered to treat her wounds.

She quietly closed the door behind her, drying her wet hair with a towel. As she turned, she saw Mason standing in the hallway.

She smiled at him, her eyes bright and her face glowing. He froze, caught off guard by her beauty.

Cassie's hair was damp, clinging to her face, framing it perfectly. She looked completely different more beautiful than ever.

Mason forced himself to look away, embarrassed by his own thoughts.

Cassie walked over to him and sat on the couch next to him. "You don't live alone in this huge house, do you?" she said, her words tumbling out in a rush.

"I live here alone," he said. He almost laughed at her shocked expression.

"Whoa," she said. "I should've expected more from the almighty Tyrson's personal assistant. You're not boring, are you?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, amused. "So, Michelle isn't your child?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course not! I mean..." She stopped, realizing what she was about to say, and clamped a hand over her mouth.

She groaned and hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. She immediately regretted it, wincing in pain. "Ouch," she mumbled.

"You should have taken it easy on your boyfriend," he said, and she looked at him, wide-eyed. "You saw that?"

"The moment I saw you at the company, I knew you looked familiar," he said, moving closer to her. "I realized you're the crazy girl from the restaurant."

She didn't back away, even when their faces were just inches apart. Instead, she leaned closer, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

Manson froze, caught off guard by her boldness. She was certainly not the timid type.

"So, was I cool back there?" she asked, her eyes glinting with mischief.

He cleared his throat, not knowing how to answer. He was taken aback by her boldness, and he felt his heart skip a beat.

Suddenly, he stood up and walked away. Cassie burst out laughing, clearly amused by his reaction.

As she lay back on the couch, her mind turned to Meryl. "Oh no," she said, sitting up again.

She fell back on the couch as she lay on it on her back,"Meryl must have called...she would really be worried if she can't reach us" she pouted as she remembered her stolen phone.

Now she needs to get one as soon as possible.