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
Carlos felt a mix of incredulity and anxiety. On one hand, he was curious about what was inside the box. On the other hand, he worried that if the gift turned out to be subpar, it would be a source of ridicule.Regina watched Lucius with a hint of amusement, seemingly impressed. In reality, she was thinking, ‘What can a penniless drifter possibly offer? Just wait for them to make fools of themselves.’Cynthia and Samuel were also eager to see what would happen. Even if Isabella did produce a gift, it was likely to be something cheap she’d picked up from a street vendor.Lucius, noticing Isabella’s hesitation, encouraged her with a light-hearted tone, “Mr. Rivera is waiting for your gift. Why not open it?”He gave Isabella a reassuring glance: ‘Trust me!’Remembering that Lucius had never disappointed her before, Isabella quickly opened the gift box.
Hearing Hailey’s words, Cynthia felt a secret thrill and repeatedly agreed, “Yes, Hailey, Isabella is our common enemy. We must never let her off the hook.”Thus, the two envious and scheming women united in their animosity.As for Cynthia’s plan to have the posts deleted, that was a story for another day. The Riveras tried every means to remove them, but none succeeded, as the behind-the-scenes boss who posted them was someone no one dared to cross.The next scene being filmed involved a dance.As the lead actress, Cynthia naturally took the central position in the dance.Isabella, playing the supporting role of the gentle concubine, had to dance behind the lead actress.Cynthia was once known as the ‘Dancing Goddess’ due to her passion for clubbing; in the glamorous nightlife, she was the most dazzling and seductive queen.However, the current production was a historical palace drama requiring ethnic dance skills.This partic
Lysander, a bit taken aback, asked, "Why not? Cynthia has set traps on set and secretly slandered Isabella. If you don’t replace her, are you just going to let Cynthia continue to make things difficult for your Isabella?"Lucius’s voice suddenly grew deep and frosty. "If we remove Cynthia from the role, the Riveras will pull their investment. That money is essentially owed to Bella by the Riveras, and it should be paid to her. Why should we let them take it back?"Lucius’s voice carried a barely perceptible cold smirk as he looked at the bathroom door, touching the wound Isabella had bandaged for him. Although the scab had fallen off, the psychological terror Isabella had endured that night from the Rivera family—those helpless, frightened eyes like a young deer—still pained him deeply.His voice, now subtly heavy, grew louder. “If the Riveras withdraws their funding, it won’t affect them much. I want Cynthia to stay in the production and continue playing the le
Faced with overwhelming evidence, Cynthia had no way to defend herself. Every trick she wanted to pull unraveled before she could even speak.Someone shouted, “Cynthia, you brought us all here to the assistant director’s office to slander Isabella, didn’t you?”The onlookers, who had been dragged into this mess by Cynthia, were now desperate to distance themselves from her. That shout was clearly directed at the assistant director, pleading for forgiveness and hoping he wouldn’t hold a grudge.The director and Producer Aileen remained silent, as the truth was already crystal clear. There was no need for them to say more. Cynthia was caught, with no escape.Panicked, Cynthia tried to bluff her way out. "That love letter was just a prank between my sister and me. Nothing actually happened, you're all overreacting—”“Slap!”Before she could finish her sentence, Isabella delivered a hard slap across her face, causing Cynthia to see stars and nea
The assistant director remained composed, standing firm as he gave Hailey a calm, steady look. “So, what you’re suggesting is that I’m having an affair with Ms. Isabella?”Hailey raised an eyebrow, her lips curling in a sneer. She stared at Isabella with contempt. “Exactly. I like to call things as they are. You two were alone in your office—what else could it be but an affair?”“Who said they were alone?” A cold, sharp voice suddenly interrupted from behind the assistant director.Everyone turned toward the source of the voice, and a woman stepped out of the office.It was none other than the assistant director’s wife, Producer Aileen, who also worked on the project.The onlookers were stunned.What was going on? Why was the assistant director’s wife here too?Producer Aileen looked calmly at Hailey, her expression unreadable. She asked coolly, “Isabella was in the office for less than a minute, and you’re claiming she and the assist
If Isabella tries to clear her name now, it'll only make things worse—who would believe her anyway?Cynthia is probably stirring up more trouble behind the scenes, and it seems like most of the crew has already bought into her lies.The only way to stop the rumors is to force Cynthia to confess, to make everyone see her ugly true nature.With that in mind, Isabella started thinking about how to expose Cynthia.Despite everything, she acted as if nothing was wrong, carrying on as usual, completely unfazed by the stares and mockery around her.But Cynthia was running out of patience. She wanted to deliver a fatal blow to Isabella, to get her kicked out of the production—and maybe even out of the entire industry. It was time to make a bigger move.That evening, just as the crew was wrapping up, Amy approached Isabella with a file and said, "Isabella, the director wants to discuss the script for Lady Lucia. He needs to go over the lines with you.”Isabel
Isabella almost thought she’d misheard. She stared at the director in disbelief and asked again, “I can play the second female lead?”The assistant director, with a smile in his eyes, confirmed, “Yes, you’re cast as the second female lead.”Then he shifted his tone, “Although the second female lead plays a villain, it’s a highly challenging role and one of the key pillars of this drama. If performed well, it will shine brightly and win the audience's sympathy, gaining you countless fans. But if performed poorly, it will become a one-dimensional, uninteresting character, leading to criticism and affecting your reputation, which could hinder your future prospects. So, are you up for the challenge?”The assistant director’s gaze was intense and full of anticipation.Isabella nodded vigorously, confidently replying, “Director, trust me.”“Good. I’ll announce the final casting list soon. The role of the second female lead is yours.” The assistant direct
In the heavy armor, Isabella felt as if her legs were filled with lead, making each step laborious.She took a deep breath, using her core strength to try and maintain a valiant appearance.After numerous adjustments and attempts, her steps began to look more confident and graceful. The armor, instead of seeming cumbersome, added a substantial and authentic feel to her portrayal.Unlike many productions that use lightweight, superficial props, this armor, crafted from real iron, was heavy and lent a genuine sense of the historical battlefield.The weight of the armor, though exhausting, contributed to the realism of her performance, making the historical context feel palpable.Every step she took was a struggle, but she carried herself with unwavering determination, her feet steady and resolute.The armored general she portrayed wasn’t grandiose like a mythical hero but had a commendable presence, showcasing the strength and dignity of a wom
Isabella’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Of course, I’d love to. If the director gives me the opportunity, I’ll definitely perform well.”The assistant director was charmed by her enthusiasm and laughed heartily, “So confident! I like your drive. Alright, come on over and we’ll do the audition.”Isabella eagerly followed the assistant director.Her excited demeanor immediately caught Cynthia’s attention.When Cynthia learned that Isabella was auditioning for a special role, she was relieved.Although a special role was a step up from a temporary background actor, it was still quite demanding and tough, often involving dirty and strenuous work.Special roles, especially those requiring dangerous stunts, were usually assigned to tough individuals, so it seemed odd for a delicate girl like Isabella to be called for a special role.Curious about what role Isabella might play, Cynthia decided to follow along.Isabella followed the a
When Isabella appeared on set again, the most surprised were Cynthia and Director Martez.Seeing Isabella’s serene expression, Cynthia felt a bit uneasy and quickly forced a smile. “Sister, you finished the shoot so soon?”Isabella remained composed. “Yes, it’s done. Unlike you, who always seems to be acting.”The remark was sharp, and Cynthia immediately sensed the underlying tone.Cynthia pondered over Isabella’s reaction.Logically, she should have been upset after being scammed. But her calm and neutral demeanor made it hard to guess what had really happened.Director Martez watched as Isabella returned and felt a wave of anxiety. He knew that the announcement was definitely a fake scam ad. Perhaps this young lady had already been scammed, was in tears with nowhere to turn, and was coming back to blame him?Thinking this