Serena Lockwood was stunned.
'She's changed.'
'This girl has changed.'
The old Stella Lockwood would never have threatened someone like that. She was like a porcelain doll—delicate and frail, always swallowing her grievances no matter what happened. She looked at the world with timid eyes, and it was only with her sisters that she would ever show her temper. The doctor had said, "She has social anxiety... She only shows her emotions to those she's close to."
This fierce act just now was completely out of character for her.
Stella Lockwood noticed her third sister looking at her as if she were some kind of monster. She knew her words and actions had come as a shock, but Serena would get used to it. 'From now on, I will do everything in my power not to be a coward.'
"Serena, don't worry," she explained patiently. "Mr. Bell is my buddy. There's nothing romantic going on between us at all. He's like... another you."
Serena Lockwood was stunned again. "..."
'It suddenly occurred to her, why is Stella so talkative today? If this were the past, she would have hidden away long ago. Being silent and afraid—that would have been her normal reaction.'
Just as Serena was pondering this, Stella Lockwood's phone rang. Stella glanced at it, and her smile instantly froze.
Serena Lockwood looked over curiously. The screen displayed three words: My Dearest Him.
'In the past, if Stella had gotten this call, she would have found a private corner to coo sweetly on the phone for ages. That man was the idol she worshipped, and he had just become her secret, unofficial boyfriend. They were supposed to be in the fiery honeymoon phase. After all the chaos today, she should have been eager to pour her heart out to him.'
But instead, Stella Lockwood acted abnormally again. She turned her phone off directly and even threw it far away.
Serena Lockwood's eyes widened in shock. "That was Mr. Joyce's call, and you... you didn't answer it?"
"Nope, not answering. From now on, I'm quitting his fandom. I'm drawing a clear line between us and making a clean break..." Her tone was incredibly firm.
'The caller was Don Joyce. A celebrity, her personal god, the idol she adored. But he was also the bastard who had destroyed her family and gotten her burned alive. She swore that in this life, she would never, ever get entangled with him again...'
"What's going on? You're so strange today..." Serena Lockwood felt like she barely recognized her sister. "Did you two... have a fight? It took you so much effort to become his girlfriend..."
"When did I agree to be his girlfriend? I hadn't said yes yet, had I? Serena, that guy is a total scumbag. We have to stay far, far away from him from now on... Even if we run into huge trouble, we can never ask him for help..." she warned with a serious expression.
Serena was speechless. 'What in the world provoked her to act like this?'
Serena Lockwood's attention, however, shifted to the tablet. The next moment, she cried out happily, "Mr. Bell updated his Weibo..."
Mr. Bell had written on his Weibo: "Damn it, what son of a bitch is spreading this bullshit? Stella Lockwood and I are buddies. Buddies! All you haters, open your damn eyes and look carefully. I was drunk... and my buddy was taking care of me..."
He attached a time-lapsed video showing the entire sequence of events. From the moment Mr. Bell was brought home to the moment Stella Lockwood left, Mr. Bell remained motionless on the sofa. A male housekeeper was there, trying to get him to his room, but he absolutely refused to go. He threw up several times, and both Stella Lockwood and the housekeeper were seen taking care of him.
The rumors were thus debunked without him needing to say another word.
Stella Lockwood watched, very satisfied. Her gaze shifted, and she swiped on the tablet, logging into her official Weibo account. TAP, TAP, TAP. She typed out a few words and posted it without a second thought: "Regarding Three Lives of Pear Blossoms, I will not be playing any role. This is a special announcement."
Serena Lockwood was watching the video Mr. Bell had posted when she noticed Stella's new Weibo post. She tapped on it, sucked in a sharp breath, and immediately flew into a rage, her words firing off like a machine gun:
"Stella Lockwood, have you lost your mind? Three Lives of Pear Blossoms is a huge IP! You were a shoo-in for the second female lead. If Mr. Joyce had pulled a few more strings, you might have even landed the main female lead! And now you're just saying you're not doing it? Was all my hard work for nothing?"
'That's right. In her past life, her role in Three Lives of Pear Blossoms was what launched her career. Her fame spread like wildfire. And because of that, she had trusted Don Joyce completely, thinking she had found her ultimate benefactor. This life, she would not make the same mistake.'
"I'm trying to clear things up with Mr. Bell. It's fine if I don't act in Three Lives of Pear Blossoms... Serena, there have to be other ways to solve the problem of me not getting roles..." 'My past self had very limited options at this age, but the me of today... all I need is one opportunity, and I can soar. I know I can do it.'
'Serena was so furious she wanted to smack the kid. She had poured her blood, sweat, and tears into getting a connection for the Three Lives of Pear Blossoms project, just so this little brat could have a chance to audition for the second female lead. It was a very likable character! Even though she had far less screen time than the main actress, if played well, the role was guaranteed to win over fans. And now she was just quitting without even talking to her about it? She was getting more and more willful!'
"You think you're some A-list celebrity that gets all the best resources handed to you on a silver platter?"
She felt like she was about to have a stroke from anger.
Just then, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, Serena wanted to march over and give Stella a good kicking. "It's the boss lady," she said. "Brace yourself. She's definitely calling to chew you out..."
She put the call on speaker, and the boss lady's furious roar immediately filled the room. "Serena Lockwood! Stella Lockwood! What the hell do you two think you're doing? I'm warning you, if you screw up this Three Lives of Pear Blossoms project, you can both expect to be permanently shelved! Now clean up this mess..." BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.
She hung up.
Serena Lockwood pinched the bridge of her nose.
Stella Lockwood, however, was perfectly calm. She simply said, "When one door closes, another opens. Serena, you mentioned before that you had another project. The big boss gave you two options, and as long as we complete one of them, I can keep acting. So, come on, tell me. What's the other project?"
"You managed to lose a sure thing like Three Lives of Pear Blossoms. You can forget about the other project..." Serena yelled, her voice thick with exasperation.
"It's not up to you to decide if there's hope or not. We'll never know if we don't try..." Stella walked over and tugged on her sister's sleeve. "Come on, let's take a look..."
Serena took a deep, steadying breath. She grabbed the tablet and opened the PowerPoint for the other project. "It's a variety show called Me and the Big Boss. All the artists competing have to use their own skills to invite one of the dozen or so bosses designated by the production team. There are only eight spots. If you can convince a boss to join the show with you, you get a spot... Just look at this list. These bosses are all titans at the very top of the food chain. With our standing, how could we possibly convince any of them?"
'She was right. The bosses handpicked by the show were all renowned titans of the financial world. A small fry like her could never hope to persuade one of these giants.'
'Huh? Wait, why is he on this list?'
Flipping to the profile of the final boss on the list, Stella Lockwood was startled. It was Sean Quinn—the arch-nemesis from her past life who had tried to avenge her.
In his profile picture, he stood behind a podium, wearing a white shirt, a gray suit, and a multi-colored striped tie. His hands rested on the lectern, and his posture was one of absolute dominance. His face was young, resolute, and cold, his deep-set eyes radiating an unparalleled confidence. At that financial seminar, filled with the brightest minds, he had been the dazzling center of attention.
She stared intently at his photo, made a decision, and said, "Serena, I'll go get him..."