"President Shaw, you were looking for me?" Liam Sherman asked. He wore glasses and had a refined, scholarly air.
Ethan Shaw idly twirled the fountain pen in his hand. He looked up, his features sharp and handsome. "Naomi Kenway has been acting rather unusual lately," he said. "I don't believe a person can change so drastically in such a short amount of time. Have someone look into it."
His gut told him Naomi Kenway was just using Ian to generate buzz, yet her awkward and reserved demeanor that day made her seem like a completely different person.
Ethan Shaw had been vehemently opposed to Naomi Kenway taking Ian Shaw on the reality show. He didn't want his son to become a prop for Naomi to craft her public image. Moreover, Ian had always been a sensitive child, and Ethan didn't want him tainted by the cesspool of the entertainment industry at such a young age. But Ian adored being close to Naomi, and who knew what she had said to coax him to the point that he absolutely had to go.
Just thinking about it gave Ethan Shaw a headache.
After a brief pause, Liam Sherman replied, "Alright."
He then bowed slightly and exited the office.
After Liam Sherman left, Ethan Shaw opened his laptop and searched for clips of Naomi Kenway on the reality show. It was just as Ian had said: Naomi was taking very good care of him.
'But was any of it genuine, or was it all just an act?'
Ethan Shaw and Naomi Kenway's marriage had been arranged by their families. For a brief time after the wedding, they treated each other with polite, if distant, respect. But it wasn't long before Naomi's true, terrible nature was revealed. She was vicious and would privately berate and strike the household staff; she was lazy, selfish, and cared only for herself.
Ethan grew to find her increasingly unbearable. The birth of Ian Shaw was the only thing that held their failing marriage together. But as their son grew, Naomi's temper became even more volatile and erratic. She neglected the boy, once even forcing him to kneel in the rain as punishment until he developed a high fever. Ethan had suggested divorce several times, but each attempt was thwarted by Ian's tears.
Eventually, Ethan moved out of the estate. His relationship with Naomi was a marriage in name only.
'How could such a vile person change overnight?'
'And yet...'
Ethan Shaw's gaze was frozen on the screen before him. The livestream replay was paused on a frame of Naomi Kenway covering Ian Shaw's ears while confronting Chelsea Raines.
'He just couldn't figure Naomi out anymore...'
*
「Three in the morning.」
Nathan Lynch was jolted awake by the harsh sound of a saw cutting through wood. He sat up, bleary-eyed, shuffled into his slippers, and padded into the living room. "Mom, it's so noisy..."
The cameras had long since stopped rolling for the day, and Renee Jennings's attitude toward Nathan Lynch became much more dismissive. "Be a good boy, now. It's late, so hurry back to sleep."
Without another glance at him, she lowered her head and went back to fiddling with the wooden planks in her hands. 'Naomi Kenway gained so much popularity from making furniture.' After leaving Naomi's earthen hut, she had gone straight to a carpenter's workshop to ask for lessons. She hadn't returned home until after dark, and since then, she had been practicing diligently in her bedroom. But for some reason, her hands felt clumsy; she just couldn't seem to make a complete stool.
'Why are these simple-looking movements so difficult? It seems Naomi must have really struggled during her months of practice.'
Nathan Lynch rubbed his eyes. "But Mom, it's so noisy. I can't sleep..."
"How can you not be able to sleep?" Renee Jennings looked at him, her patience wearing thin. "The big bad wolf comes for little boys who stay up late, you know."
"The big bad wolf?!" Nathan Lynch shrank back.
"That's right. The big bad wolf loves to eat little boys who stay up late. So, to protect yourself, Nathan, you should hurry back to your room and go to sleep. I'll be back in a little while."
Nathan Lynch glanced at the tools in Renee Jennings's hands. After a moment of hesitation, he turned and left.
With the nuisance dealt with, Renee Jennings quickly refocused her energy on making the stool. 'If Naomi Kenway can do it, why can't I? I've been preparing for so long; I can't let some disgraced celebrity outshine me.'
*
The only time-telling device in the earthen hut was a battered old clock hanging on the wall, and it didn't have an alarm function. Naomi Kenway had to rely on herself to wake up on time.
Anxious about having to secure breakfast, Naomi woke up several times during the night. No matter what, she could not let her son go hungry.
When the clock's hands pointed to four-thirty, Naomi Kenway climbed out of bed. The clothes she had brought on the trip were all simple and practical. She picked out a gray jacket and a pair of jeans, then pulled her carefully styled curls into a ponytail, looking exceptionally sharp and capable.
Before she left, Naomi tucked the blanket more snugly around her son. Ian Shaw was sleeping soundly, his smooth, pale cheek nestled into the soft pillow.
"Mommy's going out to get breakfast. I'll be right back."
She whispered, knowing Ian Shaw couldn't hear her.
Naomi Kenway opened the door and stepped outside. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and she could faintly hear the crowing of roosters in the distance.
She asked a nearby crew member, "Is the food distribution area down this path?"
The cameraman, who seemed to have just woken up himself, was stunned to see Naomi heading out. "Ms. Kenway, you're up so early?"
"The early bird gets the worm."
Naomi knew a thing or two about Renee Jennings—the woman was famously diligent. If she herself got there late, she definitely wouldn't be able to snag a good breakfast.
Considering Naomi Kenway was notorious for her laziness, the fact that she was up at four-thirty was enough to make the livestream viewers' jaws drop.
[Is Naomi sleepwalking or am I the one who's not awake yet? It's only 4:45 AM!!]
[Is Naomi possessed by a ghost or something? I'm not kidding.]
[The other guests are probably still asleep; only Naomi's stream has started! I must be dreaming, right? How is this possible? This is the Naomi Kenway who's rumored to wake up naturally at eleven every day!]
[She must be trying to get the best breakfast for Ian, right? I'm really starting to like Naomi more and more. Go, Naomi, go!]
[Puke. Naomi is really going all out to craft this 'good mom' persona.]
...
Just as Naomi had expected, she was the first to arrive at the east end of the village. A large table was set up next to a utility pole, laden with food that seemed to have just been set out, still steaming hot.
She had to admit, the spread provided by the production team was rather meager. In the way of bread-like items, there were only two stuffed buns; the rest were all plain steamed buns served with pickled vegetables. Naomi Kenway unhesitatingly took both stuffed buns, then grabbed an egg and a bowl of millet porridge.
If the first people to arrive took too much, those who came later might not get any food at all. Naomi didn't consider herself that inconsiderate; after taking enough for two people, she headed back. The thought of her son waiting for her at home made her steps unconsciously quicken.
She remembered that her son loved stuffed buns, and these happened to be his favorite kind: pork and shiitake mushroom.
*
Renee Jennings had set an alarm in advance and left promptly at five o'clock. Just as she'd anticipated, aside from the crew, there were no other guests at the food distribution area.
'I must be the first one here.' The thought brought her a small sense of relief.
The table was covered with nothing but plain steamed buns and pickled vegetables. Inwardly, Renee Jennings cursed the production team for being so cheap, but her face showed nothing.
After taking enough for their own meal, she hesitated for a moment before taking another portion.
On her way back, Renee Jennings ran into Margaret Jennings, who was hurrying toward the food area. The two exchanged simple greetings.
Margaret Jennings gave her a curious look. "Hm? I thought your villa wasn't in this direction."
Renee Jennings smiled faintly and held up the steamed buns in her hand. "Nina is probably still asleep. I was worried that poor Ian would have to go hungry, so I thought I'd bring these buns over to them."