The sound of her phone ringing startled the blonde. She seemed to be developing an allergy toward it, a minor PTSD. Too many ominous developments had been linked to it lately, and now, even its vibration had an easy way to get on her nerves.
"Phew…"
Pushing the negative emotions aside, Sharon glanced at the lit up screen after taking the phone out of the bag, and picked up the call with a smile:
"Glenn?"
"Hey. I heard that you got invited to a party with many influential people?"
The light-hearted tone of the opening did nothing to prevent the blonde from turning speechless. Opening her mouth, the surprise made her unable to formulate an answer, much less voice it.
She just got the call from Gladys about the party, and it had been shortly after her return, barely half an hour to an hour ago, and here was her redhead manager, already in the know.
Taking a deep breath, Sharon exhaled more than asked:
"You– Just how many spies do you have around me to always know everything that is happening?"
"Heh, who knows?"
Hearing that casual, perfunctory answer, Sharon could imagine the smug smile of her friend on the other side. Letting the corner of her mouth rise up in a smile without any joy, she dryly commented without much bite or heat:
"What a good manager you are!"
But for all the sarcasm, all she got was an even more proud:
"Of course! Isn't that why you hired me and we became friends later!"
Sharon paused, then shook her head in helplessness. However, her expression did soften as she looked around with a lighter gaze than before. With a lighter smile, she resumed walking while joking:
"So, Miss good manager and friend, should I be feeling relieved that you are such a good manager and friend, or should I be feeling afraid that you are such a good manager and friend?"
Glenn laughed on the other side:
"No need to be afraid. At least you still have some privacy in my eyes. I didn't even try to dig into whatever got you interested in our famous playboy. See? I just need to remain up-to-date with anything about your work to fight for your best interests, nothing more."
Sharon almost missed her step even though she was on a flat ground. Her speechlessness returned in full force. She had thought the redhead had dropped that subject from a month ago, but as it seemed, she only let it go, she did not forget it.
Sharon blushed slightly, but no one knew that she had been thinking about that playboy just earlier, so she schooled her expression and pretended not to hear the embarrassing part of Glenn's words. In a deliberate tone, she lightly commented:
"I don't doubt you, Glenn, but I just get the feeling that you are enjoying putting most stalkers to shame."
"Hehehe…"
With a snicker that could not have been further from a denial, Glenn waved off the subject:
"No need to sweat over the details, Sharon. Let's not linger on the subject. I know that you declined the invitation, and I am not surprised."
Sharon smiled, then followed Glenn's lead to change the subject:
"I have never liked parties and the greedy eyes and perverted hands that can be found there. I just…"
Exhaling, Sharon shook her head softly. There was a reason why the entertainment industry had a nasty reputation. It was not just because of those ready to sacrifice anything and everything to reach their goals, but mostly because of those who enjoyed taking advantage of the resources they were the holders of to shed the smiling, bright masks they always face society with.
It was like a dark pit filled with the heat from the intertwined bodies of those trying to rise up, and those with the means to either bury others, or pull others up.
Had it been some time ago, the agency would never have dared try to push her into such a pit, much less would Gladys have thought she could actually control her as the agent assigned to her. But now…
Fortunately, she got enough luck and talent to rise up fast at the beginning. And now, despite the turn things took not long ago, she still had some room for maneuver.
On the other side, as Glenn heard Sharon's exhale, she raised an eyebrow, then smiled deeply:
"Well, I know that you don't like parties. However, why do I remember you enjoying the party of a certain playboy a month ago? I seem to recall his image even lingered in your mind for the whole evening after that. I didn't recall wrongly, did I? And he seems to have never given you that disgusting feeling you always disdain so much. Maybe he even created some ripples in your little pristine heart, huh? Did he? Maybe you even wish he would turn into a werewolf prince for you on the full moon tonight~?"
The teasing came like a blast, and it shattered all the gloomy thoughts that had been rising back up in the blonde's mind. The blush which seemed to have decided to cling onto her tightly today came back even deeper than earlier as she pouted in the manner of spitting out something disgustingly embarrassing:
"Pfft! Why do you always bring that man up?"
"Oh? I'm not hearing any denial in your words, Sharon. Don't tell me~"
Going from light red to deep red, Sharon exploded after her embarrassment reached the ceiling:
"I'm not telling you anything, Glenn! Stop it."
Taking a deep breath, she immediately moved the subject along the track it should have actually followed from the very beginning:
"Did you get the role for me?"
Letting out a silent snicker, Glenn brought her tone back to normal and answered placatingly:
"Yes, my dear domineering female CEO. I got you the role. Now I just have to talk with your agency to create a schedule. It is not a small budget, and it will be your first step on TV, so I might have to talk with your director instead of your agent. Tell her not to get angry and to simply work hard for a promotion, okay? Anyway, she will have to be involved, for the details later."
"Heh, you talk as if you care about her. You have never liked her."
"And I never hid it. Alright, catch you later. See ya~ mwah~"
*Beep*
Lowering her hand, Sharon glanced at her phone, then smiled and shook her head. Though she got teased to the point of wishing to dig herself an underground bunker and hide, the conversation had wiped away the gloom she had been lugging around, finally giving her back the mood to enjoy the bright day and the warm sky. Well, the sky was becoming too warm, actually.
Raising her head to an almost cloudless sky, Sharon decided that she would rather go back to enjoy herself in the freshness of the air-con at home. Maybe with a pot of sweet ice cream in hand and some other snacks. As for Alex Lenner, the playboy? He was different from what she had expected, very different, but that was none of her concern. After all, they only met twice, and she had no feeling for him, nor did she want to.
Smiling to herself, she glanced at the road and raised her hand to call a taxi. Unfortunately, at that moment, her phone rang, again.
Raising her eyebrows, she waved the taxi away with an apologetic smile and looked down. She frowned, seeing the hospital's number, but still, picked up the call with a light tone:
"Hello?"
"Hello, Miss Kenner? I am a nurse at Arland Hospital. It's about your mother. She just had a–"
*BANG!!*
The thunderous noise swallowed all the sound around, including the words of the nurse. Sharon whirled around, shocked, then froze.
There, at the intersection, was the taxi she had just let pass. And now it was crushed, with a deep red liquid dripping from the cracks in the frame.
Sharon's heart almost stopped. A sudden feeling of nausea violently assaulted her, and she almost lost her balance.
She could have been inside that car! She could have–
"Miss Kenner, can you hear me? It is about your mother. Can you hear me?"
"..."
"Hello? Miss Kenner? Hello?"