Meanwhile, at Cortex, Mariah had been busy with filming.
Working on set during the day and investigating the fake account at night had left Mariah exhausted.
The next day on set, Mariah was out of sorts. Several times, staff members called her name before she responded, making her colleagues think she was lost in thought. One joked, “Miss Hutchson, where were you last night? You seem so distracted!”
“I…” Mariah was about to explain when suddenly her vision darkened, and she collapsed.
“Miss Hutchson!”
Leonardo was posing according to the photographer’s instructions when he heard the shout. He quickly turned to see Mariah fainting and rushed over, forgetting about the ongoing shoot.
“Mariah! Mariah…” He called out several times, but she didn’t respond. Worried, Leonardo picked her up in his arms and instructed a nearby staff member, “Call for a car. We’re going to the hospital.”
The scene descended into chaos as the shooting was
For some reason, seeing Mariah like this made Leonardo feel uncomfortable.“Enough. Let’s not discuss this anymore.” He directly pulled his manager out of the room.“You’ve misunderstood her; we’re not in that kind of relationship,” Leonardo stated plainly.Though he understood his artist well, the manager still felt uneasy. The girl was indeed attractive, and it was normal for Leonardo to feel drawn to her.Reading the manager’s suspicious expression, Leonardo suppressed his unease and said, “Don’t worry; I’m not interested in her and won’t date her.”Hearing this assurance, the manager’s expression improved a little. “That’s best. Don’t worry; the company will quickly suppress this matter. But you must remember, no dating.”Knowing the manager was looking out for him and the company, Leonardo nodded.Unbeknownst to them, M
Cassandra was unaware that after William had asked her to be his wingwoman, he had already confessed his feelings to Mariah—only to be rejected on the spot.That day, they had talked a lot.Strangely, after being turned down, William didn’t feel as devastated as he had imagined. Instead, he felt as if a weight had been lifted off his chest, bringing him a sense of relief.William had long suspected from Mariah’s behavior that she didn’t have feelings for him. His years of affection had made it difficult for him to let go. However, Mariah’s decisive rejection had given him a fresh start, allowing him to fully release those feelings.Even now, hearing Mariah’s request didn’t stir any emotions within him.When Mariah heard William agree, she immediately said, “William, I think the sooner we go public, the better. If we wait too long, it might affect Leonardo’s life.”William furrowed h
Knock knock.The sudden sound of knocking interrupted the two's thoughts.It was Luca, who was worried about Vanessa and had followed her to the hospital, bringing along some late-night snacks.“Are you hungry? I brought some snacks. Want to eat?” Luca waved the food in front of Vanessa, but she showed little reaction, and Mariah shook her head as well.Clearly, neither of them had much of an appetite at the moment.However, seeing Luca gave Vanessa an idea.“If you have some free time, could you go talk to Cassandra?”“Talk to Cassandra? Is she sick too?” Luca looked confused.“Of course not! What I mean is, can you find a chance to chat with her and see who she actually likes?”Vanessa
At that time, Vanessa was at the hospital taking care of Mariah. Mariah suddenly stopped scrolling through her phone and looked at Vanessa, hesitating to speak.“What’s wrong? If you have something to say, just say it directly,” Vanessa said, frowning.Mariah didn’t know how to start, hinting, “Uh... Vanessa, why don’t you check your phone?”It was only then that Vanessa noticed the content Mariah had shared with her. She read the entire message with a blank expression, but her heart was already in turmoil.She had clearly sent Luca to check on things, and something might have happened between him and Cassandra, but why did she still feel upset?Meanwhile, Luca had just arrived at the office when he noticed the strange looks from his employees. Feeling puzzled, he didn’t think much of it.It wasn’t until his assistant had looked at him multiple times throughout the morning that Luca final
Luca felt a deep sense of guilt. As he watched Cassandra's career plummet, he could no longer sit idly by. He instructed his assistant, "Get everything ready; I'm going to hold a press conference later.""A press conference?" The assistant was puzzled, as there were no new products from the K Group to launch."Yes, to clarify some rumors about Cassandra."Understanding, the assistant set off to prepare for the press conference.However, somehow, this matter reached the ears of the board members, and they unanimously opposed Luca's suggestion."President, I think we shouldn't hold a press conference. This scandal has increased our visibility; if we leverage this hype well, it could be beneficial for K Group's future development.""Exactly, President. Although K Group is a big company, we still need recognition. This is free exposure for us."Hearing the words from below, Luca's frown deepened. "Enough. K Group does not need this kind o
Seeing this, Vanessa elaborated, "Mariah wanted to protect Leonardo, so she asked William to pretend to be her boyfriend. William might have liked Mariah before, but now he has someone else he likes."Before Cassandra could feel happy about the first part of that statement, her mood plummeted at the latter half.Vanessa didn’t notice the change and continued, "However, they’ve changed their minds again. After your incident, William and Mariah don’t plan to pretend to be a couple anymore."The thought that her situation had influenced William’s decision made Cassandra feel a flutter of excitement, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he cared about her.But if they weren’t pretending to be a couple, what would happen to Leonardo?Cassandra voiced her concerns, and Vanessa reassured her, "You’re barely holding it together; why worry about others? Don’t worry, everything is fine with Leonardo. He’ll
A day had passed, but the overnight scandal involving Cassandra and Luca showed no signs of dying down. Instead, the uproar online grew louder.An anonymous user even dug up old photos of Cassandra and Luca together, claiming the two had known each other for a long time. Some netizens fixated on Cassandra’s expressions in the pictures, saying that she had admired Luca back then, with her eyes full of affection for him. This, they argued, only proved the accusations of her having ulterior motives.Under these posts, the comments were filled with sarcasm and insults directed at Cassandra.Some users even went to the social media pages of brands still working with Cassandra, threatening to boycott their products unless they canceled her endorsement deals, putting enormous pressure on the companies.At this point, Cassandra was practically trapped at home. Her agent, Nicole, ordered her to stay off the internet and avoid reading the posts and comments.
Ever since William met Cassandra, he feared rumors would surface that could harm her reputation, so he didn’t stay at her house that night.Even though he left, William couldn’t stop worrying about her. Despite repeatedly reminding Cassandra not to open the entertainment news sections or care about the hateful comments, the barrage of insults still infuriated him. He couldn’t bear the thought of Cassandra reading those words and feeling hurt.William knew that he was already deeply involved, but he accepted it willingly.Determined to help her get through the storm, William devised a plan—to confess his feelings as soon as possible. He believed that if they were together, it would give her the strength to leave the scandal behind.A confession was something a man had to take the lead on, and William had made up his mind. But uncertainty gnawed at him—what if Cassandra didn’t feel the same? This thought
The moment to reveal the Best Actress award had finally arrived. Before the host could even announce the name, the audience erupted into chants of "Zara," growing louder with each passing second.Astrid gripped the arms of her chair in anticipation. The moment the name was announced, she would stand up immediately—there was no way Zara, a mere newcomer with just one film, could overshadow her.This prestigious award, presented once every three years, was hers to claim. More importantly, it was being handed out by Magnus himself—an unprecedented honor. She was determined to seize it.The host glanced at the name in the envelope, his eyes lighting up before he declared loudly, “The Best Actress award goes to Zara Skye!”The audience erupted into thunderous applause and cheers, chanting Zara’s name over and over.Astrid felt as if she had been slapped across the face. Her cheeks burned as she shook her head in disbelief. “Impossible! How
Astrid nervously watched the doctor, silently praying. Magnus must be okay—if something happened to him, everything she had done would be for nothing.The doctor’s expression was grave as he said, “Mr. Voss’ injuries are severe. We’ve done everything we can; the rest is up to fate.”The old master was struck as if by lightning. His cane fell to the ground with a loud thud. His body trembled violently, and the color drained from his face.“Master!” The butler quickly supported him, his voice anxious. “Young Master will be fine, please don’t worry too much.”The doctor glanced at the old master hesitantly before saying, “There’s… one more thing.”The butler shot him a warning look and quickly intervened. “Whatever it is, it can wait.” Couldn’t he see that the old master had already suffered enough?“Let him speak. I can handle it.” The old master’s voice was firm.The doctor sighed and said apologetically, “Mr. Vo
The road was a chaotic scene as a world-class luxury car sped recklessly, weaving through traffic at a breakneck pace. Other vehicles swerved desperately to avoid a collision, honking frantically in alarm.Magnus's chiseled face was shrouded in grief, his deep-set eyes drowning in sorrow. His heart felt hollow, as if someone had carved it out, leaving behind only emptiness. His slender fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly, while his foot pressed mercilessly against the accelerator, pushing it to the limit.The car was practically flying.Dark clouds gathered, obscuring the sky, and a fierce wind howled through the streets. Pedestrians hurried along, shielding themselves from the incoming storm.A discarded newspaper was suddenly lifted by the wind, slamming against the windshield, momentarily blinding him. A sharp honk blared ahead—a massive truck was making a turn.By the time he reacted, it was too late. His speed was
“What did you just say?” The emotions Magnus had been suppressing finally erupted. He suddenly reached out and grabbed the doctor by the throat, his chiseled yet icy face filled with murderous intent as he roared furiously, “You’re lying! She won’t die! Who allowed this?!”“Ugh…” The doctor, exhausted from hours of surgery, struggled as his throat was constricted. He gasped for air, his eyes rolling back.What a terrifying man! Everyone around was stunned, quickly rushing forward to rescue the doctor.“Mr. Voss, let go!” Edric, who had just arrived, pushed through the crowd and grabbed Magnus’s arm, trying to pry his fingers open.But Magnus, unwilling to accept reality, possessed an inhuman strength. No one could move him an inch. His bloodshot eyes burned with fury, as if they could set the world on fire.“Mr. Voss, stop!” Seeing that the doctor was on the verge of suffocation, Edric spotted a chair in the corner, grabbed it, and slammed it hard
In his office, Magnus had just picked up his coffee when a sharp, searing pain tore through his chest. His hand trembled, and with a loud crash, the cup slipped from his grasp, shattering on the floor. Coffee splattered onto his shoes."Sir are you alright?" Edric, the stern-faced assistant with cold eyes, quickly stepped forward, took out a tissue, crouched beside him, and meticulously wiped the coffee stain off his shoe."I'm fine. Step back." Magnus withdrew his foot, his sharp brows furrowing. Why did his chest suddenly ache? The unease clawed at his heart like a ferocious beast, making him restless. He paused for a moment before ordering, "Prepare the car. We're going to the prison district."Edric's eyes flickered as he hesitated. "Sir the last time you visited Miss Thorne, the Old Master was already displeased.""Enough nonsense. Hurry up!" Magnus’s chiseled face darkened, his tone commanding.Edric cast him a wary glance
Hearing the commotion, a nurse rushed in. When she saw Senna struggling violently, her wrists bloody, she immediately shouted, "Senna, calm down! If you keep this up, you'll have a miscarriage!"Senna froze. Her bloodshot eyes widened as she stared at the nurse. Her voice, hoarse like an old man at death’s door, trembled. "What... did you just say?""You were unconscious when you were admitted. The doctors discovered you’re already four weeks pregnant," the nurse said with sympathy. "Given your current situation, many would choose to terminate the pregnancy."Senna looked down at her still-flat stomach, unable to process the news.Astrid's eyes darkened as she clenched her fists. Then she sneered. "Senna, you really couldn’t stay lonely, huh? It’s been less than three months since you broke up with Magnus, and you’ve already gotten knocked up by another man. How shameless. When Magnus finds out, he’ll be so glad he left
No matter how much Senna denied the charges, she was ultimately convicted and sentenced to three years in prison.She shared a cell with seven other female inmates. The moment she stepped inside, she could feel the hostility thick in the air. As the cell door slammed shut behind her, a woman with a hideous scar on her face led the others toward her, their eyes filled with malice, their lips curling into sinister smirks.Senna gripped the washbasin in her hands tightly, her expression unshaken by fear. She stood tall, her spine straight, exuding defiance.“So, you’re Senna Thorne. Someone paid us to give you a warm welcome.” The scarred woman sneered before turning to the others. “Ladies, we’ve got ourselves a new toy. Don’t hold back—beat her!”Senna had braced herself for this before she even walked in, but she hadn’t expected Magnus’s hatred to run so deep. Sending her to prison wasn’t en
Senna sat in the detention cell, waiting for her sentencing. She had given up struggling—Magnus was convinced she was the murderer. There was no escape. Now, the only thing she cared about was Tobias. The door swung open, and a uniformed female officer called out, “Senna Thorne, someone’s here to see you.” Who would visit her at a time like this? She stood up hesitantly and followed the officer out. The moment she saw who it was, her heart clenched. Her voice trembled with urgency. “Nurse Zeta, what happened to my brother?” Nurse Zeta was the one taking care of her younger brother at the hospital. The solemn expression on her face made Senna’s anxiety spike. “Miss Thorne, your brother found out about your situation online. He’s devastated, and his condition has become unstable. He’s now experiencing complications. We had finally found a bone marrow donor, but for the past few days, we haven’t been able to reach them. Things aren’t looking good.” Senna f
The torrential rain poured down in sheets, and the raging thunder seemed determined to tear apart the pitch-black night sky.Magnus Voss stood by the window, his dark eyes as cold as if they had been submerged in ice water. His long fingers gripped a glass of blood-red wine, his knuckles turning white—silent evidence of the fury simmering inside him.“Sir, Mrs. Voss has been standing outside for three hours,” Edric, his cautious assistant, reported in a low voice from behind him.Through the storm, he watched her—frail and trembling yet still holding onto her stubborn pride. Without a word, he tilted his head back and drained his glass.With a sharp crash, the glass shattered against the floor. In the heavy silence that followed, the steady sound of his footsteps echoed.Senna tilted her head up, letting the freezing rain drench her pallid face. Her misty eyes blurred, indistinguishable between raindrops and tears.A