Chapter 681
“I’m certain they’re married. My uncle works at a casino in Harbor City, and he told me he often sees Harvey driving Hattie’s car to the casino to gamble. This isn’t exactly a secret in Harbor City. I’m actually surprised it hasn’t been reported until now.”
“Just a little secret. The person you’re guessing is Hattie’s father. When she was studying at Toland University, she often bragged about being the daughter of the Ridges. But strangely, ever since she entered the industry, she hasn’t mentioned it again. She’s probably worried about people digging up the fact that she’s an illegitimate child.”
“It’s surprising how many people are still unaware that Hattie is the illegitimate daughter of the Ridges! Everyone in our class knew about it, including Violeta and Kaylee!”
A few days later, the excitement surrounding The Golden Ages’s winning big began to fade, but the scandal involving Hattie continued to dominate the trending topics list.
Upon learning about the situation, Carl was furious. At his age, he certainly didn’t want to be dragged down by his daughter, Hattie, so he ordered someone to suppress the trending topic immediately.
Amber smiled, intentionally adding fuel to the fire. “Come on, don’t be too upset. After all, she’s just a kid.”
Carl glared at her, getting angrier.
“A kid? At her age? She’s married and still a kid? What a useless girl. I should have never allowed them to come back together back then. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
As for the trending topic online, Hattie wasn’t naïve; did they really think she was unaware of how to suppress it?
If they wanted to put out the fire, they first needed to address who had sparked it.
The fire was ignited by Amber, who deliberately sought to escalate the situation, hoping to deepen Carl’s disdain for Hannah and Hattie.
Hattie naturally couldn’t suppress the news.
However, Amber was still the matriarch of the Ridges and couldn’t allow this matter to spiral out of control. After she had achieved her goal, she decided to let the heat die down on its own. Any further commotion would only raise Carl’s suspicions.
But a small spark can start a huge fire.
The online discussions had already drawn Hattie into a deep mess. Even though the buzz has died down, it only made netizens more convinced that Hattie feels guilty and spent money to suppress the trending topics…
Soon, Hattie’s overlapping filming plans were exposed.
“Big news! Hattie shot eight films last year, and none of them have aired!”
“Wow, filming eight projects is quite impressive.”
“She must be doing it to pay off Harvey’s debts. It seems she’s in desperate need of money. It’s really disappointing for an actress to resort to that.”
“Can she even deliver a good performance while juggling so many roles?”
“In order to make money, they even give up the most basic things of an actor.”
“If Harvey and Hattie are actually married, then her filming all these projects to pay off his debts makes some sense.”
“What? Didn’t someone expose Harvey as an overseas investor? How is he suddenly depending on Hattie to support him? This is absurd!”
“Hattie is really being dragged down by a man. She really made a mistake in choosing him. With her conditions, she should be able to find someone better.”
“It’s funny, really. When Harvey was exposed as an overseas investor, many people said that a glamorous star like Hattie was a perfect match for him. Now, it turns out to be a complete scam. Hattie rushed to announce their relationship, probably because she was attracted to Harvey’s wealth. It’s like she picked up a stone only to drop it on her own foot, instant karma.”
Hattie’s personal life turned into a complete mess, leaving her in a tragic state.
Everything about her had been exposed online.
It was true that Harvey frequented casinos in Harbor City. It was only a matter of time before someone spotted him there.
Although the heat of the situation was starting to cool down, Hattie had already lost all her dignity.
She faces widespread ridicule online, filled with regret for her past choices.
After this incident, while Hattie’s fate might not end up as dire as Zelena’s, who faced a soft ban, she still suffered considerable damage, losing a substantial number of fans.
Had she not rashly announced her relationship with Harvey during the filming of Whisper to the Mountain Spirit, she wouldn’t have found herself compelled to take on multiple projects for money, and wouldn’t be facing this wave of ridicule from the entire internet.
Hattie’s reputation in the industry has been damaged because of overlapping projects.
No director appreciated actors who were busy with multiple projects. It was disrespectful to film one of their own projects and then run off to shoot other projects at the same time.
Chapter 682
But now that she thought about it, Hattie hadn’t been the one to make the announcement back then either.
She was forced into it by the situation…
If Zelena hadn’t blackmailed her with that secret, she wouldn’t have ended up where she was. One wrong step and everything went downhill from there. It’s too late for regrets now.
All she can do is brace herself and face it head-on. What’s she going to do, retire from the industry?
No way she’s giving up her celebrity status that easily. Besides being an actress, she’s got nothing left.
Even if her career is declining, it’s not like she will starve.
Meanwhile, Kaylee announced her engagement to Zoren and returned to rehearsing for a play.
Zoren secretly organized a formal proposal ceremony at the theater where Kaylee rehearsed for her play. Initially, the two had only verbally agreed to get married, and Kaylee had never expected Zoren to propose to her again.
She was completely surprised on the spot, covering her mouth in shock, and the joy in her eyes was real, not just an act.
Someone at the theater secretly recorded the proposal and uploaded the video. It quickly went viral, racking up millions of views.
Hattie might be a fake rich person, but Zoren was the real deal.
Plenty of people used this moment to drag Hattie into the spotlight again, mocking her for scheming to marry into a wealthy family and failing miserably.
On the other hand, Kaylee started dating Zoren when her career was taking off, and Zoren didn’t rely on his family to succeed. Their story was one of slow and steady growth, and in the end, they made it.
Their wedding was at the end of the month and stayed at the top of the trending lists for five days.
Everything about the wedding was meticulously planned by both families and held in Quinston. Even relatives from their hometowns were flown in on private jets.
The venue was set up a month in advance, and everything from the wedding attire to the rings and jewelry was custom-made.
Zoren’s groomsmen included Hayden and a few old buddies from the early days of Pet Haven.
Kaylee had only one bridesmaid, and that was Violeta.
Violeta posted a selfie with Kaylee, captioning it, “Not just a good friend, but a great sister-in-law.”
On the wedding day, Violeta gave Kaylee a massive bouquet of magnolias, 999 flowers in total.
The meaning behind pure white magnolias is ‘eternal friendship.’
Kaylee didn’t throw the bouquet to the guests. Instead, she handed it directly to Violeta.
Then, with tears in her eyes, she gave an emotional speech on stage.
For the first thirty years of her life, Violeta wasn’t just a best friend to Kaylee; she was also a huge supporter.
Without Violeta, Kaylee wouldn’t be the person she is today; her career wouldn’t have reached its current heights, and even her relationship with Violeta blossomed because of Zoren.
But Violeta believed that Kaylee and Zoren worked out because of their mutual effort and shared courage.
If Zoren had stayed dependent on his family, he wouldn’t have had the guts to break free and carve his own path, let alone have a voice in his own life.
Kaylee wasn’t marrying Zoren as an unknown. Her fame surpassed his, especially after just winning the Splendor Awards for Best Supporting Actress, marking a significant milestone in her career.
Marrying Zoren meant she was marrying him as an individual, not the Whites.
The two of them seemed more like they were joining hands to build a small family together amidst everyone else.
They weren’t exactly from the same social class, but Kaylee was more than a match for Zoren.
After the wedding, Kaylee didn’t have time for a honeymoon since her play rehearsals had turned into full performances.
Meanwhile, Violeta and Hayden’s wedding was already being planned.
However, Violeta didn’t want a grand event, so she was busy convincing her family to keep it simple.
But Irene wasn’t having it. She’d always felt she owed Violeta for everything she’d missed out on over the years, and a wedding, being such a big deal, couldn’t just be done casually.
To Violeta, though, the wedding wasn’t as important as the upcoming awards ceremony and whether or not the invitation from Larethia would make it to her hands.
The Oscars carry a lot of international prestige and massive commercial value.
With the box office performance of ‘The Golden Ages,’ it was likely to be shortlisted.
But until it was confirmed, there was always a bit of anxiety.
Still, until the invite arrived, life had to go on as usual.
Recently, Violeta had Hayden look into that blond waiter’s whereabouts.
They finally found out that Ophelia couldn’t track him down because Zelena had arranged for him to be sent abroad in advance.
Chapter 683
Ophelia couldn’t find the guy, which caused the trail to go cold.
“He went abroad?”
“Yeah.”
“So how did you find out?”
“I checked the exit records.”
“I see. No wonder Ophelia couldn’t track him down.”
By now, Zelena had already left the entertainment industry.
So, should they let the matter rest or give Ophelia the truth?
Hayden’s deep voice broke the silence, “Are you planning to tell Ophelia where he is?”
Violeta gave a mysterious smile. “Take a guess.”
Hayden said, “I think you will.”
Violeta raised an eyebrow slightly. “Oh? You know me that well? You’re that sure?”
“An eye for an eye.
“The Violeta I know would do that.”
And Hayden was right.
Violeta hadn’t changed her mind.
Zelena had originally intended to harm her, but in a twist of fate, ended up hurting Ophelia instead.
Violeta felt a bit sorry for Ophelia, which is why she had made up her mind to help her uncover the truth.
Even though Zelena had already stepped away from the public eye, and it seemed like everything ended with her exit, things wouldn’t wrap up that easily. The damage she caused, she had to face the consequences herself.
As for the financial crisis in the years to come, that was beyond Violeta’s control.
But at the very least, Zelena owed Ophelia her innocence.
Violeta decided she was going to tell her everything.
Hayden sent her the information he’d gathered, and Violeta forwarded it to Ophelia anonymously. She’d done all she could. The rest was up to her.
That day, Violeta headed to her company. As she entered the elevator, the doors opened, and out walked Evelina and Jenny, who hadn’t been seen in ages.
They passed each other, and Violeta’s gaze briefly swept over Evelina’s face.
Evelina was wearing a mask and a hat, but she didn’t look too bad, all things considered.
There was no greeting, no eye contact. Evelina and Jenny just walked away.
Then, Violeta entered the elevator with Aster.
Aster muttered, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen them.”
Violeta replied, “Yeah, it must be at least half a year.”
Aster added, “I bet they’re here to sort out some business stuff. Evelina still has endorsement deals to handle; she can’t just ignore them forever.”
Violeta thought back to something Jasper had said during their trip to the North Sea. “Deal with it however it needs to be dealt with.”
Evelina had signed a ten-year contract back then to secure top-tier support. Even if she was sick, the company wouldn’t let her go that easily. Whether there’d be any legal wrangling in the future was another story.
The elevator doors opened again, and they headed toward the lounge.
Eugene had received a new invitation today, and Violeta had come specifically to check it out, hoping it was the one she’d been waiting for.
When they arrived, Aster curiously asked Eugene, “Eugene, Evelina came to the company today? Do you know why?”
Eugene was lounging with his legs crossed, playing on his phone. In front of him was a gray envelope with a delicate white flower on it, the invitation Violeta had come for.
Eugene put his phone away and said, “She’s about to go abroad for surgery. Came to the company to deal with some business.”
It looks like Aster’s guess was spot-on.
Violeta stepped forward, and Eugene handed her the invitation. “Guess where it’s from, Ms. Arrogant.”
Violeta replied, “I have no idea.”
But she was about to find out soon enough.
She opened the gray envelope and pulled out a white invitation with gold embossing. The words ‘Hundred Blossom’ were written at the top.
It was from the Hundred Blossom Award.
She’d thought it might be Cannes, or maybe-
“It’s from the Hundred Blossom Award. Are you going?”
“Of course.”
After all, no award is more or less important than another. Skipping it would only invite people to say she acted like a diva.
Eugene said, “Don’t worry. The film’s already been submitted. I’m guessing the next invitation will be from abroad.
“But as for the Hundred Blossom Award, it looks like Evelina’s going too.”
Aster said, “What? She’s going? But isn’t she super sick?”
Eugene replied, “They’ve invited many people this time, even Mr. Weekley. All the higher-ups got invitations.”
Chapter 684
Evelina’s illness hadn’t been made public yet, so no one knew.
It wasn’t surprising that the organizers still sent her an invitation -after all, she was part of Apex.
Aster nodded. “Okay, will she attend this last event before heading abroad for treatment? Eugene, what kind of illness is it?”
Eugene replied, “You don’t know? It’s a tumor. She’s actually pretty lucky they found it in stage two. If it had been any later, it would’ve progressed to stage three, and by then, treatment might’ve been too late.”
A stage two tumor is considered mid-stage and can usually still be treated with surgery.
Eugene continued, “I heard from Lance that she’s going to the Wiltonshire for treatment. Mr. Weekley arranged for her to see a top doctor.”
Violeta declined the invitation and asked softly, “Has her business been affected? It’s been nearly half a year since she’s worked.”
Eugene replied, “Of course it has.
“She came to the company today to terminate a few contracts. You could say Evelina has had some pretty bad luck. She’s ill, but there’s no public sympathy for her. She didn’t even have any projects lined up before getting sick. Whether or not the surgery is successful, she will need time to recover, and by then, will there still be a place for her in the industry?”
For an artist like Violeta, public exposure was crucial.
When she took on ‘The Golden Ages,’ she’d weighed the risks carefully.
Violeta had been out of the public eye for two years with no commercial work, but thanks to winning an award for ‘Spring in Moon City’ and having a well-received film like ‘The Island Ashore’ waiting to be released, she had never disappeared entirely from the audience’s view.
On the other hand, Evelina wasn’t as popular as Violeta, and her standing in the industry didn’t compare either. If she disappeared now, it was highly likely that she’d be gone for good.
Aster rubbed her chin and said, “Evelina’s popularity is kind of strange, you know? When she was active, it seemed like she had quite a following. But now, after being out of the spotlight for half a year, it’s like her fanbase just evaporated. Was it all fake hype? That’s really unfortunate.
“Even though Zelena has been blacklisted and isn’t in the entertainment industry anymore, her fans can still catch glimpses of her from time to time on Twitter.”
Zelena’s popularity was real. After all, the high viewership ratings of her variety shows weren’t fabricated.
Despite her bad reputation, she had a lot of fans who loved her for her looks, and you’d still see posts about her on social media occasionally.
But with Evelina, it was different.
When she was popular, she was really popular.
However, her high profile had vanished overnight, just like that.
Her popularity vanished from the entertainment industry as dramatically as she did. It’s really quite strange.
Violeta lowered her eyelashes. “That’s what happens when there are consequences.”
Eugene said, “I think the same thing. Maybe this is her backlash.”
Evelina’s surge in fame had started after she supposedly began messing around with spirits. In a very short amount of time, she gained popularity and wealth that weren’t rightfully hers, and now, everything was coming back to bite her.
All of it had been stripped away, leaving her worse off than she had been before.
Even though her earlier fame wasn’t as high, it wasn’t nonexistent either.
But now? Nothing. She wasn’t banned, just sick, yet there wasn’t even a ripple of attention. How strange.
Plus, her business deals had skyrocketed before, but now almost all of them had deserted her. The ones left were barely worth mentioning.
She had gotten money fast, but now that she was sick, all the money she’d earned might end up going toward her treatment.
Evelina’s fate didn’t seem promising.
She’d have to keep the money for her medical bills, and she still had three freeloaders leeching off her. If Jenny and the others realized Evelina had no more value, they might drain the last bit of life out of her.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say Evelina was one of the most inflated A-listers in the industry.
Violeta said, “If she turns back now, there might still be hope.”
The universe sees everything.
Anything that goes against the natural order will eventually be taken away.
Evelina still had a chance to turn things around after all, her tumor was only in stage two. If the universe really wanted to take her life, it would’ve been terminal from the start.
She could still live a decent life if she chose to do good and let go of what wasn’t meant for her.
Chapter 685
If Evelina insisted on defying fate, the consequences could be even worse than they already were.
In the end, what’s meant to be will be. If something isn’t in your destiny, don’t force it. A simple, peaceful life is good too.
Evelina planned to attend the Hundred Blossom Award before flying to Wiltonshire for surgery. After leaving the company, her car took her to a studio she frequented for styling. It had been a while since she’d been there.
With the Hundred Blossom Awards at the end of the month, her timing to pick out a dress was just right.
When Evelina and Jenny arrived, the studio staff welcomed them warmly, and the stylist who usually handled her looks came over personally to greet them.
“It’s been a while, Evie! You really took a long break this time. Where’d you go on vacation?” The stylist smiled as she handed over an iPad for them to browse the dresses.
Evelina looked a lot more haggard than before. The stylist assumed her pale, washed-out look was a deliberate makeup choice since that kind of minimalistic look had been trending recently.
“Wow, that nude lipstick looks so natural! Which brand is it? What’s the shade?” the stylist asked.
Jenny laughed awkwardly, “Annie, Ms. Drayton hasn’t been feeling well lately. She’s not wearing any lipstick.”
“What? She’s not well?
“Wow, Evie, I didn’t realize you were barefaced! I thought you had makeup on. Your skin is really great, haha!”
Good thing Annie is quick on her feet; otherwise, it would have been super awkward.
Handing over the iPad, she excused herself to make coffee and left the room.
Evelina crossed her legs and scrolled through the latest haute couture dresses on the iPad. She found one she liked and showed it to the stylist when she returned.
The stylist set down the tea and hesitated, “Evie, unfortunately, all the dresses from that collection have been reserved. Maybe you could pick something else? This season’s ready-to-wear line is really good; it was a hit on the runway recently.”
Jenny said, “What did you say? Ready-to-wear line? Who would want to wear that? We’re a…
“Forget it, just say a little less,” Evelina interrupted Jenny with a worried expression, placing the iPad on the table. “Let’s go with this white one for now. We can discuss the styling another day; I have other things to take care of.”
Jenny fell silent.
Annie nodded, “Alright.”
Evelina stood up to leave.
As they walked out, Jenny asked in confusion, “Evie, why settle for a ready-to-wear dress?”
That wasn’t like her at all.
Evelina had fought hard to get to the level where she could wear haute couture. The last thing she would do is compromise on the status of her gown.
“I’ve already terminated my contract with the brand,” Evelina replied flatly. “Annie doesn’t know, but you should. Even if I wanted haute couture, would they lend me a dress now? You want everyone to know I’m no longer tied to the brand?”
Without a brand contract, it wasn’t easy to borrow haute couture.
Besides, Evelina knew her popularity had plummeted, and the chances of a brand agreeing to lend her a dress were slim. Instead of embarrassing herself, it was better to just go with a ready-to-wear option.
Jenny paused, “That’s true.”
Evelina continued, “The dress doesn’t matter. I’m only showing up for a brief moment. There’s something far more important.”
“What’s that?” Jenny asked.
Evelina said, “Since I’m leaving, I have to give Violeta a big gift. Why should I exist in solitude while she receives all the attention on stage?”
Jenny asked, “What do you want to do?”
Evelina leaned in and whispered her plan into Jenny’s ear.
Jenny’s eyes darkened, “Got it.”
Evelina’s plan was simple.
If Violeta didn’t win Best Actress at the Hundred Blossom Award, fine. But if she did, Evelina would make sure to ruin her moment.
She’d bribe the sound technician at the event to create an awkward minute of silence, making the entire room go cold.
The atmosphere at the scene went cold, which would dampen the excitement.
It would also test Violeta’s ability to handle the situation in front of the camera; if she didn’t manage it well, there would definitely be plenty of people mocking her on Twitter.
This would be Evelina’s parting gift to Violeta.
Evelina had always viewed Violeta as her rival. But unfortunately, her illness had robbed her of the chance for a real face-off.
Time flew by, and soon, the end of the month arrived.
Chapter 686
The red carpet at the Hundred Blossom Award was a dazzling display of flashing lights as bright as daylight. Every artist who walked it carried themselves with grace and poise.
As always, the cast of ‘The Golden Ages’ was the center of attention. The moment they appeared, they attracted every photographer’s lens like magnets, with cameras all turning toward them.
They strolled down the red carpet, paused briefly at the signature board, posed for photos, and then made their way backstage.
Having already swept the Splendor Awards earlier, everyone was curious: could they repeat the magic tonight?
Backstage, Violeta and her team found their seats, though this time, they weren’t together on a long sofa but in separate chairs, all in the same area.
Before long, someone who hadn’t been seen in the public eye for quite some time, Evelina, also arrived backstage. After nearly half a year of being absent, her popularity had taken a serious hit. The cameras were brutally honest; many of them only gave her a quick, passing shot as she walked the red carpet.
Evelina didn’t show any displeasure on her face. But inside, she surely must’ve felt something. She just wasn’t showing it.
Since she and Violeta were from the same company, their seats weren’t too far apart. However, because Evelina wasn’t nominated for any films, her seat was in the back row, with minimal exposure.
After carefully lifting her gown and settling into her seat, Evelina’s gaze drifted over the heads in front of her and landed on Violeta. Violeta was chatting happily with Kaylee, her face glowing with success.
Leaning back in her chair, Evelina silently observed them.
As the lighting in the hall shifted, the room gradually fell quiet. The big screen lit up, and the orange stage lights glowed one by one as the male host’s deep voice rang out.
“Good evening, everyone! Welcome to this year’s Hundred Blossom Award!”
Clap, clap, clap.
Applause filled the room.
The host on stage was last year’s Best Actor, Wallace Zielger, alongside a veteran actress known for her gravitas.
Evelina glanced at the golden statues standing beside the audience, her mind drifting. After the opening speech, a new set of hosts took the stage.
Eleven films were nominated this year, and the hosts made sure to name-drop The Golden Ages cast, smiling as they invited them to wave to the audience.
Violeta smiled gently at the camera.
After a brief interaction, the real award ceremony began.
Unlike some pre-arranged award shows, the Hundred Blossom Awards were decided by over a hundred live voters on-site.
The room was filled with well-known figures from the film industry, and the voting proceeded swiftly and smoothly. One by one, the hosts announced the winners.
The Golden Ages’ had already swept the awards before, so it wasn’t surprising when they started winning again tonight.
One by one, the people beside Violeta took to the stage to receive their awards, and it was her turn.
“And the Best Actress Award goes to … congratulations, Violeta White!”
Violeta stood up to receive her award. Normally, the music and lights would sync up at this moment. That’s how it had worked for all the previous winners.
But to everyone’s shock, as Violeta rose from her seat, the lights were on her, but the music had completely stopped. The room was eerily silent.
Without the celebratory music, Violeta’s movements as she walked toward the stage seemed awkward and stiff.
The host quickly glanced backstage, his expression full of questions. What’s going on?
Through his earpiece, he was told the sound system’s connector had malfunctioned, which was why there was no sound.
The host silently cursed. Of all times for it to break, it had to be now? Seriously, what rotten luck!
Keeping his composure, the host warmly welcomed Violeta to the stage and handed her the microphone for her acceptance speech.
Originally, background music was supposed to be played while they introduced Violeta’s long career and notable achievements. But with no music, the moment felt awkward.
All the previous winners had their moments, complete with music-everyone but Violeta.
Now that a whole part of the program was missing, Violeta realized her pre-prepared speech wouldn’t last long enough. Was she about to have a stage disaster on her hands?
The host was starting to sweat, worried things would fall apart.
Evelina enjoyed herself immensely in the audience, counting down in her head.
One minute might not seem long, but one minute of dead air on stage is a disaster.
Violeta, thinking quickly, began mentally organizing her
thoughts, preparing to extend her speech by sharing her reflections on working on ‘The Golden Ages.’ She had to make sure the moment wouldn’t end in disaster.
Chapter 687
At that moment, the host heard a voice through his earpiece. “The music’s coming soon! They’re fixing it right now-oh no!”
After hearing those voices in his earpiece filled the host’s eyes filled with panic.
What’s going on?
She glanced at Violeta beside him.
Then, suddenly, a crisp, melodic tune filled the air.
The host’s first thought was that the sound system had been fixed, and he sighed with relief-until he realized something was off.
Wait a minute.
That wasn’t the rehearsal music.
Turning his head toward the source of the sound, he saw that it was coming from a decorative piano at the back of the stage.
Meanwhile, Violeta had already started her speech, completely unaware. She assumed the background music had been restored and proceeded with her prepared remarks without hesitation, confidently facing the camera.
While everyone backstage scrambled to deal with the situation, only the host and a few staff members knew this was a full-blown stage malfunction.
But Violeta’s quick reaction and the impromptu piano music skillfully covered up the mishap.
Some in the audience might have suspected something was off -after all, the lack of music when Violeta initially walked up had been unusual. But the moment passed quickly, and most viewers at home would likely think the organizers had planned it that way on purpose.
The host followed the music with her gaze, and to her shock, the man playing the piano was none other than Jasper!
Jasper sat at the piano, calm and composed, his long fingers effortlessly gliding across the keys. He had no sheet music before him; he played the song purely from memory. His dark eyes gleamed like polished onyx, and every movement was graceful and poised, exuding an air of quiet elegance.
It was perfectly timed.
When Violeta finished her speech, Jasper’s piano playing came to a gentle close.
To those unaware of what had just happened, it might have seemed like this seamless coordination had been rehearsed.
As Violeta descended from the stage with her award, thunderous applause broke out in the hall.
But there was one person who couldn’t bring herself to smile.
Evelina.
She had expected an awkward minute of dead silence.
What she hadn’t anticipated was that the person who would step in to save Violeta’s moment would be Jasper.
Jasper!
Evelina’s hands clenched into tight fists, her eyes filled with confusion and anger.
As Violeta made her way backstage, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Jasper walking behind her.
She was taken aback for a moment, but the next second, Violeta realized that Jasper had just played the piano music she had just heard. “Jasper, you were the one playing the piano just now?”
“Yeah,” he replied calmly.
“So… that really was a stage malfunction? The team must have been desperate to get you to jump in. If you hadn’t, that would’ve gone viral for all the wrong reasons.”
Violeta still had a lingering sense of unease. When she’d been up on stage, she could feel the tension radiating from the host, but she’d had no choice but to keep going.
Jasper didn’t explain, letting Violeta think the hosts had called on him to save the moment.
As the two returned to their seats, Jasper returned to the audience section, where his seat was located.
Just before sitting down, his gaze met Evelina’s, locking eyes for a brief moment.
Evelina’s heart skipped a beat.
A sudden wave of fear washed over her, but she quickly shook it off.
Why should I be afraid?
No one knew what she had done. Jasper certainly didn’t know.
But why on earth did Jasper show up at the award ceremony? What bad luck! No one would have stepped in to help Violeta if he hadn’t been there. With the long, awkward silence, it was bound to trend on social media.
Who would have thought that Jasper would be the one to break the tension?
Evelina felt increasingly agitated.
Finally, once the award ceremony wrapped up, Violeta entered the artist lounge, holding her trophy.
Aster followed closely behind, chattering away. “Ms. White, that was definitely a tech malfunction, right? How did Mr. Weekley end up playing the piano to save the day? I was so scared backstage I thought the silence would last forever!”
Violeta entered the room and motioned for Aster to close the door behind them.
As she sat down, Violeta replayed the night’s events in her mind. The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
The ceremony had been running smoothly, with no technical issues for anyone else.
But when it was her turn, the sound system conveniently malfunctioned, and it magically worked again right after she stepped off the stage. It was all too coincidental.
Thank goodness Jasper had stepped in when he did. Otherwise, the stage would’ve fallen into an awkward, uncomfortable silence.
合
Chapter 688
“Aster, go find out what happened earlier,” Violeta instructed.
“Okay, I’ll check right away.”
Aster left the room to investigate while Violeta’s makeup artist came in to help her remove her makeup.
When the makeup and hair were done, Aster returned with the information.
“Ms. White, they said it was a problem with the sound system wiring.”
“That coincidental?” Violeta raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, I thought so too. Oh, by the way, when I was asking around, I saw Mr. Weekley.”
It was typical for someone with an invitation to attend the awards ceremony. Still, Jasper, the CEO of Apex, didn’t need one -he could come and go as he pleased.
Aster mentioned seeing Jasper talking to the event organizers.
From the looks of it, he was investigating the situation, but that was beyond Aster’s ability to get involved. She asked a few staff members and received a standard answer before returning.
Violeta had a gut feeling this wasn’t just a coincidence. But whether it was intentional or not, she’d need solid evidence to prove it.
“Forget it. It’s time to go. We’ll find a time to invite Jasper for dinner as a thank you,” Violeta said, letting it go for now. “Got it.”
Meanwhile, Jasper had already uncovered the truth.
Tonight’s incident had been orchestrated by Evelina. After
Jasper’s team found and interrogated Jenny, and she quickly spilled everything in fear.
“Mr. Weekley, should we bring Evelina in for questioning?” one of Jasper’s staff asked.
“No need.”
As the driver pulled the car up, Jasper glared at the trembling Jenny before getting into the car.
Once Jasper left, Jenny let out a sigh of relief.
But she knew this wasn’t over.
Just because Jasper didn’t summon Evelina didn’t mean he believed her innocence; he didn’t think Evelina was worth giving a chance to defend herself.
This was going to blow up.
Evelina had been waiting for Jenny for a long time.
When she finally returned, Evelina asked impatiently, “Why are you back so late? I’ve been waiting forever. Where’s the car? Didn’t you go to get one?”
Jenny’s anxiety was evident as she nervously responded, “Evelina, something’s gone wrong.”
Evelina’s expression faltered slightly. “What do you mean?” Jenny had no choice but to explain everything that had happened.
“I was on my way to call a car, but Jeffrey stopped me.”
Jeffrey, the special assistant, is the only male subordinate around Jasper.
Jasper doesn’t bother with day-to-day business affairs, but Jeffrey handles most of them. He’s a significant influence on the company. Even though he’s technically just an assistant, even Lance, the company’s VP, sometimes had to report directly to him.
Evelina was well aware of who Jeffrey was.
“And then?” she asked, her tone growing sharp.
“He asked me about the sound system issue, about why there was no music when Violeta went on stage,” Jenny stammered.
Hearing this, Evelina’s face turned dark.
“I was so scared. I told them everything,” Jenny admitted.
Evelina’s expression flipped in an instant. “What did you just say? Are you an idiot? You just told them everything because they asked?”
Jenny had been feeling guilty, but now, Evelina’s outburst sparked anger. “They’re upper management, Jasper’s top people! You know how intimidating our CEO is. It was like an interrogation. I didn’t mean to say it. It just slipped out! How can you blame me for that?”
Evelina sneered, “Oh, now you’re the victim, are you?”
“I…” Jenny began, but Evelina cut her off with a roll of her eyes.
She quickly pulled out her phone to call Jasper, desperate to explain the situation.
But no matter how many times she tried, Jasper didn’t answer.
A cold chill ran through Evelina. This could have been better.
She glared at Jenny. “Do you know where they went?”
“I don’t know.”
“They didn’t say anything when they left?”
“Nothing. The CEO just got into the car and left. I think maybe he went back to the office?” Jenny guessed.
Evelina’s anxiety spiked. Whether Jasper had returned to the office or not, she needed to head there immediately to try to salvage the situation.
“What are you still standing here for? Go get the car!” Evelina snapped.
Em, startled out of her daze, Jenny hurried to call for the car. “Oh, right, I’ll get it now.”
合
Chapter 689
As Jenny walked away, she muttered, “You and Jasper were once together. Even if he knows what happened, he might cut you some slack. After all, you two were a thing.”
Hearing those words, Evelina felt like her heart had been thrown into hot oil, sizzling with pain, only to be doused with cold water.
It was true, she and Jasper had dated.
But from the beginning to the end, she was never in control.
When they broke up, she didn’t even get a say. She was informed.
Afterward, Evelina thought about trying to win him back. Still, Jasper was so decisive that he changed the passcodes to the villa and cut off all contact. She couldn’t even reach him privately.
When she pushed too hard, Jeffrey had warned her to back off.
That’s when she finally gave up.
But now, hearing Jenny’s words, Evelina couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe Jasper never truly cared about her.
A strange, unspeakable sadness washed over her.
Had he ever really liked her?
Before long, Evelina arrived at the office, only to be told that Jasper wasn’t there.
She took a car to his villa, but it started to drizzle when she
arrived. The iron gates were firmly shut, and she was left feeling dejected once again.
Jasper was probably inside, but he didn’t want to see her.
Her flight to Wiltonshire was scheduled for the day after tomorrow.
Before leaving, Evelina kept trying to contact Jasper but never got through.
At first, she was nervous.
But since Jasper never made a move, she reassured herself that maybe she was overthinking it, scaring herself for no reason.
It was when Evelina arrived in Wiltonshire for her surgery that things took a turn.
She was about to head in for her appointment when Henry’s assistant suddenly informed her that the surgery had been postponed.
Evelina was furious that Henry had canceled at the last minute, but she could do nothing. She had to reschedule.
The surgery was delayed by more than a month.
With no choice but to stay in Wiltonshire, Evelina tried to maintain her usual high standard of living. Still, the cost of living in Wiltonshire was high, and her savings were depleting quickly.
Winona and the other two were with her, and their expenses fell on Evelina.
Meanwhile, back home, Apex was rapidly promoting Susan. The company still wanted Violeta to mentor her. Hence, they had a custom script written specifically for the two of them.
Violeta didn’t mind. As long as the script was good, she was open to it. She didn’t really care who she had to act alongside.
Eugene had caught wind that Evelina had gone to the office looking for Jasper but couldn’t see him.
While chatting casually with Violeta, he said, “That whole mess at the Hundred Blossom Award was probably Evelina pulling strings. The boss found out, and when she showed up at the office later, he refused to see her.”
Aster chimed in, “I knew it! I knew the music at the awards wasn’t a coincidence-it was deliberate.”
Violeta asked, “Mr. Scott, how do you know that?”
Eugene replied, “The boss was actually at the office that day, but when Evelina showed up, he had someone send her away.”
Violeta nodded. “So that’s what happened.”
It turns out Jasper was at the office that day. He just chose not to see Evelina.
Eugene sighed, “You guys handled that whole situation at the awards well.”
After the Hundred Blossom Award, The Golden Ages’s team trended on social media again. With them, Jasper’s name also made it onto the hot topics list.
Jasper had trended once before when he returned from the Wiltonshire to take over Apex.
Back then, people had praised him as a real-life CEO straight out of a novel, but Jasper had paid to remove all the pictures.
He didn’t like being the center of attention; he wasn’t a public figure.
But this time, his impromptu piano performance at the awards, saving Violeta from an awkward moment, blew up. The public discussion was far greater than before.
Even though the buzz died quickly, this incident was now forever recorded in the official video archives of that year’s Hundred Blossom Award. It was going to be there, permanently.
It was out of character for Jasper to do something like that, but somehow, he had.
Aster rested her chin on her hand and mused, “But you know, people online weren’t wrong, our CEO looked really handsome playing the piano. You’d never guess he could play just by looking at him. It was such a surprise!”
Violeta smiled and added, “Yeah, it was my first time learning that Jasper could play the piano, too.”
Chapter 690
Not many people knew that Jasper had started learning the piano as a child. As the only son of the Weekleys, there were some hidden talents about him that most people didn’t see.
The truth was that Jasper didn’t even like playing the piano. But his mother did, so he was forced to learn for a few years.
He was highly talented, but sadly, he wasn’t passionate about it.
When his rebellious teenage years hit, the more his family pushed him to do something, the more he resisted. From that point on, he never touched a piano again.
Years passed, and the grand piano in the family’s music room, worth millions, gathered dust. He wouldn’t play it, not once. Yet at the Hundred Blossom Award, he sat on stage at a regular old piano. He played an unforgettable melody all to help her.
Violeta had planned to invite Jasper for dinner to thank him.
She even took the time to go to the CEO’s office, but to her surprise, Jasper turned her down, saying he didn’t have the time.
“Dinner with me? This weekend? Forget it. There’s already enough gossip online about me. If we get spotted having dinner together, that’s just going to add fuel to the fire,” Jasper said.
Violeta reassured him, “We won’t get spotted. The restaurant is very private.”
Of course, it wouldn’t just be the two of them. If Jasper agreed, Violeta had planned to have Hayden invite Liam and Zoren.
But even after she explained all this, Jasper still declined.
“Really, it’s unnecessary. It’s just a small favor I did for you. If the dinner is to thank me for stepping in at the awards, there’s no need,” he said. “Besides, I’m actually busy this weekend. I have other plans.”
He smiled faintly at Violeta, politely but firmly turning her down again.
Violeta blinked, a little surprised. “You have other plans?”
Jasper replied, “Yes.”
Seeing this, Violeta didn’t push further. She didn’t ask for details.
“Alright then, we’ll leave it at that. But Jasper, I still want to thank you,” she said. “I’ll head out now. But if you change your mind before the weekend, call me.”
She mimed, holding a phone to her ear, and walked out.
Jasper watched her leave, then turned back toward the office’s floor-to-ceiling windows. He lit a cigarette and stared out.
Ultimately, Jasper didn’t call Violeta, and the dinner plans were canceled.
A new variety show contacted Violeta, asking her to film an episode.
This show was different from the others she’d been on before. All the guests were heavyweights in the literary world, not just famous celebrities.
The show wasn’t about stirring up gossip or creating buzz. Instead, each episode featured a city rich in culture and history, where the guests would explore its heritage and discuss literature, philosophy, and ideals.
Violeta was the first major celebrity to be invited. The producers hoped she’d set a good precedent for future episodes.
Violeta had never done a variety show before.
At first, Eugene had considered turning it down. But after thinking it over, he realized the show was high-quality and a rare opportunity. So he told Violeta about it and asked her to think it over.
Violeta mulled it over for a long time. Several of the regular guests were literary figures she deeply admired.
After careful thought, Violeta agreed to do the show. It was just one episode, so it would take up only a little of her time.
As the year ended, the long-awaited wedding of the Whites and the Frosts finally arrived. They had been preparing for half a year.
News of Violeta and Hayden’s marriage spread like wildfire, shared by all the major gossip accounts. Even Apex Entertainment’s official social media account posted their congratulations, a rare move for the company.
The wedding was held at a church in Ravensford Town, a quaint town in Bridgemont Shire, Wiltonshire.
They had registered their marriage at the beginning of the wedding preparations. Violeta had left all the planning to the wedding company and their families. She barely had to lift a finger for the entire process.
The only things she and Hayden decided together were the custom wedding rings and the dress.
The wedding ring was a rare, 11-carat pink diamond carved into a heart shape using a unique technique. The band was simple and elegant, allowing the diamond’s brilliance to shine.
Pink diamonds are rare, and those that reach a significant carat size are priceless. An 11-carat pink diamond was a once-in-a-lifetime find, a true treasure with no market price.
The ring was something other than what Hayden had bought.
Violeta’s father, Anton, had gone to great lengths to get it for his daughter. He pulled strings in Aurelia to purchase the rough stone at a high price. The carving was done by a renowned Verdancia master. There was only one like it in the world, and the design even included a double-layer feature for added uniqueness.
お金金
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