Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

Truth be told, Alyssa didn't believe in a word that came out of Zoe's mouth, but she held a grudge somehow.
"I know. I get it. You're still upset at me for that hotel incident," Jasper coaxed her.
It pained him tremendously to learn that Alyssa was hurt by the hotel scandal in which he was framed. "It's my fault for being
dumb. I should have been more careful, but I got set up.
"Anyway, I'm to blame, so punch me if it makes you feel better. Do anything you want to me, but please don't ignore me."
Jasper had acted so humbly to cheer up Alyssa, something he'd never do for anyone else.
"I know you're smart," she remarked with a sigh and turned around in his arms to look at him. "Even if you were cheating, you
wouldn't have left behind all the clues and attracted a swarm of reporters to take photos of the evidence."
He smiled wryly at her remark. "Lyse, stop teasing me."
"Remember when you said you panicked because of me?"
"Somebody sent me photos of a woman who looked exactly like you, entering a hotel with another man. I was afraid you'd be
taken advantage of, so I rushed to the hotel."
"Fuck! Do I look like the type who'd sleep around with men? Use your brain!" Alyssa furiously slapped him on the head.
"Yeah. Thinking back, I was dumb. The trap itself was poorly designed, but I fell for it anyway." He rubbed his head from the
painful slap.
Alyssa added, "You told me someone had wiped out the photos on your phone but was too angry to take your word for it. I
discussed it with Axel. He tried it out, and it actually worked. We were only skeptical because we had never attempted it before."
One question remained. Alyssa was curious about the woman who bore a striking resemblance to herself. She would love to
meet her.
She explained while subtly praising herself, "I'll look into that woman with Jonah and Axel's help. With that angelic face, why
would she shy away from the public?"
"Thank you, Lyse. Thanks for trusting me." Jasper, his breathing growing heavy, pulled her into a hug. Finally, he couldn't resist
kissing her. Putting a hand on her waist, he pushed her against the wall.

"Mmm—That's enough—" Alyssa panted, her heart pounding from the sudden kiss.
Pushing against his firm chest, she complained, "My makeup's going to smudge. We still have an event to attend."
The news of Winston showing up to the event with Lyla spread like wildfire through the venue. Some bored rich attendees, who
had quietly wagered on the identity of Winston's plus-one, lost large sums instantly.
At the same time, Sophia angrily scrolled through Twitter, almost crushing her phone in hatred. Alyssa and Lyla were trending,
with users praising their beauty and fashion sense.
The compliments surged, replacing any mention of Lyla's dark past. Not only that, the netizens claimed that Lyla had surpassed
Sophia in terms of looks.
Despite scheming against Lyla with all means and marrying Javier Beckett, Sophia remained second to Lyla's charm after 30
years, a bitter pill to swallow.
Perhaps too agitated, she sensed the urge to urinate and had to pathetically close her legs tightly as she trembled.
"What's the matter? Are you unwell?" Javier questioned in a hushed voice when he noticed Sophia's odd behavior.
"N-No ..."
"If you're not feeling well, I'll have Rory send you home," Javier responded coldly while looking away.
His dismissive behavior fueled Sophia's anger, as he treated her like a disposable prop after making their entrance.
Out of spite, she resolved to stay put.