Chapter 496


    In the heart of the woonds, the trees stood like uniformed soldiers, their canopies merging into an


    unbroken sea of green. A mist curled around the trunks, casting an enchanting spell that seemed to


    lead the wanderers in endless circles.


    Joana''s pulse quickened with panic. She called out to Naylor, who was forging ahead confidently, "Mr.


    Naylor, are we lost? I swear we''ve passed this spot before!"


    Parrish nodded in agreement. "Deja vu, right? But we''ve been walking straight; we couldn''t possibly be


    walking in circles, could we?"


    "Don''t worry, we aren''t walking in circles. Stick with me, and don''t touch anything on the trees," Naylor


    advised, hisstment clearly directed at Joana.


    Joana bit her lip, suppressing the urge to argue. She knew she had to start ying nice ording to


    the script Emily hadid out for her. She had to begin her transformation into the darling of the crowd if


    she wanted to stay afloat in the ruthless entertainment industry.


    With her reputation on shaky ground and the scarcity of quality roles, Joana was aware that her star


    could dim as quickly as it had risen. The relentless cycle of fame meant that even if she felt wronged,


    she had to swallow her pride and endure.


    Meanwhile, Astrid, armed with a dagger, had been discreetly marking the trees they passed. She was


    confident they weren''t moving in circles. But this ce, with its ancient towering trees, blocked out the


    sunlight with its dense canopy, always giving off a sense of darkness and oppression.


    "Here, take a swig of this." Elio offered his water bottle to Astrid.


    "I''ve got my own, thanks," Astrid declined, reaching for her backpack.


    Elio circled behind her. "Let me get that for you."


    "Sure." Astrid epted the water bottle he handed her and immediately felt her backpack grow lighter.


    Whirling around, she saw Elio putting her belongings into his own pack.


    "I can carry it myself," she protested.


    Ignoring her, Elio zipped up his backpack and whispered conspiratorially, "You''re on your period, right?


    Don''t y the tough girl now."


    Astrid''s heart skipped a beat. Damn, this guy remembered her period?


    But he was spot-on—it was indeed that time of the month. Knowing she''d be ufortable, Astrid


    dropped the argument. After all, why not ept some free help?


    Joana, on the other hand, was barely able to trudge along. Her backpack,den not only with the


    essentials but also her makeup and skincare products, was weighing her down. Pride kept her from


    Parrish had already taken some of Odell''s load, and Clyde, noticing Joana''s struggle, offered, "Joana,


    your pack seems heavy, huh?"


    Hearing Clyde''s voice felt like a choir of angels to Joana. She nodded eagerly, thinking he was offering


    to help. "Yes, it''s so heavy."


    Clyde delivered his advice with blunt practicality. "Ditch your makeup and skincare stuff, and you''ll be


    good to go. Keep it up!"


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Joana was speechless. Keep it up?


    Astrid struggled to stifle herughter.


    Online, the viewers were having a field day. [LOL, has Clyde been hanging out with Mr. Lampard too


    much? He''s got that straight-guy bluntness down!]


    [ROFL, Joana totally thought Clyde was going to carry her stuff. ''Keep it up,'' they said—ssic!]