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 saying this, Samuel, in his role as the Rivera family's prospective son-in-law, directed Lucius, "Lucius, we have many distinguished guests today, and the family is short-handed. It’s a bit of a hardship, but could you please help out in the kitchen?"Seeing so many people ganging up on her, Isabella was trembling with anger.This whole family had united against her, treating her like an outsider and insulting her.Isabella was struggling to contain her rising sadness. She didn’t want anyone to see her vulnerability at this moment. Ignoring their words, she firmly pulled Lucius towards the door.But Lucius held onto her arm and stood his ground, his expression calm. He said, "Bella, we’re not leaving. I’ll go to the kitchen and help. You go to the banquet."Isabella looked up, her eyes rimmed with red, "But they..."Even if Lucius had lost his memory, i
The phone rang, and Cynthia urged Isabella to hurry to the banquet hall.Isabella held up her long skirt and walked in high heels toward the banquet room. Since she wasn’t used to wearing high heels, her walk was a bit awkward.Along the way, a few servants looked at her in surprise, as if seeing her for the first time, their eyes following her until she was out of sight."Is that the eldest young lady who just passed by? She is more beautiful than a fairy...""Yes, it's the eldest young lady. She looks like a celestial being today!""She’s always beautiful, but she’s never dressed up so meticulously. Today, she looks simply out of this world."...Nervously, Isabella pushed open the door to the banquet hall, adjusted her steps, and tried to maintain a smile as she walked in.The banquet hall was lively, with clinking
Cynthia quickly followed Thalia’s lead and added, “So that’s what happened. Without the Rivera family, and with my dad cutting off her allowance, there’s no way she could afford such an expensive dress just from her small supporting roles...”She then fell silent, leaving a gap for Thalia to fill in the blanks.Sure enough, Thalia began speculating, just as Cynthia had intended. “If she’s dressed so nicely, it’s either a fake or she conned some man into buying it for her.”Seeing that her plan was working, Cynthia added another jab, “Thalia, my sister’s situation isn’t easy. To win some applause at these events, she’s been renting dresses and buying knock-offs. She’s racked up a lot of debt. It’s kind of pathetic, really.”Thalia’s anger flared up as she recalled how her own cushy job at Knight Entertainment had been ruined by Isabella. Her voice grew more agitated as she huffed, “Cynthia, you’ve put
Turnbull & Asser is a prestigious brand with over 130 years of history. Its legacy, combined with its exquisite craftsmanship, has earned it admiration and a loyal following across various circles. The brand’s reputation is so esteemed that it now exclusively tailors clothing for prime ministers, presidents, and royalty. Ordinary people, let alone the middle class, have little chance of acquiring such bespoke garments.When guests initially admired Isabella’s stunning gown, they couldn’t identify its brand. But once a fashion industry giant confirmed its authenticity, there was no doubt that the dress was genuine.The room buzzed with amazement. The fact that the Rivera family could commission a custom gown from Turnbull & Asser hinted at extraordinary connections—perhaps even ties to prime ministers, presidents, or royalty. Thalia, who had been basking in the crowd’s mockery of Isabella, was suddenly blindsided by the fashion mogul’s endorsement. Furious, she retorted, “What authent
Cade had a nonchalant expression on his face. "Dad, you don't get it. I'm going for style here. This is what's trendy and fashionable. I’m not about to wear those old-fashioned suits like you guys.""This is a formal occasion! How can you show up dressed like this?" Carlos’s brows furrowed in anger. A bunch of kids, and none of them know how to present themselves properly.Regina quickly pulled Cade aside, trying to persuade him. "Come on, be reasonable. There are many distinguished guests at today’s banquet. You can't just dress however you want. Go ask the butler to help you change."Then she turned to Carlos, explaining, "Carlos, Cade’s been abroad for too long, he’s gotten used to their ways and forgotten his manners. I'll talk to him properly later."Carlos shifted his gaze to Cynthia, his expression cold. "Who was that woman spreading rumors about Isabella wearing fake goods? Was she so
“Maybe the eldest daughter is either too poor to afford a gift or has some resentment toward her father and doesn’t want to give anything,” someone whispered.“That doesn’t make sense. They’re both Mr. Rivera’s daughters. How could one be wealthy and the other not?”These comments reached Carlos’s ears, making him restless. He thought to himself that he should have given Isabella a painting to save face and handle the situation better. Now, it was causing unnecessary controversy.Regina and Cynthia were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, reveling in how Isabella was further embarrassing Carlos. Although Carlos had previously expelled Isabella, he still cared somewhat because she was his daughter. When he learned that she had taken refuge in the ancestral home, he felt a bit more at ease.Despite this, Carlos was furious over the scandalous photos of Isabella that had shamed the family, and he
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