A wave of laughter rippled through the room, causing some people to turn.Maria’s adorable audacity was infectious.Guffaws echoed around the room.What man would willingly admit he is a loser to the whole world?The harshness of this condition was what made it so amusing.Samuel Wright gritted his teeth, irritation seeping into his features. Did they think his championship in the amateur competition was a fluke?"Fine, we'll bet!" He barked, his grip tightening around his pool cue. "Don't try to wriggle out if you lose!"Luna stepped forward, positioning herself next to Maria, "Rest assured. As Mia’s manager, I'll oversee the apology if Young Master Smith loses.I promise it will be to your satisfaction."Maria looked at Luna, surprised. Luna's support was something that would have been unthinkable in the past.Clearly, Luna was going out of her way to please her, even to the point of disregarding Mia’s honor. It seemed Charles was right about her intentions.Since filming had to co
The billiard room where Charles decided to play was neither near nor far from the film set. It required a few minutes by car, or over ten minutes on foot.Maria was familiar with the location, and her anxiety to see Charles made her sprint down the narrow path without hesitation.Her slender figure moved swiftly, much faster than girls her age. The urgency in her heart propelled her forward, and remarkably, she covered the distance in just under ten minutes.As soon as she spotted the billiard room, she rushed inside."Charles..."She called out as she ran, but her breathless panting stopped her from calling out his name again. She finally found the room Charles had given her the address for. Placing her hands on the door, she pushed it open forcefully, " Charles..."The room swung open before her eyes, revealing an empty space, save for the pool table and a single person Charlie was leaning against the pool table. Hearing her voice, he gently lifted his eyelids, a warmth in his ey
With a raised eyebrow, Charles tilted his head towards her. "Do you really think I would lose?""Of course not," she retorted. "You wouldn't have accepted the challenge if you didn't have some skills."Maria’s amber eyes sparkled as she continued, "I guess I stole your thunder last time. You didn't even show your full potential. I wonder who is the real deal, you or me. How about... we find a chance to spar?""You?" Charles shook his head with a mischievous grin, "I don't play games with women."Maria's rosy lips pouted instantly, and she huffed, "You look down on women!"Charles was caught off guard. He didn't mean to belittle women, let alone Maria. He simply believed he had an upper hand in a competitive match against a woman.But given Maria’s infuriated look, he had to reconsider.After a thoughtful pause, a devilish smirk flashed across his face, "Alright. But you know, there's no fun in a game without stakes.""Oh, definitely!" Maria's foxy tail twitched up in excitement, swayi
Luna sat on the couch, watching Mia across the room. Mia was alternating between anger and smugness over something on Twitter, and Luna frowned in irritation."Mimi," she said, considering the situation, "you should step back from the shoot. Let Maria take over and finish the film."When Mia looked up at Luna, Luna had already concealed the irritation in her eyes. Luna was the considerate, protective older sister Mia knew.Mia didn't read into it, but frustration bubbled up within her. "Why, Luna? The marks on my body are fading. A bit of concealer can cover them, and they're nearly invisible without it."She had stayed home for days to hide the love bites on her neck. This morning, seeing the marks almost gone, Luna told her that Maria would take over the shooting, kicking her out of the film. Anybody would be upset by this.Watching Mia’s outburst, Luna shook her head but replied calmly, "Mimi, it's mainly because of Maria. She's shown off her pool skills on set, even challenging
Today marked the last day that Maria had agreed to stand in for Mia during the filming.Ever since that day, Luna had been accompanying Maria to the set daily. Partly to forge a good relationship with Maria, and partly to win over Charles.So, she waited early outside Charles' room. She arrived early but chose not to ring the bell, opting to wait quietly by his door instead.In a short while, the door opened and Maria emerged.As usual, Luna peered into the room and didn't see Charles, so she grabbed Maria and shut the door behind them."Maria..."She began in a hushed tone, leading Maria towards the elevator while she spoke, "Can you finish filming this movie for Mia?""Huh?"Maria paused in surprise, "Where's Mia? Has she...?"The thought of Alexander, the man with the seductive eyes who had Charles, filled her with rage.Luna licked her lips, whispering, "No, she's been in her room doing nothing. But Maria, your performance on set has been exceptional lately. If Mia suddenly replac
Luna and Charles didn't try to stop her. Luna even chuckled, "Poor Mimi, she's beaten."She didn't want to keep them waiting, so Maria made a beeline for the restroom. But about ten meters out, she saw a man at the entrance -- a man she knew.A rush of anger surged within her as she recognized him under the dim streetlight."Alexander, you're guarding the restroom now?"She didn't run away but went toward him. On her wrist was a monitor bracelet from Charles . Even if Charles was not watching now, she could use this as evidence when she told him about Mia’s matter later.To his surprise, Alexander had not expected "Mia" to approach him. He gave a slight smirk, his eyes full of lewd amusement."Miss me, Mia?""In your dreams! Bastard!"Maria cursed, yet she stopped when she was about ten feet away from Alexander.Even if she intended to gather evidence, she had to ensure her safety first."Oh, the pianist has a potty mouth..."She didn't move, so Alexander did, closing the distance be
At that very moment, Maria, who had previously been nervously twirling the corner of her dress, suddenly grabbed one of Alexander's arms. With a lightning-fast move, she performed an over-the- shoulder throw on him!Under normal circumstances, with Alexander's height, it would have been impossible for Maria to pull off. But he was distracted, messing with his belt, and didn't see her attack coming.Moreover, Maria's throw was swift, accurate, and brutal, and she didn't hesitate for a second.All Alexander saw was a blur, and then he felt weightless. He was harshly slammed by Maria onto the ground."Ah..."A cry of pain slipped out from him, but Maria wasn't about to let him off that easily.Just as he hit the ground. Maria let go of his hand.She lifted her foot and stomped down on him with all her strength."Holy crap!"Alexander was so shocked and in pain that he couldn't even yell. The shock and intense pain made him swear.But after his outburst, all that followed were squeals of
Maria watched him slowly get closer, her hands clenched tightly at her sides.Now, she had no other options. She won't let Alexander humiliate her, so she could only...Slowly, she closed her eyes, her resolve growing stronger. She knew the bracelet on her wrist would tell Charles what had happened that day.She believed that Charles would save her.Her lips slightly parted, her tongue poised to take a bite, when suddenly, a strong wind blew by her. The next moment, she heard Alexander's painful scream.There was a thud as a body hit the ground. Maria’s eyes shot open just in time to see Charles pull back his powerful kick. He stood there, like a warrior stepping out from the underworld, not even looking at her as he walked directly towards the thrown Alexander.At this moment, Luna, Director Grant, and the deputy director, approached.Luna gave Alexander a stern look as Alexander writhed in pain on the ground, and then extended her hand to Maria, "Mimi... are you okay?"Maria bli