Esther gave the kid a look, half amused, half exasperated. “Come on, tell me—why are you playing the victim?”
“Because I don’t have a Mommy!”
The little girl’s voice was soft and sweet. Her big, bright eyes blinked shyly, and her long lashes fluttered almost brushing her nose like she was afraid Esther might get mad. Then, her head dropped and the hands around Esther’s neck slowly loosened.
“I’m sorry, Auntie. Did I make you dislike me?”
Then she struggled and slid out of Esther’s arms. “I won’t make your life harder. I just want to help you…”
The simple words I don’t have a Mommy pierced Esther’s heart. What had started as annoyance at the kid’s little con softened instantly. She bent down and knelt before the girl. Reviewing the conversation with Mathieu, everything clicked.
“You want to help me get that lead female role, don’t you?”
Mathieu had first picked her. The little girl was just a bonus, but only if that face got f
Esther gave the kid a look, half amused, half exasperated. “Come on, tell me—why are you playing the victim?”“Because I don’t have a Mommy!”The little girl’s voice was soft and sweet. Her big, bright eyes blinked shyly, and her long lashes fluttered almost brushing her nose like she was afraid Esther might get mad. Then, her head dropped and the hands around Esther’s neck slowly loosened.“I’m sorry, Auntie. Did I make you dislike me?”Then she struggled and slid out of Esther’s arms. “I won’t make your life harder. I just want to help you…”The simple words I don’t have a Mommy pierced Esther’s heart. What had started as annoyance at the kid’s little con softened instantly. She bent down and knelt before the girl. Reviewing the conversation with Mathieu, everything clicked.“You want to help me get that lead female role, don’t you?”Mathieu had first picked her. The little girl was just a bonus, but only if that face got f
As soon as he spoke, the whole room stirred.Did he just openly say he liked Esther’s name? Wait—could he actually be interested in that ugly girl?This man was a global icon. In the entire capital, only Evander’s circle could rival his. With so many gorgeous women standing around, how could he be interested in the least attractive one?Élodie dug her nails so hard into her palm that they nearly pierced her skin.“Get away!”Zoe, whose head had just been pushed aside, snapped it right back into place like a fighter jet locking onto a target. She firmly blocked Roger and Esther’s line of sight, her wide black-and-white eyes full of fury. She puffed up fiercely like an angry kitten. “One more creepy move and I’m calling the cops!”Roger: “…”So young… Cough, no need to stoop to a kid’s level.“Why call the police over this?”For some reason, Roger actually felt like bantering a bit with
The crowd of stunned women snapped out of their daze.“Sabine,” he barked, “explain. Now.”“That woman—” Sabine pointed dramatically at Esther. “She came out of nowhere, claiming she’s here to audition for the female lead. Élodie told her her face wasn’t suitable and then… things just got out of hand.”She plastered on an innocent look, playing the part of the reasonable friend. “You know how women can get when they argue—things get nasty real fast.”“You want to audition for the lead role?”Mathieu walked up to Esther, narrowing his eyes and giving her a once-over, hand resting thoughtfully on his chin. Just as Esther instinctively reached into her bag to pull out proof, he tilted his head and said, “Actually… she might work.”Esther: “…”“Mr. Laurent—!”Élodie’s voice spiked an octave. Relying on her identity as the wealthy Mills family heiress and her personal acquaintance with Mathieu, she immediately protested. “Look
Originally, everyone had been reading their scripts or spying on the competition. After all, there were only so many roles to go around, but a whole pack of wolves vying for them. Before fighting for the meat, they had to tear each other apart first—any less competition was good competition. So when Élodie shouted like that, everyone’s firepower instantly turned toward Esther.“What’s up with that face? Got beaten up for being a homewrecker, huh?”“This clown-faced thing dares to compete with us for the lead role? Isn’t she just wasting the director’s time?”“Someone call security and get her out of here already…”“Throwing her out isn’t enough!”The jeering hadn’t even faded when Sabine snapped, “What is this, some amateur street play? No audition invite, yet you sneak in like you’re owed something. These days, every girl thinks she can be a star—cling to someone famous, ambush the director in the bathroom, and boom, she lands the role. How’s that
"I don’t want to have any emotional entanglements with the Westvale family anymore!"The Davenier family once saved the Westvale family’s ancestors, which was why there was talk of a marriage alliance between the two families. Because of something Levi said at the banquet, she and Evander ended up with a verbal engagement. That matter—right now, it's just being spread around to piss off Chloe, but eventually it will need to be resolved.She couldn’t possibly marry Evander. Of course, Evander was even more unwilling to marry her. The man already had two kids; obviously, he had someone in his heart. And she did too. The two of them were basically just subjects of gossip for people to talk about. If they threw in a "life-saving grace" debt, then even if Evander didn’t want to marry her, he’d be forced to. So—"Doctor Lewis, that’s your hospital. Whoever you say saved Mrs. Westvale is who saved her. There are so many experts at the hospital—just pick one to take the
She clicked to read the message:[Esther, it’s me, Kendall. My brother offended Levi’s girlfriend and got locked up. Can you ask Levi to let him go? He listens to you!]…What the actual hell?!She wanted to hurl her phone across the room.Hadn’t they already cut ties? Hadn’t she blocked her?Where did this woman get the nerve to act like she was still entitled to anything?She handed the phone to Judy with a sarcastic smile. “Here. Check out the ‘friend’ that Chloe stole from me.”Judy’s eyes darkened the moment she read the message.“What the hell? Chloe actually thinks I’m in the same category as this?”She angrily typed a reply with Esther’s phone: [Didn’t we cut ties? Go ask your Davenier Family princess to help you!]A response came almost immediately:[Levi only listens to you. The Westvale family hasn’t denied your engagement to Evander, so he still recognizes