Jethro's manager was deeply displeased with his rash decision to quit filming.Jethro was the manager's most profitable artist, but he was stubborn. Once he made up his mind, nothing could change it.The agent relied on Jethro's earnings and didn't dare to confront him openly.As Jethro was packing to return to Johnsonville with Penelope, the manager knocked on his door in an attempt to persuade him to stay.Jethro remained silent, continuing to pack."That woman has stirred up a mess of trouble. If you go back to Johnsonville with her, you'll be dragged into it!"Penelope was staying next door to Jethro. She had finished packing and was now at his door.The door wasn't fully closed, and as Penelope was on the phone with me, I could hear their conversation."You played a part in creating this mess too.""Jethro, please...""Are you coming back to Johnsonville with us?""You can't go back now!""Give me one good reason why not.""Do I need to spell it out? The internet is f
"Whether I quit or not depends on your performance.""I can influence your decision to quit?""You've been with me through the low points, and you've always celebrated my successes," Jethro said, his back to the manager. "I don't know when it happened, but all that changed.""I'm still the same person! It's you who's become a stranger!" The manager stepped in front of Jethro. "Back then, when we were broke, we were overjoyed to get any job. We celebrated in every way we could think of. Now, even when I get you a role with an internationally acclaimed director, you're indifferent, as if you couldn't care less.""A big director's film with just two or three lines?""So many artists in this country would kill for a chance to appear in an international director's work. I worked hard to get you this opportunity, and you just brush it off. Who's really changed, me or you?""Even if those few lines smear our country, you want me to accept it gladly?""That's the character's dialogue, n
It was past midnight when Penelope returned to Johnsonville.Although I knew Jethro would have everything arranged, I still waited for her at the airport.Spotting Penelope, I got out of the car and waved at her."Penelope, over here!"Penelope's voice was filled with emotion, "Jen, you came to pick me up so late!"The cold air turned our breath into white mist, blurring my vision.Penelope jogged over to me, pulling her luggage. She touched my face, "Your face is so cold, quick, get in the car! It's freezing out here, I could've just taken a taxi!""I haven't seen you in days, I missed you!" I opened the trunk, helping Penelope put her suitcase in.As we got in the car and fastened our seatbelts, ready to leave, Penelope muttered, "Why do I feel like I've forgotten something?""Did you leave some luggage behind?"“No… But I think I forgot an entire person.”Following Penelope's gaze, I saw Jethro standing quietly by the front right side of the car, watching us.I chuckled
His attitude immediately improved.Wendy once said that people respond differently: some respond to kindness, others to toughness, but sometimes money works best.They led us to the refrigerated coffin holding my cousin's body."He died young and tragically. It hasn't been seven days since his death. Take a quick look and leave."After this warning, the staff member went aside to smoke.In the coffin, my cousin's face was covered in blood stains.Penelope's already wounded heart ached again, and tears immediately welled up in her eyes.I held her hand, offering silent comfort.After staying at the funeral home for a while, Penelope looked at Jethro.Jethro nodded slightly.Penelope wiped her tears and said to me, "Let's go."Jethro had already arranged for news of their return to Johnsonville to be spread. By now, reporters were waiting outside the funeral home. If we left now, we'd be caught on camera.I was mentally prepared, but when we reached the main entrance, I was s
Thinking of this, I instinctively looked around.Surrounded by reporters, all I could see were unfamiliar faces.Little did I know, not far away, just out of my sight, a limo had its window half-lowered. Luke sat upright inside, his eyes, made even darker by the night, fixed unwaveringly on the crowd.The car was parked about a dozen meters away, but that short distance took us over ten minutes to cover.As we finally reached the car, the reporters who hadn't gotten their desired interview material started pushing desperately."Will Penelope reconcile with her parents and support them now that her brother has died?""Jethro, will you continue dating Penelope? Do you have plans to marry?""If Director Johnson denies taking your phones, it could be very unfavorable for you."They hadn't even contacted Director Johnson. How did they know he would deny it? Can't entertainment reporters hope for something good for once?Using all my strength, I finally grabbed the car door and sque
They called the police to investigate the guests' deaths.After opening the case, the police immediately brought Director Johnson in for questioning.When this incident came to light, it caused a huge stir. The show couldn't continue filming, and Director Johnson's reputation plummeted.He had hoped to make a comeback once people forgot about the incident. However, the entertainment industry is fickle—without his fame, he faced constant disdain, reduced to running errands on sets, with directors complaining that he was too old.Already marginalized, he happened to meet a powerful female industry figure.In her youth, she had been a renowned director. In recent years, she had stepped back from the spotlight, becoming an investor and producer in TV dramas and variety shows.After talking with Director Johnson, she greatly admired his talent. They hit it off immediately. Not wanting his talent to go to waste, she replaced the previously chosen director with him just before the datin
"Are you already at the hospital?""Jethro came with me. We'll leave right after paying the fees.""Move quickly; don't let the reporters corner you.""Jethro has everything arranged. Don't worry, Jen.""If you need any help, make sure to call me!" I repeatedly reminded Penelope.Penelope agreed.Since I didn't need to accompany Penelope to the hospital, I prepared to go to work.My phone rang. It was Luke calling."I'm at your door."His next line would be, "We need to discuss work matters."As expected, his next sentence matched my prediction word for word.In the past, hearing Luke wanting to talk about work on the way to the office would have made me very nervous, thinking it was something important.After learning about his feelings for me, I realized it was his way of ensuring I couldn't refuse a ride to work with him.I acknowledged him and went to his car with a bright smile, opening the back door.When Luke looked over, I realized a smile had already spread acros
A group of people came to greet us.Luke disliked such grand receptions. When I contacted the Vice President to inform him of Luke's inspection visit, I had clearly stated this.Only the VP needed to accompany him; everyone else should continue their normal work.The VP had ignored my reminder.I discreetly glanced at Luke.As I expected, Luke's expression quickly darkened.After the morning's schedule, I would need to contact Henry again to arrange the upcoming matters promptly. Otherwise, Luke might lay off another batch of employees.The president position at Hanque had been vacant for a while. The VP thought he had a chance at promotion and was trying hard to impress Luke.Luke looked impatient. He specified that only the VP's assistant should stay, telling everyone else to return to their work and not obstruct his view.Seeing Luke's stern demeanor, the VP didn't dare linger. The crowd dispersed quickly.Led by the VP's assistant, we arrived at the testing site.The tes
We both knew how we felt about each other, but neither of us made the first move to confess.“I gave birth to him in circumstances I couldn’t control,” Molly said, her hands tightly clutching her cup, fingers unconsciously tracing its edge. “I used to think about fighting back against the people who hurt me, but reality forced me to wake up. I couldn’t afford to lose everything.”She hesitated, her gaze dropping. “There are things from back then that I just can’t bring myself to tell him.”When I arranged for Luke and Molly to spend some time alone, the two of them mostly sat in silence.“Mrs. Walker couldn’t have children for years after her marriage. Luke was just a tool to help her secure her place in the family,” Molly explained.Mr. Walker was handsome, wealthy, and from a good family. After getting married, women constantly threw themselves at him. According to the information Wendy had dug up, Landon didn’t exactly push them away.In such a situation, Mrs. Walker, Ashleigh
Molly poured four glasses of juice and sat across from Luke.She looked like she wanted to say something but didn’t know where to start.I gave Ian a quick look.Ian took a sip of his juice and said, “Miss, the juice is sweet and sour—it’s so good!”“Drink it up, and I’ll pour you some more,” Molly offered.Luke interjected, “It’s almost time to rest. Don’t drink too much juice.”“I’m sorry, I don’t have experience taking care of kids,” Molly said, lowering her head. After a pause, she quietly repeated, “I’m sorry.”She was probably thinking of Luke as a baby.I clutched my stomach, pretending to wince. “Excuse me, Molly. My stomach hurts; I need to head back to my room.”As I stood, I grabbed Ian’s wrist.Ian caught on quickly. “Jen is a girl. She’ll get scared going back alone—I have to go with her.”Not giving Luke a chance to respond, I opened the door and said, “Mr. Walker, you stay and chat with Molly. Ian and I will be back in a bit.”In the hallway, Ian looked thoug
Molly wasn’t the type to make things difficult for others. She didn’t give the hotel manager a hard time.After the staff left, Molly turned to thank Luke and me. “Thank you for staying with me and helping me handle this.”Luke glanced at her but didn’t say anything.The silence grew awkward, so I quickly broke it. “You don’t have to thank us. We didn’t really do much.”“Would you like to come in and sit for a while?” Molly invited us into her room.Before either of us could respond, Ian, who’d been holding back his excitement, eagerly chimed in, “Yes, yes! Let’s go!”I sighed internally.Molly finally noticed the little one in Luke’s arms. “And who’s this?”“I’m Ian Lloyd,” he introduced himself cheerfully.But the moment he got a good look at Molly’s face, he let out a small “Huh?” and then turned to look at Luke.Luke frowned slightly, and their eyes met—a silent understanding passing between them. Ian immediately shut his mouth and swallowed whatever he’d been about to sa
Five hours later, we arrived in Sharonville.Before the trip, Luke had everything arranged. After landing, we took a car to the hotel he’d booked in advance.In the hotel lobby, we ran into Molly. She was walking with two middle-aged men in sharp suits, smiling as she chatted with them.When her eyes met Luke’s, her smile froze for a moment, then slowly softened as she stared at him without blinking.Luke didn’t acknowledge her. He walked right past, brushing by her shoulder as though she wasn’t there. From the corner of my eye, I saw her eyes redden.The two men exchanged glances but didn’t say anything. That night, however, they sent two young, handsome men to Molly’s room.Our room was on the same floor as Molly’s. After dinner out, we returned to the hotel and saw her standing at her door with the two young men.Their faces were powdered with heavy makeup, and they looked eager to please, practically glued to her.My thoughts immediately took a less innocent turn.Luke co
Amy messaging me at this hour was probably another complaint about other agencies trying to poach her, or how stressed she was about it all.The underlying message? She wanted me to contact Mr. Lloyd to secure better resources for her—a thinly veiled threat, essentially.Since several popular artists left One Entertainment, the company’s resources had started to dwindle.Mr. Lloyd’s return wasn’t just because of his love for acting. He also wanted to support the company’s artists, giving them more opportunities to shine.Amy had already begun to stand out. If she simply focused on honing her craft and stayed patient, she’d get her share of the spotlight.When Mr. Lloyd founded the company, his goal was to grow it into a powerhouse that protected its artists. Now, he had adopted a more laid-back approach: if an artist wanted to leave, they just needed to pay the penalty fee.Amy’s tactics wouldn’t change anything.I went back to reading my book.My phone buzzed again, and I ass
Mr. Lloyd's words carried a hint of reassurance for me.“Jen, Uncle asked me to create a travel itinerary!”Luke had been telling Ian lots of stories about Sharonville, and Ian had also looked up a ton of information online. He now knew every street in the city and how many shops were on each one.Carefully folding his sweaters, Ian placed them neatly into his suitcase, which was decorated with a cheerful Doraemon sticker.“I’m really looking forward to your travel guide, Ian!”“I’ve already finished most of it!” Ian was a serious little worker who never did things half-heartedly. If he said it was nearly done, he was probably putting on the finishing touches.I praised him warmly.“Jen, since the three of us are traveling together, we need to consider everyone’s preferences and suggestions.”“So, you want to get my input to finalize it?”“Exactly.”“Well, wherever you want to go is where I want to go. This trip, I’ll leave the planning to you.”Luke had work to handle in Shar
For the past few days, Luke has been picking me up and dropping me off at work.Reporters often linger outside One Entertainment, and it took a lot of effort for rumors about me and Luke to die down. I didn’t want them to resurface.Luke understood my concerns, so he always parked his car a block away from the company. Once he sent me a message, I’d grab Ian and head over.That evening, Luke prepared another full table of dishes for dinner.Ever since things thawed between us, I hadn’t said much during meals, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed than before.“She’s already in Sharonville,” Luke said.“Hasn’t she been out of the country for years? Will she be safe there alone?”He was talking about Molly.The Walker family has been a prominent family in Sharonville for generations, with deep-rooted connections and influence. Mrs. Walker is a respected figure, and many people in Sharonville owe her favors. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone decided to teach Molly a lesson on
I watched the behind-the-scenes footage, and Mr. Lloyd looked great. After stepping out of the spotlight for a few years, his demeanor has become even more composed and sophisticated, perfectly matching the calm and collected surgeon he portrays in the show.“He’s as brilliant as ever,” Beatrice said, her eyes filled with admiration. “As long as the co-stars hold their ground, this show is bound to be a hit.”“He has an exceptional eye for picking scripts,” she added, her gaze glued to the screen.I didn’t interrupt her. Instead, I got up and went to the kitchen to check on Ian’s progress.For someone so young, Ian took everything seriously. Standing on a small stool to make up for his height, he carefully worked on brewing coffee, his movements precise and methodical.“Waiter Number One, Ian Lloyd, at your service. Your oat latte will be ready soon,” he announced cheekily.I laughed at his playful tone and played along. “Waiter Number Two will now deliver orange juice to Mr. Ian
While Beatrice chatted with Ian, I brought the gifts to the living room."You're too kind, Ms. Middleton.""Ian bought these with his pocket money."I winked at Ian.He caught on quickly, nodding.Beatrice warmly invited me to sit.Fresh fruit and two plates of nuts were on the coffee table.She placed a fruit bowl before me. "Yesterday's blueberries are fresh—crisp and sweet."The large blueberries were covered in bloom. I took one and made space for Beatrice."What would you like? Coffee or juice?""Fresh orange juice for me, and Jen likes oat milk latte," Ian said, playing with a doll, squishing its face into different shapes.Suddenly remembering our earlier conversation, he dropped the doll and ran to the kitchen. "I've learned lots from Jen. I can make juice and coffee!"Beatrice praised him: "How impressive!"She started toward the kitchen, concerned.I held her arm. "Ian's a quick learner. He does everything properly. We can trust him.""He gets along so well wit