The girl looked at him as if he were an angel descending from heaven. Her eyes were filled with adoration. With him there, she felt truly at ease.Xander did not look at her. Instead, he coldly stared at the two men in front of him. “You know Salsa’s rules. Start turning yourselves in today. Don’t make me use force.”The faces of the two men instantly turned pale. Although Xander had forgiven them for their previous mistakes, they had exhausted his grace. What were they going to do?“Mr. Quinn, we...”Xander glanced at the girl. “Let’s go.”Color had returned to the girl’s pale face. She did not say a word and immediately followed Xander. The two men, who were still kneeling on the ground, continued to plead. However, it was futile.In their minds, Xander and their boss were as close as brothers. They even thought their boss took orders from Xander. Xander’s command had left them completely out of options.They had no power to resist and no other options! They could only choose
Ivanka looked at him, puzzled. “What does that mean?”Michael did not stop the car but kept driving. He did not respond to Ivanka’s question the entire drive. Ivanka frowned and asked, “What are you trying to do?”Just as she finished speaking, Michael parked in front of a movie theater.Ivanka turned her head and saw a large vertical sign that read “Cinema City” in big letters.Ivanka’s frown deepened. “You’re really taking me to the movies?”Had he lost his mind?Just telling Rosie they went would have sufficed. There was no need to actually follow through.However, Michael looked at her and said, “If we don’t make it convincing, do you think Grandma will believe us? She’s so happy today. If she finds out we didn’t actually go to the movies and there’s no buzz about it online, don’t you think she’ll be disappointed?”Ivanka was momentarily speechless.Michael had thought it all through.“Get out,” Michael said as he opened the driver’s door. Someone was already waiting to t
Ivanka: I’m not.Sandy: You’re not? Then what’s going on? Why are you two hanging out again? You even reserved the entire cinema for yourselves! I saw everything on Twitter! It’s just the two of you in that big cinema! Spill it, what are you guys up to?Ivanka: There’s a reason. I’ll explain everything when we meet in person.Being a hacker, Ivanka was well aware of the risks of discussing sensitive topics over text. While her phone was secure, she could not vouch for Sandy’s.Sandy was suspicious but understood the importance of discretion. Ivanka must have her reason for doing this. She replied to her message.Sandy: Okay, I’ll wait until you can explain. I won’t interrupt your date!Ivanka: …Sandy sent a playful emoji. Ivanka did not respond further.Ivanka refocused on the big screen just in time to see the male lead grabbing the hand of the angry female lead who was trying to leave.“Don’t go.”The female lead could not break free. At the next second, she snorted, “Don’
Time went on as the movie continued. The male and female leads were now attending a party together. At the party, they seemed particularly intimate. Michael and Ivanka could not help but think back to their own past.Ivanka found herself deeply resonating with the movie. She found it all too real.This was the reality of high society. For the sake of profit, people had to put on a show. Two people who detested each other had to act like they were deeply in love for the sake of “supreme” interests. At this moment, Ivanka’s eyes were filled with a sense of irony.The female lead’s smile had become rigid from overuse. She could no longer keep up the facade. She smiled at the man beside her and his business partners. “I need to use the restroom.”The male lead immediately released his grip on her waist and said gently, “Go ahead.”The female lead smiled and nodded. She turned around and walked toward the restroom.Once she closed the door behind her, the smile vanished from her face.
Ivanka’s eyes narrowed with a hint of cold mockery in her gaze. No matter what...What good would finding her do now?She suddenly lost interest in the movie.However, they were only halfway through. Rosie had probably caught wind that they had entered the cinema.Leaving now would only make Rosie suspicious.Ivanka frowned. She tried to control the irritation building inside her.The movie continued. The male lead finally found the female lead after much effort. However, she was now with another man. She appeared at the same event on the arm of this new suitor. That broke the male lead’s composure.He pulled her into a secluded room and forcefully pinned her against the wall. She struggled but could not break free. Her words grew harsher. Yet the male lead held her tightly and refused to let her go.He said, “I was too lenient with you before, which is why you thought you could just leave. From now on, you can only stay by my side.”Ivanka was taken aback. He had been despera
Evan’s expression gradually became more composed. He cleared his throat again and said softly, “About the movie you recently released, Mr. Barkworth booked a private screening. I assume you’ve heard about that, right?”Chad was taken aback. “I wasn’t aware. I’ve been out all day. I had a dinner meeting. So, you’re saying Mr. Barkworth watched the film?”“Yes.” Evan continued to ease into the conversation. He did not want to drop the bombshell too quickly as he feared Chad might have a heart attack from the shock.Chad was not a small-time figure. In fact, he was globally renowned, known for his sharp eye and every film he directed was a classic.His dedication was evident.However, Michael’s sudden order to change the ending of the movie could lead to widespread backlash and even affect the movie’s reception. Yet, Michael’s command could not be ignored.After all, no one dared to cross Michael.Of course, Michael’s demand to change the ending would not come without compensation.
At that point, Chad did not want to say another word. Everything had been perfectly set up, and now he had to gather all the actors and crew to reshoot the ending, then re-promote the movie. The current buzz was at its peak, but Michael wanted the ending to change.Who could accept such a demand?The director felt his blood pressure soaring.Taking a deep breath, he finally said, “Mr. Evan...”Knowing Chad might plead his case, Evan interrupted. “Mr. Kirby, I think I’ve made my point clear. What you should think about is if you readily agree to Mr. Barkworth’s request, don’t you think he’ll look out for you in the future?”Chad fell silent.He knew that cooperating with Michael this time would likely earn him Michael’s favor and ensure that his career would be well-supported in the future.However, he had poured his heart and soul into that movie. He had invested an enormous amount of effort into the preparation. Even the ending was carefully deliberated.When he discussed it w
After all, many actors had wealthy and powerful sponsors. Their acting was substandard, but the production team had to give them roles because of their sponsors. This would likely affect the reception and reputation of the film.Chad, the director, gave a sigh of resignation. “You’re right. If I give in this time, I’ll gain immense benefits in return. I should accept the offer.”Evan smiled. “You’re right to compromise for greater benefits.”“The way you put it makes me even more upset.” Chad rubbed his chest as he said this. He had some heart issues to begin with. At that moment, he genuinely felt a slight ache in his chest.After all, the film was the product of his blood, sweat, and tears.Evan smiled again. “In that case, when will you be free? Let’s meet up to sign the agreement. I’ll still need our lawyers to draft one before that.”“I’m free anytime. You can contact me whenever you’re available. I’m going to call in my actors and staff for a meeting.”“Okay. Thanks for yo