That Aggrieved Feeling

Later that evening, the lights in the living room of Alex’s villa were dim.

Saviee sat on the carpet by the coffee table, quietly stacking small wooden blocks into an unsteady tower.

Across from him, Alex leaned back on the sofa, his laptop resting on his knees as he finished reviewing a contract.

His phone buzzed softly on the table.

He ignored it at first.

But the notifications kept coming.

One after another.

Alex finally picked up the phone and glanced at the screen.

A trending entertainment headline immediately caught his attention.

“Rookie Actress Isabella Surrounded by Three Mysterious Admirers — Flowers, Diamond, and Handmade Drinks!”

His brows furrowed slightly.

He tapped the article.

The report was filled with blurry photos taken secretly on set.

One picture showed a staff member carrying a bouquet of roses.

Another showed the velvet box containing the diamond necklace.

The final photo showed three small glass bottles of fruit juice neatly arranged on a tray.

The article read:

“According to insiders, the rising actress Isabella has recently received gifts from three different admirers on set. First came a luxurious bouquet of imported roses. Soon after, a mysterious sponsor delivered an expensive diamond necklace. But the most surprising gift was a set of handmade fruit drinks sent by another secret admirer.”

“Netizens are now speculating which of the three men will ultimately win the beauty’s heart.”

Alex’s expression darkened slightly.

He scrolled down.

The comment section was even more chaotic.

“The diamond guy is definitely the richest!”

“No way! Handmade drinks show true love!”

“Three men at once? This rookie is impressive.”

“She must be extremely beautiful for this many men to chase her.”

Alex closed the article.

For a moment, he remained silent.

Saviee suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

Alex lowered his gaze.

The boy was pointing at the phone curiously.

Alex hesitated before handing it to him.

Saviee stared at the screen for a moment.

Then he immediately recognized the familiar name.

His eyes lit up.

Alex watched his son carefully.

After a moment, he sighed quietly and leaned back against the sofa.

“ Isabella…” he murmured under his breath.

“She really attracts trouble wherever she goes.”

Saviee hugged the phone protectively to his chest, as if guarding something precious.

Seeing that reaction, Alex rubbed his temple in mild frustration.

“…And you,” he muttered.

“You’re not helping.”

The Next Day — Silverstone Studios

The moment Isabella stepped onto the set, the surrounding whispers abruptly died down.

Everyone stared at her with strange expressions.

It seemed the rumors had already spread.

In one corner, someone muttered in a mocking tone,

“So this is the rookie who shows up late? Doesn’t she see that Miss Vanessa is already here?”

In reality, Isabella wasn’t late at all.

Vanessa had simply arrived far too early.

A group of people quickly gathered around Vanessa.

“Miss Nessa, you’re from the same company as Isabella. Are those rumors online true?”

“Someone even said she slept with several people in the crew just to get this role!”

“That’s disgusting! Doesn’t Starlight stop this kind of dirty competition?”

Facing the barrage of questions, Vanessa showed a faintly helpless expression.

She sighed softly.

“We all rely on our own abilities. The company usually doesn’t interfere…”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize her mistake.

She quickly added,

“I mean—Bella wouldn’t do something like that. You shouldn’t believe rumors online.”

However, the more she tried to explain, the more suspicious it sounded.

Everyone immediately became even more convinced the rumors were true.

It wasn’t until the director walked over and urged everyone to get ready that the gossip finally dispersed.

The innocent expression on Vanessa’s face disappeared instantly.

She turned to her assistant and asked quietly,

“How’s the task I gave you?”

The assistant lowered her voice.

“Don’t worry, Miss. Everything is ready. Didn’t you say Isabella is allergic to metal? I slipped metal powder into the makeup artist’s kit while no one was looking.”

A cruel smile appeared on her lips.

“Her face will be ruined today.”

The Dressing Room

Isabella’s scene today involved dancing.

Unlike yesterday’s heavy royal costume, today’s outfit was light and flowing.

For once, she could finally breathe.

When she entered the dressing room, she froze slightly.

She hadn’t expected to see Vivienne Kade here.

She had assumed Vivienne wouldn’t show up.

After failing to secure the second female lead role, the director had offered her the role of the third female lead — Lady Katherine.

Like Isabella’s character, Lady Katherine was also known as a beauty capable of bringing down kingdoms.

However, she had far less screen time.

Worse still, in the story, Isabella’s character tormented her mercilessly.

Although Vivienne’s manager had accepted the role on her behalf, she had been furious.

She hadn’t even attended the opening ceremony, and rumors spread that she planned to quit.

Isabella guessed Vivienne must have heard about the project’s massive new investment.

After all…

It was a billion-dollar production.

Vivienne sat in front of the mirror while the makeup artist worked on her face.

The moment she spotted Isabella through the mirror, her expression twisted with obvious disgust.

Like Vanessa, who relied on her wealthy father, Vivienne had always behaved arrogantly on set.

Her reputation in the industry wasn’t great.

But thanks to her aggressive online fanbase, the negative rumors were always twisted into praise.

They claimed she was simply “honest and straightforward.”

They had even crowned her with the title:

“The Most Beautiful Woman in the Entertainment Industry.”

Naturally, she hated Isabella.

Not only had Isabella taken the role she wanted—

She had also stolen her title.

Vivienne smirked.

“Oh? Isn’t this the ‘number one beauty’ everyone’s talking about?” she said mockingly. “With so many wealthy sponsors backing you, why are you squeezing into a shared dressing room with us minor actresses?”

Isabella calmly pulled out a chair and sat down.

She opened her script and began reading, completely ignoring her.

She had a personal habit.

Once she stepped onto a set, she focused entirely on work.

Nothing else mattered.

Vivienne slammed the comb on the table.

“Isabella! What’s your problem? Are you ignoring me?”

Isabella continued reading.

It was as if she hadn’t heard a single word.

The makeup artist beside them finally spoke up.

“She’s wearing earbuds,” she said. “I guess she can’t hear you.”

Only then did Vivienne notice the small white earbuds in Isabella’s ears.

She felt like she had punched a pillow.

This woman…

Who knew if she had really heard or was just pretending?

Of course Isabella had done it intentionally.

The moment she saw Vivienne, she had immediately put in her earbuds.

In situations like this, any confrontation would only harm her.

Avoiding trouble was the smartest choice.

“Miss Kade, your makeup is finished. Please check if you’re satisfied,” the makeup artist said cautiously.

Vivienne barely glanced at the mirror.

“I hate it. Do it again.”

The makeup artist froze.

“Which part would you like changed?”

“Everything.”

Her expression stiffened, but she obediently began redoing the makeup.

Vivienne was furious that the rookie actress had completely ignored her.

Since she couldn’t take it out on Isabella, she vented her anger on the makeup artist instead.

The makeup artist didn’t dare show any displeasure.

But she shot Isabella a resentful glance.

She knew Vivienne was trying to cause trouble for Isabella.

Unfortunately, she had been dragged into the situation.

Only the male and female leads had private dressing rooms.

Everyone else had to share.

As long as Vivienne refused to leave, Isabella had no choice but to wait.

Eventually, Vivienne’s manager rushed in and dragged her away.

Even then, she shot Isabella one last vicious glare.

Once Vivienne finally left, the makeup artist began rearranging her supplies loudly.

“Isabella! Your turn!”

Isabella set down her script and walked over.

“Sorry for the trouble.”

Just as the makeup artist prepared to begin, Isabella glanced at the makeup kit and suddenly raised her hand.

“Wait.”

The makeup artist frowned.

“What now?”

Isabella smiled politely.

“Miss Amy, would it be alright if I used my own makeup? My skin is very sensitive. I’m worried about having an allergic reaction.”

Amy rolled her eyes.

“That’s not how things work here. What if something goes wrong? Weren’t you fine yesterday?”

Isabella quietly slipped an envelope into Amy’s hand.

“Amy… please understand. Actors rely on our faces to work. I’m just being cautious.”

Amy felt the thickness of the envelope.

Her tone immediately softened.

“Fine,” she said reluctantly. “But if there are problems, you’ll tell the director it’s your responsibility.”

“Of course.”

After receiving the generous tip, Amy’s mood improved dramatically.

She carefully applied Isabella’s makeup.

The result looked even better than the day before.

Once the makeup artist left, Isabella crossed her arms and examined the costume for the day.

Then she took a large magnet out of her bag.

Carefully, she swept it across the costume.

Then across her shoes.

Like a security inspection.

Satisfied, she nodded.

No metal powder.

Compared to Vanessa, who had been protected all her life, Isabella had crawled through the lower levels of the entertainment industry for years.

She had seen every dirty trick imaginable.

How could she fall for something so simple?

Vanessa knew about her metal allergy.

There was an eighty percent chance she would attempt something like this.

After changing into costume, Isabella stepped outside.

The dance instructor hired by the director was already waiting.

While the other actors filmed their scenes, Isabella practiced her choreography.

Soon the director walked over.

“How’s it going, Bella?” he asked. “I saw on your resume that you trained in dance. Half a day should be enough. But if you need more time, I can give you a few days.”

“There shouldn’t be a problem,” Isabella replied cautiously.

The director turned to the instructor.

“Kim, what do you think?”

Kim chuckled.

“You’ll see soon enough.”

The director clapped his hands.

“Alright everyone! Let’s start!”

Scene 1.3 — Consort Devan’s Drunken Dance

Characters:

The Prince

Consort Devan

Lady Katherine

Several concubines and palace servants

The Grand Selection had just ended.

A new batch of young beauties had entered the palace.

The prince had summoned his concubines to the palace hall for wine and entertainment.

But his attention was entirely focused on the new girls.

Even his former favorite, Consort Devan, had been ignored.

Before Consort Devan arrived, the prince’s favorite had been Lady Katherine.

Seeing Devan lose favor filled Katherine with malicious delight.

“In this palace,” she sneered, “it’s always the same story — the new women laugh while the old ones cry.”

“Did she really think beauty alone could keep the emperor’s heart forever?”

“I’d love to see how long she keeps that proud expression.”

Normally Vivienne’s acting skills were mediocre.

But perhaps because Consort Devan was played by Isabella, she unexpectedly performed her lines with remarkable skill.

Watching the scene unfold, the director nodded with satisfaction.