Chapter <b>120 </b>
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Ynda watched Ian drive off before heading back inside to change into a professional outfit. She then drove herself to Starlight Entertainment.
She had done her research on thepany. Starlight Entertainment had a dozen or so executives, most of whom owed their position to family connections. The ce was infamous for squeezing everyst drop out of their talent, and its reputation in the entertainment world was practically toxic.
Their talents were all at the perfect age to shine, yet many were stuck in contractssting ten, sometimes even
twenty years.
‘All that youth and potential, just drained away here,‘ Ynda thought to herself, feeling a sh of pity.
And if any of the talents happened to be especially good–looking, they’d be pushed to attend events and drink with business partners–like they were nothing more than eye candy.
Ynda’s mission was clear–she was here to shake things up and overhaul the entire system.
Just as Ynda pulled up outside Starlight Entertainment, her screen lit up with a message from Ian.
[Got hurt.]
He’d attached a photo of his calf–there was a fresh scratch along it, probably where he’d scraped it on something.
It had been two days since they’d returned to Beloris, and Ian hadn’t reached out once. He was still clearly
upset. <fne7e3> Fresh chapters posted on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fne7e3>
But now, here he was<b>, </b>sending her a message. He wanted to make <ol><li>up. </li></ol>
‘That little puppy always overthinks everything,‘ Ynda thought to herself with a fond smile.
Ynda was in a good mood and perfectly willing tofort him, so she picked up her phone and gaven a
call.
“How did you get hurt?” Ynda asked gently, her voice full of concern.
“Oh, just scratched my leg while filming. It’s no big deal,” Ian replied, making it sound like nothing had happened at all.
But even though Jan said he was fine, Ynda knew he actually wanted her toe check up on him.
She nced at the Starlight Entertainment building right in front of her, figuring, ‘It won’t hurt to put this off for a bit–no rush‘
With a smile, Ynda asked, “When do you think you’ll be done filming today?”
“No idea. It’s gonna bete–might even have to pull an all–nighter. Raelyn got kicked off the project. She’s seriously injured, and the hospital says she won’t be out for at least two months. Ms. Sinir couldn’t wait, <b>so </b>
11:04 Wed, Sep <b>24 </b>
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she reced the lead actress. Now I have to reshoot some scenes,” Ian exined, his voice sounding tired.
Ynda raised an eyebrow. ‘Looks like Cedric didn’t hold back at all, she thought.
She wasn’t going to feel guilty about it–if she hadn’t made the first move, Raelyn would’ve set Cedric on her andn, and neither of them would’ve made it out alive.
‘I don’t mess with anyone unless they mess with me first,‘ Ynda told herself.
“Sounds like you’ve got a lot going on. Will you have time for a birthday celebration after midnight? I got you something,” Ynda said, her voice warm and teasing.
Even though Ian wasn’t in front of her, Ynda could practically see his ears perk up and his tail start wagging.
He was silent for a few seconds before finally asking, his voice barely above a whisper, “You know my birthday?”
“Huh? Shouldn’t I know? You’re my talent, after all. All your info is right there in your file,” Ynda replied breezily.
His throat went dry and his voice came out hoarse. “Ms. Grant… are you saying this just to mess with me?”
He knew she was teasing him on purpose, just to throw his heart into chaos.
Ynda smiled, sneaking a look at the clock. “Honestly, I was gonna report in at Starlight Entertainment today, but those execs are probably itching to pull some power moves on me. No harm letting them stew a little longer. How about Ie by your ce first, slip into something more chill, and then head over to find you?”
This outfit’s way too stiff for the set–I’d totally stick out.
Besides, whenever she hung out with Ian, she always yed it cool, keeping it casual with a hat and mask to dodge the spotlight.
Ian’s voice came out hoarse. “Okay.”
Ynda didn’t even hesitate–she swung her car around, hit up the mall for some everyday outfits, and made a quick stop at Ian’s ce <i>to </i>slip into somethingfortable. She grabbed a whole stack of hats and masks too–some went straight into her car for emergencies, while the rest she tucked away in the guest room at the vi.
While she was chilling at the vi, Ynda didn’t just sit around–she gave ke a call.
ke’s voice came through, that signaturezy, street–smart tone of his. “Charles is back, so me and her gotta keep it on the down low. But I think the n went through.”
Ynda nodded, even though ke couldn’t see it. “Stick close to her for now. Don’t draw too much attention.”
ke took a drag from his cigarette. “When do I get paid the rest?<b>” </b>
11:04 Wed, Sep 24 …
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<b>93 </b>
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“Once the morning sickness kicks in and the Sinir family finds out, you grab the cash and disappear,” Ynda said coolly.
“Sounds good,” ke replied, casual as ever.
No fuss, no drama–ke was straight–up, and so was Ynda.
Feeling a little more at ease, Ynda’s phone buzzed with a few messages from Vivian.
There were a few haunting pictures attached, along with a nasty threat.
[Bitch, you won’t make it to the end of the month.]
Ynda took screenshots of the threatening messages and sent them to Charles.
[Honey, can I stay home?]
Her message sounded meek and desperate.
Charles’s expression darkened as he scrolled through the screenshots. His fingers drummed lightly on the desk, lost in thought.
He knew exactly what Vivian was like—she’d pulled stunts like this before to mess with Ynda, only Ynda had never bothered toin until now.
Now she was reaching out, definitely scared. After that p and having her earring yanked out, it was only natural she’d still be jumpy.
‘Guess my advice finally worked–she’s actually asking for help now,‘ Charles thought, a hint of amusement in his mind. ‘And her message sounded so meek and kinda adorable, too.‘
Jack, standing nearby, caught a glimpse of the message too.
“CEO, Vivian can be pretty extreme. If she gets Grady to make a move…” Jack said, letting the implication hang in the air.
If Grady got involved, Ynda would be in for it.
Charles grabbed the contract and signed his name with a flourish. “Let’s get Grady booted out of the country. If I remember right, he’s not even a Solvarian citizen anymore.”
That was Grady’s Achilles‘ heel–he didn’t have Solvarian citizenship. If he messed up here, he’d be sent packing for good, banned from stepping foot in Solvaria for life.
Charles leaned back, the hint of a grin on his face. “Find out Grady’s recent stomping grounds and get me a meeting with some government folks.”
Jack knew Charles was about to make his move.
It really looked like the CEO actually cared about his wife.
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11:04 Wed, Sep 24 ..
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Without wasting a second, Jack got to work making the arrangements.
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Meanwhile, Vivian gave her uncle Grady an ultimatum: Ynda needed to be dealt with permanently–no mercy, no second chances.
Vivian was Grady’s favorite, so he’d bend over backwards to satisfy her. He med his own carelessness for letting Ynda survivest time, and this time, he was determined to make sure nothing was left to chance. He’d reserved a private room at an upscale restaurant for himself and his team–never imagining Charles would show up right there.
Grady’s expression soured, but he pped on a fake smile. “Mr. Sinir, long time no see.”
His gaze shifted to Charles’spanion. “Who’s your friend?”
The man gave a polite nod, introducing himself with quiet confidence.
Grady frowned, feeling instantly annoyed–he never got along with government guys, and he definitely wasn’t happy to see one tagging along. With a cold scoff, he brushed past them and strode forward, making it clear he wasn’t interested in making small talk.
As a waiter walked by carrying a tray, it suddenly tipped, sending hot soup sshing all over Grady.
Grady’s face darkened, a vein throbbing at his temple. “Are you looking for trouble?!”
As he lifted his arm in anger, a gun slipped from beneath his jacket and hit the floor with a loud tter, drawing everyone’s startled gazes.
Gasps and screams erupted around them; someone quickly called the police.
Grady was stunned. He hadn’t brought a gun today–no way that was his.
But the moment the waitress caught sight of the gun, she shrieked in terror–before she knew it, the tray slipped from her hands and crashed onto the floor.
Grady was already losing his patience, and her scream pushed him over the edge. “Shut the fuck up!”
The waitress fell to her knees, sobbing. “Please, don’t kill me! I’m begging you!”
Grady was shaking all over, practically ready to blow–he looked like he could snap and fire off a shot right then and there.
Charles observed the chaos from a distance, a trace of amusement glinting in his eyes as he nced over at the man beside him.
The man was drenched in sweat, his lips drained of color, frozen in fear.