In an instant, Carlos seemed stunned by Lucius’s overwhelming aura, frozen in place.
When this man was enraged, he seemed like a hellish demon, terrifying beyond belief.
Lucius held Isabella protectively, his silence more menacing than words. His gaze was like a sharp, bloodthirsty blade, cutting into Carlos with an intensity that seemed to wish he could chop him into pieces.
Dare to lay a hand on his Bella? Lucius would make Carlos suffer a thousand deaths.
Lucius’s tall, imposing figure shielded Isabella, causing Carlos to hesitate, afraid to make a move.
Struggling to recover from Lucius’s terrifying pressure, Carlos gathered his courage, his fingers trembling, his voice hoarse and stammering as he said, “I’m disciplining my own daughter. What... does it have to do with you? How dare you...”
Lucius actually smiled, but it was a smile more frightening than Satan’s. “Bella is my wife. Who dares to touch her?”
His eyes circled Carlos
Lucius staggered down the dimly lit corridor, leaning against the wall for support. The scream he had heard earlier seemed to come from the end of the corridor, and he was desperately searching for it.His mind was clearer now, but he was overwhelmed by an unfamiliar sensation that made him feel extremely uncomfortable.But he couldn’t care about that; he had to save Bella.He reached a white door, and a woman’s voice seemed to be coming from inside.“Bella!” Lucius’s heart leapt with joy. He flung open the door and rushed in.In his dazed state, he saw Isabella in a pure white dress, with her back to him.Overcome with joy, he grabbed her and said with a trembling voice, “Bella, I finally found you. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you earlier. Let’s get out of here quickly.”Cynthia was startled when someone suddenly embraced her from behind. Just as she was about to get angry, she turned around to find it was Lucius.His eyes we
Cade laughed heartily, “How could he not? With that much drug and a beautiful woman around, any man would be irresistible.”Isabella snapped back to her senses and ran forward like a madwoman, screaming frantically, “Cynthia, you shameless, despicable woman!”Cade, with a dark expression, waved his hand, and the bodyguards quickly stepped in to restrain her, gagging her, tying her hands and feet, and dragging her over to Leonard Reed.Cade, with a fawning expression, showed his concern to Leonard Reed, “Mr. Reed, I’m sorry. This girl is wild. I’ll take you to the hospital to get your wounds checked right away.”Leonard Reed glanced at Cade and shook his head, “No need. It’s just a scratch. I actually like Miss Rivera’s fiery spirit. Don’t ruin the mood.”With that, he grinned and picked up Isabella, carrying her into the room and happily instructing, “No one is to disturb us. Remember, beating and scolding is a sign of affection. I won’t be angry w
Regina chased after them, urgently trying to stop them. “Don’t leave!”The Riveras servants also rushed over and surrounded the car.Caleb glanced at the impenetrable human wall, narrowing his eyes. The people around could immediately sense a dangerous aura.His gaze suddenly fell on Leonard Reed, who was trailing behind.Leonard Reed, seeing who the newcomer was, froze in fear. It was his nephew, Caleb Reed, the head of the Reed Group.Why was this little terror suddenly here?Caleb’s gaze lingered on Leonard for a full ten seconds, making Leonard Reed’s skin crawl, almost causing him to soil himself.Leonard hurriedly shouted to Regina, “Mrs. Rivera, tell your servants to clear the way and let Mr. Knight pass.”Regina was startled, thinking she had misheard. She turned back, confused, and asked, “Mr. Reed?”What was Leonard Reed up to? He had gone to great lengths to obtain Isabella. Now that the prize was nearly in ha
Lucius waved his hand and pushed her away, keeping her at a distance. Isabella was so frustrated that she wanted to drag him over and give him a good beating. She couldn’t believe this man—no matter how much she urged him, he refused to go to the hospital, and now he wouldn’t even let her bandage his wounds. Even though the wounds had scabbed over, they still needed to be disinfected to prevent infection. Lucius flopped onto the bed, pulling the covers over himself, ignoring her completely. Holding the medical supplies, Isabella approached again, but Lucius muffled a shout through the covers, “Go away!” Isabella was furious. This stubborn man—she was worried about his injuries and trying to take care of him. She had no idea why he was acting so irrationally, refusing to let her near. Puffing up her cheeks like a little pufferfish, she angrily declared, “This is my house! I can go wherev
Lucius asked with a straight face, “Liar! Did you undress me?”“N-no, I didn’t!” Isabella stammered, her face turning as red as a tomato as she recalled helping him out of his wet clothes last night. Even though she had kept her eyes shut, she accidentally caught a glimpse... But there was no way she could admit to something so embarrassing.She quickly waved her hands, trying to clear her name. “You changed your clothes by yourself, not me.”Lucius was laughing on the inside but kept his tone stern. “I don’t believe you. First, you pulled off my blanket, then you took away my towel, and now you’re saying you didn’t undress me? I’ve already lost my dignity because of you, so you have to take full responsibility.”Isabella finally realized he was messing with her again.She let out a couple of dry laughs before suddenly grabbing a pillow and hurling it at him, shouting angrily, “I went through all that trouble to drag you out of the cold water, chan
This blockbuster film produced with a massive budget by the Paquito brothers, had countless stars vying for even the smallest roles, but none could secure a part. Yet, Cynthia, relying solely on her family connections with the Rivera and Hayes families, effortlessly landed the lead female role before she even graduated.Cynthia's flaunting didn’t stop there. She smiled and said to Isabella, “Sister, you see, success isn’t just about how capable you are. With the help of money and power, success can be just as easily within reach. Take me, for example—I wanted to be a star, and the resources just came to me.”Director Martez, upon hearing that Isabella was Cynthia’s sister, immediately became polite. “Oh, so you’re Miss Cynthia’s elder sister. Please, have a seat in the lounge. Miss Cynthia is about to start her first scene.”Cynthia turned to Isabella with a deliberately mocking smile and said, “Sister, why don’t you take a seat? If you want to watch me act, you
The lead actress widened her eyes and puffed out her cheeks as she said, “Do you think pretending to fall...”“CUT!” the director interrupted again.“Cynthia, no wide-eyed expressions. Do it again...”“Cut!”“Puffing your cheeks doesn’t convey anger. Try again...”Cynthia went through the same routine, using her one and only expression—wide eyes and puffed cheeks—to portray surprise, sadness, and anger. They shot that one scene dozens of times.Meanwhile, Isabella stood silently in the background, holding a fan at the ready, playing the part of an unnoticed servant.With each take Cynthia flubbed, Isabella had to repeat her role as well. Her legs had grown stiff from standing, and her arm was sore from holding the fan, but she maintained her poise, staying fully immersed in the scene, giving her best performance every second.Director Martez, after countless failed takes, was finally at his wit's end. He was on the verge of tea
The young man at the reception was exceptionally enthusiastic when he saw someone come to sign up.He immediately listed the benefits of joining the production team: “Generous pay, comprehensive insurance, paid vacations, and bonuses during holidays.”Isabella couldn’t help but feel a bit hesitant as she listened to his enthusiastic pitch.The difference in treatment between this production and the previous one was striking.She thought about the 11 dollars she earned from the whole day’s hard work in the previous crew and stared blankly.Now, this new crew promised a commission that was more than 100 times her previous earnings. What kind of golden crew was this, offering such excellent benefits for temporary actors?Seeing Isabella’s silent contemplation, the young man assumed she was impressed by the generous offer and quickly seized the opportunity, saying, “Miss, you clearly have the potential to be a
Cynthia, like Masha, followed a sweet style. Her outfit today was a noticeably improved version of her usual attire—a lovely pink short skirt that gave her a sweet, youthful vibe.As soon as she appeared, the other trainees in the audience couldn’t help but praise her. Singing a sweet song while smiling brightly, she performed a simple yet charming dance. The overall atmosphere was incredibly cute, and the crowd was in awe.“Oh my gosh, she’s so adorable!”“This Cynthia seems to be an individual trainee, and she’s the first to perform! Her skills are amazing!”“At this level, she should be able to score at least a B grade.”During the initial stage of *Next Girls*, trainees were graded by the mentors into five levels: A, B, C, D, and E, with A being the best. Only seven positions were available for debut.Isabella felt indifferent to Cynthia’s per
However, just as Isabella finished speaking, the manager who had just expelled Cynthia and Samuel approached again. This time, his face was beaming with smiles, completely different from the nervous, sweaty demeanor he had earlier. He cheerfully said to Isabella, “You’re a student from the Aetheron Film Academy, aren’t you?”“Yes,” Isabella nodded, unsure of what the manager wanted. Did he intend to say she didn’t comply with some rule and throw her and Lucius out as well?“What’s the matter?” Isabella asked warily, frowning at the manager.“Well, since it’s exam day, we have a special event going on. We’re holding a lottery for students from the Aetheron Film Academy who dine here, and the prizes are quite generous. Would you like to participate?” The manager said, placing a large lottery box in front of Isabella.
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.