CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Katy Dixon had never been in a worse position. Even that time she had to be hospitalised didn't hurt so much.

She should have continued working as a model. The money from the LY Corp was enough to survive. She didn't need that pretty penthouse in the centre so much! What made her think she had the wits to work on TV?

At that very moent, Katy hated the world. What if Lara saw her?

How stupid, Lara would surely see it. She would think Katy was back-stabbing her, and there was nothing the model could do to help her. Not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't know how. It was true that she was a brainless starlet who fortunately knew how to read. She hadn't asked any question on her own, ever. She had always followed the instructions on paper.

The most she could do was converse with the guest and throw a joke here and there.

She was no reporter, to conduct an interview. She didn't know what kinds of questions to ask in order to help Lara, and there was a high chance she would make things worse if she tried.

As such, she did the only thing she could: she read the next question.

«Oh, really?» she said with the fakest surprised tone ever. «What happened?»

«A few weeks ago, my husband and I noticed that our business wasn't doing so well. It didn't make sense because we haven't made any changes in our company. The material was the same, just like the selling prices. What could go so wrong? Then, when we had problems with the suppliers, we realised there was something behind it all.»

«Suppliers?» Kate repeated, dumbfounded.

What did Nate have to do with them?

«Our competition and our suppliers have united against us!» she said. «The competition was buying at a lower price, so they could also sell at a lower price without losses. Meanwhile, we had higher prices demanded by our old, loyal suppliers. It didn't make sense. Why? So, we investigated and found out that Nate Woods had bought our suppliers and allied with our competitors.»

«Have you talked with the police?» Kate inquired, tilting her head.

If Nate had the money and patience to buy all the suppliers, the police couldn't help them much. Also, he wasn't technically breaking any law.

Katy wasn't sure how it worked, but someone ready to go great lengths for revenge - or whatever it was, maybe just self-defence - would forget to leave a legal getaway.

«He didn't buy everyone,» Grace said. «He left out a group of suppliers.»

«Then why don't you buy from them?» Kate was legitimately curious, even though the question was written there.

«Because the suppliers he didn't buy are playing the same game!»

«Oh,» Katy said. It made sense. «Everyone wants to make some good profit,» she commented. Sensing that something was going on, they started acting more or less the same as those under Nate's command.

«Your competition must be so fierce,» Katy said.

«It's Nate Woods's fault!» Grace exclaimed, with a tone so annoyed that Katy almost let out a grimace.

«Do you have any proof?»

«I do! I have proof that he bought the suppliers.»

Grace bit her lower lip. Unfortunately, she didn't have any trace of Nate buying the competition. She couldn't trace anything back to him.

He had been so stealthy that she couldn't prove that he was breaking the market rules just for his petty revenge.

«But... Why is that, that Nate Woods wants to destroy your company, Mrs Clayton?» Katy said. «What does he want to do, buy it for cheap?»

Grace widened her eyes. That question wasn't on the list.

She hadn't agreed on it! She glanced to the side, but no one in the area seemed to have noticed. She would have told her mind during the ad break.

But, for the moment, she couldn't ask to stop the interview.

But that unprofessional woman, that Katy Dixon, was going to lose her job for sure!

«You might not be informed, Miss,» Grace sighed. «Nate Woods is dating my daughter, and my daughter is... She has an old grudge against me.»

She shook her head left and right, her eyes sad and disappointed in the child she raised. An ungrateful daughter, right? Who would move against their own parents, no matter the past?

«Oh, my!» Katy exclaimed. She stopped before saying anything else.

It's not like she feared losing her job. She liked being on TV, but it was not worth the danger she was facing. It was more about the thousand clauses of her contract. If she ever were to pay compensation to the station, she would be even broker than the Clayton Enterprises.

Katy was sure Lara would understand.

«This country can't tolerate such bullying,» Kate read.

Her tone didn't sound too convinced, but who in the world could sound convinced while saying such stupid words? Who was she to talk for the country?

«I'm sure the authorities will move, now that you exposed Nate Woods's game. He can't do as he pleases, can he?»

Grace smiled, leaning back on the chair. Now, that was according to plan.

That Katy's slip must have been just that: a slip of the tongue.

«One thing is sure! We will cover this story until the end of it. We'll make sure not to miss any detail, Gracelyn. We will see the culprits punished...»

Grace nodded, satisfied. That was what she was hoping for.

The public opinion would side with her against Nate, and possibly they would sabotage the corporation or simply isolate them as much as possible.

Grace was the weak side, in that story. The bullied party.

It was only right if everyone felt sympathy for her and rage against that evil couple.

Nate and Lara would soon regret treating Gracelyn like an eyesore. Those were the woman's thoughts as the program was reaching its end. She didn't consider the detail that Katy wasn't public opinion, but just a single woman reading from a script.