Chapter 2020


    Chapter 2020


    Ivy sauntered over, a triumphant twinkle in her eye as she brandished the contract in her hand. “Yep,


    Giselle, just sealed the deal. I’ll leave you two to chat about the role,” she said, her tone light but the


    undercurrent of her words cutting through the tension in


    the room.


    Before she walked away, she turned to Colton with a genuine smile. “Thanks, Colton, for allowing me to


    be a part of ‘Bad of Valor.’ I promise I’ll give it my all.”


    “What?” Giselle’s shock echoed through the room, herposure crumbling like a house of cards.


    “You… You’re the fresh talent Colton picked?”


    Ivy simply nodded, her smile never wavering. “Didn’t I tell you I was here job hunting, Giselle? Well, this


    is the job!”


    Seeing Giselle’s face contorted in disbelief gave Ivy an unexpected rush of satisfaction. Giselle had


    always had a snide remark at the ready for lvy, and now she was the one left speechless.


    “Colton, now that we’ve got the paperwork out of the way, I’ve got to run. Let’s chatter,” Ivy said,


    unable to suppress the smugness in her voice as she waved the contract and swiftly exited.


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    In the aftermath were three people, two of whom were lost in their thoughts. Giselle’s face was a mask


    of envy and confusion. Balfour, a silent observer throughout this unfolding drama, wondered what he


    had done to earn such treatment from Ivy.


    Ivy had acted as if he was a stranger, ignoring himpletely, even embarrassing him in front of


    Colton. And now, she had not even spared him a nce on her way out.


    Still rooted to the spot, Giselle struggled to process the turn of events. It was bad enough that a newbie


    had snagged the role she’d coveted, but for that newbie to be Ivy? The same Ivy who had apparently


    stolen her man and now her role? How could aplete acting novice like Ivy have caught Colton’s


    eye?


    “This can’t be,” Giselle muttered, her gaze finallynding on Balfour. Suddenly, a lightbulb brightened


    her dark thoughts. There was no way Ivy, with herck of experience and clout, could have charmed


    Colton ornded the role so easily.


    It had to be Balfour. He must have pulled some strings for her!


    Giselle had grown up alongside Balfour, watching him take over the Howard family empire, steering it


    to greater heights. She had always thought they had a future together.


    But then Ivy appeared.


    Despite the years Giselle had spent in showbiz, though Balfour had smoothed out minor bumps in the


    road for her, he had never directly intervened to get her a gig, let alone a role. And now Ivy was


    breaking into the scene, and Balfour was pulling out all the stops, negotiating directly with Colton?


    Balfour was undoubtedly ying the doting husband-to-be!


    Jealousy, thick and bitter, began to coil within Giselle. Jealous of Ivy, who came from nowhere and was


    nothingpared to her. “Colton, what a coincidence that the new talent you’ve picked is an


    acquaintance of mine,” Giselle managed to say, her years in the industry having perfected the art of


    faking graciousness despite the storm of envy raging inside her.


    “Is that so? Talk about a small world!” Colton replied with a casual chuckle, oblivious to the


    undercurrents swirling between the two women.