Leah’s face turned ice-cold, her voice equally frigid. "What did you say? You really heard that?"
"I really did!"
"And did you record it?"
"No... Do you think I’m as scheming as Ella? Hmph. I just wanted to let you know, so you’d understand exactly how you got knocked out of the competition. There are plenty of girls with better family backgrounds and advantages than yours lined up for a date with Director Taylor!"
Bella spoke icily from the other end, "Besides, with Ella badmouthing you, calling you arrogant and ruthless, if I were a guy, I wouldn’t want you either!"
Leah gripped her phone tightly. "I understand."
Furious, she threw her phone onto the floor.
The line went dead, filling the silence with the dial tone.
Tears brimming, Leah stomped on the phone, finally turning it off.
Little did she know, Bella was smirking on the other end, satisfied with her scheming.
Leah had been through highs and lows in her life, and Bella had just struck another match, one that was sure to reach Ella soon. Bella didn’t even need to lift a finger; a few words were all it took to fan the flas. It felt good.
Leah sat silently in her room, tears streaming down her face.
Even though she still lived in a luxury house, Leah now worked for a company as a model—a seemingly glamorous but tough job. Since the Carter Group had fallen, people had subtly, and not so subtly, started to bully her, giving her the hardest work, the longest hours, and the least pay.
She couldn’t accept it! She couldn’t stand that her once-beautiful life had been wrecked by Ella!
Seeds of resentnt planted themselves one after another in Leah’s heart, growing, taking root, and rising into a towering tree of vengeance.
...
An hour earlier.
Ella, unaware of Leah’s simring resentnt, was happily chatting and dining with friends.
"Ella, you’re finally in the clear! Sean’s whole train wreck of a family is finally getting what they deserve!" Alia chuckled. "No more dealing with that clan of phony saints and jerks."
Ella smiled faintly, glancing at Eric, whose refined profile and elegance were captivating as he ticulously picked out fish bones.
"Not so fast—bad people have a way of sticking around." Ella thought of Rachel, whose case had just been heard; she’d been sentenced to three years for assault.
Three years might not be long, but Ella knew that a woman would change after ti in prison. By the ti she was released, she’d be incapable of causing any trouble.
"Wasn’t there talk that Henry was disfigured? What’s his situation now?" Richard asked with curiosity.
Eric shot him a chilly look—way to spoil the mood.
"The professor I hired had a scheduling conflict, so he’ll have to wait two more months before going to Country W."
Brian chuckled. "Eric, so you don’t hate him anymore?"
Eric placed a perfectly de-boned piece of fish in Ella’s bowl, a cool smile on his face. "We need to handle things appropriately. He was injured because of Ella, so I have to take so responsibility."
Eric’s response left everyone feeling a bit odd.
Alia leaned close to Ella, whispering, "Ella, if he protected you enough to risk his face, do you think... he might like you?"
Ella shot her a look, unwilling to engage with the question.
Whether he did or not, she and he could never end up together.
But Alia, always ddleso, added quietly with a trace of worry, "It doesn’t feel right. I think it’s best if you stop seeing him."
Ella paused, nodded, and signaled that she understood.
She had already been keeping her distance. She understood Henry’s feelings, and if she encouraged him, he would only fall deeper.
Eric and Richard were deep in conversation about LXL’s latest project. Stars grood by LXL and their web dramas were extrely popular, drawing audiences with adaptations of trending online novels, especially epic fantasy series.
"Fantasy films are costly. If we don’t produce them well, it will only damage LXL’s reputation. To make it high-quality, we’d need significant investnts in money and resources. Let’s wait a few years until LXL has more funding; then we can hire a top Hollywood team to take it on," Eric stated, declining Richard’s suggestion to produce a large-scale fantasy film.
"Exactly! The cost is too high, and LXL hasn’t been around long enough to pull it off. Let’s stick to fresh romantic stories for now!" Alia chid in, laughing.
Richard grinned suggestively, "Or we could do romantic action films!"
"Get lost!" Eric shot him an annoyed look.
Richard chuckled sheepishly. "Hey, making a good romantic action movie isn’t easy either..."
As LXL’s prized director, Richard’s expertise was in acquiring hot-selling web novel rights and bringing out the most impactful elents in each adaptation.
Ella, however, had a different perspective.
"Eric, while big films do need a large investnt, if we make one remarkable hit, our reputation will skyrocket quickly."
Eric gave Ella a thoughtful look. "Alright, let’s plan for next year. This year, the budget is just too high."
Now that Eric had acquired Carter Group and rebranded it as LR, he needed to pour ti and resources into stabilizing and growing it. His hope was to restore LR’s forr glory from Ava’s era within a few short years.
They continued their al, the conversation flowing easily, with a light and cheerful atmosphere.
With Carter Group’s fall, Ella’s worries had mostly lifted. However, Alia suddenly ntioned Hannah, reminding Ella of soone else thriving far from sight.
"Ella, when I visited Country W recently, I think I saw Hannah," Alia said, glancing at Ella. "She looked like she was living it up."
Ella’s heart skipped a beat, and Eric’s expression darkened. "Our team should have her information soon."
Hannah’s background information! Ella took a deep breath.
"That woman is bound to co back, Ella. She’s probably ingratiating herself with a powerful family by now, so be careful!" Alia warned.
Richard gave Alia a look. "Eric will know how to handle her. Why are you so anxious?"
Alia huffed, "I’m just concerned about Ella, that’s all!"
Ella’s lips curved into a slight smile, her eyes sparkling. "I know; soone warned , so I’ll be ready."
If Hannah had indeed caught the attention of an influential family, Ella knew she’d likely make a coback. Ella intended to be fully prepared before Hannah reappeared.
After dinner, they lingered for another half-hour before parting ways.
Eric, arm around Ella, strolled down a charming, picturesque street nearby.
"Well, Mr. Nelson and Miss Davis, what a coincidence!" A woman’s voice rang out, cheerful and warm.
It was Mason and Bella, standing in front of them. Mason’s expression turned stormy as he glared at Eric. Eric’s recent moves had cost him hundreds of millions.
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