Chapter 26 79%
Emily felt like she''d been hit over the head with a hammer. Her mind was buzzing, and in her fury, she shredded thatwyer''s letter into tiny pieces.
Word of the incident-that Emily had been pped-soon reached Nathan. Nathan was the assistant director of talent at Sungate Entertainment, and he rushed back from the set as soon as he heard what had happened that afternoon.
"Nathan, I''m fine, really," Emily said, though her cheeks were swollen, clearly showing she had been crying.
"Who did this to you? Tell me, and I''ll make them pay." Nathan had never seen Emily like this and it broke his heart.
Emily copsed into his arms with sobs and said, "Nathan, why... why am I not your real sister?"
Nathan''s heart practically melted at that. ''How I wish you were my real sister. He cursed under his breath, ''Damn Ophelia! This must be another one of her shameless schemes to push Emily out and make the whole family ept her. Hmph, it''s never gonna happen!'' "Emily, you''re the only sister I''ve ever cared about, you know? Don''t listen to those idiots online," said Nathan with a reassuring tone.
"I know, but Nathan, what about the gown? I know you didn''t mean to step on it at the party, but now, they want me to pay full price. What am I supposed to do?" Emily replied with her fake worries.
Nathan had seen the news online and had the PR team deal with it early, but the whole thing had hit thepany''s stock prices hard. Many projects had been put on hold, and Owen and Harry were too busy picking up the pieces to help Emily out.
"Just rx, I''ve got this," Nathan said with a smile.
"But it''s seven million dors, Nathan...seven million. Where on earth are we going to get that kind of money? Maybe we should ask Elia to help us talk to her boss..."
"Ask her? Emily, you don''t need to lower yourself like that. We don''t need her help. Besides, what can she do? She''s just an assistant-there''s no way she''s influencing any big decisions. Trust me, ourpany''s got the cash."
Nathan''s words soothed Emily''s tense nerves. She knew thepany had a big budget set aside for a new film. She said those to Nathan purposely. Tearfully, she hugged him tighter and said, "Nathan, thank you. You''re always the one looking out for me." Nathan replied, "This is on me too. We''ll get through it together
That night, Emily came home, her face still swollen. The moment she saw Heather, she threw herself into Heather''s arms. Heather could tell that her daughter had been through the wringer.
Since the recordings leaked, Heather had wanted to tear that ungrateful brat apart. Everything had gone downhill since they brought Ophelia back into the family. It was one thing after another, and now she couldn''t even hold her head high among other wealthydies. She thought, ''Ophelia really is a jinx. Throwing her out all those years ago was the right move!
The Hastings family was making headlines again, and the rumors were getting worse. Some people were even saying they nned to marry their real daughter to Keh, and George was the one spreading those rumors.
Meanwhile, at La Reverie Studio, Ophelia leisurely munched on some dessert. She suddenly said, "Chloe, let''s wrap this up." She didn''t want her rtionship with Keh to blow up.
"Okay," Chloe replied, her fingers flying across the keys of her high-endptop. With one final tap of the enter key, the
III
Everyone around them gasped-it was more intense than watching a wife catch her husband''s mistress.
"Ah-Hannah, please, let me exin. I... I didn''t..." Emily cried and struggled.
"You didn''t? Emily, stop pretending. I''m cursed to have ever been your friend. What a fool I''ve been," Hannah spat, her words sharp, her hand never stopping.
Emily''s face was now covered in red marks, blood trickling from her lips. She didn''t even have the strength to fight back.
No one dared to step in, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire. At that moment, Emily truly understood what it meant to be abandoned by the world. The second she lost her title as Hastings''s heiress, everyone around her had turned against her. It wasn''t until the guards arrived that they managed to pull Hannah away. Emily sobbed, her face tear-streaked. Yet she still tried to maintain her image and told everyone she wouldn''t press charges and let Hannah go.
Meanwhile, Cathy received a letter addressed to Emily-awyer''s letter. She hesitated as she handed it over, afraid of being caught in the storm of Emily''s wrath. The letter detailed thepensation owed for the gown-seven million dors.
0
Emily felt like she''d been hit over the head with a hammer. Her mind was buzzing, and in her fury, she shredded thatwyer''s letter into tiny pieces.
Word of the incident-that Emily had been pped-soon reached Nathan. Nathan was the assistant director of talent at Sungate Entertainment, and he rushed back from the set as soon as he heard what had happened that afternoon.
"Nathan, I''m fine, really," Emily said, though her cheeks were swollen, clearly showing she had been crying.
"Who did this to you? Tell me, and I''ll make them pay." Nathan had never seen Emily like this and it broke his heart.
Emily copsed into his arms with sobs and said, "Nathan, why.. why am I not your real sister?"
Nathan''s heart practically melted at that. ''How I wish you were my real sister. He cursed under his breath, ''Damn Ophelia! This must be another one of her shameless schemes to push Emily out and make the whole family ept her. Hmph, it''s never gonna happen. "Emily, you''re the only sister I''ve ever cared about, you know? Don''t listen to those idiots online," said Nathan with a reassuring tone.
"I know, but Nathan, what about the gown? I know you didn''t mean to step on it at the party, but now, they want me to pay full price. What am I supposed to do?" Emily replied with her fake worries.
Nathan had seen the news online and had the PR team deal with it early, but the whole thing had hit thepany''s stock prices hard. Many projects had been put on hold, and Owen and Harry were too busy picking up the pieces to help Emily
out.
"Just rx, I''ve got this," Nathan said with a smile.
"But it''s seven million dors, Nathan...seven million. Where on earth are we going to get that kind of money? Maybe we should ask Elia to help us talk to her boss..."
"Ask her? Emily, you don''t need to lower yourself like that. We don''t need her help. Besides, what can she do? She''s just an assistant-there''s no way she''s influencing any big decisions. Trust me, ourpany''s got the cash."
Nathan''s words soothed Emily''s tense nerves. She knew thepany had a big budget set aside for a new film. She said those to Nathan purposely. Tearfully, she hugged him tighter and said, "Nathan, thank you. You''re always the one looking out for me." Nathan replied, "This is on me too. We''ll get through it together
That night, Emily came home, her face still swollen. The moment she saw Heather, she threw herself into Heather''s arms. Heather could tell that her daughter had been through the wringer.
Since the recordings leaked, Heather had wanted to tear that ungrateful brat apart. Everything had gone downhill since they brought Ophelia back into the family. It was one thing after another, and now she couldn''t even hold her head high among other wealthydies. She thought, ''Ophelia really is a jinx. Throwing her out all those years ago was the right move!
The Hastings family was making headlines again, and the rumors were getting worse. Some people were even saying they nned to marry their real daughter to Keh, and George was the one spreading those rumors.
*****
Meanwhile, at La Reverie Studio, Ophelia leisurely munched on some dessert. She suddenly said, "Chloe, let''s wrap this up." She didn''t want her rtionship with Keh to blow up.
"Okay," Chloe replied, her fingers flying across the keys of her high-endptop. With one final tap of the enter key, the
13:55 Sun, Nov 10 BW.
Inte was scrubbed clean of any mention of the Hastings having their daughter marry Keh.
Ophelia was always impressed by Chloe''s hacking skills-she could sneak into any system without leaving a trace. Too bad Ophelia herself was terrible at it. Chloe had tried teaching her a few times, but she just couldn''t get the hang of it.
M
"Chloe, aren''t you curious why I''m doing all this? Why I''m going after the Hastings family like this?" asked Ophelia.
"You used to be way too soft, and now, you''re just right," Chloe said with a smirk. She didn''t need to know the details. As long as Ophelia needed something done, she''d do it without question "But what I am curious about," Chloe added, "is how you got them to fall into your ns, step by step."
Ophelia rested her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on the chessboard in front of her. "Look, it''s just like ying chess. As long as you predict their moves, all you have to do is follow the ybook."
The key was knowing exactly what each of them cared about. George was paranoid and selfish, while Hannah was reckless but loyal. Ophelia had learned this in herst life-Hannah had stuck her neck out for Emily countless times. It was better to have her wise up now before she ruined her future.
As the sky darkened outside, Ophelia nced over at Chloe and suggested, "You should take Wyatt home. I''ll leave soon."
"Alright. You..." Chloe hesitated, about to remind her to stay safe, but figured her worrying was pointless "Just get home early."
"Sure." Ophelia nodded vigorously. As she thought about the weekend was around the corner, her waist tensed up already. She howled inwardly, ''Keh, how did I not realize in myst life that you were so driven by lust?''
Ophelia tidied up the chessboard, making sure the studio was spotless before locking up. By the time she left, it was already past 11 p.m.
Denex''s nightlife was in full swing, and the streets were buzzing with energy. As she reached the corner, the mouthwatering smell of French fries hit her, instantly triggering her cravings.
Back when she lived in the slums, food was just about survival. But ever since she''d gotten a taste for the finer things, she found herself giving in to indulgence more often.
As she crossed the street and headed toward the food stand, she suddenly switched directions, ducking into a deserted alley. Barely half a minuteter, a gray van pulled up at the entrance to the alley. Five guys-different sizes, but all equally rough-looking-got out. "Where''d she go?" one of the men asked.
"I swear I saw her walk in here," another man answered.
The alley was dimly lit, the kind of ce nobody in their right mind would walk through thiste.
"Are you looking for me?" Ophelia''s voice drifted from the shadows at the far end of the alley.
The men moved a few steps closer and shone their phone lights around. ''Yep, there she is, just like the girl in the photo,'' they thought, thrilled that they had found their target.
The guy in a ck shirt with gold trim, clearly the leader, smirked. "So, you''re Ophelia? Gotta admit that you''re pretty easy on the eyes."
He swaggered toward Ophelia, his attitude cocky. "Someone paid us to teach you a lesson. But I don''t think I can be too hard on such a hot chick. How a
55 Sun,
Emily felt like she''d been hit over the head with a hammer. Her mind was buzzing, and in her fury, she shredded thatwyer''s letter into tiny pieces.
Word of the incident-that Emily had been pped-soon reached Nathan. Nathan was the assistant director of talent at Sungate Entertainment, and he rushed back from the set as soon as he heard what had happened that afternoon.
"Nathan, I''m fine, really," Emily said, though her cheeks were swollen, clearly showing she had been crying.
"Who did this to you? Tell me, and I''ll make them pay." Nathan had never seen Emily like this and it broke his heart.
Emily copsed into his arms with sobs and said, "Nathan, why.. why am I not your real sister?"
Nathan''s heart practically melted at that. ''How I wish you were my real sister. He cursed under his breath, ''Damn Ophelia! This must be another one of her shameless schemes to push Emily out and make the whole family ept her. Hmph, it''s never gonna happen. "Emily, you''re the only sister I''ve ever cared about, you know? Don''t listen to those idiots online," said Nathan with a reassuring tone.
"I know, but Nathan, what about the gown? I know you didn''t mean to step on it at the party, but now, they want me to pay full price. What am I supposed to do?" Emily replied with her fake worries.
Nathan had seen the news online and had the PR team deal with it early, but the whole thing had hit thepany''s stock prices hard. Many projects had been put on hold, and Owen and Harry were too busy picking up the pieces to help Emily
out.
"Just rx, I''ve got this," Nathan said with a smile.
"But it''s seven million dors, Nathan...seven million. Where on earth are we going to get that kind of money? Maybe we should ask Elia to help us talk to her boss..."
"Ask her? Emily, you don''t need to lower yourself like that. We don''t need her help. Besides, what can she do? She''s just an assistant-there''s no way she''s influencing any big decisions. Trust me, ourpany''s got the cash."
Nathan''s words soothed Emily''s tense nerves. She knew thepany had a big budget set aside for a new film. She said those to Nathan purposely. Tearfully, she hugged him tighter and said, "Nathan, thank you. You''re always the one looking out for me." Nathan replied, "This is on me too. We''ll get through it together
That night, Emily came home, her face still swollen. The moment she saw Heather, she threw herself into Heather''s arms. Heather could tell that her daughter had been through the wringer.
Since the recordings leaked, Heather had wanted to tear that ungrateful brat apart. Everything had gone downhill since they brought Ophelia back into the family. It was one thing after another, and now she couldn''t even hold her head high among other wealthydies. She thought, ''Ophelia really is a jinx. Throwing her out all those years ago was the right move!
The Hastings family was making headlines again, and the rumors were getting worse. Some people were even saying they nned to marry their real daughter to Keh, and George was the one spreading those rumors.
*****
Meanwhile, at La Reverie Studio, Ophelia leisurely munched on some dessert. She suddenly said, "Chloe, let''s wrap this up." She didn''t want her rtionship with Keh to blow up.
"Okay," Chloe replied, her fingers flying across the keys of her high-endptop. With one final tap of the enter key, the
13:55 Sun, Nov 10 BW.
Inte was scrubbed clean of any mention of the Hastings having their daughter marry Keh.
Ophelia was always impressed by Chloe''s hacking skills-she could sneak into any system without leaving a trace. Too bad Ophelia herself was terrible at it. Chloe had tried teaching her a few times, but she just couldn''t get the hang of it.
M
"Chloe, aren''t you curious why I''m doing all this? Why I''m going after the Hastings family like this?" asked Ophelia.
"You used to be way too soft, and now, you''re just right," Chloe said with a smirk. She didn''t need to know the details. As long as Ophelia needed something done, she''d do it without question "But what I am curious about," Chloe added, "is how you got them to fall into your ns, step by step." Ophelia rested her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on the chessboard in front of her. "Look, it''s just like ying chess. As long as you predict their moves, all you have to do is follow the ybook."
The key was knowing exactly what each of them cared about. George was paranoid and selfish, while Hannah was reckless but loyal. Ophelia had learned this in herst life-Hannah had stuck her neck out for Emily countless times. It was better to have her wise up now before she ruined her future.
As the sky darkened outside, Ophelia nced over at Chloe and suggested, "You should take Wyatt home. I''ll leave soon."
"Alright. You..." Chloe hesitated, about to remind her to stay safe, but figured her worrying was pointless "Just get home early."
"Sure." Ophelia nodded vigorously. As she thought about the weekend was around the corner, her waist tensed up already. She howled inwardly, ''Keh, how did I not realize in myst life that you were so driven by lust?''
Ophelia tidied up the chessboard, making sure the studio was spotless before locking up. By the time she left, it was already past 11 p.m.
Denex''s nightlife was in full swing, and the streets were buzzing with energy. As she reached the corner, the mouthwatering smell of French fries hit her, instantly triggering her cravings.
Back when she lived in the slums, food was just about survival. But ever since she''d gotten a taste for the finer things, she found herself giving in to indulgence more often.
As she crossed the street and headed toward the food stand, she suddenly switched directions, ducking into a deserted alley. Barely half a minuteter, a gray van pulled up at the entrance to the alley. Five guys-different sizes, but all equally rough-looking-got out. "Where''d she go?" one of the men asked.
"I swear I saw her walk in here," another man answered.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.
The alley was dimly lit, the kind of ce nobody in their right mind would walk through thiste.
"Are you looking for me?" Ophelia''s voice drifted from the shadows at the far end of the alley.
The men moved a few steps closer and shone their phone lights around. ''Yep, there she is, just like the girl in the photo,'' they thought, thrilled that they had found their target.
The guy in a ck shirt with gold trim, clearly the leader, smirked. "So, you''re Ophelia? Gotta admit that you''re pretty easy on the eyes."
He swaggered toward Ophelia, his attitude cocky. "Someone paid us to teach you a lesson. But I don''t think I can be too hard on such a hot chick. How about you p yourself and let us filmit? If you y nice, we''ll make this quick."
Qh?" Ophelia nced over the group and asked, "And then what"
"You better be wise and do what I said. Look, we''re just a bunch of big, clumsy guys. Would be a shame if we messed pretty face of yours," he said, his beady eyes scanning her up and down, his chubby fingers clenching and unclenching like
up
that
13:55 Sun, Nov 10 BOU.
he was trying to hold back.
Eyeing the beautiful woman, the leader thought, "Too bad the client made it clear we can''t do anything more to her.
"Don''t you guys ever bother to find out who you''re dealing with before you take a job? Aren''t you worried you might not make it out of here?" Ophelia then said, her tone arrogant.
Her words made the guys burst outughing like she''d just told the funniest joke ever.
"Little chick, what makes you say that to us? You''re really full of yourself," one of those guys said with loudughter.
"Enough, Boss, no need to waste time with her. Let''s get this over with," another man said.
Two of them moved forward, confident they could easily handle the woman. Their leader, leaning against the van, lit a cigarette, and one of the guys already had a camera rolling. "Sorry, sweetheart," the guy said while approaching Ophelia.
bout you p yourself and let us filmit? If you y nice, we''ll make this quick."