[Give it a rest. Don't be a fair-weather friend. Where were you when the whole crew needed support? Just admit you're wrong. I apologize for my initial bias.][Me too. I didn't believe it at first when such news emerged, but when I saw Tracy in tears and everyone's expressions unpleasant, I empathized with the victim's perspective and thought the whole crew was bullying her. Who could've thought Tracy was the real troublemaker? She's even in trouble with the law now! What a plot twist! I also owe the crew an apology, and I'll definitely support Shaun's movies.]In no time, topics like 'I owe Shaun's crew an apology' and 'Actress Tracy' were trending. Almost everyone was eager to know what really happened with the crew and what Tracy had done to them.[I can't believe Shaun's crew were the victims. Are they noobs or something? How can they be intimidated by a two-bit actress to give her more scenes? It's ridiculous!]This comment received the highest number of likes. Initially, ever
Melody pondered for a moment but ultimately decided to personally reassure everyone, as well as provide an explanation. Seeing the genuine concern and sadness expressed by her fans in the group chat, she felt even more compelled to make an appearance.[Good evening, everyone.] Melody cautiously typed these few words into the fan group chat.The fans in the group were all shocked; they never expected Melody to actually appear in the group chat.[What! What did I just see? Is it real? Is that Melody?][Is this a prank? Am I seeing things?][Good evening, everyone. Yes, it's me, Melody.]After Melody sent another message, their excitement became even more frantic, flooding the chat so much that Melody's messages were barely visible.Some rational fans immediately intervened. [Everyone, stop spamming. Melody appeared for a reason, and if we keep spamming, others won't be able to see her message.]Many fans were clutching their chests in front of their screens; this was their first
Melody knew that her top priority was to finish filming the movie. When the movie could finally be released, it would be the best way for her to repay her fans. Her fans liked her for various reasons—some for her looks, some for her acting skills, and others because they felt a sense of closeness after meeting her offline. Regardless of the reasons, all she could do was to give back with better performances.…Thalia looked at the comments about Melody, and she felt irritated by the polarized opinions that emerged overnight. Previously, all the social media users were criticizing the film crew, and she had joined in, which attracted attention from many people.As the film crew clarified the situation, many of Melody's fans remembered Thalia and returned to her comment section to sarcastically suggest that those criticizing her must be unhappy in their own lives, hence their unrestrained spread of malice online.Thalia gritted her teeth in frustration, unable to understand how Melod
Since Melody left, Lucas became increasingly distant from Thalia, and she could not understand what he was thinking.At that moment, Lynette brought out a cup of hot milk from the kitchen for Lucas. It was a habit that Melody instilled in Lucas when she was at home. Due to his stomach issues and occasional social obligations, Melody would always prepare a cup of warm milk for him to drink before bedtime whenever he returned home.That night, since Lucas had eaten outside, Lynette heated some milk for him upon his return and was about to bring it upstairs to him.Thalia quickly stepped forward with a smile, saying, "Lynette, please give me the milk. I'll take it up to Lucas. I have something to discuss with him."However, Lynette calmly avoided her outstretched hand and replied, "You're a guest, Miss Thalia. How could I let you do such a thing? If Miss Beatrice finds out, she'll surely criticize me for being an incompetent servant."Some of the older members of the household could
Since Melody moved out, Lucas often stayed in his study until late before returning to their room. Without Melody, the room felt empty, and Lucas only came back briefly before bedtime. Every moment spent there reminded him of Melody's absence.Knock, knock, knock!Lucas instinctively thought it was Melody, but then remembered she was staying in the dormitory. It was impossible for her to be at his study door, so he composed himself."Come in."Thalia walked in with a smile, carrying the glass of milk. "Lucas, are you still busy tonight? I noticed you haven't eaten anything since you got home. Lynette asked me to bring you this cup of milk."Lucas silently watched as she placed the milk in front of him. He was pondering when Melody started considering moving out. Would she still want to move out if he could turn back time to before Thalia came to his house?Seeing Lucas staring at her so intently, Thalia felt a bit shy, so she lowered her head. "Lucas, why are you looking at me li
Lucas did not care much as long as Thalia did not bother him working. He continued to focus on his work.Beatrice saw Thalia hastily coming downstairs as soon as she went out, holding a glass in her hand. Beatrice did not understand why Thalia would suddenly run upstairs when her room was on the first floor. Having a gut feeling something was off, Beatrice followed Thalia to the kitchen.After Thalia reached the kitchen, she vigorously washed the glass.'Why would she wash the glass when it's normally left for the servants?' Beatrice was puzzled, so she called out to Thalia at the kitchen door.Thalia was startled and quickly placed the glass in the sink. She turned around to face Beatrice standing at the door, unsure if she had seen what she was doing just now."G-Grandma? Weren't you resting in your room? Why are you here? Do you want some water? Shall I pour you a glass?" She offered to pour water while staying put as if concealing something.Beatrice looked at her for a momen
Beatrice immediately turned back and hushed him. "Be quiet. I feel like something's off with Thalia. I want to see what she's up to."Cedric stayed silent. 'This Thalia really has a knack for stirring up trouble.'A series of events had unfolded ever since Thalia lived with them; she even caused issues between Lucas and Melody.Cedric and Beatrice had planned to visit Melody the next morning. After all, Melody was staying alone with an injured leg in the set's dormitory. Despite having other actors or actresses around her, Cedric and Beatrice were still worried.After Thalia made sure there was no movement coming from Beatrice's room, she turned off the main light in the hallway and cautiously ascended to the second floor.She did not immediately push open the study door but instead listened in for a while. However, the study had been specially designed for Lucas's work, so the soundproofing was excellent. She stood quietly for a while but could not hear anything inside.After ab
It took a tremendous effort, but Thalia finally managed to move Lucas onto the sofa. She then adjusted his position carefully before sitting in his lap with great caution.Lucas ended up lying on Thalia's shoulder while she smiled sweetly at her phone camera. That was how they ended up taking a very intimate photo together."It's such a pity. How nice would it be if you were awake? Unfortunately, you're now bewitched by that slut Melody, so you can't distinguish who you truly like. It's okay. I'll always be by your side until you realize that the one you truly love is me."Thalia took many photos in a row. She then looked at him and leaned in cautiously."I hope you won't blame me too much when you wake up, Lucas. You should have dumped Melody long ago. The sole reason I came back was to deal with her. I'll definitely help you get rid of that troublesome woman. Goodnight, sleep tight. Don't furrow your brow thinking about that woman anymore. When has she ever once thought of you? T
Sherman could not help but feel fearful when he recalled the incident.Rita gently smoothed his furrowed brow. "I knew you'd come to rescue me, just like all the times you did. I love you, Sherman."Previously, Rita confessed her love to him when she was groggy. At this moment, however, she was clearly awake, even sporting a faint smile on her face as she confessed.Sherman immediately blushed. "I love you, too."Rita did not stay long in the hospital; she quickly returned to the Parr family's mansion. Just as Sherman's grandparents had said, Rita did not have any major injuries, so there was no need for her to stay in the hospital that long. In fact, she might even recover faster emotionally under the care at home.Not once did Sherman bring up Rita's job, but she surprisingly resigned from New Capital Times on her own accord. It would be difficult for her to investigate cases with her current condition; not to mention Sherman had handed over the evidence to the police. The polic
"Sherman, I like you. I love you," Rita finally confessed.Sherman, deeply pained, pulled Rita into his arms. "This is all my fault. I should've looked for you quicker. I've never blamed you. All I want is to see you smile. It's enough for me as long as you're willing to let me stay by your side."You don't have to confess to me. I know it's hard for you to do that because of your family. I've seen the way they've treated you, and…"The bodyguards who had barged in with Sherman felt a bit awkward to see their company president in tears. However, the priority was to get Rita to the hospital for a check-up. Being tied up for hours could cause circulation issues, and it could be dangerous if her limbs did not regain feelings soon.In the end, they got the bravest among them to convince Sherman to let them take Rita to the hospital. Instead of letting them do it, Sherman wiped away his tears and, with ease, lifted Rita as if she was as light as a feather.Fortunately, after the hospit
With that, Karen left without looking back. She was carrying Vince's baby in her womb, so how could she pin all her hopes on Sadie? Since Sadie was obviously unruly, she would have to rely on her son.'Sadie can spend the rest of her life with Esmond since she likes him so much. God knows it had been exhausting enough to raise her. Plus, it's only fair for Esmond to take care of her since I've done my part taking care of her until now,' thought Karen.Meanwhile, the only consolation for Sherman was that Esmond did not try to put up a fight. It seemed that he still cared about his daughter Sadie.Sherman led his men to a dilapidated house. Esmond had been cautious enough to choose a rundown house situated at the end of a village.When Sherman barged in, he found Rita lying on the floor while Esmond's men ignored her. Esmond's men had followed his orders, and since he did not instruct them to do anything to Rita, they left her well alone.Before the men could react, they were surrou
Karen cried and silently knelt by Sadie's side without trying to defend herself. Sadie, on the other hand, feebly tried to explain herself. Alas. Vince refused to listen.There had been many occasions before when he had chosen to believe Karen and Sadie, but at this moment, he realized he had been terribly wrong to do that.Rita used to be so kind, understanding, and well-behaved. However, ever since Karen and Sadie moved in, Vince felt like his daughter had become manipulative, always trying to compete for attention, and stirring up jealousy in front of him.Unfortunately, it took Rita's disappearance to make Vince realize that Rita was not trying to compete for attention. All Rita wanted from him was to treat her the same as Sadie.Vince used to think that Rita should give in to Sadie more since Sadie was younger, too."Why don't you go live with your biological father since you prefer him so much? I never want to see you show your face around here anymore! As for your mother, s
Sadie was so anxious that she wanted to jump out. "Mom, don't tell me you fell for it! Why did you call Esmond? Now they all know where Rita is. You've ruined everything, again! What were you thinking?"Karen could not care less. She cried and slapped Sadie. "You nearly scared me to death! What would I do if something happened to you? I didn't raise you just to watch you die. I told you not to meet up with Esmond, so why did you secretly meet up with him? How can you ask him to get rid of Rita?"Are you out of your mind? All I want is for us to live out the rest of our lives peacefully, so why didn't you listen to me?!"Sadie was furious. Karen had stopped trying to get rid of Rita ever since she got pregnant, so how could Sadie not be angry? Rita was like a thorn in her side, and Sadie would never be happy unless Rita was dead."Don't you know I like Sherman? How could you ask me to do nothing when Rita has stolen him from me?! I was the one who liked him first. It's either Rita g
Karen wanted so badly to slap Esmond through the phone.'What good are his pompous words now? We wouldn't be in this mess now if he hadn't hit me back then! What's more, he's saying he's doing this for Sadie. But has he ever thought of what would happen to me and Sadie if he got rid of Rita? Rita's the heiress of the Russell family. Not to mention, she's married to Sherman, so that makes her owner of Parr Group too! What makes Esmond think he can get rid of Rita so easily?'Karen's breath was ragged as she said, "If you don't believe me, just listen to your daughter's screams. I can't save her now; you will literally decide her fate! Plus, I'm pregnant with Vince's baby, so even if I lose Sadie, I still have a kid—which is more than what I can say about you!"Sherman could not help but be impressed by Karen a little. Even in this dire situation, she did not forget to express her heartfelt feelings to Vince, letting him know that she was always on his side. It was certainly not an ea
"Sherman raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, I'm sure it's just a minor injury, maybe just a finger. There shouldn't be any major issues. A sprained joint takes only a hundred days to heal, and it might take her even less time to heal if you take very good care of her while she's recuperating."Karen's heart ached upon hearing that. She lunged toward Sherman, wanting to hit him, but the bodyguards stopped her before she could get close.Vince, still worried, held Karen tightly beside him. "Calm down. I'm sure Sadie will come out unharmed if Rita's kidnapping has nothing to do with her. But if it does, then you should know very well that…"Vince's voice dropped an octave. He could not believe his daughter's disappearance had anything to do with his stepdaughter. However, he was not utterly naive.He continued, "How could a girl like her take Rita away? Even the car window was smashed. Others must've been involved. Does her biological father have anything to do with it?"Sherman nodded
"Yes, it's true I met up with my biological father, but it was just a one-time thing. I don't want to go back to him at all! Otherwise, I would've done it ages ago. Dad, I'm really grateful to you for taking me in and looking after me all these years. That's why I feel like you're my real father, even more real than those who share the same blood."How could you unjustly accuse me and Mom like that? Sherman is the one spouting nonsense here. He's trying to push all the blame onto us. Dad, you have to wake up and see the truth!"Karen nodded along, but her heart was racing. 'When did Sadie meet Esmond? How did Sherman know when I don't even know? Seems like Sadie does have something to do with Rita's kidnapping. I have to settle things and get Sherman out of here.'Karen never had the thought of rekindling her relationship with Esmond. The only thing she wanted then was to peacefully give birth to her son. Everything in the Russell family would eventually go to her son, and she would
Sherman detested people pointing their fingers at him when they spoke. He stood up slowly, towering over Vince instantly."You claim to be Rita's father, yet if I were you, I'd choose to shut up and stand aside. I can't believe you're scolding me for threatening Sadie when she's not even your real daughter!"Look at her guilty expression; it's clear she's involved. If you don't believe me, use your brain a little. No wonder Russell Group is declining under your leadership. It's only a matter of time before the company goes completely bankrupt!"Sherman showed no mercy, causing Vince to retreat with every word. Vince clutched his chest, struggling for breath.Karen, despite her weakness, stepped forward to support him. "How could you speak to your father-in-law like this? What has Sadie done to offend you? She has nothing but admiration for you. Plus, she's just a child. How could you treat her like this?"She went on and on, but Sherman stood his ground. Meanwhile, the burly bodyg