Chapter 368
There''s still half a month before the filming of "Blood Ties" kicked off. During this time, Izabe had
been brushing up on her lines while hunting for a new pad.
"Blood Ties" was set to roll cameras in R City. Izabe had gotten used to life in R City, so she went
ahead and bought a house there. The house needed a good chunk of time for renovation—at least
a year—before it''s liveable.
Izabe rented a two-bedroom ce in R City; it''s spacious and perfect for a cat.
Having money sure made life easier. With a packed schedule, Izabe hired people online to help
her house hunt. The movingpany showed up at the apartment and had everything packed up in
no time.
By the time the rented ce in R City was spick and span, Izabe moved straight in with Nikki.
In the blink of an eye, a week passed and the first episode of "Here Comes the Superstars" aired,
and it was a smash hit.
Thanks to Ariana, Izabe, and Harper constantly trending over the past two weeks, a bunch of
curious viewers tuned in to see what all the fuss was about.
At the same time, a lot of people were eager to see if Izabe''s acting chops were up to scratch.
Izabe was an early bird when it came to dinner; she''s done by seven, and after a stroll around the
neighborhood with Nikki, it''s exactly eight when she got back.
In her new home, she’s got a massive couch, which she and Nikki love to lounge on. The leather
was soft, and it''sfy enough to double as a bed.
Izabe flipped on the TV and cuddled up with Nikki to watch the show.
Mr. Kane was definitely an ace director; his editing was super engaging, and the way he controled
the camera, magnifying the artists'' subtle expressions, made it easy to get lost in the drama.
Watching herself on TV, Izabe touched her face; it was kind of weird but not off-putting—a pretty
novel feeling.
Izabe''s face was, just like the director said, born for the camera.
With over 60 artists on set, the camera paned quickly, but the first face that grabbed attention was
definitely Izabe.
Some people were just born to lead.
Izabe rarely watched reality shows.
As Izabe watched the show, she was also scrolling through her phone. The trending topics tonight
were dominated by "Here Comes the Superstars", so all she was seeing was news about herself.
"About Izabe''s acting in ''Here Comes the Superstars''."
The title caught Izabe''s eye; she clicked on the post, and it was full of jeers.
"I like quite a few actors in this show. But Izabe really bugs me."
"Izabe''s acting was trending a couple of weeks ago, so embarrassing. Is this what good acting is
now?"
"She sat in the corner, didn''t interact with anyone, didn''t say hi. Totally rude."
"Even if Izabe was wrongly usedst time, why didn''t Harper and Ariana turn on someone
else? No matter how good Izabe''s acting is, it can''t wash away her whorebel. We should stop
liking her."
"Ariana and Harper are trash."
"Izabe''s face is drop-dead gorgeous. Makeup is a waste on her."
"I just want to see if Izabe tries to seduce Casey. If she so much as nces at him, I curse her to
go blind."
"It''s really weird; they''re making fun of Izabe before she even performs; aren''t they afraid of eating
their words, like Ariana did?"
"Whoever called her a whore, your manners must have been eaten by a dog. No, not even a dog
would eat that; more like flies."
"How did so many Izabe fans get in here?"
"Do you guys really think Izabe has no fans left? Do you have any evidence that Izabe is a
whore?"
"Izabe admitted it and apologized."
Izabe didn''t care about the public eye; what did these people''s opinions have to do with her?
That''s what she thought until a few days ago. She didn''t do things she''s not sure about; she
preferred to n everything out and take it step by step.
Clearing her name was a priority, but it’s not the thing she''s most eager to do right now.
But when she saw people defending her in thements, she felt a pang in her heart—not for
herself but for these kind-hearted people.
They''ve never met her, but they trusted her so deeply; how could she let them down?
The show hit its climax when Izabe took the stage.
On-stage special effects, lighting, Izabe''s clear and fluent lines, her calm response to Harper''s
impromptu line changed, clutching her chest, holding the gun, and falling to the ground as the lights
on stage slowly went out.
This night was destined to leave many people restless. Izabe''s performance was beyond
reproach; it was the epitome of perfect acting, the kind that could be written into textbooks.
Regr viewers watched Izabe''s performance over and over again.
Initially, Izabe had fans they affectionately called her "Be", and argued with haters on her
behalf, vowing to support her forever.
But a series of negative news stories led to fans leaving her one after another.
Some silent observers also blocked her because of her negative image in recent years.
But tonight, these fans came back. They sat in front of the TV, covering their faces, their hands wet,
screaming in silence.
The Izabe they''d always wanted to see was back.
Izabe''s fans were over the moon.
"Be, wee back."
"Be, conquer everyone with your acting."
"Why do you look down on Izabe? Do you have a face as beautiful as hers? Do you have a body
as good as hers? Do you have acting skills as strong as hers? If not, then shut up."
"Have Izabe''s fans gone crazy?"
That night, besides the fans constantly rewatching the video, Brett from Flower Garden, Nathaniel
from Quiet Forest Estates, and Casey from R City''s Fountain Bay all watched Izabe''s stage
performance over and over again.
Nathaniel from Quiet Forest Estates usually couldn''t give a rat''s ass about reality TV shows. If it
weren''t for his servants casually mentioning the name "Izabe", he would''vepletely forgotten
about Bell Salotti.
To him, Bell Salotti was as important as a used napkin. She was just a stand-in, discarded like
trash, out of sight, out of mind.
His only interest in Bell Salotti was to use her. He was initially interested in her simply because she
looked like Izabe.
With a bit of scheming, he got a talent agency to sign her on, bringing her into his sphere. All to
create the perfect stand-in. He tried to be good to her as much as possible, even getting her
professional tutors to teach her violin.
Bell Salotti was incredibly obedient; her personality was a far cry from Izabe''s, with a bit more
timidity. Perhaps because of her upbringing, shecked confidence. When she faced problems, she
wouldn''t try to solve them or seek help; she''d just hide under her covers and sob quietly.
During her violin lessons, she cried the most; her eyes were puffy and red almost every day, her
fingertips were bleeding from the strings, and even her nails split, but she persevered.
Nathaniel was naturally cruel; he enjoyed tormenting people for kicks, but for some reason, he didn''t
have the heart to torment Bell Salotti. Probably because she was too weak, watching her suffer
didn''t give him any satisfaction.
After giving it some thought, Izabe was still the better choice; he loved nothing more than bringing
a proud person to their knees.
Izabe''s death was indeed a pity. If only she had chosen to be with him instead of leaving this
world.
That way, she could''ve seen how miserable Brett had been these past three years.
What a pity—such a pity.
No matter how perfect a stand-in was, they''re still just a stand-in. Nathaniel thought he had
completely forgotten about Bell Salotti, but when the servant mentioned her name, he felt a slight
flutter in his heart.
He turned on the TV.
Looking at her face, he suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity. Bell Salotti was with him for a year;
during that time, he saw her face every day, and he even knew about the mole behind her ear.
Nathaniel always thought he knew Bell Salotti well, but when he saw the woman on TV, he couldn''t
find a trace of her.
It''s been a year since Bell Salotti left him.
In his memory, Bell Salotti wasn''t supposed to be this dazzling. She was like a speck of dust in the
darkness, easily swept away by the wind. Despite having a pretty face, she always kept her head
down. Even when sleeping, she liked to curl up in the corner, looking insecure.
If he had to list her good points, besides being good-looking, her only merit was probably her
diligence. With her around, he didn''t even need servants.
She was a quick learner; within three days, she knew his daily routine, his likes, and his tastes. She
would try her best to cook every meal for him.
Honestly, no one had ever taken care of him sofortably.
Imagine waking up in the morning to a warm bath ready, toothpaste already squeezed out when
brushing teeth, and even the towel within his reach. He didn''t have to lift a finger in his daily life.
Sometimes Nathaniel thought if he didn''t let Bell Salotti be a stand-in, she''d make a pretty good
servant.
The turning point came when Bell Salotti was cleaning his room and stumbled upon a video of
Izabe being tormented by him.
She was scared out of her wits, locking herself in her room for an entire night. In the end, Nathaniel
had to pry the door open.
As soon as he kicked open the door, he saw the nket on the sofa quivering, as if he could see
the figure curled up inside. He pulled back the nket, revealing Bell Salotti''s swollen eyes; clearly,
she was afraid of him.
"What are you scared of?" he asked.
Tears flowed from Bell Salotti''s eyes. She wanted to look away but didn''t dare; her forehead was
covered in cold sweat.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.