<b>Chapter </b><b>326 </b>
‘With Aria by my side, getting rid of scars is a piece of cake!‘ she thought confidently.
Only then did Dawson act as if he had just noticed Aria. He hurried forward with quick steps, his demeanor instantly turning respectful.
Dawson said, “Ms. Saxon, rest assured–I’m on it. I’ll get to the bottom of this and track down whoever tried to hurt Vanessa.”
Aria stood up and said, “Take me to the set.”
Janice quickly gave M a meaningful look and instructed, “M, take Ms. Saxon there. I’ll stay here with Vanessa.”
M quickly replied, “Yes, Janice.”
With Dawson in tow, the trio arrived at the filming location.
After the injury incident, the scene had been cordoned off, with traces of the ident still lingering.
The set was mostly draped in green screens, with props neatly arranged throughout, but a small pool of blood on the floor stood out starkly.
Aria’s gaze swept over the bloodstain, her eyes frosting over with a deadly chill.
Noticing the icy look in Aria’s eyes, M gulped nervously and asked tentatively, “Aria, shall we go see the director first?”
Aria gave a terse nod. “Sure.”
Dawson didn’t say a word, silently trailing behind them.
Beyond the set was the backstage area.
The director, Gary Wird, was deep in conversation with the man across from him. “Mr. Nicholson, the props were deliberately swapped out, and the key surveince footage was deleted. Whoever did this came prepared–we’re dealing with professionals here.”
Moving closer, Aria recognized the man–it was Russell.
Noticing Aria’s gaze, Dawson hurried over and exined in a low voice, “The film Vanessa is working on is backed by Neb Corp. Russell Nicholson is both the producer and the overall head of the project. Last time we went to the Aureus Club to discuss this partnership, Mr. Nicholson was quite cooperative.”
Aria strode forward.
Noticing someone approaching, Russell and Gary turned their heads in unison.
A flicker of surprise crossed Gary’s face when he recognized the CEO of Starmon Films. He immediately rose to his feet and approached. “Mr. Campbell, what brings you here?”
Russell’s gazended on Aria.
“Ms. Saxon, here for Vanessa Ward, I presume?” There was no trace of surprise on his face–just a mocking glint in his eyes.
Russell seemed utterly certain she woulde.
“Yes,” Aria replied tly.
Russell said, “Regrettable as this is, Neb Corp. will cover Vanessa Ward’s medical expenses and lost wages.<b>” </b>
He apologized, but the mocking smile in his eyes was tant, oozing with provocation.
09:32 <b>Mon</b>, 16 <b>Jun </b>
Aria’s expression was icy as she shot back, “Do we look like we need your money?”
On her way there, Aria had watched the set footage. Had Vanessa not reacted so quickly, the consequences would have been dire
The culprit was most likely standing right in front of her, Aria supposed.
Their gazes locked, the air crackling with tension as the temperature around them seemed to plummet.
Seeing the tension escte, Dawson’s heart skipped a beat. He hastily stepped in to mediate. “Ms. Saxon, I’m sure Mr. Nicholson didn’t mean it that <b>way</b>.
“An ident like this is bad for Neb Corp. Clearly, someone is working behind the scenes, trying to sabotage our partnership and drive a wedge between ourpanies.
“The police are already on the case, and we should have some answers soon. Please try <i>not </i>to worry, Ms. Saxon<i>.</i><i>” </i>
Aria fixed her steely gaze on Russell. “Mr. Nicholson, I expect a proper exnation from you–soon.<i>” </i>
With a mocking half–smile, Russell replied in a deliberately unhurried tone, “Alright, but we’ll need to exchange contact info–for smoothermunication.”
Aria smirked, her eyes cold and distant. “Mr. Nicholson, <i>you </i>should just go through Mr. Campbell. After all, your fiancee is notoriously possessive–if she finds out we’re in contact, who knows what kind of misunderstanding that might cause?”
‘How did Ms. Saxon even <i>know </i>Mr. Nicholson has a fiancee?‘ Dawson and Gary exchanged identical looks of shock.
Russell smirked. “Scared, Ms. Saxon?”
As he spoke, he leaned in slightly and lowered his <i>voice</i>, a hint of mockery in his tone. “Ms. Saxon, are you afraid my fiancee will get the wrong idea, or is it your neighbor, Mr. Shaw<i>, </i>you’re worried about?”
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