When James saw Nina, he said, "Ma’am, what took you so long? I was about to knock on your door."Nina did not mention meeting Wilfred and replied, "I was talking to my chief editor for a while, so it took longer than expected. Let's go."James nodded, but as Nina approached, he caught a faint scent of blood. He sniffed the air. "Ma’am, are you hurt?""No," Nina said, thinking she might have picked up the scent from Wilfred. "Maybe it's from Nash."James did not question it further, but he noticed the new set of beads on her wrist. Throughout the journey, Nina kept touching the beads. She could not understand why Wilfred had given them to her. As she inspected them more closely, she noticed a hint of blood inside the beads. Was it always like this?Nina was puzzled. She had many questions about Wilfred's past, and now she had another mystery. However, she was certain that Wilfred would not harm her.While on the road, Angel called her. "Nina, Penelope's role has been snatched
Penelope looked up and met Nina's gaze. "You're going to help me?"Having been in the entertainment industry for so many years, she had seen her fair share of good, bad, and treacherous people. She was not one to easily trust anyone. But Nina was an exception. Penelope could see that Nina had a good heart. It was thanks to Nina's help that her short videos had gained traction. But in the entertainment industry, talent alone was not enough."Nina, it's not that I don't trust you, but I know the rules of this game all too well." Penelope hesitated and then added, "I know your relationship with Nash isn't simple. Even though it's not public, those who know you both would suspect that you're his mysterious wife."Nina did not deny it. "I am."Penelope smiled. "Well, you've kept it well hidden. Who would have thought that Nash's secretary is actually his wife?"But you should know that Miranda is part of Nash's company, as is that newcomer. If you help me, it means you're going again
After parting ways with Penelope, Nina sprang into action. She called Angel again."Write an article saying that Penelope's role was stolen by someone who brought financial backing, and that it's all being manipulated by powerful interests," Nina instructed.Angel was taken aback. "Are you sure? That newcomer is from your husband's company."She was worried about the potential repercussions for Nash. They could not afford to offend him.Nina was beyond caring about such concerns. In business, competition was inevitable, even between husband and wife. "Just write it. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility.""Alright," Angel said. "But if Mr. York asks about it, don't blame me.""I won't. This is fair competition."Angel was still puzzled. "You're helping Penelope so much. Did you two make some kind of deal?""Yes," Nina confirmed.They were now on the same team. Penelope's success and failure were tied to her. It was as if Nina had become Penelope's manager, and she coul
Nash met her gaze, understanding that she was giving him a heads-up. He chose to take a step back. "Penelope isn't one of our company's artists. If you're really interested, I can find some people to help you."Their conversation seemed to be on different wavelengths. Nash probably thought she was just dabbling in this out of curiosity, and that she would eventually lose interest and let it go. But Nina was determined. Once she set her mind to something, she would not stop until it was done well.She could not accept Nash's proposal. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Let's keep personal matters separate from business. My relationship with Penelope doesn't need your intervention."Nash asked, "Do you really need to team up with her?""I believe in her potential.""Are you sure this isn't just about having a problem with Miranda?" Nash pressed further.Nina hesitated, considering that her multiple kidnappings might have been orchestrated by Miranda. She was not sure wheth
The newcomer indeed came from a wealthy family. She had a close relationship with Miranda and had previously played a minor role in one of Miranda's dramas. Replacing Penelope with this girl was nothing short of an insult. Nina had already hinted to Penelope that when the news broke, she needed to create some buzz herself, even if it was just a temporary uproar. At least it would give the public something to talk about.Previously, Penelope would not have stooped to such tactics, which was why she quickly faded from the spotlight. Besides acting, she was not good at marketing herself. But now, Penelope had ended up in the hospital. People believed she was so upset by being replaced by the newcomer that she fell ill, which only fueled the public's outrage.Given Penelope's history of quietly enduring such slights, the internet exploded in her defense. While not everyone would cheer for success, many would speak up for the underdog. This created a wave of public pressure on the
Bella was not strong enough to handle the immense pressure of playing the lead role. She could already imagine the backlash when the show aired, with people criticizing her."Miranda, why don't you take the role instead?" Bella, once so confident, now felt deeply insecure. "If you play the role, no one will have anything to say!"Miranda grew angry. "Are you comparing me to Penelope?"Bella shrank back even more. "No, I know how amazing you are. You could play the lead role right from the start, and you’re definitely better than Penelope."Miranda liked hearing that. Controlling her anger, she asked, "How do you know about that reporter? Did you see them together?""The article was written by someone from Starry Sky TV station," Bella speculated. "That reporter must be involved."Miranda suspected the same but had not expected Nina to undermine her like this. Was Nina trying to declare war on her? But right now, Miranda did not have the energy for this battle. She could not und
Nina suddenly felt a wave of pity for Penelope. Growing up without parental love must have left her with a deep sense of insecurity, making her more likely to endure hardships silently. Unable to help herself, Nina linked her arm with Penelope's. "It's all in the past. Things will get better from now on. One day, you'll reach the pinnacle of your career."Penelope smiled. "You have high hopes for me.""If you could endure so much from a young age, there's nothing you can't achieve."Penelope felt a growing fondness for Nina. Perhaps it was the encouragement that stirred a renewed determination within her. She could not go back to the past. She had to escape poverty and hunger.Just then, Miranda arrived. She spotted Penelope and Nina together. Seeing Nina walking around energetically, showing no signs of weakness, confused her. But her sharp eyes noticed the beads on Nina's wrist, and her expression changed. She rushed over and grabbed Nina's arm."Where did you get these?" Mi
Seeing so many onlookers and Penelope looking so fragile, Miranda panicked. "Stop recording! She's faking it! I didn't touch her. She ran into me! I was just defending myself!"Nina quickly helped Penelope up and said, "You've already gotten everything you wanted. Why do you still bully her? Will you only be satisfied if she leaves the industry?""What nonsense are you spouting?" Miranda retorted, flustered by Nina's words.With so many people around, Miranda could not find a way to explain herself. She had been too careless. She had not expected them to change and become so cunning, daring to plot against her."You'll pay for this!" Miranda snapped before hastily leaving to avoid drawing more attention.After she left, Nina helped Penelope inside. To make it believable, Penelope clung to Nina's hand, but then she noticed something odd. "Does Miranda have such a strong grip? Your arm is bruised."Nina followed her gaze and saw the bruise on her arm. It was faint and not painful.