Escaping Marriage: CEO's Ex-wife is a Billionairess

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"Wesley, let's have a baby."

Layla Lewis reached out for Wesley Whitman's belt.

With a click, the belt was unbuckled.

When she was touching the zipper and preparing to take the next step, Wesley suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Layla, I want a divorce."

Wesley's voice was pleasant, yet his tone was cold, shocking Layla.

Layla froze, looking at Wesley and saying, "Why? Is it because I just said I wanted a baby? I was joking. If you don't want to..."

"Enough. Stop deceiving yourself. Have you forgotten why we got married?" Wesley's voice was extremely cold.

Of course, she remembered. Three years ago, Layla asked a brilliant doctor to save Wesley's grandmother. His grandmother liked Layla so much that she forcibly arranged their marriage.

"But... But it's been three years. You have no feelings for me at all?"

Wesley looked at Layla indifferently, then turned around and took out the divorce papers prepared from the drawer.

It hurts!

Layla's heart seemed to be torn.

Seeing her motionless for a long time, Wesley became a little impatient and said calmly, "Amber is pregnant."

It was quite shocking news.

Layla looked up at Wesley with disbelief and red eyes.

Amber Clark, Wesley's first love, was pregnant?

Anger, humiliation, sadness, and all kinds of emotions welled up Layla's torso, almost making her suffocated.

After three years of marriage, she thought she could soften Wesley and didn't expect to get this result.

It was sad, but it was more ridiculous.

"Tell me what kind of compensation you want. As long as it's reasonable, I can satisfy you."

With a superior attitude, Wesley stood beside the bed, which hurt Layla.

Layla was in despair. She said with a self-deprecating sneer, "No, thank you."

"You'll have Number 13 Villa in the Lakeside Villa Area, and I'll give you 50 million dollars. "

"I told you that I didn't need compensation."

Layla took a deep breath, took the divorce papers, and signed her name. She then quickly packed her things and left the villa with her suitcase.

Walking on the deserted streets, Layla felt indescribably lonely.

She took out her phone and dialed the number she hadn't dialed in three years.

"Adrian... I want to go home..."

Her eyes were red, and she was brimmed over with sorrow.

"Don't cry. I got you! Where are you? I'll come over right now!"

Half an hour later, her eldest brother Adrian Lewis arrived.

Helicopters roared overhead. Layla looked up and saw a dozen helicopters descending slowly.

As the cabin door opened, dozens of bodyguards uniformly dressed in black suits trotted over in an orderly manner, greeting her respectfully.

"Ms. Lewis."

Layla nodded slightly and said, "Yeah."

She raised her head and looked behind the bodyguards.

Immediately, the bodyguards quickly stood in two rows, making a way.

A man with a gorgeous face gradually appeared in front of her. His dark blue suit made him look gentle and elegant.

He walked quickly to Layla and said, "Layla!"

Layla's eyes gradually turned red, and tears rolled down uncontrollably. Choking, she threw herself into Adrian's broad torso.

"Adrian!"

Adrian held her firmly in his arms, and his calm voice made Layla feel safe.

"Don't be afraid. I will take you home right now."

The fancy villa covered a vast area. Precious and rare green plants and endless lawns added grandeur to the extremely luxurious villa.

Derek Lewis, who was incredibly powerful in Bellcester, couldn't help but feel excited at the sight of Layla getting out of the limited edition Rolls-Royce.

"Layla."

"Dad..." Layla trotted over and threw herself into his arms, crying so hard.

Grace Lewis, who showed grace and dignity in her movements, gently patted Layla's shoulder. "Sweetheart, stop crying. You're breaking my heart. Your three brothers and us will protect you in the future, and no one dares to hurt you again."

"Mom, it's great to have you." Layla tilted her head, like a nestling that had not returned home for many days, and nuzzled her shoulder affectionately.

Looking at her eyes which were red and swollen from crying, Grace sighed distressedly, "Go in first."

"Layla, did you divorce Wesley because he betrayed you?" Grace squinted and said with a unique domineering look, "If he betrayed you, I would send someone immediately to disable him!"

Layla nestled in Grace's arms. After a while, she spoke with a choked voice.

"Mom, it's my fault. I knew he didn't love me but someone else. But I still tried to impress him with my sincerity and get him to love me..."

She took a deep breath. Sadness in her eyes was gradually replaced by determination.

"I will no longer be so stupid and sacrifice myself for someone who doesn't love me. I will stay by your side from now on. You are the most important people to me."

Layla's family once warned her that Wesley had lost his memory, but she didn't care and insisted on being with him wholeheartedly. At this moment, seeing her precious daughter awakening, Grace felt pleased and pecked Layla on her cheeks with a smile.

"Great. My confident girl is back."

Derek was even more excited. He said, "Immediately donate one billion dollars to the orphanage's charity project and name it after Layla so that the stupid Wesley will know how powerful background Layla has."

Adrian responded with a smile, "Okay. I'll let someone make arrangements."

"We should celebrate Layla's divorce. Haven't Bryce and Charles come back?" Layla's second brother Bryce Lewis made a video call when Grace finished speaking.

"Layla, I have a boxing match abroad today and will return tomorrow. And I will bring you the gold belt!"

Layla felt touched. Tears began to form as she looked at the high-spirited Bryce on the screen.

"Bryce, good luck with the competition! I'll wait for you at home."

Just as the call was hung up, Layla's phone rang again. It was a call from her youngest brother, Charles Lewis.

"Layla, I'm sorry. I couldn't leave while filming in another place and couldn't go back to celebrate your divorce. But I have prepared a divorce surprise for you on Twitter. Go check it out quickly. "

Layla clicked on Twitter and saw a trending topic about the well-known actor Charles Lewis' cancellation of all cooperation with the Whitman Group, and it made several headlines.

Charles had a good reputation in the entertainment industry. Now that the cooperation was suddenly canceled, his fans began to speculate whether there was a problem with the Whitman Group. They left comments on the Whitman Group's official account and criticized them, leading to the Whitman Group's stocks falling.

Layla guessed Wesley must be very busy dealing with this matter right now.

Layla suddenly felt refreshed. "Charles, well done!"

"Of course. Look who you're talking to."

As Charles spoke, his agent ran over to remind him that filming was about to start.

Time was urgent. To avoid keeping others waiting, Charles had no choice but to hang up the video reluctantly after he promised Layla he would bring her many gifts when he returned.

It was the next morning in a luxurious bedroom with many expensive furniture.

Layla sat up from the bed and yawned lazily.

She found staying in her home more comfortable and could sleep until she woke up naturally. However, she felt guilty when she slept a little longer at the Whitman family.

At breakfast, as soon as Layla put the expensive caviar in her mouth, a girl in pink clothes rushed over and hugged her.

"Layla, congratulations on your divorce. I missed you so much," Lily Brown said while rubbing her face against Layla.

Lily was Layla's best friend. They were so close that they had almost no secrets from each other.

However, after marrying Wesley, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to him, gradually losing contact with Lily.

Seeing her now, Layla felt sad inexplicably and hugged her hard. "Lily, I miss you so much, too."

Lily patted Layla on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's go to the bar to have fun and celebrate your divorce. You finally left that scumbag."

"Okay." Layla smiled, turned around, and went to the large cloakroom to pick out a dress.

Chapter 2

It was in the bar.

People drank wine and had fun. The flickering light added a bit of a romantic mood to the noisy place.

Layla, wearing a red dress, attracted most people's attention as soon as she appeared.

She had exquisite facial features. The tight dress design highlighted her small waist and outlined her perfect figure.

Her smile was so captivating that people couldn't take their eyes away.

Holding Layla's arm, Lily smiled, "Well, with your charm, as long as you are willing, countless men will pursue you. You don't have to care about Wesley."

Layla smiled and said nothing.

She was calm when she heard Wesley's name.

Layla was stupid and fell in love with such a horrible man. She would never allow herself to make such a mistake again!

Lily took Layla to sit on the sofa. She waved her hand and said domineeringly, "I remember the male models in this bar are good. How about I ask some gorgeous guys to come and have fun with you? I promise to serve you well."

Layla held Lily's hand and shook her head. "I'm not interested in men anymore. From now on, I want to live alone and work on my career."

"That's wonderful! We don't need men and can live happily alone!" Lily opened the wine bottle and poured a glass for Layla and herself, then toasted with Layla and said, "Happy divorce. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Meanwhile, Wesley sat on another sofa on the left side of the bar.

He shook the wine glass, and his gorgeous face was covered with a dark glow in the dim light, making him look even more noble and unattainable.

But now, there was a frown on his face, which showed that he was not in a good mood.

Charles canceled all cooperation with the Whitman Group, which greatly impacted his company. He still couldn't contact Charles and couldn't understand why Charles suddenly stopped working with them even though they had cooperated well. Moreover, Charles did not hesitate to pay huge compensation for breach of contract and terminate the cooperation no matter what.

With Charles' good reputation in the entertainment industry, the public began to speculate whether there was a problem with the Whitman Group's products. This also led to a rapid decline in the company's sales and a large backlog of products in the warehouse.

Wesley's friend Paul Adams knew what he was worried about. Paul put his elbow on his shoulder and teased with a smile, "Don't think so much. Charles is famous for his weird character in the entertainment industry. Who he wants to cooperate with depends on his mood. Maybe he will figure it out tomorrow and cooperate with you again. Besides, it’s not a bad thing for you. After enduring it for so many years, you finally got rid of your ex-wife and won’t have to be tortured by her anymore! Something good happens, and something bad happens."

Wesley glanced sideways at him and did not respond.

Paul winked at Kevin Cooper beside him. Kevin instantly took the hint and changed the subject.

"Wesley, you said the design master AdoreWes was in the Lewis family's design company. Have you found her?"

"Not yet, but I have thought of a way to find her," Wesley said confidently.

"That's good. If you find her, you can recruit her, and you will dominate the jewelry design field." Then, Kevin muttered, "This designer's name is AdoreWes. It comes from 'adore' and 'Wes' in Wesley. Do you think she admires you very much, so she gave it this name?"

Wesley was speechless. "Why didn't you say that she is my wife?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Paul slapped him on the shoulder and stammered.

"Mr. Whitman, look, is that your wife? Oh, sorry, your ex-wife. Why does she look different?"

Wesley thought, "Layla?

Would a boring person like her come to the bar?"

Wesley followed Paul's sight and looked over. The red figure made his eyes light up.

It was really her.

Her waist was slender, and her hair was hanging down her back. Her gorgeous face was filled with confidence and a bright smile.

In Wesley's memory, she was always submissive...

He didn't know that she had such an unknown side in private.

"Someone hit on her! I didn't expect your ex-wife to be quite popular after divorcing you," Paul teased and watched it while eating chips.

Wesley raised his eyes and saw Layla smiling at a man.

This smile made him inexplicably uncomfortable.

Suddenly, Wesley felt upset and subconsciously took his glass, trying to use the wine to drown out the unreasonable displeasure.

Chapter 3

However, the wine had already been finished.

He put the wine glass back on the table irritably, leaned on the back of the chair, and looked toward Layla.

"Sorry, I have no plans for dating for the time being."

Layla declined the man who had come to ask for her contact information and smiled politely.

"It's... It's okay." The man gave up. After being rejected, he stole a glance at Layla, touched the back of his head in embarrassment, and left with a red face.

Although rejected, he felt glad to talk to such a gorgeous lady.

Lily smiled and clinked her glass against Layla's. "This is the fifth man you've rejected tonight. You're really popular."

"I have no interest in any of them." Layla took a sip of the wine. Her mouth were wet from the wine, reflecting a glimmer, which made people want to peck her.

"That's right. Men are all bad. We'd better stay away from them." Lily opened another bottle of wine and filled Layla's glass. "Come on. Let's get drunk tonight!"

Layla finished the wine in one go.

She was dashing and had a unique beauty and great attraction.

As Wesley looked at her, he felt dry in his throat, rubbing his fingertips gently.

"Your ex-wife is very charming, isn't she? Could it be that she pretended to be well-behaved when she was with you?"

While talking, Paul turned his head to look at Wesley. Seeing him looking at Layla, he instantly said in surprise, "Didn't you always hate your ex-wife the most and find it annoying to even look at her? Why are you staring at her now that you're divorced?"

Wesley calmly looked away and denied it, "When did you see me looking at her?"

"Just now," Paul said secretly.

Paul curled his mouth and didn't reveal him.

While the two were talking, an arrogant and lewd voice came from the seat next to them.

"Look, that girl sitting there is so hot. Are you guys interested? I'll get her for you guys to have fun."

"Didn't you see that she had rejected many men? I don't believe you can get her!"

"You just need to give her some pills. Wait and see how I get her."

The blond-haired man skillfully took a box from his pocket and put two red pills into the water.

As the bubbles appeared, the pills and wine were mixed.

The blond-haired man shook his glass and walked towards Layla with a smile.

"Beauty, can I buy you a drink?"

Layla and Lily had drunk a lot. Now, their eyes were blurry, and they couldn't see clearly.

Still, Layla knew she didn't want to drink at the moment, so she waved her hand and refused.

"I can't drink anymore."

The blond-haired man pushed the wine glass before Layla and said, "Beauty, come on. Just think of it as making a friend."

Annoyed by the blond-haired man, Layla frowned, took the glass, and wanted to put it aside.

Unexpectedly, someone held her wrist before she could put down the glass, and the glass was taken away.

Then, a slightly sullen voice reached her ears. "Layla, have you lost your mind? You dare to drink the wine anyone gave in such a messy place as the bar?"

Chapter 4

The familiar voice made Layla sober up.

She raised her eyes, which were reddish from alcohol, and saw Wesley. She couldn't help but say, "Wesley?"

Her voice was surprisingly pleasant.

Wesley opened his mouth and was about to respond when he heard Layla's voice again.

"Why... Why does this scumbag appear in my...hallucination? What a bad luck!"

Paul, who was following, heard that and couldn't help laughing.

Noticing Wesley's angry look, he could barely hold back his smile.

Wesley withdrew his eyes from Paul, looked at the drunk Layla, and pressed his mouth tightly.

"Layla Lewis!"

As he growled through gritted teeth, he held Layla's wrist more tightly.

The pain in her wrist and the livid man before her made Layla realize this was not an illusion.

She lowered her head and couldn't help but murmur, "So it's not an illusion? That's even more unlucky!"

Wesley heard those words clearly.

He took a breath, not bothering to argue with her, and asked in a deep voice, "Where do you live now? I'll take you back."

Layla sobered up a lot, snorted, and coldly shook off Wesley's hand.

"I don't need you to send me!"

Looking at the empty palms, Wesley said, "Do you know that if I hadn't stopped you just now, you would have drunk that wine with drugs?"

Layla was surprised. She didn't expect this to happen. She had no intention of drinking it, but there was no need to tell Wesley.

She just wanted to stay away from him now and didn't want to have anything to do with him.

"Then what? Does this have anything to do with you? Don't forget that we are divorced. You don't need to worry about my affairs!"

Wesley became angrier. "You..." Before he could say anything, he was interrupted by a gentle voice coming from the door.

"Layla."

Hearing this voice, Layla walked passed Wesley and threw herself into Adrian's arms.

"Why are you here?"

Adrian patted her back gently. "I'm here to take you home."

"And... And Lily." Layla pointed at Lily who was lying on the bar, drunk.

"Okay." Adrian protected Layla and winked at the bodyguard.

The bodyguard nodded and walked over to help Lily get up.

"You're so sweet," Layla said softly, found a comfortable position, and leaned in Adrian's arms.

Adrian smiled and rubbed her hair lovingly. When they came to the door, he looked back at Wesley.

There was tension. They had strong hostility toward each other.

"Is that Adrian Lewis, the famous business genius in Bellcester? How did your ex-wife get involved with him? Paul asked curiously.

Wesley watched Layla nestle in Adrian's arms, showing dependence and trust in every move.

He thought, "How could she get in touch with Adrian after just two days away from me?

What is their relationship?"

Wesley couldn't explain what he felt at this time, but anger was rising in his torso.

Paul sensed Wesley's anger and cried out in disbelief and shock.

"Mr. Whitman? No way. Are you... Are you angry?"

Chapter 5

Wesley frowned and looked away calmly. "You have a really rich imagination."

Paul rolled his eyes speechlessly, secretly complaining, "No means yes."

Wesley stood there for a few seconds, then walked to the blond-haired man and spoke coldly, "You just said who you wanted to play?"

Seeing that Wesley was not easy to mess with, the blond-haired man turned pale and trembled.

"I... I was just... just joking."

Wesley glanced at the blond-haired man with his cold eyes. "Someone."

Two bodyguards in black walked out of the darkness.

"Get him to drink the glass of wine on the table."

Two bodyguards grabbed the blond-haired man's chin, picked up the wine glass, and poured the wine into his mouth.

The blond-haired man's companions sat there dumbstruck, not daring to breathe.

Wesley looked at him indifferently, turned around, and walked out.

"You deserve it! How dare you mess with him?" Paul cursed and quickly left with Wesley.

"Wait!" After catching up, Kevin looked at Layla who had just gotten into the car and frowned thoughtfully.

He thought, "Wesley, who had always been observant and a good judge of character, seems to have made a mistake this time."

The next day, after breakfast, Derek looked at Layla and asked, "Layla, what are your plans next? Do you want to manage the company or rest for a while?"

Layla pondered momentarily and responded, "I want to work in the family's jewelry company."

"You have an amazing design talent since you were a child, and you have become famous all over the world before you graduate. You gave up your career for Wesley, but now you can return to the right track. I am happy for you."

Derek gladly asked the servant to bring over a dozen documents and information. "See if you like any of the jewelry companies."

Layla carefully flipped through a few documents and tapped the middle document.

"I'll go with this one."

It was LayMaple Jewelry Design which was named after Layla by her parents.

"Okay. I'll have someone make arrangements right now and ask them to make an office suitable for you before tomorrow." Derek immediately called and mobilized the entire company.

"No need to bother. I can pick a ready-made one." Layla didn't want to make such a big fuss.

"It's rare that you want to take over the company, so I should take it seriously." Derek patted her hand thoughtfully. "Although the company is left to manage, you don't need to put too much pressure on yourself. It doesn't matter even if it goes bankrupt. Anyway, we have many companies, so you can do whatever you want."

Layla smiled, thinking, "Dad dotes on me too much. Isn't he afraid of spoiling me?"

Since Layla was a child, her parents always tried their best to buy whatever she wanted.

Layla remembered that when she was in elementary school, her teacher talked about the pyramids and the desert. She went back and asked her parents what they were like. As a result, her parents took her on a private jet to visit there that day.

"By the way, it's been so long since Layla returned, and we haven't transferred money to you." Grace gave her band card and said, "There are 100 million dollars in it. If it's not enough, just tell me."

"It's... too much." She already had enough pocket money.

Grace insisted, "You must be kind to yourself. Buy whatever you want. We are family. Take it."

Derek said, "Your mother is right. Here is another bank card with 100 million dollars. Buy whatever you want. Don't be too frugal."

Layla had no choice but to accept it. "Thank you, Dad, Mom."

The next day, Layla drove a red Maserati to the gate of LayMaple Jewelry Design.

The building was tall, shimmering in the sunlight.

She walked in and tapped lightly on the desk of the receptionist who had dozed off so early in the morning.

"Hello."

The receptionist wiped the remaining saliva from the corner of her mouth, looked at Layla holding Chanel's latest bag, stood up straight, and asked cautiously, "Hello, Miss, are you here to discuss cooperation?"

"I'm Layla Lewis."

Layla's voice was very soft, but it frightened the receptionist so much that she hurriedly came before her and greeted her respectfully.

"Ms. Lewis, please come this way!"

Yesterday, Derek told everyone to take care of Layla, but he did not reveal that Layla was her daughter. Therefore, the employees only knew that a female president would come and take over the company today. They did not know the specific relationship between her and the Lewis family.

Layla followed the receptionist into the elevator. Soon, they reached the president's office on the top floor.

But a fat man was sitting on the office chair, fiddling with the plants on the desk. He looked so comfortable and relaxed.

Layla frowned and glanced at the receptionist.

"Is this my office or his?"

The receptionist was startled and explained nervously, "This... This is your office. Maybe Mr. Cox wanted to try for you to see if there is anything wrong with the chair. I will go tell him that you are here."

Gary Cox was the vice president of the company. Before Layla came, Gary was in the top position.

But Layla was the person Derek personally asked the employees to take care of. He even ordered the workers to work overnight to build an office exclusively for her.

Layla hadn't used the chair yet, but Gary had sat down.

Worried about Gary, the receptionist walked over quickly and said, "Mr. Cox, please get up. This is Ms. Lewis' seat."

Gary said, "She hasn't come here yet. And she pulled some strings to get the job and knows nothing. She has to rely on me to gain a foothold in the company."

"Mr. Cox..." The receptionist kept winking at Gary.

Gary didn't take her hint and raised his head in annoyance.

Sadly, he saw Layla who had a half-smile.

She threw Harry an intimidating glance. Gary stiffened and slowly stood up from the chair.

"You... You are..."

Layla crossed her arms and sneered, "Didn't you just say I had pulled some strings to get the job and know nothing? How come you don't know who I am?"

Gary's figure went limp, and he was frightened. He quickly stepped forward and apologized.

"Ms. Lewis, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here. I... I will leave now. Please take a seat."

Layla glanced at the seat where Gary had been sitting, then turned to the receptionist and coldly ordered, "Throw this chair away and have someone replace it with a new one."

The receptionist nodded repeatedly, saying, "Okay, Ms. Lewis."

"Did she think the place where I sat was dirty?" Gary thought.

Gary was angry but dared not. He could only lower his head in fear.

Layla didn't bother to argue with him and pointed to the door.

"Get out."

"Yes." Gary did not dare to stay longer and left immediately.

Then, he scolded at the door, "You got the job by pulling strings. Stop pretending. You really think you are so capable? When the sales drop and the company's profit fall, let's see how you explain it to the boss!"

Chapter 6

Ten minutes later, the chair was replaced with a new one. Layla sat down and began to read the company's recent design drafts.

The more she looked, the more tightly she frowned.

She scolded inwardly, "What the hell are these?

Were they designed by a professional designer?"

Layla looked at the designer's name and immediately called the design department. "Ask Anna Smith to come over."

Soon, Anna appeared in the office wearing a red suit.

As soon as she walked in, the strong smell of perfume filled the office, which was unpleasant.

Layla frowned even more quietly and pulled out one of the design drafts.

"There is an obvious problem with the color ratio of the necklace you designed, and I didn't find anything particularly outstanding about it. Are you going to give this to the client?"

Anna was stunned because as Layla said, the client had rejected her design draft several times and said almost the same things as Layla's.

It was strange. The client was patient and kept raising the price until Anna designed a work that satisfied the other party.

Of course, Anna didn't think Layla knew about design. She thought they just happened to have the same idea. So she played with her newly made fingernails nonchalantly and responded perfunctorily.

"Ms. Lewis, I did it according to the client's requirements. There is nothing wrong with it."

Layla used a pencil to circle Anna's mistakes on the design draft expressionlessly.

"The three-view drawing of your draft was wrong from the beginning. Look at the diamond in the middle, and there are many details, such as here..."

Hearing Layla use professional terminology, Anna gradually corrected her attitude. But she still felt that Layla only knew a little bit and couldn't be compared with her, the chief designer.

"Ms. Lewis, I think there is nothing wrong with my design. If you find any problem, please show me your true skills, and we can have a competition. Although you are our new president, the design industry is about strength. I have been a designer for many years, and only capable people can convince me."

Layla smiled and took a blank piece of paper from under her desk.

"Okay, let's have a competition. Tell me, what are the client's requirements? On what occasion will he use this necklace?"

"You're pretending to be something you're not!" Anna sneered disdainfully, "Okay, then I'll tell you the client's requirements to see how capable you are."

Layla said nothing and raised her eyebrows, indicating for her to continue.

"The client will give this necklace to his first love. It should not only show the difficulty of their reunion but also reflect their pure and solid relationship. Based on these two requirements, we're asked to design a unique and stunning necklace." Anna paused and sneered, "That's all. Ms. Lewis, please go ahead. But the client's request is so complicated. Can you understand it? Do you need me to elaborate on it?"

Layla took a piece of draft paper from the drawer and said, "No need. Give me 10 minutes, and I can sketch out the necklace."

Ten minutes? Even the most senior designers in the company couldn't guarantee that they could give an outline.

But Layla said she could?

Anna thought it was a joke.

She was sure Layla would embarrass herself. So, Anna said with sarcasm, "Then let's make an agreement. If you don't draw the design within 10 minutes or the design doesn't get the company's final approval, give up the position of director!"

Chapter 7

Layla began to sketch. The smooth line gradually came out on the paper.

She already had the proportions and the distribution of colors of the draft. So, she drew it smoothly without even the slightest pause.

In less than 10 minutes, she finished the outline of the necklace.

Layla put down the pencil and rubbed her stiff wrists.

Although she was a bit rusty after not drawing design drafts for a long time, she was quite satisfied with the design.

Then, Layla looked at Anna and said, "I'm done."

Anna watched the whole process and couldn't help but feel secretly frightened.

Layla's design style seemed very similar to that of a design master, but Anna couldn't remember who it was.

But even though Layla had some skills, Anna would never admit that she was better than her!

"Done? What next? How do you prove that your design is better than mine and more aligned with the client's needs?"

Layla knew she would say that. So, she first put her draft and Anna's on the desk and then shouted outside, "You all come in."

Then, more than a dozen experienced designers in the company appeared in Layla's office.

"Ms. Lewis..."

Layla nodded slightly, pointed to the two design drafts, and said, "These are the designs submitted by two designers who applied for jobs not long ago. Which do you think is better? Take a vote."

"Yes, Ms. Lewis."

The designers thought Layla wanted to use this method to test their abilities, so everyone took it very seriously.

Anna sneered, feeling that her draft was no worse than Layla's, and it was unclear who would win.

Just when she was thinking, ten designers walked up to Layla's draft to vote for her.

However, Anna had no vote.

Layla had already anticipated this situation, and she looked calm.

At this time, ten designers praised Layla's draft.

"This designer's design is brilliant and eye-catching. People will be deeply attracted at first sight."

"And I feel that this designer has a similar design style to AdoreWes'. She appeared briefly three years ago."

"Yeah! I also remembered that AdoreWes has this design style, with bold yet unobtrusive colors. She is the model that the entire design field imitate."

Anna suddenly thought of the great designer named AdoreWes.

AdoreWes was indeed a terrific designer and a myth widely discussed in the design circle.

But that was not important. The bottom line was that she lost to Layla zero to ten.

She wondered about Layla's background.

"It turns out that my design is indeed better than yours. What do you think? Are you convinced?" Layla looked at Anna with a half-smile.

Anna's face instantly became extremely sullen. She bit her mouth and said nothing.

A designer suddenly said, "Anna, I remembered your design draft had been rejected many times. It was rejected again this time?"

Layla raised her eyebrows slightly. "Been rejected many times?"

It hurt a nerve, but Anna still refused to admit that she was not as good as Layla. She said coldly with a sulky face, "So what if my draft has been rejected many times? Which designer can succeed one time? And you were just lucky this time. It doesn’t mean you can beat me next time!”

Then, Anna grabbed the draft and left the office angrily.

Only then did the 10 designers who had voted realize that the two design drafts belonged to Layla and Anna, not those who came to apply.

After looking closely at Layla's design draft, a designer asked curiously, "Ms. Lewis, your design style is so similar to AdoreWes'. Do you know AdoreWes? Or is she your teacher?"

Chapter 8

Hearing her mention AdoreWes, Layla was absent-minded for a moment.

AdoreWes, as the name suggested, meant admiring Wesley.

Back then, Layla was crazy about Wesley. All the works of AdoreWes were designed with Wesley as inspiration.

In Layla's opinion at that time, this was sweet and proof of her love for Wesley.

But now... all this had become a joke.

It was a past she no longer wanted to face, felt disgusting, and wanted to bury.

Layla half-closed her eyes, her long and thick eyelashes hiding the emotions. After a while, she responded, "I don't know AdoreWes, but I quite like her and have studied her design style for a while., so it’s normal for my design to be similar to hers."

The designer nodded and said, "I see. Ms. Lewis, you're very talented."

Another designer said, "Yes, Ms. Lewis, your design is great. I want to discuss some design techniques with you later."

"I also have many shortcomings. Ms. Lewis, please go to the design department to guide us some time."

Layla agreed, "No problem."

The designers felt that Layla was not only capable but also very kind. They immediately started to like her.

"It's just a fluke that you beat me once. What's there to be proud of!" Anna, secretly hiding outside the door, watched this scene and gritted her teeth in anger.

Immediately afterward, she thought of something, rolled her eyes twice, and walked towards Gary's office with calculation.

Gary, sitting in the office drinking coffee leisurely, saw Anna and broke into a laugh.

"Baby, why are you here?"

Anna walked over, sat on Gary's thigh, put her arms around his neck, and said softly, "Mr. Cox, Layla embarrassed me so much just now. You have to do something. Otherwise, she will bully me."

When Layla was mentioned, Gary also looked a little unhappy.

"A new broom sweeps clean. She won't be conceited for too long. When I find an opportunity, I will deal with her."

Anna acted coquettishly and said in Gary's ears, "But Mr. Cox, I can't wait any longer and want to drive her out of this company immediately. She obviously doesn't like me and will make things difficult for me from now on!”

After a two-second pause, Gary still didn't reply, and Anna played victim to gain sympathy.

"But since she could suddenly take the office and become the general manager, she must have a powerful background. Mr. Cox, if you find it hard to handle, forget it. It... it doesn't matter if I am treated badly. You don't have to consider me."

Anna's eyes were red, and she looked pitiful, which made Gary feel very distressed. "Anna, you are my baby, how can I let you be treated badly? What's more, she just pulled some strings to get the job. As long as I do something and make her make a major mistake at work, she will be immediately kicked out of the company."

Anna was happy and moved closer to Gary. "Do you have an idea?"

"I haven't thought of a specific plan yet, but trust me. Don't worry. It won't take long before she will be kicked out of the company in the most embarrassing way." Gary looked confident.

Anna thought of the employees who had been kicked out of the company by Gary before and felt that Layla's end would be even more miserable by then. Her face split into a triumphant smile.

"Mr. Cox, you are the best. Thanks for helping me."

"I have something better. Do you want to try it?" Gary gave a lewd smile and started to touch Anna.

Anna was very cooperative, wrapping her legs in stockings around Gary's waist.

Gary pushed her onto the desk and took her stockings off...

A hint of hostility crossed Anna's face.

She thought, "Layla, just wait. You won't laugh long."

Chapter 9

It was at the office of the Whitman Group.

Wesley's assistant Tom Walker got the design draft Layla had just submitted and hurried to the office to find Wesley.

"Mr. Whitman, maybe you have guessed right that the design master, AdoreWes, is in LayMaple Jewelry Design."

"Show me the draft!" Wesley took the design draft from Tom.

After looking at it carefully several times, Wesley found the style of this design draft was indeed very similar to AdoreWes'.

Paul curiously moved closer to take a look. When he saw the design draft clearly, his eyes widened suddenly.

"No way. You really got her? But why haven't you heard that AdoreWes is there?"

Wesley responded calmly, "She hides herself."

Paul gently rubbed his chin and said, "AdoreWes doesn't want to show up, so what should we do?"

Wesley pondered for a while and said, "The 8th of next month is Amber's birthday. I will invite many people over then. I will also invite the boss of LayMaple Jewelry Design over to inquire."

Paul thought this was a good idea, but then he frowned as he thought of something.

"You don't really like Amber, do you? But she is indeed much better than your ex-wife and great in all aspects. She is talented and comes from a good family. If you get married, the Clark family will help you with your career. It seems to be good."

Wesley glanced at Paul and said, "I'm just using her as a shield."

Paul was puzzled. "A shield? Why?"

"Layla and I were forced to get married by my grandma. We don't have any feelings for each other. Instead of torturing each other, it's better to divorce." While talking, Wesley couldn't help but think of the name that Layla inadvertently mentioned and felt a little uncomfortable.

Paul nodded and said, "I see. But from what I saw in the bar, I don't think you have no feelings for Layla."

However, Wesley's glare stopped him before he could finish his words.

"You saw wrong."

Paul laughed and said, "Fine. I won't say anything anymore."

Wesley looked away from Paul and lowered his eyes. No one knew what he was thinking.

Layla was browsing the Internet to check information and suddenly saw the news that Adrain had achieved great success in the project on the east side of the city.

She smiled softly, feeling proud.

Adrain was always awesome.

Now that Adrian had achieved such great success in business, Layla planned to give him a gift.

"What should I give?" She murmured.

Layla gently rubbed his chin and thought for a long time, but she couldn't think of what to give.

She decided to go to the mall after work.

After getting off work, Layla came to the largest shopping mall in Bellcester and took the elevator into the men's accessories area.

There were watches, belts, ties... Layla didn't know what to choose.

She stood there and thought for a while. Considering that ties were often needed, she finally decided to buy Adrian a tie.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Layla walked to the brand store selling ties, she heard a voice of contempt and ridicule.

"Ms. Lewis, are you... also going to pick out a tie? But now you don't seem to have anyone to give it to, right? Or did you find a man so quickly after leaving Mr. Whitman?"

Layla turned around and saw two people standing before her.

One was Amber, who was wearing a white dress. The girl beside her was Amber's best friend, Melissa Anderson.

Layla responded to Melissa in the same contemptuous tone, "Excuse me, do we know each other? Does what I do have anything to do with you?"

"I think you feel guilty and dare to say anything," Melissa sneered.

Layla glanced at her and walked into the store without saying anything.

Before she could enter, Melissa blocked her way.