With no strength in her legs and her body limp, Lucas found it easy to scoop Melody up. Normally, she would be reluctant to be seen like that in front of colleagues, but she was in no physical or mental state to refuse.Especially after her embarrassing display of nonsense in front of all the actors earlier, she felt even more ashamed, wishing she could bury her face in Lucas' chest.Lucas showed no signs of strain as he carried the 40-kilogram Melody out of the room. Each step he took was steady as if afraid of tipping over the woman in his arms.His embrace was warm, and Melody unconsciously drifted off to sleep. When she woke up again, she found herself in the car, with Lucas already seated.She mumbled his name sleepily, and he turned on the overhead light, asking, "Do you want some water?"As Melody nodded, he brought the water to her lips."Where are we now? Wasn't I at the celebration party just now?"Melody's eyes darted around, and Lucas could tell she was pretending to
[To be honest, when I first heard Nathan and Melody were starring in War Song, I didn't have high expectations for the movie since they were both newcomers. But there haven't been too many good movies coming out in theaters lately, so I just thought I'd watch their movie. It sort of helped that they're both incredibly good-looking. But guess what? They were both amazing!]On movie rating apps, most comments were about the surprising plot and the impressive acting skills of the two new actors, with Melody being particularly stunning.[Exactly! When she appeared in the first scene, I understood why Shaun insisted on casting her.]Many social media users shared the same sentiment. [You're right. People shouldn't judge by appearances, especially when it comes to someone as beautiful as Melody. She's so natural and comfortable to watch. When she's on screen, it's like Athena herself is there…]Melody received waves of praise for her acting skills, although she felt shy about all the com
The Golden Feather Awards was the most prestigious film industry award in the country, and being nominated was often a great honor.War Song received four nominations—Best Newcomer Actress for Melody, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor for Nathan, and Best Director for Shaun. Each nomination carried significant weight.[Wow, War Song is really standing out in this year's Golden Feather Awards. I wonder if they'll get all four categories!][I doubt it. If they did, what would other films say? Although the film market this year has been relatively quiet, there are still a few standout films, especially the one Patrick Young was in. His acting was really outstanding in that one.][Patrick might have a shot at the Best Actor, but let's be honest, the movie's plot was lacking. The films with better plots can't even compete with War Song, let alone those without any plot.]Social media users debated endlessly about each award category. However, no matter how much they discussed, the
Melody looked at the dresses Paige had picked out with some concern. "Paige, won't me wearing these high-end designs as a newcomer be too ostentatious?"Paige shot her a glare. "This occasion is all about female stars showcasing their style and competing for attention. Don't tell me you're planning to walk the red carpet in something plain and ordinary. Your fans might tear me apart if they see that! With such abundant resources, we must pick the perfect outfit for you."Melody shrugged. "Paige, don't make my fans sound so unreasonable.""Sure, sure, they're reasonable. And you're reasonable too, right? It's just me who's unreasonable. Now, let's just pick one. I'm sure your fans would want to see you looking gorgeous on that day."As soon as Melody heard that, she compromised. These designer dresses were all beautiful. Lucas had explicitly told Melody she could buy whichever one she wanted; there was no need to borrow like other celebrities. Melody got the first dibs, and only aft
Paige was speechless. Even after Lucas said that, Melody still had not grasped what he was getting at. Should she say it or not? In some ways, Melody was exceptionally dense.However, in the chaotic entertainment industry, maintaining a degree of obliviousness might not necessarily be a bad thing. After all, being too sensitive could lead to unnecessary pain.Melody walked the red carpet with the War Song cast. Shaun held a prominent position in the industry, but because both of his lead actors were newcomers, they were instead placed in the middle of the lineup.When Melody, dressed in a flawless white gown, joined them, even someone as straightforward as Nathan blushed. "Melody, you look absolutely stunning today. You've outshone all the other actresses here."He usually spoke bluntly, but with so many live cameras, Melody worried that he might accidentally say something that would be broadcast and upset fans of other celebrities.However, others in their group seemed unconcerne
"I'm definitely nervous, but more than that, I'm excited and looking forward to interacting with other veteran actors tonight.""What an impeccable answer from Melody Sanders, everyone. It seems she's come prepared tonight. But I noticed that most female actors attending tonight have male companions. Did you not consider bringing one yourself?"Melody was puzzled. What did the Golden Feather Awards have anything to do with having a male companion? After all, they were all walking with their cast members."Um, I had one, but now I've been separated from him by you," Melody replied playfully.The host had been staring behind her the whole time, and she thought maybe she had taken up too much time, but the host did not seem eager to take back the microphone."Yeah, I'm sorry for separating you from your fellow cast members. Let me make it up to you by giving you a male companion—"The screams from the audience almost lifted the roof off. Melody was utterly bewildered. As she followe
Even bystanders were intoxicated when they saw how enamored Melody and Lucas were of each other. Someone could not resist shouting, "I believe in love again!""It seems you didn't know that your husband would come after all, Melody," the host commented, and he handed the microphone to Melody."He's good at keeping secrets," she replied with a nod.The host then turned to Lucas and asked, "Lucas, do you think Melody will win the award tonight?"The host seemed to be digging a hole for them. Others might speculate about whether Melody's award was legitimate if Lucas said yes, but if he said no, it would seem unrealistic."I wish nothing but success for her," he replied.The host did not dare to continue probing, fearing to offend this influential figure."Alright, let's wish both of them success. Now, let's welcome the next guest!"Lucas bent down to pick up Melody's train. "Let's go, my queen."Melody blushed as she watched his lips. He not only surprised her in such a big way
"Also, I want to thank my beloved husband. Thank you for your support all this time. I love you. I'll continue to work hard in my acting career. Thank you, everyone!"Lucas sat in the audience, smiling as he watched Melody. He had been by Melody's side all along and knew how hard she had worked to get here. This award was more like an acknowledgment for all of her efforts.She could have had a smoother journey if it had not been for those setbacks, but no one could say for sure that they were meaningless. After all, perhaps it was due to all those setbacks that she was ever to reach all these new heights.Most importantly, no matter how many horrible things she had experienced before, Melody had overcome them all. Lucas was forever proud of her.After stepping off the stage, Melody immediately hugged Lucas. At that moment, she did not care about the numerous gazes from others. She just wanted to embrace the person she loved the most.When Melody was on stage, she could still prete
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