“Y-you...” Cynthia’s face turned bright red from Lucius’s words. After struggling to find a response, she couldn’t utter a single word and, in frustration, gave Fanny a fierce glare.
Fanny had embarrassed her completely today.
Fanny awkwardly covered her sleeve and stammered in an attempt to cover up, “My clothes are pure cashmere. They pill easily, not because they’re poor quality...”
“Shut up!” Cynthia was mortified, feeling she might as well kneel before Fanny’s ignorance. Bringing Fanny today was an incredibly foolish decision.
Fanny must have had her brains kicked by a mule to wear such clothes, and now Lucius had caught her out.
As the second daughter of the Rivera family, having friends so impoverished they can’t afford decent clothing made Cynthia’s face burn with shame. What would people think if word got out?
Cynthia glared at Fanny and turned to th
The scoreboard: "3-0"Wade’s side lost another point.Wade’s eyes were bloodshot. "Again!"The scoreboard: "4-0"Wade’s side kept losing points.Wade coughed up blood. "Again!"...Wade collapsed, flat on his back, foaming at the mouth.Lucius casually flicked his racket, wiped the sweat from his face, and with a relaxed smile.Isabella stood there in a daze, watching the two men battle it out. For the entire second half, she and Cynthia had nothing to do; they just went through the motions. The match had turned into a showdown between these two men.Wade, beaten down by Lucius’ relentless attacks, lay motionless on the ground. His pride and arrogance had been shattered into pieces. His heart, torn and bleeding, cried out, “Did I just face a superhuman?”I
Isabella stared blankly at Lucius, completely lost in the complexity of his explanation. But she knew that if he realized how clueless she was, he’d definitely make fun of her.So, she pretended to have a sudden epiphany and nodded like a seasoned expert. "Oh, I see. That makes perfect sense."Lucius nearly burst out laughing. He had been making things up as he went along and didn’t understand it himself. He wondered what on earth she thought she understood.Isabella, earnest and eager to learn, continued to ask, "How exactly do you hear the sound waves and judge the ball’s trajectory?"Lucius narrowed his eyes, feigning mystery. "Do you want to learn?""Of course!" Isabella, ever the diligent student, looked up at him with wide, curious eyes, full of admiration.Touched by her curiosity, Lucius decided to go along with it and began his ‘lesson’ without holdi
Isabella started pacing back and forth in the room. “It’s exactly because I have to take you that I’m feeling so much pressure!”Lucius got dizzy watching her, and with a sudden burst of impatience, he shot up from the sofa. He cornered Isabella against the wall, practically inches from her face.“I don’t like this indecisive version of you,” he said, his voice firm. “The Isabella I admire is strong, never gives up, and faces challenges head-on without fear—always charging ahead like a little engine. The Riveras isn’t some den of tigers or wolves. What are you so scared of?”Isabella stared at Lucius in shock.Gone was his usual playful demeanor. His expression was serious, more serious than she’d ever seen, and his eyes burned with encouragement and expectation.His words resonated like a powerful bell, echoing through her chest.The crushing weight of lonel
No wonder Isabella had only seen Grandma Moore today.Grandma Moore continued talking, finally noticing the tall, handsome man beside Isabella. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked Lucius up and down with evident delight. “Isabella, is this your boyfriend? Oh, what a fine young man he is, so handsome and dignified. I’ve never seen such a good-looking young fellow before.”With a beaming face, Grandma Moore patted Lucius on the back. “You better take good care of Isabella. Even her grandpa’s spirit is watching over you!”Lucius was quite pleased with Grandma Moore referring to him as ‘Isabella’s boyfriend.’ He immediately seized the opportunity, wrapping his arm around Isabella’s shoulder and flashing a sweet, honeyed smile. “Don’t worry, Grandma, I’ll take great care of this silly girl.”Isabella’s face turned a bright red. She discreetly pinched Lucius.Lucius winced and b
Lucius immediately seized the opportunity to pile on, “You’re being abusive. Even Grandma can see it.”Isabella hurriedly defended herself, “Grandma, it’s really not like that...”Grandma Moore cut in decisively, “It’s normal for a couple to have a little argument, but fighting is not acceptable.”Isabella wanted to explain further but felt her words would never be enough. “Grandma, you really misunderstand. It’s not...”Grandma Moore, ever pragmatic, offered her advice, “In marriage, you should treat each other with respect!”Seeing that Grandma Moore was giving Isabella no room to argue, Lucius was very satisfied and let her handle it. He strolled around the house, observing the surroundings with curiosity.The house was indeed quite old, almost like a historical relic in its own right.As he wandered, Lucius’s attention was suddenly ca
Cynthia was wearing a high-end custom-made pink gown, exquisitely crafted with the Louis Vuitton logo visible. The dress looked luxurious and enchanting on her, instantly attracting the admiration of many guests.“I’ve heard that the Rivera’s daughter is as beautiful as a flower, and seeing her today confirms it.”“Miss Rivera is truly not just a pretty face; she’s indeed stunning and charming.”“A beautiful flower needs a complementary green leaf. The second miss’s designer outfit enhances her exceptional beauty.”“I heard that Miss Rivera is not only beautiful but also very smart, having been accepted into the top-tier Aetheron Film Academy!”“So impressive—she’s bound to become a big star in the future!”Hearing the endless praise, Cynthia felt pleased with herself. She walked towards her parents with her head held high and chest out.
Isabella ignored Samuel completely, reflecting inwardly on how blind she had been to ever be attracted to such a man. “I don’t think there’s anything disgraceful about earning a living through honest work. Besides, My Dad asked me to bring him today.”Samuel, who had previously been accustomed to Isabella’s obedience, was infuriated by her refusal to even look at him. He could only manage to squeeze out, “Stubborn fool!”Cynthia’s gaze shifted between the two, a hint of triumphant satisfaction crossing her eyes. She then stepped forward, took Samuel’s hand, and sympathetically said, “Samuel, since my sister is so supportive of her husband, it shows they must be genuinely in love. True love transcends status; we should wish them well.”At that moment, a deep, melodious voice like a cello came from behind, “Second Miss is right. Isabella and I are indeed genuinely in love.”Lucius approached, carrying
The tension between them was palpable, creating a stalemate that lasted several minutes.Isabella, sensing her father’s strong anger and overt contempt, was anxious that Lucius might be affected. She nervously squeezed his hand.This small gesture only fueled Carlos’s fury. He roared, “Look at the kind of people you’ve brought back—no manners or respect, and utterly lacking in decorum!”Lucius’s lips curled into a slight, dignified smile as he addressed Carlos with poise, “Hello, Dad. I’m Lucius Knight. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”Hearing this name, Samuel’s legs nearly gave way. “Lucius Knight? The Lucius of Knight Group?”Cynthia sneered and laughed, “Not the CEO of Knight Group. It’s just a coincidence that he shares the same name.”Samuel steadied himself, sneering at Lucius with renewed contempt. The thought of a penniless loser daring to use the name
After bidding farewell to Derek, Isabella returned home. During her exam preparations, Lucius, as a family member of a candidate, had also put in a lot of effort. Today, they must celebrate properly—dinner at a restaurant!Isabella had already mentioned this to Lucius; as soon as she got home, she would take him out to eat.Who would have thought that when she opened her phone, she found a message from Lucius saying he had already driven to the school gate to wait for her to go eat together.“Your car seems quite expensive, doesn’t it?” Isabella didn’t know much about car brands, but the emblem on Lucius’s car depicted two little figures holding up a small fork, looking quite noble.So, she guessed that Lucius was probably driving a pretty nice car.“I’m not sure about the specifics; it’s just arranged by the company,” Lucius replied. He had been busy with some matters la
However, before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Isabella's cold laugh, her eyes filled with complex emotions. “If you had just told me what you wanted, I would have given it to you. So if you really like him, just say it, and I won’t hesitate to let you have him. Why bother tarnishing your reputation as a mistress by doing such a disgraceful thing? My dear sister, you’ve truly disappointed me.”“Anyone who can be seduced by a mere glance from you, do you think he’s worth anything? Thank you for helping me identify trash!”“Isabella, don’t say that! He... he’s not trash. We just got caught up in the moment.” Cynthia was at a loss, completely unsure of how to perform. Although she was supposed to be the supporting actress, she felt like she was being led around by Isabella.“You mean you were momentarily confused, right? In front of so many people, you can openly hold hands. What about when I'm not
Time flew by in the training camp, and in a month, Isabella will take her exams for the Aetheron Film Academy, including an interview test. Therefore, she didn’t visit the Knight’s training camp as often and returned to school to study.The entrance interview for the Aetheron Film Academy typically involves three teachers and two senior students as assistants. However, when Isabella arrived at the venue, she was surprised to find that the seniors assisting this year were familiar faces.Samuel and Cynthia stood beside the three interview teachers, looking like a perfect match with their impressive looks.Generally, the performing arts program at the film academy has multiple phases, including a first and second round for elements like dialogue, performance, and vocal skills. All these stages are completed in a single day to prevent any potential interference, such as bribing the teachers.Aft
“Uncle, I need you to help me check on someone. There’s a trainee named Cecilia at the Knight training camp.” Lucius’s voice grew angry as he mentioned her name, and he instructed Lysander coldly.“Is something wrong? Did that little wife of yours get bullied again?” Without needing much context, Lysander immediately guessed that Lucius’s anger and attention to detail must be due to something happening to his wife.“She withdrew at the last moment before the competition. Cecilia schemed to make her give up. People like her, who play dirty, don’t deserve to stay at the Knight training camp. She’ll only bring chaos,” Lucius stated, believing Lysander would understand that Cecilia could not remain there.Meanwhile, Cecilia successfully secured first place in the afternoon competition, guaranteeing her a spot in Bryan’s film.However, Bryan himself was not present at the finals that afternoon.
After Isabella left, Cecilia wasted no time stepping forward. "Director Wade, it was our fault. Karrie was on the phone with a friend, and he happens to be called Lucius too. Isabella thought it was her boyfriend, and that’s why she ran off. She got jealous and left the competition in a hurry."While Bryan had been speaking with Isabella, Cecilia and Karrie had been eavesdropping the whole time. So, as soon as Isabella left without an explanation, Cecilia seized the chance to pretend to defend her. In reality, she only made the situation worse.Cecilia assumed that Bryan would be displeased to hear that Isabella abandoned such a golden opportunity for a man. But to her surprise, Bryan saw right through the situation.Unlike Cecilia, Bryan knew that Isabella’s boyfriend was indeed Lucius from the Knight Group. Their relationship was well-known, and her concern was understandable. When Bryan recalled Isabella’s words
Bryan had already made up his mind to cast Isabella as the lead in his new movie. But who would have thought that halfway through the competition, Isabella would suddenly withdraw, running off the stage without a word?Bryan felt as if his heart had left with her. After all, she was the actress he had chosen!Frowning, he watched Isabella's retreating figure and found himself instinctively following her to find out what was going on.Previously, he had heard that Isabella couldn't swim, which was why he had set the rules as he did. Yet, not only could she swim, but she swam exceptionally well, securing the first place.This showed that she must have put in a lot of effort behind the scenes.She seemed like someone who would work hard for her dreams, and Bryan admired that.So what could have caused Isabella to withdraw at the last moment?
Fortunately, there were lifeguards on duty. Upon seeing the situation, one jumped into the water to rescue the struggling competitor.Once the person was pulled from the water, Isabella and Masha realized that it was actually Karrie who had nearly drowned.It was said that those who drowned often knew how to swim, but Karrie had become overly nervous after entering the water. Her calf cramped up, preventing her from extending her movements, and she was unable to swim.The pool was two meters deep, and when she choked on water, she couldn’t breathe. In her struggle, water flooded her goggles, blurring her vision. All she could do was thrash about underwater, creating splashes as a desperate call for help.In this group match, Cecilia successfully took first place and advanced to the semi-finals, while Karrie, just as Isabella had predicted, cramped up mid-race and was eliminated.
A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the competition deadline arrived.It’s quite odd to use a swimming competition to select a movie lead; this unconventional method could only come from someone like Bryan Wade, who doesn’t play by the rules.Many participants would be taking part in the selection, so they couldn’t all compete at once; instead, a scheduled format would be followed.Each person would swim in small groups, with a baseline score set for each. The first round, known as the preliminary round, would eliminate half of the competitors.Next came the semi-finals, which would eliminate two-thirds of the remaining participants. Finally, those who advanced to the finals would compete once more to determine the top winner.This competition format was fair and just, leaving no room for doubt.Bryan Wade would be seated as a judge, watchin
On their way back to the dorm, Isabella mentioned the casting news she overheard about Director Wade. She thought out loud, “It was strange when the teacher talked about it in the office. Bryan Wade usually finds actors on the streets, so why did he come to our academy this time?”Yes, Bryan Wade was like a talent scout; whenever he found someone who fit his character requirements, he would immediately invite them to star in his films. He couldn’t stand the influx of actors from the academy, who he viewed as mass-produced products.However, this time, he specifically came to the training camp, stating he wanted to select a lead from among their group of students.This news didn’t just surprise Isabella; it puzzled both Cecilia and Karrie as well. Even Isabella found it strange when she first heard it.Lucius rubbed his nose and replied, “Maybe he’s changed his mind.”Br