Leia frowned, worried. "I just hurt Shirley. Everyone avoids me and sees me as a wicked woman, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to get along with them."Leia felt anxious when she recalled how the other guests treated her that morning. Those people were fickle—if they saw Xavier and Shirley together, they would curry favor with Shirley and regard Leia as their enemy. If she had to shoot for the show under such circumstances, she was afraid that she might end up fighting with them on camera. "It's fine. You can fight with them if you can't get along with them. You can fall out with whichever pretentious person you want. Just be yourself, you don't have to pretend to like them. I hate pretentious people the most too." Adam took a fancy to Leia because he found her an unaffected person. She was unlike the stars who had been in the industry for many years. They were different in front of the camera and in private. As a result, the show became a platform for their hypocrisy. It was meanin
Leia was enraged by his words, and snapped at him, "Why? Do you want me to cry and kneel at her feet? Should I go throw myself off a hill to make up for it?""That's unnecessary, but you can't just pretend like nothing happened," Xavier said seriously. Everyone had been fussing over Shirley, and if Leia, the person who had caused the accident, didn't seem concerned, people would surely gossip about her."Yeah, that's not happening. Do something about it if you can't accept it," Leia said smugly, then placed her book on her face and swayed on the hammock, shutting everything out.She might be rude, but she could not be polite to a pretentious diva like Shirley. Shirley walked towards them, flanked by the others, and held Xavier's hand intimately. "Xavier, Miss Osborne is sleeping. Let's not disturb her. We'd better go back and rest. I said that I had forgiven her and that I don't blame her for what happened. Let's not dwell on that accident any longer." Everyone would surely prai
"Mr. Stuart, hold on tight. These mountain roads are rugged, so don't fall out of the car!" Adam yelled at Xavier as he gripped the car railing tightly.Xavier was speechless. His thick dark hair had become messy because of the wind, and it made him look even more attractive. "Who is Santiago?" Xavier finally asked Adam, unable to contain his curiosity."Santiago is an actor, Mr. Stuart, and a very good one at that. He keeps a low profile and only appears while shooting films, so it's normal that you don't know him," Adam said loudly over the roaring wind, grinning widely at Xavier."An actor?" When Xavier heard that, he felt even more frustrated. "How old is he? What does he look like? What kind of man is he?" "I guess he's two or three years younger than you. He's very handsome, and was definitely born to be an actor. He's a refined, melancholic Prince Charming. He's very attractive, so he has a lot of loyal fans even though he keeps a low profile. Miss Osborne is also a fan o
Santiago walked over to Leia and tilted his head, smiling boyishly at her. "Are you Miss Leia Osborne, the young lady Mr. Jiminez finds interesting?" "Ah, yes… That's me!" Leia looked up at him shyly, struck dumb when she met his bright gaze. She sighed dreamily. 'He's so handsome… TV doesn't do him justice! He's so perfect and charming that I can't look away.""I hope we'll work together well." Santiago extended his hand to her, a warm smile on his face.Leia held his hand with trepidation, and felt her heart flutter when her sweaty palm touched his cool skin and slender fingers. She decided not to wash her hand for a week."Yes, I hope so too!" Leia said nervously, then immediately handed the bouquet to him. "These are wildflowers I picked by the road. It's... for you. I hope your future is as free and bountiful as these wildflowers." "Wildflowers?" Santiago took the bouquet from her and sniffed it. He broke into a happy smile, looking charming amidst the beautiful wildflowe
"There's a drain there. Help yourself!" Leia snapped at Xavier grumpily. Xavier's face fell. Even the stray dogs in the village got better treatment than him. Upset. he jumped out of the pickup and followed Leia.They both entered the store, and Leia meticulously picked water for Santiago. "Give me two bottles of pure water. I want the best and most expensive kind."She knew that Santiago needed that much since he watched his diet and drank only plain water from a high-end brand. However, this store had a limited selection, so they only sold ordinary mineral water.Leia became anxious. She took out a ten-dollar bill and urged the cashier, "Help me get some high-end pure water next time you restock. My idol loves to drink that." Xavier leaned against the cabinet and crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at her mockingly. "It's just water, doesn't it all taste the same?" "You don't know anything!" Leia rolled her eyes at him. "There are different kinds of water. Some are pure lik
There were only two seats at the back and one seat beside Leia on their way back.Leia blushed and said to Santiago, "Mr. Dalton, you can sit with me if you're okay with it. Don't worry, my driving skills are very good. The car won't turn over, I promise."Santiago was amused by Leia. He sipped his water, his perfect facial features even more attractive under the sunlight. He scratched his thick hair and said, "It's fine. I'm not afraid of the car turning over.""How coy!" Xavier brushed past Santiago and took the front seat casually. "He's a star who earns money using his charms, so he can't take such a risk. I'd better sit here. After all, I don't need my face to earn money."His actions and words made everyone feel awkward.Leia clenched her fists angrily and gritted her teeth. "How shameless!"Santiago looked at Leia and Xavier, then raised his brows and smiled. "Mr. Stuart, I'll sit at the back since you like this spot so much.""How sensible of you." Xavier glanced at Sant
"I heard that Santiago is coming. Finally, I can see the mysterious top actor up close!" "Wow, I'm so lucky to be able to film a show with him. I have to perform well...""It's useless even if you perform well. Mr. Dalton is very aloof, so people can't even talk much with him. You'd better not waste your time."While they were talking, they saw Santiago and Adam get out of the pickup."Ah, he's indeed a top actor! He's so handsome even while getting out of a pickup. Why is there such a perfect man?" Myra, the newly promoted star, looked at Santiago dreamily, then enthusiastically went to him. "Mr. Dalton, welcome. You must be tired from your journey. Let me take your luggage for you."She tried to take Santiago's backpack but he frowned and said coldly, "I'm sorry, I don't like strangers touching my things.""Er..." Myra's face turned red in embarrassment. As expected, he was aloof... but not annoying. How flawless!Leia parked the pickup and leaped out of it. When she saw Sant
Leia looked up at Santiago in surprise, wondering how he could see through her. "How did you...""How did I know your thoughts?" Santiago smiled and said, "I'm an actor, and being observant is a skill we need."Leia lowered her head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. You must think I'm an idiot.""Why would I?" Santiago said gently, "I think there's something very pure in you. It's hard for me to find that in the entertainment circle, so don't doubt yourself. You're much more outstanding than them!"Leia's gloominess instantly disappeared, and she felt happy again. "Mr. Dalton, let me show you around the house..."She behaved like a host and showed him around the house. "This is the kitchen where we cook. This is the cow's shed... Bessie is about to give birth, so the place is a bit stinky at the moment. This is where we have our activities. If you're bored, you can lay in this hammock and read. I love this area the best. Oh... The pond opposite us is nice too. I heard that there are a
Then, Stefan calmly placed the crab leg on the plate in front of Leia. Leia was flabbergasted. She did not dare to move. She wondered what he was doing, and if he wanted to sacrifice her."Why aren't you eating it?" Stefan looked at Leia, sounding composed. Yet, he was full of the dominance that could burn anyone.Leia swallowed and gnashed her teeth, asking Stefan, "How could you peel the crab for me? Isn't it inappropriate?" She was the most cowardly person. Usually, she looked fierce and indignant as if she wanted to punish Stefan severely. But when he came to her and looked at her, she would be very frightened. She would not dare to do anything."Why not? Someone said women shouldn't peel the prawns or crabs themselves. I'm just being a gentleman. It's nothing serious. It's just peeling the crab!" Stefan said. It was rare to see him speak so much. It was incompatible with his contradictory identity. However, it was clear that he was mocking Justin and saying how ridiculo
Both Stefan and Justin mocked each other, which made the atmosphere more awkward. Although Liam and Leia were simply watching the fun, they felt awkward, too. It made them restless.Renee was having a hard time, too. She smacked the table and said to Stefan and Justin, "You'd better stop eating. Go out and fight. The food got cold because of your endless fight."When she spoke, she sounded like a class teacher with absolute authority. Although both Stefan and Justin were dissatisfied, they fell silent and did not dare to say more. Everyone started enjoying the great food, but said nothing. It seemed a little gloomy.Renee was about to get a prawn, but Justin had already peeled it nicely for her. He dipped it in some sauce and put it in Renee's bowl. "I know you love prawns the best. I've peeled it for you. Of course, women can't peel the prawns themselves.""Oh, Mr. Baldwin. You're considerate. You're a role model among the men. Anyone who marries you will be very happy!" Le
Justin smiled and described the children's experiences, acting like a stepfather. When he talked about the children, he made it sound like they were his biological children. Stefan didn't look so good. He felt that the glass of wine was getting bitter."Well, I'm sure kids will find everything new and exciting when they go to a new place. But they'll get bored with it when time passes. They'll love their real home better." Stefan had wanted to act relaxed and casual, but he could not stop himself from refuting when he heard Justin's provocative words. "Mm?" Leia sat beside Liam and leaned against his arm, and whispered, "What are they doing? This is weird. Are they going to fight?""It's just a competition between men. They won't get into a fight." Liam kept eating and watching the fun. He merely found it amusing. As expected, Renee was greatly admired. Although she remained silent, she would always be in the limelight. Liam was amused to see people like Stefan or Justin
"How dare you!"Stefan's words instantly made Leia speechless. She had wanted to rebuke him, but he snatched the chance from her and struck her dumb.In short, he was an utter scumbag.After a moment, Leia finally managed to comment, "How shameless!" Justin had kept silent all the while. He looked at Stefan with a scrutinizing and mocking gaze. "Mr. Hunt, I admire your honesty and self-awareness. If that's the case, let's stop being reserved and have fun together!""Yes, let's have fun together. I'm shameless, too!" Liam joined in the effort to mock Stefan. He swayed his glass of wine and faked a smile. "I've known her a long time, so of course I know what shameless things Mr. Hunt has done. I think I'd better grab this chance to tell you all of them since everyone is here today."Standing at the door, Renee was worried that Liam might say more indecent things. She hurriedly stopped him. "Pipe down, Liam!" "Got it." Liam shrugged helplessly but obeyed her.Although he yea
"Do you want to leave?" Stefan saw Renee. He was calm, indifferent, and distant. His behavior stung Renee. Renee could easily recall their lovey-dovey memories. They had both risked their lives for each other and vowed to be together forever. They had two children, too. Yet, they ended up as strangers.Although Renee was heartbroken, she became competitive. She smoothed her hair and said in a similarly cold manner, "I'm going to the washroom." "Okay." Stefan did not have anything to say. He nodded and walked past Renee before heading to the dining table. "Hmph! I didn't expect you to come so boldly," Quinton sneered.At the sight of Stefan, Quinton subconsciously clenched his fists, acting like he was about to fight Stefan. On the surface, he wouldn't act aggressively because he knew Renee would stop him. "It's not easy for the few great families to get together. It's good and meaningful for us. If I refused to come, it would make me seem heartless."Stefan kept his co
Having said that, Renee lowered her head, about to leave. She didn't even have the time to bother about Adie and Abby, and told Quinton to take them home later. Her strange behavior filled Quinton with displeasure. He blocked Renee and said solemnly, "Are you afraid? Do you want to run away? People might think that you're guilty and have cheated on your husband!""No, I'm not!" Renee refuted him loudly, then explained seriously, "I'm busy. I need to handle something right away. Plus, I'm not guilty. I did nothing wrong. There's no reason for me to feel guilty." Quinton went straight to the point. "What are you afraid of since you know you're not guilty? Why do you want to run away? He should be afraid instead!""I told you. I'm not afraid of him. I'm just…" "What?" Quinton crossed his arms and looked at Renee coldly. He wanted to get to the bottom of it.Renee came up with a ridiculous yet normal excuse. "I… I recalled that the dessert shop that I want to head to is about to
Jovan called Stefan to sound the latter out. Anyway, it would be convenient for Stefan to rush over since they were both at the same spot. "I'll be right there," Stefan said. Then, he hung up.For a moment, silence washed over everyone, as if something terrible was about to happen.After taking in the new information, Leia said indignantly, "What's going on? Why does he want to come? Isn't he too shameless? How dare he come?" Although everything wasn't discussed openly, everyone knew why Stefan and Renee broke up all of a sudden, despite how lovey-dovey they were. The reason was that Stefan had cheated on Renee.Even if the adultery was faked, it was still the cause of their breakup. If Stefan were shameful or guilty, he wouldn't have agreed to come. He was going to face Renee there with their friends and family around. Certainly, it was embarrassing. "Hmph! Why not? He impersonated me, seized my business, and snatched away my woman. Plus, he led a steady life, got married
Jovan's words made the atmosphere quiet and bizarre. "Are you out of your mind, Jovan? It's already very annoying to have someone like you here. Do you have to get another annoying guy?" Leia frowned, crossing her arms. She kept scolding him.Initially, the atmosphere was considered harmonious. It was still considered fine even if there was an annoying person like Jovan. Unexpectedly, he wanted to call another, more terrible person to come here. Things would certainly go wrong. "Ms. Osborne, you're famous for talking harshly, too. You're just like me. I love it." However, Jovan was not mad at all. He grinned while waiting for Stefan to answer the call. Generally, Stefan would not answer Jovan's call. Surprisingly, he picked it up that time."What's the matter?" Jovan purposely put it on speaker mode. Stefan sounded aloof and emotionless.Jovan sounded wicked as he calmly asked Stefan, "Do you want to join a gathering, Stefan?""I'm going to hang up if you don't say anythi
In the past, Jovan had always regarded Stefan as a coward. Stefan couldn't forget about Renee, but he kept pushing Renee to another man. It seemed like Justin was more responsible, considerate, and gentle. Of course, Renee would lead a very happy, steady, and comfortable life with such a man. At the very least, Jovan felt that he could not be that meticulous and considerate. He would only drive Renee mad just to get her attention. "Hmph! Are you trying to humiliate me or yourself?" Justin didn't find that a compliment. Instead, it sounded like smockery. Jovan made it sound like Justin was a nice guy, but would not be picked by Renee. Usually, people like that had to suffer and would not end up well."I'm praising you." Jovan was helpless because of his reputation as the villain. Although he had said a lot of annoying things, he did want to compliment Justin. His love was probably as deep as Justin's, but his and Stefan's ways of loving Renee were much inferior to Justin's.