The next morning, Maria got up at 5:30. Fearing to wake Charles, she quietly put on her clothes. After freshening up in the bathroom, she put on a baseball cap and mask. Afterwards, she stood by the bed and watched Charles for a while, then left with her suitcase.The moment the door closed, Charles who was sleeping on the bed slowly opened his eyes.*********Luna saw that Maria was neatly dressed, and nodded in satisfaction, "Maria, you'll still be Mia’s assistant for this filming. When we need you, you can go on stage. Don't say anything else. Don't attract anyone's attention."Thinking about leaving Charles forever, Maria was still upset, "Fine, I understand."Luna and Mia exchanged a glance. Neither of them expected Maria to be so obedient.Mia tilted her head slightly, sizing Maria up, "Maria, you're not going to stir up trouble this time, are you?"Underneath the baseball cap, Maria’s amber eyes blinked, "As long as you don't purposely upset me, I will cooperate as agreed.""H
Once Maria entered her room, she didn't leave any more. After she tidied up, she looked around. Aside from a bed, there was only a table in her room, a stark contrast from Mia’s luxurious suite.However, she didn't mind. All she needed was a table for her to write her papers.Sitting on the bed with her phone, she pondered for a bit before sending a message to Charles.It was simple, just three words. "I've arrived."This time, Charles didn't reply immediately. Maria waited for a while, but still didn't see a reply.She sighed, tossing the phone onto the bed, and began to look for materials on her laptop in frustration.Suddenly, her phone beeped twice. She eagerly grabbed her phone, only to find out some spam messages."Well, people change..."Maria pouted in annoyance. After she told Charles that she was going to switch places with Mia, he was ignoring her. He was so pragmatic!She threw her phone aside again, no longer checking it regardless of the sound it made.In the evening,
The man was dressed in a silver-white suit, with a pink shirt underneath. It made his skin look white and smooth, causing envy in the eyes of other women who were looking at him.However, his attire gave off a somewhat frivolous impression, making people feel like he was a playboy who was obsessed with women.Upon seeing Mia, the man curled up a more frivolous smile at the corner of his mouth, "Oh, isn't this the pianist Mia?"Director Grant put on a resigned smile. Alexander Caine had already seen the cast list earlier and knew that Mia was going to perform as the supporting actress. But he still pretended to be surprised, likely aiming to flirt with her.Alexander's reputation in the circle was bad. He especially liked to flirt with actresses. As an illegitimate child, not many people knew about his background. But most people in the circle knew who his father was, so they didn't dare to be disrespectful.Seeing his interest in Mia, Director Grant didn't say anything and deliberat
Alexander's sudden appearance also surprisedLuna. If she had known that the second boss of this film was Smoo Media, she definitely wouldn't have let Mia accept this job.Unfortunately, it was too late. The only option left was to figure out a solution."How about..."Luna's eyeballs rolled around and she came up with an evil idea, "Mimi, doesn't Maria look a lot like you? Let Maria deal with him, or you can talk to him beforehand to see what he really wants. If he says he wants you, then let Maria go instead.""After all, even I can't tell you two apart once Maria puts on makeup, let alone him."Mia glared at her in frustration, "Do you think Maria will cooperate with me?""It's easy."Luna grabbed Mia’s hand and patted it to comfort her, "Just pour half a kilogram of liquor into her. She won't know anything. Or we can get her to take some kind of drug. You know..."Mia’s anxiety finally began to subside. As she thought more about Luna's idea, she found it to be an excellent solut
"Director Grant..."Her voice sounded flirtatious and seductive, immediately catching attention.Director Grant's face beamed as he turned to his companions, "This is the renowned pianist Mia. Our second lead. It took some effort to have her on board."The men, already aware of Mia’s reputation, showered her with flattery.One of them exclaimed, "What an honor to meet you, Mia! Your beauty surpasses all descriptions. You're a goddess!"Not knowing who the main investor was, Mia decided to play it safe, toasting each man in turn with her wine glass. She needed to make a good impression, regardless of whom it was.Her strategy was simple: win over the big boss and drive Alexander away.However, Director Grant, noticing her desperatepace, whispered, "Mia, slow down. The main investor hasn't arrived yet.""What?"Mia froze, "The main investor isn't here yet?"Just as Director Grant was about to respond, a group of people entered the room. The man leading the group was none other than Yo
It was as if Charles had walked straight into a battlefield when she met Alexander.She bit her lip hard, her gaze flickering nervously towards Alexander.Alexander, with a smirk that was not quite a smile, extended his hand to Charles. "Young Master Smith, I've long heard of your reputation. I didn't expect that Glory Group was also setting foot in the entertainment industry," he said.His words laced with a provocation as clear as the slightly raised eyebrows that accompanied it. His gaze on Charles was as if he was watching some amusing spectacle.His sarcastic tone, combined with his challenging gaze, was so discomforting that even DirectorGrant, who was standing nearby, felt uneasy.However, since Alexander was the heir to SmooMedia, he didn't dare to offend him and could only force a laugh.Mia, on the other hand, was so disgusted that she almost pulled Alexander away by his collar.Deep in thought, Charles looked at Alexander. His eyes became even more profound, and without
Charles, with a weighty glance, looked at Mia who had taken his arm. A meaningful smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Of course, I should treat my wife well. Otherwise, if she feels bullied, she might look for comfort in the arms of another man. I wouldn't want to be betrayed, now would I?"Mia’s smile froze instantly, her contact-lenses eyes trembling slightly. She studied Charles' expression carefully, trying to discern if he was joking or if he knew something.But all she could read from Charles' face was a smile, as if his words were merely a joke."Ha...ha..."She laughed awkwardly, quickly averting her gaze and avoiding Charles' eyes. "Why, how could I ever do such a thing?""Right!"Alexander joined the conversation, a mocking smile crossed his face. "How could our respectable Mia ever fool around with a wild man?"He chuckled to himself. He was, after all, that 'wild man' who had taken Mia’s virginity.He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, feeling a sense of superior
Although they were at the entrance of the venue, people were still passing by, and Luna's face turned pale at Maria’s words."Shut up!"With one hand, Luna held Maria’s arm tightly, and with the other, she raised a glass of wine to Maria’s lips, "Do you want to drink it yourself, or would you prefer me to feed it to you?"Luna's fierce expression wasn't the kind that suggested she was going to feed Maria, it was more like she was going to force it down her throat!Maria was already aggravated. Not only did she have to act for Mia, but now she had to drink for her too. What was the point of Mia then?With her around, Mia got to skip all the hard work and still reap the benefits. Where on earth did such easy jobs exist?"Hmph..."While forcefully shaking off Luna's hand, Maria snorted, "Are you sure you want to make a scene here?"She was prepared to cause a ruckus, but whether Mia could withstand the fallout was another question.Seeing the defiant look in Maria’s eyes, Luna's temper
After leaving the banquet courtyard, Maria and Charles got into a sightseeing car and headed towards the Lesser family gate.Along the way, Charles remained silent, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and his face looked terrifyingly solemn.Maria also didn't say anything. She held his hand tightly as if she wanted to give him her strength.Even when they got into their own car, Charles didn't say a word. He just gently rested his head on Maria’s shoulder, like an injured child.**********Back at the villa, Maria fetched a bottle of red wine, opened it, and took out two glasses. She tilted her head at Charles."Let's go and drink in the room."She smiled and raised the wine bottle in her hand. Charles noticed and finally relaxed the corners of his tightly pressed lips.He stood up and laughed softly, "How is one bottle enough? You are never drunk after a thousand cups."Maria looked at him speechlessly, seeing him take out two more bottles of red wine. She felt like things wer
Eva had been with Eric for more than twenty years, and she had no doubt about his feelings for her. Moreover, Eric always took good care of her and loved her deeply. If there was any rift between them, it was Charles.For the past twenty years, she had always been cautious in protecting their relationship, never inquiring about any news about Charles. That's why they had been living in harmony, until Mia came to Beijing. She had started investigating Charles' affairs under the old lady's orders.And since then, she felt that Eric had become more and more distant from her, a distance that she couldn't close no matter what she did.Now that Charles had come to Beijing, she had to make a choice between Eric and Charles. She didn't want to, but she had to…"Eric…"Her voice trembled as she pleaded, looking at him. "Can't you…?""No!"Those two resolute words instantly crushed the only hope in Eva heart.On one side was her husband, and on the other was her biological son, and she owed C
David and Hamya exchanged glances as they heard this. It was as if they had made a decision. They immediately said in unison, "We want to go too!""Huh?"Charles looked at them with confusion.David patted his stomach and smiled at Charles, "Young Master Smith, I wonder if your company is in need of pianists? What do you think of me?"Hamya chuckled and nodded, "I think I can do it too. Young Master Smith, please consider signing both of us. We don't ask for much, just a chance to perform in top music halls."David was worried that Charles would disagree, so he put on an even more sincere smile. "Ah yeah, haha... We just feel that Patrick is not enough on his own. With Hamya and I joining, after all, we have better qualifications than him. When the three great piano masters embark on anglobal tour together, and with Maria and Linda, it will be twice as successful.""Exactly!"Hamya laughed happily, "Young Master Smith, a single concert takes too long, Patrick won't be able to handle i
The two of them walked onto the stage and sat down at the piano. Maria raised her head and exchanged a glance with Linda, who placed her hands on the keys.The young pianists were curious about what music Maria and Linda would play. This was the second round of the training camp's open competition, and they usually wouldn't get to hear it.Suddenly, the piano played a melancholic melody, carrying a touch of elegance in the air, instantly striking at people's hearts!"This is..."Some couldn't remain calm instantly. "Butterfly Lovers?!""Is that possible? Butterfly Lovers arranged as a piano piece?""Yes, everyone knows that Butterfly Lovers is best played on the guqin, or the zheng would also work. It's my first time hearing it played on the piano.""Hey, no, this version of Butterfly Lovers has been adapted for piano. It suits the instrument perfectly while still preserving the essence of the original piece. It's absolutely refreshing!"After a few seconds of discussion, an unexpect
Two days later, Maria and Linda arrive at the venue of the exchange conference in their finest attire.They hand over their invitation cards and wait for the security guard to check them.Suddenly, a mocking voice comes from beside them, "Oh oh, who is this? Linda!? Am I mistaken?"The one speaking is Linda manager, and standing next to her is the pianist signed by Linda economic company."Aria, you're not mistaken, isn't that Linda herself?"Hearing their voices, Linda's face darkens. She turns her head and glares at them, "Aria, your eyesight is really not good, you can't even recognize me. You should go to the hospital to have your eyes checked."Aria originally wanted to embarrass Linda, but she didn't expect her to retort so sharply. She immediately gets furious."Linda, the company didn't give you an invitation card. Tell me, where did you steal it from?""Hehe..."Linda raises her chin triumphantly, holding Maria's arm. "Do I need the company to give me one? Just look at who's
After arriving in Beijing, the feeling of uneasiness never appeared again, and Maria felt an indescribable relief.Charles had sent someone to take Andrew back to the Lesser family, while Patrick and Linda followed Charles and Maria back to their villa.Originally, Andrew had strongly invited Patrick to come back to the Lesser family with him, but Patrick knew that the Lesser family was big and complicated, so he used the excuse of being with Linda and followed Charles.***********On the third day, when Luna returned from Brussels, she went directly to Maria’s place and looked at Linda, her expression becoming more flattering."Linda, I heard that your contract with your previous agency is about to expire, right?"Maria sat next to Linda, holding a big doll in her hands, feeling very angry."Yes, they told me before that if I could achieve good results in the training camp this time, they would sign me for another ten years and give me all the resources. But just when I announced my
At this moment, Maria had already packed up and left the hotel with Charles, Linda, Andrew, and others.On the way to the airport, Linda still couldn't understand and turned back to Maria, "Ria, as long as the misunderstanding is resolved, we can still stay in the training camp, right?"Of course, Maria knew that if she returned to the training camp now, everyone would treat her like a deity.Just kidding, being able to decide the life and death of their teacher, they would definitely flatter and serve Maria obediently.Maria shook her head, "Actually, I have already achieved my goal. Linda, if you want to go back, you can go back, no need to accompany me.""Hey!"Linda casually waved her hand, "Without you here, why should I go back? Besides, I have hugged your thigh, and you have hugged Master Smith's thigh. Am I still afraid of not being able to reach the pinnacle of the international piano world?"She said it so casually, as if she was joking. But Maria could tell that she still f
Maria, so smart, why couldn't she understand what they meant?She smiled and turned to shout inside the house, "Honey, it turns out they are looking for you." Charles was inside, and he had heard everything at the door clearly. The girls had looked down on him before and said he was weak, but now they all came to beg him with a straight face. It was really funny.He remained silent for a while before saying, "Ria, in our home, I make the major decisions and you make the minor ones. But in my eyes, besides you, nothing else is a major matter. So, you make the decisions."The girls outside, "..."Didn't that mean that Maria would be in charge of everything in the house?They felt a toothache and couldn't believe they were caught off guard by this unexpected situation.Maria shrugged and looked at them again.Originally, they came to apologize to Maria as a pretense, hoping that she would persuade Charles, but now, the initiative was completely in her hands, and they had to lower their
Maria was not foolish. Why did her reputation stink so much? Was it only because of the ambiguous relationship between her and Charles at that banquet?Just that one time was not enough to make everyone dislike and envy her.Lucy's face was extremely embarrassed, but at this moment, she had already lost all confidence in front of Maria and could only cry helplessly."Maria, I really know I was wrong. Can you forgive me? Please...""Lucy, your intentions were truly wicked. You even used Rivata as a weapon. Honestly, I admire you for that."Even while saying this, Maria's expression remained calm, her tone as if chatting with a close friend."You, alone, have bewitched the hearts of all the girls in the training camp. You treated others as pawns to sacrifice for your own gain. Wasn't your goal to drive me out of the camp? Congratulations, you achieved your goal. You should be happy, so why are you crying?"When Maria said this, the other girls immediately began pondering.After thinkin