Tasha assumed Thalia must have a decent background and experience in dealing with things, so the lawyer she would contact would surely be better than what she could find herself. Plus, she would not have to pay for the lawyer anymore, so she could save the remaining money for herself. After this whole thing was over, she could move to another city."Alright, that's all I wanted to hear. I feel better knowing you have my back. After all, you've come back from abroad, right? You must know a lot more than us."After hanging up the phone, Tasha breathed a sigh of relief. She then went back to her computer and checked the lively discussions under the posts she had made.[How can somebody with such low morals as Melody become an actress? It shows that the threshold nowadays is getting lower.]This comment received the most likes, and Tasha secretly liked it with another account of hers.'Yeah, nowadays anyone can become a celebrity. What's so great about Melody that so many people like
The more Thalia thought about it, the more she felt that Lucas already knew something. 'Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept quiet about it. Maybe he's waiting for me to admit my wrongdoing.'She bit her lower lip in frustration. She had thought that she had orchestrated the situation perfectly, but Lucas still noticed. Regardless, she was happy to learn that Melody's online reputation had reached a point where everyone was calling for her cancellation.It did not matter whether Lucas knew or not; Thalia had achieved her goal as long as she could make Melody lose her dignity. As for what Lucas would think of her, Thalia was not worried at all.In all the years they knew each other, whenever Thalia mentioned Claudia in front of him, he would always soften. After all, it was something Lucas owed her, was it not? She had already planned how to garner his sympathy all over again.However, Thalia received an unexpected message from Quinn, who was far away in Molomia. The message asked her t
Quinn turned her left cheek toward Thalia, revealing two red marks. However, that was not the main issue. What did it mean that the woman was the daughter of a big shot?"Are you saying you got involved with the local mob?" Thalia asked."How should I know?! If she had just slapped me and left it at that, it would've been one thing, but... She said she'd have her dad's guys deal with me. Thalia, what should I do? I'm terrified. What if you come back and I'm gone forever?" she sobs.Thalia, feeling even more irritated after Quinn's explanation, said, "Stop crying for a moment. Did that guy tell you he was single when you met him?"Quinn hesitated to answer, "I think he did. I was pretty drunk at the time. You know me; I don't pay attention to others once I'm inebriated."Thalia felt her temples pulsating. "I warned you countless times not to get drunk outside, but you never listened. Look what happened. You didn't even know if that guy was single or not, and you went out and messed
"Anyway, you can't stay there anymore after offending a mob boss! Why don't you also take a semester off from school and come back to lay low? You can also help me out while you're here," Thalia suggested.Quinn was surprised. "Really? But where would I stay then? Unlike you, I don't have a man to support me. I'm all alone. I don't know who else I can turn to besides you."Thalia understood what Quinn was getting at very well."You can stay with me, of course. Do you really think I'd let you stay in a hotel? But let me make it clear in advance, when you're here, you'll have to listen to me. You can't behave as recklessly as you do in Molomia while you're here."Once Quinn returned, she would inevitably have to deal with the elders of the Rivera family. They already had a poor impression of her, so it would only worsen Thalia's situation if Quinn continued her reckless behavior.Quinn was already thinking about finding a good place to hide for a while. Thalia's suggestion hit the s
"You're overthinking it," said Thalia with a light smile. "Is that what's bothering you at home? Although some things may involve privacy, Lucas, you should know that I'm more than willing to help you through any difficulties."Thalia's smile became even more understanding. However, Lucas felt like he was increasingly unable to see through this friend he had known for years."You don't have to force a smile," Lucas said coldly, leaving Thalia looking as though she had been struck by lightning. Her smile froze."Lucas, what do you mean?""It's exactly what I mean. If you don't want to smile, you don't have to fake it."Thalia's smile disappeared completely from her face. "Lucas, have you heard something?"Lucas would never speak to her in this manner and tone unless he knew she had sent someone to frame Melody. He had always been accommodating to her, so speaking to her in such a cold manner made it difficult for her to accept."Heard what?"Lucas was perplexed, but he maintaine
"I want to ruin her reputation. She deserved it! If it weren't for her, I'd be the one standing by your side now. I'd be Missus Rivera!" Thalia continued.Lucas, despite his slow comprehension, realized she was referring to the incident in the restroom.Thalia had previously insisted that Melody pushed her, yet she was, admitting to orchestrating it. Although he felt somewhat shocked, Lucas remained calm and composed.His other hand, however, slid into his pocket to reach for his phone. "Ah, so it was really you. Didn't you accuse Melody of pushing you before?"Lucas chuckled, his smile tinged with sarcasm.Thalia frowned but forced a smile. "Yeah, how could I not blame that woman? She stole you from me, and she pretended to be pitiful with her injured foot! Why? I'm clearly better than her in terms of looks and family background, so why does she get to be the one by your side? She's not worthy!"The smile on Lucas' face disappeared. "I've never cared about those things. I'm with
As the nurses wheeled Thalia away for further examination, Lucas remained alone in the corridor, feeling overwhelmed by recent happenings. He could not shake the headache that had plagued him since everything began.Memories of Claudia flooded his mind. After a long while, Lucas sighed, feeling mentally exhausted. Thoughts of Melody then crossed his mind. Despite her immersion in the entertainment industry, she never forgot her original intentions. In this chaotic world, she never once thought of harming others and diligently focused on her acting career.Lucas' heart ached at the thought of Melody's predicament amidst the public uproar. He blamed himself for this situation. If he firmly believed in Melody, their relationship would not be as strained as it was.He knew that his impulsive words had hurt Melody deeply. However, seeing Thalia lying on the ground reminded him of the helpless feeling he experienced when Claudia was kidnapped because of him. He could not control his emoti
Most of Melody's fans had remained silent because they understood that it was the trend to hate her. Melody's fans would just get labeled as fanatics if they had come to her defense.[I know what kind of person Melody is. I won't dislike her just because these people are incessantly criticizing her.]Many fans sought solace in Melody's fan groups.[I've met Melody, and she's a very nice person. It breaks my heart to see everyone throwing all this dirt at her. Melody hasn't done anything wrong, so why are they insulting her like this? The incident with the cast has already been clarified, so why isn't anyone speaking up to clarify things for Melody now?][Don't you know why? Melody isn't signed on to any company. She's just a fledgling new actress. I heard that the filming for the movie has reached the latter half, and the entire crew is working tirelessly to meet the schedule. It's very likely that they don't even know about this major incident happening online! Sigh, at times like
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