'Who the hell is Melody Monroe?! Just some newbie from a talent show who had a stroke of dumb luck and got scouted by Rose Shaw. Why should I give a damn about her?'
'Even if Melody Monroe dropped dead, what would that have to do with me!'
'Coming all the way to my turf to ask... This person is definitely a fake fan!'
...
「The Hospital」
Melody Monroe was still trying to figure out the best way to get along with the future ultimate villain.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! A knock sounded from outside the door.
Ian Monroe immediately looked toward the door. At three years old, he was far more fragile and sensitive than he was described in the book.
Melody Monroe patted his head and called toward the door, "Please come in!"
The door pushed open, and in walked a young woman and a young man. The woman was a bit older, with a round, chubby face. She wasn't beautiful, but she looked very approachable.
The young man was tall, with a streak of white-dyed hair and an earring, giving him a very trendy look.
Both of them froze for a moment when they saw the little boy on the hospital bed. However, they quickly regained their composure and placed the items they were carrying on a nearby table.
"Miss Monroe, we're the assistants Rose sent over. I'm Talia Mercer, and this is Winter Kane," the round-faced young woman introduced.
'Their arrival made Melody feel a flicker of gratitude. Rose Shaw seemed tough on the surface, but she was actually incredibly thoughtful. She must have sent these two because I decided to keep Ian.'
'In the original novel, my assistants weren't these two. I changed the plot by keeping Ian, so did that cause this change as well?'
'Forget a public figure who is meticulously packaged to have a likable persona; even for an ordinary person, having a child out of wedlock with an unknown father is nothing to be proud of.'
'Ian's existence must never be revealed to the public.'
"Thank you for your trouble," Melody Monroe said politely to the two of them.
"You're too kind, Miss Monroe. If you need anything at all, just let us know," they replied shyly.
"Okay, thank you."
Melody Monroe picked up her phone, found Rose Shaw's contact, and sent a message: Rose, thank you.
She waited a minute, but Rose Shaw didn't reply.
Melody Monroe put her phone down. She knew Rose Shaw must have seen the message.
'The original novel depicted Rose Shaw as an incredibly formidable person. As a reader, I never got such a direct sense of it, but now, I could feel it deeply.'
'The original owner's assistant was no pushover, but her professional skills were top-notch. Rose Shaw had assigned her to the original Melody, who was still just a rookie, primarily to help her build her career.'
'Now that I've kept Ian, given the original assistant's personality, she definitely would have started making trouble.'
'That's why Rose Shaw immediately switched them out for two new ones.'
These two must have known about Ian Monroe's existence. Aside from their initial surprise upon entering, they hadn't asked any questions.
Melody Monroe noticed some fruit among the things they'd brought and asked Ian Monroe, "Ian, would you like an apple?"
Ian Monroe immediately scrambled off the bed with his short arms and legs, grabbed an apple, and ran toward the bathroom.
After washing it clean, he hurried back and handed the big apple to Melody Monroe.
His clothes and his little face were splattered with water. 'He looked absolutely irresistible!'
'In the original novel, Ian Monroe was the ruthless, taciturn type. I've noticed this child really doesn't talk much. That's not good for his development.'
"Ian, do you want Mommy to eat this apple?"
Ian Monroe nodded.
"Then you should say, 'Mommy, this apple is for you.'"