All Chapters of After The Divorce, She Became The Nation’s Sweetheart: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Silence fell.The moment Elara’s hand connected with Miren’s cheek, the crisp smack echoed through the set, bouncing off the wooden panels and the stone-like walls of the corridor.Every crew member froze mid-movement.Chris stiffened visibly, while Rina stood with Isabelle’s water flask clutched to her chest in shock.Even the artificial breeze seemed to still.For three long seconds, no one breathed.Then—“Cut!”Joe’s voice finally boomed through the tension.Instantly, motion returned to the room. A few people exhaled quietly, unsure whether to look at the monitor or at the actresses.Joe hurried forward from behind the display, brows raised. He was not angry, not upset, just surprised.“That was…” he paused, trying to find the right word, “…strong.”The script indeed had a slap scene, but since both women were delicate, he had assumed it would simply be a light tap for realism. Isabelle would only tap her on the cheek; it would be on Faye’s part to give it dramatics, and the edit

She hadn’t expected the question, so she blanked for a couple of seconds before realizing that her two hands were still up — and the bruise was glaringly obvious.When she looked at it, she was even more shocked because somehow, it had worsened and looked even redder. Perhaps it was the balm Rina used that glossed over it and made it look worse.The man’s smile was gone. He stared at the bruise intently and quietly before his gaze flicked back to her face.Isabelle quickly put her hand down, helpless. She had no idea why she was acting sketchy either, but clearly, the man was not pleased to see it.“How did you get hurt?” he asked again, and this time he sounded even more serious.Isabelle knew he was unhappy that she had lied.After all, she had confidently told him all was well, only to be slapped in the face a moment later when she was exposed.But she didn’t think it was a lie.After all, it was only a bruise. She had so many of them whenever she cooked too frequently, although it

The morning’s scene was set in the royal throne room. King Aldric was away on a diplomatic visit, and Queen Seraphina had been left to preside over the court for the first time. The council of nobles—most of whom still doubted her loyalty because she came from the rival kingdom—were restless, their murmurs rising like the low hiss of snakes. “Your Majesty, with respect, these trade reforms are reckless,” one of the older nobles said, slamming his hand lightly on the table. “The merchants from Varyne can’t be trusted.” “They have been reliable so far,” Sophia—Seraphina—replied evenly, her posture regal on the throne. “Trade must continue if the kingdom is to recover.” Another noble scoffed. “That’s easy for you to say, Your Majesty. You come from Varyne.” A ripple of agreement spread through the room. Sophia’s eyes hardened, but her tone stayed calm. “Are you questioning the King’s decision—or mine?” The men fell silent, exchanging uneasy looks. The air was still crackling with

The boardroom felt like a meat freezer.Camille sat at the end of the long table, hands clasped together so tightly her knuckles were starting to ache.Across from her, the senior executives of Starlight Agency unloaded their judgment as they discussed heatedly the next step for Isabelle’s current trending news.It seemed to get worse with every passing minute and right now, even the two other actors who had intervened were being trashed online. The higher-ups of the agency were not taking it lightly either, and their judgment was making Camille’s teeth grind with pressure.“Her image is tanking,” one of them said as they looked at the rest. “She’s only a newbie and yet, trending for all the wrong reasons.”“We can’t afford to protect someone who’s already doomed.” “She’s a liability. Drop her before this gets worse.” The last person said dismissively.A barrage of voices—one after another—kept discussing the matter and it was obvious they really had no scruples about dropping her.

“Is it good?”The deep, familiar voice echoed through the room.Isabelle's entire body locked up.She froze mid-bite, chicken wing suspended halfway to her mouth, sauce dripping down her wrist. Her eyes widened like she’d been caught committing a crime on national television.Rina instantly slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a squeal. She hadn’t looked at the screen before taking the call and didn’t realize it was a video call. What was even more shocking was that it was a man on the other line. Not to mention, a man who was so blatantly teasing her.Slowly — very slowly — Isabelle looked at the screen.Riven was on the video call, seated in his office. Dark tones, warm lighting, the usual neat suit. He had one arm resting on the desk, his expression unreadable except for the faintest upward tilt at the corner of his lips.Isabelle closed her eyes in embarrassment, before turning her face toward Rina.“You didn’t tell me it was a video call!” she hissed.“You told me to pick up!