"I'll take that as a compliment from Ms. Middleton."I remained silent.Luke: "Jethro isn't a bad person.""You know him, Mr. Walker?"Luke had met countless people and was much better at judging character than I was.Hearing this, I turned to look at him.Luke's face bore a faint smile, his eyes gentle. The usual coolness about him had vanished, replaced by a warm, inviting quality.His refined, harmless appearance made one want to draw closer."When Neil was the CEO of Hanque, he invited Jethro to be their brand ambassador. Neil offered an extremely high fee - most celebrities would have signed immediately. But Jethro, concerned about the car's performance and safety, insisted on test-driving it himself. He was cautious and responsible."Since Jethro wasn't Hanque's ambassador, did that mean he discovered flaws in their cars during the test drive?"Neil's offer was very generous, and Jethro's agency stood to make a significant commission. To secure the deal, the agency's ex
The next morning.The alarm blared. I'd tossed and turned all night, sleeping poorly. After fumbling to silence it, I planned to doze off again.My phone rang.Who's disturbing my peace this early?I irritably ran my fingers through my hair and grabbed the phone."Sweetie, breaking news!" Wendy's excited voice came through.Wendy was used to big events. For something to excite her this much, it must be huge. I was instantly awake. "Did Jethro come to his senses and clear up the rumors about him and Penelope?""Jethro's relationship seems to be official now.""Official? Penelope agreed to date him?"That doesn't seem like Penelope at all!"I'm afraid so, yes.""What's going on?"I slowly sat up."I'm not sure of the details. His agency wanted him to clarify the situation, but he refused to speak up. They tried to take over his social media accounts, but he wouldn't let them. He's at a standoff with the company now.""This 'golden boy' you mentioned seems quite stubborn."
"What I was thinking about earlier actually happened!"I wanted to run around the room to release the joy about to explode in my heart. "Wendy, you’ve just made my day!""Sarah went grocery shopping yesterday morning and prepared a big feast, planning to invite Mrs. Walker. Mrs. Walker rushed to the airport and stood her up without notice. Sarah didn't dare call to check on Mrs. Walker, so she just waited at home. It wasn't until after 9 PM that she realized Mrs. Walker wasn't coming, and she blew up at the housekeeper!""Sarah is desperate to connect with Mrs. Walker.""The Walkers are old money. If she can associate with them, Sarah will be able to hold her head high," Wendy said mockingly. "She had someone bring Mrs. Walker the latest limited edition Hermès bag from Paris. That bag cost a fortune! I wonder if she'd be furious if she knew the personal shopper brought her a high-quality knockoff.""She would!" Sarah gave Mrs. Walker the limited edition bag to curry favor. Mrs. Wa
"Sarah's been married into the Smith family for years. She's seen plenty of luxury brands. Didn't she notice it was fake when she got the bag?""I followed Mrs. Walker for a few days and figured out her routine. When the bag arrived, I deliberately told her about a great lunch spot where she could meet Sarah. She's quick on the uptake and didn't hesitate to set a place with Sarah. Mrs. Walker would happen to be at that downtown restaurant at that time.""Sarah was so eager to please Mrs. Walker and give her the bag as soon as possible that she only gave it a quick look. She didn't spot any issues, hurriedly paid the balance, and took the beautifully wrapped gift box the shopper prepared to meet Mrs. Walker. That's how a high-quality replica ended up in Mrs. Walker's hands.""Wendy, you really set up a perfect trap for her!""It's her own fault for being so foolish!" When Wendy was young, Sarah had taken advantage of her. Now, Wendy could manipulate Sarah effortlessly. "The show's j
I had just hung up the phone when Luke's car pulled up in front of me. He glanced at the neatly arranged flowers on the ground, his brows furrowing tightly."I’ve already asked the property management to have someone clean it up," I said as I opened the car door and got in, realizing that I had indirectly told Luke I didn’t like those flowers.As I buckled my seatbelt, I paused for a moment.Luke seemed amused by my words. "How about having breakfast at Bella’s? They have great omelets.""You usually prefer a light breakfast."I enjoyed a variety of foods and disliked having the same thing every day. Whenever I had breakfast at Luke’s place, Marianne, the housekeeper, would always prepare different dishes for me. No matter how good Marianne's cooking was, she couldn’t change the fact that Luke’s usual breakfast—a plain piece of toast—tasted as boring as it looked.And Luke never seemed to find it dull.Sometimes, I felt embarrassed by the assortment of dishes in front of me comp
Penelope usually had a positive outlook on life, always sharing good news with me rather than bad. This was the first time she had voiced such troubling concerns, indicating that she must be truly overwhelmed.I was formulating words to comfort her when she said, "I'm sorry, Jen. You're already swamped with work. I shouldn't burden you with these problems.""Sometimes, talking about things can make you feel better.""Thank you for listening patiently, Jen. I'm feeling much better now.""Try looking at this situation from a different angle," I suggested, finding the right perspective. "Jethro is a top celebrity with good looks. Dating him is many girls' dream. They attack and slander you online because they're jealous. If it bothers you, you could do something to make them even more upset."Jethro was now her boyfriend, so she had plenty of ways to drive his fans crazy with jealousy.Sometimes it's good to take a page from Wendy's book: revenge is sweet, and your own happiness sho
If the truth of what happened back then could be uncovered, the Kingston family would become a target, and Carter's backing would crumble. He wouldn't have the energy for these antics.Noticing my expression change, the receptionist nervously said, "Next time this happens, I'll contact you immediately, Ms. Middleton.""Please call the police and inform them I've received a suspicious package." The receptionist didn't know about my issues with Carter, so I gave her a reassuring smile."Of course, Ms. Middleton.""Thank you."This morning, I arrived at the office with Luke. Before entering the elevator, Luke received a call, so I went up first. While I was chatting with the receptionist, he walked in slowly, his gaze falling on the gift still on the reception desk. I shifted slightly to block his view.My obvious attempt to hide it made Luke immediately realize the gift was from Carter.Indeed, my ability to think clearly always diminishes around Luke, and I end up acting on insti
I thought I could just wait for news from Officer Miller, but at noon, I received a call from the hospital. Wendy had fainted and was rushed to the emergency room. After receiving the call, I hurried to the hospital. In the taxi, my heart raced, and my hands and feet trembled involuntarily. Getting out of the car, my legs felt like jelly—weak and unsteady. The hundred yards from the hospital entrance to the inpatient building seemed like miles; it felt as if I would never reach the end. By the time I got to the hospital room, Wendy was slowly regaining consciousness. She looked around, confused. "Sweetie, where am I?" "You're in the hospital now." As Wendy tried to prop herself up, I quickly put down my bag and went to help her, placing a pillow behind her back. Leaning against the pillow, Wendy finally remembered what happened before she fainted. "Why did I pass out?" "The nurse said you had low blood sugar. Are you feeling any better now?" I observed Wendy's complex
Due to jet lag, I was already exhausted though it wasn't dark yet.Ian was drooping too, suddenly slumping against me.Worried he'd fall, I quickly steadied him.He glanced at me before contentedly closing his eyes again.He was completely worn out.Mr. Lloyd, who had been chatting with the director, noticed this and quickly wrapped up his conversation to join us.Still half-awake, Ian instinctively held onto my arm when his father reached for him."It's your Dad."At my words, Ian let go.Mr. Lloyd picked him up and strode toward the car, while I gathered Ian's things and followed.On the way back, I offered to drive.Mr. Lloyd was quiet. I turned on the car's music system, and soft music filled the space.Having debuted overseas as a trainee, Mr. Lloyd's fingers unconsciously tapped along to the rhythm on his leg.At a red light, I caught this movement in the rearview mirror.Mr. Lloyd had been an all rounder superstar - consistently among the top three highest-earning
Since Penelope was mid-flight and unreachable, I sent her a message and forwarded Sara's letter."Are you okay, Jen? You seem worried," Ian asked."Just blown away by your amazing performance. I'm still thinking about it."Ian was a natural - his acting could really move people."I might be cocky,” Ian grinned.He looked proud, and I ruffled his hair. "No chance of that."For a four-year-old, he'd shown remarkable composure during the preschool incident.Even after being cleared, he hadn't played the victim. That kind of emotional strength showed real character.A few compliments wouldn't change that.Ian's smile lit up his whole face, showing perfect baby teeth."When do you start filming your scenes?"The director was clearly impressed - Ian's role was locked in."Not sure yet."Ian looked up at his father."Soon," Mr. Lloyd said, clearly proud of Ian's performance. "I'll stay on set with Ian these next few days. Jen, feel free to explore the city. I'll call if we need
Just when they thought they'd found hope, the bad guys caught up with them.During their escape, his best friend fell off a cliff. When Bobby was finally rescued and led them back, they found his friend's body, mangled beyond recognition. He was devastated."I'll start now!"In an instant, Ian transformed. He walked heavily toward a chair, his expression gradually filling with pain.Kneeling beside the chair, he reached out as if to touch "him" but couldn't bring himself to do it. Tears silently rolled down his face.The director checked the script and signaled his assistant to remove the chair, simulating the scene where the friend's body would be placed in a body bag.At this, Ian broke into heart-wrenching sobs.His emotional outburst impressed everyone watching on set.Mr. Lloyd looked proud, and the director, as if discovering a treasure, praised Ian after his performance: "Your acting reminds me of your father in his prime.""If I'm as good as Dad was at my age, imagine
I'd dug my own grave, hadn't I?I swallowed my food, took a sip of water, and kept my head down while eating.Luke pushed the mild seafood soup toward me. "This is less spicy."Stubborn as I was, I ignored him.Luke called the server over, trying to order milder versions of the fish and pork."Don't bother, I love extra spicy food."Even though I needed water after every bite, I was determined to finish what I'd ordered.Seeing my stubbornness, Luke apologized to the server and let her go."Jen...""Don't talk while eating."By now, my soul had practically left my body from the spice. I wasn't in the mood for conversation.My throat felt like it was on fire as I gulped down more water.Luke quietly refilled my empty glass. He'd barely touched his seafood soup, his elegant movements making me feel even more ungraceful.I was suffering from my own spite!I wanted to throw down my chopsticks and leave.No, stay calm!I tried to maintain my composure, fighting the urge to d
Just as I finished speaking, my stomach let out an embarrassing growl."There's an excellent Chinese place around the corner," Luke said."You've been here before?""No.""..." Then how did he know about a good restaurant?Did he research every place this thoroughly?He'd make a perfect travel companion.I later learned he'd researched local restaurants knowing my passion for food.I'd only had water since waking up. The film crew would have finished lunch by now, with no leftovers available. I needed to find something on the way.Being in a bad mood lately, I hadn't researched any local restaurants before coming here.Craving authentic Chinese food, I decided to take Luke's suggestion.It was an upscale Chinese restaurant specializing in spicy cuisine. As soon as we sat down, a cheerful server brought out place settings and started listing their specialties."Our portions are generous. For a couple, I'd recommend one appetizer and a soup to start.""We're not a couple," I
Luke came to search for his birth mother himself?As I looked at him, he noticed me too.I greeted him and was about to get a taxi to the set."If you have time, can you show me where you saw her yesterday?""I... okay."Mr. Lloyd and Ian would be fine - finding Luke's mother was more urgent.After weighing the pros and cons, I agreed.Luke hadn't brought an assistant. I waited outside while he took his luggage to his hotel room, then we walked to where I'd seen his mother yesterday.It wasn't far from the hotel, so we went on foot.Without thinking, I kept about three feet between us.Luke: "Do I look like some kind of monster?"With his model-like features that made you want to break rules just looking at him, how could he possibly look like a monster?I shook my head."Then why are you keeping such a distance?""..." So that's what he meant...Though I'd decided to stay just friends, my heart - already full of him - still skipped beats when we were together.He was t
"If you can't find her, Luke can! Now that he has a general area, he can track her down quickly.""I'll let him know."Mrs. Walker was also searching for her, planning to use her to manipulate Luke. We needed to contact her before Mrs. Walker did.After hanging up with Wendy, I looked at Luke’s number on my phone. Several times I almost called him, but kept backing out.After hesitating, I tried calling Emily, but hung up just before it connected.Although Emily had been open with me, I couldn't be sure if she was genuinely helping Luke.To be safe, I called Luke instead. He answered on the first ring.Luke stayed silent."Mr. Walker, this is Jen.""I wasn't planning to cut you out of my life completely. I kept your number."Me: ...There he went again with his sharp tongue. I almost hung up, but remembering how much he'd helped me, and that I could finally do something for him, I told him about possibly seeing his birth mother near the hotel.After a moment of silence, Luk
"Dad, he's a bad guy!" Ian pointed at the man who was already several yards away.The robber was huge - well over 6'2", wearing a denim vest that showed off his muscular arms. Mr. Lloyd probably couldn't take many punches from him, and we didn't know if he was armed. It wasn't worth the risk.I ruffled Ian's hair. "Let's go get something to eat.""Help! Stop the robber!"A woman was running after him, desperately grabbing passersby for help, out of breath.Following the 'better safe than sorry' principle, no one stepped forward to help.She reached us, and seeing we were Asian, her eyes lit up with hope. "Please help me, I have something very important in my bag."Mr. Lloyd looked down at his arm where she was clutching it. "I'm sorry, we're new here and unfamiliar with the area. We can't help."She let go, disappointed, staring dejectedly in the direction the robber had disappeared.Ian said in his sweet voice, "When you're in trouble, find a police officer."The woman was a
His stern look only made Penelope more nervous.When Director Nolan called "Cut!", she was already drenched in cold sweat.She quickly apologized to the director.Director Nolan watched the playback with a grave expression.As the makeup artist touched up Penelope's makeup, I went to her side and encouraged her: "It gets easier after the first try. You'll do better in the next take.""Jen..." Penelope glanced at the crew members around us. "This is my first time on such a major production.""You'll have many more opportunities like this."One Entertainment had been investing most of its resources in Penelope lately, and with her connection to Jethro, her popularity wasn't waning.One hit was all she needed to skyrocket to stardom."Jen..."Penelope's voice trembled with worry.George was particularly anxious too. "You've done well in other productions. We can't mess up at this crucial moment!"A good performance in Director Nolan's film could lead to future collaborations,