Chapter 31

I couldn't help but caress the petals between my fingers when suddenly the office door opened.

"Do you like your presents?" Zephyr stood in the doorway with a smile on his face.

I turned and replied with a smile. "Zephyr ... these are the sweetest presents I’ve ever received."

No one had ever done that before. My agency and manager always threw a party when I officially got the part in a movie.

However, the gifts were there before I even walked into the audition room, which meant that Zephyr had already prepared the gifts regardless of the results.

"You worked so hard practicing your script." Zephyr approached me and caressed my cheeks. "These gifts don’t even compare to your efforts."

I smiled weakly. "What ... what do you think of my performance?"

"Like I said, you’re perfect." Zephyr assured me. "Every person in that room feels the same way, and I swear I’ve never told them to exaggerate their reactions to you."

Their reactions were genuine, even the writer seemed to like me that much.

"Do you still doubt yourself?" Zephyr asked.

I shook my head slowly. "I don’t." I clutched the flowers in my hands. "I don’t doubt myself anymore."

I hadn’t been in front of a camera for five years, but my passion for acting never disappeared.

After all, I was still Samantha Cole, the talented actress adored by humans and supernatural beings.

"I really ... really want to believe in myself again, Zephyr," I said firmly.

Zephyr gently ran his fingers through my brunette hair. "And you will," he said softly. "You have already taken the first steps."

• •

About two weeks later, I received an email from the producer of Shattered Bond.

[Dear Samantha Cole.

We are pleased to inform you that, after careful consideration, we have decided to cast you in the role of Elara in Shattered Bond.]

I hadn’t read the rest of the message when I jumped out of bed and immediately called Zephyr.

In just a second, he picked up the phone. "Yes?"

"Zephyr, I did it!" I exclaimed, my voice bubbling with excitement. "I got the role!"

I could hear a small giggle on the other end. "You got it?" he repeated.

"Yes!" I nodded eagerly, bouncing on my feet. "The producer just emailed me. I’m going to play Elara in Shattered Bond!"

After I managed to control my excitement, I finally realized something. "Oh ... you already knew, didn’t you?"

He was the damn head of Mercury Entertainment Group, so of course they had to tell Zephyr first before they told me.

"I did," Zephyr admitted. "But I like hearing the news straight from you."

My laugh, my smile, and the way I delivered the news with excitement were something he would probably remember all day.

Because it was rare for him to hear my joyful laugh every day.

"You’re unbelievable," I said. "You already know, and yet you let me go on like a lunatic."

"You’re not a lunatic," Zephyr replied. "You’re just happy, and happiness suits you, Samantha."

I was about to reply, but my phone suddenly received another call from my lawyer.

"Zephyr, Mr. Lawson is calling me," I said. "Maybe it’s about my upcoming hearing. Do you want me to put you on with Mr. Lawson?"

Zephyr nodded. "Yes, I’d like to hear what he has to say."

I answered the call. "Hello, Mr. Lawson. You’re also on the line with Mr. Lloyd."

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Cole, and Mr. Lloyd," Reece greeted us. "I wanted to inform you of a development regarding the division of your marital assets."

Marital assets, my ass.

Most of those so-called marital assets were probably my hard-earned fortune.

I clutched my phone tightly but maintained a calm demeanor. "What’s the update, Mr. Lawson?" I asked.

Reece sighed on the other end of the line. "Unfortunately, we’ve hit a roadblock. Mr. Fell did not show up for his last court appearance, so we assume he is on the run."

As soon as negative news about his company began circulating, the stock value plummeted dramatically, prompting all of his investors to withdraw their funds.

Moreover, numerous customers demanded compensation upon discovering that the perfume contained harmful ingredients.

Because of this, Rowan had accumulated massive debts, and his father seemed unwilling to intervene, likely to protect his reputation and political career.

As for his mother ... I wasn’t sure what had happened to Veronica. I hadn’t heard from her in quite some time.

Eleanor had mentioned she had taken care of her daughter, but I had no idea what she meant by that.

With all these issues piling up, it wasn’t surprising that Rowan had chosen to flee, taking all the company’s remaining funds with him.

"Since Mr. Fell is on the run, the hearing will likely be delayed," Reece continued. "The court may try to proceed without him, but it’s complicated because it involves your stolen fortune and it’s a criminal case."

If it was just marital property, the court could easily proceed without him, but I wanted to prove that Rowan had stolen all of my premarital assets and property.

Zephyr asked, "What does that mean for her? Is this case going to drag on any longer?"

Reece paused before answering. "It could, yes. If Mr. Fell doesn’t show up or can’t be found within a certain amount of time, the court may issue a default judgment in Mrs. Cole’s favor."

"But that doesn’t guarantee that everything will be resolved quickly. If Mr. Fell’s assets are tied up in some illegal activity, that will complicate things further."

I let out a tired breath. "And if he’s never found?"

"If he’s not found, there’s a chance the case could be closed and the assets returned to you. But that also depends on how the investigation goes," Reece explained. "Right now, it’s better for us to wait."

"We understand, Mr. Lawson," Zephyr said. "Thank you for your hard work."

"I’ll immediately keep you updated on any developments. Rest assured, we are doing everything we can to track him down."

As I hung up Reece’s call, I immediately sat down on the bed. "Why is it so hard for me to get away from him? If we can’t track him, he might just come after me one day."

"He can’t hurt you, Samantha," Zephyr assured me. "I’ll ask Arthur to arrange some men to protect you while I’m away.”