"You're just what?"A chilling, detached voice echoed from her right, causing Wyneth to jerk her head in that direction. Unbeknownst to her, Hayden had approached, his face an icy mask as he gripped Evan's arm."Who dares to—" Evan had barely finished his shriek when he was prepared to unleash his wrath. But turning his head, he was met with a coldly handsome face—Hayden's. "M-Mr. Hamilton? What are you...?"'Is Hayden standing up for this woman? How could it be him? And why? What kind of connection does this woman have with Hayden?'Evan's mind raced as he spluttered out an apology. "I'm sorry, I didn't know she was with you. I'll avoid her from now on, Mr. Hamilton. Just pretend you never saw me."But no matter how Evan pleaded, Hayden's expression remained stonily cold. Hayden's mood tonight had been sour enough already. Seeing another man attempting to lay a hand on Wyneth was the final nail in the coffin.Seeing no response from Hayden, and his hand aching as if it might bre
Presumably bound by an agreement, she patiently stood in place, giving him an opportunity to say something. When silence continued to hang in the air, Wyneth quirked a brow. "Guess I'll take my leave then."Rooted in his spot, Hayden could do nothing more than watch her walk away.When Wyneth returned to her seat, she found Dean looking at her with an air of anxiety. Spotting her, he blurted out, "Where have you been? Meet anyone interesting in the ladies' room?"Wyneth gave him a puzzled look. "What's the matter?""Didn't run into that jerk, did you?" Dean cast a disdainful glance toward the VIP area. "I was talking to someone and he slipped out when I wasn't looking. Didn't go after you, did he?"If Dean got wind of the restroom incident, his temper would likely flare. She did not want any drama; she just wanted to finish the event and get back to filming. So, Wyneth answered simply, "No."Hearing her denial, Dean squinted at her with suspicion. "Really?""If you don't believe
As the words left his lips, Dean noticed Wyneth's intent to shed her shawl. His face shifted instantly, and he reached out to stop her, his hand capturing her slender, pale wrist."What?" Wyneth asked, surprised by his action.His expression turned serious. "Don't remove it. There may be people in some of these cars.""But I'm dressed underneath.""That doesn't matter," Dean insisted. "The style of your dress—isn't it a spaghetti strap? It's too revealing."Wyneth reminded him, "Dean, wasn't it you who picked this dress for me? Besides, what era are we in now? It's just a bare shoulder."Still, Dean was stubborn. "It's not appropriate." He scanned their surroundings, then gritted his teeth in frustration. "I won't let those bastards take advantage of my sister." After saying this, he took it upon himself to tighten Wyneth's shawl a bit more. "Wear it a bit tighter. Don't give those sleazy men a chance."This intimate exchange did not escape Hayden's attention. Dexter subtly glan
Hearing this, a flicker of guilt crossed Matilda's eyes as she realized the inadvertent revelation in her previous words. "What protective charm do I have? I've merely heard that you bid a whopping $100 million tonight on a charm that's not worth a fraction of that. As your mother, don't I have the right to question?"From the fleeting look in her eyes, Hayden probably already had an inkling of the truth. "Where's her stuff?""What stuff? Whose stuff?""Mom, there's no need to play dumb with me."Matilda locked eyes with her son for a long moment before finally confessing, "Fine, I took it. So what? Your grandpa insisted on finding some venerable master to bring you a bride to dispel the ill fortune, and who did he find? A girl without any notable background. And what's worse, how long did it take for you to awaken after she married you? Three years. Three full years. She leached off the Hamilton family for all that time."Hayden countered, "She lived off us for three years? Are y
Hayden was in no rush, his lips pressed together thinly as he waited patiently for her to continue.Samantha hesitated for a moment, then began to speak slowly, "Well, the story goes like this..."During the time when Hayden was unconscious, it was Wyneth who took care of him personally. Despite her young age, she was extraordinarily meticulous. When it came to Hayden's condition, she thought of everything that everyone else overlooked. Not only that, but she also gave her personal protective charm to Hayden, saying it would keep him safe. When Benedict and Gwendolyn learned about this, they praised Wyneth, saying that Hayden was fortunate and would surely wake up soon. But Matilda was extremely displeased when she found out about the charm."What's this nonsense? If these superstitious things worked, then why hasn't my son shown any signs of waking up despite her being a part of our family for so long? All she does is play these silly games with Father and Mother, and they're too o
Wyneth found herself in a lull lately, her early scenes having been filmed, leaving her with some free time to dive into her scripts. Shaun had initially planned to use this idle time to get her a few teachers to hone her skills. After all, a starlet should have a well-rounded portfolio of talents. To his surprise, when he started probing, he discovered Wyneth was already a multifaceted gem, with hardly a skill she had not mastered. The costs of hiring tutors were thus saved, and Shaun could not help but marvel."Ordinary folks wouldn't manage to be such a jack-of-all-trades. Your parents sure were strict," he said.His words gave Wyneth pause. Ever since her parents divorced and her custody was awarded to her mother, her education had taken an uphill trajectory. She recalled a time when her days were consumed by learning—always learning. It was either this or that, leaving her numb. Only when she grew up, came of age, was she able to break free from this life.Given her recent hiat
"Right now, we're brushing shoulders with a good number of celebrities for this variety show script," Shaun was saying, his tone measured and practical. "But being a new show, it's not garnered that much heat yet. I'd wager we won't see a huge influx of participants, unless the organizers manage to snag a real big hitter."Wyneth nodded, taking in his explanation. "So, when do you think we'll get to start shooting?""In a few days, I reckon," Shaun replied. "As soon as everything is confirmed, we can get going. You've got a light filming schedule at the moment. I'll have a word with the director, and you can come along with me when it's time.""Alright."The following day, Wyneth had a visitor. Yoyo, who had been hiding in her room for a self-care facial mask session, answered the knock at the door to find a middle-aged man she did not recognize. "Who're you looking for?" she asked."Good afternoon, are you Wyneth Walford?"Yoyo shook her head. "Nope.""Ah? Have I got the wrong
Biting down on her lower lip, Yoyo found herself steeped in regret. She had earlier convinced Wyneth, on behalf of the manager, to sign for the delivery. Now, she quietly murmured, "I'm sorry..."Wyneth, snapping back from her reverie, dismissed the apology. "No matter. It wasn't your fault." She packed away the delivered item in her drawer. What she truly wanted was her own protective charm, not this impersonal, expensive charm she held no connection to.Three days later, Shaun arrived to accompany Wyneth to the variety show. As a supporting actress, she had fewer scenes than the leads. Her role was substantial in its own right, certainly larger compared to other supporting roles, yet it paled in comparison to the major characters.Shaun was a straightforward man. He openly told Matthew he was taking Wyneth to a variety show and they would be back in a few days. Matthew, a pragmatist, did not demand her presence on set when she was not shooting. "Do as you please," he would say, "j