《Love in the Limelight (Astrid and Elio)》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    On Mother''s Day night, Elio Lampard, the CEO of Morgenster Corporation, suddenly posted a


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    message on his personal Twitter looking for his mom,


    "Looking for Mom: I, Roman Lampard, am searching for my mom."


    Minutester, the message blew up on the inte, sparking a heated discussion amongizens.


    "What? The heir to the Lampard Group is publicly seeking a wife for his dad?"


    "Honey, look at me, I can be your mom!"


    "I don''t get it, who''s this kid? Why has his search for a mom made it to the trending topics?"


    "Baby, I''m a guy, but if you don''t mind, I''d be happy to be your mom!!!"


    "Do you guys not know how to read? He said he''s looking for his mom. Probably means his biological


    mom?"


    In a taxi.


    Gracie was scrolling through tweets. She excitedly jabbed at Astrid Irvine who was passed out from


    drinking too much, "Astrid, Astrid, look... the heir to the Lampard Group is looking for a wife for his


    dad!"


    "What''s it to you?" Astrid mumbled, feeling sick to her stomach.


    "How can it not concern me? If I got the chance to be his stepmother, would I care about what


    others thought? Who''s Roman? He''s the son of the richest man! I can use that money to deal with


    those who look down on me!"


    "Astrid, you''re amazing, how did you know we were going to have a hard time at the reunion? You even


    prepared a fake bank bnce text to defend ourselves. But that fake was unbelievable, who would


    believe a bnce in the billions..."


    Astrid burped, "That was just pocket money..."


    "Billions in pocket money? I can''t believe it..." Gracie babbled on, only to find Astrid had gone silent


    next to her. Turning her head, she found Astrid had leaned on her shoulder and fallen asleep.


    Astrid''s long eyshes gently covered her eyelids, her delicate face slightly red from the alcohol,


    making her even more charming. Looking at her beautiful profile, Gracie couldn''t help but mutter, "What


    a beauty."


    "Sir, stop up ahead." Gracie helped Astrid out of the cab and struggled to walk her into an old


    It waste at night, and themunity was eerily quiet.


    The musty smell in the dark stairwell was a bit nauseating. Gracie got Astrid to her front door, bent


    down to find the key in the flower pot and put it in Astrid¡¯s hand, "Astrid, you gotta get in yourself. My


    mom has called a bunch of times, I gotta go."


    "Also, watch out for Simon. He''s harassed a lot of girls in the office."


    "Okay, got it, be careful on your way." Astrid leaned against the wall and stuffed the key into the


    keyhole, trying a few tries to get it in.


    She lightly turned the key, and then a hint of wary coldness shed in her eyes. She had definitely


    locked the door when she left, but now it opened with just a twist.


    Someone was in the room.


    Someone was scheming against her? This was too much.


    Astrid scoffed, then walked into the room as if nothing had happened. Before her hand even touched


    the switch, she smelled a pungent odor. She immediately held her breath and fell to the ground,


    pretending to faint.


    Then a man muttered, "Wow, this drug is so strong? She fell right away!"


    The man took Astrid to a hotel and threw her on the bed before leaving. After a while, a fat middle-aged


    man walked into the room. This was Simon from thepany.


    "No matter what you hear in the room, don''te in and disturb me!" Simon ordered, closing the door


    behind him. He looked at the girl on the bed, and he couldn''t wait to start undoing his tie and belt,


    "Hottie, every minute spent with you is precious."


    Simon lunged at the girl on the bed, and at that moment, the girl who was supposed to be passed out


    suddenly lifted her foot and kicked him in the chin!


    "Scumbag, I''ve wanted to take revenge for those girls you bullied at thepany! I didn''t expect you to


    walk right into my trap today! I''m gonna teach you a lesson!" As Astrid spoke, she grabbed the ashtray


    from the bedside table and smashed it at the man in front of her!

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    "Ha! You dare hit me?" Simon''s head took a heavy blow and blood spattered everywhere. Pain shot


    through him as he clutched his head, copsing onto the bed.


    "Damn right I did!" Astrid snatched up an ashtray from the floor and hurled it at Simon''s crotch. Simon


    curled up in pain, yelling for help. "Help! Where the hell is everyone?"


    His bodyguards outside heard his cries and immediately started pounding on the door. Astrid squinted


    her eyes and gave Simon a few more kicks before she strode over to the door and yanked it open. The


    moment she opened the door, the people outside lost their bnce and tumbled onto the floor.


    Seizing the opportunity, Astrid bolted out the door.


    Simon shouted, "Grab her, what the hell are you guys doing?"


    As one of them tried to chase her, sheunched a roundhouse kick and sent him sprawling. She flipped


    her middle finger at the people in the room, "You guys are all garbage."


    Humming a tune, Astrid headed toward the elevator. She saw a man and a little boy entering the


    elevator and hurriedly called out, "Wait!!!"


    She quickly caught up to the elevator just in time.


    Meanwhile, the people behind her had already began a chase!


    "Hold it, where do you think you''re going?" The man barked menacingly at the elevator. But the


    moment he saw the man inside the elevator, his face drained of color.


    Erm...Mr. Lampard?


    The crowd seemed spooked and quickly scattered.


    Astrid retracted her ready fist and turned to look at the man. She froze.


    His glossy hair lightly fell over his forehead, his eyes were clear and piercing. A face of chiseled


    features, thick eyebrows, sensuous lips, and a hint of arrogance in his eyes. He radiated an aura of


    power.


    Noticing Astrid''s gaze, Elio slightly averted his eyes.


    Astrid was dressed in a simple T-shirt and jeans, her long, wavy hair cascaded down her back. Her


    eyes were cool, her face was like a painting, and her skin smooth as silk. She was beautiful.


    When she looked up at him, a ripple stirred in his calm heart. This unfamiliar sensation made his heart


    flutter.


    "Miss, are you a fairy?" A soft voice broke the delicate atmosphere between them, Astrid looked down


    to see the little boy standing next to the man.


    The little boy was chubby with big eyes, very adorable.


    He reminded Astrid of her child who was stolen just days after his birth. She felt a pang in her heart,


    "Sweetie, I''m not a fairy."


    "You''re not?" The little boy bit his finger in confusion, "Then why are you so pretty?"


    Astrid squatted down happily and ruffled the boy''s hair, "What a sweetpliment, you adorable little


    thing¡­"


    The boy clearly enjoyed her touch, looking very pleased.


    After a while, the boy tugged at the man''s clothes, "That''s her."


    Elio stiffened and gave Astrid a once-over, and then said, "No."


    Their conversation left Astrid puzzled. What did he mean by "no"?


    They were looking at her weirdly.


    "You promised me you would let me choose! You''re a liar!" The little boy kicked at Elio''s leg angrily.


    Liar! They had agreed to let him choose his mom, and now that he had chosen, Elio disagreed!


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    The elevator stopped at the fifth floor, Elio stepped out, turned back to the boy and said, "Come."


    The boy shook his head, "No!"


    Elio spoke coldly and then turned away. Astrid was taken aback. Did he just leave his son behind like


    that?


    "Sir, your son! Your son!" By the time Astrid called out, the elevator doors had already closed.


    Astrid looked down at the little guy in the elevator, who was muttering, "Elio is a liar!"


    "Liar!"


    "Serves him right being single!"


    Astrid was confused. Why would such a young kid say something like "serves him right being single"?


    As soon as the elevator doors opened, Astrid was greeted by a group of bodyguards, "Young mister!"


    "Don''t follow me, I''m running away!" The little boy shouted at the bodyguards, who didn''t dare to


    approach.


    Astrid watched as the little boy with a Pikachu backpack and his short legs swiftly walked away; her


    heart melted at his cuteness.


    Feeling a bit lightheaded from the alcohol, she quickly followed him, only to feel something cling to her.


    By the time she reacted, the little boy had alreadytched onto her leg!


    Astrid looked at the chubby little guy and couldn''t help but chuckle, "What are you doing, sweetie?"


    The little boy didn''t say a word and just clung to her leg, refusing to let go.


    Astrid was at a loss and looked at the bodyguards, but they didn''t dare to approach.


    With no other choice, Astrid carried the little boy to the front desk, "Hello, can you please contact this


    boy''s father toe pick him up? He got off the elevator on the fifth floor."


    The receptionist''s eyes nearly popped out of her head at the sight of Astrid carrying the little boy.


    Just as the receptionist was about to call the CEO''s assistant, the little boy suddenly said, "I''m an


    orphan."


    The receptionist nearly fainted at his words. Did Elio know the little boy was calling himself an orphan?


    Astrid was speechless. The boy looked almost identical to the man in the elevator, who was obviously


    his father. And now he was seriously iming to be an orphan?


    "Sweetie, it''ste, and I have to go home. Will you stay here and wait for your dad?" Astrid asked


    gently.


    The little boy shook his head firmly, wrapped his chubby arms around her neck, and stated once more,


    "I''m an orphan."


    Everyone was silenced.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    She tried to get the kid to stand on his own, but he just clung to her neck for dear life. Clearly, the little


    one was pretty attached to her.


    She¡¯d had a bit too much to drink tonight and was feeling knackered. She couldn¡¯t hang around here


    forever.-


    Astrid had been patiently trying to persuade him for half an hour, but the kid just wouldn¡¯t let go.


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    The bouncer tried to make a call but couldn¡¯t get through, leaving him at a loss for what to do next.


    Out of options, Astrid remembered she had her business card with her from her meetings earlier in the


    day. She pulled one out of her pocket, ced it on the reception desk and told the receptionist, ¡°Miss, if


    his parentse looking for him, please give me a ring.¡±


    The receptionist was frozen by Roman¡¯s icy stare, not even daring to pick up the card.


    Word had spread around the hotel about Roman''s tantrum today. After being mocked by a boy his age


    for not having a mother, he threatened the CEO''s assistant, Carson Fisher, to tweet a message to find


    his mother.


    Mr. Lampard¡¯s Twitter sometimes posts official group info, so Carson was in charge of it. Only when his


    phone blew up with calls, had he realized what had gone down online. And the result was¡­ Carson


    had his wages docked for half a month.


    After being mocked, Roman cried, ran off, and said he was going to find his mom himself. So, was this


    beautiful woman in front of them the mom Roman had found?


    Everyone was looking at each other,pletely clueless about what had just happened.


    Watching Astrid leaving the hotel with Roman in her arms, the bouncer immediately followed them.


    Not long after getting home, Astrid received a text message from the hotel staff saying that the child''s


    parents would be picking him up soon.


    She texted back her address, and then turned on the TV, ying a cartoon to watch with Roman.


    Roman didn''t say a word. He just sat quietly by her side, staring at her, still holding onto the corner of


    her shirt.


    Astrid''s home was small but very cozy. Roman really liked it here, and he was like a little sidekick.


    Wherever Astrid went, he would follow closely, tightly holding onto the corner of her shirt.


    Looking at her little shadow, Astrid felt her heart melting. "Sweetheart, you can''t be stubborn like this


    next time. Your mom and dad will be really worried if you disappear."


    "And you can''t just follow strangers. There are a lot of bad people in this world, okay?"


    Roman pouted and stayed silent.


    "Knock, knock, knock!" came a knock at the door. Astrid thought it might be the kid''s parents, so she


    hurried over to open it.


    But the people standing there were not the kid''s parents. It¡¯s the two people that she least wanted to


    see in her life.


    Her foster mother Sandra and sister Lucinda.


    She had left the Irvine family and returned to her biological father''s side over three years. But seeing


    these two women still made her feel extremely ufortable.


    "Astrid, why did you hide here instead ofing home when you came back?" Sandra looked at Astrid,


    who was frowning, with disgust.


    "Home? Ha." Astrid gave a coldugh, a hint of mockery at the corner of her mouth. "Didn''t you kick me


    out of the house when I was pregnant more than four years ago?"


    Hearing Astrid''s words, Sandra immediately sneered, "If you hadn''t mentioned it, I would have


    Sandra didn¡¯t hesitate to look around the room as she said this. Astrid subtly moved to block the little


    one behind her. As Sandra tried to force her way into the house, Astrid raised her hand and pped


    her,

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    The terrifying look on Astrid''s face had Sandra and Lucinda backing up. They never thought the once


    meek Astrid could be so confident.


    Same old face. She still wore cheap clothes, but her characteristic had changed greatly.-


    Back in the day, Astrid wouldn''t even dare to talk back to them.


    "No one gets to insult my child." Astrid red at them coldly, giving off a dangerous vibe.


    No one had the right to insult her child, even if he was not with her anymore!


    Lucinda, who grew up with Astrid, was seeing this side of Astrid for the first time. She was frightened,


    held Sandra¡¯s hand and muttered, ¡°We''re just looking out for you. You''re not in good health, how can


    you live in a ce like this? Come home. Dad can get you a job at thepany."


    "Yourpany is too big, it''s not my cup of tea." Astrid sneered. She had seen their true colors and


    wouldn''t be fooled again. She remembered how they had treated her in the past.


    "You do know yourself well." Sandra nodded, "You didn''t go to college, it would indeed be hard for you


    to get into ourpany. But we''re family, I can ask your dad to get you a receptionist job. You could


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    earn a good three hundred a month."


    In Sandra''s mind, Astrid should be grateful for her finding a job. Given the cheap clothes Astrid was


    wearing and the ce she was living in, it was clear that Astrid had been having a tough time since


    leaving Sunhaven.


    "Three hundred?" Astrid was taken aback. She turned down an offer from the National Security Bureau


    of Erendor with a high position and a million-dor sry, and Sandra thought she could sway her with


    a measly three hundred?


    "Get lost, right now!" Astrid said, pushing the two out the door.


    Just as she was about to shut the door, it was forcefully held back. She turned to see it was Sandra''s


    bodyguard.


    "Astrid, you''re actually rejecting my goodwill!" Sandra said arrogantly.


    The corridor''s atmosphere became extremely tense. Astrid flexed her wrist and turned to the child


    behind her, "Sweetie, no matter what you hear, don''te out, okay?"


    Roman obediently nodded, and the door was shut.


    The men charged at Astrid, intending to subdue her. But with a roundhouse kick, Astrid sent them


    flying!


    Sandra and Lucinda were left staring in shock. They watched, dumbfounded, as Astrid took down one


    man after another, too stunned to speak. How did the frail Astrid suddenly be so strong?


    Looking at the men howling in pain in the corridor, Lucinda and Sandra looked as if they''d seen a ghost


    and scattered out of the hallway.


    Once they were out of the shabby apartment building, Lucinda gave a sigh of relief, "Mom, was that


    really Astrid? She didn''t get switched out or something, did she?"


    Sandra shook her head, "How could that be? I guess she must''ve secretly learned a few tricks over the


    years."


    Lucinda grumbled, "Mom, this is all your fault! If you hadn''t racked up so much debt with the Fortner


    family, do you think we would be in this desperate situation? You''ve already promised Farrah Fortner to


    marry off a daughter to settle the debt. If Astrid doesn''t go, then I''ll have to marry that idiot! I can''t marry


    that guy, I''m going to be the wife of the CEO of Morgenster Corporation!"

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    "Don''t fret, Lucinda, you''re my baby girl. I ain''t gonna let you be bothered like this." A evil glint shed


    in Sandra''s eyes as she quickly whisked Lucinda away from themunity.


    By that point, the bodyguards in the corridor had all cleared out. The arrival of her stepmother and


    sister brought back memories of Astrid''s past.


    Over four years ago, right after her art exam results were released, she topped the charts with a score


    way beyond the runner-up. Several film and televisionpanies had thrown contracts at her, hoping


    she could sign with them.


    She was thrilled and went out for drinks with a few pals to celebrate. She had quite a few drinks that


    day, but she could hold her liquor, and she didn''t ck out or do anything crazy.


    Because it was pouring heavily and it was hard to hail a cab, she crashed at Fannie'' ce, which was


    nearby. But when she woke up, she found herself in a hotel bed, her body bearing the marks of sex...


    The guy was snoozing right next to her.


    The room was pitch-ck, and she was scared stiff. She hightailed it out of there immediately, not even


    daring to get a glimpse of the guy''s face...


    "Ma''am." A soft voice pulled Astrid back from her thoughts.


    She turned around to enter the room, seeing the little boy staring wide-eyed at her, "What just


    happened outside?"


    "No biggie." Astrid pinched Roman''s cheek gently, "Let''s keep watching TV."


    Roman obediently followed Astrid into the room, "Ma''am, that person wants to give you three hundred


    bucks?"


    Roman hadn''t caught the full conversation, but he heard bits and pieces about three hundred bucks.


    "Um..." Astrid contemted, "She wanted to pay me to work for her."


    Hearing this, Roman''s eyes lit up. Pay? Work? That sounded like a solid n.


    Before long, the person to pick up Roman had arrived.


    Astrid looked at the man standing outside the door and gave a small smile, "Are you here to pick up the


    kid?"


    "Yeah." The man nodded solemnly, with a cold gaze that could freeze anyone in their tracks.


    He looked down at Roman, and Roman suddenly looked up at Elio and said, "Pay up."


    Pay up?


    Elio frowned at Astrid, to which Astrid immediately waved off, "I am not asking you for any money."


    With that, Astrid patted Roman''s head, "Sweetie, your daddy''s here to pick you up. Don''t run off next


    time, okay?"


    Roman rubbed his head against her hand.


    His adorable demeanor surprised the bodyguards trailing behind Elio.


    Were they seeing things?


    Their little master actually had a cute side?


    Elio looked down at Roman, saying coldly, "Let''s go."


    Roman responded, "You pay thisdy. She helps you, works for you. You get a wife, and I get a mom!"


    Although Roman''s words were a bit choppy, Elio instantly grasped his intention. Roman nned to pay


    Astrid himself to act as his mom, and Elio''s wife.


    What in the world was this kid thinking?


    Astrid didn''t expect Roman to have such an idea and felt both amused and helpless, "Honey, you can''t


    buy a mother or a wife with money. Just go home with your dad."


    Seeing that Roman was still reluctant to leave, Elio gave a warning grunt, "Hm?"


    Facing Elio''s sternness, Roman had no choice but to give in. With a pitiful face, he let go of Astrid''s


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    hand and walked towards Elio, ncing back every few steps.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Seeing that expression, Astrid felt a pang of sadness. But when she looked up at the stone-faced man


    next to her, she swallowed her words.


    "Thank you." Elio''s voice was icy, and even though it was only a word of gratitude, it still gave Astrid a


    jolt.


    Astrid quickly shook her head, "No need."


    This guy was too harsh. No wonder the kid didn''t want to go with him.


    Elio bent down to lift Roman into his arms, then turned to leave. He looked as cold as ever.


    Roman leaned on Elio''s shoulder, looking back at her. His tears fell, and watching them, Astrid felt like


    she''d just handed amb over to a wolf.


    Her guilt was intense.


    ...


    Astrid closed the door, her phone was buzzing non-stop. Looking at it, she saw a string of memes from


    her dad, ending with a message, ["I''m thinking of retiring. When are youing back to take over the


    Astrid replied with a meme that read, ["Can''t hear you, too windy."]


    Closing the chat, Astrid scrolled through her gallery to find a group photo from apany event. She


    circled Simon''s face, then sent it to Chad, ["Find someone to teach this guy a lesson."]


    Chad responded with an emoji, ["Chief, what did he do?"]


    Astrid, ["Just go, don''t ask so many questions."]


    Chad: ["Alright, I''m on it."]


    She had always thought she could hold her liquor, so she drank heavily tonight. Gracie was on her


    period and couldn''t drink, so Astrid had ended up drinking way too much. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have


    been scared of Simon''s bodyguards.


    She stretched and was about to go to sleep when her phone rang again. The screen disyed a name,


    Dr. Conrad.


    Just the sight of the name gave Astrid a headache. She rubbed her temples and picked up the call,


    "What now?"


    Over the line,ughter rang out. "Astrid, I need a favor. You''d help me, wouldn''t you?"


    Astrid was poker-faced. "Dr. Conrad, how many times have you called me this month? Can''t you give it


    a rest?"


    Her mentor was a real headache. When she had just been taken in by her biological father, he hired his


    old friend to take care of her health due to her weak constitution. Unexpectedly, the old man saw her


    talent for medicine and took her on as his apprentice.


    The old man had no children and treated her like his own daughter, passing on all his medical


    knowledge to her. But, his countless ex-girlfriends from around the world never stopped causing her


    trouble.


    Dr. Conrad tried to entice her when she didn''t respond, "Astrid, the person who needs your help this


    time is my first love. But I''m currently on a world tour and really can''t make it."


    "First love?" Astrid was disgusted. "The person you asked me to savest time was also your first love.


    Just how many ¡°first loves¡± do you have?"


    "Uh..." Dr. Conrad paused for a few seconds. "Thest one was my first love in middle school. This one


    is from high school."


    First love from middle school and high school?


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    Astrid wasn''t interested in the old man''s life story and was about to hang up when he said, "I''ve already


    promised them I''d go save her, and I even used your name, ¡°Aster the Savior.¡± Everyone in the medical


    field knows that when Aster makes a promise, she keeps it. If you don''t go, it''ll ruin your reputation!"


    Astrid was livid, "You old coot!"


    Dr. Conrad chuckled triumphantly, "Hahaha, Astrid, I love you. Mwah!"

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Astrid wanted to chew out the old man, but considering the hefty pay he''d always given her, she figured


    she''d treat it as some extra dough.


    After a few seconds of thought, Astrid started typing, "I demand 80% of the reward."


    Dr. Conrad, "Don''t be so cold-hearted. Leave 30% for your old teacher."


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, "Haggling, huh? Alright then, I want the whole reward, or get ready to bid


    farewell to your first love."


    Dr. Conrad, "Well, fine, after all I''ve done for you, this is how you repay me...I..."


    Before Dr. Conrad could wrap up his sob story, Astrid hung up the call.


    She took a quick shower, then picked up her phone to see that Dr. Conrad had already sent the


    patient''s details and address.


    She rummaged around her room for the necessary medical tools, packed them into a small bag, and


    thought about the shooting she was about to join. She put on a mask to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    Once she was ready, she casually left her apartment.


    In a vi in Sunhaven.


    Top-notch doctors from all over the ce had already arrived, but none of them could do anything. The


    olddy lying in bed was as pale as a ghost,pletely bloodless. Seemed like she could kick the


    bucket at any moment.


    There was a knock on the door. The young man in the room immediately rushed to open it, only to find


    not the miraculous doctor he''d been eagerly awaiting, but Elio.


    He let out a sigh, "Elio, you''re here?"


    Elio nodded lightly, "How''s the situation? Did the specialist I called have any solution?"


    "No, all hope now rests on Aster the Savior," Wylie said with a troubled look. "The specialists have all


    heard of Aster, but none have actually seen him. I''m really worried."


    "The miracle worker has already agreed toe, let''s wait a bit..." Before Elio could finish, he heard a


    Looking down from the window, he saw a familiar figure standing at the vi gate, surrounded by


    bodyguards.


    Even with a mask, Elio recognized her at once. What was she doing here?


    Frowning slightly, Elio then headed downstairs.


    Staring at the crowd in front of her, Astrid exined for the umpteenth time: ¡°I''m here to treat the old


    The bodyguard said, ¡°The world''s top medical team couldn''t save our madam. What can you do? You


    say you''re a doctor, where''s your ID? No ID, no entry!¡±


    Astrid was helpless. Aster was just a code name. Where could she find an ID proving she was Aster?


    ¡°If you keep wasting time and your madam dies, it¡¯s on you!¡± Astrid shot back, but still, the crowd in


    front of her didn''t budge.


    Because no matter how they looked at Astrid, she didn''t seem like the rumored Aster the Savior.


    "Let her in." Elio''s cold voice rang out, and the surrounding bodyguards simultaneously bowed their


    heads.


    Bodyguard eximed, ¡°Mr. Lampard, she¡¯s impersonating Aster. We''re afraid she might harm the


    madam.¡±


    Elio looked at them, ¡°You can''t confirm her identity, but if she really is Aster and the olddy''s life is at


    stake, dying treatment could end with Wylie having your heads.¡±


    Hearing this, all the bodyguards broke out in a cold sweat and immediately stepped aside to let Astrid


    through.


    "Follow me." Elio turned and walked ahead, with Astrid slowly following.


    Looking at the tall figure in front of her, Astrid wasn''t sure if the man had recognized her. She didn''t


    expect to run into him so soon. It wasn''t surprising though, as the rich always mingled with the rich.


    That was their social circle.


    Arriving on the second floor, Astrid walked in and saw the olddy''s critical condition. She immediately


    said, ¡°All of you get out. I don¡¯t allow anyone else present when I¡¯m treating.¡±


    Hearing her words, all the specialists sneered, ¡°Who are you? A young girl like you can cure the old


    ¡°I''m Aster. The olddy''s time is running out, get out now.¡± Astrid saw the olddy''s critical condition


    and wanted to start treating immediately, but a middle-aged man stepped in to block her!

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    "Can anyone just im they''re Aster? Rumor has it that Aster is a man in his thirties. You, are a young


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    girl. How dare you pretend to be him? What''s your endgame?"


    Astrid nced at the man before her, a tad annoyed, "I can cure her."


    "Cure her?" The experts present burst out inughter. "We''re the top dogs in the medical field. If we


    can''t treat her, how can you?"


    Another expert chimed in, "Looking at your age, you''re probably a Uni student still, right? You''re just


    here to catch the eye of the rich bloke Wylie, hoping to bag yourself a wealthy hubby. Girl, get lost. This


    ain''t your yground."


    "Scram before you make a fool of yourself."


    "If you actually manage to cure the olddy, we''ll bow down to you!"


    "Bow down and hail me queen, you mean?" Astrid raised an eyebrow, "Deal."


    She didn''t necessarily want to sh with these folks, but she couldn''t stand their short-sighted attitude.


    Astrid turned to Elio, "Sir, will you be my witness?"


    Elio didn''t know what Astrid was up to, but he too was fed up with the so-called experts. So he nodded,


    "Sure."


    The experts didn''t expect Elio to side with the young girl and exchanged surprised nces.


    Astrid led everyone to the balcony and started treating the olddy.


    Wylie was a nervous wreck, "Elio, is she really Aster? Isn''t she too young?"


    "Do you have any other options at this point?" Elio asked back, and Wylie just shut up.


    Indeed, his mother was on herst legs and he was out of options.


    Through the ss of the balcony, everyone could see Astrid bustling around the old woman. She


    punctured many of the olddy''s acupuncture points with silver needles and fed her some medicine.


    As time ticked by, just when Astrid was about to leave, the olddy''s hand suddenly rxed!


    The sight threw Wylie into a panic, "Mom!!"


    Wylie barged in, with the experts on the balcony trailing behind. Just when everyone thought the old


    room.


    Elio nced at the young woman next to him, deep in thought.


    The heartbeat monitor on the bedside slowly returned to normal. Overwhelmed with joy, Wylie was


    about to thank Astrid, but she made a shushing gesture at him. She then calmly wiped the sweat from


    her forehead, sat back in her chair, and said to the experts, "Alright, kneel."


    The experts nced at each other. They had only said that earlier because they were certain the old


    They were big shots in the medical world. How could they kneel to a young girl? Even if the person in


    front of them was Aster, they couldn''t kneel!


    "This must be a temporary improvement before her death!" An expert insisted, "Her current


    improvement doesn''t mean she can survive until tomorrow."


    "Hmph." Astrid sneered, "Are all ¡°experts¡± like this? Contradictory? Don''t even take your own words


    seriously?"


    The experts'' faces turned sour. Elio stepped forward, his voice cold, "Kneel."


    Everyone felt a chill looking at Elio''s stern face. After all, the man before them was more than just a


    CEO. They couldn''t afford to offend him.


    Gingerly, one person knelt down. Seeing Elio''s increasingly stern face, the others also followed suit.


    A room full of experts all kneeled before a young girl; it was indeed a sight to behold.


    Elio''s voice was chillingly cold, "Didn''t you promise to kneel to the queen? Didn''t you forget


    something?"

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Hearing Astrid''s words, all the experts were so pissed off they were speechless.


    "Thanks." Astrid gave Elio''s arm a gentle pat, then took out a pen and paper to write down a


    prescription and handed it to Wylie, "Take the medicine every six hours for the first three days, 150 ml


    each time. Then three times a day, 100 ml each time after three days. Once she can get out of bed,


    you contact this number, and I''ll give you the new meds."


    "Thank you, Aster, thank you!" Wylie was over the moon, "Aster, it''s gettingte, why don''t you crash at


    my ce tonight?"


    Astrid waved her off, "I''ve got some stuff to deal with. I''m afraid I won''t make it in time. Thanks for the


    offer though."


    She had stuff to deal with?


    Wylie looked puzzled, while Elio''s eyebrows furrowed.


    Astrid didn''t look back as she walked down the stairs, and before she was out the door, she heard


    The moment she turned her head, a little boy had wrapped his arms around her leg.


    Roman was beyond thrilled, he hadn''t expected to see Astrid again so soon.


    What a surprise!


    This time he was determined not to let Astrid slip away!


    Roman looked up at Astrid, then stretched out his little hand and said, "Hold me."


    "Alright, I''ll hold you." Astrid bent down to pick up Roman. The more she looked at him, the more she


    liked him.


    Roman held Astrid''s neck and said very seriously, "We have a kismet connection, don''t we?"


    Elio, standing at the top of the stairs, frowned slightly at this. Roman was bright and emotionally


    intelligent, but because his father was often busy and not home, his verbal skills were stillcking.


    He was surprised that Roman took such a liking to Astrid.


    Roman, "This is the second time I''ve seen you, and you''re even prettier thanst time!"


    "You''re such an angel, so cute, so endearing!" Astrid turned to look at Roman''s face and couldn''t help


    but nt a kiss on it.


    Then, there was a stunned silence downstairs. They remembered thest time a female celebrity


    thought Roman was cute and pinched his face, she almost lost her finger because Roman bit her. And


    now this woman had actually dared to kiss Roman''s face! She was asking for it!


    Everyone was too scared to make a sound, but what happened next surprised them even more.


    Roman seemed taken aback at first, then turned the other side of his face towards Astrid and touched it


    with his finger.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Was he asking for another kiss?


    Astrid instinctively understood his intention and promptly nted another kiss on his face. Then Roman


    Elio watched this unfold from a distance, his expression subtly shifting.


    Before Elio could say anything, Roman interrupted, "Elio, she''s ours, she''s my mother chosen by


    heaven!"


    Ours? Mother chosen by heaven?


    Astrid wasughing so hard she nearly cried. This little guy was a genius. Mother chosen by heaven?


    Elio hurriedly said, "Roman, don''t talk nonsense! Come here!"


    Roman pouted, "Elio, you need to seize this opportunity!"


    Wait a minute, Roman?


    Elio?


    Elio and his son from Morgenster Corporation?


    Gracie just mentioned this little guy was looking for a mother on Twitter, and now he''s found her, what a


    coincidence.


    "Roman, you need to listen to your dad, I have to go home and rest!" Astrid gently ruffled Roman''s hair,


    then handed him over to Elio.


    At this moment, they were very close. He smelled a unique scent on her, simr to herbs. The aroma


    felt familiar, like he had smelled it somewhere before.


    Before he could remember where, she had already stood up. Her hair brushed lightly against his face,


    the tingling sensation made his body shudder slightly. His heart skipped a beat.


    "I have to go now, Roman. If it''s meant to be, we''ll meet again!"


    After saying goodbye to Roman, Astrid found her skirt being tugged as she was about to leave.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    She nced down and noticed the kid holding up his phone showing his WhatsApp.


    "Alright, I''ll add you." Astrid took out her phone and added Roman. She was only allowed to leave after


    Roman saved her contact details.


    Elio''s eyes seemed a bit dull as he watched her graceful figure disappear. No woman had ever touched


    his heart so easily. Maybe Roman was right; she might be his destiny.


    Suddenly, he wanted to know her more.


    After Astrid left, she started texting, ["Old buddy. I need a favor."]


    Old buddy, ["Shoot. What do you need?"]


    Astrid, ["I auditioned a few days ago and got reced at thest minute. Help me get the role back."]


    Old buddy, ["No problem, piece of cake."]


    Old buddy, ["Why did you audition? Isn''t it good to be a CEO in thepany?"]


    Astrid, ["How would someone like you without dreams understand me?"]


    Old buddy, ["I do have dreams. My dream is to make money! Money! Money!"]


    Astrid, ["Shut up, and get to work."]


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Old buddy, ["Alright, I''m on it."]


    After setting things up, Astrid felt relieved. She had her own resources, and she didn''t need to rely on


    others.


    That night, a photo of an international medical expert kneeling to a young woman spread online. But


    since the woman was wearing a hat and a mask, her face was not clear.


    ording to the person who tweeted, this was the legendary Aster the Savior. Non-medicalizens


    certainly didn''t know who Aster was, but medical professionals immediately confirmed the person in the


    photo.


    It was indeed Aster! That night, many medical experts were so excited they couldn''t sleep.


    Aster was the only disciple of the medical giant Dr. Conrad. Although she hadn''t been around for long,


    she had already cured many incurable diseases. A rare genius in the medical field.


    Of course, they hoped to meet such a legendary figure. But Aster kept her whereabouts a mystery and


    was hard to find.


    So, they never got to meet her.


    Many expertsmented under the tweet hoping to meet Aster, butizens thought it was


    unnecessary hype, and made many hatefulments.


    "What''s Aster? What kind of name is that?"


    "This must be apany''s hype tactics. I bet this woman will have her debut soon."


    "It might not be fake hype tactics. I see many high-level users are indeed medical experts. Would so


    many experts hype up a girl?"


    "Trash, definitely fake hype!"


    "Who knows if these so-called medical experts aren¡¯t her friends and family?"


    "I haven''t seen any medical papers published by Aster in medical journals. This must be a scam."


    To protect Aster, experts andizens had a fierce debate thatsted until 3 a.m., and several


    important news reports were released.


    "Leader of Country of Lumina personally condemns online attacks on Aster"


    "Citizens from multiple countries express support as they have all received Aster''s free aid"


    "Aster, a magical doctor who treats based on diagnosis"


    All the reports were backed by solid evidence. Those who thought it was just fake hype could no longer


    deny the facts. Everyone was curious about this mysterious girl, but they couldn''t find any information


    about her because there was nothing to trace her real identity.


    When she got home, Astrid sent a message to Dr. Conrad, ["Mission aplished."]


    Dr. Conrad replied, ["I knew you could do it. Is your sleepwalking any better?"]


    Astrid, ["Much better. I haven''t had an episode for a long time."]


    Dr. Conrad, ["I''ll transfer your full payment to your ount. I''m going on a trip, so don''t bother me


    unless it''s necessary."]


    Astrid, ["Goodbye."]


    She didn''t want to contact him anymore.


    She threw her phone aside and went to sleep. The next morning, before she woke up, her phone rang.


    She answered the call with her eyes closed, and Gracie''s voice came from the other end: "Astrid, do


    you know what happenedst night?"


    Gracie''s voice was so noisy it hurt Astrid''s ears. She yawned and said vaguely, "Did you win the


    lottery?"


    Gracie, "Do you know what happened to Simon? He went partying against night, got overly excited


    and almost died!


    "But that''s not the main thing. The key is he was castrated in the middle of the night. Then, his


    smuggling was exposed, and he was arrested by the police!


    "He deserved it! I''m dying ofughter!"


    Listening to Gracie''s words, Astrid raised an eyebrow.


    Chad sure worked fast.


    After cursing Simon, Gracie said, "By the way, I heard this morning that ourpany was bought by


    someone and many top executives were reced."


    "Oh..." Astrid yawned, "Can you get me a day off? I don''t feel like working today."


    Hearing this, Gracie became anxious, "What''s wrong? Are you not feeling well? Is it because of the


    rain? Has your scar started to hurt again? Do you want me toe over after work?"


    "No need, I''m fine." Astrid touched her scar on her abdomen, her body involuntarily shuddered.


    It was a scar left from her caesarean section. After her childbirth, she got caught in the rain and now


    every time it rained, the scar would itch and hurt.


    Since she never found her child, she never treated the scar.


    Her phone vibrated. It was a message from Chad, ["Chief, when our people arrivedst night, the guy


    was already half dead. In the end, he was arrested by the police for smuggling contraband!"]


    After reading the message, Astrid felt a pang of anxiety. If it wasn''t Chad''s doing, who could it be?


    But considering Simon had probably made many enemies, he might have been retaliated against.


    Dr. Conrad called again. She didn''t answer, turned off her phone and went back to sleep.


    When Elio returned home, he couldn''t help but think of Astrid''s face. After struggling for a long time, he


    asked Carson to look up Astrid''s information.


    When Carson found out his boss was finally showing interest in women, he took it seriously and dug up


    all the info he could find on Astrid. ¡°Astrid, 22, 5¡¯5¡±.


    ¡°She likes a good drink and loves to sing, but let me tell ya, her singing¡¯s so awful, it¡¯s indescribable.


    ¡°She¡¯s quite the adventurer and currently the top salesperson at a foreign tradingpany. She¡¯s


    recently started auditioning for TV shows. Looks like she¡¯s got her sights set on the entertainment


    industry.¡±


    "Hold up.¡± Elio frowned, ¡°The entertainment industry? How¡¯s Morgenster Corporation¡¯s entertainment


    ¡°Huh?¡± Carson was taken aback, ¡°Starlight Entertainment is one of the biggestpanies around here.


    They''ve churned out a ton of top-notch stars. The hottest ones right now are Fannie and Clyde.


    Fannie¡¯s always publicly professing her love for you, didn¡¯t you know she¡¯s one of your talents? There¡¯s


    all this talk about you two being an item¡­¡±


    Carson stopped mid-sentence, noticing Elio¡¯s face turning sour, and quickly shut his trap.


    Well, it was expected, his boss never used to pay any attention to women. Astrid was the first woman


    his boss had ever showed interest in!


    He had him dig up so much info on Astrid. He must be have been nning to find a mother for his son.


    It was just so touching!


    Elio didn¡¯t respond to Carson¡¯s words, his mind filled with images of Astrid.


    She was a mysterious girl. Known in the medical world as a miracle doctor, yet she lived in an old


    neighborhood under a pseudonym.


    She was a miracle doctor aiming to enter the entertainment industry. It just didn¡¯t add up.


    The more he couldn¡¯t figure her out, the more curious he became. The more he learned about her, the


    more mysterious she seemed. It felt like he could find out a lot about her, yet he felt like none of it was


    the real her.


    Recalling the feeling of tension when Astrid approached him earlier in the day, Elio tapped his fingers


    on the table, ¡°What big projects does Starlight Entertainment have in the pipeline? Get in touch with


    Astrid, offer her a role in a movie or TV show, even a regr spot on a variety show.¡±


    Hearing this, Carson thought his boss was being a little too straightforward. Is this how he pursued


    women? Shouldn¡¯t he at least make some effort to encounter her nicely before making his move?


    Carson: ¡°Even if you''re into Astrid, can¡¯t you be a bit more romantic in your pursuit? She''s a newbie, if


    you give her such good resources, the audience might not ept her! You''re not helping her, you''re


    hurting her!


    ¡°And we could lose tens of millions of dors!¡±


    Elio, ¡°Do I look like I give a damn about a few million?¡±

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Carson thought to himself, it seemed like money talked. Oh boy, the boss was really serious this time!


    In an attempt to prevent the boss from scaring thedy off, Carson spoke again, "Boss, Ms. Irvine is


    clearly a woman of her own mind. She might not like being controlled by others. So, I suggest you take


    that into consideration."


    Elio caught his words. He gave Carson a nce, fell silent for a while, and then nodded.


    Looked like he took the advice. Carson heaved a sigh of relief.


    It was past ten in the evening when Elio finally got home.


    As he arrived, the maid greeted him at the door, "Mr. Lampard, your mother is here."


    At the sound of that, Elio immediately stood upright and headed upstairs.


    "Elio! How long are you nning to avoid me?" Amanda shouted at Elio who was on the stairs, "Are


    you nning to never talk to me again?"


    "Listen, the daughter of that family next door is a perfect match for you, and she can even help you


    seed in your career!" Amanda kept talking while Elio''s face darkened.


    Amanda continued, "And there''s also the daughter of another family. She''s also a good match for you.


    It¡¯s just that her temper is not that good. I brought photos of both of them, take a look."


    Elio paused, turned around, gave her a cold look without uttering a single word, and went upstairs.


    Roman, who just came out from the toy room, rubbing his eyes asked, "Grandma, what does ¡°suitable¡±


    mean?"


    "It means two people are a good match." Amanda answered with a broad smile, putting the photos in


    front of Roman, "You see. Who do you think is more suitable to be your mom?"


    "No way!" Roman shook his head, "They''re not suitable for me!"


    Amanda replied, "As long as they''re suitable for your dad, they don''t have to be suitable for you!"


    "That won''t work either. I''ve already found the right person!" Roman grinned, happily skipping upstairs.


    The olddy had no clue what Roman meant.


    Back in his room, Elio stared at the night view outside the window. He was reminded of a night four


    years ago.


    He was under great work pressure, relying on medication to sleep for years. That day, he took his


    medicine and went to bed, but little did he know, someone had reced the capsules with other


    drugs¡­


    After dealing with the person who switched the drugs, he tried to find the girl, but the surveince of the


    night was tampered with, and all information about the girl waspletely deleted. As if she had never


    existed.


    Nine monthster, he found Roman by ident, but there was still no news about the girl.


    He never gave up looking for her because she was Roman''s mother.


    He also wanted to know if she had intentionally appeared in his room that night.


    "Elio! You little scoundrel!" The olddy''s voice echoed from downstairs. Elio continued to stare out the


    window, unmoved.


    The reason their rtionship had be so tense was that his mother had always tried to set him up


    with girlfriends. As time passed, their rtionship grew more and more distant.


    The olddy hollered downstairs for quite a while, but Elio never came down. She sighed looking at the


    empty house, then turned around and left the mansion.


    The next day, Astrid returned to the office after finishing her business. It was almost time to get off


    work.


    As soon as she entered the office, a colleague came over with a smile, "Congrats!"


    "Congrats, Astrid!"


    Astrid was puzzled, thinking, were they congratting her on signing a big deal? But isn''t signing deals


    a routine for a sales champion like herself? Does that warrant a congrattion?


    Everyone was looking at her with strange eyes, which made her ufortable.


    Just as she got back to her seat, Gracie came over, asking with a puzzled face, "Astrid, are you really


    going to marry that dummy from Dragon Entertainment?"


    "No way." Astrid shook her head, "Howe I don''t know about my own wedding?"


    Seeing Astrid''s confused face, Gracie put the invitation card in front of her, "Your mom just came to the


    office and handed out invitations to our colleagues. It says you''re getting engaged to that dummy


    young master of Dragon Entertainment tomorrow night!"


    Astrid quickly opened the invitation card in front of her. Her name and that of Colton Fortner were


    prominently disyed!


    She never expected Sandra to send invitations to her office. She was trying to let everyone know she


    was marrying a dummy! No wonder her colleagues were giving her those weird looks.


    "Astrid, you really kept it under wraps, I had no idea you were the daughter of the Irvine family! Your


    family is so wealthy, why are you living in that shabby ce? Trying to experience life as a


    Astrid felt a chill in her heart upon hearing this. A sarcastic smile appeared on her face, "I''m not worthy


    of the Irvine family."


    "What''s going on?" Gracie and Astrid had been friends since high school, and they had always gotten


    along well. But back then Astrid lived a simple life and never mentioned her family.


    Lucinda went to the same school as them and she was using LV bags in high school, making her a


    celebrity in school.


    Although they shared the same surname, they had no interaction and didn''t look alike at all. So no one


    would associate them together, but it turned out they were sisters!


    Astrid looked at Gracie, speaking in a calm tone, "The Irvine couple were childless for ten years after


    their marriage. When they heard adopting a child could lead to having their own, they adopted me.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Later on, they indeed got pregnant!


    "I heard they wanted to send me back, but a fire broke out at the orphanage, so they had no choice but


    to keep me."


    Astrid stopped there.


    However, Gracie knew that Astrid had been living a hard life all these years.


    "Oh my God, this is just too much! They treated you so badly before, and now they n to sell you off


    to some dimwit for money. That¡¯s horrible!" Gracie was a straightforward person. She was very direct


    when it came to criticizing others.


    After hearing this, Astrid shrugged slightly, "Clearly, they''re not capable of human emotions."

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Seeing Astrid so chill, Gracie got antsy. They¡¯re really gonna marry you off to that blockhead? How


    ¡°That¡¯s their problem. None of my business!¡± Astrid did care, and she knew worrying wouldn¡¯t help.


    She didn¡¯t believe that mother¨Cdaughter duo could force her into mage


    ¡°Haha, Astrid, you¡¯re something else. Let¡¯s go. Fill treat you to some barbecuel Gracie sald, and with a


    sharedugh, they headed out.


    Just as they reached the BBQ joint, Astrid received a text. [¡®Chief, I¡¯ve fixed the character issue for you.


    Take care of yourself, don¡¯t let people take advantage of you!¡°]


    Astrid. [¡®Cut the crap, you want me to dock your pay?¡°]


    Chad,[¡°Chief, that wasn¡¯t me, someone else used my phone! If you¡¯re gonna dock someone¡¯s pay, dock


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    theirs¡°]


    Astrid slightly furrowed her brows, and after a while, a message from the director came in, ¡°Astrid, this


    is Todd. After careful consideration, I think this role suits you well. Monday morning at 10, pleasee


    to thepany for the costume fitting.¡±


    Chad was typically reliable


    She was about to start filming, which meant she couldn¡¯t work at thepany anymore, so she needed


    to tell Gracle.


    ¡°Gracie, I¡¯m about to start filming!¡± Astrid announced triumphantly.


    Gracie replied calmly. ¡°I might not be in the entertainment Industry, but I know the traps. Don¡¯t count


    your chickens before they hatch. You might even get reced after an announcement, or have your


    scenes cut after filming!¡±


    ¡°Alright, can¡¯t you have a little faith in me?¡± Astrid grumbled, getting a little excited, ¡°Gracle, want me to


    autograph something for you now? When I get famous, It¡¯ll be worth something.¡±


    Gracie pped the table, ¡°If you make it big, I¡¯ll be your manager. We¡¯ll split the profits.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± The two girls clinked their sses and smiled.


    An excited Astrid quickly posted a status on WhatsApp. ¡°Audition passed, let¡¯s go.¡± She had finally


    taken the first step, so she was really happy.


    As soon as she posted the message, people started liking andmenting. She clicked to see who it


    was, and it was Roman.


    Thinking of him, Astrid cracked a small smile.


    Gracie took a sip of her drink and suddenly remembered something a friend from the police station told


    her a few days ago. She patted Astrid¡¯s hand, ¡°Astrid, my friend told me you returned another lost child


    to the police station. When will you stop doing this? Remember when you returned that lost girl and the


    parents used you of kidnapping her?¡±


    Astrid¡¯s gaze turned a bit mncholic.


    ¡°Astrid, it¡¯s been over three years, you¡­ Gracle couldn¡¯t help but stop there. Three years ago, Astrid¡¯s


    child was stolen from the hospital.


    At that time, Astrid was on the verge of copse. Four days after her C¨Csection, she braved the rain to


    look for her child, and now she was left with persistent health issues. Ever since then, she had been


    extra attentive to lost children.


    On the surface, it seemed like she had recovered, but Gracie knew that Astrid hadn¡¯t forgotten her


    child.


    ¡°Let¡¯s drop it, just eat¡­¡± Gracie couldn¡¯t help but said to Astrid in the end, continuously adding meat to


    Astrid¡¯s te, ¡°Cherish these days when you can eat freely. When you officially debut, you¡¯ll need to


    control your diet You¡¯ll probably eat sds every day.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    ¡°No matter how much I stuff myself, I never gain weight. And I n on keeping it that way. Astrid said


    confidently, munching on a generous portion of meat. Her phone buzzed again it was a message from


    Chad


    Chad. Chief, the chairman of Tomate Live just gave me a ring He¡¯s asking if you¡¯re really not renewing


    the contract and putting your live streaming on hold.¡°] Astrid. ¡°Didn¡¯t I make that clear before?¡°]


    Chad. ¡°You¡¯re their top gamer You leaving would be a massive blow for them. It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s trying


    to personally persuade you to stay. He¡¯s upped the signing bonus to ten million dors.¡°]


    Chad. A ton of streaming tforms have heard about your contract ending and they¡¯re all eager to sign


    you. They¡¯re offering serious cash.¡°]


    Astrid. It¡¯s just ten million¡°]


    Chad read the message and knew instantly that Astrid wasn¡¯t nning on renewing her contract


    Chief might not have cared about the money, but he sure did!


    Astrid didn¡¯t show her face while streaming only her hands, and she used a voice changer. No one


    knew who she really was. Could he Impersonate her?


    Before Chad could daydream any further, Astrid messaged him again, [¡°Don¡¯t even think about


    tarnishing my reputation with your crazy Ideas. I might not be streaming now but I might return in a few


    years.¡°] Chad thought to himself, it was just a thought. He wouldn¡¯t actually impersonate Chief.


    But ten million dors! Oh, the agony of all that money flying away! It was so painful, Chad could hardly


    breathe.


    Chad Okay, Chief Ill handle everything with them.¡°]


    After sending the message, his heart ached even more.


    Meanwhile, Elio was at work and couldn¡¯t seem to focus. For some reason, he kept thinking about


    Astrid¡¯s face


    Just then, his friend Orion messaged him, [¡°Elio, there¡¯s a singles party tomorrow. Wannae?¡±


    Elio. [Not interested.¡°]


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Onion, [¡®Come on, all you do is work. What¡¯s the point of earning all that money if you can¡¯t rx? It¡¯s a


    pool party.¡°]


    Orion, [¡®If you don¡¯t start socializing with women, you¡¯ll die a lonely man.¡°]


    Elio, [¡®I won¡¯t die lonely. I¡¯ve got a target in mind.¡°]


    The next second, Orion was calling him, but Ello ruthlessly hung up and put his phone aside. The fact


    that he kept thinking about her could only mean one thing. He had feelings for her. And now that he


    had feelings, he had to act.


    He was a man of action.


    Previously, Carson had sent him a file on Astrid,plete with her address and phone number.


    Taking out his phone, he opened WhatsApp and Input Astrid¡¯s number.


    Clicked search.


    But it came up nk. Her ount wasn¡¯t linked to her number.


    Looks like he¡¯d have to go see Roman.


    Heading downstairs, he found Roman engrossed in a toy.


    *Roman, give me your phone, Elio said bluntly.


    ¡°No.¡± Roman replied without looking up.


    Elio, ¡°Are you still in touch with the girl you added as a friendst time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Roman nodded, ¡°Are you trying to woo her?¡±


    Woo?


    Elio frowned, ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    Where did he learn that word?


    Just as he was figuring out how to approach Roman, Carson called, ¡°Boss, there was a fire on Rusty


    Road in the north of the city. That¡¯s where Astrid lives!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Elio turned to Roman, ¡°Her ce caught fire. Want to go check it out?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Roman immediately stood up, not even bothering to put down his toy, and sprinted out the


    door

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Astrid and Gracie left the restaurant after dinner, first as the night was starting to kick in They strolled


    down the sidewalk, belting out tunes and turning heads.


    That¡¯s because Astrid¡¯s singing skills were a bit rough around the edges Her singing voice could be


    described as a painful wall


    Just as Astrid was hitting her stride, her phone buzzed with a text. She checked it out


    A message from an unknown number, [¡°Astrid, tomorrow night at 7. it¡¯s your engagement party with the


    young thaster of the Fortner family Time to pay back what you owe us!¡°]


    Astrid¡¯s smile faze on her face Even without a signature, she knew this was from Sandra


    After a moment of silence, Astrid replied, ¡°What if I don¡¯t show up?]


    Unknown number, Lucinda told me her favorite hovel is getting turned into a TV series I saw the cast


    list, and your name¡¯s on it if you don¡¯t show, I¡¯ll spill the beans about your underage pregnancy. Do you


    think they¡¯d still want you as the lead?¡°]


    Unknown number. I¡¯m just saying, marrying into the Fortner family ain¡¯t a bad deal. It¡¯s a dreame


    true for many. I fought for this for your sake, you should thank me.¡°]


    Sandra raised her, hoping to cash in on her one day She wouldn¡¯t let Astrid out of her clutches easily.


    Well, she could be in for a disappointment this time


    Anyone who tried to mess with her had better be ready for a fight. Did Sandro really think she could


    bully Astrid into submission with threats? How nalve,


    Gracie got home Astnd watched her go inside, then turned to head home


    Herself.


    The sky was overcast, like a storm was brewing. Just as Astrid reached her apartmentplex, she


    saw a fire truck pull In. Before she could make out whose house was on fire, her neighbor came


    running over with


    her dog


    Seeing Astrid, she rushed over and gripped her hand tightly, crying out, ¡°Thank God, Astild, you weren¡¯t


    home! As long as no one¡¯s hurt¡­¡±


    Whatever she said next, Astrid didn¡¯t catch, She went around the building and saw her own apartment


    up in mes.


    She had nned to go home and figure out who was messing with her, but now, everything the owned


    was toast.


    As soon as herndlord saw her, he started yelling, ¡°Officer, it¡¯s her! She rented my ce and now it¡¯s


    on fire. She has to pay me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m her neighbor, my ce got damaged too. She has to payl¡±


    ¡°And what about my emotional distress?¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    People started crowding around Astrid angrily. Her neighbor stepped in, pulling Astrid behind her,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you all? The police haven¡¯t even figured out what caused the fire. Maybe it was


    arson. This girl¡¯s a victim too!¡±


    But they didn¡¯t listen and just keptying Into Astrid, ¡°What about us? Look at her clothes, so cheap.


    Our area¡¯s getting gentrified, and she¡¯s clearly trying to lure the men here!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s clearly up to no good!¡±


    ¡°She looks like a floozy!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I knew it! My husband can¡¯t keep his eyes off her when he sees her on the street!!

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    Astrid had dolled herself up a bit for an audition that day, but her outfit was nothing inappropriate. She


    didn¡¯t expect these folks to be so prejudiced against her.


    Looking at the weirdos around her, Astrid felt disgusted and shouted, ¡°Watch your mouths! So it¡¯s a


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    crime now to look good? If your men are ogling me, that¡¯s on you, not me!¡± ¡°How dare you talk like that!


    Have you no manners?¡± The woman who had used Astrid of being a temptress was fuming and


    charged at her.


    A fireman quickly Intervened, ¡°Ma¡¯am, please calm down.¡±


    She shot back, ¡°Are you all so smitten by her beauty that you¡¯re taking her side?!¡±


    The fireman was taken aback by her Irrationality and looked helpless.


    When Elio walked into the old neighborhood with Roman in his arms, this was the scene he walked


    into. A crowd was pointing and gossiping about her, and she stood there all alone.


    His stoic eyes darkened slightly, and he turned to Carson, ¡°Find out what happened with the fire and


    handle it.¡±


    Carson nodded, ¡°Sure, boss¡±


    Roman started to squirm in Elio¡¯s arms. When Elio set him down, he sprinted towards Astrid and clung


    to her leg.


    Astrid, who was fuming, froze when she saw Roman looking up at her with worry in his eyes.


    I


    Tm fine,¡± she reassured him, her voice soft, ¡°Roman, did you need something?¡±


    Roman nodded and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards Elio. Astrid looked at the man not far off, her


    eyes darkening slightly. Maybe Elio¡¯s presence was just too overwhelming. Every time she saw him,


    she felt uneasy But there was no denying, the man was drop¨Cdead gorgeous, with a charisma that


    could drive any woman crazy.


    P


    Elio saw the young woman walking towards him and opened the car door, ¡°Ms. Irvine, get in.¡±


    Astrid hesitated, ¡°Where to?¡±


    Roman answered, ¡°Home!¡±


    Elio¡¯s home?


    That¡¯s not appropriate. I have ID. I can stay at a hotel,¡± Astrid quickly declined, her whole being


    resisting the Idea Elio frowned at her rejection, leaned in, and calmly asked, ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡±


    They were too close. Astrid instinctively wanted to back away.


    But Elio¡¯s bodyguard was behind her! She had nowhere to go!


    Afraid of him? She just wasn¡¯t used to being so close with a guy.


    But this man held most of the resources in the entertainment Industry, and crossing him wouldn¡¯t do her


    any good.


    So, she said, ¡°Mr. Lampard, you may have misunderstood me. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid of you, it¡¯s just that


    I¡¯m not exactly the trustworthy type. I¡¯m concerned that if I stayed at your ce, I might do something


    that could damage your reputation.¡±


    Having said that, she thought to herself, ¡°Now that was smart! That should do it, right?¡±

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Upon hearing this, a glimmer sparked in Ello¡¯s eyes, and he quietly said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Astrid. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Roman who wants to invite you over He¡¯s worried about you¡± Elio exined Astrid looked down at


    the little boy by her side.


    Roman was shaking her hand, his eyes full of anticipation


    Seeing that Astrid didn¡¯t respond. Roman stretched out his chubby hand and held up his Index finger,


    signaling that he only wanted her to stay for one night. Looking at his adorable face, Astrid was


    wavering Then Roman yed his trump card. He put his chubby hands together and begged cutely,


    ¡°Please, please..¡± Astrid was immediately defeated by his cuteness She hugged him and gave him a


    kiss. ¡°Okay, my little cutie, Stop being so irresistible. I¡¯ll do whatever you want. Let¡¯s go!¡± Anyhow, if Els


    dared to try anything funny, she would give him a good beating!


    Seeing Roman¡¯s sessful grin, Elio couldn¡¯t Help but frown When did this little guy be so


    shameless?


    He used to look down on his colleagues kids for acting cute, but look at him now, he was even more


    shameless,


    But it was because of Astrid¡¯s presence that Roman started behaving like a normal kid.


    Once they got in the car, Roman immediately handed over the toy he brought with him to Astrid, as if it


    was some sort of treasure.


    Astad took the Optimus Prime toy and patted Roman¡¯s head. ¡°Thank you. I love it.¡±


    Upon hearing that Astrid liked it, Roman smiled; his eyes were full of joy.


    It was nearly eleven o¡¯clock, way past Roman¡¯s bedtime. Not long after, Roman fell asleep In Astrid¡¯s


    arms.


    Watching Roman sleep soundly, Ello whispered, ¡°Ms. Irvine, thank you.¡±


    Astrid was taken aback, ¡°Thank you for what? I should be the one thanking Mr. Lampard for taking me


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    in tonight.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Ms. Irvine, I can take you in for the rest of your life. Ello¡¯s words startled Astrid, and


    she suddenly felt trapped.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Astrid showed an awkward but polite smile, ¡°Mr. Lampard, are you confessing your feelings to


    me?¡±


    Elio looked at the girl who was so close to him, remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded, ¡°Yes,¡±


    Astrid was taken aback, but she wasn¡¯t one of those nalve girls who would lose their sense of reason


    easily. She curlously asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Elio answered, ¡°Because I dreamt of youst night..


    Astrid was confused. What kind of logic was that? Confessing just because you dreamt of me? Was It


    love at first sight?


    But he didn¡¯t seem like the love¨Cat¨Cfirst¨Csight type, considering his stern face. Anybody confessing


    wouldn¡¯t do so with a face that looked like they were about to eat someone. And his confession was too


    abrupt.


    Before Astrid could speak, Elio added, ¡°You are the first woman to appear in my dreams in many years.


    That must be what they call¡­ a lover in dreams.¡±


    As he spoke these words, he was very close to Astrid. The breath from his words gently brushed


    Astrid¡¯s ear, making her feel a bit ufortable and shift slightly to the side.


    A lover in dreams? Oh boy, that was so out of style!


    Astrid wasn¡¯t afraid of anything, except straight guys spouting lovey¨Cdovey lines! There were many


    straight guys among those who had pursued her, butpared to Ello, they were nothing.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Astnd looked at the man beside her, smiling as she said, ¡°Mr Lampard, we¡¯re not close Please don¡¯t


    joke around like this


    ¡®Feelings can be developed over time From the morhent Iid my eyes on you, I knew you were my


    woman Elio leaned back slightly, his gaze fixed on Astrid


    Astrid smiled faintly ¡°I belong to myself¡±


    Elio raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that so¡°¡±


    The atmosphere in the car turned a bit awkward Astrid shifted her gaze, no longer looking at Elio. But


    she could feel Elio¡¯s eyes on her face


    Feeling a bit ufortable, Astrid said, ¡°Mr Lampard, I suggest you get rid of any weird ideas about


    me, or you might get a good beating¡±


    Carson, the driver, was taken aback. This woman was really bold, huh? She actually dared to address


    his boss in such a tone, whose notorious temper was well¨Cknown around the world!


    Just as Carson believed Elio was about to lose his temper,ughter echoed from within the car ¡°Ms.


    Irvine, are you trained in martial arts? We could have a match.¡±


    Astrid looked into Elio¡¯s cold eyes, feeling even more confused about him. He seemed to have many


    sides, making him hard to figure out. Such a person was risky. She couldn¡¯t get too close to him. After


    some thought, Astrid changed her mind. ¡°Stop the car. I won¡¯t go to your ce. I¡¯ll stay in a hotel.¡±


    ¡°Alright Elio didn¡¯t insist ¡°Carson, take M. Irvine to a hotel.¡±


    Carson immediately drove to a nearby hotel.


    Roman was sleeping. Astrid gently patted his little arm, ¡°Roman, wake up. I¡¯m getting off.¡±


    Roman didn¡¯t respond


    Astrid, ¡°Roman, wake up.¡±


    Still no response from Roman. He even began to snore. His hand was tightly hugging Astrid, getting


    tighter and tighter.


    Astrid knew the little guy was pretending to sleep. She felt a bit sorry for him. She looked at Ello and


    said, ¡°Mr. Lampard, either you wake him up, or let him stay with me tonight.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Let him stay with you then. Elip agreed without hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ll escort you guys up.¡±


    Before Astrid could respond, Ello got out of the car and opened the door.


    The security guard at the hotel entrance was about to bow as soon as he saw Ello, but was stopped by


    Carson, Carson entered the hotel lobby first and told the front desk not to reveal Ello¡¯s Identity. He then


    stood by the front desk, waiting for Astrid.


    Astrid checked in with her ID card and carried Roman into the elevator. Ello followed, leaving her


    speechless. Mr. Lampard, If you¡¯re so worried, just take Roman with you. Why are you following me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave after he falls asleep. He¡¯s been with me since he was little. Ello¡¯s words made the pretending¨C


    to¨Csleep Roman want to expose his father¡¯s lle. He often stayed with his grandparents, and he had


    never slept


    with Elio!


    Just then, Amanda was ying a mobile game. Her phone suddenly rang. She let out a yawn and sald,


    ¡®Mrs. Tate, what¡¯s up sote?¡±


    Mrs. Tate, ¡°Oh my, Amanda, does Elio have a girlfriend? I¡¯ve just seen him, congrattions!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Amanda instantly woke up, ¡°I had no idea my son was dating!¡±


    Mrs. Tate, ¡°I just saw him checking into a hotel with a pretty girl. You don¡¯t have to worry about finding a


    girlfriend for him anymore.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Tate.¡± Amanda quickly hung up and called Carson.


    Carson saw Amanda¡¯s call in the hallway and answered, ¡°Amanda, what can I do for you?¡±


    *Which hotel are you in? Tell me the address and room number. And don¡¯t tell Elip that I know you guys


    are at the hotel!¡± After speaking, Amanda Immediately rushed off to the hotel.


    Carson didn¡¯t know what Amanda was nning, so he could only tell her the address as she


    requested.


    Half an hourter, Amanda arrived in a hurry. She took out a ck object from her bag and ced it on


    the card reader After making sure the sensor on the door was disabled, Amanda showed a small smile,


    ¡°I made it just in time. Great!¡±


    Carson smirked. So Amanda rushed over just to lock his boss and Astrid In the room.


    Hrious.


    To prevent Elio from calling for help, Amanda even brought a signal blocker. Carson watched as


    Amanda carefully set up the signal blocker.


    Because his boss didn¡¯t want to leave in the first ce!


    ¡°You have to keep an eye on them. Whether or not I can have a grandchild depends on this!¡± After


    everything was set, Amanda left happily.


    After a few steps, Amanda looked back. Thinking that the girl voluntarily came to the hotel with Ello,


    she figured it wasn¡¯t too much to prevent Ello from changing his mind and leaving, right? Whatever, she


    was doing this for everyone¡¯s good, not doing anything wrong.


    Elio kept finding excuses to stay. When he finally ran out of excuses and was about to leave, he found


    the door wouldn¡¯t open.


    Even the phone in the room couldn¡¯t make calls. There was no signal on his mobile phone.


    Astrid suspected someone was ying tricks. Her liking for Ello dropped instantly!


    The presidential suite had two rooms. Astrid took Roman to therger room, asking Elio to stay In the


    smaller one. Ello, of course, was more than happy to stay, so he didn¡¯t object.


    After returning to her room, Astrid immediately locked the door.


    Once he was sure Amanda wouldn¡¯t return, Carson turned off the signal blocker outside the door.


    ¡°Ding¡± A sound came from the phone. Astrid got up to pick it up and saw a news notification. A fire


    broke out in the oldmunity being relocated on Oakwood Avenue, but luckily, no one was injured.


    Astrid had always been super cautious- she shut off all the power before leaving the house, so there


    was no way the fire was an ident. Someone definitely started it on purpose, trying to back her Into a


    corner. Over three years ago, her kid was stolen overnight. She got seriously injured and lost a lot of


    blood while searching for her kid and the kidnapper.


    Kicked out by Sandra, then having her kid stolen after giving birth, she was at her wit¡¯s end. She felt


    like she had lost all will to live.


    After passing out in the rain and waking up, she found herself in some swanky room. Then the butler


    told her¡­ It turned out she was the daughter of the richest man in town, and they had done a DNA test


    to prove


    it


    At first, she thought it was a load of bull, but then she saw a photo of herte mom. And she believed it,


    because she was the spitting image of her mom. Coincidentally, they shared the samest name. Her


    dad didn¡¯t ask her to change it


    She¡¯d always known she was different she could pick up stuff that others couldn¡¯t, easily. But Sandra,


    worried Astrid would outshine Lucinda, started to hold her back, stopping her from joining any


    In high school, she often skipped ss Sandra thought she was turning Into a bad apple and stopped


    bothering her. In reality, she was hitting the books in the library. She¡¯d finished university and her


    postgraduate courses in high school, across various fields of study


    After returning to the Brooke family her dad hired the world¡¯s top¨Cnotch teachers for her.


    Now, she had undergone aplete transformation. Among the Brooke n, she was the only girl with


    eight brothers four of them were full brothers, the other four were cousins.


    T


    Two of her cousins crossed her, and she had already put them on her cklist


    She was about to hit the shower when her phone buzzed with a WhatsApp message It was a group


    chat with a few of her brothers The group was called ¡®Star Protectors.¡±


    The second son of the Brooke family messaged, ¡°Star, I saw on the news that your house was burned


    down. Do you want to move to Emerald Estates?¡±


    Astrid replied.¡± Tell me are you guys the ones messing with my auditions behind my back?¡±


    The third son of the Brooke family replied, ¡°We agreed on something, and we¡¯ll stick to it We won¡¯t


    interfere with your business, and we sure as hell won¡¯t stoop as low as sabotaging your auditions!¡±

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    The second son of the Brooke family said, ¡®Star. You might as well give up: you can¡¯t win. It¡¯s clearly


    written in the agreement, only if you win the Best Actress on your own without exposing your real


    identity and without using any resources from our family, that counts as a win You¡¯ve got no


    background, no connections, and no capital, how are you going to make a ssh in the entertainment


    industry? If you surrender now, Ill fly over and pick you up right away!¡°]


    Astrid [¡®Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you guys are up to, I won¡¯t let your schemes seed! Scram,


    don¡¯t disturb my sleep!¡®]


    Thinking of their smirks, Astrid was so angry that she gnashed her teeth


    They all had dreams, so they didn¡¯t want to inherit the family fortunel Didn¡¯t she have dreams too? She


    was not going back home to fish with dad!


    If it was fishing once a week, she could tolerate it; but dad fished every day in rain or sunshine And He


    never caught anything! Talk about boring to death!


    The most important thing was, when she was still in her mom¡¯s womb, her dad had already promised


    her to his friend¡¯s son.


    Dad loved her very much, so of course he wouldn¡¯t let her marry a man he didn¡¯t like, but that man took


    this seriously and had been haunting her like a nightmare. A big part of her running away from home


    was to avoid this man. Because that man was sick, didn¡¯t have much time left, and he couldn¡¯t be with


    her.


    Maybe the next time she went back home, he would already be gone.


    Thinking of this, Astrid felt great, threw her phone, and headed straight for the bathroom.


    Half an hourter, she came out wrapped in a bathrobe, and was about to dry her hair, when there was


    a knock on the door.


    Pulling her loose bathrobe tightly around her body, Astrid went to open the door.


    Looking up, she saw Elio standing at the door with a bottle of mosquito repellent, ¡°This is for you.¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Seeing the girl standing at the door Elio paused slightly.


    Her eyes were like water, and her skin was smooth, lightly flushed from the steam. Her lips were


    gorgeous, her wet hair casually draped over her shoulders, emitting a light fragrance. Every movement


    was heart¨Cstopping.


    For a moment, he felt a heat rush through his body..


    ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Astrid took the item. She immediately wanted to close the door, but found the door


    wouldn¡¯t close.


    Looking up, she saw a big hand propping up her door, a dangerous glint in his eyes.


    Blinking. Astrid was as calm as could be, ¡°Anything else, Mr. Lampard?¡±


    She guaranteed that if Elio dared to make a move on her, she would beat him up so bad he wouldn¡¯t


    even recognize his own mother.


    Looking at her clear eyes, Elio took a deep breath and let go of the door, ¡°Nothing. Good night.¡±


    The door closed.


    The heat in his body did not subside for a while, so Elio sat in the living room drinking ice water. After a


    while, Astrid¡¯s door opened


    He turned to see Roman rubbing his eyes anding out. Roman was wearing a pair of oversized


    slippers, walking slowly He stopped by Ello¡¯s side and sald very seriously, ¡°She, is mine!¡±


    Looking at his serious face, Ello picked him up with one hand. He nned to take him to sleep with


    him, but then Astrid came out.


    Roman immediately pouted, looking wronged, ¡°Ello hit me¡­¡±


    Struggling in mid¨Cair, he looked pitiful.


    Astrid immediately came over and held Roman, gave Ello an unhappy re, then turned around and


    closed the door.


    Staring at the closed door, Elio¡¯s eyes were a bit heavy. What he said to Astrid in the car was all true.


    She really was the only woman who had appeared in his dreams over the years. From the first nce,


    he knew that she was the one he was destined to protect. There was never any reason to love.


    If it felt right, then it was right.


    When Astrid woke up the next day, it was already ten o¡¯clock. She pulled open the curtains, and saw a


    big Ferris wheel outside the window.


    She yawned, talking to herself, ¡°Why is there an amusement park here?¡±


    Roman, ¡°That¡¯s not an amusement park, that¡¯s my home.¡±


    The corner of Astrid¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Your home?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Right next to this hotel was a luxurious vi, and that amusement park was built by Elio for


    Roman


    Astrid looked at the luxurious vi below, and the corner of her mouth twitched again.


    The vi was indeed nice, butpared to her seaside mansion, It was a bitcking.


    After a while, Elio came to knock on the door and call her for breakfast. The broken door from


    yesterday had been fixed, and the hotel staff had brought breakfast over.


    As soon as she sat down, Elio asked, ¡°Ms. Irvine, if you have nowhere to go, you can stay at my ce


    for now¡±


    ¡°Nah, I can find my own ce¡±

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Even though she was ying this game with her family where she wouldn¡¯t use their money, she had


    enough dough of her own


    Plus, she barely knew Elio, no way could she shack up with him


    Roman¡¯s face soured the moment he heard Astrid¡¯s rejection.


    Astrid noticed it and immediately tried to cheer him up, ¡®Roman, don¡¯t be sad. You cane to see me


    anytime


    Roman seemed a bit happier hearing this He held out his little hand and made a pinky promise with


    Astrid. Astrid chuckled at Roman¡¯s serlous face and hooked her pinky with his.


    Elio didn¡¯t insist on her staying and just asked, ¡°Ms Irvine, it¡¯s a bit hard to get a cab right now. Where


    are you heading? I can have my driver take you.¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t hesitate, ¡°I¡¯m going to submit my r¨¦signation¡±


    Ello just hummed in response and didn¡¯t say anything more The air was filled with a chilly vibe. Astrid


    looked at this cold man in front of her and made a face.


    Poor Roman, having to deal with this ley face every day.


    After dinner, the driver took Astrid away


    Roman sat there with a sour face, staring at Elio as if he was asking, why didn¡¯t you make her stay?


    Elio didn¡¯t bother with Roman. He just casually made a cup of tea in the yard and dialed Carson¡¯s


    number, ¡°Carson, give Ms. Irvine a callter in the name of a real estate agent.¡± Real estate agent?


    Carson, who had been with Elio for many years, Immediately caught his drift! Ello was setting a trap for


    Astrid. Carson thought he was a straightforward guy who wouldn¡¯t y games with women. Turned out


    he


    was wrong


    In the car, Astrid downloaded a house renting app and posted a request, ¡°Looking for a t with two


    bedrooms and a living room near the Imperial Tower. The ce should be well¨Clit and preferably fully


    furnished for immediate move¨Cin.¡±


    A call came in just a few minutes after she posted the request.


    Astrid picked up immediately. ¡°Hello?¡±


    Carson, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m n from Signature Homes. Are you looking for a ce?¡±


    Astrid, ¡°Yes. What do you have?¡±


    Carson, ¡°Whatever type of property you¡¯re looking for. I¡¯ve got it.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Astrid couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve got everything? Impressive.¡±


    Carson quickly responded, ¡°Close to subway line, prime locations, spacious, luxury decor, ready for


    you to move into! Apartments, vis, duplexes, whatever you need, I have it!¡±


    Carson sounded so earnest that Astrid couldn¡¯t refuse him. She told him her requirements and set a


    time to view the property.


    After hanging up, Carson immediately bought a property that met Astrid¡¯s requirements and gave Ello


    the address.


    Oblivious to the fact that she had just escaped one trap only to fall into another, Astrid continued to y


    mobile games with glee


    As she was engrossed in her game, a message popped up on her screen.


    Chad, [¡®Astrid, the leader of Country of Erendor wants to see you.¡±]


    Astrid, [¡°Tell him to wait.¡°]


    Chad, [¡®Astrid, do you have enough money? Want me to transfer another 10 million?¡°]


    Chad, [¡®Astrid, a lot ofpanies want to buy your new game.¡°]¡±


    Chad, [¡®Astrid¡­]


    Message after message popped up, Interrupting Astrid¡¯s game. She frowned in annoyance and replied,


    ¡°I¡¯m gaming!¡±


    Chad was in the office. He got so scared that he dropped his phone and didn¡¯t dare to send any more


    messages. Astrid hated it when people Interrupted her gaming.


    After a while, Astrid finished a game round and messaged Chad, [¡®Chad, how¡¯s that thing fromst time


    going? Did you find the person you were looking for?¡°]


    Chad, [¡®Sorry Astrid, there¡¯s been an emergency at thepany, I¡¯ve been so busy I forgot to look into


    that guy¡­


    Astrid, [¡°Huh¡­ Are you asking for a pay cut?¡°]


    Chad, [¡®Alright, alright, Astrid, I¡¯m on it, I¡¯m on it¡­]


    Chad looked at the pile of unprocessed paperwork, scratched his head, and swept it aside to open his


    He nced at the name on the screen. It was the leader of Erendor. He answered with a furrowed


    brow, ¡°Hello?!


    The leader, ¡°Hello, Chad, could you get Dr. Aster for me? I really need to talk to her about something


    urgent.¡°,


    Chad yawnedzily and replied, ¡°She¡¯s been pretty busytely.¡±


    The leader of Erendor, ¡°What¡¯s she busy with? I only need half a day of her time.¡¯


    Chad, ¡°She¡¯s¡­ chasing her dream.¡±


    The leader on the other side of the phone was puzzled, he couldn¡¯tprehend what kind of dream a


    woman like her would be chasing.


    Half an hourter, the Lampard family¡¯s car arrived at thepany.


    Just as Astrid was about to get off, Sandra sent a message, ¡°Astrid, you have nothing now, are you still


    going to refuse my offer?¡±


    !

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Astrid had a hunchst night that Sandra was the one who torched her house to force her to return.


    And now, it seemed she was right.


    After years apart, Astrid never thought Sandra would go batshit crazy enough tomit arson.


    Who knew what kind of dirty tricks Sandra had up her sleeve to get the Irvine family¡¯s business where it


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    was today.


    Astrid said, ¡°Over my dead body, Sandra. I¡¯m not marrying Colton. If you¡¯re so eager to tie the knot with


    the Fortner family, why not marry off Lucinda?¡±


    To which Sandra replied, ¡°Astrid, are you still dreaming of being an actress? If you don¡¯t show up at the


    engagement party tonight, I¡¯ll spill all your dirtyundry to the media. You owe us, and if you don¡¯t pay


    up, I¡¯ll make your life a living hell.¡±


    Astrid knew all about Sandra¡¯s dirty tactics. This time, Sandra was just trying to drag her to the


    engagement party. But Astrid had a n. If Sandra came after her, she would go to the Fortner family¡¯s


    old house first, call off the engagement, and give Sandra a heart attack.


    Astrid got out of the car. It looked like she was checking her phone, but she was actually scoping out


    the surroundings.


    She spotted a ck van with a masked man standing by, who was eyeing her, looking all suspicious.


    Astrid pretended not to notice and kept walking with her eyes glued to her phone.


    Just as she suspected, when she passed by the van, a group of burly men jumped out and pulled her


    into the vehicle.


    1


    She turned around and saw Sandra¡¯s smug face. ¡°My dear daughter, did you actually think a few years


    abroad would make you better than me? You think I¡¯d put up with you for all these years if it wasn¡¯t for


    your pretty face?¡®


    Astrid was thrilled. She didn¡¯t expect Sandra to make her move this soon. Sandra, oblivious to Astrid¡¯s


    n, gave a nod to one of the men in the car. He covered Astrid¡¯s mouth and nose with a rag soaked in


    some knockout drug. Astrid held her breath/ pretended to struggle for a while, then yed possum.


    Thinking Astrid had passed out, Sandra told the man to let her go.


    At the Lampard family mansion, Elio was about to leave when Wylle rushed over with an envelope. ¡°Mr.


    Lampard, an Invitation from the Fortner family.


    Elio said, ¡®Chuck it.¡±


    Wylie hesitated, ¡°Mr. Lampard, wouldn¡¯t it be rude not to attend?¡®


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Chuck it!¡± Elio raised his voice, clearly Irritated.


    Seeing his reaction, Wylle¡¯didn¡¯t dare to press further and threw the invitation into the trash bin.


    Elio had to drive himself as the driver went to pick up Astrid. Just as Elio was pulling out, Wylle ran over


    in a panic, waving the Invitation. ¡°Mr. Lampard, we¡¯ve got a situation!¡±


    Ello frowned, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Wylle exined, Mr. Lampard, the driver who was supposed to pick up Astrid called. He said as soon


    as he dropped her off at thepany, she was taken away by force. He followed them to the Sunset


    Holiday Hotel. That¡¯s where the Fortner family¡¯s second son is having his engagement party today!¡±


    A chill ran down Elio¡¯s spine. He snatched the invitation from Wylie, unfolded it, and found Astrid¡¯s


    name.


    1


    Before Wylie could finish, Elio hit the gas, and the car zoomed out of the driveway. The car was going


    so fast It knocked over the trash can outside.


    !

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    The gardens of the Sunset Holiday Hotel were done up like a dreamy, romantic wondend. You¡¯d walk


    along the quietkeside path and see twinkling lights scattered about like shooting stars. From afar, the


    garden locked as if a gxy of stars had spilled onto it.


    The whole visual effect created a dreamlike atmosphere, making you feel like you¡¯ve stepped into a


    fantasy world.


    Lucinda was all dolled up, and her haughty demeanor resembled a peacock spreading its feathers. No


    matter who greeted her, shed respond with icy indifference.


    Growing up, Lucinda was forever living in Astrid¡¯s shadow


    Astrid wasuded as a genius by the entire school. She was rarely in school, often leaving shortly after


    each semester began, only returning for the final exams. And yet, she always managed to top the ss


    in those exams


    Not only was she academically brilliant, but she was also stunningly beautiful and popr. Everyone


    would praise Astrid like she fortune


    Wasn¡¯t that just a polite way of saying she wasn¡¯t pretty?


    But so what if Astrid was pretty? She was still marrying aplete idiot.


    What good was avish and romantic engagement party then?


    An idiot is an idiot, that¡¯s a fact that isn¡¯t going to change.


    was a goddess, but when they saw Lucinda, they¡¯d say she looked like she had good


    Sandra, upon seeing Lucinda looking sullen by the fountain, walked over and lightly tapped her


    shoulder, saying somewhat irritably, ¡°Oh Lucinda, a man was trying to chat you up and you were so


    cold to him!¡± Lucinda rolled her eyes, ¡°Mom, you know I like Mr Lampard. Why should I be all smiles


    with any other guy!¡±


    ¡°Sweetie, never put all your eggs in one basket. Always have a backup n, Sandra, a shrewd woman,


    said. If it weren¡¯t for her meddling, the Fortner family would never have agreed to an alliance with the


    Irvine family


    ¡°Mr Lampard is here!¡± Suddenly, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted. Everyone¡¯s gaze


    Immediately turned towards the entrance.


    Seeing the man who had appeared in her dreams countless times, Lucinda felt her heart nearly leap


    out of her chest.


    A lot of people had only seen Elio in the news, this was their first time seeing him in the flesh.


    As the handsome figure approached, some of thedies couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡®Oh my God, Mr.


    Lampard is so handsome! He¡¯s even more charming in person than in photos!¡± ¡°He¡¯s like the perfect


    man, right out of a legend. His physique, his features¡­ just wless!¡±


    ¡°Look at me, did I even put on makeup? I want to have a drink with Mr Lampard¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    The girls¡® chattering stopped abruptly as Ello walked past them.


    The cold aura that emanated from him was too strong, one look from him was enough to send chills


    down their spines.


    Without Astrid in sight, Elio¡¯s gaze turned even colder and more determined. His sharp, reminiscent of


    a grim reaper, gaze sent shivers down everyone¡¯s spine.


    Elio took out his phone, just in time to receive a message from Carson: Location confirmed, hotel top


    floor, room 2109.


    Was she sent directly to Colton¡¯s room?!


    Achill rose from the depths of his heart, Ello¡¯s face was pale and ghastly, looking absolutely terrifying.


    ¡°Hello, Mr Lampard.¡± Seeing Elio approaching her, Lucinda quickly put on a smile in an attempt to greet


    him, but Ello didn¡¯t even nce at her, swiftly walking past without even a sidelong nce. Not wasting


    any time, Elio hurriedly rushed into the hotel elevator.


    This was the first time he found the elevator¡¯s speed to be horrifyingly slow.


    His heartbeat unconsciously quickened, he had never been this nervous throughout his years of


    running the business.


    He didn¡¯t even dare to imagine what he¡¯d see when he opened that room¡¯s door¡­.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    ¡°Ding¡® The elevator door opened, and Ello hurried out, quickly found room 2109, and gave it a few hard


    kicks


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡± After a series of loud noises, the door opened


    He immediately clenched his fists


    But when he saw what the two people in the room were doing, he was stunned.


    ¡°Mr Lampard? What are you doing here?¡± Astrid looked at the man who had suddenly appeared in front


    of her, then nced at the damaged door, looking puzzled. Elio looked into her perplexed eyes and


    said casually, ¡°Just passing by


    Colton said. ¡°Your turn to y¡±


    Astrid turned her head to look at Colton, a lollipop in her mouth, and she smugly ced down her hand:


    ¡°Royal flush! You lose, pay up!¡±


    She happily thumped the table and extended her hand to Colton, smiling.


    ¡°All yours, I¡¯m wiped out again. You¡¯re mally good!¡® Colton pushed all the money in front of him to Astrid


    and continued pping.


    Astrid was happily counting the money her eyes squinted from smiling so much.


    It was at this moment that Elio suddenly snapped back to reality.


    Was he going crazy? He knew Colton was as smart as a five¨Cyear¨Cold. What could a child do to her?


    He was too impulsive.


    He didnt know when, but this girl¡¯s every move was unconsciously affecting his emotions.


    His feelings for her were too intense, even he himself didn¡¯t understand why this girl was so special to


    him.


    In front of her, he had always believed he could keep calm andposed but now all of that had gone.


    At that moment he even found theughing and joking scene in front of him to be quite an eyesore..


    Seeing that Elio was still standing there, staring at her, Astrid felt uneasy and casually asked, ¡°Mr


    Lampard, why don¡¯t you join us for a game? It¡¯s pretty boring with just the two of us Elio looked at the


    two seated opposite him and slowly said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    He actually agreed?


    Astrid was a bit surprised. She was just asking casually and hadn¡¯t expected Ello to agree


    After all, Elio didn¡¯t seem like the type to y cards.


    The three of them yed for a while, and Astrid clearly felt that since Ello joined, the atmosphere had


    be weird.


    Colton was scared of Elio. Ever since Elio arrived, he stopped talking and didn¡¯t even dare to raise his


    head.


    ¡°I have something else to do. You two continue ying.¡± After a round, Astrid got up and made her way


    towards the exit.


    Seeing her leaving, Colton immediately stood up and grabbed hold of the corner of her clothes, ¡°Will


    we meet again?¡± ¡°No.¡± Elio said coldly, devoid of any sort of warmth.


    His icy gaze swept across Colton¡¯s face, and Colton¡¯s pupils contracted slightly. He then let go of


    Astrid¡¯s clothes.


    Astrid was taken aback by Elio¡¯s unexpected speech. She looked at him in surprise. What was he up


    to?


    Why was he assuming authority over her decisions?


    But she really didn¡¯t want to see Colton again, not because she looked down on him for not being


    smart, but because she didn¡¯t want to be used by Sandra as a tool. ¡°We¡¯ll see each other again if it¡¯s


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    meant to be.¡± Astrid responded. ¡°Did you remember everything I told you?¡±


    Colton obediently nodded, ¡°I remembered.¡±


    ¡°Good, then goodbye.¡± Astrid smiled and waved at Colton, then walked out cheerfully.


    But she didn¡¯t anticipate Elio to follow her out and get into the elevator with her.


    ¡°¡­¡± Astrid looked at Ello through the elevator mirror, but this guy was expressionless and no different


    than usual.


    From the beginning, she hadn¡¯t believed Ello¡¯s excuse that he was just passing by. Who just casually


    passed by and kicked open hotel doors?


    And it just so happened to be the room where she and Colton had been.


    After some thought, she could onlye to one conclusion, that Ello was here to find her..


    But why?


    They¡¯d only met a few times and didn¡¯t know each other well.


    Before Astrid could figure it out, the man who had been quietly standing at the side suddenly moved.


    Stepping forward in front of her, and with a stretch of his long arm, he cornered her against his body!

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Elios sudden proximity took Astrid by surprise


    His breath invaded her personal space, and Astrid stood rigid, feeling awkward


    But Elio just stood there in the same pose, not saying a word. His brow furrowed at the memory of


    Astrid ying cards with Colton. She was always anxious around him, but she couldugh so freely in


    front of Colton Did she hate him being near that much? ¡°Why do you hate me so much?¡± Ello suddenly


    asked.


    Astrid was taken aback, she hadn¡¯t expected Ello to ask this question. She mumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.


    Who said I hate you?¡±


    Elio heard her perfunctory response and his tone became colder, ¡°Then go home with me.¡±


    Astrid blurted out, ¡°No!¡±


    As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a chill envelop her and quickly exined, ¡°I¡¯ve already


    arranged for a ce with an agent. We don¡¯t have any special rtionship, it¡¯s not appropriate for me


    to stay at your ce¡±


    ¡°What kind of rtionship do you think is appropriate?¡± Elio¡¯s eyebrows twitched, ¡°Boyfriend and


    girlfriend? Husband and wife? If we need a rtionship to live together, we can go register for a


    marriage now.¡± Register for marriage??? Astrid was dumbfounded. What was going on? Why would he


    suddenly mention registering for marriage? Were they that close?


    She was taken aback by his gaze. What the hell was he thinking? He was fine during the day, so why


    had he be so weird all of a sudden? ¡°Is this elevator too slow? Why hasn¡¯t it reached the ground


    floor after such a long time¡°¡± she thought.


    She turned her head to look at the elevator button and realized that they hadn¡¯t pressed the ground


    floor after entering! The elevator was still on the 21st floor! Oh my God!!!


    ¡°Ding¡± The elevator door suddenly opened, and Colton appeared at the door with an innocent smile.


    At this moment, Astrid felt like he was her savior. She greeted Colton Immediately, ¡°Colton, we meet


    again!¡±


    Astrid breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that since someone had entered, Ello would let her go.


    As expected, Ello left her side. She let out a long sigh of relief¡­ and moved to stand next to Colton.


    This little movement made Elio frown. Since when did she be so close to Colton?


    Her phone vibrated, and she saw a text message from her father, ¡°Star, no matter what you say, I¡¯m not


    calling off the bodyguards this time. If it wasn¡¯t for Sandra raising you for eighteen years, I could have


    made her regret ever being born!¡±


    Knowing that her father was angry, Astrid didn¡¯t dare to say much and simply agreed, ¡°Alright, alright.


    You can arrange as many bodyguards as you like, just make sure It¡¯s not as high¨Cprofile as before,


    okay?¡± Half a year ago, when she first returned to Sunhaven, her dad had arranged dozens of


    bodyguards for her. They would follow her everywhere she went, making her the center of attention.


    After her strong brotest, her dad finally called off the bodyguards.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    As for Sandra kidnapping her. It was deliberate because she needed to get close to Colton to make him


    cancel the engagement. Otherwise, If this issue wasn¡¯t resolved, Sandra would cause trouble.


    The elevator finally reached the ground floor, and Astrid bolted out, disappearing in an Instant.


    As soon as Colton and Elio left the elevator, Farrah approached them with a few people.


    Seeing Elio, Farrah immediately smiled, ¡°Ello, you¡¯re here too. Your mom told me you were busy.¡±


    Elio coldly replied, ¡°I was passing by.¡±


    Seeing Elio¡¯s cold expression, Farrah dared not speak to him anymore and turned to ask Colton,


    ¡®Where is she? Why did youe down alone?¡±


    Colton tilted his head, recalling what Astrid had sald earlier, then solemnly said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to get


    engaged to someone I don¡¯t know. I want to get engaged to someone I like. I¡¯ve let her go.¡±


    ¡°Let her go?¡± Farrah was fuming. ¡°Colton, how could you let her go? She¡¯s supposed to marry you!¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    ¡°Nah. I just wanna be friends with her there¡¯s no way I¡¯m marrying her If you guys force her to marry


    me, fl starve myself!¡± Afterying down thew, Colton stomped off into the elevator. Elio watched


    Colton¡¯s furious exit, shaking his head That girl sure was slick- not only did she take Colton for all he


    was worth, but she also got him to sort out the engagement party mess Even though she¡¯s not famous


    yet, this whole thing needed to be kept on the downlow If someone with an axe to grind spills the


    beans, she¡¯s in hot water


    But there¡¯s no avoiding the unavoidable As a foster mother, she needed to face the music


    Farrah was taken aback Colton might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he s hell¨Cbent on his


    decisions When he says he won¡¯t eat, he won¡¯t eat! Last time, she promised to take him to Disnend


    and didn¡¯t, he went on a hunger strike that nearly did him in!


    Even though Colton¡¯s not all there, Farrah cant just let him starve So, she whipped out her phone and


    gave Sandra a ring.


    Sandra, who was hobnobbing with other societydies, saw Farrah¡¯s call, and immediately picked up,


    all smiled ¡°Hello, Mrs. Fortner, what can I do for you?¡±


    Farrah ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sandra, our families marriage alliance is off


    ¡°Off???¡± Sandia¡¯s smile froze She thought this marriage could be her ticket to the high life, but now.


    Astrid¡¯s already here, but there¡¯s a wrinkle in the n.


    ¡°Mrs Fortner what happened? Did Astrid upset Mr Fortner? I¡¯ll sort her out, I promise!¡± Sandra blurted


    out.


    ¡°It¡¯s not Astrid¡¯s fault, it¡¯s Colton¡¯s decision, Farrah intervened. ¡°Don¡¯t take it out on Astrid. As for your


    money, I can give you more time to repay.¡±


    With the money that was practically in her grasp now gone, Sandra waspletely deted. Even if


    she got more time, she still had to pay it back! Where was she supposed to get that kind of dough to


    pay off her gambling debts!


    It had to be Astrid¡¯s doing! She¡¯d underestimated Astrid. She¡¯d had her kidnapped, and yet Astrid was


    still causing trouble!


    Furious, Sandra was about to give Astrid a piece of her mind when her husband, Vernon Irvine, came


    over looking like a thunderstorm and grabbed her hand, using her loudly, ¡°Sandra, will you only be


    happy when you¡¯ve run me into the ground?!¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°What What did I do?¡± Sandra was already livid, and her husband¡¯s usation was thest straw.


    ¡°Why are you yelling at me?¡±


    Vernon pointed an using finger at Sandra, shaking with rage, ¡°Our secretary Just called. All our


    agreements with the Lampard Group have been scrapped. We¡¯re looking at a loss of about 20 million


    dors.¡± ¡°20 million dors?¡± Sandra panicked. That was half a year¡¯s profit!


    Vernon was fuming, ¡°This is all your doing! The Lampard Group said It¡¯s because you offended the


    CEO¡¯s wife, so they¡¯ll never do business with us again!¡±


    Sandra was puzzled, ¡°How can the CEO of the Lampard Group have a wife? Everyone knows Mr


    Lampard is single!¡±


    ¡°Until today. I also thought Mr Lampard was single. But he wouldn¡¯t make up a lie just to avoid doing


    business with our smallpany! You¡¯d better reflect on who you might have offended. You¡¯ve really


    screwed us over!¡± With calls from higher¨Cups flooding in, Vernon red at Sandra and stormed off.


    Sandra, usually careful not to offend anyone, racked her brain but couldn¡¯t think of who this so¨Ccalled


    CEO¡¯s wife could be.


    Just then, the usually quiet Lucinda suddenly said, ¡°Mom, could it be Astrid?¡±


    Sandra burst outughing. ¡°Lucinda, have you lost your marbles? Mr Lampard would be interested in


    someone like Astrid? If Astrid really is the so¨Ccalled CEO¡¯s wife, I¡¯d dly apologize to her!¡±

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    ¡°I was just saying. Mom, no need to get all worked up. Besides, even if Astrid bes the CEO¡¯s wife,


    you don¡¯t have to beg for mercy!¡± Lucinda bit her lip, feeling uneasy at the thought of Astrid not


    marrying that


    idiot Colton


    She had originally nned to mock Astrid once she married that fool, but she didn¡¯t expect their


    engagement to be suddenly called off.


    ¡°We have to apologize to her! You never consider how we treated her in the past. If she really bes


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    the wife of the Lampard Group¡¯s CEO, she could destroy ourpany in a heartbeat. I don¡¯t fancy


    returning to those hard times¡® Sandra paused and continued, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Lucinda. That will never


    happen, If Fannie who¡¯s pretty much a perfect star, couldn¡¯t catch Mr Lampard¡¯s eye, how could Astrid,


    with her dublous reputation, ever be his type?¡±


    ¡°I hope so¡± Lucinda felt even more annoyed thinking about Astrid¡¯s uing role in a TV show She


    had always wanted to break into the entertainment industry herself. Despite being a popr live¨C


    streamer on Tomate Live, and the tform arranging for her to y minor roles in some shows, her


    acting career never took off.


    Astrid, on the other hand, easilynded a significant role Was it because she was prettier, and


    therefore more fortunate? Lucinda wasn¡¯t about to let Astrid get off easy.


    Oblivious to Lucinda¡¯s resentment, Astrid was Happily house hunting. ¡°Wow, n, if we hadn¡¯t just met,


    I¡¯d think you¡¯ve been spying on me. This ce is perfect! It¡¯s like it was custom¨Cmade for me!¡±


    To avoid being recognized by Astrid, Carson had asked his cousin, n Fisher, a real estate agent, to


    help.


    n wiped his sweat silently Indeed, it was custom¨Cmade for you, Astrid!


    Mr Lampard had bought the entire building, concerned that Astrid might not like this specific apartment.


    If she didn¡¯t, there were other vacant units she could check out.


    T


    n was increasingly baffled by the world of the rich. Casually buying an entire building was mind¨C


    boggling!


    ¡°Ms Irvine, we can sign the contract now if there¡¯s no problem, n suggested.


    ¡°No problem, no problem. We can sign right away. Do you guys do quarterly or annual payments?¡®


    Astrid didn¡¯t even ask about the rent. She loved the ce so much that she didn¡¯t mind whatever the


    rent was. n replied, ¡°Both are eptable.¡°)


    ¡°Wow you guys are so kind!¡± Astrid eximed as n handed her the contract. She was shocked


    when she saw the rent, ¡°A thousand? Are you sure there¡¯s no mistake, Mr Fisher? A fully furnished


    two¨Cbedroom apartment in the city center for just a thousand?¡±


    n took a second before responding seriously, ¡°Thendlord has over a hundred properties In this


    area. The rent depends on his mood. This is his price. Plus, he¡¯s also throwing in a set of household


    items for free.¡± Actually, Carson had bought all these items and asked n to bring them. Carson had


    promised a reward as long as n didn¡¯t screw up.


    Seeing a bag of toiletries that n brought in, Astrid couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Thendlord was


    certainly unusual, giving away Items when the rent was already dirt cheap. But she had checked the


    property online and found no issues.


    !


    Since it¡¯s free, it shouldn¡¯t be missed out

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    After signing the lease, Astrid and n sent their new address to Gracle Just as Astrid was about to hit


    the sack, a video call invitation popped up: Magee wants to FaceTime.


    Astrid pressed ept and saw Magee¡¯s giant nostril on the screen. ¡°Astrid, I¡¯m your dad¡±


    Astrid was already used to Magee¡¯s weird angles during video calls, so she replied somewhat


    speechlessly, ¡°Of course I know you¡¯re my dad. What¡¯s up? If there¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m hanging up. I¡¯m


    bushed.¡±


    Magee ¡°Hold on, I heard you moved to a new ce I¡¯m sending someone from the cleaning service


    over tomorrow.¡±


    Astrid groaned, ¡°No need, I¡®


    Before she could finish her sentence, the video shifted to a bespectacled gentleman, ¡®Astrid, are you


    sure you don¡¯t want me to fly over and pick you up? It¡¯s a jungle out there, I¡¯m worried about you. If you


    don¡¯t want to fly, I can sail over¡±


    Astrid


    They¡¯re always trying to lure her back to take over the family fortune. She won¡¯t fall for it!


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should send a cleaning service to Astrid. She¡¯s so attractive, who knows what might


    happen?¡± The voice came from Astrid¡¯s brother, Robb Brooke, who was not in the video.


    Astrid rolled her eyes. It seemed Robb and Brandon Brooke had been taken fishing by Magee again


    and were all sunburnt.


    Magee quickly agreed, ¡°Exactly, we can¡¯t send a cleaning service. But Astrid can¡¯t clean herself, she¡¯ll


    be knackered. Just wait, honey, I¡¯m sending someone over tomorrow¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Astrid hung up the video call.


    As she was about to tidy up her room, she received a message: ¡°Astrid, I found out. The one who¡¯s


    been messing with you is Fannie¡¯s dad Wes Santos. What¡¯s up with this big shot director? Why is he


    targeting you?¡® Astrid scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just look into Wes¡® tax issues.¡±


    ¡°I did, it¡¯s really scary. He evaded taxes totaling 10 billion dors!!!¡±


    10 billion dors? She knew a lot of big shot directors had tax issues, but she didn¡¯t expect this guy to


    be so audacious. 10 billion dors¡­.


    Astrid ¡°Collect the evidence and leak it anonymously.¡±


    ¡°Leak it? Shouldn¡¯t we report it to the tax office?¡±


    Astrid ¡°Are you nuts? People like Wes have protection. You can only make a difference by leaking It


    and letting it blow up. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Got it!!! arrange it right away!!!¡±


    Trying to set her up? Ha.


    The next afternoon, Astrid quit her job.


    The news about Wes¡¯s tax evasion had blown up on the Inte and the relevant departments started


    Investigating soon after. Fannie¡¯s career was also affected.


    ¡°Oh my God, 10 billion dors!!! I¡¯m green with envy!¡± Gracle was sucking on a lollipop, her words


    muffled, ¡°The bigger they are, the harder they fall. He¡¯s screwed this time. Wonder who leaked it.


    Serves him right!¡±


    ¡°Just look at Fannie. When her dad was not in trouble, she couldn¡¯t stop mentioning him. Now that her


    dad is in trouble, she immediately announced she has nothing to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Every man for himself in times of crisis, even between father and daughter!¡±


    Ever since the news broke out, Gracle hadn¡¯t stopped badmouthing. Astrid just stayed quiet and


    As she stepped out of the elevator, Astrid saw an uninvited guest by her door, her third brother, Jon


    Brooke.


    When she was first brought back to the Brooke family, she was shocked by her brother¡¯s names. Their


    dad was a huge Game of Thrones fan and named his four sons Robb, Brandon, Jon, Rickon, Brooke.


    Ridiculous, right?


    But she never expected her dad to send him over.


    Gracie was drooling over the man in front of them. He was about 6 feet tall, very handsome, dressed in


    a white T¨Cshirt and ripped jeans.


    Seeing Gracie staring at him, he winked at her, ¡°Astrid, who¡­ who is he? Why is he at your door? Oh


    my God, you know such a hot guy and you didn¡¯t introduce him to me!!!¡±


    Gracie lost all reasoning, eyes fixed on the man at the door, drooling.


    Astrid nced at the hunk in the distance, raised an eyebrow, ¡°He¡¯s from the cleaning service.¡±


    *Cleaning service?¡± Gracie took a look and Indeed saw cleaning tools next to him. She murmured, ¡®Are


    cleaning services standards this high now? This guy is hotter than many celebs!¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t bother to exin, just opened the door and let Jon in..


    An hourter, Elio¡¯s phone buzzed in the middle of a meeting, ¡°Chief, there¡¯s a man at Ms. Irvine¡¯s


    ce!¡±


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Elio¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Who? Did you confirm his identity?¡±


    Carson: ¡°Jon from Club IXG, a star e¨Csports yer. He¡¯s been in there for an hour hasn¡¯t left.¡±


    An hour?


    ¡°Meeting adjourned.¡± Elio stood up, his face dark. He left the meeting room without looking back,


    leaving a bunch of baffled execs behind.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Elio hopped in his car with the intention of heading straight for Astrid, but midway, he took a detour


    towards home.


    He figured he might have spooked Astridst night by being too eager From what he could tell, she


    didn¡¯t seem to harbor any special feelings for him, and if he came on too strong, she might turn against


    him. So, he needed some backup.


    When Elio got home, he spotted Roman, sitting in the living room, engrossed in his Lego blocks.


    There was a teenager, probably around seventeen or eighteen, syed out on the couch. He was in


    his school uniform, his hair dyed a ring red and a few dark blue earrings adorning his left ear. The


    teen was deep in slumber, sprawled out on the couch, even letting out a soft snore.


    Upon seeing Elio, Roman just nced up nonchntly and went back to his Lego.


    It was like he hadn¡¯t seen Elio at all


    Elio was a bit taken aback by Roman¡¯s calm demeanor. Justst night, Roman was talking about


    meeting Astrid. Why wasn¡¯t he reacting now? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to ask Ello to take him to Astrid?


    After a few more minutes of Roman engrossed in his Lego, Ello got restless and blurted out, ¡°Roman,


    someone¡¯s messing with your dear auntle, I¡­


    1


    Before Elio could finish, Roman immediately stood up and with a quick shuffle, dashed up the stairs.


    Elio was stunned Why the heck did he suddenly run off?


    A few secondster, there was some noise upstairs, then Roman came charging down with his toy gun,


    grabbed Ello¡¯s hand and said urgently, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Alright¡± Elio bent down to scoop up Roman and headed for the door. He paused at the doorway and


    nced back at the teen on the couch, saying with a poker face, ¡°Lucas Lampard, go tell my mom to


    stop sending people to spy on me. If she¡¯dares to interfere with my business, don¡¯t me me for falling


    out with her.


    As soon as he finished, the teen or the couch sat up, no trace of sleepiness in his eyes. ¡°Uncle, you got


    it wrong. I wasn¡¯t sent to spy on you. I got whacked by my dad for my bad grades, so I came here to


    hide out.¡± Elio and Lucas Lampard¡¯s father were cousins, so Lucas wasn¡¯t his real nephew. But Lucas


    often yed games with Roman, so they got along pretty well.


    1


    Elio was often away due to work and was more than happy to have someone keep Romanpany.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But uncle, are you really dating now?¡± Lucas Lampard was curious. He wanted to know what kind of


    girl could attract the devilish Ello. But if a girl was considered a fairy by someone as picky as Ello, she


    must be a super¨Cduper beauty. He really wanted to meet her, but in just a few days, Ello seemed to


    have be a bit shameless.


    From what he just said, It was clear that Elio wanted to see the girl, but he pushed the responsibility


    onto Roman. Using his own son to chase after a girlfriend, that was just too much!


    Elio simply ignored Lucas Lampard, but Lucas was a bit scared to continue asking, so he turned to


    Roman with a curious face and asked, ¡°Roman, Is your dad dating?¡±


    Roman shook his head, thought for a while, and then on a serious tone said, ¡°He got rejected.¡±


    Elio¡¯s eyebrows involuntarily furrowed.


    He got rejected? Lucas Lampard was stunned at first, but then he burst outughing. Did Roman mean


    that thedy rejected Ello?

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Holy cowl is there actually a woman that Elio, the big shot of the Capital business district, cant handle?


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    This only made him more intrigued by her


    Lucas Lampard was itching to dig up more info, and Elio could tell He shot him a cold nce, then


    picked up his phone and dialed Lucas Lampard¡¯s dad, ¡°Jay your kid is with me¡±


    ¡°Oh no! A heartbroken cry came from Lucas Lampard Elio, expressionless, camed Roman into the car


    Meanwhile Astrid¡¯s home, under Jon¡¯s earnest cleaning it had gone from tidy to chaotic


    Grace couldnt stand it and tumed to whisper ¡°Astrid in this guy really from a cleaning service? His ekits


    are


    Astrid gave an awkward smile After at this man was a rich boy who never lifted a finger How could he


    posty know how to clean?


    If he continued ther home would be unlivable


    Astrid could hear it and stood to help, but Jan immediately yelled. Sit down, watch TVI This is not your


    job


    Astrid


    Ten minutester, a ttering sound came from the kitchen Astrid rushed over, but Jon blocked the


    kitchen entance, ¡°Go back to your games, the kitchen is no ce for you¡± Astrid frustrated whimpered,


    ¡°Jon, I¡¯m not helpless Ican do this myself Please leave


    ¡°No way. When we¡¯re not around you can do it yourself. But how can I let you do these things when I¡¯m


    here? Gids are meant to be spoiled, you just need to focus on being beautiful¡± After saying this, Jon


    turned around and identally shattered another vase


    Astrid


    Jon was also on the verge of a breakdown, so he weakly suggested, ¡®Star, how about I hire a maid for


    you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really no need. And stop bothering me I¡¯m about to start shooting for a TV series, and I don¡¯t


    know what the media will write if they catch sight of you guys¡± Astrid, saying this, firmly pushed Jon out.


    Alright, I¡¯m leaving Jon couldn¡¯t win against her, so after repeatedly reminding her to take care of


    herself, he reluctantly left


    No sooner had Jon entered the elevator than Ello, carrying Roman, emerged from another one


    Elie put Roman down pointed at Astrid¡¯s door, and the little guy, full of vigor, marched up to knock


    Just as Astrid closed the door she heard a knock Thinking Jon had forgotten something, she turned to


    open the door but was greeted with Roman and Elio.


    Seeing Roman, Astrid immediately smiled. ¡°What brings you here, Roman? Missed aunty?¡±


    Roman, looking at Astrid¡¯s beaming face that didn¡¯t seem like she had been bullied at all, turned his


    gaze to Elio.


    Elio ¡°Roman wants to show you his new toy machine¨Cgun¡±


    Astrid nced at Roman, who was holding the gun, and her smile twitched¡­


    Roman


    ¡°He felt as if he¡¯d been used by his dad.


    ¡°Ainighte in Astrid let them in, while carrying Roman, but felt uneasy. She hadn¡¯t told them her new


    address. How did they know where she lived?

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Elio entered the room full of anticipation but did not find Jon Instead, he saw a woman sitting on the


    sofa watching TV.


    The sound of the door made Gracie, who was munching on chips, turn around. She dropped her chips


    when she saw Elio and the baby in Astrid¡¯s arms, Roman.


    Elio had never seen Gracle before, but seeing her casually eating chips in Astrid¡¯s house, he guessed


    their rtionship must be out of the ordinary. Perhaps, it would be a bonus point in his pursuit of Astrid


    With that thought, Elio nodded at Gracle, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Ello¡±


    ¡°Yo¨Cyou hl Gracie was so startled she could barely speak. Ello, whom she had only ever seen online,


    was standing in front of her and even greeting her? Unbelievablel Wasn¡¯t Ello supposed to be arrogant


    and dismissive? But he seemed quite polite now


    *Pl¨Cplease, sit Gracle sat upright, brushed the chip crumbs off herself, and looked at Astrid with


    confusion, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Seeing Gracie¡¯s misunderstanding. Astrid quickly exined: ¡®Don¡¯t get it wrong, we¡¯re just friends.


    Right, Mr Lampard?¡±


    Elio nodded in agreement. ¡°Right¡±


    *Oh, I see. I just remembered I have something to do, so I¡¯m gonna bouncel Gracle had a keen eye


    and didn¡¯t believe Ello came just because his son wanted to see Astrid. From the moment he walked in,


    Elio had looked at Astrid countless times, although Astrid just didn¡¯t notice.


    Astrid had a hard time in school, if she could end up with Ello, that would be a cause for celebration!


    Astrid didn¡¯t want more kids, and Elio had a son who liked Astrid. This was a ready made happy family!


    With this thought, Gracie felt like she was standing in the way of their happiness by staying. She


    quickly grabbed her bag and bolted. By the time Astrid realized, Gracie had already¡¯shut the door


    behind her.


    Astrid looked at Elio sitting on the sofa and gave an awkward but polite spille.


    Elio was quite pleased with Gracie¡¯s tact. He nced at the three cups on the coffee table and couldn¡¯t


    resist asking Astrid, ¡°Do you have other guests?¡±


    Astrid was taken aback, then answered casually, ¡°Oh, someone came to clean earlier.¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    She wasn¡¯t lying, Jon was indeed arranged by Magee to help her clean, but the oue gave her a


    headache


    1


    Hearing Astrid¡¯s words, Elio¡¯s eyes darkened. She didn¡¯t tell him the truth. Why did she lle? What was


    her rtionship with Jon?


    He had done some Investigation and found that Jon often flirted with his fans. Astrid seemed a bit


    naive, was the being deceived?


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, Ello suddenly called her.


    Astrid¡¯s Instinctive nce at him made Elio slightly dazed. His original confrontational words changed


    at thest moment: ¡°If you need any help living alone, feel free to ask me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Astridughed awkwardly, ¡°Mr Lampard is so busy, I won¡¯t bother you with my little things.¡±


    What a joke! Could she ask Ello to change a light bulb or fix herputer?


    Elio: ¡°Nothing is more important than you. As long as you need me, I¡¯m avable¡±


    Astrid: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    She didn¡¯t want to get too involved with this guy, or else the media would paint her as some tycoon¡¯s


    mistress, which was a total headache. If it wasn¡¯t for her deep affection for the adorable little Roman,


    she would have cut ties with this guy ages ago.


    Just then, Roman suddenly patted his chest, saying, ¡°Come to me¡±


    *Alright, I¡¯ming to you! To Roman!¡± Astrid Immediately nted a kiss on Roman¡¯s face, then


    rubbed his chubby little cheeks, ¡°Roman is gonna grow up to be a warm¨Chearted boy, whoever


    bes his girlfriend will be so lucky. What do you want to eat when it¡¯s time for dinner, Roman?¡®


    Hearing Astrid¡¯s words, Roman¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Anything you make is good.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so sweet, auntle loves you more and more, let¡¯s go cook some food!¡± Astrid sald, taking


    Roman¡¯s little hand and leading him away.


    As they reached the kitchen entrance, Roman suddenly turned back and shed a smug smile towards


    his ignored father. Ello¡¯s already gloomy face turned even darker.


    After dinner, Astrid and Roman watched a cartoon together,ughing their heads off, while Ello sat


    nearby, watching Roman lying on Astrid¡¯sp. Before meeting Astrid, he had never considered


    marriage. But now, watching her ying with Roman, he suddenly yearned for a family of his own.


    Taking out his cell phone, Elio snapped a photo of Astrid and Roman ying on the couch. Looking at


    the photo on his phone, a small smile spread across his face. He then set the photo as his phone¡¯s


    wallpaper. As he was about to lock the screen, a message popped up: ¡°Chief, Ms Santos is waiting for


    you at the office, says It¡¯s urgent.¡±


    Without a second thought, Ello knew that Fannie was looking for him because the project was put on


    hold. Ello replied, ¡°Tell her I¡¯m busy with my wife and kid, no time.¡± Carson:


    Putting down his phone, Elio looked up at the scene before him: Roman and Astrid. Without realizing it,


    he had fallen asleep on the couch.


    Seeing Elio sleeping, Astrid got up, fetched a nket, and gently covered him with it, then turned off


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    the TV and led Roman to the bedroom to y.


    By the time Elio woke up. It was already dark. He had been working a lot recently, under a lot of


    pressure, and had been sleeping poorly, even needing medication to sleep. But in Astrid¡¯s home, he


    had managed to fall asleep just like that?


    It was already 10 PM, and he had slept since lunch. These two didn¡¯t even wake him for dinner¡­


    Feeling the bedroom door open behind him, Elio quickly closed his eyes and feigned sleep. If Astrid


    found out he was awake at that time, she¡¯d definitely¨Ckick him out.


    A few secondster, he sensed light footsteps approaching, then heard Astrid¡¯s voice: ¡°Man, how can


    you sleep this long and not wake up?¡±


    Astrid was surprised. How could a big guy who was nearly 1.9 meters tall sleep so soundly on this


    couch? Wouldn¡¯t he get tired? It was no big deal for Roman to sleep there, but Elio? What if he had bad


    intentions


    towards her?


    But Roman said Elle hadn¡¯t had a good rest in a long time and told her not to disturb him.


    Well, as long as she locked the door, it should be fine.


    With a heavy sigh, Astrid adjusted the nket that had slipped off Ello, then turned and went back to


    her room, locking the door behind her.


    The moment the door closed, Ello opened his eyes. He looked at the closed master bedroom door,


    then got up and entered the guest room.


    After lying in bed for more than an hour, Elio was starving. He was about to get up and find something


    to eat when he heard the sound of the door opening. He was about to turn off the bedsidemp and


    pretend to be asleep again, but the bedroom door was flung open.


    Astrid, in her pajamas, with her eyes half¨Cclosed, walked straight towards him, lifted his nket, and


    theny down next to him.


    What was going on?


    Elioy there, not daring to move.


    Was this some kind of test?


    A few minutester, Astrid suddenly rolled over, wrapped herself around him like an octopus, and even


    snuggled a bit.


    Elio froze, a wave of desire spreading throughout his body. Was this girl sleepwalking? What a pain in


    the ass.


    Astrid¡¯s unique scent filled Ello¡¯s nostrils. He turned to look at her face, so close to his own, and his


    usually Irond self¨Ccontrol crumbled.


    He moved slightly closer, his eyes shimmering with intensity, and then he kissed her lips.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    The moment her lips touched his, he felt a surge of electricity shoot through his body


    He couldn¡¯t control himself, and gently turning and Hugging her tightly, kissing her deeply¡­


    A voice echoed In his mind, he had to have her, he had to¡­


    His reasoning blew up in that instant, with the palm of his hand bing incredibly hot.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Astrid felt a little hot in her sleep. She opened her eyes drowsily and saw Ello In front of her.


    E


    She bit Ello¡¯s lip hard, causing him to sit up straight. His eyes were full of obsession, and a dangerous


    aura Instantly surrounding Astrid.


    ¡®Ello, you beast! I knew you were no good, sneaking into my bed in the middle of the night!¡± Astrid


    quickly escaped Ello¡¯s embrace, but when she jumped off the bed, she found something off.


    Wall.


    This¡­


    Isn¡¯t this the guest room?


    She was supposed to be sleeping in the master bedroom, and she even locked the door!


    How did she end up in the guest room?


    Oh no.


    She was sleepwalking again!


    It wasn¡¯t Elio who had Intentions toward her, it was her who had intentions toward Ello!


    Uh¡­


    Astrid scratched her head, awkwardly saying, ¡°Well¡­ even If I came here myself, you could have


    pushed me away. You can¡¯t take advantage of me! You were awake!¡±


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s flushed face, Ello¡¯ said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who initiated.¡±


    Astrid¡¯s eyes widened in fear: ¡°???¡±


    Did she just run over and kiss Ello while sleepwalking?


    It¡¯s not impossible, since she¡¯s done that before.


    In the past, she once sleepwalked and hugged Gracie¡¯s face, wetting it with her kisses..


    Seeing Elio¡¯s serious face, Astrid felt guilty.


    She remembered Gracie telling her about an actress who once climbed into Ello¡¯s bed and then


    disappeared from the entertainment industry.


    If Elio cklist¡¯s her because of tonight, she¡¯s done for.


    If she can¡¯t win the bet, she must go home and inherit the family¡¯s fortune, dealing with documents,


    attending meetings, entertaining guests, discussing projects, and even going fishing with her dadh


    Oh god, it¡¯s terrifying just thinking about It!


    Although she had the ability to confront Ello, she didn¡¯t want to expose her real strength without any


    necessity.


    ¡°Mr. Lampard, I have severe sleepwalking. You can¡¯t hold it against a sick person!¡± Astrid batted her


    eyes at Ello.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Elio looked at Astrid¡¯s flushed lips, as if he wasn¡¯t satisfied yet: ¡°They say that people¡¯s dreams reflect


    their thoughts. If you have no feelings for me, why would you climb into my bed while sleepwalking?¡±


    His voice was deep and husky, carrying a hint of sexiness. His wild gaze made Astrid take a sharp


    breath, ¡°Well, things done while sleepwalking are unconscious actions.¡±


    Elio leaned in, a rxed smile ying on his lips: ¡°Even without your consciousness, you wanted to


    share a bed with me. If you were awake, wouldn¡¯t you have?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°¡­¡±


    His reasoning was irrefutable.


    Astrid was momentarily at a loss for words.


    She turned to look at the man on the bed, seeing a slight smile on his lips. His smile was surprisingly


    good looking¡­


    Wow.


    Elio was smiling?


    Elio can smile?


    He looks so good when he smiles¡­


    After a moment of distraction, Astrid snapped back to reality, she had been enchanted by Ello.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    Astrid found herself drawn to Elio.


    Elio was secretly thrilled She was falling for him.


    Now, he should seize the moment.


    With that in mind, Ello abruptly changed his demeanor, his smile fading. ¡°Ms. Irvine, you should know


    how I treat women whond in


    Astrid ¡°I know, I know, for the love of Roman, could you cut me some ck just this once? Please don¡¯t


    do anything!¡±


    Astrid shot Elio a sidelong nce, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m scared of you. It¡¯s just, we should always leave room


    for future dealings, right?¡±


    my bed.¡±


    Ello watched her proud stance, a sparkle in his eyes, ¡°If you want me to do nothing, I can do that, as


    long as you promise to take care of Roman when you can. Then I¡¯ll forget what happened tonight.¡±


    That way, he¡¯d have a legitimate reason to see her in the future.


    Astrid didn¡¯t realize Ello was setting a trap. The moment she heard it was just about taking care of


    Roman, she instantly agreed: ¡°Ok, no problem, I promise. But you can¡¯t back out, deal?¡±


    With that said, Astrid suddenly remembered something, rushed out of the room, and ran back In a few


    secondster with her phone, telling Ello, ¡°Repeat what you just said.¡±


    Elio found her seriousness amusing. He couldn¡¯t help but soften his gaze, repeating: ¡°As long as


    Astrid¡¯promises to take care of Roman for the rest of her life, then I will forgive her for breaking into my


    bed tonight, and won¡¯t pursue any future Instances of her doing so¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Astrid felt something was off, ¡°What do you mean you won¡¯t pursue any future Instances of me


    breaking Into your bed? There won¡¯t be a next time, absolutely no chance!¡±


    Watching Astrid storm out of the room, Ello suppressed a chuckle. Astrid could be adorably naive


    sometimes.


    As for a next time, it wasn¡¯t up to her.


    She was someone he had to have..


    Astrid returned to her room cautiously but couldn¡¯t bring herself to sleep.


    She was afrald she might end up in Ello¡¯s room again, so she stayed up all night ying games.


    The next day, she got up early to go to work, feeling like she was floating due tock of sleep.


    Everyone in the crew was very friendly and didn¡¯t treat her differently because she was new.


    When she arrived at the studio, the director of photography was taken aback, ¡°Todd, her presence, her


    figure, her beauty, we haven¡¯t seen someone like her in years. I bet once her makeup photose out,


    she¡¯ll be an instant trend.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Upon hearing this, Todd broke into a grin, ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡±


    During the shopt, the photographer kept praising Astrid¡¯s beauty, much to the leadingdy Joana¡¯s


    chagrin.


    Astrid¡¯s performance was excellent, so the shoot ended quickly.


    After signing her contract, she changed intofortable clothes, ready to head home. But on her way


    out, she ran Into Fannie, a woman she despised.


    Thinking of the past, Astrid clenched her fists, her body turning cold.


    T


    Four and a half years ago, she had gotten drunk, but she was still conscious. She only passed out after


    having a ss of water at Fannie¡¯s house. When she woke up, she found herself on a hotel bed.


    Fannie was also taken aback at Astrid¡¯s appearance. She walked over to Astrid, smiling as she tried to


    hold her hand, ¡°Astrid, it¡¯s been years, you¡¯ve only grown more beautiful. I didn¡¯t expect to see you


    here.¡±


    Astrid stepped back, avoiding Fannie¡¯s hand.


    Fannie¡¯s extended hand hung In the alr, and her face flushing with embarrassment, ¡°Astrid, I¡¯ve


    exined what happened that night. Why won¡¯t you belleve me? I took you home and Lucinda was


    supposed to look after you. I was devastated when I heard what happened.¡±


    ¡°Devastated?¡± Astrid scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t give me that ¡®sisterly love crap, it makes me sick!¡±

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    Fannie had no idea Astrid would turn out to be such a tough cookie. She put on a wronged face:


    ¡°Astrid, you¡¯ve totally got me wrong. We¡¯ve known each other since we were kids, I consider you my


    best friend, how could I possibly backstab you!¡±


    Seeing Fannie¡¯s innocent act, Astrid felt nauseous, ¡®Cut the crap, Fannie! It¡¯s just us here, no need for


    the drama. I just don¡¯t get it, we have no conflicts of interest, why would you want to screw me over?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. Astrid, why are you so hell¨Cbent on ming me!¡± Fannie said, tears streaming down her


    face.


    Astrid noticed Fannie¡¯s gaze kept drifting behind her. She turned around and saw a familiar figure


    standing there.


    Pa


    ¨C one of her high school buddies.


    A glimmer of joy shed in Astrid¡¯s eyes, just as she was about to greet Pa, Pa frowned and


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    spoke first: ¡°Astrid, we haven¡¯t seen each other for so many years, when did you be so


    unreasonable? It was you who wanted to sleep with a sugar daddy back in the day, how can you me


    Fannie?¡±


    Sleep with a sugar daddy?


    Astrid¡¯s joy was rapidly reced by a chill, she sneered: ¡°Pa, is that how you see me?¡±


    Pa sighed deeply and seriously said: ¡°Fannie told me everything about back then, if I knew you had


    such thoughts, I would definitely stop you. A girl should have dignity and self¨Crespect! You can¡¯t sell


    your body just to get into the entertainment industry!¡±


    ¡°Enough! Who do you think you are to lecture me?¡± Astrid interrupted Pa¡¯s words coldly, a mocking


    smile appearing on her face, ¡°Selling her body? When ites to that, Fannie is the real expert, right?¡±


    Hearing this, Fannie¡¯s face turned pale.


    Pa looked at Fannie in confusion, but Fannie kept her head down, avoiding her gaze.


    Fannie had a lot of shady records during her student days, constantly switching boyfriends, and dating


    multiple boys at the same time was her norm, she even had an abortion for a boy. Astrid knew all about


    these. This was also why Fannie kept Astrid¡¯s pregnancy and childbirth a secret because once she


    spilled the beans, Astrid wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook.


    Astrid gave a cold nce at silent Fannie, turned around and walked off. Just as she reached the


    elevator, a staff member¡¯s voice came from behind: ¡°Ms Irvine, I¡¯m so d you haven¡¯t left yet! The


    director asked me to inform you to attend the drama press conference in two hours.¡±


    Press conference?


    Astrid paused, turned around and smiled faintly, ¡°Alright.¡±


    She looked down at her clothes, took out her phone and sent a message: ¡°Tina, bring me a gown.¡±


    The bet only mentioned not revealing her identity and not using the Brooke family¡¯s entertainment


    resources, but it didn¡¯t say she couldn¡¯t wear gowns from the Brooke family¡¯s corporation.


    After sending the message, Astrid sent her location as well.


    She turned around and headed toward the lounge, but Fannie and Pa followed her.


    Fannie looked at Astrid¡¯s clothes and noticed the logo of an international luxury brand. She was fond of


    this brand¡¯s clothes but had never seen this style on Astrid.


    However, she quickly realized, Astrid was so poor, how could she afford such a high¨Cend brand, it must


    be a knock¨Coff.


    Fannie wouldn¡¯t pass up any opportunity to ridicule Astrid, she immediately stepped forward and


    whispered: ¡°Astrid, you must have had a hard time these years, right?¡±


    Hearing this, Astrid sneered in her heart.


    Hard time?


    Living in a mansion of thousands of square meters, being taken out to y by her father all day, being


    doted on by family members, yeah, real tough.


    ¡°Astrid, are you nning to wear this knock¨Coff to the press conference? Although you have no fans, if


    the media get wind of it,izens willugh at you. Let me take you to pick a gown. I cooperate with


    international brands, I¡¯ll buy you one.¡± Fannie¡¯s voice was very gentle, if someone didn¡¯t know her true


    colors, they might really think she was that kind and gentle.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    Fannie Santos: ¡°I¡¯m good friends with the internationally renowned designer Tina. I can introduce her to


    you.¡±


    Tina?


    The clumsiest apprentice? What¡¯s there to be proud of?


    How Tina would be friends with a hypocrite like Fannie.


    Astrid Irvine nced at her own clothes, furrowed her brow, and impatiently said, ¡°I have my own


    dress.¡±


    ¡°You have your own dress? It¡¯s not some knockoff, is it? If you¡¯re short on cash, just let me know, I can


    lend you some.¡± Fannie kept bringing up knockoffs, leaving Astrid speechless. She really gave her a


    headache. Was it a vision problem or a mental problem in high school? How could she be friends with


    someone like that?


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Astrid paid no attention to Fannie and kept ying with her phone. Fannie felt bored and wanted to


    leave after a while, but a staff member suddenly rushed over in a panic and said, ¡°Ms Irvine, someone


    is looking for you.¡±


    Astrid was taken aback. Why was this girl so flustered.


    Before she could react, a group of people walked in, carrying designer dresses from international


    luxury brands.


    A total of ten styles filled the entire lounge.


    Tina was wearing a form¨Cfitting red dress, swaying her waist as she walked, exuding charm.


    Upon seeing Tina, Fannie immediately approached her enthusiastically, saying, ¡°Darling, it¡¯s been


    ages. I¡¯ve really missed you.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Santos, do we know each other well?¡± Tina looked at this enthusiastic woman with a hint of


    confusion, her face filled with indifference.


    P


    *


    ¡±


    *


    4


    2


    *


    A


    ¡±


    T


    .


    Fannie¡¯s face stiffened, feeling somewhat embarrassed.


    Before Astrid could decide, Tina pointed to a pink dress and said, ¡°Ms Irvine, I think this one suits you


    well, it perfectly matches your beauty.¡± Astrid furrowed her brow, not hiding her displeasure on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s too pink, and the skirt looks so clich¨¦.¡±


    Tina¡¯s reaction undoubtedly made Fannie feel embarrassed, especially since she had just told Astrid


    that they were good friends¡­


    Tina nced at the woman in front of her and bypassed her directly, briskly walking up to Astrid. Her


    haughty expression instantly turned into admiration. ¡°Ms. Irvine, wasn¡¯t sure what style you like, so I


    brought various styles for you to try.¡±


    Tina held her phone, showing a video. In the video, there was an old man fishing and Robb Brooke.


    They were engaged in a childish bet, which was to see the dress Astrid chooses was selected by which


    of them.


    Tina silently wiped away some sweat. Clich¨¦?


    This dress was actually the best¨Cselling one, and the chief designer of this brand was Astrid herself.


    Was she calling her own design clich¨¦??? Tina asked, ¡°How about this ck one? It¡¯s both elegant and


    entuates your figure!¡±


    Astrid pinched the fabric of that dress with her fingers. ¡°Isn¡¯t the fabric of this dress too hot? I really


    don¡¯t know who chose this material, it¡¯s awful.¡±


    Robb on the other end of the video involuntarily furrowed his brow, clearly feeling hurt.


    ¡°What about this dress?¡± Tina asked.


    Astrid looked at the red dress with green ents that Tina was pointing at and disyed disgust on


    her face. ¡°This one is probably the ugliest!¡±


    The old man on the other end of the video, upon hearing this, angrily put down his fishing rod and


    rebuked loudly, ¡°Star, where is your sense of aesthetics? The set I picked is obviously the most


    beautiful, isn¡¯t it?!¡±


    Unfortunately, the video was muted, and Astridpletely missed the old man¡¯s reproach.


    Tina and Astrid took their time to choose their dresses,pletely ignoring the other two people in the


    room.


    Fannie just sat there and watched those dresses. She felt embarrassed and ashamed.


    Some of those dresses were styles she particrly liked, but because they were globally limited


    editions, she had gone to great lengths but was unable to obtain them. Now, these high¨Cend custom


    dresses were casually disyed, left for Astrid to choose.


    Astrid even looked down on them¡­


    What shocked her the most was that the aloof chief designer Tina was actually humbling herself to


    please Astrid?! Astrid must have been kept by some wealthy person, otherwise, how could she enjoy


    such treatment!


    Just then, there was a knock on the door, ¡°Knock, knock, knock.¡±


    ¡°Come in!¡± Astrid was busy choosing dresses and didn¡¯t even raise her head.


    The door opened, and as soon as Fannie looked up, she saw the face she had been longing for day


    and night..


    Fannie stood up in confusion, her face flushed.


    She never thought Elio Lampard woulde here. She liked this man, ever since the day she signed


    with thepany. Over the years, she had been working hard to improve herself, hoping to be worthy


    of him.


    Despite dropping many hints, he remained indifferent.


    This morning, she sent him a message, telling him it was her birthday today, thinking she wouldn¡¯t


    receive his reply as usual. But he showed up!


    Seeing the exquisite gift box in Elio¡¯s hand, Fannie¡¯s heart started beating even faster. She walked up


    to Elio and said shyly, ¡°Mr Lampard, your presence alone has already made me very happy. No need


    for gifts!¡±


    Mr Elio?

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    Astrid lifted her head slightly, only to see Elio standing at the entrance.


    Seeing Fannie¡¯s coy demeanor, Astrid couldn¡¯t help but frown. The media had previously reported


    about Elio and Fannie¡¯s unusual rtionship. It seemed these reports weren¡¯t baseless


    She recognized the gift box in Elio¡¯s hand because it was from her brand


    He had chosen the jewelry she designed as a gift to Fannie. Astrid didn¡¯t know how to describe her


    feelings at the moment, only that she felt a bit ufortable. Seeing Fannie¡¯s shy and timid


    expression, there was clearly something going on between the two.


    Astrid thought to herself, how could he keep flirting with her while having a girlfriend, even iming she


    was the woman of his dreams. Good thing she didn¡¯t fall for his lies! This man, really¡­


    Fannie was standing there, staring at the man of amanding presence in front of her, her heart


    pounding, her hands nervously fumbling¡­


    As for Elio, looking at the strange woman blocking his path, he knitted his brows in irritation, ¡°Out of my


    way.¡±


    His voice was icy cold, freezing Fannie¡¯s excited heart in an instant.


    Out of my way?


    Fannie stood there, stunned, asking in disbelief, ¡°Elio, you¡­ you¡¯re not here to see me?¡±


    ¡°To see you?¡± Elio¡¯s eyes shed a cold light. ¡°Who are you? Do you have an appointment?¡± Who are


    you? An appointment?


    Fannie¡¯s already wounded heart shattered at his words. Elio didn¡¯t recognize her?


    She had orchestrated countless encounters with him, and shown interest in him more than once, but he


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    didn¡¯t recognize her at all!


    This sudden blow was too much for Fannie to bear, tears welling up in her eyes. She trembled, unable


    to utter a word.


    Just then, Elio, holding the gift box, walked past her.


    Fannie whirled around to see Elio standing next to Astrid, offering the gift box to her, softly saying, ¡°See


    if you like it.¡±


    Astrid was taken aback. Was she suddenly the center of attention? Was Elio here to see her?


    Elio was still as cold as ever, but the look in his eyes when he looked at Astrid was a bit tender, a side


    of Elio, Fannie had never seen before.


    She had always thought that Elio was cold to everyone.


    Then she understood, he wasn¡¯t naturally cold, his warmth just didn¡¯t belong to her.


    But why Astrid!!! Why her?


    Ever since childhood, anywhere Astrid was, no one would notice her. These past few years, with Astrid


    gone, she had shined in the entertainment industry, but why did Astrid steal away the man she had


    loved for over four years the moment she came back!!!


    Fannie¡¯s eyes turned red, her voice choked with emotion, ¡°Why? Mr. Elio, why her? What¡¯s so good


    about Astrid? Don¡¯t be fooled by her appearance, she¡¯s not a good person!¡±


    Hearing Fannie¡¯s words, a trace of displeasure crossed Elio¡¯s face.


    He slightly turned his gaze towards Fannie, his eyes filled with sternness and menace, his tone


    chillingly harsh, ¡°She¡¯s the most wonderful person in the world to me. What right do you have to


    criticize her? Do you want to leave on your own or should I have someone throw you out?¡±


    The most wonderful person in the world? Was it her? Astrid looked up at Elio¡¯s tall figure.


    ¡°Astrid, she, she¡­¡± Fannie hadpletely lost her mind. Fearful that she might say something that


    could ruin her career, Pa quickly covered her mouth, apologizing to Elio, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr Lampard.


    Fannie¡¯s not been herselftely. I¡¯ll take her away now.¡±

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    hapter 36


    Anyone with half a brain can see that Elio¡¯s got a thing for Astrid. If Fannie pissed him off with her


    nonsense, she could be dead meat!


    ¡°Sorry, Mr. Lampard, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Pa apologized repeatedly, then forcibly dragged Fannie out of


    the lounge.


    The lounge got quiet, and the atmosphere turned a bit weird.


    This was the first time Astrid had seen Elio angry, and it was just as scary as the rumors had made it


    out to be.


    Elio turned around and saw Astrid staring at him, dumbstruck. He immediately softened his tone,


    ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I wasn¡¯t scared.¡± Thinking about Elio¡¯s words to Fannie, Astrid felt a bit ufortable. She


    pointed at the gift box in front of her, Is this for me?¡±


    Elio nodded and opened the lid of the box, asking softly, ¡°Hmm, do you like it?¡°:


    She looked at the jewelry in the box and gave a small smirk, ¡°Looks nice, but there¡¯s no such thing as a


    free lunch, Mr. Lampard. What¡¯s your angle?¡± ¡°Obviously¡­ I like you,¡± Elio whispered in Astrid¡¯s ear.


    Astrid blushed and pushed him away.


    Could this guy be more serious? Did he think she¡¯s one of those naive girls who would fall for sweet


    nothings?


    How naive.


    She gave Elio a look and tossed the gift back into the box, ¡°Mr Lampard, this gift is too expensive. I


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    can¡¯t ept


    Elio: ¡°¡­¡±


    Elio: ¡°It was Roman who picked it out for you. He even sent you a WhatsApp.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Astrid immediately checked her WhatsApp. Sure enough, there was a voice


    message from Roman: Hope you like.


    The little guy¡¯s voice was choppy, but Astrid knew he was trying his best to talk.


    ¡°So it was Roman¡¯s choice. I knew your taste couldn¡¯t be that good. Since Roman picked it out, I¡¯ll


    borrow it for now. I¡¯ll return to you after the press conference.¡± Astrid picked up the gift and hugged it,


    immediately sending Roman a voice message: Thank you, Roman. I love the gift you picked out. Love


    you!


    ¡°¡­¡± Elio felt a bit sour. Did he really have no ce in Astrid¡¯s heart? He had to use Roman¡¯s name to


    give a gift, how frustrating.


    Astrid picked out a decent¨Clooking gift from the pile in the room and was about to change when she


    remembered something. She turned around and asked Elio seriously, ¡°Mr Lampard, did you send


    someone to follow me? How did you know I needed jewelry?¡±


    Elio: ¡°We¡¯re in sync, I naturally know what you need.¡±


    Astridughed coldly, ¡°Man¡¯s mouth is as deceitful as ghost¡¯s!¡±


    The dressing room door closed, and Elio thought back to the way Astrid had rolled her eyes at him,


    smiling faintly.


    Tina¡¯s observation skills were sharp. Once she sensed something was wrong, she immediately led her


    team to withdraw.¡±


    Thank goodness she had turned off the video earlier. If the young masters found out that someone was


    interested in Astrid, it could cause a riot!


    As she was about to leave, Brandon sent a message: ¡°Send me the address of the press conference.¡±


    Tina was surprised, her hands were shaking as she typed, ¡°Brandon, what are you nning to do?¡±


    Brandon: ¡°Hey, show some love for Astrid, will ya?¡±

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    Tina breathed a sigh of relief and immediately sent over the address.


    She thought Brandon might kick up a fuss when he found out that Ello was after Astrid. Ello and the


    hot¨Ctempered Brandon might end up at each other¡¯s throats. Last year, a rich man tried to hit on Astrid


    even though he had a girlfriend, and Brandon beat him so badly he spent a month in the hospital.


    Brandon didn¡¯t care who the man was, if he tried to take his sister, he¡¯d go ballistic, no questions asked.


    Thinking of all Astrid¡¯s over¨Czealous suitors, Tina thought Elio was in for a rough ride.


    Carson had been pulled away by Pa for a long chat. When he returned to the lounge, he saw Elio


    looking at the dressing room door and smiling. Smiling? His boss can smile?


    Carson thought he was seeing things, so he rubbed his eyes, only to find that his boss was indeed


    smiling!


    If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed his boss had such a soft side.


    Indeed, the power of love is immeasurable!


    Feeling Carson¡¯s presence, Elio instantly switched back to his usual icy demeanor,¡± What is it?¡±


    Carson: ¡°Pa, Fannie¡¯s agent, wants to arrange a meeting with you to discuss the recent suspension


    of Fannie¡¯s project. Our contract with Fannie is about to expire, and I recently discovered that the head


    agent of ourpetitor, Vista Visual, has been meeting with Fannie privately. Pa hinted that if we


    continue to suspend Fannie¡¯s project, Fannie might switch over to Vista Visual.¡±


    Elio: ¡°Terminate the contract immediately, and from now on, all the films and TV shows our group


    invests in won¡¯t need Fannie.¡±


    Fannie dared to threaten him?


    Feeling Elio¡¯s icy stare, Carson felt a sudden chill. Indeed, his boss¡¯s gentleness was reserved for


    Astrid alone.


    Carson: ¡°Boss, should I arrange to sign your wife to ourpany?¡±


    Wife? Hearing this, the chill in Elio¡¯s eyes softened, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his


    mouth. ¡°Sure, but don¡¯t let her know it was my idea.¡±


    ¡°Right away, boss,¡± Carson said, hurrying out to contact the film and TVpany. As soon as he hung


    up, he received a WhatsApp message from the financial director: ¡°Carson, what big thing have you


    done? The boss just texted me personally to give you a bonus this month.¡±


    Carson: ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Financial Director: ¡°There¡¯s no way the boss would give you a bonus for no reason. Stop being stingy


    and tell me what you did. Let¡¯s make money together.¡± Carson was dumbfounded. He racked his brain


    but couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Just then, he received a message from the head of Starlight Entertainment, and suddenly it clicked. His


    boss had given him a bonus because he¡¯d referred to Astrid as his wife.


    From now on, he decided, he would stick close to Astrid. With her on his side, making big bucks would


    be a piece of cake!


    Elio had a board meeting in the afternoon. After waiting for Astrid for a while without any sign of her, he


    left first.


    An hourter, Todd arranged for cars to take the actors to the press conference. Astrid, Joana, and her


    agent Emily rode together.


    Fearing that her acquaintances might do something unexpected, she sent a message in a WhatsApp


    group named ¡®My Friends¡®: ¡®All of you, don¡¯t cheer for me, or you¡¯re


    toast!¡®


    Leaders from all walks of life seeing the message; one by one silently picked up their phones and


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    canceled theirvish support.


    As for her unreliable brothers¡­ forget it, they wouldn¡¯t listen even if she told them.


    Joana looked at Astrid¡¯s custom¨Cmade gown and her beautiful face and felt a pang of envy.


    Emily: ¡°Joana is the most beautiful, no matter what she wears, her fans love her. But some people¡­


    even if she¡¯s dressed to the nines, there¡¯s not a single fan on site, no one knows her. Who are they


    trying to impress?¡±

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    ¡°Aw, Emily, don¡¯t be like that. And Astrid, don¡¯t get mad. My assistant is just blunt and always speaks


    her mind,¡± Joana chuckled lightly, augh that made one want to punch


    her.


    Emily: ¡°If someone can¡¯t even find basic information about her, and people still cheer for her, I¡¯ll eat my


    shoe.¡°.


    ¡°Heh,¡± Astrid, who was closing her eyes, suddenly let out a few cold chuckles.


    Hearing Astrid¡¯s mockingughter, Emily became instantly infuriated, ¡°Astrid, what¡¯s the meaning of


    thatugh?¡±


    Astrid opened her eyes, she wasughing, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of someone liking to eat


    shoes. You¡¯re certainly unique.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, who are you saying likes to eat shoes?¡± Emily shouted back.


    Astrid shrugged slightly, incredibly calm, ¡°You. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll eat your shoe if someone cheers for


    me? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll never finish eating shoes in your lifetime.¡± Emily had brought up many popr


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    stars, herwork was wide, and she held some status in the entertainment industry. She had been in


    the business for so many years, and this was the first time she had encountered someone daring to


    say this to her!


    She pointed at Astrid angrily and scolded: ¡°You ungrateful wretch, today I will teach you a lesson on


    behalf of your parents and let you know the consequences of offending the wrong person!¡±


    With those words, a fierce look shed in her eyes, and she raised her hand to p Astrid!


    But before her hand could touch Astrid¡¯s face, Astrid caught it.


    There was a crisp sound, and to everyone¡¯s surprise, Astrid had pped Emily!


    Emily was stunned by Astrid¡¯s p, her ears ringing.


    She stared at the person in front of her in disbelief, never expecting Astrid would dare to hit her. Joana


    was also shocked, ¡°Astrid, you dared to hit Emily!?


    N


    ¡°Haha.¡± Astrid sneered, squinting at Emily, looking at Emily as if she was a small bug, ¡°I¡¯ve already hit


    you, and you¡¯re asking if I dare? If you say anything else that pisses me off, you can say goodbye to


    your hand.¡±


    Years had passed, she was no longer the same person, and she wouldn¡¯t let anyone bully her


    anymore!.


    **


    Astrid¡¯s was surprisingly strong, causing Emily to grimace in pain. But Emily was always proud and


    wouldn¡¯t easily admit defeat, so she said, ¡°Astrid, if everyone finds out you hit your agent, do you think


    you can still get by in the entertainment industry?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Astrid squeezed her hand, and Emily¡¯s scream echoed through the


    car, ¡°Ah!!¡±


    At that moment, Emily saw Astrid¡¯s phone recording the whole scene. She felt a chill in her heart. Astrid


    had recorded everything. The video would prove that they started it! She wouldn¡¯t be able to shift the


    me onto Astrid! Emily never expected the seemingly harmless Astrid would be so cunning. Once the


    video leaked, it would be the end for her.


    Emily had no care for her dignity at this point and immediately began to beg for mercy: ¡°Ms. Irvine, I


    was wrong. I ask for your forgiveness. Please don¡¯t take seriously!¡±


    me, too


    ¡°You should better behave, or I can¡¯t guarantee that I won¡¯t identally release the video,¡± Astridzily


    let go of Emily¡¯s hand. Her cold gaze making them unconsciously calm down.


    ept o


    over Joana and Emil


    Seeing the two of them start to behave, a cold smile appeared on Astrid¡¯s lips, and she slowly closed


    her eyes.


    Emily was staring nkly at Astrid. Astrid¡¯s face was calm, the chill from before had dissipated. At this


    moment, she seemed weak and powerless. Where was the dominance from before?


    It was as if everything that just happened was an illusion.


    41


    A few minutester, Joana suddenly tugged at Emily¡¯s sleeve, her voice full of surprise: ¡°Emily, Emily,


    look, look outside!¡±


    Emily turned her head and was stunned.


    They were in the city center, and right then, all the visible electronic screens on the street were


    disying Astrid¡¯s photos; helicopters were circling in the sky, carrying banners cheering for Astrid¡­

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    Emily swallowed hard in silence, regretting how she had previously mocked Astrid for having no fans.


    The support Astrid¡¯s fans showed was so strong. How many people in the country could enjoy such


    treatment?


    No wonder Astrid was so confident before, even daring toy a hand on her. She must have had a


    powerful backer supporting her.


    ¡°Emily, which rich guy do you think is backing her?¡± Joana asked, eyes full of envy as she watched the


    nes flying to and fro.


    Emily red at her to shut her up.


    Joana mumbled a few words of discontent and lowered her head.


    Astrid had her eyes closed, but she wasn¡¯t really asleep. Hearing the whispering between the two, she


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    opened her eyes and looked outside. Then she bolted upright.


    She figured only Brandon would do something like this! She guessed that Brandon would support her,


    but she didn¡¯t expect his support to be so ostentatious. Showing pictures on the big screen was one


    thing, but what the hell was up with the helicopter fleet!? This was way too attention¨Cgrabbing.


    Astrid took out her phone, but before she had a chance to question him, Brandon had already sent her


    a WhatsApp message.


    Brandon: ¡°Star, look outside, that¡¯s my way of cheering for you!¡±


    Astrid was very displeased: ¡°Brandon, have you lost your mind?¡±


    Brandon: ¡°No, aren¡¯t you satisfied with this scale? If air traffic control allowedrge nes, I¡¯de in


    one of those, and even stick your picture and name on the ne!¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Thanks, but no thanks! Get your damn nes out of here!¡±


    Brandon: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me supporting you? I haven¡¯t revealed my identity, don¡¯t worry. At most,


    people can only find out that I¡¯m your crazy fan. Good thing I stopped him, or dad would have


    personallye to support you!¡±


    Astrid: ¡°¡­¡± She felt a headacheing on.


    A few minutester, the car stopped outside the press conference venue.


    Joana and Emily looked at Astrid, not daring to get out first.


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, after you¡­¡± Emily changed her previous mocking attitude and was very respectful,¡±


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, ¡°The star of the show should go first.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Okay¡­¡± Joana stepped out of the car, dragging her dress. The media and fans immediately


    surrounded her.


    ¡°Joana, Joana, look this way!¡±


    ¡°Smile, look at the camera!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful!¡±


    Fans and media were all shouting Joana¡¯s name. She tried to smile, but it was more like a painful


    grimace.


    Just then, Astrid stepped out of the car.


    The moment Astrid appeared, people around her were taken aback.


    Her long ck hair cascaded down her back, with light makeup on her delicate features, making her


    breathtakingly beautiful: A blue diamond earring peeked out from under her hair on the left ear. The


    wind blew her dress and hair, making her look otherworldly, instantly drawing everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Who is this? She¡¯s so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m freaking out, where did this beautye from!¡±


    ¡°noparison, ono harm. Looking at her, Joana ispletely overshadowed.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the woman on the big screen? Astrid!¡±


    ¡°Wow, this woman¡¯s name is as beautiful as she is.¡±

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Astrid Irvine greeted everyone with a smile, her demeanor was neither arrogant nor impatient,


    presenting herself wlessly.


    Todd had been worried that Astrid wouldn¡¯t be able to handle such arge¨Cscale event, but seeing her


    handle it with ease, he felt relieved


    Even before the press conference ended, various photos of Astrid had already spread widely on the


    inte.


    #Astrid¡¯s Beautiful Appearance#


    The poprity rankings gradually rose from the fiftieth spot and eventually reached the top three.


    Thements fromizens below the photos were also unique.


    ¡°Poor little fairy, there¡¯s not even a proper introduction of her online. I feel sorry for her yet find it


    intriguing.¡±


    ¡°This girl is so pitiful. I¡¯ve decided to write a biography for her!¡±


    In this press conference, Astrid was undoubtedly the biggest winner.


    Of course, as her poprity soared, there were people whounched strong attacks against her,


    iming that she only got into the cast through her connections with investors and had massive


    financial support.


    ¡°I wonder how many male sponsors she has!¡±


    ¡°I went to the same high school as her before. She used to skip sses frequently and hang out with


    some troublemakers in society.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t even go to college.¡±


    ¡°Not long ago, she attended our high school reunion. She was already living in poverty, wearing cheap


    clothes, and yet she had the audacity to lie that she had billions. It¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    Astrid had an excellent state of mind and waspletely unaffected by public opinion..


    Her friends wanted to stand up for her, but she stopped them. If she couldn¡¯t even handle this slight


    pressure in the entertainment industry, how could she seed? By the time the press conference


    ended, it was alreadyte. She had been tired fromst night and had been busy for so long. At that


    time, her whole body felt sore. She declined the invitation to have dinner with others, yawned, and


    walked out. Within a few steps, she saw Fannie Santos leaning against the staircase.


    As soon as Fannie saw her, she straightened up. ¡°Astrid, I want to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°We have nothing to talk about,¡± Astrid said, bypassing Fannie and continuing to walk. However,


    Fannie quickly caught up.


    71


    ¡°Astrid, I¡¯ve been with Elio for a long time. We¡¯ve just kept it private to maintain my innocent image. His


    recent attention to you is only a result of our quarrel. You wouldn¡¯t want to be the third party in our


    rtionship, right?¡± Fannie spoke while observing Astrid¡¯s reaction.


    But Astrid¡¯s face was expressionless.


    Seeing this, Fannie continued, ¡°Astrid, you¡¯re my friend, and Elio will treat you as a friend too. In the


    entertainment industry, we will help you out.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Astrid smirked, ¡°Why are you telling me this? Elio Lampard is your boyfriend. You should


    control your own boyfriend and stop him from constantly running around in front of me, being a


    troublesome presence that¡¯s hard to get rid of. It¡¯s irritating just to look at him!¡±


    ¡°A troublesome presence? Are you talking about me?¡± A cold voice came from the air, and Astrid¡¯s


    body instantly tensed up.


    Being caught talking badly about someone was an unpleasant feeling.


    She looked left and right and then saw Elio¡¯s gloomy face walking down the stairs. Sensing the


    unfavorable situation, Astrid immediately decided to leave, ¡°You two continue chatting. I¡¯m leaving!¡±


    But before she could take two steps, her clothes were grabbed by arge hand. Even without turning


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    around, she could imagine how terrifying Elio¡¯s expression was. Nervously, she said, ¡°Mr. Lampard,


    there should be some distance between men and women. Don¡¯t touch me without permission!¡±


    ¡°Some distance between men and women? But we used to sleep together,¡± Elio sneered. The thought


    of this girl finding him annoying made him uncontrobly angry. She found him annoying?


    This girl had quite the courage.


    He needed to teach her a lesson.


    Elio reached out, forcefully turned Astrid around, then bent down and lifted her onto his shoulders in


    one swift motion!


    Fannie¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the scene before her. She still remembered a time when she tugged


    on Elio¡¯s clothes during a charity g, and he immediately took off his coat and threw it away in front of


    everyone!


    But now, he was actually carrying Astrid! And he said they had slept together?!


    Fannie was furious, trembling all over. When she snapped out of it, Elio was already walking down the


    nearby stairs, carrying Astrid on his shoulders.


    ¡°Put me down!¡± Elio¡¯s sudden action surprised Astrid as well. She didn¡¯t know what Elio was doing and


    hurriedly patted his back while shouting, ¡°Mr Lampard, put me down! What are you doing?¡±


    Elio: ¡°Ms Irvine said I¡¯m a troublesome presence. I think I can be even more troublesome, like carrying


    you back home, so that we can have a more intimate encounter.¡±

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    Oh my gosh!


    There were so many reporters outside, if she got caught on camera, it was game over. Who knew what


    kind of stories they¡¯d write about her! She hadn¡¯t even officially debuted, and she would already be


    wrapped up in scandal. How can she possibly stay in the entertainment industry! Thinking about this,


    Astrid whimpered, ¡°Mr Lampard, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have said you¡¯re like a stubborn disease. I


    realize my mistake now.¡± Hearing Astrid¡¯s soft voice, Elio felt a ticklish sensation, as if a kitten was


    scratching at his heart. He was on the verge of caving.


    As they were about to leave the building. Astrid panicked and called out, ¡°Mr Lampard, can¡¯t you cut a


    not¨Cso¨Cfamous actress some ck?¡±


    But no matter how much Astrid cried out, Elio didn¡¯t stop. Luckily, there was no one else in this VIP


    ess, or else it would¡¯ve been a bigger mess.


    The exit was within reach. Seeing Elio reach out to push the door, Astrid panicked and smacked him on


    the head, shouting, ¡°Elio you jerk, put me down!¡± After yelling. Astrid immediately regretted it. Oh my


    god, did she just insult Elio? And smack him?


    It was over, he was definitely going to be furious.


    But the expected scene didn¡¯t happen. Elio held her at the door for a while, then put her down and


    looked down at her, ¡°What did you call me just now?¡± Astrid shivered, ¡®Mr Lampard, I¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you call me?¡± Elio asked again.


    His voice was no longer cold, instead soundingzy with a hint of hoarseness. There was even a


    teasing tone to it.


    Astrid pursed her lips, ¡°Elio¡­¡±


    Elio: ¡°Hmm.¡± He liked hearing her call his name. His displeasure vanished instantly. He let go of her


    hand, ruffled her hair gently, and said in a doting manner, ¡°Call me by my name from now on.¡±


    He didn¡¯t really n on carrying her out, just wanted to give her a little scare.


    His phone vibrated a few times. Elio looked at the messages, then said, ¡°I have to go. I¡¯ll see youter.¡±


    Astrid was confused. Before she could react, Elio added, ¡°Roman and Carson are waiting for you in the


    car. You go first, I¡¯ll be backter.¡±


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Astrid obediently nodded. It took her a while to realize what he meant. Be backter? Did she


    invite him to her house? How dare he take her home for granted? Recalling the events ofst night,


    Astrid firmly shook her head, ¡°No way, I can¡¯t let Elio stay overnight again.¡±


    Murmuring herself, Astrid pushed the door open and walked out.


    Some reporters took photos of her. She smiled and waved, then saw Roman waving at her from the car


    window not far away.


    She walked over, opened the car door and got in, then without hesitation pulled Roman into her arms


    and gave him a kiss, ¡°My little darling, did you miss me today?¡± Roman returned a cute smile, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Carson frowned. He was used to seeing Roman¡¯s aloof demeanour, so seeing him act so cute now


    seemed strange.


    Astrid said, ¡°You¡¯re the best.¡±


    After a sleepless night and no rest the day, Astrid was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open.


    The car had only been moving for a few minutes when she fell asleep. After a while, Astrid stirred in her


    sleep, feeling like she was in a rocking cradle. It was veryfortable.


    A cradle?


    Wait a second, why would there be a cradle!


    Astrid woke up from her dream and when she opened her eyes, she saw Elio¡¯s sexy jaw.


    Oh my god! She was lying in Elio¡¯s arms!

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    ¡°Are you awake now?¡± Elio looked down at the woman in his arms, her cheeks rosy as she stared back


    at him.


    She looked like a kitten just waking up from a nap,zy and captivating.


    Astrid: ¡°Yeah¡­ Um, could you put me down?¡±


    Elio set Astrid down and Roman instantly rushed over, wrapping his arms around Astrid¡¯s thighs and


    shooting Elio a disapproving look.


    They had reached the elevator. Astrid nced at the elevator and then back at Elio, smiling. ¡°Mr


    Lampard, I¡¯m home now. Roman¡¯s sleeping with me tonight. I can look after him all day tomorrow. You


    cane to pick him up tomorrow night.¡±


    Roman quickly nodded in agreement.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Elio wasn¡¯t too pleased. She was calling him Mr Lampard again. Had she forgotten everything he¡¯d told


    her?


    He wasn¡¯t going to be kicked out that easily.


    After a few seconds of thought, Elio pretended to cough a few times, covering his mouth with his hand.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m suddenly not feeling so well. Could I rest at Ms Irvine¡¯s ce?¡± Astrid was taken aback. He could


    reallye up with such an unreliable excuse?


    Half¨Casleep Roman, hearing his dad¡¯s ridiculous excuse, said disdainfully: ¡°Shameless.¡±


    Elio: ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing this, Carson quickly stepped in: ¡°Ms Irvine, I just remembered I have something urgent to do. I¡¯ll


    leave Mr Lampard in your care!¡±


    With that, Carson sped off in his car.


    Astrid asked, ¡°Mr Lampard, you drove here yourself, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Elio: ¡°Drowsy driving can lead to idents. If something happens to me, would you take responsibility,


    Ms Irvine?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°¡­¡±


    The elevator arrived and Elio promptly followed Astrid in..


    Remembering what Fannie had told her earlier, Astrid gave Elio a serious look. ¡°Mr Lampard, Fannie


    told me everything. It¡¯s kind of weird, don¡¯t you think? Trying to irritate your girlfriend by messing with


    other girls? What¡¯s that all about?¡±


    Elio had only heard Astrid¡¯sst sentence when he came down from upstairs. He had no idea that


    Fannie had lied to Astrid about them being a couple. Hearing Astrid¡¯s words now, he frowned in


    displeasure. ¡°I don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡±


    Astrid shrugged, ¡°I know you guys are in a secret rtionship. Of course, you can¡¯t admit it.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you I don¡¯t have one. I¡¯ve lived for twenty¨Cnine years and I¡¯ve only had one woman in my


    life, Roman¡¯s mother. That was an ident. I¡¯m single and unmarried. Elio usually wouldn¡¯t bother


    exining, but this time he felt the need to rify things to avoid any misunderstandings with Astrid.


    Seeing the earnest look in his eyes, Astrid didn¡¯t quite know what to say¡­ Could Fannie have been


    lying to her?


    It was possible. After all, Fannie was known for her dishonesty.


    At that moment, Roman, who was clinging tightly to Astrid¡¯s leg, was clearly on the brink of sleep.


    Astrid looked at Roman¡¯s adorable state, quickly crouched down to pick him up, and stepped out of the


    elevator.


    At her front door, Astrid paused, not turning back as she said, ¡°Mr Lampard, I can take care of Roman,


    but it¡¯s not really appropriate for you to stay overnight at my ce. Please go home.¡±


    After saying this, Astrid punched in her door code, opened the door, and quickly closed it behind her..


    Being denied entry made Elio quite ufortable.


    He was the master of this house, and he could enter whenever he wanted. But if it made Astrid


    ufortable, it would defeat his purpose.


    He checked his watch. It was already nine o¡¯clock. Elio rubbed his temples and was about to leave


    when a young man emerged from the elevator.


    The man was carrying an armful of snacks and started knocking on Astrid¡¯s door. ¡°Sweetheart Star, I¡¯m


    here, open up.¡± Sweetheart!?


    Elio turned around to look at the man at the door.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    He turned and walked over, lightly patting the man who was knocking on the door, his tone icy as he


    asked, ¡°Hello, who might you be?¡±


    Jon was sucking on a lollipop, sizing Elio up, and asked in an unweing manner, ¡°And you are?


    What¡¯re you doing on Astrid¡¯s doorstep in the middle of the night?¡±


    His¡­ Astrid! Elio was feeling a bit miffed.


    Before Elio could even speak, the door opened.


    The moment Astrid opened the door, Jon rushed over and grabbed her hand, pointing at Elio, ¡°Astrid,


    are you okay? I just got here to find this suspicious guy at your door.¡± Astrid nced at Elio, ¡°It¡¯s a


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    misunderstanding, I¡¯m fine. Stop blocking the door ande in.¡°.


    Elio watched as Astrid led the man dressed like a rainbow into the house, his hand stopping the door


    from closing as he walked in.


    This girl was always trying to get rid of him, but now she was bringing this man home.


    And from the looks of it, she was quite close to this guy. It was obvious they had a special rtionship!


    Seeing Elio enter the house, Jon immediately became alert, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Breaking into a single


    woman¡¯s house in the middle of the night, you¡­.¡±


    Jon¡¯s words were cut off when he saw Roman sitting on the sofa.


    He nced at Roman, then at Elio, his eyes darting back and forth between the two before turning to


    Astrid, ¡°Astrid, is this him?¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Astrid quickly interrupted Elio, ¡°It¡¯s a long story, I¡¯ll exinter.¡±


    Elio eyed the hand Jon had on Astrid and this enraged him.


    Astrid, unaware of Elio¡¯s darkening expression, told sweaty Jon, ¡°Jon, go take a shower first, you stink.¡±


    Jon?


    She won¡¯t even call him by his name, but she was calling this man Jon?


    And she was letting him shower at her ce, they must be close!


    Jon was too focused on Elio to care about a shower, ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, get out of my Astrid¡¯s


    house now, or I won¡¯t be nice!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be nice? I¡¯d love to see what you¡¯re gonna do!¡± Elio red at Jon, tension filling the room.


    Roman¡¯s indifferent face crinkled, his father was actually arguing with someone.


    What a childish father. Roman didn¡¯t want this dad anymore.


    ¡°You dare offend me? You¡¯re in for it today! No one can stop me, I¡¯m gonna thrash you! Star, stay back,


    don¡¯t get yourself dirty!¡± Jon rolled up his sleeves, looking ready for a fight.


    Elio didn¡¯t say a word, but he slowly undid his tie, removed his suit jacket, and casually rolled up his


    shirt sleeves.


    It was hot outside, but the room felt chillingly cold to Astrid.


    If these two actually started fighting, it would be a huge mess. This involved two families.


    Seeing Jon was about to make a move, Astrid yelled out in fear, ¡°Bro, you have a match in three days,


    you¡¯ll get suspended if you fight!¡± Brother?


    Elio¡¯s anger cooled instantly. This rude man was her brother?


    Why didn¡¯t Carson tell him that Astrid had a brother?


    Things just got moreplicated. He¡¯d offended her family. His already serious pursuit of his wife just


    got worse.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    Astrid was calling the guy in front of her ¡®bro¡®, which means he must be the Jon that Carson mentioned


    earlier.


    Elio frowned involuntarily, feeling life was getting tough for the first time.


    Sometimes, one gotta y nice to win over the girl you love.


    Jon barked, ¡°I ain¡¯t scared of getting banned! Even if I do, I¡¯m gonna teach this guy a lesson today!¡±


    With that, Jon threw a punch at Elio¡¯s face!


    Just as the punch was about to hit Elio¡¯s nose, Elio dodged with slickness, grabbed Jon¡¯s wrist, and


    said quietly, ¡°Dude, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding¡­¡± Dude?


    Astrid¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Has he lost his marbles?¡± she thought.


    Jon was taken aback too. ¡°Who¡¯s your dude? Don¡¯t get it twisted! Weren¡¯t you the one who just rolled


    up your sleeves ready to throw down? Come on, let¡¯s have a fair fight! Never been scared of anyone in


    a brawl!¡±


    Elio didn¡¯t respond, just let go of Jon¡¯s hand and walked into the kitchen.


    His unexpected move left the other three in the room with puzzled expressions.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Astrid looked at Roman and asked quietly, ¡°Roman, what¡¯s your dad up to?¡±


    Roman just shook his head, totally clueless.


    Jon was a bit stunned, then shouted, ¡°What¡¯re you doing in the kitchen? Looking for a weapon? Come


    out and fight fair!¡±


    The kitchen was silent. After a while, Elio appeared at the kitchen door, wearing Astrid¡¯s apron and


    holding a fish in his hand.


    He swept his cold eyes over Jon, and said slowly, ¡°Dude, I just rolled up my sleeves to cook, do you


    like fish?¡±


    Astrid. ¡°¡­¡±


    Roman grimaced. His dad was getting more shameless by the second. It was clear he was ready for a


    fight. He looked just like when he used to fight Lucas Lampard! Cooking¡­ What a load of bull! Elio


    never set foot in the kitchen.


    ¡°Cook¡­ cooking?¡± Jon clearly didn¡¯t buy it, looking disgusted, ¡°Stop talking nonsense, you¡¯re


    shameless. You must already have kids and be married, right? Chasing after my sister while having


    kids, believe it or not, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡±


    Elio raised his eyebrow, and patiently exined, ¡°I¡¯m not married.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re married or not. Just leave, go now! My sister is a genius, she¡¯s too good for you!¡±


    Jon had a terrible impression of Elio and didn¡¯t give him any chance to exin, so he just shoved him


    out.


    Elio, with a dark face, walked towards the door, turned to Roman and said, ¡°Roman, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going!¡± Roman shook his head.


    Jon nced at Roman, who was clinging to Astrid¡¯s leg. Roman quickly made a pleading gesture at


    Jon.


    Jon, being a big fan of kids, and seeing Astrid also adored this little guy, said to Elio, ¡°You can go, but


    the kid stays.¡±


    With that, he went and shut the door.


    Elio was staring at the closed door, his face growing darker. He took out his phone and dialed Carson


    straight away, ¡°Carson, is there something wrong with the info you checked? Why didn¡¯t you tell me


    Astrid had a brother?¡±


    Hearing Elio¡¯s icy voice, Carson shivered, ¡°Mr Lampard, there¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong with the info I


    checked. Ms Irvine was kicked out by her foster mother four years ago and disappeared. She doesn¡¯t


    have a brother.¡±

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Carson was a top¨Cnotch hacker, and was very well¨Cknown in the domestic hacker cycle.


    If even Carson couldn¡¯t dig up Astrid¡¯s past four years, it meant that a more advanced hacker was


    helping Astrid hide past information. It was hard to imagine this girl had so many secrets.


    I It¡¯s interesting


    Elio asked, ¡°What was thest time you investigated Jon¡¯s background? Who are his family members?¡±


    Carson replied, ¡°Jon was born in Eastport to parents who were bot secondary school teachers, and


    he¡¯s an only child, no siblings.¡±


    ¡°No siblings?¡± Elio thought for a while, and it seemed that the information Jon released was also false.


    This was a bit troublesome.


    Originally, he wanted to investigate everyone in the girl¡¯s family as much as possible, in case he


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    offended someone when he was not paying attention..


    But now, he couldn¡¯t find anything, the situation had be a little tricky.


    Seeing Elio lost in thought, Carson, a bit scared, whispered, ¡°Chief, I found the pilot who¡¯s been


    backing up Ms. Irvine.¡±


    Elio hit the elevator button, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    Carson replied, ¡°Mack¡­¡±


    Elio was silent for a moment.


    Could that name be more fake?


    Carson went on, ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any details about this person, only that he is the head of Ms. Irvine¡¯s


    fan club. I will look into it tonight.¡±


    Elio said, ¡°You¡¯re not capable, I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡±


    Not capable???


    He¡¯s been rejected by the him again.


    After all, Elio was one of the world¡¯s top hackers.


    An hourter, at Astrid¡¯s house.


    Astrid and Roman were resting on the sofa after eating and drinking.


    Jon was in the kitchen, and the sound of bowls breaking could be heard from time to time in the


    kitchen¡­


    Roman couldn¡¯t resist, ¡°You¡¯re really clumsy.¡±


    Hearing this, Astridughed out loud, shouting towards the kitchen, ¡°Jon, you can¡¯t even wash dishes


    properly, what can you do besides gaming?¡± The word ¡®gaming¡® immediately lit up Roman¡¯s eyes.


    He grabbed Astrid¡¯s hand, and said beseechingly, ¡°Will you game with me, please?¡°,


    Astrid replied, ¡°Sure, no problem! I¡¯m a pro at gaming!¡± She quickly fetched the game console and


    controllers and started gaming with Roman.


    The game Astrid introduced to Roman was a new one herpany was beta testing, and he was


    hooked the moment he started ying. Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up to find a message.


    A message from Chad read, ¡°Chief, a strong hacker is digging into your info, if you don¡¯t step in, your


    identity might be exposed.¡±


    Seeing the message, Astrid immediately stood up.


    If her identity was exposed, wouldn¡¯t she lose her bet?


    Astrid replied to Chad, ¡°You and Hank hold on for a while, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Chad replied, ¡°Roger that, Chief.¡±


    Astrid looked at Roman, totally engrossed in the game, gently patted his head and said, ¡°Roman, game


    on your own for a bit, I have some things to handle.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Roman didn¡¯t break his concentration, still focusing on the game.


    Astrid got up, quickly walked into her room, and booted up herputer.


    Although thisputer looked in, it was actually top¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cline. Thestputer was damaged


    in a fire;. This one was new and hadn¡¯t been used. Once theputer was up, Chad provided the


    man¡¯s IP, Astrid immediately started hacking.


    Meanwhile, in Elio¡¯s study.


    Elio was intensely working on breaching the firewall, just as he found a loophole and was about to


    prate, all his screens in front of him suddenly went ck. Then, a cocky message popped up on


    the screen, ¡°Hey, kid, why you snooping around my info?¡±

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    Elio¡¯s fingers paused slightly on the keyboard.


    Even through the screen, he could still feel the arrogance oozing out from the other person.


    However¡­ why did he feel the person behind the screen was Astrid?


    His IP address has been encrypted multiple times, it would be impossible for ordinary people to crack it


    in a short time, except for Aster, the hacker who had equal skills with him inst year¡¯s hacking


    Aster?


    Elio sat up straight,pletely taken aback.


    Astrid was Aster, right?


    She had hidden herself unfathomably.


    He had always suspected that there was a mastermind helping Astrid and Jon hid their true identities,


    but he didn¡¯t expect that it was all Astrid¡¯s doing.


    Elio stared at the words on the screen and smirked.


    His fingers jumped rapidly across the keyboard, and a few tens of secondster, a sentence appeared


    on Astrid¡¯s screen: ¡°Because of love.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Astrid, who was drinking water, was startled by this sentence, and then coughing continuously.


    She pulled out a few tissues, wiped the water off theputer screen, and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t try to pry into


    my secrets, or I will give you a hard time.¡±


    Elio, on the other side of the screen, saw these words and his eyes hardened. He typed back, ¡°You can


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    protect who you want to protect, and I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    Astrid was stunned by the reply.


    Protect her?


    Who the hell was this person?


    She tried many methods, but she could not break through the final firewall, nor could she determine the


    specific information of the other party.


    Before she could figure out this question, the other party had already cleared their tracks and left, as if


    he had never been there,¡±


    Just as Jon was walking in with a cup of water, he saw Astrid squatting in herputer chair, staring at


    the screen full of code in frustration..


    ¡°Star, what¡¯s bothering you? Is someone picking on you? Tell me, I¡¯ll help you solve it!¡± Jon ced the


    water on the table and gently patted Astrid¡¯s shoulder. Astrid looked up at Jon and said listlessly, ¡°It¡¯s


    nothing, by the way, any news about the child?¡±


    1


    ¡°No, the hospital was not busy when you gave birth, and the rural hospital didn¡¯t have surveince, so


    it¡¯s really hard to investigate. It¡¯s hard to find.¡± Jon sighed, stood up, walked behind Astrid, and gently


    touched her head, ¡°Star, don¡¯t lose hope, we will find him.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Astrid nodded, but her mood was obviously low.


    In order to find her child, the Brooke Group had specifically set up a charity to find missing children.


    Over the past three years, they had helped many families find their missing children, but there was still


    no news about her child.


    When she discovered that she was pregnant, Sandra kicked her out of the house. She was penniless


    and homeless.


    Gracie took her back to her hometown, where they found jobs in a small town until she gave birth..


    Security was a serious issue in the small town, and it wasmon for children to be lost in the


    hospital, At first, she thought it was just an ident.


    But when she returned to the Brooke family, her father started looking into the information after hearing


    that her child had been taken away. However, he found that all her hospital records of giving birth had


    been deleted, as if she had never given birth.


    Therefore, she guessed at the time that someone might have known that she had given birth, so they


    took the baby away when she gave birth¡­.


    But who actually ordered people to take away the child?


    Could it be the child¡¯s biological father?

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Astrid bit her lip gently, with the image of the baby in the stroller shing in front of her eyes again, her


    eyes welled up with tears.


    Roman stood at the door watching Astrid bury her head in her knees and slowly walked over


    Seeing Astrid upset made him feel down too


    ¡°Astrid,¡± Roman called gently and Astrid immediately looked up


    She turned her head to see Roman staring at her with big eyes. Quickly wiping the tears off her


    cheeks, she asked in a low voice, ¡°Roman, when did you get here? How¡¯s your video game?¡±


    Before Astrid could finish her sentence, Roman suddenly reached out his chubby little hands to hold


    Astrid¡¯s face, pressing his round little face against hers and said softly, ¡°I hate to see you upset¡±


    Hearing Roman¡¯s words, Astrid couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore.


    She hugged Roman tightly, her tears flowing incessantly, her voice nasally as she choked out, ¡°Roman,


    I love you so much¡­¡±


    ¡°..love you too, I love you the most,¡± Roman huddled in Astrid¡¯s arms, gently patting Astrid¡¯s head with


    his chubby little hands, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, be a good girl¡­¡±


    Watching the two hugging each other, Jon couldn¡¯t help but get teary¨Ceyed too.


    Poor Star, he would give her all the love she deserves¡­


    If he could find out who that jerk was, who took advantage of Star and then tossed her aside, he would


    never let him off the hook!


    Astrid was tired from crying, and fell asleep on the bed with Roman in his arms. The next day, they


    were woken up by a loud bang.


    The room was filled with a foul smell and some smoke¡­


    Astrid immediately thought of a fire. She quickly picked up a sleepy Roman and rushed towards the


    door barefoot, only to see Elio walking out from the kitchen¡­ Elio looked serious, his white shirt


    stained with yellow goo¡­


    He looked a total mess.


    Astrid looked around to make sure there was no fire, and then asked the man in front of her, ¡°Mr.


    Lampard, how did you get in?¡±


    Ignoring her question, Elio simply said, ¡°Your microwave¡¯s a piece of junk, it exploded after one use.¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°Mr. Lampard, it¡¯smon knowledge that raw eggs explode in the microwave.¡±


    Common knowledge?


    Elio looked even more upset.


    He just wanted to make breakfast for Astrid to impress her.


    Unexpectedly, the breakfast was not made, and the kitchen was blown up. That was¡­ utterly


    embarrassing.


    Astrid put Roman down and went into the kitchen, discovering two lumps of charred something in the


    pan emitting ck smoke, and the stench of rotten eggs wafting from the microwave¡­


    The kitchen was dirty and messy.


    If Jon did this, she would have floored him by now.


    But it was Elio, and she couldn¡¯ty a finger on him.


    Astrid sighed heavily and said, ¡°Roman, go freshen up. We¡¯re going out to eat.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Roman obediently replied and ran off to the bathroom.


    Elio, who had severe cleanliness issues, looked down at his dirty clothes and unable to take a step out.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Seeing this, Astrid finally offered, ¡°Mr. Lampard, do you want me to help you wash your clothes?¡±


    ¡°I can handle the dirty work myself, no need to trouble you, darling,¡± Elio replied as he stripped, the


    word ¡°darling¡± rolling off his tongue naturally. Darling?


    Astrid immediately got angry, ¡°Stop calling me that!¡±


    Elio responded, ¡°It¡¯s a matter of time, I¡¯m just saying it a few times ahead of schedule to get you used


    to it.¡±

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Astrid rolled her eyes helplessly, ¡°Mr. Lampard, you¡¯re so self¨Crighteous. Why do you think I will marry


    you?¡± Elio: ¡°Because of your excellence, only I am worthy of it.¡± Astrid paused slightly. Was Elio


    praising her for being excellent?


    ¡°I¡¯m really good, but you¡¯re not the only one worthy of me-¡± Astrid said triumphantly, and seeing that


    Elio had unbuttoned all his shirts, she turned away from him. As she was turning around, a strong hand


    grabbed her shoulder, forcibly turning her back around.


    He lowered his head towards her, approached her, his eyes shing with a dangerous aura, ¡°It is not


    just me? Who else?¡±


    ¡°I¡± Faced with the intimidating Elio, Astrid tried to push him away, her handnding on his burning


    chest.


    She hurriedly dropped her hand and kicked at Elio¡¯s foot, ¡°I¡¯m not telling you!¡±


    Astrid was barefoot, so her kick didn¡¯t hurt Elio at all.


    Not only did Elio not let her go, one hand even wrapped around her waist, ¡°You¡¯re not telling me, or


    there¡¯s no one else, huh?¡±


    ¡°There is, of course there is! He¡¯s gentler than you, more considerate than you, he is¡­¡± Astrid spoke


    with her head down, not daring to look at Elio.


    Elio looked down at her as she kept mumbling about that man, no longer able to contain his anger.


    Seeing her lips moving, he only had one thought¨Cto shut her up!


    His eyes darkened, and he bent down to kiss her.


    But before he could touch Astrid, he felt something hit his head, and then saw a pillow fall to the


    ground.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    He turned his head unhappily, only to see Roman picking up another pillow from the couch, shouting at


    him angrily, ¡°Elio! LET HER GO!¡±


    Seeing Elio¡¯sck of response, Roman threw the pillow in his hands with all his might!


    But he wasn¡¯t strong enough, the pillow didn¡¯t hit Elio but fell to the ground.


    Roman pouted unhappily, ran over and kicked Elio¡¯s leg, ¡°Let go!¡±


    Elio squinted his eyes, a hint of annoyance on his face.


    Did this kid have to make trouble at this time?


    Astrid took the opportunity to push him away, ran over and hugged Roman, like she was clutching at


    straws, ¡°Roman, wait for me to change and wash up, I¡¯ll take you to the amusement park today!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Hearing the words ¡®amusement park¡®, Roman grinned, his eyes full of joy.


    Elio nced at the woman who was rushing away, then looked down at the joyfully jumping Roman,


    feeling a bit annoyed, he said coldly, ¡°Roman, you look like you¡¯ve never seen the world. Don¡¯t we have


    an amusement park at home?¡±


    Roman looked up, his smile gone, ¡°I don¡¯t like an amusement park with no one else.¡±


    His lonely eyes stung Elio¡¯s heart.


    For the past three years, he and Roman hadn¡¯t spent much time together. When Roman first started


    talking, he said he wanted to go to an amusement park, so Elio built one for him. But Roman had never


    been to that amusement park.


    He thought that if he gave Roman the best of everything, Roman would be happy. But now he realized,


    what Roman needed waspany.


    After a while, Astrid came out in a fresh set of clothes. She bent down to pick up Roman, then turned


    her head to ask, ¡°Mr. Lampard, are youing with us to the amusement park?¡±


    Before Elio could speak, Roman shook his head, ¡°He won¡¯t.¡±


    He had always wanted Elio to take him to the amusement park, but Elio always refused. Not to mention


    going out to y, he didn¡¯t even y with him in the amusement park at home. Seeing Roman¡¯s


    aggrieved face, Elio suddenly felt anxious. Seeing that he didn¡¯t speak, Astrid hugged Roman and


    walked towards the door,forting him as they walked, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Roman. I¡¯ll be with you. Oh,


    and I can find a man to go with us, he has a super cute car!¡±


    A cute car?


    Roman¡¯s face immediately lit up, he loved cute things!


    Elio behind them lost hisposure when he heard that there would be a man going with them.


    Although he hated going to ces like amusement parks, he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of a strange


    man taking the woman and son he loved to an amusement park.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    With this thought in mind, Elio turned to Astrid and Roman at the door and said, ¡°Just wait for me a


    moment, I¡¯ll have Carson bring the clothes up right away, and then we¡¯ll go together¡±


    When Roman heard that they would go together, his eyes instantly lit up


    He lightly bit his lip and proudly turned his face, but the slight upturn of his mouth couldn¡¯t hide his good


    mood.


    Astrid naturally noticed Roman¡¯s thoughts and smiled, saying, ¡°Then Roman and I will go have


    breakfast. What would you like to eat?¡±


    As Elio looked at Astrid, who was holding Roman, he suddenly had an illusion as if they really were a


    family.


    Seeing him staring at him nkly, Astrid called again in a low voice: ¡°Mr. Lampard?¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Astrid¡¯s voice snapped Elio back to reality, and his heart raced. He looked down and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve


    already eaten.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go first,¡± Astrid carried Roman out the door. Roman reached out and caressed Astrid¡¯s face,


    his little legs dangling happily in the air.


    Half an hourter, Astrid and Roman were almost finished eating, but there was no sign of Elioing


    out. They were about to call and ask when they caught sight of a tall figure approaching the door.


    Astrid immediately recognized the person as Elio at a nce. She lowered her head and said to


    Roman, ¡°What is your dad doing? Sunsses, mask, baseball cap¡­ Is he a big star?¡±


    Roman frowned in dissatisfaction. ¡°How silly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, very silly.¡± Astrid and Roman smiled at each other, and this scene happened to be photographed


    by Elio, who was standing at the door.


    He looked at the photo on his phone and smiled tenderly.


    Today was Wednesday, and the amusement park wasn¡¯t crowded.


    Although Astrid had be a trending topic once for her good looks, she didn¡¯t have any film or TV


    works and was rtively unknown. Basically, no one recognized her. She held Roman¡¯s hand and each


    of them walked and danced with a pink cotton candy.


    Elio followed behind them but didn¡¯t interact with them, like an invisible person¡­


    Astrid and Roman had surprisingly simr interests and loved those high¨Caltitude and thrilling projects.


    But no matter what project Astrid and Roman yed, Elio didn¡¯t join in. He just stood there, frowning,


    motionless.


    After getting off the Ferris wheel, Astrid and Roman went to buy tickets for another thrilling project and


    looked back to see Elio still standing there motionless. Astrid couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was because


    she didn¡¯t invite Elio that he felt embarrassed toe and y with them.


    Possibly, he was a proud person after all.


    ¡°Miss, one more ticket!¡± Holding three tickets, Astrid ran up to Elio and extended an invitation, ¡°Mr.


    Lampard, shall we y together?¡±


    Elio¡¯s body suddenly tensed. ¡°No! I won¡¯t go! I won¡¯t y!¡±


    Astrid was taken aback. ¡°Are you scared? Roman isn¡¯t scared!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Roman immediately straightened his chest and said, ¡°I¡¯m not scared at all!¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? How could I afraid of something like this?¡± Elio said as he took a step back, only


    to have his hand caught by Roman,


    ¡°Since you¡¯re not scared, let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t keep others waiting too long.¡± Astrid said, and Elio reluctantly


    followed them onto the pirate ship with heavy steps.


    After fastening their seatbelts, Roman and Astrid whispered to each other in the corner, asionally


    bursting intoughter.


    But Elio still sat there stiffly.


    A few secondster, the machine started to move.


    Initially, there was less shaking, and Astrid began toin, ¡°Wow, this is so boring, isn¡¯t it? Is it only


    this high?¡±


    Roman nodded in agreement, showing no enthusiasm at all.


    Gradually, the swing angle of the machine becamerger andrger.


    People around them started screaming, and Astrid and Roman shouted excitedly, ¡°So thrilling! Higher!


    Higher!¡±


    Roman: ¡°Higher! Higher!¡±


    Just then, the machine reached its highest point!


    There was a sudden scream in the ears of Roman and Astrid: ¡°AH!!!!¡±


    Startled by the deafening sound, they turned their heads to look aside. Elio felt their gaze and quickly


    closed his mouth!


    Astrid couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. It turned out that Elio, who seemed fearless, was actually


    afraid of heights?


    Seeing Elio, who had always been extremely cold, screaming with his eyes closed, Astrid couldn¡¯t help


    it anymore, andughed loudly: ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡±

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    Roman was first dumbfounded, then burst outughing. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    In Roman¡¯s memory, Elio was a very powerful man, as if there was nothing he couldn¡¯t handle. He was


    also very aloof, as if he wasn¡¯t interested in anything. Now, the once aloof and powerful man was


    screaming because he was afraid of heights!


    Compared to the aloof father in his memory, he preferred the father now, because he was more real.


    Astrid and Roman wereughing their heads off, while Elio kept his eyes closed, gripping the seat belt,


    and didn¡¯t open his eyes the whole time.


    For Elio, every second on the machine was so long!


    After an unknown period of time, the machine finally stopped. Elio unbuckled his seat belt and jumped


    off, not feeling safe until his feet were firmly on the ground.


    His hat had been blown off at some point and his hair was all messy. The always neat Elio looked at his


    disheveled reflection in the mirror, immediately stood up straight and tidied his hair.


    ¡°Mr. Lampard, would you like to ride the roller coaster with us?¡± Astrid asked. Normally, he would find


    Astrid¡¯s voice pleasant, but right now it sounded like a devil¡¯s voice. Elio refused without hesitation, ¡°No,


    you guys go ahead.¡±


    Astrid looked at him and suddenlyughed. Recalling Elio¡¯s pathetic state on the pirate ship, Astrid


    found it hrious, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be off then. You should rest here for a bit.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Elio nodded. He had


    been wearing a mask the whole time. His hideous expression should be hidden from Astrid, right?


    Thinking about his poor performance on the machine just now, Elio felt very embarrassed.


    He had been terrified of heights since he was little, and he thought he could¡¯ve kept it under control this


    time.


    But his screams werepletely out of control, how embarrassing.


    And that brat Roman, how dare heugh at him?!


    The more Elio thought about it, the more ashamed he felt. He turned his head to look at the roller


    coaster ticket booth, and saw Astrid and Roman whispering to each other. He had no idea what they


    were saying. Roman suddenly kissed Astrid¡¯s cheek.¡±


    He had never seen Roman so happy¡­


    The scene of the two embracing each other made the unhappiness in Elio¡¯s heart disappear instantly.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Astrid and Roman yed all the exciting items in the amusement park, some of which were even


    yed multiple times. By the time they left the park, it was already three in the afternoon.


    Roman was so tired from ying that he fell asleep a few minutes after eating and getting in the car.


    Even in his sleep, he was still clutching Astrid¡¯s clothes, as if afraid Astrid would disappear when he


    woke up.


    Seeing him like this, Astrid felt a little sad. She remembered the first time she saw Roman, and asked


    softly, ¡°Mr. Lampard, where is Roman¡¯s mother?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know,¡± Elio finished speaking, noticing Astrid watching him, and added, I¡¯ve tried


    everything to find her, but I failed. I think she might be hiding from me on purpose, not wanting to be


    seen. But I have to tell you, there was no love rtionship between her and me, Roman was an


    ident. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think much about it.¡± Astrid lowered her eyes slightly. She wasn¡¯t interested in that woman, she


    just felt sorry for Roman, because he lost his mother¡¯s love since he was young, ¡°I have to go filming


    tomorrow, I might not see Roman for a while.¡±


    Elio turned his head to look at her, whispering, ¡°You can stay over at my ce tonight, I¡¯ll take you to


    the set tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    Elio was worried Astrid might say no, so he added another sentence, you will be away for a while, and


    Roman will miss you very much. Just spend one more night with him, okay?¡±


    Astrid looked at Roman, who was still furrowing his brows in his sleep, and agreed


    She had a special fondness for Roman. Every time she looked at him, she felt an inexplicable sense of


    intimacy.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Seeing Roman always reminded her of her own child, and she wondered how her child were doing


    now.


    As the car pulled into the vi, Roman kept holding her hand tightly. Astrid had no choice but to hold


    him and get out of the car.


    Lucas Lampard, who was in the guest room of the vi, heard the movement outside and immediately


    sat up and looked out. His view was blocked by the trees in the yard, so he couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s


    face clearly, but he could tell it was a woman.


    A woman with long flowing hair and a very good figure.


    And the woman was holding Roman.


    ¡°Hello Ms. Irvine.¡± The butler Wylie greeted her quickly, then stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Ms.


    Irvine, Roman has gained quite a bit of weight recently. Let me hold him.¡± Astrid shook her head. ¡°No


    need, I will just do it.¡±


    Wylie Alright The young master¡¯s room is the second on the left upstairs.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks¡± Carrying Roman upstairs, Astrid gently put him down. But the little guy still didn¡¯t let her


    go, and she didn¡¯t have the heart to forcibly pry his hand off, so she just slept holding him.


    She thought that she would let go when Roman fell asleep, but she was too tired from ying in the


    amusement park, and she fell asleep as soon as shey down. When Elio went upstairs, he saw the


    two of them, asleep in each other¡¯s arms, which warmed his heart slightly.


    He tiptoed over and gently pulling up the nket to cover them, then bent down to ce a light kiss on


    Astrid¡¯s forehead before leaving the room and quietly closing the


    doot


    Meanwhile, in a vi in the same neighborhood.


    Amanda Lampard was chatting with a group of olddies when suddenly her phone rang. She nced


    at it and saw a message from Lucas Lampard: ¡°Granny, uncle brought a beautiful woman home, do you


    want toe and see?¡±


    ¡°I have to go. I¡¯ve got something to handle. Let¡¯s make an appointment another day.¡± Amanda stood up


    and headed out, leaving the other olddies puzzled. They just saw her hustle upstairs, shouting, ¡°Matt,


    Matt! Come on, quit your gardening, we¡¯ve got an emergency!¡±


    This was the first time in ages that Elio had brought a girl home!


    Matthew Lampard had a son in hister years, not having Elio until he was 40, and now he was almost


    70.


    He adjusted his reading sses as he slowly walked over from the balcony. Looking at Amanda, who


    was picking out clothes in front of the mirror, he grumbled, ¡°How old are you? Is there any difference in


    what you wear?¡± ¡°What do you know? When I meet my daughter¨Cinw for the first time, I have to give


    her a good impression. I have to choose a set of jewelry from my collection and give it to her as a


    meeting gift.¡± Amanda said, and immediately ran to the cab to look through jewelry box. Listening to


    her words, Matthew couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Stop it, your previous criteria for finding a girlfriend for Elio


    has been lowered to as long as it¡¯s a woman, and he couldn¡¯t find a suitable one, and now he still has


    Roman. Don¡¯t you know how Roman treats other women? Do you ever want to have a daughter¨Cinw


    in this life? Don¡¯t dream about it.¡±


    Hearing this, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but shot a re at Matthew.


    ¡°Sure our kid isn¡¯t the most romantic or considerate, and he¡¯s got a bad temper, but there¡¯re always


    exceptions in this world. It was Lucas who sent the message, it must be legit.¡± Amanda observed the


    jewelry in her hand and smiled. She grinned behind hierears, ¡°If this is sessful, we will have a


    grandson or granddaughter in the near future. I¡¯m very happy just thinking about it!¡±


    Matthew just shook his head speechlessly.


    Amandapletely ignored the old man¡¯s disgruntled look, still focused on picking out her jewelry:


    ¡°What about this one? It¡¯s only 5.8 million, which is too cheap.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you think of this set? It¡¯s expensive, but the red one seems too tacky for girls.¡± ¡°How


    about this pink diamond set, Matt?¡±


    ¡°No, no, this one¡­¡±

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    Amanda had been muttering to herself for a while, when she looked up and realized that Matthew was


    out of sight, she yelled anxiously, ¡°Wait for met


    She quickly put a set of jewelry into her bag, and then rushed downstairs.


    Even though both vis were in the samemunity, they were not close to each other


    The driver dropped the elderly couple off at Elio¡¯s front door Before they could enter, Wylie spotted


    them.


    Amanda was very gorgeously dressed, but Matthew beside her looked very simple..


    He was wearing a colorful shirt and flip flops he bought from a roadside stall during a trip. He didn¡¯t look


    like a rich man at all.


    Wylie walked quickly to open the door, bent down and greeted, ¡°Mr. Lampard, Mrs. Lampard¡®


    ¡°Hmm Mr. Lampard nodded, and started looking around as soon as he entered the house, but there


    was no one else in the living room except for a few servants in the living room, he asked, ¡°Where are


    they?¡±


    Wylie, who had been working for the Lampard family for many years, instantly knew what Mr. Lampard


    was asking. He replied with a smile, ¡®Mr. Lampard is in the study dealing with work, Ms. Irvine and


    Roman are sleeping¡±


    Amanda asked, ¡°Wylie, how far have their rtionship progressed? Ms. Irvine is willing toe back


    with Elio, is it because the two have established a rtionship?¡± ¡°Not really, Ms. Irvine is quite cold


    towards Mr. Lampard, but she gets along well with Roman. And he likes her very much. I think Ms.


    Irvine is reluctant to deal with Mr Lampard for Roman¡¯s sake.¡± Wylie had a particrly good


    rtionship with the elderly couple, almost like family, so he didn¡¯t hold back when he spoke


    The elderly couple exchanged nces.


    If Elio managed to get Ms. Irvine toe back, it meant he had a good impression of her. With


    Roman¡¯s help, there was hope this time!


    Mr. Lampard said: ¡°Since they haven¡¯t confirmed their rtionship, let¡¯s go back first, otherwise Ms.


    Irvine will be scared.¡± Although he said so, he actually hoped that Elio would have a partner.¡± Wylie,


    please inform us in time if there is any situation.¡±


    Wylie nodded, ¡°Sure thing, Mr. Lampard.¡±


    Amandained, ¡°Leaving just like that? I haven¡¯t even met Ms. Irvine yet, and I still have gifts to


    give her! Elio can¡¯t speak something sweet, but I can help him!¡± Mr. Lampard said coldly, ¡°It will be


    great if you don¡¯t make trouble.¡°.¡±


    After speaking, Mr. Lampard dragged her out.


    She was powerless to resist, so she could onlyin while walking: ¡°Stop pulling me!¡±


    ¡°Wylie, make sure Ms. Irvine is well taken care of. Whatever she wants to eat or use, arrange it for her.¡±


    ¡°If she wants anything, buy it for her, no matter how expensive it is. Juste to me for


    reimbursement.¡±


    ¡°besides¡­¡±


    Wylie smiled bitterly and watched Old Mrs. Lampard being pulled into the car by Old Mr. Lampard, then


    turned around and saw Elio standing at the doorway.


    ¡°Mr. Lampard¡­¡± Wylie called out, but Elio had already left.


    Wylie couldn¡¯t help himself sighing. Astrid¡¯s arrival had changed the rtionship between Mr. Lampard


    and Roman. He hoped that the rtionship between Mr. Lampard and Amanda could also improve.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    As Elio was distracted, Lucas sneaked out of the vi like a thief.


    If Elio knew that he had leaked the secret, he was afraid that the days toe would be very hard.


    But just as he stepped out of the vi¡¯s gate, he received a message from Elio on his mobile phone:


    ¡°You forgot to take your schoolbag¡±


    Has he been found?


    Lucas¡¯s heart raced for a moment, then he felt a dark shadow overhead. And the schoolbag had


    ardy hit him on the head!


    He quickly picked up his schoolbag, looked up and saw Elio watching him from the French window. He


    was very familiar with that look, it was the same look Elio gave him when he got into trouble at school!


    When Elio turned to go downstairs, Lucas immediately had an idea and he shouted: ¡°Uncle, give my


    beautiful auntie hello for me!¡±


    Beautiful aunt?


    Elio raised an eyebrow, the chill in his eyes cooling slightly. He said coldly, ¡°Go away. I won¡¯t let you off


    so easily next time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your forgiveness!¡± Lucas picked up his schoolbag and left immediately.


    That night, Roman¡¯s clingy behavior once again surprised the household staff.


    The once cold and aloof Roman was now constantly following Astrid around.


    The Roman who was with Astrid was gentle, cute, obedient, well¨Cbehaved and perfect, nothing like the


    little devil he used to be¡­

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, they would totally think the Roman in front of them was an


    imposter.


    In his study, Elio was absent¨Cmindedly staring at some documents.


    He read it for ten minutes without turning a page. The moment his phone buzzed with a new text, he


    immediately straightened up and opened the message.


    Carson: ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve checked the script. The role your wife ys doesn¡¯t have any intimate scenes.¡±


    Relief washed over Elio as he read the message, he leaned back in his chair and replied, ¡°Get


    everything ready for her to join the crew.¡±


    Carson: ¡°Sure thing, sir.¡±


    Instead of going to his own room to sleep, Elio bunked in the guest room next to Roman and Astrid¡¯s.


    He went to the bed andy down, got up again, and left the door of the guest room open. That night,


    Astrid slept soundly in Roman¡¯s arms, without any sleepwalking incidents.


    Elio waited untilte at night, and finally fell asleep when he couldn¡¯t hold on anymore.


    The next morning, Astrid got up early, thinking that Elio said today that he would send her to the set,


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    she had a headache, because if she appeared on the set in Elio¡¯s car worth tens of millions, the entire


    set would definitely be making a fuss. After breakfast, Astrid still felt that Elio could not send her there,


    so she said, ¡°Mr. Lampard, I think about it again, I can go to the set by myself, and I don¡¯t need to


    bother you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got some urgent business to take care of today anyway. I¡¯ll have my assistant drive


    you. Don¡¯t worry, his car is ordinary. No one will suspect you¡¯re being taken care of by a rich guy,¡± Elio


    replied. Astrid was taken aback.


    How did he know she was refusing his ride because his car was too expensive?


    Elio finished his meal, he picked up a napkin wiped his mouth lightly and said softly. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared


    everything the crew needs, and you just need to sort out your underwear. Call me if you need anything


    and take care.


    His tone was steady andforting, like a husband reminding his wife before she leaves the house.


    Wife?


    Astrid was startled by her own thought, she immediately stepped back, creating some distance


    between her and Elio. As she was about to leave, Elio stepped forward, catching her hand and softly


    called out, ¡°Astrid.¡±


    She looked up at him, and the tenderness in his eyes surrounded her instantly..


    4


    $


    Elio looked at the girl¡¯s face close at hand, and felt a little ufortable at the thought of not being


    able to see her for a long time. This girl was like a poppy, addicting once you¡¯ve had a taste.


    ¡°Sir, it is time to go¡­ I¡¯m sorry!!!¡± Carson walked in seeing the door open, not expecting to see the two


    lost in each other¡¯s gaze.¡±¡± He¡¯d ruined the good atmosphere. His boss was definitely going to be mad


    at him!


    Carson¡¯s sudden intrusion broke the ambiguous atmosphere between Astrid and Elio, making Astrid


    feel awkward. She quickly said, ¡°Um, Mr. Lampard, I¡¯m leaving first!¡± Astrid avoided Elio¡¯s gaze, her


    heart starting to race, this feeling made her little uneasy.


    Watching the back of Astrid leaving in a hurry, Elio¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of a smile ying on


    his lips.


    Three hourster, Astrid arrived at the set.


    The parking lot was filled with luxury cars, making Carson¡¯s car look a bit shabby.


    ¡±


    Seeing Astrid get out of the car, Joana showed a contemptuous expression, ¡°Why is Astrid arriving in


    such a broken car? What happened to the rich guy who once supported her? Is she being abandoned


    so soon?¡± Lydia, an actress in the same group as Joana, immediately echoed, ¡°Probably. Haven¡¯t you


    seen the news? Astrid is broke now. She was living in a relocation area before, look at her clothes, they


    can¡¯t be worth more than two hundred. Maybe her poor lifestyle turned off the rich guy, so he dumped


    her.¡± Joana stared at Astrid¡¯s beautiful face, a cold smile creeping onto her lips.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    Joana was dissatisfied with Astrid, but she didn¡¯t dare to openly challenge her because Astrid had


    some crucial videos in her possession.


    She shot a nce at Lydia, and suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°You know, I find Astrid¡¯s style quite


    simr to yours. I heard she¡¯s also working at Starlight Entertainment.¡±


    ¡°How dare youpare me to that kind of person? She¡¯s just a poor girl. So what if she¡¯s pretty?¡± Lydia


    replied nonchntly, but inside, she was starting to feel threatened.


    In this look¨Cobsessed era, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for Astrid to be popr because of her good looks.


    Plus, since they¡¯re both working at the samepany, there will undoubtedly be conflicts over


    resources.


    Lydia just started making some headway in the entertainment industry. If she couldn¡¯t get good


    resources in the future, the audience would definitely forget her.


    No, she had to do something, she couldn¡¯t just sit and wait to be defeated, ¡°I have to leave first, we¡¯ll


    catch upter.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Joana watched Lydia¡¯s hurried departure with a satisfied smile on her face, then turned and left.


    Carson helped Astrid move her stuff to the hotel. Seeing that the hotel environment was not very good,


    he asked, ¡°Ms. Irvine, how about I get you an expensive suite? All the male actors and crew are on this


    floor, it¡¯s too risky without an assistant.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Astrid smiled at Carson, and then said, ¡°go back quickly, otherwise it¡¯s not safe


    to drive in the fog on the mountain road when you go backte.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Carson nodded, then left a business card on the table and warned, ¡°Ms. Irvine, this guy¡¯s a


    friend of mine, and a manager of this hotel. Give him a shout if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry, see you~¡± Astrid waved at Carson, her smile natural.


    Pressing the elevator button, Carson called Elio out of concern.


    Elio was busy and picked up after a while, ¡°Hello?¡±


    Carson: ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t you just tell the director that Ms. Irvine is your girlfriend? Wouldn¡¯t that be easier


    Elio: ¡°I¡¯d love to tell the world she¡¯s my girlfriend, but have you considered the consequences of doing


    so now?


    Elio thought:¡± Her identity is a mystery. Although I don¡¯t know who she is, she¡¯s definitely not simple.


    ,


    She¡¯s hiding her identity, starting from scratch. There must be a reason. If I ruin her n I¡¯m afraid


    there will be no chance for me to get her in the future. What¡¯s more, I like her, so I shouldn¡¯t interfere


    with her decisions. What I need to do is protect her as much as I can, and let her do what she loves


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    happily.¡±


    Although Carson was still worried, he had to ept Elio¡¯s arrangements and quickly left the hotel.


    Astrid was organizing her stuff in her room when her phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw that it


    was a message from Chad.


    Chad: ¡°Chief, oh my god, you¡¯re really filming a movie? Or a supporting role? What were you thinking?


    If you want to act so much, wouldn¡¯t it be good to invest in it yourself?¡°?¡±


    Astridy on the bed, typing back: ¡°Can you understand? I¡¯m enjoying the process.¡±


    Bing a great actress has been her dream since she was a child. Sure, she could invest in her own


    movie and take the lead, but that wouldn¡¯t be as fun.


    Chad: ¡°Chief, that¡¯s not really the right way to think about it. A lot of people invest in themselves and


    they¡¯re doing great.¡±

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Astrid ¡°Some people just won¡¯t get famous no matter how many leading roles they have yed. Just let


    things flow naturally, I need to face the market test. You just do your job seriously, I have faith in you!¡±


    Looking at the message, Chad reached out and scratched his messy hair like a chicken coop, and


    wailed on the table, ¡°I¡¯m really going to copse! If Chief doesn¡¯te back, I¡¯m going to be crushed.¡±


    The phone rang, and Chad looked at the phone with red eyes, and then immediately refreshed.


    Astrid. ¡°Your annual sry increase of three million.¡±


    Chad was ecstatic, and immediately sent a lot of response words: ¡°Wow! Chief, you are the brightest


    star in my eyes, the kindest and greatest boss in the world, because of your appearance, I feel that


    even the air has be sweeter, now, I just want to say to you, Chief, I love you!¡±


    Astrid, reading this, was speechless and quickly sent a message back to Chad: ¡°Buzz off!¡±


    Thinking about Chad and Hank, Astrid¡¯s expression softened.


    They met in elementary school, at that time she was always beaten by Sandra and went to ss with


    injuries all over her body. Hank and Chad were physically and mentally injured because they were


    often abused by their stepmother. These three kidsforted each other and became close frie


    friends.


    A knock on the door interrupted Astrid¡¯s reminiscing. She put down the things in her hands and opened


    the door to see actress Lydia standing there, ¡°Hello, what¡¯s the


    matter?¡±


    Lydia looked up at the much taller woman, pretending to be affectionate as she passed over some


    snacks, ¡°Hey Astrid, it¡¯s Lydia. The lead actors in our troupe are throwing a party tonight. We¡¯re all


    going. Are youing too?¡±


    Astrid nodded with a smile, ¡°Sure, what time?¡±


    ¡°Oh, eight o¡¯clock in the evening, I¡¯ll wait for you~¡± Lydia was, thrilled that Astrid agreed without


    hesitation.


    She turned around and went back to her room, took out her mobile phone and sent a message to a


    number: ¡°Mr. Studer,e to the resort hotel next to our production team tonight, and I will introduce


    you to a stunning beauty.¡±


    Mr. Studer: ¡°Oh? Are you going to introduce yourself to me?¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Thinking of Mr. Studer¡¯s greasy, chubby face, Lydia felt disgusted. She scoffed and replied, ¡°Not me, a


    friend of mine is interested in your investment project. She¡¯s top¨Cnotch in looks and figure, won¡¯t


    disappoint. I¡¯ve prepared a hotel room for you.¡±


    Mr. Studer: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there on time tonight.¡±


    Lydia closed the chat with Mr. Studer and contacted an entertainment reporter, telling the reporter to be


    at the hotel on time.


    Once everything was set, Lydia was in high spirits. She poured a ss of red wine and enjoyed the


    breeze on the balcony, as if she could see Astrid¡¯s miserable future. In another room, Astrid was


    engrossed in reading her script.


    Half an hourter, there was another knock on the door. When she opened the door, Jon was sweating


    profusely, dragging arge suitcase, leaning his hands against the wall, looking exhausted. Astrid stood


    in the doorway, folded his hands on his chest, and said mockingly, ¡°Jon, you¡¯re too weak, are you so


    tired just moving aputer?¡±


    1

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    ¡°Star, do you really not know how heavy yourputer is? Did you know the elevator in this hotel is


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    busted? I carried yourputer on my back and climbed up to the eleventh floor. Moreover, your crew


    is in this remote ce, and I almost couldn¡¯t find it here.¡± Jon wiped the sweat off his forehead,


    grumbling inside, but he knew he could only spoil his sister. He¡¯d do anything for her, be it lugging


    ¡°I know you love me the most. But I won¡¯t let you work hard for nothing; I¡¯m nning to introduce you to


    a girlfriend¡­¡± Before Astrid could finish, Jon suddenly stood up straight and disappeared down the


    stairs at an rming speed mouth. Every time Astrid mentioned setting Jon up with a girlfriend, he¡¯d


    bolt as if he¡¯d seen a ghost. She started to wonder if her brother was not into girls.


    Astrid chuckled, then dragged the big box into the room and started setting up herputer.


    As she got out of the car, she spotted Lydia and Joana eyeing her from afar. She didn¡¯t believe that


    Lydia had really invited her to the party. Astrid turned ontheputer, tapped the keyboard quikly, and


    in no time t, she had control over Lydia¡¯s social media ount.


    Astrid skimmed through the chat history between Lydia and Mr. Studer,ughed derisively, and logged


    out of Lydia¡¯s ount.


    Lydia,pletely unaware that Astrid had seen through her n, used another number to contact a


    dozen or so reporters, and got them to the hotel. She couldn¡¯t helpughing, hoping that Astrid¡¯s


    reputation would be ruined. That night, Lydia and her friends arrived early at the party, but Astrid never


    showed up.


    Joana sipped her drink and asked Lydia, ¡°Did Astrid really agree toe?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she agreed when I invited her.¡± Lydia replied, then looked at the men before her and said with a


    development depends on your ability.¡±


    Hearing this, all the menughed.


    ¡°Beauties in photos are always amazing, but they may not be the same in reality. Now photos often


    have a big gap with real people.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and she looks very arrogant, maybe us ordinary people don¡¯t catch her eyes at all.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that there is someone behind her who supports her, if we piss off that person, will be in


    trouble.¡± This was said by an actor who had been in the industry for over a decade. Even though he


    was in his thirties, he had always been a bit yer.


    He was well aware of theplexity of the industry, so he dared not provoke actresses who had many


    patrons, lest he got himself into trouble. ¡°How can she have any patrons? Astrid came to the set today


    in an old car, her room is on the same floor as the crew so if someone really sponsored her, how could


    that patron let her be wronged like this?¡°After Lydia finished speaking, the men exchanged nces,


    and then theyughed.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡± A sweet voice sounded, and everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the entrance.


    The woman was dressed in a simple T¨Cshirt and jeans, wearing white sneakers. Even without makeup,


    she was breathtakingly beautiful.


    Lydia looked at Astrid¡¯s clothes and then down at her own, feeling a little confused.


    Although it was not the same brand, Astrid¡¯s outfit today was very simr to hers. She pulled out her


    phone and sent a message to Mr. Studer: ¡°She¡¯s wearing a white T¨Cshirt and jeans today. She¡¯ll be out


    cold soon enough. Have your guy wait outside, as soon as it gets quiet in here, he cane in and


    take her away.¡±


    After sending the message, Lydia immediately waved at Astrid, ¡°Hey, Astrid, you are here! Come and


    sit!¡±


    Lydia patted the empty seat next to her, indicating for Astrid to sit down, acting as if she knew Astrid


    very well.


    Astrid gave a small smile, and obediently sat down next to her.


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    Lydia was very satisfied, and immediately picked up her ss and said, ¡°The rest of us have


    cooperated before, but Astrid is the first time to cooperate with us, how about we all have a drink with


    Astrid?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Astrid, nice to meet you.¡± Everyone raised their sses to Astrid, and Lydia enthusiastically


    handed Astrid the wine ss she had prepared.


    Astrid didn¡¯t take the ss Lydia offered, but instead grabbed an oversized empty ss next to her,


    picked up a bottle of beer and poured it into the ss. That look was very confident.


    The ss was huge, just enough to hold two bottles of beer. Astrid held up therge wine ss, smiled


    at everyone, ¡°I¡¯ll drink all the wine in this ss first.¡±


    Then, Astrid looked up and started drinking, quickly draining therge ss of beer..


    Everyone was speechless.


    Lydia waspletely stunned. She originally thought that even if Astrid didn¡¯t drink the wine she


    prepared, she could still get the guys to get Astrid drunk and carry out her n.


    But¡­Astrid seemed¡­ not to get drunk easily.


    Several boys were stunned. They had no idea that Astrid looked so innocent, but drank so¡­


    powerfully. That way of drinking was scary to look at. Lydia was thinking that even if Astrid could drink,


    she couldn¡¯t outdrink them all.


    But she was wrong¡­


    Astrid loved to drink, and she had a lot of alcohol. When she went out to dinner with Gracie, she could


    outdrink many people. The reason she got drunk that day¡­ was because she mixed many kinds of


    alcohol, otherwise she normally wouldn¡¯t get drunk.


    An hourter, everyone fell down, only Astrid was still refreshed, ¡°What are you all sleeping for, get up!¡±


    ¡°You guys think you can outdrink me?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one who canpete with me, with you guys like this, I can take on twenty.¡±


    Astrid look up and finished the beer in the bottle, turned to look at Lydia who was sprawled on the


    couch, and gave a coldugh: ¡°Enjoy everything you¡¯ve arranged yourself, idiot.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Astrid whistled and swaggered out.


    Not long after she left, a figure wearing a mask and hat walked into the room.


    The man nced at the boys and girls who were sleeping in the room, his final gazended on Lydia


    who was wearing a white short sleeves and jeans. Lydia was sprawled on the couch, her long hair


    covering her face, he couldn¡¯t see her features clearly.


    But he remembered Mr. Studer¡¯s description was a white short sleeves, jeans, and long hair. The


    features matched perfectly, it must be her.


    Without any hesitation, the man strode forward and bent over to lift Lydia up.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    News on the inte spread like wildfire, and in no time, Lydia¡¯s scandal with the producer made the


    headlines.


    Although it is not new for certain actresses to have deals with directors or producers in the


    entertainment industry, once these things are exposed, the influence will be veryrge. The crew saw


    the news and immediately started to solve the problem.


    Todd immediately contacted Lydia¡¯s agent and removed her from the cast¡¯s list of starring roles..


    Lydia¡¯s reputation was greatly affected, she was forcibly dropped from the cast, her acting career took a


    severe blow, and when she woke up, she would face the snub of the


    agency..


    Meanwhile, Astrid was lying on a rocking chair on the balcony, enjoying a bucket of ice cream in her


    hand. She scooped arge spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, closed her eyes in enjoyment, when


    she heard the sound of a video call. She straightened up and saw that it was Roman calling.


    The corners of her mouth twitched into a smile, and she quickly picked up the video call.


    Roman¡¯s usually gloomy face lit up instantly on seeing Astrid, and he called out softly, ¡°Astrid~¡±


    Elio sitting on the couch next to him, looking at his son whose facial expressions were changing fast,


    had a look of disdain in his eyes.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Romanpletely ignored Elio existence and started cooing at Astrid, ¡°I miss you.¡±


    Seeing Roman¡¯s cute appearence, Astrid wished she could reach through the screen and kiss him, ¡°I


    miss you too, Roman. I¡¯ve been busy with work these past few days, but I promise I¡¯lle to see you


    as soon as I get some free time, okay?¡±


    ¡°Mm¨Chmm,¡± Roman obediently nodded.


    Seeing him so well¨Cbehaved, Astrid found him even more adorable, ¡°Stay at home and listen to Dad,


    okay? Don¡¯t run around when you¡¯re upset like before. It¡¯s dangerous, you know?¡±


    Roman: ¡°Okay.¡±


    Elio watched as Astrid and Roman video chatted, their conversation full ofughter and cheer.


    Astrid told Roman a joke, and heughed so hard he was rolling on the couch, his eyes squinting into


    slits fromughing so hard.


    Elio had never seen Roman this happy.


    Roman had always been a quiet child, always serious, with no friends. He thought it was just Roman¡¯s


    nature. But now it seemed it was because he was too cold and strict with him that he didn¡¯t dare to


    show his childish innocence in front of him.


    He was not a good father.


    Half an hourter, it was time for Roman to go to bed, and Astrid urged him to sleep, ¡°Roman, it¡¯s time


    for bed. Astrid has to get up early for work tomorrow~¡± ¡°Then


    you should rest early too, I¡¯m going to bed now~ Love you~¡± Roman kissed Astrid through the screen,


    then hung up, satisfied, and went upstairs.


    Elio suddenly thought of something and called Roman, ¡°Roman,e here, I have a question for you.¡±


    Roman paused for a moment, then turned around to nce at Elio, before continuing to walk forward.


    Seeing the disobedient child, Elio narrowed his eyes, ¡°Roman, didn¡¯t you just promise Astrid to listen to


    me? Are you lying to her?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Roman stopped in his tracks. He walked back expressionlessly, the


    corners of his mouth slightly downturned.


    Elio put down the financial magazine in his hand, turned his head to look at Roman, and asked softly,


    ¡°I¡¯m free this weekend, is there anything you want to do? I can go with you.¡±


    Hearing this, Roman nkly turned his head to look at Elio. This was the first time, the very first time,


    Elio had voluntarily offered to take him out to y.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    This feels so unreal.


    After a moment of silence, Roman said softly, ¡°Go check on Astrid¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Elio responded, then reached out and ruffled Roman¡¯s hair. ¡± Go to sleep.¡±


    Feeling therge hand atop his head, Roman paused. Elio seemed¡­ a little different tonight.


    Gentler, somehow.


    It was odd.


    He wasn¡¯t used to it.


    Just as Elio was watching Roman head upstairs and getting ready to watch the match, Carson¡¯s call


    came in. ¡°Sir, there was a bit of a situation just now, but our guys didn¡¯t have to lift a finger. Astrid


    handled it herself.¡±


    ¡°What kind of situation?¡± Elio wasn¡¯t interested into gossip, so he had no idea about the whole Lydia


    thing.


    Carson exined, ¡°There¡¯s this actress named Lydia who tried to set up Astrid, but got yed instead.


    And I noticed that besides our men, there are others who¡¯ve been keeping an eye on Astrid¡¯s every


    move. They¡¯ve rented all the rooms around her at a high price, and they look like professionally trained


    bodyguards.¡±


    Professional bodyguards?


    Who the hell is she?


    When Elio didn¡¯t respond, Carson thought of Astrid swigging from a huge ss and decided things


    weren¡¯t so simple. ¡°Sir, I sent you a video. Have a look.


    Elio grunted an acknowledgment and hung up.


    He clicked on the video¡­


    It was a surveince video from the party room. Astrid was having a st with her big ss of booze¡­


    people were dropping like flies around her, but aside from a bit of a flush, she seemed fine.


    She left with an air of nonchnce, a swagger in her step.


    ¡°This girl¡­¡± Elio chuckled to himself. She was a gem.


    She might seem goofy, but she was far from it. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what happened with Lydia-


    clearly her scheme had backfired.


    But then again, it was no surprise. Being a top international hacker at such a young age, she was no


    ordinary genius.


    Dealing with small fries like Lydia was a piece of cake for her.


    Just then, a news headline popped up: ¡°Starlight Entertainment Artist Lydia Scandal Exposed¡±


    Starlight Entertainment?


    That was hispany.


    Elio immediately texted Carson. ¡°Get Lydia out of showbiz.¡±


    Carson¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Roger that, sir.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Truth be told, Lydia¡¯s scandal was scandalous enough to make her exit stage left of her own ord.


    What was exposed was pretty sleazy. When he saw the video circting online, he was stunned.


    This was an odd situation. Normally the media would contact the artist for a payoff before spiking the


    news by destroying the video or photos.


    But this time, all the media outlets were oddly unanimous in deciding to run the story. It was as if


    someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes. However, Lydia was really confused. Why target


    Astrid of all people? Now he saw the light his wife was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, seemingly cute and


    harmless but actually quite dangerous.


    That night, Astrid¡¯s sleep was surprisingly good.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    When the shooting ceremony started, she arrived at the scene. Lydia had already left, leaving the


    position of the supporting actress vacant.


    ¡°Astrid, you¡¯re here? You heard about what happenedst night, right? Good thing you can hold your


    liquor, or you could¡¯ve been in trouble!¡± Selena said, pulling Astrid to her side and whispered, ¡°Never go


    dining with these people, even if you can drink like a fish, it¡¯s useless. Some people might spike your


    drink, and then you¡¯re toast!¡±


    Selena is a fan of Astrid and also her makeup artist. She was scared to death when she saw the news


    Astrid is also friendly to those who treat her well. She hooked her arm through Selena¡¯s and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I not only can drink, but I also know martial arts, who dares to mess with me?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, you skinny minny, who can you fight?¡± Selena shook her head, then added, ¡°By the way, I


    heard the assistant director talking about the new actress who will y the supporting role has the


    same surname as you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s a coincidence?¡± Astrid casually grabbed a potato chip from the bag in Selena¡¯s hand.


    There were hardly any people in the entertainment industry with the same surname as her, right?


    She racked her brains but couldn¡¯t figure out who it could be.


    Just then, a car zoomed in.


    The eyes of everyone on the set were drawn to the speeding red Ferrari. The car stopped and a


    familiar figure got out.


    When she saw the face of the person, Astrid suddenly found the chip in her mouth tasteless.


    She didn¡¯t expect that actress who shared the same surname as her to be¨CLucinda!


    And the man who brought her was a bit chubby, middle¨Caged man.


    And¡­ he looked somewhat familiar.


    Upon seeing this, Selena immediately whispered in Astrid¡¯s ear, ¡°Astrid, I gotta tell you, I know this


    Lucinda. She purposely broke the strap of her dress during a live broadcastst time and almost


    exposed her chest. But everyone could tell that it was a fake wardrobe malfunction. Look at the way


    that old man is looking at her!¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, look at all the hickeys on her neck, is she worried that people won¡¯t know she¡¯s been


    sleeping with a sugar daddy?¡± As soon as Selena finished speaking, Lucinda quickly walked towards


    Astrid.


    Astrid didn¡¯t want to deal with her and turned to leave, but Lucinda immediately said in a seductive


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    voice, ¡°Sister, it¡¯s so nice to be able to work with you. I don¡¯t understand a lot of things, so you¡¯ll have to


    teach me~¡±


    Sister? Selena was stunned. These two were actually sisters???


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Astrid¡¯s mouth twitched, a nasty person just left, and another even more annoying person had


    ¡°Lucinda, you don¡¯t need to pretend to be close to me. You know very well what our rtionship is like.


    You¡¯d better spend your time buttering up the man who gives you money instead of me.¡±


    Astrid publicly snubbed Lucinda, who naturally felt unhappy but didn¡¯t lose her temper. Instead, she


    moved closer to Astrid and whispered, ¡°Astrid, you¡¯d better behave. I know all your secrets, if you upset


    me, I¡¯ll tell everyone that you have an illegitimate child!¡±


    Illegitimate child?


    Astrid¡¯s eyes dimmed, and a dangerous breath overflowed from her eyes.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    Lucinda was oblivious to Astrid¡¯s odd behavior she just kept bbing, ¡°Your Fate in his my hands nowe


    te thaly just now? It¡¯s the digest investor in the show the presblent of Liberty Tndegy! Just one word


    from him and you could be reced I¡¯m keeping your secret for now because I think you¡¯re still of some


    as I dont show gratitude you¡¯ll regret


    With that, Lucinda slowly distanced herself from Astrid, her smile sweet, as if they were just chatting


    about gly secret


    Seeing that things were going south, Selena hastily made her exit


    Staring at Lucindas two¨Cfaced smile, Astrid gave a coldugh, ¡°Lucinda, why don¡¯t you go ask Morgan


    if he dare receme?


    Lucinda was taken aback, then got angry, ¡°Astrid, how dare you address Mr. Morgan like this! I think


    you really dot want to be is this show anymored


    Astridughed again. ¡°Which do you think is more important to Morgan, money or you?


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s me¡± Lucinda replied without hesitation, ¡°He said he would do anything for me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, only a dumbo like you would believe such a brainless promise Astrid sneered, then checked the


    thin, let you be happy for half an hour, then you can pack up and leave


    ¡°The one who should leave is you, I¡¯ll call him right now to rece you!¡± Lucinda was so angry she was


    stomping her feet. To get this role, also has made lingo sathees, he had always wanted to many Ello,


    but what happened at the Fortner family made her realize the harsh truth, Ello would never like hel


    In Elio¡¯s eyes, she didn¡¯t exist.


    Just as Sandra said, she shouldn¡¯t put all her hopes on one person.


    Although Morgan was older and not exactly a looker, he had money and whs willing to spend it on her.


    As for bis looks, she could get used to it


    Thinking about what Astrid had just said, Lucinda was again stomping the feet in anger. She took out


    her phone to call Moman, but he was on the line


    After several unsessful attempts, she put down her phone in Irritation.


    Being the girlfriend of an investor, inany actors in the crew tried to tter het. Lucinda was a sucker for


    vanity, a towpliments and she felt on top of the world. Astrid, seeing her act like this, shook her


    head in disdain.


    She leisurely walked to a tree, dialing Chad¡¯s number.


    A few secondster, Chad¡¯s voice came from the other end, ¡°Chief, what¡¯s up? Do you need money?¡±


    Astrid, ¡®All you care about is money. Cancel our investment in Liberty Technology, and I won¡¯t be thell


    technical constiltant


    ¡°Why?¡± Chad was confused. ¡°Chief, didn¡¯t you say that Liberty Technology has great potential and is


    worth inverting in? Why would you give up this opportunity?¡±


    Thinking about the possible loss, Chad felt heartbroken.


    Astrid, ¡®Because that shameless Morgan has made Lucinda his mistress.¡±


    ¡°What? Why would he choose Lucinda, I¡¯ll handle this right away!¡± Chad hung up the phone in anger.


    Meanwhily Lucinda was still chatting happily with the crow


    Astrid leisurely walked up to Lucinda, checked the time and suddenly said, ¡°There is one more minute


    left.¡±


    Lucinda was stunned, not understanding what she meant.


    After a while, her phone rang, it was a call from Morgan. She immediately answered in a sweet volce,


    Honey, what¡¯s up? Do you min mo?¡±


    Morgan, ¡°Who did you meet when you went out to parties these days? Who have you pissed off?¡±


    Lucinda looked confused, ¡°No one, I haven¡¯t upset anyone.¡±


    Morgan, ¡°Do you know how much effort I put into Inviting Aster to be our technical consultant? We


    waited for half a yearl Now because you upset her, she¡¯s no longer our consultant and even the 500


    million investments were cancelled! ¡°What? I don¡¯t even know any Aster. Lucinda felt wronged, ¡°You¡¯re


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ming mel


    Watching Lucinda about to cry, Astrid pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds from her pocket and casually


    started rating, looking very at ease.


    Morgan was driving, thinking about his falled ns, he cursed. ¡®Do you know who Aster is? Would she


    need to frame a regr host like you?¡±


    Lucinda was shocked.


    Ordinary female anchor??He never said that in bed!!!!

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    ¡°Morgan, you jerk, how could you treat me like this? Lucinda was so angry that she couldn¡¯t help but


    lose her temperl


    Morgan: ¡°You better apologize to Aster right now! If you offend Aster, It¡¯s like offending the whole tech


    world, ourpany will go bust, and I won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡± With that, he hung up the phone.


    Lucinda was so upset she was on the verge of tears, but she didn¡¯t even know who Aster was, let alone


    who to apologize to?


    Seeing Lucinda, who was just cheerful moments ago, now heartbroken, everyone was at a loss for how


    tofort her


    Lucinda and Morgan had known each other for four years, back when Lucinda was a no¨Cname host


    just entering the industry, and Morgan was one of her fans. Morgan once gave her a gift worth more


    than one million at one time, which made her a hit, and the live broadcast tform also began to pay


    attention to her.


    Over the years, Morgan had always taken care of her, and there had always been a certain vibe


    between them, but they never made it official.


    At the Fortner family¡¯s engagement party, she went to Morgan for somefort after being Ignored by


    Ello, and one thing led to another, they ended up together, but it¡¯s only been a few days since then.


    How could he treat her this way?


    The only people she had contact with were some hosts and socialites, how could she know Aster?


    The more Lucinda thought about it, the angrier she got. She kicked over the chair in front of her, then


    saw Astrid sitting there munching on sunflower seeds.


    Seeing Astrid, Lucinda felt a pang in her heart, Astrid was the only person she had offended these past


    few days!


    Realizing this, Lucinda immediately used Astrid, ¡°Astrid, are you messing with me?¡±


    ¡°Messing with you?¡± Astrid blinked, looking innocent, ¡°What could I, a broke nobody in the


    entertainment Industry, do to you?¡±


    Lucinda was at a loss for words.


    She must be going crazy, why would she suspect Astrid?


    If Astrid really had that much power, how could she still be so poor and living in such a dump?


    The more Lucinda thought about it, the more annoyed she got.


    Astrid, of course, noticed. She finished her sunflower seeds, carefully collecting the shells.


    She stretchedzily, got up to throw away the trash, and as she passed Lucinda, Astrid paused and


    smirked, ¡°You wanna bet the director¡¯s about to kick you out?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lucinda instantly gripped her phone tighter, then she heard Todd¡¯s voice, ¡°Lucinda,


    Morgan just called and said he¡¯s found another actress to rece you, you can leave now.


    Lucinda was shocked.


    She had just announced on social media that she was going to y a supporting role in a TV drama,


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    but she was reced within an hour of being on set?


    The actors who were just fawning over her distanced themselves in an instant, their mocking nces


    made her feel humited. The director¡¯s announcement was a clear indication to everyone that she had


    been dumped by Morgan!


    Lucinda was always concerned about her image, she felt extremely embarrassed and wished she


    could find a hole to crawl into.


    She didn¡¯t want to leave the set, even if she couldn¡¯t y the supporting role, she would be okay with


    any other role, otherwise, she would definitely beughed at byizens and other hosts in the live


    streaming industry!

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    Chapter 63


    After a moment of thought Lucinda made her move towards Astrid, asking, ¡°Sister, can you help me


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    out?¡±


    ¡°Help you¡± Are you out of your mind, Lucinda? The fact that I didn¡¯t kick you out is a favor in itself. Don¡¯t


    bug mel¡® Astrid wanted to leave after her words, but Lucinda grabbed her hand.


    She didn¡¯t turn around, but she heard Lucinda¡¯s low voice, ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared that I¡¯ll spill your


    secrets?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Astrid turned to look at Lucinda, scoffing, ¡°I may have secrets, but aren¡¯t you


    hiding something too?¡±


    Her gaze was so sharp that Lucinda didn¡¯t dare to meet her eyes, she let go of her hand fearfully and


    looked down.


    ¡°Actors,e over. The opening ceremony is about to start, the assistant director called, and Astrid


    walked over gracefully.


    Lucinda felt left out and didn¡¯t want to stay there for another second. She quickly left the set, but her


    mind was still plotting revenge on Astrid.


    The opening seremony began.


    Astrid stood next to Joana, who felt an icy atmosphere around her, making her ufortable.


    Especially Astrid¡¯s gaze, it felt like she could see through everything, making her feel guilty.


    She never imagined what happened to Lydiast night. Just the thought of it scared her. The crew


    checked the surveince and found a mysterious person took Lydia. She was sitting right next to Lydia,


    if that person took her, she would be the one who is being condemned now.


    Although there was no evidence, she knew it had something to do with Astid.


    Because Lydia texted her, saying that the n was originally set up for Astrid, but she didn¡¯t know why


    she ended up being the one in trouble.


    And today¡¯s incident with Lucinda was also a bit off.


    Joana looked at Astrid not far away, let out a sigh, and decided to stay away from her as much as


    possible. She felt that Astrid was not as simple as she seemed.


    After the opening ceremony, the filming began.


    As a not¨Cso¨Cimportant supporting actress, Astrid didn¡¯t have many scenes. After today¡¯s shooting, she


    had a two¨Cday break before her next scene.


    Looking at Roman¡¯s picture on her phone, Astrid suddenly missed the little guy. But it was hard to get


    out of this remote ce without a car.


    Astrid thought for a moment, then texted Jon, ¡°Jon, I need a ride, something low¨Ckey.¡±


    Jon replied, ¡°Astrid, hold on, I¡¯ll send a car over this afternoon.¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need toe personally, just have someone deliver It.


    Jon responded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already arranged it.¡±


    Astrid could only reply nothing. She had a bad feeling about this.


    After all, Jon was often unreliable.


    In the afternoon, as Astrid was dozing off, she suddenly heard someone calling her, ¡°Astrid, Astrid¡­¡±


    She woke up with a start, put down the script that was covering her face, and saw.Selena¡¯s big face,


    ¡®Astrid, your fans sent you some stuff, It¡¯s in the parking lot.¡±

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    Chapter 64


    Astrid asked in confusion, ¡®Fans? What¡¯s that all about?¡±


    Selena replied, ¡°You¡¯ll see when you get there!¡±


    Seeing Selena so excited. Astrid felt strange, but still got up and headed for the parking lot.


    The sun was zing hot, and even with an umbre, Astrid still felt unbearably hot. From far away, she


    saw a crowd of people surrounding the parking lot. People around her were whispering.


    ¡°Who is this guy? He¡¯s so handsome!¡±


    ¡®Oh my god, I know him! He¡¯s my favorite e¨Csports yer!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Astrid¡¯s Jan!¡±


    ¡°What fan, I think he just wants to pursue Astrid. Who else would give a car worth more than nine


    million to their Idol?¡±


    ¡°Being pretty is an advantage. There are rich people who use private jets to support them, and big stars


    give them sports cars!¡±


    The crowd blocked the way. Astrid couldn¡¯t move forward and had to say, ¡°Can I get through?


    Upon hearing Astrid¡¯s voice, the whispers immediately stopped.


    Astrid made her way through the crowd and saw a cool Lamborghini sports car, with a handsome guy


    standing beside it.


    Astrid¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. What was he doing?


    She had said to keep a low profile, didn¡¯t he understand?


    Seeing Astrid about to explode, Jon felt a little guilty for some reason.


    Afraid that Astrid would hit him in public, he left the car keys on the sports car and then quickly got into


    the car next to him and sped away.


    She sent Jon a speechless message, ¡®Jon, are you trying to piss me off?¡±


    Jon replied, ¡°Star, this is father¡¯s arrangement. If it weren¡¯t for me, he would even want to give you his


    cherished Porsche.¡±


    Seeing this message, Astrid¡¯s speechless. No wonder her brothers were so willful. They inherited it


    from their father.


    Astrid turned around and saw a group of people behind her taking pictures with their phones.


    This was bad. This was definitely going to make the news.


    J


    Soon, the news of Jon giving her a sports car spread everywhere.


    When Carson saw this news, he hurriedly rushed into the CEO¡¯s office, but saw that Ello was not angry,


    but seemed to be in a good mood.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Elio looked up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Carson shook his head, ¡°Chief, we have a project abroad that needs your personal


    attention.¡°,


    Elio asked, ¡°When?¡±


    Carson: ¡°How about this weekend?¡±


    ¡°The weekend?¡± Elio frowned, ¡°This weekend, I have to apany Roman to the movie set.¡±


    ¡°Going to the movie set doesn¡¯t have to be on the weekend. I can adjust your schedule for tomorrow.


    This trip abroad is crucial for our branch¡¯s development. After saying this, Carson looked at Ello


    nervously.


    Ello was silent for a second, and then nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±

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    Chapter 65


    After getting his answer, Carson turned around and left. Just as he approached the door, Elio called


    him back. ¡°Go buy a car. The price is between three hundred thousand and five hundred thousand.


    Suitable for female drivers and tweak its appearance a bit.¡±


    Carson responded with a grin and quickly left


    Gifts should be tailored to the recipient¡¯s tastes. He was sure that Astrid would prefer the car he gifted


    over the Lamborghini Jon gave her.


    Elio gave his mouse a slight nudge and Astrid¡¯s picture appeared on his screen.


    Looking at herughing face in the photo, his gaze was determined. ¡°You can¡¯t escape me in this


    lifetime¡±


    The next morning. Astrid was woken up by a video call.


    She reached for her phone with her eyes closed and answered it sleepily. ¡°Roman, I¡¯m still sleeping.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Why are you up so early?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with Elio. We¡¯re almost there.¡± Roman¡¯s voice was filled with excitement. Astrid mumbled a


    response, then Immediately sat up.


    Her hair was in disarray as she looked at Roman, ¡°Do you mean you¡¯reing to see me?¡®


    Roman nodded obediently. ¡°Mmhmm.¡±


    After hearing this, Astrid suddenly felt that the situation was not good, because the sports car Jon gave


    her attracted several reporters to walt outside yesterday. If Roman were to be seen by these reporters,


    who knows what kind of story they would make up.


    Before she could say anything, Ello¡¯s voice came from the video, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t go to the set.


    You don¡¯t have any scenes today. Come to the hotel. Roman and I will wait for ¡°Okay.¡± Astrid breathed


    a sigh of rellef, then asked, ¡°How long will you be?¡±


    Elio: ¡°Half an hour.¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Okay, see youter.¡±


    you there.¡±


    After hanging up, Astrid quickly got up and got ready. To avoid being photographed by the reporters,


    she didn¡¯t drive the sports car Jon gave her, but borrowed Selena¡¯s car to the hotel. After parking her


    car, Astrid had just gotten out when she was called, ¡°Astrid, is that you?¡±


    A familiar voice rang out behind her. Astrid turned around to see a familiar tall figure.


    ¡°It really is you, I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here.¡± The man¡¯s voice was as pleasant as his looks.


    Astrid immediately recognized the man in front of her. It was Julian, her senior in high school and her


    crush at that time, ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±


    Julian watched Astrid approach, a gentle smile on his face, ¡°You still act like a kid, just like before.


    Have you eaten? I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have something to do, I can¡¯t have a meal with you today. Let¡¯s schedule another day.¡±


    Astrid gave a smallugh, then started to look for the car in the parking lot. But she didn¡¯t see Ello¡¯s


    conspicuous car. Instead, she saw a car that was decorated so adorably far away


    She fell in love with that car at first sight. Its modification design was exactly her cup of tea, so cute!


    She really wanted to have it!


    At this moment, Ello and Roman were sitting in that car, their expressions very simr.


    Their mood was heavy.


    When Elio saw the look Jun gave Astrid, he felt ufortable. He nced at the fuming Roman and


    said coldly, ¡°Roman, that guy likes Astrid. If you don¡¯t go now, she might leave with him. Then, she¡¯ll


    be another kid¡¯s mom.¡±


    Another kid¡¯s mom?


    Roman Immediately got angry. He opened the car door and got out, his little legs moving quickly


    towards Astrid. As he ran, he shouted, ¡°Mom!¡±

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    Chapter 66


    When Astrid heard the word ¡°mom¡°. It was like a soft spot deep in her heart got poked. She looked at


    the little boy with short legs running toward her and felt choked up. What was up with the boy? Why


    would he call her mom?


    Roman was in a rush, and he tripped over a dip in the ground. His tiny body wobbled and he almost fell


    Astrid lunged forward and caught him ¡°Are you okay. Roman¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± Roman wrapped his arms around Astrid¡¯s neck, nced at Julian provocatively, and pressed


    his little face against Astrid¡¯s, calling out softly, ¡®Mom!¡±


    Astrid looked at Roman as if she was looking at her own child Shed always dreamed of having a child


    who would call her mom¡­


    Julian was taken aback as he watched Astrid and Roman embracing. A pang of loss shed in his eyes


    He adjusted his sses and said softly, ¡°Astrid, I didn¡¯t expect you to have a child after all these years.¡±


    Astrid quickly exined, ¡°No, you got it all wrong.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to exin I know it¡¯smon for celebrities to have kids in secret¡± A hint of


    sadness shed across Julian¡¯s face, then he added, ¡°I just wanted to tell you that I didn¡¯t intentionally


    stand you up all those years ago But none of that matters now. As long as you¡¯re happy¡­¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Before he could finish. Elio came out of the car.


    Julian looked at Roman, who had the same face as Ello, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave the past in the past,


    Astrid. Be happy. I¡¯ll keep this secret for you. Goodbye¡±


    ¡°But Astrid didn¡¯t get a chance to finish before Jun hopped in his car and drove away. She just


    shrugged helplessly.


    When Julian left Roman breathed a sigh of relief. He was d that Astrid wouldn¡¯t be anyone else¡¯s


    mom.


    Astrid didn¡¯t notice Roman¡¯s thoughts. She looked at Roman¡¯s chubby smile, poked his little nose


    gently, and asked, ¡°Roman, why did you call me mom?¡±


    Roman didn¡¯t answer, he just hugged her tightly.


    After a while, he finally said. ¡°Because, I, want, you to be my mom.¡±


    Roman looked at Astrid with hopeful eyes, afraid that she would reject him.


    Seeing the little boy¡¯s cautious look, Astrid¡¯s heart ached. She knew that If she rejected Roman, he


    would be heartbroken. But she couldn¡¯t agree, could she? After all, If she agreed to be Roman¡¯s mom,


    wouldn¡¯t that mean she had to marry Elio?


    Elio was in a great mood after using his son to chase away his rival. ¡°Ms. Irvine, was that one of your


    friends just now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he was my high school crush!¡± Astrid¡¯s eyes lit up when she mentioned Julian. ¡°He was really


    popr at our school. Lots of girls had a crush on him.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have very good taste,¡± Elio said.


    There was an unpleasant smell in the air. She had never looked at him with such excitement, but now


    she was calling that man her Ideal man?


    ¡°I think my taste is excellent. Julian is exactly my type. He¡¯s clean, handsome, considerate, gentle,


    good at basketball, good at gaming, sings well, ys instruments, oh my god, where else can you find


    such a perfect man?¡°/Astrid kept praising Julian¡¯s qualities, oblivious to the darkening expression on


    Ello¡¯s face.


    Elio asked, So, did anything happen between you and your Ideal man, Ms. Irvine?¡±

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    Chapter 67


    Elios tone had a vibe of struggle to keep things under control.


    Astrid, oblivious, casually replied, ¡°Even if something happened, It¡¯s water under the bridge,¡±


    So, something did happen Elio¡¯s mood suddenly turned gloomy


    Whether something happened or not, Mr. Lampard, It¡¯s none of your business¡± Astrid shot Ello a look,


    picked up Roman and left.


    Once upon a time, Astrid had a soft spot for Julian Their rtionship was quite delicate.


    If it wasnt for the incident that night, she might have had a thing going on with Julian. But before she


    could even see him, she was drugged by Fannle and taken to a hotel. Years have passed, and she no


    longer has feelings for Jun.


    ¡°By the way don¡¯t you usuallye on weekends? Why the early bird?¡± As Astrid held Roman and


    headed for the elevator, she pressed the button and noticed that Elio hadn¡¯t followed. She looked back


    and saw him standing there expressionless.


    ¡°Mr. Lampard? Astrid called out. The cold look in Elio¡¯s eyes gave her the chills. Holding Roman tighter,


    she whispered, ¡°Roman, why is your dad throwing a tantrum again?


    Roman nced at Elio helplessly. ¡°Tm used to it.¡±


    ¡°Thank God you didn¡¯t inherit your dad¡¯s bad temper. Kids should be adorable.¡± Astrid sald, pecking


    Roman on the cheek.


    Roman immediately returned the peck with a sweet smile on his face.


    Astrid brought a game disc for Roman, and they had a st in the hotel room.


    Meanwhile, Elio waspletely ignored by Astrid.


    Before going out tonight, he had specifically changed into a new outfit and got a new hairstyle. But


    since arriving at the hotel, Astrid had been ying with Roman non¨Cstop, not giving him a single


    nce¡­ Elio felt upset.


    He had never felt this way before.


    The ringtone of a cell phone rang. Astrid picked it up, her face changed Instantly after reading the


    message.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Then she said to Roman, ¡°Roman, I have to step out for a bit. Walt for me here, I¡¯ll be back soon.


    Roman obediently nodded. Astrid stood up, grabbed her purse, and nced at Ello, ¡°Mr. Lampard,


    could you keep Romanpany?


    Seeing her odd expresslon, Elio Immediately got up, ¡°Need any help?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Astrid left the room. At the door, she turned back, ¡°You don¡¯t need to have your guys tall me.


    I don¡¯t like being followed. It¡¯s just a small matter, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Elio¡¯s hand that was about to dial the phone stopped suddenly, she actually knew, She knew he had


    people protecting her.


    Looking up at Astrid at the door, Ello put his phone on the table, nodding, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Ill be off then.¡± Astrid stepped onto the elevator, her face darkening Instantly.


    The message was from Selena. She said Sandra hade to visit the set.


    Visit the set?


    Sandra showing up at this time definitely meant trouble.


    This show was extremely important to her. She would not let Sandra mess it up.


    When Astrid returned to the set, she saw Sandra in the distance, fanning herself under a tree with an


    Impatient look on her face.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    Everyone on the set was busy at this time, and there was no one in the small woods. The insects in the


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    woods were a bit much and after waiting for half an hour, Sandra was pretty pissed off. When she saw


    Astrid walking over, she grumbled unhappily and said, ¡°Hey, superstar, where have you been? You


    made me wait so long¡±


    Astrid didnt take too kindly to Sandra¡¯s tone.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve got something to say, spit it out. I¡¯m not here to entertain your jabbering.¡± Astrid red at


    Sandra coldly, her voice Icy


    Sandra was taken aback by Astrid¡¯s frigid attitude, she was slightly offended, ¡°I came all this way to find


    you and this is the thanks I get?¡®


    Astrid sneered. ¡®Sandra, do you believe this? What do you want me for?¡±


    ¡°How much are you getting for this gig? Ourpany¡¯s in deep shit, we need money to get things


    rolling, hand it over.¡± Sandra demanded boldly, as If Astrid owed her money.


    Sandra¡¯s audacity left Astrid speechless, she couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Sandra, who the hell do you


    think you are, asking me for money?¡®


    Sandra scoffed, ¡°I¡¯ve supported you for eighteen years, spent so much money, don¡¯t you think you owe


    me?¡®


    ¡°My dad already gave the Irvine family a million bucks three years ago, don¡¯t be so greedy.¡± If it wasn¡¯t


    for the kindness of her foster father, she wouldn¡¯t want to give a penny to the Irvine family.


    On hearing this, Sandra was taken aback. Sure enough, they did receive an anonymous donation of a


    million dors three years ago, it was from Astrid¡¯s biological father¡­


    Just one million and Astrid thought she could get rid of her, treating her like a beggart


    Astrid gave Sandra a cold look and tumed to leave.


    But Sandra quickly followed, stubbornly Insisting, ¡®Astrid, don¡¯t think you can escape, believe it or not,


    I¡¯ll go to your director and spill all your dirty secrets.¡±


    ¡°What proof do you have that what you¡¯re saying is true? You think our director is so gullible that he¡¯d


    believe you just because you said so?¡± Astrid sneered, ¡°Sandra, my patience has its limits, quit


    bothering me!¡± ¡°Proof? You want proof? Of course I have it, how¡¯s this for proof!¡± Sandra fumbled on


    her phone for a photo and shoved the screen in Astrid¡¯s face.


    Seeing the picture, Astrid¡¯s pupils constricted, she snatched the phone, ¡°When did you take this? How


    did you know I was at Silver Peak?¡±


    She quickly scrolled through the album and found pictures of her at various stages of her pregnancy on


    Sandra¡¯s phone!


    Gracie and her left in the dead of night, there shouldn¡¯t have been anyone else who knew where she


    was, how did Sandra know she was at Silver Peak?¨C Does this mean Sandra had something to do with


    her child¡¯s disappearance?


    Astrid could no longer keep her cool, she grabbed Sandra by the throat, her voice cold, ¡°Sandra, did


    you steal my child? Where is my child now?¡± Feeling suffocated, Sandra was seeing ck spots, she


    tried to p Astrid¡¯s hand away, but Astrid¡¯s grip only got tighter, ¡®Let Jet.. let me go¡­


    Astrid¡¯s eyes were filled with anger, It was as if she was really going to strangle Sandra..


    She remembered Astrid as weak and feeble, a gust of wind could knock her down, but four years had


    passed, her strength had increased so much, even her personality had changed drastically. Sandra


    was scared too, so she said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell¡­I¡¯ll tell¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Astrid threw Sandra to the ground, ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Lucinda has a hacker friend, he found your address, we took these photos Just to squeeze some


    money out of you. As for where your child is, I really don¡¯t know!¡± Sandra struggled to her feet, but


    dared not approach Astrid again.


    All she wanted to do right now was to run away, she didn¡¯t even care about her phone anymore..

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    Chapter 69


    But Sandra had barely taken a few steps when her clothes were firmly grabbed by Astrid. ¡°You¡¯re lying!


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    If you guys had snapped photos of me and my child, doesn¡¯t that mean you can squeeze more money


    out of me? I don¡¯t believe that you would only take a few maternity shots and leave! Sandra, where is


    my child? If you don¡¯t tell me the truth, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± As she said this, Astrid¡¯s hand tightened around


    Sandra¡¯s neck. Terrified, Sandra turned pale ¡°Astrid, if you kill me, you¡¯ll end up in jail!¡±


    ¡°Jail? Out here in the middle of nowhere, no cameras, no witnesses, if I kill you and dump you in the


    nearby river the police won¡¯t find any clues. They¡¯ll assume you¡¯ve met with an ident. What¡¯s that


    got to do with me? Astrid hissed into Sandra¡¯s ear, her voice as chilling as a whisper from hell, causing


    Sandra to go pale with fear.


    ¡°Your baby¡¯s dead¡± Your baby¡¯s dead! Sandra subdenly screamed.


    Astrid s grip faltered, and Sandra seized the opportunity to break free and run. She nced back at the


    ashen¨Cfaced Astrid, feeling a surge of triumph,


    Astrid felt a chill run through her, her lips quivering ¡°You¡¯re lying to me.¡±


    ¡°Why would he to you? On that night three and a half years ago, around eleven or so in the evening. I


    saw a man dressed in ck with a hood and mask carrying a baby running out. Then you chased after


    him, yelling that your baby had been stolen! Think about it, if the baby was okay, why didn¡¯t he cry in


    such heavy rain? As Sandra said this, Astrid¡¯s heart clenched.


    She had never told anyone that her baby had been stolen. Sandra was able to describe the time and


    ce so clearly, so Sandra must have witnessed everything¡­


    Astrid looked at Sandra, her eyes reddening. ¡°You didn¡¯t see his¡­body. Just because he didn¡¯t cry,


    doesn¡¯t mean..doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s dead.¡±


    Actually Sandra knew the baby wasn¡¯t dead. The baby had indeed been quiet at first, but had started to


    whimper when being put into the car.


    She had seen the man in ck put the baby into a luxury car.


    She didn¡¯t know much about cars, but Vernon, being a car enthusiast who often read various car


    magazines at home, had told her that the limited edition Rolls¨CRoyce the baby was put into was worth


    at least a


    billion.


    She didn¡¯t know what the people in the car had to do with the baby, but she couldn¡¯t let Astrid find the


    baby. Because¡­she couldn¡¯t give Astrid any leverage over her.


    After some thought, Sandra put on a serious face and lied, ¡°The baby is dead, I¡¯m sure of it! I saw the


    man throw the baby harshly on the ground, but the baby didn¡¯t make any sound!¡±


    On hearing this, Astrid almost fainted.


    Her baby had a loud cry when He was born, and was a crybaby. Gracle had once joked that he would


    definitely grow up to be a tenor. How could he possibly not make a sound when he was thrown?


    Looking at the distraught Astrid, Sandra scoffed, reached out to take her phone.


    ¡°Trying to use the photos to threaten me? You don¡¯t stand a chance!¡± Astrid sneered, bent down to pick


    up a stone from a nearby flower bed, and smashed Sandra¡¯s phone to pieces in a few strikes. Sandra


    stared in disbelief at her shattered phone, babbling, ¡°Astrid¡­you, you, you¡­


    ¡°You what? Get out of here!¡± Astrid shouted, and Sandra, frightened, scurried off.


    Astrid had been prepared for the worst over the years of not finding her child.


    She had considered that her child might already be dead.


    After all, the Brooke family was powerful, how could they have falled to find any information after all


    these years..


    The thought of her child possibly being dead was too painful for Astrid to bear.


    No matter how strong she seemed on the outside, she was vulnerable when it came to her child.


    Despite the scorching sun, Astrid felt cold, her steps heavy, and walking was difficult.


    She walked like a zombie to the supermarket, bought a ton of alcohol, and then went back to her hotel


    room, all she wanted to do now was drink.


    Elio had waited in the hotel for a while, but couldn¡¯t help but worry, so he drove to the set to look for


    her.


    Before he could reach the hotel near the set, he received a message that Astrid had returned to her


    room and was not in a good state.


    He was very anxious, stepped on the elerator and sped towards the set.


    After getting out of the car, he called Astrid, but she didn¡¯t answer, so he got the room key from the


    front desk and went straight to her room.


    As soon as he opened the door, a strong smell of alcohol hit him.


    There were bottles of alcohol all over the floor around her, and she was still chugging a bottle of vodka.


    His heart clenched and he rushed over, snatching the bottle of alcohol from her and pulling her into his


    arms. He looked down at the teary¨Ceyed woman in his arms, and his heart ached. ¡°Astrid, what


    happened?


    Astrid just sobbed silently, reaching up to grab Elio¡¯s suit, leaning weakly against him, and whispered,


    ¡°Ello, I feel awful.¡±


    Astrid¡¯s choking sobs made Elio¡¯s heart ache even more. He held her tighter, gently kissed her


    forehead, and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Astrid Irvine was sobbing in Elo Lampards are letting down all her guards

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    feel a little embarrassed Tim sorry. Mr Lampard I¡¯ve messed up


    After what seemed like ages, she cried herself out and gently pushed Elin away Her tears had soaked


    through front of his shit, which made your clothes¡±


    That¡¯s okay How are you wiling now? Elin asked looking the womedy


    What had made her so upset?


    Was it something to do with the guy she was with today?


    Ever since had known her shed always seemed carefree. Even when her house bumed down, the


    didn¡¯t reach fut now she was crying her eyes out


    Astrid wiped the tears from her cheeks and managed a weak emile I¡¯m fine Gelena just tested me she


    need for something I have to go¡±


    the stand up, but Elie grabbed her hand tightly ¡°Astrid don¡¯t pretend to be strong if there¡¯s anything


    bothering you, tell me help you¡± Alright Astrid replied and h


    As Elio watched her retreating figure, he bait a bit down.


    She still trested him like a stranger


    Selena was waiting for Astrid at the entrance of a convenience store Seeing her from a distance, she


    quickly walked over ¡°Astrid, why are you sote? The director has been looking for you¡±


    After saying this, Selera noticed Astrid¡¯s red swollen eyes and asked in surprise. ¡°What happened,


    Astrid? Have you been crying? Did someone bully you?¡±


    The nothing¡± Astrid replied feeling a pang of pain in her heart. Shed seen thising, but knowing the


    truth hurt


    Expecially when Sandra Irvine told her that man had thrown her baby, who was only three days old,


    down to the ground


    The thought of this made Astrid¡¯s nose sting and she was on the verge of crying again


    Joana what¡¯s the matter with you? It¡¯s just a simple eating scene, how many times do you need to


    NG?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how much time you¡¯ve wasted?


    ¡°Crying¡± What are you crying for? You only know how to star Angry stam, happy stare, scared stare,


    even when crying, you stare. How can those directors who worked with you before praise you? I really


    can¡¯t


    understand


    Astrid had heard that Todd was very demanding when it came to the acting skills and lines of his


    actors, causing him to criticize many new actors


    But being strict was a good thing because the dramas he directed were all high¨Cquality


    ¡°Astrid you¡¯re here! Todd greeted Astrid, then looked at Joana, who was crying at the side, and said


    discontentedly, ¡°You can go now, go home, and read the script properly. Today, your scenes won¡¯t be


    shot¡± ¡°Astrid, there are some schedule issues with the male lead in the next few days, I n to shoot


    your scenes first. Any problem?¡±


    ¡°No problem. Il be ready after some preparation¡± Astrid adjusted her mood and turned to Selena,


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Selena, can you help me with my makeup?¡±


    Serta nodded ¡°Alright, no problem¡±


    in the dressing room, Selena was doing Astrid¡¯s makeup She took out her phone and sent a voice


    message to Roman Lampard. ¡°Roman, I¡¯ve got some sudden work and can¡¯te back right now


    A few minutester, Roman replied with a kissy face emoji

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    Selena had been in the business for a while and knew the ropes well, ¡°Astrid, didn¡¯t you sign with


    Starlight Entertainment? Didn¡¯t they assign you an assistant? And who¡¯s your agent?¡±


    *For someone at my level, an assistant seems like a luxury As for an agent, I don¡¯t have one yet On the


    day she signed the film contract, Starlight Entertainment had her sign an agency agreement. She


    signed it after making sure the terms were okay, but she still didn¡¯t have an agent


    She felt like she was left on the shell.


    But it was fine, she had her own ns.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°I heard that Dale, the most sought¨Cafter agent in the industry, has joined Starlight Entertainment,


    Selena gossiped.


    Astrid yawned, ¡°She¡¯s here to mentor me.¡±


    At that. Selena burst intoughter, ¡®Astrid, don¡¯t kid yourself, Dale has only managed A¨Clisters, the


    cream of the crop. And you¡­you¡¯re a newbie, why would she mentor you?¡±


    Astrid found it amusing, but she knew Selena meant no harm, ¡°I¡¯m a newble, and I¡¯m proud of it.¡±


    ¡°Ha¨Cha¡® Astrid¡¯s cheeky look cracked Selena up, who then said, ¡°Astrid, mark my words, your role in


    this drama will surely surpass Joana¡¯s. You¡¯re more beautiful and talented. Plus, your character is so


    likablepared to the dull female lead, who does nothing but cry all day. When I read the novel, your


    character was my favorite!¡±


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯ll take that as a good omen.¡± Astrid¡¯s eyes were swollen. She leaned back in her chair and


    closed her eyes


    Astrid felt much better after chatting with Selena for a while.


    As they chatted in the dressing room, they didn¡¯t notice Joana eavesdropping from outside the door.


    When the room fell silent, Joana moved to the nearby lounge.


    After the incident with Lydia, Joana was somewhat wary of Astrid.


    Initially, she didn¡¯t care. Butter, many onlinements suggested she was overshadowed by Astrid.


    There¡¯s no denying Astrid was a knockout; even in a business full of beautles like Sandra, she stood


    out. And her acting skills were top¨Cnotch, which was a real headache for Joana.


    *Joana, what are you doing here?¡± A gentle voice asked, Joana turned around to see Fannie Santos,


    dressed in a white dress, walking leisurely towards her.,


    She gave her a small smile, ¡°I¡¯m just about to remove my makeup and rest. Farnle, what brings you


    here?¡±


    Fannie took off her sunsses and sald with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m here to visit Raleigh.¡±


    Joana was surprised: Raleigh was the leading man of the drama, but Fannie and Raleigh weren¡¯t that


    close, were they?


    Fannie was always on her high horse. Joana had never heard of her visiting anyone before. Despite


    her doubts, Joana didn¡¯t probe further and changed the subject, ¡°Fannie, why did you leave your


    previous agency?¡±

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    Whenever the issue of this came up. Fannie got all riled up. She just wanted to give Carson Fisher a


    gentle nudge, hinting that if he didn¡¯t give her a fair shake, she¡¯d contract expired What she didn¡¯t


    expect was that his response would be a termination contract and a legal letter


    Thewyer informed her that she could no longer be involved in any film, TV, or variety show produced


    or invested in by Morgenster Corporation.


    Morgenster Corporation was a big shot in the entertainment industry, so if she couldn¡¯t be involved in


    their projects, her future prospects would be seriously limited.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    No matter how much she tried to reach Carson, he wouldn¡¯t give her the time of day, let alone see Elio


    DA


    off to anotherpany as soon as her


    Just thinking about Astrid made Fannie quiver with rage. However, she couldn¡¯t tell anyone about Ello¡¯s


    crush on Astrid because she often had the media stir up rumors about her and Ello. If the media found


    out Elio liked another woman, her exposure would take a big hit, and Astrid would be the one reaping


    the benefits


    She wouldn¡¯t let that happen


    ¡°Joana, how Astrid¡¯s acting? Fannie suddenly asked


    Joana thought there shouldn¡¯t be any ovep between Fannie and Astrid, ¡°Her acting is top¨Cnotch.


    We¡¯ve been getting chewed out by Todd these past few days, but she¡¯s never been criticized. She


    always nails her scenes on the first take¡±


    Fannie was taken aback, ¡°First take?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she doesn¡¯t have a lot of screen time, but she really immerses herself in the role, and she¡¯s


    super emotional, Even though Joana didn¡¯t exactly like Astrid, there was no denying Astrid¡¯s acting


    chops. The snippet from the first day of filming had everyone in awe.


    This was why Fannie was increasingly feeling threatened.


    ¡°Joana, Mr Dale is here!¡± A female actress walked by them and tugged at Joana¡¯s sleeve.


    Joana¡¯s eyes lit up the moment she heard the name. If Emily was a top¨Cten agent, then Dale was top¨C


    five. Even though Emily was her agent now, meeting Dale was still an honor. ¡°Fannie, I gotta run; I


    wanna meet Mr Dale¡±


    Fannie watched Joana scamper off and had tough. Then she turned her head and saw Astriding


    out of the makeup artist¡¯s station.


    Even without makeup, Astrid was incredibly beautiful. With makeup, she was even more exquisite.


    Astrid had been a stunner since she was a child; wherever she was, everyone else paled in


    her


    ¡°Astrid, fancy meeting you here. Fannie greeted insincerely.


    Astrid frowned slightly, not in the mood for pleasantries, ¡°You¡¯re blocking the way.¡±


    Her words reminded Fannie of what happened that day in the VIP lounge. She clenched her fists,


    ¡°Astrid, do you really think Mr. Lampard likes you? He just wants to y around!¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Astrid scoffed, ¡°But he doesn¡¯t even want to y around with you. No, he doesn¡¯t even want to


    look at you!¡±


    Fannie was so angry that she was seeing stars. If she wasn¡¯t worried about people seeing her lose her


    cool, she would have pped Astrid. ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t count your chickens before they hatch. The


    connections and resources I¡¯ve umted in this industry over the years are beyond your


    imagination. I have a date with Dale today. Do you know who Dales?


    ¡°But someone like you doesn¡¯t deserve to know Dale. Fannie muttered to herself, then turned and


    walked away


    Astrid waspletely baffled by her strange sense of superiority.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    Selena popped her head out from behind Astrid in surprise, ¡°Holy cow, I didn¡¯t expect her to be like this


    behind the scenes. I always thought she was a cute little sprite.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, Astrid, is it true what she said about Mr. Lampard liking you?¡± Selena excitedly grabbed


    Astrid¡¯s arm, all worked up.


    Astrid rolled her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s all bull, don¡¯t listen to this crazy woman.¡±


    ¡°I think it seems legit that¡­ Selena didn¡¯t get to finish her sentence when she saw an extraordinary


    man walking around the corner. She grabbed Astrid¡¯s arm excitedly again, ¡°Astrid, look, It¡¯s Dale! I cant


    believe I¡¯m seeing him! He¡¯s so hot; I¡¯m freaking out!!¡±


    Astrid sighed, ¡°Let go of me; you¡¯re going to break my arm!¡±


    Dale¡¯s appearance attracted a lot of attention. Fannie spotted Dale and walked up to him confidently,


    ¡°Dale, I¡¯m truly honored; I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d agree to my proposal.¡°¡®


    Hearing Fannie¡¯s words, the spectators gasped./Ms. Santos, does this mean you and Dale are really


    going to coborate?¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t Dale join Starlight Entertainment? And I remember Fannie and Starlight Entertainment


    having parted ways!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re clueless, even if they broke up, they can still get back together!¡±


    Dale was blocked, but he didn¡¯t look Irritated at all. He just smiled at Fannie and said, ¡°What are you


    talking about, Ms. Santos? I¡¯mpletely lost.¡±


    Fannie¡¯s face changed and she became a little flustered.


    Astrid, who was watching this scene, gave a small smile and held out her hand to Selena.


    Selena took a look and quickly turned around to grab a handful of nuts and put them in Astrid¡¯s palm.


    Then the two of them started snacking at the door.


    Fannie said, ¡°It was you who asked to meet here, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Dale blinked, then squinted, ¡°Oh, right, I did.¡±


    Hearing this, Fannie breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I asked to see you to tell you that I can¡¯t help you with the matter you brought up. I¡¯m now the chief


    agent at Starlight Entertainment, and you¡¯re an artist on our cklist There¡¯s no way we can


    coborate. Plus, you¡¯ve upset my little friend, so no matter what, I can¡¯t help you. The atmosphere


    turned weird as Dale finished his sentence.


    Fannie didn¡¯t expect Dale to embarrass her in public. She stood there shivering, unable to speak for a


    long time. Dale, stop messing around. How could I upset your little friend? I don¡¯t even know who your


    little


    friend is.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± A loud voice came from far away. Everyone looked towards the dressing room and saw Astrid


    standing there, with a smile on her face, ¡®Dale, am I your little friend?¡±


    The usually elegant Dale was instantly annoyed, ¡°Astrid, if you call me Dale one more time, you¡¯ll regret


    it!¡±


    Everyone was shocked!


    They didn¡¯t expect Dale and Astrid to know each other.


    And their rtionship seemed very close.


    Dale took a few steps forward, then suddenly stopped and looked at everyone, smiling, ¡°Oh, I forgot to


    introduce myself. I¡¯m Dale, and also Miss Astrid¡¯s agent; just her agent.¡±


    Everyone was utterly dumbfounded.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    Fannie was shaking with anger, ¡°Dale, If you¡¯re not taking my request seriously, then why did you even


    bother inviting me over?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± Dale smirked slightly. ¡°Can¡¯t you figure out what I¡¯m up to?, Obviously to humiliate you in


    public and stand up for my little buddy.¡± Fannie was taken aback. She didn¡¯t expect Dale to spill it right


    away


    She was even more puzzled about how Astrid got involved with a guy like Dale and even managed to


    be good friends with him.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    She didn¡¯t actually want to break the contract with Starlight Entertainment. She sent Pa to Carson,


    thinking she had some clout and hoping Elio would try to keep her.


    1


    But who would¡¯ve thought that she¡¯d manage to screw up her own future. The more she thought about


    it, the more it hurt


    Staying here would only make her aughingstock Fannie bit her lip, hung her head, and quickly left


    the set.


    Her resentment towards Astrid grew even deeper


    Selena was shocked when she heard the news, it was just too unbelievable.


    Turns out what Astrid said while putting on makeup was true


    With the big shot Dale backing her up. Astrid¡¯s future poprity is practically guaranteed!


    Ignoring the curious nces from everyone, Dale strolled over and grabbed the nuts from her hand,


    ¡°you wouldn¡¯t sign up no matter how much I begged you before. Why do you suddenly change your


    mind?¡± Astrid pped her hands, ¡°I wasn¡¯t ready back then.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you look for me when you came back home half a year ago?¡± As Dale spoke, he


    turned to Selena and whispered, ¡°Can you leave us for a bit? We have something to discuss.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Selena promptly left.


    Astrid and Dale went into the dressing room together. Without beating around the bush, Dale asked,


    ¡®Ace you upset? Is someone bothering you? I¡¯ll take care of them!¡±


    Astrid frowned, she didn¡¯t want to beat about the bush either and said her piece, I came to you because


    I¡¯m out of options. I made a bet with my father and brother. If I can¡¯t be the best actress in the


    industry within two years, I¡¯ll have to go home and take over the family business. I don¡¯t want to lose.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to inherit billions?¡± Dale was astonished, ¡°Who on earth doesn¡¯t like money? You¡¯ve got


    some sort of grudge with it? Your dad is the richest man in the country. If you inherit the fortune, you¡¯ll


    be the youngest female tycoon ever. Ask your dad if he still needs a son. If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll take it!¡±


    ¡°You know I have no interest in taking over the family business, plus If I go home, I¡¯ll have to fish with


    my dad every day.¡± Astrid sounded disgruntled talking about it.


    *Speaking of fishing, it cracks me up. I remember the first time I met you three and a half years ago,


    when you were fishing on a yacht with Mr. Brooke. You looked miserable and helpless!¡± Dale couldn¡¯t


    stopughing recalling the scene, ¡®I even took a sneaky photo of you then and set it as my


    screensaver. Whenever I¡¯m feeling down, I look at it and instantly feel better!!


    ¡°Dale, are you asking for a death wish? You think I won¡¯t call my brother to give you a piece of his


    mind?¡±


    The mention of Robb Brooke instantly wiped the smile off Dale¡¯s face. He raised his hands in surrender


    ¡°I¡¯ll agree to anything as long as you don¡¯t call your brother. But, are you sure you don¡¯t want to go back


    to the Brooke family just because you don¡¯t want to inherit the business? It¡¯s not because of that guy, is

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    ¡°Cut the crap. are you gonna help me or not? Ashid changed the subject, her eyes as cold as ice ¡°Dale,


    if you consider me a friend, then drop the subject of that guy. Or else I¡¯ll get pissed.¡±


    ¡°Alright I¡¯m sorry¡± Dale realized he had upset Astrid and quickly added. ¡®Til just say this onest time


    That guy won¡¯t let you off easily


    ¡°If he dares toe at me I¡¯ll fight him tooth and nail Now let¡¯s drop it. I have a few scenes to shoot


    today and Tve got stuff to do afterward. You can stay here for now and we¡¯ll talk more tomorrow.¡± Astrid


    stood up and left


    Dale watched her rush off, swallowing the words he was about to say


    After all this time she was still as headstrong as ever Whatever, they were friends through thick and


    thin. After all, he owed his life to her. So, he could only spoil her


    Dale sat on the sofa and pulled out his phone to y some games Astrid reappeared in the doorway.


    ¡°You know what they say, quarrels between lovers are the renewal of love. How long are you nning


    to give him the silent treatment?¡±


    ¡°Astrid, do you still want my help? Dale retorted grumpily


    Astrid just shrugged, ¡°Just forget I said anything¡±


    These two were such a handful


    A few minutester, Astrid arrived at the shooting location.


    Todd noticed her off¨Ckilter demeanor and voiced his concern, ¡®Astrid, are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Im fine Director Let¡¯s get started Astrid took a deep breath and shed Todd a smile.


    Todd nodded, but he was still worried. However, as soon as he yelled ¡°action¡°, Astrid was back in the


    zone.


    The scene was her character¡¯s first encounter with her love interest. She perfectly embodied the


    shyness and anticipation of a young girl falling in love for the first time. The chemistry between her and


    her co¨Cstar was palpable and their sweet atmosphere had the crew¡¯s hearts racing.


    ¡°They are so adorable together.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m a girl, and even I¡¯m smitten with Astrid!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful that she looks great from every angle. Such delicate skin and such a tall figure!¡±


    By the time they wrapped up, it was already past nine in the evening. Astrid checked her phone to find


    a string of messages from Roman, all asking when she would be back.


    ¡°Tm on my way¡± Astrid sent a voice message, then headed towards the parking lot. From a distance,


    she saw Ello standing by the car, watching her.


    Thinking back to their argument earlier, Astrid felt a bit awkward, ¡°Did you leave Roman at the hotel?¡±


    ¡°I have someone looking after him; don¡¯t worry.¡± Ello opened the car door for her.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Astrid got into the car, and as Elio reached over to fasten her seatbelt, she quickly stopped him,


    ¡°Mr. Lampard, I can do it myself.¡±


    Elio didn¡¯t exactly enjoy being referred to as Mr. Lampard by her. It felt too formal and distant.


    The ride was silent.


    Astrid was unusually quiet today, her gaze fixed outside the window, seeming a bit lonesome.


    Did something happen today that upset you?¡± Ello finally broke the silence after a while.


    Astrid looked forlorn as she softly said, ¡°I just found out someone very important to me has left this


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    world.¡±


    Elio could tell she was trying to keep her emotions in check. Her hand, resting on herp, clenched


    tightly as she spoke.


    That person must have meant a lot to her¡­.


    The light turned red, and the car came to a stop.


    Rain began to fall outside. The windshield wipers swished back and forth, and Astrid watched the


    droplets slide down the window, quietly saying, ¡°Mr. Lampard, you must find Roman¡¯s mother.¡±


    She knew the pain of losing a loved one all too well. No matter how much she cared for Roman, she


    could never rece his birth mother.

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    ¡°What?¡± The rain was too heavy and Elio couldn¡¯t hear clearly what she was saying, ¡°Astrid, what did


    you just say?¡±


    ¡°I said Roman must miss his mom terribly You must find her¡±


    Elios hand on the steering wheel froze slightly. He didn¡¯t know why Astrid suddenly brought this up, but


    he could clearly feel that her mood was off tonight


    But no matter what he asked afterwards, Astrid didn¡¯t speak again. He had no choice but to drop it


    In front of the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows of the hotel. Roman sat watching downstairs. After an unknown


    amount of time, a conspicuous pickup truck appeared in his sight through the curtain of rain. His eyes


    softened, then he turned to the man nearby and said, ¡°You can leave¡±


    Upon hearing this, the man immediately left the hotel


    Roman walked to the door opened it, and stood at the entrance, looking towards the elevator


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Time ticked by, with every minute seeming like an eternity to him.


    Finally the elevator doors opened Roman rushed over and hugged Astrid¡¯s leg tightly. ¡°Ms. Irvine, 1


    missed you!¡±


    Astrid felt a lump in her throat as she looked down at the adorable little guy in front of her. She bent


    down and picked him up. ¡°I missed you too, Roman. Will you sleep with me tonight?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± Roman smiled brightly, wrapping his arms around Astrid¡¯s neck and nting a kiss on her


    cheek. ¡°Roman doesn¡¯t want to leave Ms. Irvine¡±


    ¡°We wont be apart. The heavens had taken her baby but had brought her Roman. Perhaps all of this


    was meant to be.


    Astrid was feeling down and didn¡¯t eat much at dinner, holding onto Roman the whole time.


    After dinner, Elio helped bathe Roman, and Astrid took him to bed.


    The presidential suite had two rooms. Elio slept in the other room, tossing and turning; unable to sleep-


    Just as he was about to turn off the light after setting down his phone, it¡¯vibrated.


    Picking up his phone, Elio saw a message from Carson, ¡°Dale wants to be the madam¡¯s agent.¡±


    Elio frowned, ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Dale, the one who¡¯s nurtured many Oscar¨Cwinning actors and actresses. He suddenly jumped ship


    from ourpetitor, Vista Visual, to Starlight Entertainment and proposed to be the madam¡¯s agent. Do


    you think there¡¯s something fishy going on?¡±


    Elio¡¯s brow furrowed deeper. ¡°Does he know Astrid?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and they¡¯re quite close. Everyone on set saw it today. Dale calls her¡­ little friend¡±


    little friend?


    Astrid was truly extraordinary. How could a pre¨Cdebut artist know a top agent in the Industry?


    ¡°Click A slight noise came from the door, and Ello looked up to see Astrid, with her eyes half¨Cclosed,


    swaying towards him.


    She was sleepwalking¡­


    She climbed into bed next to him naturally, grabbed one of his hands, and fell asleep..


    And even pouted her lips a little..


    Elio looked at the peaceful sleeping face of the young girl, bending down to nt a soft kiss on her


    forehead. Goodnight, little girl.¡±

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    Astrid had a pretty good sleep. She stretchedzily, rolled over, and slung her arm over Ello¡¯s waist,


    touching his abs


    The sensation under her hand was just too good and she mumbled in a half¨Cawake state, ¡°Feels so


    good¡­¡±


    Elio was all tensed up, feeling so hot it felt like he was going to get a lever


    But the little girl beside him didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of stopping and continued randomly


    touching him here and there. It was pure torture for Ello In the morning. Ello turned and kissed her


    His feather¨Clike kissesnded on her forehead, then her eyebrows, her eyes¡­


    Astrid, still asleep, felt itchy on her face, like something was scratching her, ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    She hummed ufortably, the sound was sozy and soft that it instantly lit up Ello¡¯s whole body.


    ¡°Elio Romans shout came from the doorway, waking Astrid up in a second.


    She sat up abruptly. Elio was caught off guard and their heads banged together with a ¡°thud¡°!


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Astrid grimaced in pain, turned her head, and saw Elio lying half undressed beside her


    Looking around the room, Astrid instantly understood what had happened, feeling extremely


    embarrassed, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you wake me up when you saw me sleepwalking?¡®


    But why did she always end up in Elio¡¯s bed when she sleepwalked?


    Could it be that she actually had feelings for Elio in her subconscious?


    The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt.


    Elio, looking at the blushing girl, felt his mouth dry, ¡®Astrid, you have to take responsibility for this..


    ¡°Responsibility? Stop talking nonsense. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone sleepwalking and. The more Astrid


    spoke, the more embarrassed she felt. She quickly jumped off the bed, grabbed Roman, and hurried


    away All day, Roman was huffing and ¡®puffing, looking unhappy.


    He looked at Elio as if he were looking at an enemy.


    While Elio was absolutely over the moon, thinking about how Astrid threw herself at himst night and


    how he kissed her this morning, he felt extremely pleased.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    After lunch, Astrid had to go back to the film crew.


    Carson came to pick up Roman and Ello. Ello handed the car keys to Astrid, ¡°Here, take this.


    ¡°For me? No, no, no, I have a car. Although Astrid really liked the Pikachu car that Ello modified, she


    felt it was inappropriate to take his car


    ¡°I¡¯m lending it to you. This car was modified at Roman¡¯s request because he said you liked it and


    wanted you to take him for a ride in it. Right, Roman?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Roman nodded in agreement, but in his heart, he despised Ello for always using him.


    Sure enough, when Astrid heard it was Roman¡¯s request, she epted the keys, This Is a new car,


    Isn¡¯t it? How much? I¡¯ll transfer the money to you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t buy the car, so I¡¯m not sure about the price.¡± Ello didn¡¯t n to actually sell the car to Astrid; he


    was just stalling.


    Astrid misunderstood and thought that Ello was worried about her ability to pay, so she said, ¡°Mr.


    Lampard, you don¡¯t have to worry about me not being able to afford it. I¡¯m rich.¡±


    Elio knew she wasn¡¯t short of money; after all, she was the Internationally renowned hacker Dr. Aster;


    how could she possiblyck money?


    Roman, who was ignored by the two, felt unhappy and immediately stretched out his chubby hand to


    Astrid, ¡°Hug!¡°,¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Astrid picked up Roman and gave him a kiss on the cheek.


    Roman, who got a kiss, Immediately grinned from ear to ear.


    After Astrid kissed one side of his face, Roman immediately offered the other side for Astrid to kis, then


    he pointed to his little forehead for Astrid to kiss.


    After the kisses, he even shot Elio a provocative nce.


    Elio¡¯s vein was popping on his forehead; this little guy was getting more and more outrageous,


    Roman happily got into the car. As soon as the car door was closed, Elio grabbed Roman and rubbed


    his big hand on his face..


    The little guy¡¯s face was all distorted, ¡°Elio, you¡¯re a bad guy; I¡¯m going to tell Ms. Irvine!!!¡°.


    Looking at the two people fighting in the back seat, Carsonughed and said, ¡°Chlef, Dale moved into


    the apartment next to Astrid. They¡¯re neighbors now.¡± Elio raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh?¡±

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    ¡°I asked you to check out how those two met; did you find anything?¡± Ello didn¡¯t really care much about


    Dale initially, but now that the guy actually moved next door to Astrid, he decided he needed to know


    more


    about him.


    ¡°I did, but couldn¡¯t find anything indicating that they¡¯d met before.¡± Carson felt somewhat embarrassed


    mentioning this. Being a top¨Cnotch hacker himself, he always felt ipetent when he had to


    investigate


    Astrid¡¯s information


    Elio looked away. ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    In front of Astrid. Carson¡¯s skills were pretty much worthless.


    Roman sat aside, listening to their conversation, utterly uninterested


    With Astrid gone, he was back to his apathetic self.


    Once he got home, he headed straight upstairs without uttering a word. Elio had a lot on his te and


    didn¡¯t bother him.


    About half an hourter, there was a knock on the door of his study. Turning around, Ello saw Roman


    standing there with a small backpack, a suitcase, and a hat on. He looked like he was ready to run


    away from home.


    ¡°What are you doing. Roman?¡± He asked sternly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to live with Ms. Irvine.¡± Roman was about to leave with his suitcase, and Ello frowned,


    shouting, ¡®Roman, stop right there!¡±


    Elio¡¯s voice was so loud that all the housekeepers heard him getting angry.


    Recognizing Elio¡¯s wrath, Roman stopped, somewhat scared.


    In the past, Elio would have scolded Roman.


    But seeing the pitiful look on Roman¡¯s face, Ello held back.


    He put down the files in his hand, stood up, walked over to Roman, and squatted down to his level.


    ¡°Roman, your living with Ms. Irvine will only bring her trouble.¡±


    ¡°What kind of trouble?¡® Roman tilted his head, looking confused.


    Elio was silent for a moment, then said quietly, ¡°Because a single woman living with a child can be


    misunderstood. Ms Irvine Is an actress; people will attack her with words. ¡°I can protect her.¡± Roman


    said seriously.


    Elio raised an eyebrow, ¡°You can¡¯t even protect yourself; who can you protect?!


    Roman thought for a moment, ¡®I¡¯ll grow up.¡°.


    Elio was speechless.


    Roman nced at Wylie not far away, suddenly remembering that Wylle once told him to sleep well so


    he could grow up quickly


    He turned to look at Ello, patting his arm, and said in a mature tone, I¡¯m off to grow up. Goodnight¡­


    Off to grow up?


    It wasn¡¯t until Roman went back to his room that Elio realized he was going to bed.)


    Why did he feel that ever since Roman met Astrid, even his thought process had be erratic?


    He was bing a real headache for Elio.


    In the hotel, Astrid was getting ready for bed when she received a voice message from Roman, ¡®Ms.


    Irvine, good night, kis


    Astrid smiled sweetly, ¡°Kiss-¡±


    As usual, she put down her phone, locked the hotel room door, and piled up a bunch of empty wine


    bottles at the entrance.


    She did this not because she was afraid of someone breaking in but because she was afraid she might


    wander out in her sleep.


    With these wine bottles, she felt more at ease, knowing that if she kicked the bottles, the noise would


    wake her up.


    Once everything was set, Astridid down on the bed.


    Just as she closed her eyes, her phone rang. She picked it up, and her fingers trembled slightly at the


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    sight of the number.


    ¡°Astrid, I¡¯m back.¡±


    She felt a chill run down her spine as if the devil¡¯s face appeared in front of her. Astrid clicked on the


    message and cklisted the number.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    Astrid was lying restlessly in bed with her eyes tightly shut.


    She never expected that guy toe back, let alone toe looking for her straight away


    After tossing and turning in bed until the wee hours of the morning, she finally drifted off into a drowsy


    slumber


    After some time the noise from outside started to escte


    Girlish shrieks were erupting from all directions, and the sound of running in the hallway became louder


    and louder Annoyed, she yanked the covers over her head.


    But the racket didn¡¯t lessen a bit it felt like the entire building was shaking


    The rumbling sound of a helicopter came through, and Astrid blinked in surprise. Was that her second


    brother¡¯s arrival?


    She tossed the covers aside, got out of bed, pulled open the curtains, and was greeted with a shower


    of blue enchantress flower petals raining down with the sunlight. The blue petals fluttered down with the


    wind, making everything in sight seem dreamlike.


    Girls were screaming from the floors above and below.


    ¡°Oh my God, this is so romantic! Petal rain!¡±


    ¡°Is some wealthy dude proposing?¡±


    ¡°I wish my boyfriend could surprise me like this!¡±


    ¡°I want a boyfriend like this too!!!¡±


    Astrid yawned Just as she was about to leave, a bunch of colorful balloons appeared in front of her


    window, Dangling from the balloons was a note that read. ¡°Astrid, I like you.¡± Astrid¡¯s heart raced at the


    sight of those words.


    Before she could react, countless identical balloons started to ascend, each one attached to a note with


    the same message.


    Her phone rang at that moment; she turned around to pick it up and saw a message from an unknown


    number. ¡°Astrid, marry me.¡±


    Seeing the message. Astrid scowled and replied. ¡°In your dreams, I¡¯m not marrying you; just seeing


    you makes me sick!¡±


    The unknown number replied. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re such a tease.¡±


    Astrid tossed her phone aside, closed the curtains, and irritably ran her fingers through her hair before


    heading to the bathroom. News of a mysterious wealthy man confessing his love to Astrid with a


    shower of blue enchantress petals quickly spread online. Thements fromizens were varied.


    ¡°Astrid doesn¡¯t have any notable work; she¡¯s always trending because of her sugar daddy. She¡¯s so


    shameless


    ¡°Regardless, this petal rain is really beautiful. Blue enchantress is expensive; I¡¯m so jealous!!


    ¡°This girl is very pretty. It¡¯s normal for people to like her. Some people really don¡¯t need to be so harsh.


    ¡°I wonder if the person confessing this time is the same one who used the dronest time?¡±


    When Elio saw the news, he immediately looked up the guy¡¯s information online,


    He was a distinguished professor from the top university in the States who had a high reputation


    Internationally


    Looking at the man¡¯s face in the photo, Elio¡¯s expression darkened. Just how many secrets did Astrid


    have?


    It seemed that he needed to take some special measures; otherwise, he had no idea how long he¡¯d


    have to walt to bring her back home.


    Astrid changed her clothes and saw that the group chat was buzzing.


    Brandon, ¡°Star, you need to exin. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Rickon, ¡°Star, why do you always attract so much attention?¡±


    Jon, ¡°It must be some shameless rich guy trying to get close to Star, I¡¯ll teach him a lesson tomorrow.¡±


    Astrid responded helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s just a suitor from my college days; I¡¯ve already rejected him.¡±


    Brandon, ¡°A suitor from your college days? Last time, you said the one who confessed with the drone


    was a sultor from college, and the one who wanted to gift you a property was also a suitor. Just how


    many suitors did you have in college?¡±


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    Astrid replied ¡°Not that many, really.¡±


    Rickon, ¡°An army?¡±


    Astrid, ¡°Do you guys think I¡¯m only worth that much?¡±


    Everyone, *_*

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80


    At this point, Robb, who hadn¡¯t said a word yet, sent a message ¡°Is it Hal Cot?*


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The group chat went silent in an instant


    Astrid neither admitted nor denied it


    Robb realized he guessed right and couldn¡¯t help but feel worried ¡°Star, that man is dangerous¡±


    Astrid replied ¡°I know what to do You don¡¯t need to worry The director is rushing me now, I need to go


    to the set


    After sending the message. Astrid muted her phone, changed her clothes, and went out


    Hal was her professor back in college


    Many peopledhought she never attended college, but in fact, she graduated from one of the top


    universities in the States, finishing all her credits and graduating in just three months. If not for dealing


    with other things during that time, she would have graduated even faster


    She met Ha! by ident She didn¡¯t expect that the man who always wore a charming smile would


    be her nightmare.


    To others, he was a top international medical professor, but only she knew that this man¡¯s identity was


    much moreplicated than it appeared on the surface.


    As her brother said, he was dangerous, very dangerous.


    ¡°Astrid, your assistant is here¡± Selena¡¯s voice came, and Astrid snapped back to reality.


    Assistant?


    Since when did she have an assistant?


    ¡°OMG, what¡¯s up with this hotel you¡¯re staying at, Astrid? The elevator is broken, and I had to drag this


    huge suitcase up 11 floors!¡± Gracie Brooke¡¯sining voice came from the security passage, and a


    smile appeared on Astrid¡¯s face.


    She quickly walked to the stairwell and reached out to take Gracie¡¯s suitcase, ¡®This is just a small town,


    not some international city like Sunhaven. The elevator here is broken four days a week.¡± ¡°But how


    Gracie nodded. ¡°Yes, I told you before that I¡¯d be willing to be your agent if you debuted. But the


    I¡¯m worried about you if I¡¯m not around; I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be used.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you coulde.¡± Astrid sincerely said, ¡°You get settled and familiarize yourself with the


    surroundings. I have to go to the set now.¡±


    Gracie nodded. ¡°Alright, you go ahead; I¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡±


    ¡°No need; you rest first; I can handle it.¡± Astrid looked at Gracle, who was sweating profusely, wiped the


    sweat off her forehead, and left with Selena. The road was filled with many unswept rose petals, and


    the cleaners wereining as they cleaned.


    When she got to the set, Astrid went to makeup.


    People on the set began to whisper about her.


    ¡°I was actually a fan of hers before, but now I feel disgusted. How many sugar daddies does she have


    exactly?¡±


    Maybe one for every day of the week?¡± The crowdughed, ¡°I don¡¯t know who she¡¯s trying to fool with


    her haughty attitude; she¡¯s clearly not innocent at all!¡±


    143


    ¡°I was wondering how an extra could suddenly get a supporting female role, but now I see that she


    must have used some sneaky tactics.¡±


    *She must have some dirty secrets. Otherwise, how could someone as noble as Dale help her, and


    with the rain of rose petals today, she¡¯s so shameless..


    ¡°Who are you calling shameless? Astrid¡¯s voice came from behind, and their faces Instantly changed.


    Being caught badmouthing someone in public was a really awful feeling.


    ¡°Who said that? You said it, right?¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me; it must have been him.¡±

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot on our tes. Let¡¯s vamoose.¡± The group was set to leave, but Astrid grabbed hold of


    one of them by the cor, demanding with a stern voice, ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. I heard every word you guys


    were saying. Now, apologize!¡±


    Lately, the negative press about her was piling up like dirtyundry, and she¡¯d already traced the


    source back to the people spreading it, including the very guy she was holding onto!


    ¡°Apologize?¡± The man found the request amusing. He tried to wiggle out of Astrid¡¯s hold, but she held


    on tight. He scoffed and retorted, ¡°What did we do wrong? Why should we apologize to you?¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Astrid replied, ¡°I¡¯ve given you a fair shot.¡± She dialed a number on her phone, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me. Some folks


    are spreading false info about me. I¡¯m going to sue them for defamation. I¡¯ll send you all the deets and


    evidenceter.¡±


    The group was caught off guard by Astrid¡¯s move. The man who wasughing earlier quickly stopped


    and challenged her, ¡°On what grounds are you using us of defamation? What evidence do you


    have? Quit trying to intimidate us with yourwyer!¡±


    Astrid smirked, ¡°ording to thew, if anyone spreads rumors viting a citizen¡¯s personal reputation


    rights, they must bear the responsibility to cease infringement, restore reputation, eliminate influence,


    publicly apologize, andpensate for the loss.


    She continued, ¡°Otis, you¡¯ve got a Twitter ount. You¡¯ve been posting false stuff about me, like thirty


    tweets in the past few days with over 20,000 retweets. It¡¯s seriously messed with my image. You¡¯re


    breaking thew. You might be facing detention and fines.¡±


    Everyone was taken aback. Before they could react, Astrid pointed to a surveince camera behind


    her, ¡°You guys were loud when you were badmouthing me earlier. It¡¯s all on tape. If you don¡¯t want to


    get caught, don¡¯t do dumb stuff like this. Expect a letter from mywyer.¡±


    Selena, who stood behind Astrid, was scared stiff. She was worried that Astrid would get the short end


    of the stick, but she didn¡¯t expect her to be so tough and well-versed in thew.


    Otis was dumbfounded.


    He¡¯d been running an online ount, posting false info about Astrid to draw attention. He never told


    anyone about it, but how did Astrid know it was his?


    He knew someone who got sued and detained for posting false info about celebrities and was pped


    with a hefty fine.


    The thought of facing the same fate made Otis back down, ¡°Ms. Irvine, I messed up. Please, give me


    another chance!¡±


    ¡°I already did, and you blew it.¡± Astrid retorted, turning to leave. Otis quickly followed.


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, I really know I was wrong. You¡¯re so gentle, generous, beautiful, and kind. You wouldn¡¯t


    hold grudges against someone like me.¡± Otis begged and was on the verge of tears.


    Astrid nced back at him, scoffing, ¡°Don¡¯t try to guilt trip me. Yes, I¡¯m beautiful, but I¡¯m not kind. I hold


    grudges. I won¡¯t let you off the hook.¡±


    A hush fell over the crowd at her words.


    Selena was totally gobsmacked. Astrid usually seemed so soft-spoken, but she¡¯d shown such a tough


    side. It was awe-inspiring.


    ¡°Astrid, you¡¯re so cool!¡± Selena looked at Astrid with admiration.


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, ¡°Don¡¯t fall for me; it won¡¯t end well.¡±

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    ¡°Haha.¡± At first, Selena was just into Astrid¡¯s looks, but now she¡¯s totally head over heels for her


    personality!


    Otis tried to say something, but a nce from Astrid shut him up.


    Her icy stare was like a cold st that froze him in his tracks. He lowered his head and didn¡¯t dare utter


    another word.


    If he knew that Astrid was this tough, even if he had the guts of a lion, he wouldn¡¯t dare cross her!


    ¡°Get ready on set!¡± Todd¡¯s voice came from not far away, and to everyone, it sounded like sweet music.


    They cautiously nced at Astrid. And seeing no expression on her face, they quickly left.


    Honestly, they only dared talk about Astrid because she seemed like an easy target. Who would¡¯ve


    thought? She looked so harmless but was actually so fierce, ready to sue at the drop of a hat, with no


    room for negotiation.


    After Otis was sued, everyone¡¯s attitude towards Astrid changed drastically.


    Everyone steered clear of her, not daring to interact with her. With Otis as the warning, no one was


    spreading rumors about her anymore, scared they¡¯d end up like him.


    Life on set was busy and fulfilling, and even though they were sleep-deprived, Astrid was over the


    moon.


    Being a great actress was her childhood dream.


    They are some joys in life money can¡¯t buy.


    Doing what you love is the best. It¡¯s way better than going home to inherit the family fortune,


    She didn¡¯t need the dough anyway.


    Astrid was busy, but she video-chatted with Roman every night.


    He was speaking more fluently, smiling more, looking super adorable, and seemed like he had put on


    some weight.


    She just wanted to hold him and shower him with kisses.


    Elio sat on the couch watching Roman and Astrid chat, feeling a bit uneasy.


    At first, he thought Astrid might ask about him.


    Turns out he was overthinking.


    She video-chatted with Roman every night this week but never once mentioned him.


    Not once.


    Like shepletely forgot about him.


    He was bummed.


    After ending the call, Roman happily went to take a bath. As he reached the staircase, he stopped and


    looked at Elio, who was pretending to watch the game. He said coldly, ¡°Elio, I caught you peeping at


    her!¡±


    Elio¡¯s hand that held the teacup trembled slightly, ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    ¡°If you admit you miss her, I¡¯ll let you talk to Ms. Irvine tomorrow.¡± Roman peeked at Elio through the


    railing, looking adorably guilty.


    Elio had been dreaming about Astrid every night and missing her like crazy. But seeing Roman¡¯s


    pitying look, he retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t care; who said I miss her?¡±


    With that, Roman released the voice key he was holding, then turned to the iPad and said, ¡°Ms. Irvine,


    did you hear that? Elio said he doesn¡¯t miss you! Roman loves you the most!¡±


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    ¡°Roman!!!¡± Elio never thought this kid would y such tricks, so he yelled out loud.


    Roman knew he was in trouble, grabbed the iPad, and ran away from the crime scene while shouting,


    ¡°Help! Elio¡¯s gonna hit me!!!¡±


    Elio was speechless.


    He used to worry about Roman not talking enough, but now he wished he¡¯d talk less to avoid daily


    arguments.


    But he couldn¡¯t let things go on like this. It seemed Astrid had many suitors; he couldn¡¯t let someone


    else seize the opportunity.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83


    After thinking for a few seconds, Elio pulled out his phone and sent a voice message to Roman.


    ¡°Roman, I¡¯m going to your Ms. Irvine¡¯s set tomorrow; if you promise to follow my instructions, I¡¯ll take


    you with me.¡±


    Roman replied. ¡°Sure thing, Chief, I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    He must have learned that nickname from Carson. He never learns what he should, but he¡¯s got a


    knack for ttery.


    The next day, Aoyama County had heavy rain.


    Unable to work due to the heavy rain, Astrid was in her hotel room ying video games.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    While she was ying, a message popped up on the screen.


    An unknown number had sent her a message that read. ¡°I¡¯m at the caf¨¦ across from your hotel, are you


    Astrid¡¯s hand trembled. She quickly tossed her phone onto the bed, then got up to pull back the


    curtains.


    Hal¡¯s eye-catching red Rolls-Royce was parked on the side of the road. Astrid looked at the car and felt


    a bit scared.


    She had to go out. Who knows what would happen if she let Hale to the hotel?


    Astrid replied. ¡°I¡¯ming down.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Hal replied.


    Astrid grabbed her umbre and headed downstairs.


    The rain was pouring outside and her umbre nearly got blown away. Although the cafe was just over


    a hundred meters from the hotel, it felt like a long walk.


    A shadow saw her leave, then messaged Fannie. ¡°Astrid has gone out; she¡¯s gone into the caf¨¦ across


    the street. A guy with a limited-edition Rolls-Royce went in before her.¡±


    Upon receiving the message, Fannie smiled and texted Elio. ¡°Unexpected surprise at the caf¨¦ near the


    set.¡±


    By the time Astrid got to the caf¨¦, her shoes and pants were soaked through.


    She pushed the door open, walked in, and saw Hal sitting on a couch from a distance.


    He¡¯d lost some weight since thest time she saw him.


    His face was pale and gaunt, and the veins in his arms were slightly protruding, making him look


    somewhat terrifying.


    Seeing here in, Hal stood up. He smiled while holding arge bouquet of blue enchantress orchids


    in his hand, ¡°Your favorite flowers.¡±


    Hal was always smiling. His smile was charming, yet dangerous.


    Astrid took the flowers and immediately tossed them onto the floor, ¡°Hal, enough. I¡¯m not the naive little


    girl you could easily manipte three years ago. If you dare do anything, I won¡¯t make it easy for you.¡±


    Hal chuckled, looking at the face that appeared in his dreams every night; he reached out to touch her.


    Astrid immediately perceived his intention and swiftly dodged.


    Hal smirked, ¡°You know what? I¡¯ve been thinking about you every day since we broke up!


    ¡°I think about you every day too.¡± She looked at him coldly, not hiding the disgust in her eyes, ¡°I think


    about when you¡¯ll finally disappear.¡±


    The atmosphere in the room instantly turned terrifying, and Hal¡¯s smile became dangerous, ¡°Astrid,


    don¡¯t try to provoke me; you can¡¯t afford the price!¡±


    ¡°Price? I¡¯d love to see what kind of price you¡¯d have me pay. Like before, locking me up in a sunless


    room? Scaring me out with the snake you know I¡¯m terrified of just to make me have dinner with you?


    Or forcing me to watch horror movies 24/7 so I¡¯d be scared and seek your protection?¡± Astrid rarely lost


    control like she did now, but those memories were simply unforgettable.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    She never thought love could be so twisted and sick. Every time she rejected him, he¡¯d trap her, scare


    her, and torment her in all sorts of ways.


    But she always had the pocket knife Rickon gave her for self-protection. Even though Hal had


    tormented her, he gained nothing from it, not even so much as touching her hand, and almost got


    himself stabbed by her in the process.


    After that, the Cot family didn¡¯t dare let Hal mess with her again.


    They all feared their precious son would identally get himself killed by her.


    So, when Hal showed up that day, she was a bit surprised.


    ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t be like this.¡± Astrid¡¯s hate-filled gaze scared Hal. He tried to grab Astrid¡¯s hand, but she


    just grabbed his arm and flipped him over her shoulder.


    Hal¡¯s bodyguards hadn¡¯t even reacted yet, and Hal was already t on his back.


    His face turned even paler, with beads of sweat forming on his forehead.


    As the bodyguards were about to move towards Astrid, he suddenly yelled, ¡°Back off! Don¡¯t you dare


    All the bodyguards in the room were too frightened to move


    They all stared at Astrid, itching to tear her apart.


    Their young master already had a weak constitution, and Astrid had the audacity to throw him around.


    If anything happened to him, they¡¯d be done for.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Cough cough cough¡­¡± Hal started coughing violently due to his agitation, soon coughing up a


    mouthful of blood. ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t leave me. Pity me; apany me through thest journey of life,


    okay?¡±


    Astrid looked at his trembling body, her lips pursed, ¡°Affection can¡¯t be given out of pity; I don¡¯t want to


    be with someone I don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you like me? Because of that incident? I¡¯ve apologized to you!¡± Hal¡¯s body was already


    exhausted from the long flight, let alone being thrown by Astrid. He was barely holding on.


    ¡°Apologize? That incident left me scarred. Do you think an apology can just erase all that? If your dad


    wasn¡¯t so nice to me, I would have killed you long ago!¡± Astrid shivered at the thought of what had


    happened three years ago.


    Hal knew she had made up her mind and said, ¡°You know I¡¯m dying. A dying man doesn¡¯t care about


    the consequences. Are you sure you want to gamble with me? Your brothers adore you and they would


    give anything for you, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± Astrid shouted. The bodyguards quickly stepped in front of her, fearing she would hit


    Hal again.


    Hal wiped the blood from his mouth and a satisfied smile appeared on his face, ¡°Unless you get


    married and have children, I will never give up.¡±


    ¡°Married with children?¡± Astrid paused, knowing Hal was crazy enough to keep his word.


    Astrid suddenly had a new idea and a smile appeared on her face. She said, ¡°Funny you should


    mention that. I¡¯m already married and have a child.¡±


    Hal naturally didn¡¯t believe Astrid was married, ¡°Astrid, do you even believe what you¡¯re saying?¡± Since


    he knew Astrid, she was never out of his sight for more than half a year. There¡¯s no way she could


    have had a child during that time.


    So, he was convinced she was lying.


    Hearing this, Astridughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m an actress, of course I can¡¯t publicize my marital status.¡±


    This made Halugh; he asked, ¡°So what¡¯s your husband¡¯s name?¡±


    Astrid blinked and answered, ¡°Elio.¡±


    /

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    ¡°Elio?¡± Hal chuckled softly, ¡°You can¡¯t just pull someone out of a hat to get me off your back. Everybody


    knows Elio is single; how could you say he¡¯s your husband?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any proof that you¡¯re married? Do you even have a marriage certificate?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll prove it.¡± A cold male voice sounded from behind. Before Astrid could react, arge hand rested on


    her shoulder, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Elio; I am Astrid¡¯s¡­ hubby.¡±


    Astrid was utterly surprised to see Elio here and felt a bit jittery. This was not part of her n.


    Seeing Elio drape his arm over Astrid¡¯s shoulder, the usual smile on Hal¡¯s face finally vanished.


    At this moment, a little boy slowly walked in, bowing to Hal, ¡°Hello sir, I¡¯m Roman; I¡¯m mom¡¯s¡­ son!¡±


    After saying this, Roman immediately hugged Astrid¡¯s leg and affectionately called out, ¡°Mommy!¡±


    Astrid twitched at the corner of her mouth.


    These two sure know how to put on a show.


    Of course, Hal wouldn¡¯t easily believe Astrid and Elio¡¯s words, but the harmonious scene before him


    was too much to bear. He wanted to leave immediately!


    Hal, suppressing his difort, stood up and said, ¡°Well then, I wish you happiness.¡±


    People gradually left the room, leaving only the sound of a roaring engine outside as the car drove


    away.


    Elio looked down at the girl beside him with a slight smirk on his face. He had received a text from


    Fannie on the way here.


    He had faith in Astrid, but when he reached the doorway, he saw the car.


    He had seen this car when investigating Hal before; it had arge grim reaper decal on it, making it


    easy to recognize.


    Initially, he was furious, but when he reached the door, he heard her say that he was her husband.


    It felt pretty good.


    Astrid tried to move her shoulder, but Elio showed no sign of letting go. She had no choice but to bend


    down, pick up Roman, and say, ¡°Roman, thanks foring to Mommy¡¯s rescue.¡±


    Roman replied, ¡°As long as Mommy is okay!¡±


    ¡°Wow, Roman, your speech is getting smoother. Good job!¡± Astrid gave Roman a kiss, then turned and


    saw Elio still staring at her.


    Feeling a bit awkward, Astrid said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lampard.¡±


    Elio smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You¡¯re my wife; it¡¯s my duty.¡±


    The title ¡®my wife¡¯ made Astrid feel awkward, ¡°I only used your name because I had no other choice¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, feel free to use it. My name, my person, everything.¡± Elio¡¯s deep voice echoed, making


    Astrid¡¯s heart beat faster.


    This guy was really taking a mile when given an inch.


    Seeing her awkwardness, Elio decided not to tease her anymore, ¡°What was the deal with that guy just


    now?¡±


    Astrid¡¯s eyes darkened at his words.


    Just as Elio thought she didn¡¯t want to talk about it. Astrid said in a low voice, ¡°He was my professor in


    college. He pursued me relentlessly; everyone knew about it. I was disgusted, so I always refused him.


    We had a big fight at some point; I almost stabbed him with a knife.¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t borate on the details, but Elio knew things were not as simple as she said. If it was just


    a normal argument, she wouldn¡¯t have resorted to violence.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Looking at the girl¡¯s somewhat gloomy eyes, Elio gently said, ¡°If someone dares bully you in the future,


    fight back. If anything big happens, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86


    Elio¡¯s deep affection stirred something in Astrid. She looked up at him and gave him a gentle smile. ¡°I


    can handle my business.¡± She said.


    Elio fell silent.


    Her response caught him off guard.


    Shouldn¡¯t she be moved at a moment like this?


    Was it because he didn¡¯t express himself clearly enough that she didn¡¯t understand his feelings?


    Roman, standing nearby, saw his father¡¯s stunned expression and slowly raised his hand. ¡°ll handle it


    for you!¡±


    Astrid was deeply touched by Roman¡¯s cuteness and gave a lightugh. ¡°If you¡¯re going to help me,


    you¡¯ll have to grow up quickly. You need to be taller than me~¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± Roman replied with a sweet smile. He was always thrilled to see Astrid.


    Due to the heavy rain, they couldn¡¯t go anywhere else, so Astrid picked up her phone and yed a


    small game with Roman. Elio was left out and was feeling down.


    Carson gave the caf¨¦ staff a sum of money and made them sign a non-disclosure agreement. They


    weren¡¯t allowed to talk about what happened that day.


    After all, his boss hadn¡¯t sessfully pursued Astrid yet. If this got out, it could harm Astrid¡¯s career


    and be a big deal.


    Two hourster, the rain stopped. Astrid was ying a game when she received a call from Gracie.


    She had barely answered when she heard Gracie yelling. ¡°Astrid, where are you? The director wants


    you on the set. Joana has appointments tomorrow and the day after, so you need to finish your scenes


    with her today. We¡¯ve got quite a few night scenes. Looks like it¡¯s going to be another night without


    sleep!¡±


    ¡°I got it. I¡¯m on my way back.¡± After hanging up, Astrid looked down to see Roman sitting there, looking


    unhappy.


    Astrid squatted down and gently patted his head. ¡°I have to go to work. You should go home first. I¡¯ll


    pick you up in my Pikachu car the day after tomorrow, okay?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Roman slowly looked up. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I always keep my promises. I didn¡¯t break my word about going to the amusement parkst time.¡±


    Astrid pinched Roman¡¯s cheeks gently. The little guy finally cracked a smile and nodded.


    As Astrid was about to leave, Roman suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand.


    She looked down to see Roman staring at her seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t go to work. I¡¯ll take care of you!¡±


    Carson, standing at the door, almost fell over. Little master, that¡¯s something your father should say.


    Sure enough, Elio looked quite unhappy at that moment.


    But Roman didn¡¯t notice. He pulled out a bank card from his small bag. ¡°I¡¯ve got money. I can take care


    of you!¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Astrid couldn¡¯t resist Roman¡¯s charm. She squatted down and gave him a big kiss. ¡°Roman, I don¡¯t


    need anyone to take care of me. I have enough money. I work to fulfill my


    dreams.¡±


    Roman tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s a dream?¡±


    Astrid answered, ¡°A dream is a goal you want to strive for. You¡¯ll understand when you grow up.¡± She


    then put Roman¡¯s bank card back in his bag.


    As she was zipping up the bag, Roman said quietly, ¡°I have a dream. I want you to be my mom.¡±


    Astrid paused, unsure of how to respond. She just walked over and gently kissed his cheek.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    She stood up, looked at Elio, and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m heading out first, Mr. Lampard.¡±


    As Astrid walked towards the door, just as she opened her umbre, she heard Elio¡¯s voice, ¡°Astrid,


    hold on; I have something to say.¡± Astrid stopped and turned to look at him.


    Elio, looking into her clear eyes, finally gathered enough courage to speak his mind, ¡°Marry me.¡±


    Marry him?


    Astrid¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    She had not been oblivious to Elio¡¯s feelings towards her.


    But he skipped over confessions, dating, and movie watching and jumped straight to proposing?


    And he doesn¡¯t even have a proposal ring; is he being too hasty?


    ¡°No way.¡± Astrid shook her head firmly, ¡°I¡¯m not marrying you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, ¡°I don¡¯t fancy you. Why would I marry you?¡±


    With that, Astrid gave Elio a disdainful nce, picked up her umbre, and walked away.


    She couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly. Heaven was fair and made Elio a man with perfect looks who didn¡¯t


    understand romance.


    This way of pursuing a girl is simply uneptable.


    Elio turned his head and saw Roman standing there,ughing at him.


    Carson was very puzzled, ¡°Chief, why would you propose to her like that? It makes you seem


    insincere.¡±


    Elio didn¡¯t answer. He just walked over, picked up Roman, and left.


    He wasn¡¯t really proposing; he just wanted to test Astrid¡¯s feelings.


    Astrid¡¯s mind was hard to understand; she always kept a distance from him. How would he know what


    she thought if he didn¡¯t try?


    From her reaction today, she wasn¡¯t angry about his proposal; the reason for her refusal was not


    because she had someone else she liked, so he still had a chance.


    He had a lifetime to pursue her.


    In this life, he won¡¯t marry anyone else except her.


    After Astrid finished her makeup and arrived on set, Joana immediately came over to greet her, ¡°Astrid,


    I¡¯m really sorry; I have to attend a charity event tomorrow, so I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Astrid shook her head gently, then signaled to the director, ¡°Director, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s attitude, Joana stopped talking.


    Joana has a poor memory, often forgetting her lines, and she often breaks character andughs during


    filming.


    This results in a lot of reshooting.


    Originally, they could finish filming around 11 p.m., but they ended up shooting until 3 a.m.


    Finally, after thest scene was shot, Joana started toin, ¡°Oh my God, I¡¯m exhausted; I can


    barely keep my eyes open.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dragging down the entire crew and you have the nerve toin? If I were you, I¡¯d be too


    ashamed to show my face! Look at Astrid; you should learn from her; a real actor is all about the


    performance!¡± Todd had been displeased with Joana for a while now.


    The directors of the shows Joana had filmed in the past were quite lenient towards her, and the


    demands on her acting skills were not strict.


    Her minor fame was mainly due to her excellent agent, who


    After being scolded by Todd, Joana didn¡¯t dare argue and even began to resent Astrid.


    After all, withoutparison, there would be no disparity


    ad been able to secure resources for her; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t havended the lead role.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    It


    was all because Astrid¡¯s performance was too outstanding, which made her look inadequate.


    After Astrid returned to the hotel, she washed up and went to bed.


    The next day, she was still asleep when she was awakened by a vigorous knocking on the door.

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    She sat up, feeling a bit irritable, then heard Gracie¡¯s loud call, ¡°Astrid, Astrid, get up already!¡±


    Astrid rubbed her eyes and went to open the door. As soon as she opened it, Gracie rushed in, ¡°Hurry


    up, pack up; we need to go, or we¡¯ll bete!¡±


    ¡°Late for what? I have no ns today!¡± Astrid rubbed her eyes and climbed back into bed, but before


    she couldy down, Gracie pulled her up again.


    Gracie was a bit dissatisfied to see Astrid like this, ¡°There¡¯s a charity g tonight; we still have to get


    our hair and makeup done; if we¡¯rete, it¡¯s not going to be good. You should know there are a lot of


    important people at this charity g; it¡¯s good to meet some influential people.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Gracie pushed Astrid into the bathroom and she was so sleepy that she started dozing off on the


    bathroom counter.


    Gracie, who was standing at the door,/saw her drowsy look, walked over, turned on the faucet, filled a


    cup with water, and was about to ssh it on Astrid¡¯s face.


    Seeing this, Astrid immediately woke up, ¡°Gracie, there¡¯s no need!¡±


    Gracie gave her a stern look, ¡°You have five minutes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Astrid pushed Gracie out of the bathroom and started to wash up obediently.


    Meanwhile, at Sunhaven, Elio had just finished a meeting, and Carson came over and whispered,


    ¡°Chief, are you going to the charity g tonight?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Elio immediately refused, without any hesitation.


    Carson was silent for a moment, then asked again, ¡°Ms. Irvine is also going; aren¡¯t you going? And it


    seems that Mr. Willie knows Ms. Irvine. When I was looking up information on Ms. Irvine, I found


    pictures of them together.¡±


    Pictures?


    Elio paused, ¡°Reserve the spot next to her for me.¡±


    Carson held back augh, ¡°Alright, Chief.¡±


    Half an hourter, Astrid drove back to Sunhaven,


    She would have been on time, but due to traffic, she arrived after the red carpet event had finished.


    The staff didn¡¯t recognize her, so they rudely asked, ¡°Invitation?¡±


    ¡°Here here.¡± Gracie quickly handed over the invitation.


    The man nced at the invitation and then let her in.


    Gracie couldn¡¯t enter the venue, so Astrid looked at the seat number on the invitation and went over


    alone.


    As soon as she entered, she saw Fannie and a group of actresses chatting not far away.


    Seeing her walk over, Fannie looked in her direction. The actresses, noticing Fannie¡¯s gaze, also


    turned to look.


    Actress Leah nced at Astrid and asked Fannie, ¡°You know her?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, we went to high school together.¡± Fannie smiled, ¡°We used to be good friends, but then she


    started dating a rich guy and stopped hanging out with me.¡±


    Hearing this, Leah and the others burst intoughter.


    Fannie added, ¡°She just signed with Starlight Entertainment; Dale paid a lot of penalty fees to help her


    break her contract with Vista Visual. We better not mess with her; after all, with Dale backing her up,


    we can¡¯t afford to provoke her.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Astrid had already walked up to them. Leah strode over, speaking in a not-so-friendly tone, ¡°Our charity


    g¡¯s standards are really dropping. Now anyone can get in.¡±


    Astrid turned to look at the woman in front of her and scoffed, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m also surprised. A star who¡¯s


    known for betraying her partners is also here. Are you trying to clean up your image by doing charity?¡±


    Leah didn¡¯t expect Astrid to use her. Her face turned pale, then green, and she was quite


    embarrassed, ¡°Look at yourself; your clothes, shoes, and essories all add up to just a few thousand,


    right? You look poor. Are you going to be able to donateter?¡±


    ¡°My goodness, is this a knockoff of Summer¡¯s? I¡¯m dying ofughter; you actually wore a knockoff to a


    charity g!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have money, don¡¯t pretend to be rich!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, this is really a knockoff, right? I¡¯m very familiar with Summer¡¯s haute couture dresses;


    there¡¯s no such model as what she¡¯s wearing!¡±


    ¡°You must really have no shame¡­¡±


    Astrid frowned, ¡°I¡¯m not wearing any knock-offs.¡±

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    She tried to exin, but no one believed her. Instead, more and more onlookers gathered.


    ¡°Orion Willie ising! Summer is the Willie Group¡¯s brand. Astrid, you¡¯ve really made a fool of


    yourself this time!¡± Leah whispered to Fannie with a gleeful expression on


    her face.


    Fannie didn¡¯t respond, but the logo on Astrid¡¯s clothes did seem off, looking like a fake.


    Leah saw the young man approaching and immediately pointed at Astrid, ¡°Orion, look, this person is


    wearing a fake of your brand!¡±


    ¡°Let me see who this shameless person is¡­¡± Orion started, following Leah¡¯s pointed finger. His


    expression suddenly changed, and he shouted at Astrid, ¡°Master!!! Master, what are you doing here?¡±


    Everyone was confused.


    Master?


    Astrid nced at Orion and said irritably, ¡°Get lost; I don¡¯t want to see your annoying face! You gave


    me a fake dress as a gift?¡±


    Orion¡¯s face turned pale, ¡°Master, I wanted to be your apprentice. How could I dare send you a fake?


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    This dress is a global limited edition from our brand Summer, there¡¯s only one in the world!¡±


    Global limited edition?


    Everyone was stunned. Many of them couldn¡¯t even buy the limited edition dresses from Summer, but


    the Willie Group actually custom-made a dress for Astrid?


    They would never believe it unless they heard it for themselves!


    How could Astrid, a third-rate actress, receive such treatment?!


    Astrid looked at Orion and said disdainfully, ¡°Your IQ is too low, I won¡¯t take you as my disciple; just


    give up.¡±


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t give up on me so quickly! I think I still have room for improvement!¡± Seeing Astrid leave,


    Orion immediately chased after her.


    He had won numerous championships in swimmingpetitions at home and abroad, and his only


    wish in life was to swim faster than Astrid!!!


    Everyone was baffled as they watched Orion¡¯s fawning behavior!


    Who was Orion? He was the sole heir to the Willie Group and a swimming prince who had won multiple


    Olympic gold medals.


    Most importantly, Orion always acted self-important and never cared about others, but now he was


    calling Astrid master!!!


    Wasn¡¯t Astrid just a mediocre actress?


    Where did this title of mastere from?


    Everyone was confused, but Fannie seemed to be thinking, her brows furrowed.


    Orion followed Astrid into the venue, but Astrid ignored him all along. He turned his head and saw Leah


    and othersing in.


    He got up unhappily, went straight to Leah, and blocked her way, ¡°Did you upset my master just now?¡±


    Leah waved her hands repeatedly, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t; I just mistook the dress for a counterfeit and said a few


    words; I didn¡¯t upset her.¡±


    ¡°Counterfeit? I think you have a problem! Do you know how many people have tried their best to give


    Astrid dresses, and she hasn¡¯t epted a single one. Why would she wear a counterfeit? Come with


    me! Apologize to Astrid, or else!¡± Orion sneered, ¡°Or else I¡¯ll have you kicked out of this charity dinner


    right away!¡±


    Leah was frightened by Orion¡¯s seriousness and had to reluctantly go forward and apologize. After all,


    with the power of the Willie family, Orion could indeed make her leave. Astrid opened her game, and


    before she could start ying, Leah came over and said reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Louder!¡± Orion said.


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, I was wrong just now; I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Astrid said indifferently, without even lifting her eyelids.


    Leah, a small yer, was not worth her attention.


    ¡°Go away!¡± Orion shooed Leah away and happily huddled up to Astrid again, ¡°Astrid, what kind of film


    do you want to shoot? I¡¯ll invest in it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Master, do you want to release an album? I¡¯ll get you the best team!¡±


    ¡°Master, do you like seaside vis? I¡¯ll give you one, okay?¡±


    ¡°Master, do you need an underling? I can be your minion if not your disciple!¡±


    When Elio walked into the venue, he saw Orion squatting next to Astrid and talking non-stop. The two


    were very close, and from this angle, it looked like Orion was already attached to her.


    This girl is really a handful.


    Elto strode towards Astrid.


    Astrid wrinkled her brows, annoyed by Orion¡¯s chatter, ¡°Orion, can you keep quiet!¡±


    *Excuse me.¡±


    Orion was about to continue talking when a cold voice came from behind him. He turned his head in


    annoyance and saw Elio.


    His look was quite terrifying as if he was going to eat Orion.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    ¡°Elio, Elio¡­ Elio! Wow, seems like I truly have a special ce in your heartpared to some others.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    You¡¯ve never attended their events!¡± Orion stood up and stretched his arms, ready to give Elio a hug,


    ¡°Come on, bro, bring it in!¡±


    Seeing Orion approaching, Elio impassively held up a hand to Orion¡¯s chest, ¡°Back off a bit, will you?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so frosty, Elio!¡± Orion and Elio had been good friends for years. But Elio was a bit of an


    oddball and always skipped events unless they were absolutely necessary for the corporation. Orion


    was totally blindsided by Elio¡¯s appearance today.


    Thinking of Astrid behind him, Orion gave a mysterious smile, ¡°Elio, let me introduce you to my master!¡±


    ¡°Master, meet my friend, Elio!¡±


    As Astrid looked up, she saw Elio standing there, his face as cold as ever.


    She twitched a smile. It really was a small world for the rich.


    ¡°Master?¡± Elio raised his eyebrows, ¡°Why do you call her master?¡±


    ¡°This is kind of embarrassing¡± Orion scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish, ¡°I¡¯ve won a ton of gold


    medals, butpared to her, I¡¯m just a newbie.¡±


    Elio was speechless.


    A newbie?


    Orion held multiple swimming world records. And he was a newbiepared to Astrid?


    ording to his sources, Astrid wasn¡¯t known for her swimming skills.


    Why was Orion calling her master?


    Clearly, a lot had happened during the three years Astrid had been off the grid.


    Seeing Elio staring at Astrid, Orion leaned in and whispered, ¡°Elio, you¡¯re not crushing on her, are you?


    She¡¯s not only stunning and seductive but also highly educated and smart. You¡¯re not in her league!¡±


    Elio raised an eyebrow, ¡°Smart?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Orion nodded, looking very serious, ¡°When I first met her, I was being mugged during a trip


    abroad. She turned up out of nowhere and scared off the muggers in no time. Since then, I¡¯ve taken a


    vow to follow in her footsteps and be her loyal friend!¡±


    Every time Elio thought he was starting to understand Astrid, he realized he knew nothing about her.


    It was such a headache.


    Looking at Astrid, who went back to her game, Elio nced at Orion, who was gazing at Astrid with


    fanboy admiration, and said coldly, ¡°Move, you¡¯re in my spot.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s all yours. But I have to tell you, there¡¯s a queue for pursuing her, Elio. You¡¯d better


    take a number and wait your turn!¡± Orion kept talking, but Elio just shot him a chilly look.


    Orion swallowed hard and said, ¡°You¡¯re so fierce; she hates guys who are all fierce and scary. You


    don¡¯t stand a chance, Elio.¡±


    After dropping his bombshell, Orion took off, asionally looking back as he left the venue.


    Elio¡¯s appearance got all the actresses excited, ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s Elio!¡±


    ¡°If I had known Elio wasing today, I would¡¯ve worn my most expensive custom-made dress!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome, even more than on TV!¡±


    ¡°But why is Elio sitting at the back? With his status, shouldn¡¯t he be in the front row?¡±

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    A lot of actresses were shyly looking in Elio¡¯s direction. Fannie, who had been dozing off, perked up


    when she heard folks mentioning Elio. She opened her eyes and looked back.


    With just one nce, she spotted Elio seated in the fifth row.


    And next to him was Astrid.


    Fannie pursed her lips; it took all her strength to keep her expression neutral. She knew the cameras


    were everywhere, and any reaction from her could be blown out of proportion.


    Elio barely attends charity dinners. His presence today was probably to apany Astrid, right?


    She often had inte bloggers spread rumors about her and Elio. Despite Elio¡¯s constant denial, many


    believed they were actually together.


    But now that Elio showed up without her, they didn¡¯t even say hello. This was a p in her face.


    The charity dinner was being live-streamed. In addition to the performances of the guests, the host


    would invite artists present to perform impromptu.


    This was a golden opportunity to make Astrid look foolish.


    She had grown up with Astrid, and though she was smart, she didn¡¯t have any special talent. This time,


    she was going to make sure Astrid couldn¡¯t hold her head high in front of thousands ofizens!


    She wanted Elio to know that Astrid was nothing more than a pretty face!


    She was not as good as her!


    Tonight¡¯s host, Noreen, was on good terms with her. After a few seconds of thinking, Fannie texted


    Noreen. ¡°I have a friend who¡¯s new in the industry; could you arrange for her to perform at the charity


    dinner?¡±


    Noreen, ¡°Oh my, our beauty is asking for a favor, I¡¯ve got to help. Who is it?¡±


    Fannie, ¡°Astrid, she sings really well. You could have her sing.¡±


    Astrid was tone-deaf. Completely tone-deaf.


    Noreen, ¡°Alright, leave it to me.¡±


    Fannie felt a little better after receiving the reply.


    She could already imagine Astrid being ridiculed on the inte.


    The lights at the venue went out.


    The big screen disyed the countdown to the start of the charity dinner.


    Astrid, who had been engrossed in her phone, finally looked up.


    Once the countdown ended, promotional videos started ying on the big screen.


    The theme of the charity dinner was to help build schools for children in remote mountainous areas.


    Astrid was engrossed in the video when Elio¡¯s indifferent voice reached her ears, ¡°I had no idea you


    were such a great swimmer.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Astrid replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve dabbled a bit.¡±


    ¡°Does Ms. Irvine have any hidden talents she¡¯d like to share with me?¡±


    Astrid cracked an awkward but polite smile, ¡°Not really; what could I possibly be good at? I¡¯m just a


    small, unknown actress.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Really?¡± Elio suddenly leaned towards her.


    Astrid quickly put her hand on Elio¡¯s face. ¡°Mr. Lampard, please keep your distance in public ces.¡±


    The people sitting behind them were stunned.


    Everyone knew that Elio was somewhat repulsed by physical contact with women. They remember


    clearly that Elio would even throw away clothes touched by women.


    But now, this young actress, unknown to most, has dared touch Elio¡¯s face!


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    What was even more surprising was the strength of this unknown actress. Elio¡¯s handsome face was


    visibly distorted by her push.

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    Mr. Lampard must be pissed; that woman would be toast!


    However, everyone waited for a long time, but they didn¡¯t see Elio angry. Instead, he gently grabbed


    Astrid¡¯s hand that was on his face and softly said. ¡°Stop messing around.¡± These words were so gentle


    and pampering that everyone was too surprised to speak!


    Cold Elio was very domineering, but gentle Elio was even more addictive.


    These women wished they could morph into Astrid right now!


    Astrid felt the sharp looks from all around her and immediately pulled her hand back and red at Elio.


    ¡°Elio, what the heck are you up to? Stay away from me!¡±


    Upon hearing Astrid¡¯s words, Elio didn¡¯t go any further away; instead, he leaned in closer, ¡°I heard


    there¡¯s a queue of men who want to chase after you; is that right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m afraid you will have to


    wait quite a while.¡± Astrid looked at the cameras around her, feeling a headacheing on. Elio was


    such a troublemaker; couldn¡¯t he consider the situation?


    Elio leaned back a bit and whispered, ¡°I want to cut in line.¡±


    ¡°Cut in line?¡± Astrid raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why should I let you cut in line?¡±


    ¡°Because I have Roman.¡±


    Astrid, ¡°¡­¡­


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡±


    ¡°Great!! Great!!!¡± Cheers broke out, interrupting the weird atmosphere between the two.


    Astrid turned her head and saw someone performing magic on stage; the magician looked somewhat


    familiar¡­


    But she couldn¡¯t remember his name after thinking for a while.


    The magician¡¯s performance amazed the crowd, but Astrid just scoffed. The show was somewhat


    boring, and after watching it for a while, Astrid began to feel sleepy.


    Elio turned his head and saw Astrid closing her eyes and dozing off, her head moving bit by bit, looking


    very cute.


    He took out his phone and pointed it at Astrid. Her long eyshesy on her eyelids, like beautiful and


    wonderful butterflies about to fly.


    Her trembling eyshes scratched his heart bit by bit, making him unconsciously enchanted.


    Looking at her slightly chubby face, he suddenly wanted to kiss her¡­


    ¡°The lucky one for this segment is Miss Astrid!¡± The host¡¯s voice came, and Elio snapped back to


    reality, sitting up straight.


    Hearing her name, Astrid woke up instantly.


    She looked left and right, looking lost¡­


    Because Astrid was not well-known, many people on the scene didn¡¯t even know who she was.


    ¡°Who is Astrid? What works does she have?¡±


    ¡°Is she an actress or a singer?¡±


    ¡°I know, she¡¯s the female artist who trended because a tycoon gave her a sports car. Other than being


    pretty, there¡¯s nothing special about her.¡±


    Noreen noticed that Astrid didn¡¯t stand up immediately, so she kindly suggested, ¡°Miss Astrid, please


    for us?¡±


    The apuse from the audience was sparse; most people did not have high expectations for this


    performance.


    Astrid looked confused. Her voice is beautiful?


    She doubted this person¡¯s judgment.


    The host urged her again, and Astrid frowned, then stood up.


    She looked forward and saw Fannie with a meaningful smile on her face.


    Astrid instantly got the gist.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    With a subtle smile, Astrid strutted her way to the stage.


    The moment she stood on the stage, Locke, the magician who had been glued to his phone game,


    almost dropped his phone in shock.


    His stunning assistant, seeing his unusual behavior, asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Locke, gazing at the girl on the stage, said nkly, ¡°I¡¯ve seen her; I can¡¯t believe I got to see her in my


    lifetime!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± the assistant looked puzzled, ¡°Who is she?¡±


    On stage, Noreen handed the microphone to Astrid, ¡°Astrid, what song are you going to sing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not singing; my singing is just awful. If you guys want a show, how about I perform a magic trick?¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    As soon as Astrid said this, the crowd showed their disdain.


    After all, Locke was a master magician. They had already seen professional magic shows and had no


    interest in Astrid¡¯s amateur magic performance!


    They thought it was just some simple card tricks.


    However, Locke was thrilled. Just seeing her in his lifetime was enough, but if he could work on a


    magic trick with her, he could brag about it for a year!!


    Despite his excitement, Locke remembered his master¡¯s advice not to reveal her identity.


    Locke, looking at Astrid, who was within arm¡¯s reach, rushed towards her, ¡°Ms. Irvine, can be your


    assistant?¡±


    What¡¯s gotten into Locke? He actually wants to be Astrid¡¯s assistant?


    He looked like a fanboy meeting his idol.


    Astrid nced at him, shaking her head, and said, ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t need an assistant. I can do it on


    my own.¡±


    Everyone was surprised again.


    Astrid actually rejected Locke??


    What¡¯s going on?


    Not only was Locke good at magic, but he was also a looker, so he had many fans.


    There were some female celebrities in the crowd who were his fans. They were pissed to see Astrid


    making him ufortable, ¡°This woman really doesn¡¯t know how good she has it, actually rejecting


    Locke!¡±


    ¡°She thinks she¡¯s all that, just because she¡¯s got a pretty face? There are tons of beauties in showbiz!¡±


    ¡°Just looking at her annoys me!¡±


    The atmosphere got a little weird, not because Astrid dissed Locke but because her magic trick was so


    simple that she didn¡¯t need an assistant.


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, please, let me stand by your side; let me be closer to you.¡± Locke looked at Astrid with


    hopeful eyes, he was practically begging her..


    At that moment, Astrid suddenly remembered where she had seen this guy before. A photo¡­ She saw


    him in a group photo from her training.


    ¡°Alright, then you can help me prepare some balloon-themed props.¡± Astrid was skilled in a variety of


    magic tricks, but the balloon-themed ones were the simplest, easy to perform, and always a hit.


    Since everyone¡¯s expectations were not high, any trick she performed would be a pleasant surprise.


    When Astrid agreed, Locke was so happy that he did a little twirl on the stage, ¡°Thank you so much; I¡¯ll


    get right on it!¡±


    The audience was surprised by his behavior.


    Was he really that happy?


    It was just being an assistant, right?


    Why the heck did he do a twirl on stage?

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94


    The setup was pretty simple, just a table with scissors on it and the balloon in Astrid¡¯s hand.


    Astrid was wearing an off-shoulder dress today; her arms were fully exposed, making her movements


    clearly visible.


    Everyone was watching her hands intently, then saw her pinching the deted balloon with two fingers,


    and said to the audience, ¡°If you guys don¡¯t believe that this is a normal balloon, you cane up and


    check it out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± A male actor from the front row came up, examined the balloon, and then said,


    can confirm this is a regr balloon.¡±


    Astrid nodded, turned to Fannie, who was sitting not far away, and asked with a smile, ¡°Ms. Santos,


    would you like to take a look?¡±


    Fannie, clueless about what Astrid was up to, just shook her head, ¡°I trust you.¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°That¡¯s good; I hope you won¡¯t think I¡¯m cheating.¡± With that, she went back behind the


    magic table, picked up the scissors on the table, and started to cut the balloon, quickly puncturing it.


    Everyone was puzzled by what she was doing.


    Then, Astrid crumpled the broken balloon into a ball, held it in her hand, and slowly walked up to a child


    star in the front row, whispering, ¡°Sweetie, if you blow a breath at it, it will turn into a beautiful flower.¡±


    Upon hearing that, the little girl obediently blew a breath.


    Astrid said, ¡°Wow, look honey, the flower has bloomed.¡± She then opened her folded hands, and a rose


    was in her palm, even with some dew drops on the petals.


    Elio¡¯s tightly furrowed brow rxed at that moment, and a hint of a smile appeared on his lips.


    How much talent does this girl have?


    The little girl, surprised, took the rose that Astrid handed her and jumped into her mother¡¯s arms with


    joy, her sweetughter echoing.


    The audience was stunned, the camera was still focused on Astrid¡¯s hand. They watched the whole


    process on the big screen and didn¡¯t see any ws.


    And Astrid was wearing a dress, with nowhere to hide anything. Where did this rosee from? Was it


    a real one?


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing!¡±


    ¡°I love you!¡±


    ¡°I want to have your babies!¡± Orion¡¯s loud shout from the audience brought everyone back to reality,


    and they started to apud.


    Elio¡¯s face instantly changed when he heard Orion say he wanted to have Astrid¡¯s babies.


    ¡°That was amazing; I was sitting right across from her, and I really thought that flower grew out of her


    hand.¡±


    ¡°Some magicians are easily exposed up close, but I¡¯ve been watching her and didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    ¡°I really admire her, really!¡±


    ¡°She could have relied on her looks to seed, but she chose to rely on her talent!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nning a movie about magic; I want to invite her to audition! I have a new candidate for my lead


    actress!¡±


    Fannie shook with anger as she listened to people sing her praises.


    This was not what she nned; she wanted Astrid to make a fool of herself!


    Why did Astrid suddenly perform so well?!


    Several directors and producers nearby noticed Astrid; they were all discussing coborating with her!


    Especially that big-budget movie about magic, it was originally hers!!!


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Joana once said that Astrid was a good actress; if Astrid went to audition, wouldn¡¯t her role be


    reced???


    Thinking about this, Fannie almost fainted.


    Astrid returned to the stage and slowly picked up the microphone. ¡°Actually, I owe this performance


    opportunity to Miss Fannie. Without Miss Santos¡¯s rmendation, I wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to


    showcase my talent in front of you all. Miss Fannie is really a good person¡­¡±

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95


    When Astrid spoke, all heads turned towards Fannie.


    Fannie sat there nervously, her face painted with an awkward yet polite smile.


    If she could, she¡¯d love to jump up andsh out at Astrid. But she had to keep her cool in public.


    Clearly, Astrid knew that Fannie had intentionally set her up to be called on stage, and now she was


    trying to embarrass her.


    She and Noreen usually chatted over WhatsApp; how the heck did Astrid learn about this?


    Does Astrid have some sort of psychic power or something?


    Noreen, clueless about the real deal, thought that Fannie and Astrid were actual buddies, so she


    quickly handed a microphone to Fannie.


    Staring at the microphone in front of her, Fannie didn¡¯t know whether to take it or not.


    Seeing everyone¡¯s eyes on her, she finally took the microphone and managed to say with a forced


    smile. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me; it¡¯s your talent that¡¯s making everyone¡¯s jaws drop.¡± Astrid retorted. ¡°Quit


    ying modest; if it weren¡¯t for your heads up to the host, my low profile wouldn¡¯t have caught anyone¡¯s


    eye!¡±


    The moment these words came out, Elio and Orion¡¯s faces dropped.


    Every charity g would invite people onstage and they were always some big-shot celebs. It was


    weird when the host called Astrid, but now it all clicked.


    So it was Fannie who was up to no good.


    She wanted to set up Astrid but ended up shooting herself in the foot.


    Astrid said a few words on stage and then stepped down.


    The crowd erupted in apuse and Astrid graciously acknowledged it with a smile.


    She wasposed and bnced, neither arrogant nor inferior.


    Locke trailed behind her like a little sidekick, his face stered with a goofy grin, looking like a total


    dork. ¡°I¡¯m Locke; can I get your autograph?¡±


    Astrid chuckled, ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    The moment she said that, Locke immediately shed his coat and let Astrid sign his white shirt.


    Locke got the autograph and treasured it like a prized possession. He returned to his seat with a


    straight back, afraid to touch the signature on his back.


    His antics stirredughter from the crowd.


    Just as Astrid stepped off the stage, a middle-aged man approached with a smile, ¡°Ms. Irvine, I¡¯m Otto,


    a director. Can we have a private chat?¡±


    Since the g was ongoing, Otto gestured for Astrid to move aside to avoid disturbing the event.


    Astrid recognized him; he was one of her favorite directors.


    ¡°Sure, lead the way.¡± Astrid graciously stepped aside, letting Otto take the lead.


    Seeing her politeness, Otto¡¯s impression of her improved further.


    Upon reaching the emergency exit, Otto immediately handed Astrid his business card, ¡°Ms. Irvine, I


    have a movie project about magic that I¡¯ve been nning for two years but haven¡¯t found the right


    leadingdy. After watching your performance today, I think you¡¯re a perfect fit. So, I¡¯d like to invite you


    for an audition.¡±


    Otto was a responsible director who had discovered many new talents. He always judged each actor


    without bias. Astrid might not be a big name, but everyone starts somewhere, right?

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96


    He always had a good eye for talent. The people he has his sights set on often have great potential!


    Fannie saw Otto and Astrid step out and suddenly felt uneasy. She immediately stood up to follow and


    heard Otto mention Astrid auditioning for the lead role.


    She felt anxious and quickly approached, whispering, ¡°Director, is there some misunderstanding? I


    thought the role of the lead actress was decided for me?¡±


    ¡°Fannie,¡± Ottoughed, ¡°I remember saying you seemed suitable for this role, but nothing was set in


    stone. We didn¡¯t sign any contracts or make any announcements. Plus, I¡¯m just inviting Ms. Irvine for


    an audition. Nothing¡¯s decided yet.¡±


    Fannie bit her lip, ¡°Oh, but Astrid¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m free; I¡¯d make time even if I¡¯m not. I¡¯m really grateful for this opportunity, Director. I won¡¯t let you


    down.¡± Astrid smiled, then turned to Fannie. ¡°Ms. Santos, I can¡¯t thank you enough. If it weren¡¯t for you


    giving me this chance, the Director wouldn¡¯t have considered me¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my savior!¡±


    Savior?


    Fannie was lost for words.


    Otto said, ¡°Indeed, Fannie, without you, I wouldn¡¯t have discovered such a promising neer¡­¡±


    Promising neer?


    Fannie felt like she was about to lose it.


    Her father was in trouble; she had broken off Starlight Entertainment and was about to sign with Vista


    Visual. However, Dale hadbeled her as a blocked artist from Starlight, so Vista Visual backed out.


    She was already short of resources, and now she was about to lose the role she had in her grasp.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    She felt like dying at this moment. She wanted to trap Astrid, but Astrid had stolen the spotlight and her


    role!


    What the hell was happening?


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, I¡¯m a producer for a magic-themed variety show; here¡¯s my card.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, for work-rted matters, you can contact me. I¡¯m Astrid¡¯s agent Dale. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner


    if you¡¯re free after the party.¡± Dale walked over, full of charisma.


    The producers knew Dale well. They exchanged pleasantries and began to chat.


    Dale gestured for Astrid to rest. Then she bid everyone goodbye and left.


    Fannie immediately followed. Before she could confront Astrid, Astrid turned around.


    ¡°Fannie.¡± Astrid smiled slightly, a smile that sent shivers down Fannie¡¯s spine.


    Fannie bit her lip, resentment in her eyes. ¡°Astrid, are you enjoying this?¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t answer Fannie¡¯s question. She leaned slightly towards Fannie and, after a while, said, ¡°I


    have many talents, like dancing, ying the piano, or¡­ telling jokes, but do you know why I choose


    magic?¡±


    Seeing the girl¡¯s smiling eyes, Fannie felt a chill run up from her feet. Could it be¡­


    ¡°Yes, you guessed it right. I knew you were involved in Mr. Carlos¡¯s magic-themed movie, so yes, I did


    it on purpose!¡± Astrid¡¯s words sent chills down Fannie¡¯s spine. After all these years, she never thought


    Astrid could be so cunning!


    She had everything all figured out from the get-go!

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97


    At that moment, Fannie felt a bit dizzy. She turned to look at Astrid, only to feel a sense of fear towards


    the sweet-smiling girl in front of her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that; you¡¯re freaking me out,¡± Astrid casually raised an eyebrow, ¡°Next time


    there¡¯s an opportunity like this, hand it over to me, will ya? I wouldn¡¯t mind you throwing all your


    resources my way. Not many folks are willing to sacrifice for others these days.¡±


    With that, Astrid spun around and left, leaving Fannie alone with a view of her retreating back.


    Fannie stood there, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.


    Astrid, humming a tune, returned to her seat. When she sat down, she heard Elio¡¯s icy remark, ¡°Ms.


    Irvine, you¡¯re quite something. Even the master magician is smitten with you.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Astrid lifted her chin in pride, ¡°I have fans worldwide.¡±


    ¡°The whole world?¡± Elio was skeptical.


    He thought Astrid was joking, so he didn¡¯t press the matter. But one thing was clear; he¡¯d probably


    have much morepetition for her attention after today.


    From when Astrid walked on stage to when she returned, many male actors couldn¡¯t take their eyes off


    her. If it weren¡¯t for him being there, a lot of them would definitely have tried to get her contact info. He


    was d he came, or who knows what would¡¯ve happened.


    Astrid seemed in high spirits, humming a tune under her breath, although he couldn¡¯t determine what it


    was.


    The charity event was finallying to a close with donations and group photos. Elio wasn¡¯t a fan of


    thetter, so he left early to wait for Astrid in the car.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Compared to the starlets vying for the spotlight, Astrid seemed veryid-back. She stood out no matter


    where she was.


    As the event wrapped up, she ran into Joana, who greeted her enthusiastically, ¡°Astrid, do you know


    Locke?¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Astrid nodded.


    ¡°Could you introduce me to him? I really love his magic shows,¡± Joana asked, looking a bit nervous.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go find him yourself? We¡¯re not that close,¡± Astrid responded with a slight raise of her


    brow. She had only seen Locke in photos before; their meeting today was the first.


    Joana clearly didn¡¯t believe her. Given how warmly Locke had behaved in front of Astrid, it didn¡¯t seem


    like they were strangers at all.


    ¡°Joana, what are you doing? There¡¯s an interview over here!¡± Emily called out, causing Joana to


    scamper off.


    Before she reached the interview spot, she saw Locke being interviewed. He looked at a man not too


    far away, his cheeks slightly flushed.


    The reporter asked, ¡°Locke, you and Astrid are both magicians. Did you know each other before?¡±


    Locke nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Reporter asked, ¡°What¡¯s the rtionship between you two? Friends or mentor and disciple?¡±


    ¡°Mentor and disciple?¡± Locke shook his head vehemently, ¡°I¡¯m not worthy!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worthy to be her student!¡±


    Everyone present was dumbfounded.


    The renowned magician imed he wasn¡¯t worthy of being Astrid¡¯s student? Was this a joke¡­


    Reporter, ¡°You¡¯ve won many international magic awards; what¡¯s your dream for your future career?¡±


    ¡°My dream is to be taught by Ms. Irvine. If that happens, I could die without any regrets!¡±

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98


    A magician who bagged an international prize said his ultimate dream is to get guidance from Astrid?


    What was the deal with that?


    Was Astrid really that big a deal in the magic world?


    Everyone was scratching their heads over it.


    After the interview, Locke carefully guarded his autographed shirts and told people to keep their


    distance and not touch his clothes.


    The thought of being close and personal with the legendary Astrid had him on cloud nine, almost


    forgetting about the people around him.


    He noticed a familiar face as he was about to head home with a spring in his step.


    Joana was pondering how to greet Locke when she noticed him staring at her, which made her


    suddenly nervous.


    After a while, Locke suddenly approached her, grinning, ¡°I know you!¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± Joana¡¯s face lit up, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re the actress who co-starred with Ms. Irvine in that TV show. I heard online chatter about


    you two not getting along, saying you were giving her the cold shoulder on set.¡±


    ¡°You better not be messing with Ms. Irvine. She¡¯s so sweet, gentle, and adorable; she probably doesn¡¯t


    even know how to argue. If I find out you¡¯re bullying her, I won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡± Locke finished,


    then sauntered off.


    Joana was fuming. Astrid was sweet, gentle, and adorable? And she didn¡¯t know how to argue?


    Remembering what happened in the car, Joana still got chills.


    She was so into Locke, but Locke only had eyes for Astrid, ¡°Astrid isn¡¯t as perfect as you think¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter what she¡¯s like, she¡¯s irreceable to me! You can¡¯t badmouth her, or I¡¯ll have a bone to


    pick with you!¡±


    you


    With that, Locke made a fist and snorted, then walked off.


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about doing a magic trick!¡± Joana muttered unhappily, striding towards the interview


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    site, her mind filled with curse words for Astrid.


    Meanwhile, Elio was waiting for Astrid in his car.


    But after a long wait, Astrid was nowhere in sight. Just as he was about to make a call, a stretch Rolls-


    Royce Phantom pulled up.


    It stopped right behind his car.


    Astrid¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of the Rolls-Royce Phantom.


    She received a message and came right out. Her bro was always on time.


    A few secondster, the window rolled down, and a hand waved at her from inside the car.


    The gesture was like calling a puppy.


    Although Astrid was slightly annoyed by the gesture, she still happily ran over.


    The car door opened, and Robb was inside, holding a ss of red wine, looking elegant and charming.


    Astrid stared at him, her eyes sparkling.


    Robb looked down and smiled indulgently. He knew what made Astrid¡¯s eyes sparkle wasn¡¯t him, but


    the red wine in his hand, ¡°Star, what are you doing? Get in already.¡±


    He didn¡¯t really n to drink the wine. He poured it to tease Astrid.


    ¡°Bro, wait a sec.¡± Astrid briskly walked over to Elio¡¯s car and knocked on his window.


    She smiled as the window rolled down and said, ¡°Mr. Lampard, I have something to do. I have to go


    now. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Elio nodded calmly, but he was actually very anxious inside.


    He was dying to know who was in that car, but he was afraid it was her brother again, just likest time.


    So, even though he was unhappy, Elio didn¡¯t show any signs of it.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    Astrid hopped into the car, swiftly nabbed the red wine from Robb¡¯s hand, and downed it in one go,


    ¡°Holy cow, Robb, your wine is seriously the bomb. I¡¯ve been going nuts missing this taste!¡±


    Robb lifted his head and adjusted his sses, grinning like a Cheshire cat at the littledy before him,


    ¡°All you think about is wine, not even about me, huh?¡±


    ¡°Who says I don¡¯t miss Robb? Of all the bros in the house, you¡¯re the only one I¡¯d put my money on.¡±


    Astrid snuggled up to Robb¡¯s arm, cooing, ¡°Robb, you¡¯re ssy, noble, handsome, charming,


    gentlemanly, generous, tender¡­ all the good words in the world can¡¯t do justice to your perfection!¡±


    Robb¡¯s temples throbbed; he impatiently grabbed a box of wine from the side, ¡°Here, take it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Robb!¡± Astrid shoved Robb¡¯s arm away and clutched the box of red wine like it was some


    precious treasure, ¡°Robb, didn¡¯t you go to the Europe branch? What brings you to Sunhaven? Are you


    here to see Dale?¡±


    ¡°No, Dad sent me to check on you. Robb bowed his head with an expressionless face, looking


    rtively normal.


    Astrid raised an eyebrow at his words, a smirk creeping onto her lips, ¡°Stop ying, Robb, if you


    weren¡¯t here to see Dale, then why did you bring your homemade blueberry wine? We all hate it, only


    Dale loves it; you even developed this vor for him, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm mhm mhm¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Robb covered Astrid¡¯s mouth with his hand, ¡± Astrid, if you keep


    on yammering, I¡¯ll chuck you out of the car.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, that guy, Elio, right? You¡¯re not a spring chicken anymore, I wouldn¡¯t object if you dated, but


    he¡¯s not good enough for you.¡±


    In the eyes of the Brooke family, no one was good enough for Star.


    Astrid said, ¡°I¡¯m not dating him¡­¡±


    A hint of amusement shed in Robb¡¯s gentle eyes at her words, ¡°Star, you¡¯ve been quite ruthless to


    your former suitors, don¡¯t y us for fools. Elio is definitely different from you. Maybe you don¡¯t like him


    now, but you don¡¯t detest him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not as rigid as Brandon Brooke, you can give it a shot with him if you like him. But be careful, don¡¯t


    let him fool you. Tell me if he dares to bully you, I¡¯ll teach him a lesson.¡±


    After Robb finished, Astrid pressed her lips together, not saying a word.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising that Robb knew about Elio since he was in charge of the family¡¯s bodyguards.


    ¡°Alright, time to get out.¡± Robb reached out and opened the car door, ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t be too stubborn


    when you¡¯re in trouble; I¡¯ve got your back.¡±


    Robb was the gentlest of all the brothers; Astrid always felt warm whenever she was with him.


    So when she was feeling down, she liked to spend time with Robb, making wine together by picking


    fruits on the farm; it was a great feeling.


    ¡°Star, it¡¯s time for you to leave,¡± Robb said again.


    Astrid suddenly fell silent; this guy told her to leave, ¡°Seems like your boyfriend is more important than


    me; your rank in my heart has dropped to sixth now.¡±


    ¡°Sixth?¡± Robb raised an eyebrow, grinning, ¡°Besides those people, who else is ahead of me?¡±


    Astrid arrogantly lifted her head, ¡°Pinky, Pinky loves me the most; whenever Ie home, it brings me


    slippers! Not like some people, who abandon their weak little sister on a deserted street in the middle of


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    the night to see their sweetheart!¡±

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    His rank in the family has been sinking lower and lower; he used to be the top dog, but now he¡¯s


    ranking even lower than the family pet.


    Robb reached out and gently patted Astrid¡¯s head with his big hand; his touch was incredibly gentle.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Star¡¯s a delicate little flower who can take on ten big blokes all by herself. She¡¯s so


    fragile.¡±


    ¡°Buzz off¡­¡± When Robb took off, Astrid had just gotten out of the car with her drink.


    She looked at the empty and somewhat deste street, left speechless. She turned towards the


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    parking lot, where Gracie still awaited her in the car.


    She hadn¡¯t even reached the car when her phone started ringing.


    When she saw it was Roman who was calling, she immediately picked up, ¡°Hello, Roman.¡±


    ¡°I miss you.¡± A soft voice came from the other end of the phone, sounding weak and feeble.


    Astrid immediately felt something was off and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Roman? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just¡­ dizzy¡­¡± Roman¡¯s voice trailed off, and she heard a loud thud.


    Then she heard Wylie and the maid¡¯s panicked voices from the phone, ¡°Roman!¡±


    ¡°Roman, wake up! Roman!¡±


    A sudden pain shot through Astrid¡¯s heart, and she quickly ran towards the car.


    She didn¡¯t have Wylie¡¯s number, so she called Elio instead.


    After a while, Elio picked up, ¡°Astrid, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Roman¡¯s sick; which hospital is he in?¡± Astrid asked hurriedly.


    Elio replied, ¡°Wylie just called me. He¡¯s taken Roman to the nearest hospital; I¡¯m on my way there too.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Astrid hung up the phone, immediately kicked off her high heels, and bolted towards her car.


    Seeing Astrid in such a hurry, Gracie asked, ¡°Astrid, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Gracie, get in the car.¡± Astrid shoved the bottle into Gracie¡¯s arms and jumped into the driver¡¯s seat.


    Seeing the color drain from Astrid¡¯s face, Gracie didn¡¯t dare to ask further and hurriedly got into the car.


    Though there wasn¡¯t any traffic then, the hospital was pretty far. It took them forty minutes to get there.


    Elio had arrived a bit earlier. Seeing Astrid huffing and puffing, he steadied her, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, he¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s okay?¡± Astrid breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    Elio replied, ¡°I wasn¡¯t home all day; Roman was alone in the yroom. He often ys alone, so no one


    noticed when he started to have a fever. His temperature had risen to 39.8¡ãC when he was brought


    here.¡±


    Astrid looked at Roman through the ss door of the sick room. He was hooked up to an IV and was


    already asleep.


    But his brows were furrowed; he looked very ufortable.


    ¡°Oh dear, where is my little grandson¡­ where is my little grandson?¡± Amanda Lampard hurriedly


    stepped out of the elevator. She spotted Astrid and Elio standing at the doorway of the sick room from


    a distance.


    She immediately stopped and quickly grabbed Matthew Lampard, who was beside her.


    Then she adjusted her reading sses and suddenly said, ¡°Lucas Lampard was right, what a beauty


    she is, her figure, looks, and demeanor are all top-notch; such a perfect girl, I¡­ I think Elio is not


    worthy of her.¡±


    Matthew coldly replied, ¡°Can you drop the ¡®I think¡¯? He isn¡¯t worthy!¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t bring any gifts; it¡¯s our first meeting; it¡¯s not proper toe empty-handed, right?¡± Amanda


    stood in ce, unwilling to move forward with a troubled expression. After a few seconds of pondering,


    her eyes lit up, and she said mysteriously, ¡°I got it; I know what to gift!¡±

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101


    Mr. Lu felt bad hearing Amanda¡¯s words, ¡°What crazy scheme are you cooking up this time? If it weren¡¯t


    for yourst hair¨Cbrained idea four and a half years ago, would their rtionship be


    such a mess?¡±


    ¡°But think about it,¡± the olddy countered, ¡°without that incident, would you have a cute grandson like


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Roman?¡±


    Caught off guard, the older man was speechless. ¡°You have a point, but their rtionship isn¡¯t set in


    stone yet. If wee on too strong, we might scare the girl off, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not seriously


    thinking about throwing your son at her?¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Amanda shot her husband a disgruntled look. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind tossing both Elio and Roman


    her way, but she¡¯d have to be willing to ept them first, wouldn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a n.¡±


    With that, Amanda strode off.


    ¡°Elio, how¡¯s Roman doing?¡± Amanda asked as she walked, keeping her eyes locked on Astrid. She


    hadn¡¯t been able to get a good look from afar, but now that she was closer, she was struck by the girl¡¯s


    beauty. ¡°Elio, who is this girl?¡±


    Seeing Amanda, Elio¡¯s brow furrowed, but he didn¡¯t turn and walk bway as usual due to Astrid¡¯s


    presence. Instead, he said coolly, ¡°Roman¡¯s fever is going down.¡± ¡°She¡¯s Astrid, my crush.¡±


    Hearing the term ¡°crush,¡± Astrid¡¯s eyes widened in surprise..


    Crush?


    Amanda, delighted, covered her mouth andughed. ¡°Oh wow, Astrid, where¡¯s your house? Who¡¯s in


    your family? How old are you? What are your hobbies?¡±


    The more the olddy looked at Astrid, the more she approved, and she started chatting away.


    ¡°You¡¯re so pretty!¡±


    ¡°How far along are you two?¡±


    ¡°I tell you, my boy has a bad temper and zero dating experience. Other than his knack for making


    money, he¡¯s pretty useless. But he¡¯s extremely loyal, and you¡¯re the first girl he¡¯s liked in all these


    years!¡±


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t reject him. You can train him a little; he has the potential to be a good husband!¡±


    Elio¡¯s mouth twitched slightly.


    But he didn¡¯t object.


    Looking at the friendly Amanda, Astrid smiled, ¡°Ma¡¯am, you¡¯re mistaken. Mr. Lampard and I aren¡¯t


    dating.¡±


    ¡°Not dating?¡± The olddy looked at Elio in surprise. ¡°Well, he does have a bad temper; it¡¯s


    understandable if you¡¯re not into him.¡±


    Then Amanda took Astrid¡¯s hand and smiled, ¡°Astrid, since this is our first meeting, I don¡¯t have any


    gifts to present to you, so consider this a small token¡­ it¡¯s not anything valuable; take


    it¡­¡±


    Astrid looked down to see that Amanda had given her a ck card.


    Astrid was undoubtedly not going to ept it. ¡°I can¡¯t ept this card.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use to me. Trust me, there¡¯s not much money in it.¡± After the charity event, Astrid changed into


    her usual clothes, which were ordinary brands. Seeing this, the olddy thought she might not have


    much money.


    The olddy, careful not to hurt Astrid¡¯s pride, lowered her voice and said, ¡°Astrid, this is Elio¡¯s card.


    Don¡¯t you think his wife should manage his money?¡±

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102


    Yeah, sure Elio nodded, softening his gaze towards the olddy


    Astrid chuckled. But I¡¯m not his wife¡±


    Elio replied. ¡°Even if you¡¯re not now, you might be in the future What¡¯s mine is yours, take it


    Astrid shook her head helplessly. ¡°No need, I¡¯ve got my own¡±


    The olddy misunderstood, thinking Astrid was taking the card in front of her as a regr ck bank


    card. ¡°Astrid, just take it. This ck card is not the same as yours.¡±


    Astrid responded, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I do have a ck card That¡¯s why I can¡¯t ept this one, but I do appreciate


    it¡±


    She did have a ck card


    She didn¡¯t happen to have it on her at the moment


    But the olddy didn¡¯t believe it. After all, even she and Matthew, with their status, found it hard to get a


    ck card. This card was given to her by Elio when their rtionship was still intact


    Even though Astrid was ssy, she didn¡¯t look like the kind of person who would own a ck card.


    Despite Amanda¡¯s insistence, Astrid still refused to ept her card, so Amanda could only say, ¡®Astrid,


    no matter where you and Elio end up, I¡¯ll always be on your side. If he ever mistreats you, let me know I


    teach him a lesson!¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Alright¡± Astrid, who had been abused by Sandra since she was young and had never met her


    biological mother, felt a sense of motherly love.


    Amanda tried hard to y matchmaker with her and Elio, but het affection for Astrid was genuine,


    ¡°What a good girl¡­ The olddy liked Astrid more the more she saw her. She held Astrid¡¯s hand tightly,


    ¡°By the way, Astrid, where do you work? Do you want me to find you an easier job?¡± Feeling the


    warmth from the olddy¡¯s hand, Astrid smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m an actress.¡±


    ¡°An actress?¡± The olddy perked up, ¡°An actress, huh? Astrid, have you ever considered what movies


    you want to make? I can help arrange that.¡±


    Do you have any directors or actors you want to work with? I can get those big names to y


    supporting roles for you!¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, do you want to make a movie? What kind of movie do you want to make? I can fund it for


    you; what do you say?¡±


    ¡°No need, thank you. I can get the roles I want on my own.¡± Amanda¡¯s enthusiasm was a bit


    overwhelming for Astrid.


    Hearing this, the olddyughed heartily, ¡°Why are you being so formal with me? We¡¯re all family


    here!¡±


    Watching the olddy fawn over Astrid, Elio wondered if he was her biological grandchild.


    Just then, Astrid noticed Roman waking up through the ss window of the hospital room. She quickly


    said, ¡°Roman¡¯s awake.¡±


    He¡¯s awake?¡± The olddy nced into the room, saw Roman had opened his eyes, and immediately


    bustled in, saying, ¡°Roman, my darling, are you feeling better?¡± Roman, who had been expressionless


    up until now, broke into a sweet smile the moment he saw Astrid.


    After all, Astrid once told him she liked his cute side.


    Seeing a Roman smile, Amanda was so excited she stammered, ¡°Matthew,e quick! Roman¡¯s


    smiling! He¡¯s smiling!!!¡±

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103


    ¡°Look at you, acting all green.¡± Matthew shot Amanda an unsatisfied look before noticing Roman


    snickering with his mouth wide open.


    He sure looked adorable when heughed, finally not serious like his dad.


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, I want a hug.¡± Roman reached out to Astrid, his face full of anticipation.


    Astrid walked over with a smile, sat beside him, and gently cradled him in her arms, patting his back,


    ¡°Feeling better now, Roman?¡± Roman replied, ¡°If Ms. Irvine hugs me, I¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? You¡¯re such a good boy, Roman.¡± Astrid gave Roman a light peck on his cheek.


    Roman immediately pushed her away, ¡°No! I¡¯m sick; you¡¯ll catch it, Ms. Irvine!¡±


    Matthew and the older woman were dumbfounded seeing the adorable Roman.


    Is this kid really their grandson?


    How does he not look anything like them?


    And since when did he be so adorable?


    And since when did he start speaking so fluently?


    What had they missed these past few days?


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Watching Roman and Astrid interact, they seemed to have a mother¨Cson bond.


    They realized Roman¡¯s transformation was all thanks to Astrid¡­


    She must be their daughter¨Cinw!


    The two elders exchanged nces,ughed, and exited the hospital room.


    Astrid didn¡¯t leave until Roman fell asleep.


    She had been busy all day, had skipped dinner, and now she was both hungry and tired.


    She asked Elio to take good care of Roman, then went to dinner with Gracie before heading home.


    Once home, she carefully opened the wine box to find the wine and a card.


    The card read, ¡°Although this wine is delicious, drink in moderation. It has a special ingredient that


    doesn¡¯t get you drunk immediately but hits hardter. Don¡¯t go out into the wind after drinking, or you¡¯ll


    pass out. Even if you can hold your liquor, limit yourself to three sses at a time. Remember!¡±


    ¡°Three sses? That¡¯s not nearly enough for me, at least a bottle!¡± Astrid carefully took out a bottle,


    uncorked it, and let it breathe.


    The wine tasted incredibly rich, and once Astrid started, she couldn¡¯t stop. When she realized this, she


    had already downed two whole bottles!


    But she was still sober.


    She figured they must have warned her not to drink too much to prevent her from finishing the wine all


    at once.


    Her phone vibrated. It was a message from Robb: ¡°Star, you might need to go home for a bit.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t lost any bets; why should I go home?¡± Astrid didn¡¯t want to go home at the thought of


    possibly bumping into someone.


    Robb: ¡°No, Dad¡¯s sick; you shoulde to see him.¡±


    ¡°What? How is he? Is it serious?¡± Astrid immediately became anxious when she heard that one of her


    family members was ill.


    Robb: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing serious. But you know, only you can cure his illness.¡°.


    Robb asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t drunk too much, have you?¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m in control; how could I drink too much?¡±


    Looking at the two empty wine bottles on the table, Astrid felt uneasy.


    Just as she was zoning out, Dale called. She hesitated for a moment, then picked up, ¡°Could youe


    to CY International Hotel? I just secured a few projects for you. You should show up, or it will seem like


    we don¡¯t respect them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there soon. Send me the room number.¡± Hanging up, Astrid went to her bedroom to


    change.

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104


    She¡¯d just hailed a cab when her bodyguard shadowed her from the back alley.


    When Astrid arrived at the hotel, Dale had sealed the deal with the producers.


    Upon seeing her, they exchanged a few pleasantries before immediately signing the contract.


    It was an agreement to be the resident guest on a magic variety show.


    Carlos was tipsy, swaying as he walked. He told Dale, ¡°You¡¯ve signed a good actress this time, Ms.


    Irvine¡¯s got the goods


    She¡¯s going ces.¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thanks, Mr Carlos, Astrid gave a smallugh, maybe due to the high temperature of the air¨C


    conditioning in the private room, she felt a bit warm. Astrid looked at Dale, ¡°You¡¯ll have to get Mr. Carlos


    home.¡±


    1ll get Mr Carlos home, but can you get home yourself? Where did you go drinking before this? Why


    are you so flushed?¡± Dale asked, clearly concerned. Astrid shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, you know I can


    handle my liquor; just go, I¡¯ll get a cab home.¡±


    Dale Alright then, stay put here, Mr. Carlos¡® house isn¡¯t far; I¡¯lle back for you as soon as I drop him


    off.¡±


    ¡°Okay ¡°Astrid nodded.


    You better wait for me here!¡± Dale reminded Astrid several times before leaving, helping Carlos to his


    feet.


    Astrid was feeling increasingly warm.


    She began to feel the effects of the alcohol.


    Apart from feeling warm, she didn¡¯t have any other diforts


    She decided to rush home before the alcohol fully kicked in.


    Astrid stood up and quickly went downstairs, but as soon as she stepped out of the hotel, she was


    stunned.


    It was pouring rain and windy outside..


    Just her rotten luck.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that our magician, Ms. Irvine? No one to pick you up?¡± A sarcastic voice rang out. Astrid


    turned to see Leah and a bunch of artists.


    She turned her back on them, not wanting to entertain their nonsense.


    The rain was getting heavier, and she was feeling hot, so she reached out to catch some rain, treating


    Leah and her entourage like they were just air.


    Thinking of being forced to apologize to Astrid at the charity g, Lean was angry. Being ignored by


    Astrid now only wounded her pride further, so she snapped, ¡°Astrid, are you deaf? You¡¯re putting on


    airs before you¡¯re even famous?¡±


    Astrid felt dizzy from the wind, and Leah¡¯s words were grating on her nerves. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to


    you; why are you still speaking to me? Are you sick in the head?¡±


    ¡°Astrid! Don¡¯t bite the hand that feeds you; you really think I can¡¯t get you kicked out of the


    entertainment industry? Leah yelled, stomping towards Astrid.


    Just as Leah stepped away from Astrid, Astrid suddenly snapped her fingers, and a small chain quietly


    slipped from her palm.


    A few secondster, Astrid said, ¡°Roll.¡±


    Before finishing her sentence, the usually overbearing Leah suddenly doubled over. She started rolling


    on the ground, rolling into the rain..


    Everyone stared at this bizarre scene, dumbfounded.


    Leah was about to roll into the middle of the road when her manager finally snapped out of it and


    rushed to stop her.


    But Leah was powerful, still struggling to roll forward. Her manager was furious; he yelled at Astrid,


    ¡°Astrid, you witch, what did you do to Leah?!¡±

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105


    Astrid sneered, ¡°You been watching too many horror flicks or what? Ain¡¯t no such thing as witches in


    this world.¡±


    She was already soaked to the skin, so Astrid just plopped down on the steps.


    The rain seemed to clear her head a bit.


    Her bodyguard in the shadows immediately texted Robb: ¡°Ms. Irvine¡¯s drunk as a skunk, sitting in the


    rain. Should we take her home?¡±


    Robb: ¡°No need, just make sure she¡¯s safe.¡±


    Because of the distance and dim lighting no one saw the chain in Astrid¡¯s palm.


    So, they all thought something weird must¡¯ve happened when Leah suddenly rolled away.


    No matter how her manager yelled, Leah acted like she was under a spell.


    In the end, she had no choice but to p Leah.


    The sharp pain snapped Leah out of it. She got up from the ground, looking bewildered in the rain.


    ¡°Abby, why¡¯d you hit me?¡± Leah asked.


    Abby was confused, ¡°You don¡¯t know what just happened? You walked over to talk to Astrid and started


    rolling around. If I hadn¡¯t grabbed you, you would¡¯ve rolled into the street and got hit by a car.¡±


    What? Leah looked through the rain at the girl sitting on the steps, her head buried in her knees,


    looking like she had fallen asleep.


    She had no memory of rolling around on the ground, which was strange.


    Looking deeply, Leah walked quickly towards Astrid, shouting, ¡°Astrid, what did you do to me?¡°¡±


    ¡°Do you enjoy making a fool out of yourself? Look at you like a beggar.¡±


    ¡°So what if Mr. Willie defended you? Without him, you¡¯re just a nobody.


    ¡°You, a girl from the slums, dreaming of chasing after a rich son like Mr. Willie, he¡¯s just temporarily


    Intrigued; otherwise, why would he leave you here alone?¡±


    This hotel was close to the charity event, and many celebrities had dinner there. Because of the heavy


    rain, everyone was waiting in the lobby, unable to leave. Hearing Leah¡¯s yelling, everyone came out.


    Leah talked a big game but was scared, so she dared not get close to Astrid.


    Everyone looked at Astrid sitting in the rain, looking miserable, and started whispering, ¡°What¡¯s up with


    Astrid? Why¡¯s she sitting in the rain?¡°.


    ¡°She looks so miserable.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she have a car?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a big star; how could she have a private car?¡±


    ¡°Looks like she¡¯s been dumped by her sugar daddy?¡±


    Astrid couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, her ears were ringing, and she was barely conscious.


    She looked up to see a crowd had formed around her..


    Everyone was pointing at her as if she was a joke.


    I¡¯m screwed; I got drunk on the wind after drinking.¡±


    ¡°Dale¡¯s so unreliable; why isn¡¯t he back yet¡­¡± Astrid mumbled, seeing through the haze that Dale¡¯s car


    had pulled up nearby.


    She stood to walk over, but a cold voice came from behind, ¡°Astrid, what are you doing here?¡±


    Before Astrid could react, Elio grabbed her arm and pulled her up.


    The moment she was close to him, Astrid felt a sudden relief¡­


    The wind was strong, and Astrid was utterly drunk.


    Seeing her soaked clothes, Elio frowned. He was about to take off his jacket for her, but she held his


    arm tightly.


    Elio looked at her, frowning.


    The girl was flushed, her eyes half¨Cclosed, looking quite drunk.


    She looked at him, and after a few seconds, she whispered, ¡°Elio, carry me¡­!


    Her head was spinning, her body weak, so she really couldn¡¯t walk anymore.


    She could only ask him to carry her.


    Hearing Astrid¡¯s words, everyone was dumbfounded. Had Astrid gone mad?


    She actually asked Elio to carry her?


    Everyone knew Elio hated being touched by women!Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Mr. Lampard not kicking her away was already being nice!


    But before anyone could react, Elio had already squatted before her, saying softly, ¡°Climb on.¡±

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    Astrid didn¡¯t hesitate for a second before flopping onto Elio¡¯s back.


    Everyone around them was left gawking, wondering what the hell just happened.


    Did Elio really give Astrid a piggyback ride?


    The fact that Elio was actually listening to Astrid, and was being so gentle with her, made everyone


    think there was more than meets the eye to their rtionship!


    Leah, who was acting all high and mighty just a while ago, was now as meek as a mouse, not daring to


    backtalk.


    Because if she pissed off Elio, she might get an immediate smackdown!


    Thinking about how she yelled at Astrid, Leah regretted it.


    Astrid was soaking wet and got Elio¡¯s pricey suit all damp.


    Astrid was a bit dizzy, she wrapped her arms around Elio¡¯s neck and whispered, ¡°Elio, you smell so


    good.¡±


    With that, she nuzzled into his neck.


    A tingling sensation shot through Elio¡¯s neck, causing him to stiffen and warn her through gritted teeth,


    ¡°Cut it out.¡±


    ¡°Watch out, you might fall.¡±


    Carson quickly came over, hoisting arge umbre over the pair!


    As Elo carried Astrid out into the rain, the bodyguards lurking in the shadows tensed up, quickly


    messaging Robb: ¡°Ms. Irvine is being taken away by Mr. Lampard.¡± Robb replied, ¡°Follow his car, I¡¯m


    The bodyguard responded, ¡°Roger that.¡±


    Everyone watched in surprise as Elio and Astrid got into the car. Wa¡¯s Astrid getting in Elio¡¯s car?


    There was a time when a female celebrity snuck into Elio¡¯s car only to be kicked out by him.


    The next day, he switched to a new car.


    But now, even though Astrid was drenched, he just took her straight into his car?


    Seems like Elio has got the hots for Astrid!


    ¡°OMG, this is like a Cindere story.¡±


    ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that a girl from the slums like Astrid would catch Elio¡¯s eye? She must have


    done something delicious in her past life.¡±


    Maybe Elio just finds her novel. Didn¡¯t he have a thing with Fannie not too long ago? Although Astrid is


    prettier than Fannie, Fannie¡¯s got a much better background and is more popr.¡±


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Background? Haha, Fannie¡¯s dad is a tax evader who owes billions. What¡¯s so great about that?


    The rain was getting heavier.


    Astrid huddled up in the backseat of the car.


    She squinted at Elio, like a cat that just found a piece of dried fish, ¡°Elio; stay away from me. I¡¯m bad


    news.


    Elio kept his gaze down, his eyes half¨Cclosed, ¡°Well, we¡¯re a perfect match them, I¡¯m bad news too.¡±


    ¡°Plus, I don¡¯t mind what you do to me.¡±


    With that, Elio moved a bit closer to Astrid.


    But the next second, Astrid put her hand on his shoulder, ¡°Elio, can you keep it in your pants?¡±


    Carson, who was driving, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, then he felt a drop in the temperature inside the


    car.


    After a while, Carson noticed a car tailing them, ¡°Boss, there¡¯s a car following us. Should we still go


    home?¡±


    Elio nced at the ck business car in the rearview mirror, his eyes darkened, ¡°Take Ms. Irvine


    home.¡±


    He was familiar with this car, often parked in Astrid¡¯s underground parking lot. It must be Astrid¡¯s


    bodyguard.

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    He can¡¯t take her home.


    Otherwise, her brothers mighte looking for trouble at any time.


    Astrid sneezed, then rubbed her nose. Her phone started ringing.


    She closed her eyes and reached into her pocket to grab the phone, but she didn¡¯t hold it steady, and it


    dropped to the ground.


    Elio immediately bent down to pick up her phone but saw the word on the screen: Chad.


    Chad?


    The Chad he knew?


    The phone kept ringing. Astrid snatched it from his hand and answered, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Chad. ¡°Oh, I wondered why you never came back. Turns out you¡¯re off ying lovebirds, huh? Have


    you no conscience?¡±


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Astrid, suffering from a headache, felt her ears hurt just listening to Chad¡¯s voice, ¡°Lovebirds, what


    lovebirds?¡±


    Chad. ¡°Some paparazzi caught Mr. Lampard carrying you today. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve handled it. But I¡¯m


    curious, how did you end up with him?¡± Astrid ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    Chad ¡°By the way, the Cot family is on the dark web offering bne billion for someone to give Hal


    hypnotherapy.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Astridughed sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯ll double it; make him kick the bucket sooner and be


    reincarnated!¡±


    After hanging up, Astrid noticed Elio was staring at her. From this angle, he was just too handsome..


    They locked eyes for a few seconds. Suddenly Astrid stood up and leaned close to Elio, grasping his


    chin.


    Elio raised an eyebrow, ¡°Ms. Irvine, are you flirting with me?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that you look¡­ delicious.¡± With that, Astrid smacked her lips.


    Elio chuckled and whispered, ¡°Want a taste?¡±


    Listening to their conversation, Carson thought, could these two consider the feelings of a single man


    like him? Just then, Carson saw an astonishing scene not far away and immediately said, ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve


    got a situation.


    Elio squinted a hint of displeasure on his face. He was about to speak but saw the scene outside the


    window.


    A tall man stood in the rain, another man holding arge ck umbre for him. He was imposing, with


    a Rolls¨CRoyce Phantom parked beside him.


    Behind him, dozens of bodyguards in ck suits lined up.


    Such an imposing sight, even the worldly Carson was taken aback.


    Even from a distance, Carson could feel the murderous intent¡­


    ¡°Are we here?¡± Astrid felt the car stop and looked out the window.


    Upon seeing the man in front, Astrid¡¯s eyes lit up with amusement. She pushed open the car door and


    stepped out into the rain.


    Elio quickly got out of the car, holding an umbre, and took hold of her, then looked at the man not far


    away.


    The man was about 6¡¯3¡°, wearing sses, giving off a refined air. But his presence was powerful, and


    at a nce, it was clear he was no ordinary person..


    Thank you for bringing Astrid back.¡± Robb gave Elio a grateful smile, then bent down to pick up Astrid.


    He carried Astrid towards the house, took a few steps, then turned back to Elio and said, ¡°Just a heads


    up, Star has never been in a rtionship. She¡¯s quite innocent. If you dare hurt her, you¡¯ll pay the


    price.¡°

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108


    Elo locked eyes with Robb, showing no signs of backing down, ¡°Tll only protect her, never hurt her.


    Robb said, ¡°I hope so¡±


    With that, Robb scooped up Astrid and went upstairs.


    Carson followed, his voice shaky with fear, ¡°Boss, Just who is Ms. Irvine? That guy was so intimidating:


    just his standing there was enough to give me the creeps.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re lucky we sent Ms. Irvine home. If you had taken her to your ce, that guy might have ripped


    you in half?¡±


    Elio didn¡¯t respond, but he was sure d he hadn¡¯t acted rashly when he saw the Rolls¨CRoyce


    Phantom earlier. His curiosity about Astrid¡¯s identity was definitely piqued.


    Her brother looked like a military guy.


    And he must have some serious clout.


    If all her brothers are this badass, who knows what the next one¡¯s gonna be like¡­


    What a headache.


    The next day Astrid woke up just before noon. The smell of steak filled the air, and she bolted out of


    bed.


    Robb happened to be carrying the steak. Astrid practically drooled, ¡°Robb, when did you get here?¡±


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t, you might have finished off a whole case of wine today.¡±


    7 thought you were worried about me going hungry; you¡¯re more worried about your wine!¡± Astrid


    grumbled.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    As she was about to freshen up, she heard Robb coldly say, ¡°Star, if acting is too tiring,e home.


    Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t force you to take over the family business, but it makes me uneasy when you¡¯re


    alone out there.¡±


    Astrid spun around, ¡°With all the bodyguards around me, what¡¯s there to worry about? I¡¯m definitely not


    going back.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself, but next time you drink, don¡¯t go wandering off.¡±


    ¡°Robb, chill; I won¡¯t get so drunk I can¡¯t handle myself. Are you worried someone will take advantage of


    me?¡± Astrid leaned against the door, raising an eyebrow.


    Robb looked at her, speaking slowly, ¡°I¡¯m more worried about you taking advantage of others. It could


    damage our family¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    ¡°Robb, you just moved down to 9th ce!¡± She huffed and mmed the bathroom door:


    When Astrid came out, Robb had already left. She looked at the feast on the table, feeling absolutely


    blissful.


    Not long after she finished eating, Gracie drove over to take her to visit Roman at the hospital, then


    back to the set.


    Meanwhile, Elio had been reading the news all morning, but he looked a bit off.


    He and Astrid were photographed at the hotel entrance yesterday, and he hadn¡¯t tried to suppress the


    news. But there was absolutely no news about it this morning. As if nothing had happened yesterday.


    He had thought that if they were photographed, he could use it tobel her as his girlfriend to ward off


    any entertainment circle predators:


    After all, if he had leaked the news himself, Astrid would definitely have been pissed.¡±


    But it seemed that Astrid had handled the situation, and her abilities far exceeded his expectations..


    On the way home, Astrid was fighting off sleep, but her phone buzzed non¨Cstop.


    She nced at it, finding the group chat was

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109


    hapter 109


    Brandon Star Robb told me you went out with a guyst night Who is he? Spill ¡®


    Jon 1 bet it¡¯s that guy with the kid fromst time, right?¡±


    Brandon ¡°The dude with a kid? The divorcee? No way, not on my watch!¡±


    Rickon 7m not on board either¡±


    Astrid, feeling helpless, typed back ¡°Guys, chill out I just had too much to drink, he was a gentleman


    and drove me home Stop imagining all sorts of crazy stuff, alright?¡±


    Jon God, you were hammered? Star, you didn¡¯t do anything crazy, did you?¡±


    Astrid 777


    Astrid ¡°What kind of person do you think I am? Someone who hooks up with anyone?¡±


    Jon Well you used to say life was meaningless if you couldn¡¯t get the person you liked. That guy might


    have a kid, but he looks kinda like me. Maybe you fancied him when you were Tipsy


    Astrid was speechless.


    Could she really like Elio?


    What a joke, she was definitely not that type of person.


    She closed her eyes for a brief rest. When she woke up, the car had already reached the suburbs.


    Her phone buzzed again. Looking down, it was a message from Elio: ¡°Do you remember what you did


    to mest night?¡±


    Upon seeing the message, Astrid was taken aback.


    What did he mean by that?


    Did she actually do something to Eliost night?


    No, that couldn¡¯t be. She might have had a few drinks, but she was still in her senses; she didn¡¯t ck


    out.


    She only fell asleep after seeing Robb, and as far as she could recall, she didn¡¯t do anything to Elio!


    Astrid: ¡°I¡¯m decent; how could I do anything to you?¡±


    Elio: ¡°If your brother hadn¡¯t shown up in time, I might have be your prey.¡±


    Astrid was speechless again, and just as she was about to p back at Elio, the car suddenly braked.


    She lurched forward, almost hitting her head, ¡°Gracie, what happened?¡±


    Gracie replied, ¡°Someone just ran into the middle of the road.¡±


    Astrid looked up to see Hal standing in the middle of the road.


    She felt annoyed. Why did she have to run into this guy!


    She opened the car door and got out.


    Astrid approached Hal and asked coldly: ¡°What the hell do you want?¡±


    Under the sunlight, Hal¡¯s face looked even paler.


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    He looked like he could be blown away by a gust of wind.


    He looked at Astrid and chuckled: ¡°Astrid, I want to make a deal with you.¡±


    When he finished his sentence, a group of people rushed out from the surrounding woods, surrounding


    her and Gracie.


    Seeing this, Astrid sneered and mocked, ¡°What, nning to kidnap me again?¡±


    ¡°I just want to walk thest journey of life with you; you forced me to this. We could avoid much trouble


    if you agree toe with me.¡± Hal gave a faint smile, but because he was so thin, his smile had no


    charm but made him look creepy.


    He looked at Astrid, whose brows were furrowed, and continued casually, ¡°Once we reach our new


    home, I¡¯ll send Elio videos of us together daily. Do you think he¡¯ll go mad?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll go mad, but I do know that if you dare to hurt me, you¡¯re done for.¡± Astrid wished


    she could kick him into the nearby ditch.


    1


    Hal snorted, ¡°You think you can handle so many people alone?¡±


    Hearing this, Astrid raised an eyebrow.


    She and her brother had been learning closebat skills for a long time, so why would she be afraid


    of this guy?


    ¡°Who said I have to deal with so many people?¡± Astrid smiled, then leaped to Hal¡¯s side in a sh.


    Before Hal could react, the dagger in Astrid¡¯s hand was already at his throat.


    Her move was so quick that Hals bodyguards didn¡¯t have time to react.


    Astrid sneered, her voice icy, ¡°Hal, do you remember this dagger? It¡¯s the one that almost killed you. If


    you¡¯ve forgotten how it felt, Lean give you a taste of it again.¡±

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    Chapter 110


    The bodyguard was scared shirtless, his gun shaking in his hands


    ¡°Ms Irvine cool t


    ¡°Ms Irvine please don¡¯t hurt him


    Ms Irvine he¡¯s not well pleses stop hitting him


    Before Astrid could say anything Hal grabbed the dagger and jabbed toward his throat


    It was toote when Astrid realized what he was doing


    Despite her efforts to divert the dagger from his neck the sharp de still grazed him, blood gushing


    out


    Astrid yelled ¡°Grace, get the first aid ka


    Grace was freaked out she rolled out of the driver¡¯s seat, fetched the first aid kit from the trafik, and


    handed it to Astrid with her hands trembling


    Luckily the artery wasn¡¯t cut but Hal already had poor blood cirction. If he lost more blood, his life


    could be in danger at any moment.


    =


    idents often happened on set, so Astrid¡¯s first aid kit was fully equipped. She skillfully dressed Hals


    wound.


    Hai stared at her as if trying to see through her, ¡°Astrid, my biggest wish in life is to die by your hand


    1 know that¡¯s why I won¡¯t let it happen¡± Astrid responded coldly and quickly turned to the nearby


    bodyguard, ¡®Are you daft? Call an ambnce!¡±


    The scared¨Cstiff bodyguard finally snapped out of it and hurriedly dialed for help


    Antred wouldn¡¯t mind if Hal died, but she didn¡¯t want him to die by her hand. Because then, she would


    remember this incident and him for the rest of her life But she didn¡¯t want him to leave such a memory


    Hal seemed to feel no pain, his smile carried a hint of sadness, ¡°You¡¯re so heartless, can¡¯t you fulfill my


    Every time you onlye close when I¡¯m dying I almost forget¡­ forget when youst touched me.¡±


    ¡°Why why did we be like this?¡±


    To you know how much I like¡­ you?¡±


    ¡°All I did, was to make you stay with me¡­¡±


    ¡°Astrid


    Hal kept calling Astrid¡¯s name until his consciousness started to blur.


    Astnd looked down at her blood¨Cstained hands, frowning slightly, ¡°Stay with him and wait for the


    ambnce; he won¡¯t die.¡± She returned to the car and grabbed a bunch of tissues to wipe off the blood


    on her hands, but it just wouldn¡¯te off. Her mood was getting worse.


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s mood, Gracie didn¡¯t ask further.


    She just started the car and left the scene


    It started raining shortly after they left.


    How did they end up like this?


    Well, didn¡¯t he ask for it?


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Due to the rain, they drove slowly.


    By the time they arrived at the set, it was already dark.


    ¡°Astrid, you have three scenes tomorrow, you must get up at eight¡­¡± Gracie was going over


    tomorrow¡¯s n, but Astrid didn¡¯t respond. Looking over, she saw Astrid staring into the distance.

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111


    Gracie followed Astrid¡¯s gaze, her eyes widening in surprise before whispering, ¡°Oh wow, what does


    Director want from you at this hour? He¡¯s not gonna blow his top because we took the day off, right?¡±


    ¡°No worries, go and rest. I¡¯ll chat with Director, Astrid replied, starting to head off.


    Upon seeing her return, Todd quickly approached, grinning. ¡°Astrid, finally you¡¯re back. I heard from a


    friend that you¡¯re a magician. In the drama, your character participates in a talent show, right? So, we


    could switch it to a magic show instead of a dance performance. It would be more captivating; what do


    you think?¡±


    Astrid gave Todd a long look. He was quick on his feet. Magic was more attention¨Cgrabbing than


    singing and dancing, and it would make her character more prominent.


    ¡°You call the shots, Director Astrid was visibly relieved when she learned it was just this. ¡°However, I


    might need your help in getting some magic props. I¡¯ll make a list and send it to youter Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°No problem, no problem.¡± Todd nodded, handing her the revised script, ¡°We¡¯ve changed some lines to


    go with the new performance. Give it a read tonight.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing ¡°Astrid nodded in agreement.


    Todd further exined some arrangements for the next day¡¯s scenes before he left.


    After a hot shower, Astridy in bed reading the script.


    Around eleven at night, there was a knock at the door.


    She got up to answer it, finding a delivery guy standing there with a huge gift box, ¡°Good evening, Ms.


    Irvine, here¡¯s your delivery.¡±


    Astrid was puzzled, ¡°But I didn¡¯t order anything.¡±


    The delivery guy smiled, ¡°It¡¯s from your fan. You need to ept it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Astrid took the box and walked back inside.


    Opening the box, she found it full of various candies.


    There were hundreds of types of candies, each one unique and packaged adorably. They all looked


    delicious.


    But she couldn¡¯t find any note inside the box.


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    She had no idea who sent it.


    Her phone, plugged in for charging, buzzed. Astrid picked it up and saw a message from Elio: ¡°Heard


    that sweets can cheer you up when you¡¯re down. How do you feel now?¡± Her heart skipped a beat.


    How did Elio know she was feeling down?


    Were these candies from him?


    ¡°Knock, knock, knock¡­¡± The door was knocked again. This time, it was a cake delivery.


    Moreover these cakes were driven from Sunhaven, a brand she loved. The vors were also her


    favorites.


    Elio really did his homework.


    Back in her room, another message from Elio popped up: ¡°Do you like candies?¡°.


    Astrid: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Elio: ¡°Do you like the cake?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Elio: ¡°Do you like me?¡±


    With the word ¡°Yes¡± already typed, Astrid suddenly realized he was trying to lead her on!


    Quickly deleting her typed response, she replied instead, ¡°Really? That¡¯s your game?¡±


    On the other side of the screen, Elio wore a gloomy face.

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    Chapter 112


    When Carson pushed the door open and saw Ello¡¯s expression, he got spooked and bailed out.


    A month and a bitter, Astrid wrapped up all her scenes.


    After finishing filming, she nned to go home and see her dad.


    In the airport¡¯s VIP lounge, Roman was pouting, his eyes brimming with tears, ¡°Ms. Irvine, I¡¯m gonna


    miss you.¡±


    Seeing the kid holding back his tears, Astrid¡¯s heart melted, ¡°Roman, I¡¯ll be back real quick, I promise,


    really quick.¡±


    Roman pouted, ¡°Will Ms. Irvine be another kid¡¯s mom when she goes abroad?¡±


    ¡°No way¡± Astridughed, then red at Elio sitting beside her, ¡°Mr. Lampard, what on earth do you tell


    Rom¨¢n?¡±


    Elio replied calmly. ¡°You¡¯ve got me all wrong; I¡¯ve never said anything like that to him.¡±


    ¡°Star, it¡¯s time to go.¡± Jon Brooke reminded her from the doorway. He had no love for Elio and felt


    disgruntled every time he thought of him trying to woo Star. Seeing that it was about time, Astrid kissed


    Roman¡¯s cheek and said goodbye, ¡°Roman, we¡¯re gonna video chat every night; you gotta listen to


    your dad, okay?¡± Roman replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now, Mr. Lampard. You gotta take care of Roman. Don¡¯t bully him while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    Bully?


    Roman already has her backing him up; he¡¯s cocky enough, and it¡¯s good enough not to bully him.


    Elio nodded, ¡°Safe travels.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    As Astrid got up to leave, Jon quickly came over and said with a smile, ¡°Oh right, Star, you should go


    see Hawthorne Cliff when you get back.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


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    ¡°Star, you¡¯re so heartless. Even though Hawthorne is just your fianc¨¦ in name; he¡¯s a genius with a high


    10 and great personality, where does he fall short?


    ¡°If I had to pick, it¡¯d be his weak health.¡±


    Walking behind with Roman, Elio heard this, and his eyes turned cold. Fianc¨¦ in name? Genius? Great


    personality?


    This didn¡¯t look good.


    Elio looked down at Roman, who was lost in the sadness of parting and couldn¡¯t pull himself out.


    Roman, do you wanna go abroad for a trip?¡± Elio asked.


    Roman shook his head.


    He didn¡¯t want to travel; he just wanted to be with Ms. Irvine.


    ¡°What if you could bump into Ms. Irvine on the trip? Would you want to go?¡±


    Roman said excitedly, ¡°Go! Let¡¯s go now!¡±


    Astrid got on the ne. She and Jon sat in first ss.


    As soon as she got on the ne, she started to close her eyes and rest. Not long after, she heard a


    familiar voice, ¡°Astrid!¡±


    She opened her eyes and saw Colton Fortner.


    ¡°What a coincidence, I¡¯ve rerun into you; you¡¯re even more beautiful than thest time I¡¯saw you. Colton


    smiled innocently, ¡°Let¡¯s y cards? I¡¯ve been practicing a lot since then; this time, I won¡¯t lose all my


    money to you!¡±


    Listening to Colton, Jon couldn¡¯t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth, ¡°Even I can¡¯t beat her, no


    matter how much you practice, you¡¯re not going to win against her. Sit down; the ne¡¯s about to take


    off.¡±


    Colton stomped his foot, ¡°I wanna sit next to her!¡±


    Sitting beside him, Farrah Fortner awkwardly said, ¡°Colton, behave; let¡¯s sit in our own seats, okay?¡±

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113


    ¡°You¡¯re not my real mom Youre the reason my mom is dead You¡¯re just a fake Cotton¡¯s words made


    Farrah¡¯s face turn as white as a sheet


    Farrah gripped her bag tightly, a fierce look in her eyes.


    Astrid observed Farrah¡¯s reaction and gently tugged at Jon, ¡°Jon, could you switch seats with him?


    Colton and I are friends. Id like to have a chat with him¡± Since Astrid asked, let¡¯s switch You sit here. I¡¯ll


    take your ce ¡°Jon got up, and Cotton immediately bowed to him ¡°Thanks!


    Colton sat down, his face lit up with a big grin


    Soon, the ne took off


    When the flight attendant saw Astrid coughing she asked, ¡°Would you like me to get you some hot


    water?¡±


    That¡¯d be great thank you Astrid nodded


    After a while, the fight attendant brought the hot water and smiled as she handed it over The water¡¯s


    hot. Be careful not to scald yourself¡±


    As Astrid reached out to take the water, the ne jolted, causing the water to ssh out of the cup.


    In that split second Colten put his arm in front of Astrid, taking the scalding water on his arm.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Dolton, are you okay?¡± Astrid hadn¡¯t expected Colton to intervene, let alone be so quick.


    A person with developmental issues shouldn¡¯t have been so alert!


    7¡¯m fine, as long as you¡¯re okay.¡± He continued to smile innocently. Astrid stared at him for a while but


    couldn¡¯t detect anything abnormal.


    They were sitting close, and Astrid faintly detected the smell of medicine.


    ¡°Cotten, drink this medicine Farrah handed him a cup, the medicinal smell intensifying as the cup was


    opened.


    Colton stared at the medicine for a while, hesitating before finally taking the cup.


    Astrid tried to stop him but realized he¡¯d already downed the medicine. ¡°I¡¯m brave. I¡¯m not afraid of


    bitterness.¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t respond, but her perception of Farrah began to change.


    She noticed one of the ingredients in the medicine Farrah gave Colton could cause central nervous


    system damage over time and negatively impact a child¡¯s intelligence and memory. Colton was brilliant


    before five, but then his development stalled. It seemed clear that Farrah had been poisoning him.


    Farrah seemed nervous about Colton sitting next to her. She kept looking back, clearly hiding


    something.


    After a moment, Astrid asked, ¡°Where are you guys headed this time?¡±


    Im going to try bungee jumping.¡± Colton was always excited whenever he talked about it. ¡°I really love


    bungee jumping. Do you?¡±


    Though there were plenty of ces to bungee jump domestically, Farrah insisted on taking Colton


    abroad to experience it.


    Astridughed, ¡°I like it too. Does Farrah often take you out to y alone?¡±


    ¡°Not really, there¡¯s usually a lot of people. Besides you guys, everyone in this first¨Css cabin was


    brought by her. Pretty impressive, huh?¡± Astrid was taken aback by his meaningful words.

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114


    Colton might be ying dumb.


    He might¡¯ve been kidnapped.


    He might be crying out for help with what he¡¯s saying


    Astrid kept quiet, then heard Colton mumble again, ¡°She said I¡¯ll see my dad soon, Im so happy!¡±


    Hearing that, Jon, sitting next to Farrah, furrowed his brows


    Because Colton¡¯s dad, Malcolm For , was already dead


    If Farrah said Colton would see his dad soon, wasn¡¯t that saying she would kill him?


    Listening to Colton incessantly talking. Farrah became increasingly uneasy and said, ¡°Colton, stop


    talking. You¡¯re disturbing everyone¡¯s rest.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Colton shut up.


    Eight hourster, the nended


    When Astrid got off the ne, Colton grabbed her arm, ¡°I¡¯m not going bungee jumping anymore; I want


    to y with you!¡±


    Farrah put on a cold face, ¡°Why are you following her? I¡¯ll take you to y; let¡¯s go.¡±


    Tm not going¡® Colton still clung to Astrid¡¯s arm.


    Seeing this, Farrah immediately signaled a few men around. They quickly approached Colton, trying to


    take him away.


    Farrah, Colton, and I are good friends too. I grew up here; why don¡¯t I show you guys around?¡± Jon¨C


    stepped in, prying Colton¡¯s hand off Astrid¡¯s arm.


    Colton was stunned, then he hugged Jon¡¯s arm, ¡°You¡¯re such a good guy!¡±


    Jon just didn¡¯t want to see Colton get killed by Farrah.


    Farrah nned everything out and didn¡¯t want Jon to mess things up. She said, ¡°We already have


    ns, and I¡¯m familiar with this ce, so there is no need for your help. You guys, what are you


    standing around for? Hurry up and take him away!¡±


    Hearing this, Colton refused to leave and hugged Jon even tighter, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving; I want to stay with


    him!¡±


    Astrid raised an eyebrow. It seemed Jon also noticed something was off and wanted to save Colton.


    When the men in ck tried to force him, Colton shouted and yelled, attracting the airport police


    Farrah had no choice but to wait until they left the airport to make her move.


    But as soon as they stepped out of the airport, she was stunned by the sight in front of her!


    A line of luxury cars was parked in front of the airport, all stered with Astrid¡¯s photos. The other cars


    were blocked far away, unable to get in¡­.


    Seeing Astride out, the men beside the cars bowed in sync, ¡°Ms. Irvine, wee home!¡±


    Astrid was speechless. Did these guys really need to make such a big scene?


    Thankfully not many people knew her overseas; otherwise, this would definitely trend!N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    The two identical twin men standing at the front walked over when they saw Astrid, ¡°Star, wee


    home!¡±


    Seeing the two before her, Astrid scowled, ¡°Buzz off; I¡¯ve cut ties with you guys!


    These two were her cousins that she had blocked, Edgar and Edwin Brooke.


    Upon hearing this, Edgar immediately opened the box, revealing pigeon egg¨Csized diamonds that


    almost blinded Farrah with their dazzling brilliance.


    A whole box of pink diamonds? Was this for real?


    Edgar said, ¡°Star, I¡¯ve realized my mistake. Can you forgive me for the sake of these diamonds?¡±


    Astrid replied coldly, ¡°No need, I don¡¯t like diamonds.¡±


    Seeing this, Edwin immediately opened his box, revealing a key.


    Astrid nced at it, then said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t like cars either.¡±


    Edwin replied, ¡°This isn¡¯t a car key; it¡¯s a yacht key!¡±


    Farrah eximed in surprise, ¡°What? A yacht key? Really?¡±


    Who on earth could gift a luxury cruise ship?

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115


    But Astrid wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about this gift.


    When Sandra wanted to marry Astrid off to Colton, she didn¡¯t think much of Astrid, as she was just an


    unloved adopted daughter.


    But now, it¡¯s clear that Astrid¡¯s biological parents must be some big shots.


    Sandra had initially nned to get rid of Colton in an ident, but now she changed her mind. She


    might get close to Astrid¡¯s parents by building a good rtionship with Colton! Seeing Astrid¡¯s


    expression soften slightly, Edwin seized the opportunity, ¡°Plus, it¡¯s a Pikachu¨Cthemed cruise ship,


    customized to look like a swimming Pikachu from afar. Super cute!¡± Both brothers knew Astrid had a


    thing for Pikachu, so they prepared this gift to win her forgiveness.


    Sure enough, when she heard about the Pikachu cruise ship, Astrid¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Roman would definitely love a swimming Pikachu!


    ¡°Star, were not seeking immediate forgiveness by giving you these gifts. We want to be taken off your


    blocklist,¡± Edgar pleaded, with Edwin chiming in.


    ¡°We¡¯ve seriously reflected on our mistakes these past days!¡±


    ¡°Star, life without you has been rough. We¡¯ve been home every day reflecting on our actions. Can you


    give us a chance to make amends?¡±


    Jon looked at the two before him, grinning like a Cheshire cat, ¡°Oh, now you remember that Star is our


    sister. Where was this epiphany when you yed pranks on her on April Fool¡¯s Day? You forgot she


    was our only sister then.¡±


    ¡°Last April Fool¡¯s Day, Edgar, wasn¡¯t it you who reced the cream in the Oreo with toothpaste?¡±


    ¡°Edwin, didn¡¯t you spike her Coke with soy sauce and garbage that gave her diarrhea? Didn¡¯t you dump


    a can of sardines on Star, making her puke?¡±


    ¡°And you two traitors leaked Star¡¯s private schedule to Hawthorne Cliff, didn¡¯t you? You actually helped


    outsiders kidnap our sister!¡±


    Listening to Jon listing their April Fool¡¯s Day transgressions, Edgar and Edwin hung their heads in


    shame, not daring to retort.


    Astrid was too sharp; they couldn¡¯t pull pranks on her for years.


    She fell for it that day because she sneakily drank some special brew Robb made and got drunk¡­


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    And that¡¯s when they struck.


    But before they could even celebrate, they were kicked out of the group and put on the blocklist once


    Astrid sobered up and found out.


    Not only that, Robb dragged them to military boot camp for a month. They barely survived.


    ¡°Star, you¡¯re not seriously considering forgiving them, are you?¡± Jon asked, noticing Astrid staring


    nkly at the ship key.


    A few secondster, Astrid reached out to take the key, ¡°I¡¯ll ept the cruise ship. As for when you


    guys will be removed from my blocklist will depend on my mood.¡±


    ¡°Star epted my gift!¡± Edwin jumped up in excitement, not forgetting to scold Edgar, ¡°What were you


    thinking giving her diamonds? When have you ever seen Star wearing any diamond jewelry?¡±

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116


    Edgar frowned at the diamond in the box, ¡°Why can¡¯t she just take it back and let Pinky y with it?¡±


    Edwin shot back, ¡°And what if Pinky swallows it? Star would have a fit!¡±


    Farrah rolled her eyes


    Who would treat a diamond worth a fortune as a dog toy?


    Just how loaded was Astrid¡¯s family?


    Astrid watched the two bicker, and her dishke for them grew


    She decided not to go home with Edgar and Edwin, instead, she turned and walked towards the


    Porsche 918 her father had arranged to pick her up.


    Watching Astrid leave, Colton spun in circles, clutching Jon¡¯s arm and shaking. ¡°Can you take me to


    find Astrid?¡±


    Colton¡¯s behavior baffled Jon. Sometimes he seemed to be ying dumb; sometimes, he seemed


    genuinely dumb. He thought it best to calm him down and have Star check on himter.


    He couldn¡¯t take Colton home and told Edgar, ¡°This is Astrid¡¯s friend. You two need to take good care of


    him. If anything goes wrong, you¡¯re toast.¡±


    Edgar dragged Colton into the car. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go have some fun!¡± Surprisingly, Colton didn¡¯t object.


    Farrah wanted to join them, but Jon closed the car door, ¡°Farrah, aren¡¯t you familiar with this ce? Go


    have fun on your own. Our way of having fun might not suit you.¡±


    The roar of the car engine echoed, and it quickly disappeared from Farrah¡¯s sight.


    Left behind, Farrah was fuming, but the thought of Colton building a good rtionship with Astrid¡¯s


    family cooled her anger.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Over the years, she had kept a tight leash on Colton. She didn¡¯t believe he would cause trouble just by


    being away from her for a while.


    Two hourster, Astrid finally arrived home.


    When she exited the car, her father came running up, ¡°Star, give Daddy a kiss; Daddy missed you!¡±


    Astrid was speechless when she looked at her animated father. Her brother had told her their father


    was unwell, but he didn¡¯t look sick at all¡­


    ¡°Stop it; you¡¯re too old for this,¡± Astrid said, disgustingly pushing her father away. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve told you


    many times to take your high blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol seriously. I¡¯ve told you to cut


    down on fatty foods and alcohol, yet you¡¯re still overweight.¡±


    Her father touched his belly, looking embarrassed. ¡°Overweight? Who said I¡¯m overweight? I weighed


    myself this morning,¡® and I¡¯m down a pound.¡±¨C


    Astrid just stared at him.


    Was he seriously bragging about losing such a small amount of weight?


    ¡°Star, there¡¯s something I want to discuss with you,¡± her father said, lobking sly. ¡°Hawthorne isn¡¯t doing


    well. Could you visit him? He wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Astrid said, pressing her lips together. She looked at the old man and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t


    pretend to be sick to get me toe back, did you?¡±


    The older man looked embarrassed as he rubbed his hands together, forcing augh. ¡°You know your


    father and Hawthorne¡¯s dad were war buddies, and I watched him grow up. I can¡¯t


    bear to¡­


    ¡°And besides,¡± he added, ¡°he¡¯s your fianc¨¦.¡±

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117


    Astrid ¡°Hold up¡® What era do you think we¡¯re m, are you seriously still pulling that outdated arranged


    marriage before birth¡® trick? Did you ever ask me what I thought? Besides, I cut ties with Hawthorne


    Cliff three years ago, we have nothing to do with each other now!¡±


    ¡°I did ask you, and you agreed Magee imed with righteous indignation


    ¡°What?¡± Astrid was speechless, ¡°I wasn¡¯t even born then, how could I have agreed?¡±


    At this, Magee chuckled, ¡°1 patted your mom¡¯s belly and asked, ¡°Honey, if you agree to marry the kidd


    from the Cliff family, stay quiet If you disagree, kick mommy¡¯s belly.¡® You didn¡¯t react at all doesn¡¯t that


    mean you agreed?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shameless¡® Astrid couldn¡¯t stand this old man, wondering how her mom ever fell for him


    ¡°Alright. Star, I¡¯m done pulling your leg I wont make you marry someone you don¡¯t like. I just want you


    to take a look at him, after all, the Cliffs have been good to you, right?¡± Magee turned to look at Astrid,


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Star, I never understood why you¡¯re so against the Cliff¡¯s boy Isn¡¯t Hawthorne much better than that


    messed¨Cup kid from the Cots?¡±


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯ll never understand how I feel Astrid wrapped her arm around his, her thoughts drifting back


    to past events, she changed her mind, I¡¯ll go see him tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Good, Star, I thank you on behalf of the Cliffs.¡± Magee gently stroked Astrid¡¯s hair, his eyes filled with


    love, ¡°How¡¯s showbiz treating you? Want toe home and take over the family business?¡±


    1 appreciate that, but no thanks! I¡¯m having a st, and I¡¯m not interested in your family business!¡±


    Astrid strutted into the house with a haughty air.


    Magee rubbed his nose and heaved a long sigh.


    What¡¯s the point of having so many kids?


    When ites down to it, no one wants to take over the family business!


    Magee put on his straw hat and shouted towards the mansion, ¡°Star, do you want to go fishing with


    me?¡±


    A few secondster, Astrid¡¯s voice came from the house, ¡°No.¡±


    Magee was speechless.


    Trying to beat jetg, Astrid went to bed as soon as she got home.


    A few hourster, Elio and Roman¡¯s nended at the airport.


    Roman was over the moon at the thought of seeing Astrid.


    Not long after they got off the ne, Carson Fisher¡¯s call came through.


    Elio answered the phone, only to hear Carson wailing, ¡°Chief, what kind of person is Ms. Irvine? I can


    only track her leaving the airport, her sports car disappeared like a ghost after that, left no trace! I can¡¯t


    even locate her!¡±


    Tknew you wouldn¡¯t be able to help me, I¡¯ll find a way to contact her myself.¡± Elio hung up the phone,


    looked down at Roman, squatted down and said, ¡°Roman, do you want to see Astrid?¡± Roman nodded.


    Elio smiled, ¡°She should be asleep right now, let¡¯s go to bed, and we¡¯ll see her when we wake up.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The thought of seeing Astrid soon made Roman very excited.


    Roman jumped up in excitement, his adorable antics were simply irresistible.

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118


    Roman hit the hay as soon as he arrived at the hotel.


    Elio was parked in front of theputer, fingers flying across the keyboard.


    He remembered the guy¡¯sst name, but didn¡¯t catch the full name.


    There were a lot of people in this city with that name, but only one who had a high IQ, was good¨C


    looking, had gentlemanly manners, and was physically weak.


    Hawthorne.


    He was about to hit the sack when his phone beeped.


    Carson: ¡°Boss, we found the guy who left the kid at your vi years ago.¡±


    Elio stared at the brief text, his heart skipped a beat.


    Elio: ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Carson ¡°Overseas. Our guys at the station tipped me off. He had a face¨Clift and changed his name, we


    couldn¡¯t find him all these years. He was busted for drug use, his false identity was exposed, and he¡¯s


    got a rap sheet here for numerous child kidnappings.¡±


    Carson We¡¯ve been focusing on people with previous child kidnapping convictions for thest three


    years. We found out that he did show up in Sunhaven three and a half years ago, and he skipped the


    country a few days after the kid was returned.¡±


    Carson ¡°He just said someone paid him to dump the kid at your door and wouldn¡¯t spill anything else.


    We tried everything, but he won¡¯t cough up the truth.¡±


    Carson: ¡°I¡¯m worried any more interrogation could break him.¡±


    Elio: ¡°Bring him back, I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Carson: ¡°Yes, boss. Also, a mysterious organization has been intercepting our deals on the dark web.


    They¡¯re super secretive, I can¡¯t find anything on them.¡± Elio: ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it when¡¯l get back. Keep an


    eye on that guy, don¡¯t let him kick the bucket.¡°.


    Elio still remembered that snowy night three and a half years ago.


    He couldn¡¯t recall which day it was when Wylie brought a kid home out of the blue. The kid was frozen


    solid, with a note on him that said: This is your son. He didn¡¯t believe it at first, but Matthew insisted on


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    a paternity test, which confirmed that the kid was indeed his son.


    He pulled all the stops to find the guy who disappeared after entering a blind spot in the CCTV footage.


    Now that the guy had been found, he would find a way to make him sing, find out who was pulling the


    strings, and track down Roman¡¯s biological mother. ¡°Elio, I¡¯m awake. Are we going to find Astrid now?¡±


    Roman appeared at the bedroom door, rubbing his eyes. He was barefoot and still looked a bit drowsy.


    Elio got up, went over, and scooped him up. ¡°Sleep a little longer. You know Astrid loves to sleep in.


    She¡¯s probably not awake yet, let¡¯s not disturb her, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Roman obediently crawled back into


    bed, pulled the covers over, and closed his eyes to sleep.


    Elio, who had nned to take a short rest, found himself unable to sleep.


    Early the next morning, Astrid was dragged by Magee to visit Hawthorne.


    Still adjusting to the time difference, Astrid looked wiped out. ¡°Can¡¯t you let me sleep a bit longer?¡±


    ¡°Look at the time! All you ever do is sleep,¡± Magee grumbled, leading Astrid forward by the hand. ¡°You


    never act like a proper girl should. Humph¡­¡±

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119


    ¡°Star¡± A deep and powerful call came from ahead, and Astrid was taken aback She looked up and saw


    Dalley Cliff standing at the entrance of the vi. Astrid shot a bright smile, ¡°Mr Cliff, hey there¡±


    Dailey was all smiles, ¡°Star, you¡¯re getting more beautiful. My son knew you wereing to see him


    and got up early. Look¡­¡±


    Astrid looked up and saw Hawthorne sitting in front of the French window on the second floor, waving


    at her.


    The sunlight on him made his face look even paler.


    Hawthorne never did anything excessive He was good to her with all his heart, but his affection


    became burdensome and pressurizing her.


    Because she did not like him, she didn¡¯t want to ept his kindness.


    She was afraid that her inadvertent actions would give him false hopes.


    But she never liked impurities in her feelings. If she didn¡¯t like him, she would cut him offpletely,


    not giving him any hope.


    She had rejected Hawthorne countless times, but every time after rejecting him, he would reappear as


    if nothing had happened before¡­.


    ¡°Astrid~~~¡°A soft call came, and Astrid thought she had heard wrong.


    After all, how could she hear Roman¡¯s voice in Hawthorne¡¯s house?


    ¡°Astrid The voice came closer, Astrid turned her head sharply, arid saw Roman trotting towards her


    from the house!


    Her eyes lit up, and she immediately squatted down to catch his chubby little body, kissed him, and


    asked, ¡°Roman, howe you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Star, so you know Roman? Mr. Lampard is working on a project with ourpany. He came to see


    Hawthorne today. I was about to introduce you guys¡­¡± Dailey chuckled, and then added, ¡°This little


    guy isn¡¯t particrly friendly with anyone, but he seems to be really close with you, Star.¡°.


    Roman immediately said, ¡°I love Astrid the most! And Astrid loves me the most!¡±


    Astrid smiled at Roman¡¯s adorable look.


    However, she was a bit surprised that Elio would know Dailey, because Dailey wasn¡¯t doing an ordinary


    business¡­ anyone who could cooperate with him wouldn¡¯t be an ordinary person. This Elio guy is not


    simple, he¡¯s got some secrets.


    Magee, standing behind them, reached out and pinched Roman¡¯s face, thenughed, ¡°Hey little guy,


    call me grandpa, I¡¯ll take you fishing!¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    She could already imagine Roman getting all tanned.


    Roman had never been fishing before, and his eyes lit up at the mention of it, ¡°Hello, grandpa!¡±


    ¡°Come here, let me hold you¡­¡± Magee reached out to Roman, and Roman Immediately hugged


    Magee¡¯s neck.


    Magee had always wanted a grandson, but his sons never dated or got married.


    Astrid¡¯s son was being kidnapped, which was heartbreaking to think about..


    But when he saw this chubby little guy in front of him, he fell in love instantly. So cute and soft, he really


    wanted to take him home!


    He nced at Elio and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Lampard, can I borrow your son to y for a while?


    Astrid was speechless again.


    y for a while? Is Roman a toy?


    Elio was quite observant and had guessed the old man¡¯s Identity. He immediately nodded modestly,


    ¡°Sir, just call me Elio. As for Roman, you can hangout with him as long as you want. y as long as


    you want?


    Roman was puzzled.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    He felt like he was being sold off.

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120


    Magee was thrilled to hear it. ¡°Great, you guys carry on chatting. Kid,e on, I¡¯ll take you to have


    some fun!¡±


    Yay!!!¡± Roman stretched out his neck excitedly and kissed Astrid¡¯s face. ¡°See you~ I¡¯ll miss you


    ¡°Okay.go y¡± Astrid patted Roman¡¯s head and looked at Magee again, reminding him with worry,


    ¡°Dad, find a hat for Roman and apply some sunscreen. His skin is delicate, he can¡¯t be exposed to the


    sun too much, and¡­¡±


    Before Astrid could finish speaking, Magee had already picked up Roman and was walking away,


    singing as he went.


    Roman wasughing out loud, his little legs swinging In the air, having a st.


    Elio thought to himself, the little guy is leaving, he should say goodbye to him, right?


    But he was wrong. Until Roman disappeared from his sight, Roman never looked back at him.


    Like his dad didn¡¯t exist.


    Hawthorne at the window on the second floor was watching Astrid and Elio standing In the yard, his


    eyes dimming slightly.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Lampard, Star, let¡¯s go inside. It¡¯s too hot outside¡­¡± Dailey made a gesture of invitation standing


    nearby. Astrid could tell that Dailey¡¯s attitude towards Elio was a bit different.


    Polite, but with a hint of fear.


    Yes, fear.


    But why would he be afraid of Elio?


    ¡°Star, why are you staring at Mr. Lampard? It¡¯s rude.¡± Dailey spoiled Astrid by ruffling her hair. ¡°Go up to


    the second floor balcony and see Hawthorne, he¡¯s been waiting for you for a long


    time.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Astrid nodded and headed upstairs.


    As soon as she started climbing the stairs, Elio followed.


    ¡°What are you following me for?¡± Astrid looked back and asked.


    Seeing Astrid being so rude to Elio, Dailey almost lost his legs from fright.


    Everyone knew Elio was a tough guy, but nobody knew that this man had another identity that scared


    the bejesus out of people.


    Even he had to tread carefully in front of Elio, but Astrid was bold and disrespectful.


    *Sir, someone is looking for you.¡± The servant shouted at the door, and Dailey, stiffening, turned to Elio


    and said, ¡°Mr. Lampard, I have something else to attend to, please excuse me.¡±


    Elio nodded, ¡°go do your things, don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    After Dailey left, Elio turned his attention back to Astrid.


    ¡°What am I doing here? Of course, I¡¯m here to check on the patient.¡± Elio responded calmly, then


    added, ¡°And by the way, I wanted to see what your fianc¨¦ looks like.¡°. Hearing the word ¡°fianc¨¦¡°, Astrid


    was speechless, ¡°He¡¯s not my fianc¨¦, we broke off the engagement a long time ago, do you know him?


    Why are you here stirring the pot?¡± ¡°Star,e here.¡± Hawthorne¡¯s gentle voice came from the


    doorway. Astrid looked up and saw Hawthorne sitting in a wheelchair at the door.


    She gently closed her mouth, then quickly stepped forward, ¡°Hawthorne, how are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°As soon as I see you, I can¡¯t feel any pain.¡± Hawthorne smiled faintly, asforting as a spring


    breeze, ¡°Hello Mr. Lampard, my Star is a bit rude, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    My Star?

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121


    Elio felt upset about the way Hawthorne calling her, so he said, ¡°I like her straightforwardness.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? As long as it doesn¡¯t offend you then. Hawthorne replied with a gentle smile, as if he didn¡¯t


    fully understand Elio¡¯s words.


    He pushed the door open and a waft of floral scent blew in. ¡°Star,e, I have something to show


    you.¡±


    As he said this, Hawthorne reached out to grab Astrid¡¯s hand.


    Astrid subtly moved her hand, avoiding his grasp.


    Seeing the look of disappointment on Hawthorne¡¯s face, she crouched down and said, ¡°Hawthorne, I¡¯ve


    told you many times not to call me your Star. It gives people the wrong impression. I¡¯m here because


    Mr. Cliff came to my house looking for my father. I didn¡¯t want to see Mr. Cliff upset. We can be friends,


    but we can never be lovers.¡±


    Hawthorne¡¯s grip on his wheelchair tightened, and he managed a bitter smile. ¡°I know. You don¡¯t have


    to like me, but you can¡¯t stop me from liking you. I¡¯m willing to give everything for you, even my life.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to give their life for me, Astrid frowned. Thinking about Dailey¡¯s worried face, she


    added, ¡°Put out your hand. Let me take a look.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to look? You know medical stuff, Star?


    This is not a time for jokes,¡± Hawthorne pulled his hand back into his sleeve. ¡°Everyone says we¡¯re a


    perfect match. I think so too. But why do you always push me away?¡±


    ¡°Everyone?¡± Astrid scoffed. ¡°Why would they think that? It¡¯s all because of your lies! You¡¯ve told


    everyone we¡¯re dating, and you make a fool of yourself trying to create these ¡®surprises¡®. I¡¯ve told you


    many times, all I want is for you to take care of your health and stop doing these things. A lie can never


    be the truth. I won¡¯t be with you because of public pressure, nor out of pity or gratitude. I¡¯ll only be


    true to my heart. With that, Astrid stood up. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Take care of yourself. Taking care of your


    health is more important than anything else. Don¡¯t make Mr. Cliff worry anymore.¡± As she turned and


    left, Elio followed her.


    Before he could leave, Hawthorne¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°Are you into Star?¡±


    Hearing this, Elio paused, remembering something he hadn¡¯t done yet.


    He turned to look at the man in the wheelchair, tapping lightly on the railing. ¡°I don¡¯t just like her, I¡¯m


    pursuing her. And I¡¯m gonna marry her.¡±


    ¡°Marry her?¡± Hawthorne chuckled. ¡°You think Star is easy to get?¡±


    ¡°I know she¡¯s not easy, but at least she doesn¡¯t mind me being close to her. Plus, she really likes my


    son. We spend a lot of nights at her ce.¡±


    Spend nights???


    Despite knowing Star for so long, she wouldn¡¯t even let him into her room in the Brooke family house.


    Yet, she let another man stay over at her ce.


    Hawthorne was shaking all over. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    Instead of responding, Elio pulled out his phone to show Hawthorne a series of pictures. In them, Astrid


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    and Roman were yfully messing around at home, Astrid cradling Roman in bed for a nap¡­


    There was even a picture of the three of them in the bedroom, looking like a family.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t originally in thatst picture.


    Astrid and Roman took selfies at home all the time, but they never invited him, so he photoshopped


    himself in.


    He didn¡¯t expect these pictures woulde in handy today.


    Looking at the pictures, Hawthorne¡¯s body trembled slightly, but he said weakly, ¡°So Star already has


    someone she likes. You must treat Star well. She¡¯s a good girl.¡±


    Elio put away his phone, his tone icy. ¡°I don¡¯t need your reminders. I¡¯ll treat her well on my own.


    Goodbye.¡±

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122


    Elio dropped a line and then took off from the vi.


    Hawthorne watched Elio¡¯s retreating back. When he snapped back to reality, he realized that his


    fingernails had dug deep into his palm¡­


    His white pants were stained with blood, which looked kinda creepy.


    ¡°What the heck, you¡¯re bleeding!!!¡± Seeing his hand bleeding, the servant rushed over in a panic.


    He waved his hand lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t fuss over me, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He pressed the button on his wheelchair, went into the room and shut the door.


    He went over to a pot of blue flowers, letting drops of blood from his palm fall onto the petals, a gentle


    smile on his face.


    Meanwhile, Elio finally caught up with Astrid who had left earlier, ¡°Astrid.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Astrid turned her head, gave Elio a nce, and then with a curl of her lip, asked: ¡°How do you


    know Mr. Cliff?¡±


    ¡°We do business together,¡± After Elio finished speaking, he gave Astrid another look¨Cover, ¡°He didn¡¯t


    want to reveal who your dad is, can you tell me?¡± Hearing this, Astrid raised an eyebrow.


    Elio had chased her all the way here. It was only a matter of time before he found out, so Astrid told


    him the truth, ¡°My dad is Magee Brooke.¡±


    Elio fell silent. He had thought that Astrid might have a powerful background, but he didn¡¯t expect her to


    be the daughter of the richest man in this country, Magee¡­N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    His pursuit of her had already be tough enough because of her brothers, and now there was a


    doting father to deal with. Suddenly, his future seemed rather bleak.


    7


    Astrid nced at Elio and added, ¡°You have to keep this a secret. If people find out about my identity,


    producers, directors, actors, all of those people will try to curry favor with me, and then my acting


    career wouldn¡¯t be pure anymore. I just want to win the best actress award with my own abilities.¡±


    ¡°The most important thing is that I made a bet with my brothers. I have to win the best actress award


    without using any resources from the Brooke¡­. family. If not, I¡¯ll have to go home and take over the


    family business and give up on my dream. So, I cannot lose, you must keep this a secret!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I promise.¡± Elio nodded, then tilted his head to look at her: ¡°I have a question for you.¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Shoot.¡±


    Elio: ¡°How many children in your family?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Eight.¡±


    -Elio: ¡°So you have eight siblings?¡±


    ¡°You could say that.¡± Astrid replied, ¡°Eight brothers, actually.¡±


    Elio choked.


    Eight¡­brothers???


    He suddenly felt a headacheing on.


    Then he looked at the girl in front of him, Elio said softly: ¡°Astrid,e with me somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Where? Why should I go with you?¡± Astrid yawned, ¡°I haven¡¯t had enough sleep yet, I¡¯m going back to


    sleep.¡±


    Elio: ¡°¡­¡±


    Elio sighed heavily: ¡°You¡¯re really irresponsible. I just promised to keep a big secret for you, and you


    suddenly became cold to me, unwilling to apany me somewhere. If I¡¯m in a bad mood, I might say


    something I shouldn¡¯t, and maybe one day I¡¯ll identally leak that Ms. Irvine is the daughter of the


    richest man.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, stop talking nonsense. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Astrid shot Elio an annoyed look. Who was the


    one who suddenly became cold?

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123


    Elio took Astrid out for a drive, and she was snoozing as soon as they hit the road.


    When she woke up, the car was parked. Just as she was about to sit up, Elio handed her a blindfold.


    ¡°Put this on for me.¡±


    ¡°Why all the mystery?¡± Although she was a bit grumpy, Astrid still put on the blindfold.


    Elio got out of the car, opened the door for her, and gently grabbed her wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do


    anything over the line.¡±


    ¡°Even if you had the guts, you wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Astrid scoffed, letting Elio lead her on.


    A gentle breeze brushed against her face, and the air was filled with a faint floral scent.


    After a while, something felt off. Just as she was about to remove the blindfold, Elio¡¯s voice came from


    beside her. ¡°Just wait a bit longer.¡±


    A few minutester, he said, ¡°You can take it off now.¡±


    Astrid lifted her hand and removed the blindfold. All she could see was a vast sea of blue roses. She


    was standing in a hot air balloon¡­


    Elio: ¡°This is for you, do you like it?¡±


    Astrid nodded, she liked blue roses, but she liked this natural blue rose sea even more¡­


    Such a sea of flowers had only appeared in her dreams before, and now Elio had made it a reality.


    ¡°Elio, did you buy this flower field?¡± she asked.


    Elio looked at Astrid with a smile in his eyes and shook his head. ¡°After I found out you like blue roses, I


    started growing natural blue roses and bought this farm to turn it into a flower sea.¡±


    In fact, Elio started preparing everything after he found out Hal Cot had sent Astrid rose petals. He


    couldn¡¯t lose to that guy.


    Sending rose petals? That¡¯s nothing!


    He wanted to give her a sea, a sea of flowers that belonged only to her.


    Astrid was deeply attracted by this sea of flowers, but she had one question in her mind. ¡°When did you


    find out where I live?¡±


    Elio gave a faint smile. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate your boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you think giving me a sea of flowers would make you my boyfriend?¡± Astrid lifted her chin


    slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not that easy to win over.¡±


    Elio chuckled and moved closer to her. ¡°Looks like I need to work harder, don¡¯t you think, darling?¡±


    His breath tickled Astrid¡¯s ear as he spoke. Astrid was ticklish.


    She immediately felt ufortable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me darling, back off!¡± Astrid pushed Elio away with a p and turned her head away.


    Elio looked at Astrid¡¯s blushing earlobes, his eyes filled with tenderness.


    Astrid¡¯s father and Roman had been waiting on the porch swing for a long time. It was almost dark


    when Elio and Astrid came back.


    Roman jumped down as soon as he saw the car, waving his hand and shouting, ¡°Astrid~¡±


    Watching his daughter get out of the car with Elio, Astrid¡¯s father squinted at Elio, his face full of


    discontent. Another young man trying to take his daughter from him!


    But something was off!


    His Star used to be cold and merciless towards her suitors, why was she out ying with this man for


    so long now?


    Not only that, but the atmosphere between the two seemed different from when they left.


    Something was fishy¡­


    As soon as Astrid got out of the car, Roman hugged her thigh.


    Looking at the much tanned Roman, Astrid couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Roman, did you catch any fish


    today?¡±


    Roman shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Are you going fishing again tomorrow?¡±


    Roman shook his head firmly: ¡°No!¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    It was too boring.


    Fishing was not what he had imagined.


    It was not interesting at all.


    After saying that, Roman whispered into Astrid¡¯s ear: ¡°Grandpa is so dumb, he didn¡¯t catch a single


    fish!¡±


    Astrid couldn¡¯t help butugh. Even the kid thought Magee was silly.


    Elio nced at Magee and slowly came forward. ¡°I know a type of bait that¡¯s great for fishing. I¡¯ll have


    someone bring it over tomorrow. How about I go fishing with you tomorrow?¡±


    Magee huffed and puffed: ¡°No. Are you after my fish or my daughter?¡±

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124


    Elio didn¡¯t expect the old man¡¯s words to hit so hard and straight.


    So, he didn¡¯t beat around the bush anymore.


    He directly said, ¡°Sir, I want to¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you want? Don¡¯t overthink!¡± Magee rudely interrupted Elio¡¯s words, walked up, grabbed Astrid


    by the hand, dragged her back into the house, and closed the door.


    Roman stepped on Elio¡¯s foot in annoyance: ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, I could have spent the night with Astrid!¡±


    Elio didn¡¯t know how to reply.


    He really didn¡¯t expect Magee to have such a hot temper.


    A few secondster, the door was suddenly opened again.


    Magee walked out.


    Elio thought Magee had changed his mind and was about to speak, but he saw Magee quickly walked


    up, picked up Roman with one hand and tucked him under his arm, then quickly went back to the vi,


    leaving him alone.


    The scene was kind of heartbreaking.


    A few servants not far away saw this, wanted tough but didn¡¯t dare to.


    After a while, the old butler slowly walked over and politely said, ¡°Mr. Lampard, our master is just like


    this. Among all Astrid¡¯s suitors, his attitude towards you is already quite good. The previous ones were


    practically chased away with shoes and fishing rods.¡±


    Hearing these words, Elio felt a little better.


    The old butler continued, ¡°Don¡¯t me him, after all, Astrid left his side shortly after she was born, and


    he just found her not long ago, naturally, he wouldn¡¯t want to marry off his daughter so quickly¡­Mr.


    Lampard, let me take you to the vi next door to rest, it¡¯s been cleaned during the day.¡± ¡°Can you tell


    me why Astrid left him in the first ce?¡± Elio asked softly.


    The old butler hesitated for a moment, ¡°This is a private matter of the Brooke family, I¡¯m not allowed to


    talk about it, please.¡± Elio: ¡°Um, thank you.¡±


    Elio stayed alone in the big vi, feeling cold and empty.


    While Roman and Magee had a st at home.


    3


    Roman hadn¡¯t had such a great time in a long time, and he didn¡¯t fall asleep in Magee¡¯s arms until


    around midnight.


    Magee carefully put Roman in the room, then quietly walked out, went to Astrid and asked, ¡°Star, how


    did you meet this kid?¡±


    Astrid frowned slightly, then drained the red wine in her ss, ¡°I picked him up.¡±


    ¡°Picked up?¡± Magee couldn¡¯t believe it and widened his eyes, ¡°Where can you find such a lovely kid to


    pick up? Go pick me up a few more!¡±


    Astrid: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Dad knows you like kids, I get along well with this kid, so¡­¡± Magee grinned, ¡°I decided to take him out


    fishing on a yacht tomorrow!¡±


    Astrid felt a headacheing on.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°By the way, Star, how long will you stay this time?¡± As Magee changed the subject, he quietly picked


    up the wine ss to pour more wine.


    But before his hand could touch the bottle, the ss was taken away by Astrid.


    Astrid gave him a helpless look and reprimanded softly, ¡°You¡¯re drinking with your blood pressure so


    high, you don¡¯t care about your health when I¡¯m here, who will take care of you when I¡¯m not?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t it because I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re back? I want to drink a little when I¡¯m happy¡­¡± Magee


    looked at the girl in front of him and sighed softly, ¡°Star, how did your talk with the Cliff family¡¯s kid go


    today?¡±


    ¡°Not so great.¡± As she spoke, Astrid poured herself another ss of wine.

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125


    This wine was personally brewed by Robb Brooke, just a sniff of it is enough to make her mouth water,


    ¡°So, how¡¯s everything back home?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good, I just don¡¯t get why you gave money to Sandra Irvine and her crew three years ago?


    Didn¡¯t you know they¡¯re a bunch of greedy pigs?¡± Just the mention of Sandra made Astrid pissed.


    Hearing this, Magee heaved a long sigh, ¡°you think I didn¡¯t know that Sandra is no saint?¡±


    ¡®About three and a half years ago, I finally found the orphanage where you lived as a kid, only to


    discover that there was a fire the day after they took you in. None of the kids survived. Meaning, if they


    hadn¡¯t taken you in, you probably would¡¯ve died in that fire.¡±


    ¡°Even though they¡¯re annoying as hell, they did save your life and raised you. They gave us the chance


    to reunite, so I figured I owed them something. But your mom died not long after you disappeared, she


    was depressed.¡±


    It was the first time Astrid saw her dad looking so gloomy. She put down her wine ss, walked over,


    and hugged him, ¡°Dad, I know you miss mom so much, but you need to take care of yourself¡­¡±


    ¡®Star, don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m gonna live a long life. I¡¯m still nning to take my great¨Cgrandkids


    fishing, haha¡­¡± Mention fishing, and Magee¡¯s eyes started to sparkle.


    Astrid didn¡¯t want to hear his long¨Cwinded stories about fishing, so she left the room with an annoyed


    expression.


    After a few days in the States, Astrid returned with Elio and the gang.


    Once Astrid and Roman left, the house felt empty and cold again.


    Magee sat by his artificialke, fishing, feeling a bit hollow.


    ¡°I heard you kicked Mr. Lampard out a few days ago?¡± Dailey came over with a fishing rod, pulled up a


    stool, and sat next to Magee.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Magee huffed unhappily, ¡°That kid was eyeing my Star. He should count himself lucky I didn¡¯t whack


    him with a fishing rod.¡±


    ¡°Do you know Mr. C is in the States?¡± Dailey asked.


    ¡°Mr. C?¡± Magee furrowed his brows, ¡°I didn¡¯t receive any news. Why would hee here?¡±


    Dailey shook his head, ¡°That Mr. Lampard is actually Mr. C¡¯s assistant, and he brought Mr. C¡¯s token.


    But you¡­you locked him out and gave him the cold shoulder. Jon Brooke told me about your attitude


    towards him.¡±


    ¡°Who cares if he¡¯s Mr. C¡¯s assistant? Even if it was Mr. C himself, I wouldn¡¯t treat him any differently.


    Nobody¡¯s taking my Star away!¡± Magee threatened.


    Dailey was speechless, ¡°I can¡¯t argue with you.¡±


    The two old men chatted.


    On the surface, Magee appeared calm, but inside he was somewhat anxious. After all, Mr. C was not


    someone he could offend.


    Long¨Chaul flights are exhausting. By the time Astrid and Romannded, they were beat.


    It was three in the morning when Astrid got off the ne and texted her dad to let him know she was


    safe, then she immediately went to sleep.


    She was woken up early the next morning by her ringing phone.


    She reached out and hung up without opening her eyes, but the phone rang again soon after.


    The ringing gave her a headache. She squinted and answered the call.


    As soon as she picked up, she heard Dale raging on the other end, ¡°Astrid! How many times have you


    hung up on me? Today¡¯s the recording day for the variety show The Illusionist¡¯s Realm. Look at the


    time! Hurry up and get to the TV station for makeup!¡±

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126


    When Astrid first woke up, she was still all jetgged and felt a bit disoriented.


    It took her a while to snap out of it, and then she suddenly remembered, today she was supposed to be


    on a variety show.


    It was her first time on a variety show!


    With that thought, Astrid immediately sprung out of bed, rushed into the bathroom to get ready.


    By the time she was all dolled up and went downstairs, Gracie Brooke was already waiting for her in


    the car.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Her Pikachu¨Cthemed car was super eye¨Ccatching, you could spot it in an instant.


    1


    ¡°Astrid, why are you so unreliable? I called you so many times and you didn¡¯t pick up!¡± Gracie scolded


    while driving, ¡°If we arete, Dale will me you.¡± Astrid pulled a face, ¡°I¡¯m not scared of Dale, I¡¯ve got


    you to back me up,¡±


    ¡°The schedule for today¡¯s recording is on the backseat, have a look at it so you don¡¯t get all flustered


    super¨Cefficient.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Astrid quickly skimmed through the documents, and within no time she had memorized the


    entire schedule.


    When she arrived at the TV station, she saw her fans waiting at the entrance.


    She was a bit surprised, wondering if these were people her brothers had paid to show up?


    But before she could figure it out, the group of girls started calling her name, ¡°Astrid! Astrid! Look over


    here~¡±


    Astrid waved at them with a smile, ¡°Hello~¡±


    You look so beautiful when you smile! Keep it up, don¡¯t let the negativements online get to you,


    we¡¯ll always support you!¡± After the girl finished speaking, Astrid felt a warm feeling in her heart.


    She really hadn¡¯t expected fans to show up, especially since she didn¡¯t have any work out yet.


    The recording was about to start, so Astrid didn¡¯t linger. She bid her fans goodbye and quickly walked


    into the TV station.


    Thinking of the young fans who had waited for hours under the scorching sun just to get a glimpse of


    her, she made up her mind to be better, as a way to repay their love.


    When she arrived at the dressing room, there were still thirty minutes left before the recording began.


    She hadn¡¯t beente, and thanks to her good base, she just needed some light makeup which didn¡¯t


    take long. After changing her clothes, she still had ten minutes left.


    The Illusionist¡¯s Realm was a magic¨Cthemedpetition show, where the audience voted after each


    performance, with two celebrity observers invited for each episode.


    This episode¡¯s observers were Astrid and Susana.


    Even though Susana had been in the entertainment industry for a long time, she wasn¡¯t very popr.


    Still, she had amassed a few fans.


    Seeing that Astrid had only just arrived backstage, Susana immediately started to mock, ¡°Oh wow,


    making all these people wait and you¡¯re not even famous, you really think you¡¯re something, huh?¡±


    ¡°Well, she was publicly praised by Locke as a master magician, so it¡¯s notpletely unreasonable for


    her to act like this.¡± A woman whispered.


    Upon hearing this, Susanaughed, ¡°Master magician? Her magic tricks are nothing more than child¡¯s


    y! Locke probably only said she was good because she¡¯s attractive, I bet you anything, Locke is her


    aplice!¡±


    ¡°After all, in today¡¯s society, some pretty girls are willing to do anything for fame!¡±


    Susana¡¯s voice was loud, she didn¡¯t care if others heard her.


    She wasn¡¯t worried about Astrid hearing her at all.


    And the rest of the performers chose to stand by and watch, no one stood up to defend Astrid.

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127


    ¡°Oh? My magic tricks are just kiddie stuff, huh?¡± Astrid had a mocking glint in her eyes, ¡°So, you¡¯re


    saying you can crack my trick?¡±


    Respect is a two¨Cway street. If this woman didn¡¯t respect her, she didn¡¯t need to be polite either


    Mocking others?


    She wasn¡¯t scared at all.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say anything else, huh? If you can¡¯t, then stop talking crap!¡± Astrid shot a sharp look. ¡°You, who


    can¡¯t even perform magic without messing up in front of fake audience, are mocking me?¡±


    Everyone was shocked. They never expected Astrid to be so bold, to stand up to ¨¤ senior. They were


    all dumbfounded.


    Susana had been in the business for over a decade. Although not particrly famous, she had some


    experience, everyone called her ¡®teacher¡®. But this little girl right here, dared to call her trash?


    ¡°Who do you think you are to talk to me like that? Let me tell you, don¡¯t be too full of yourself! We have


    special guests today. Once the big shots show up, your little tricks will be nothing. I can¡¯t wait to see


    you embarrass yourself in front of the national audience!¡± Susana was fuming, but despite her long¨C


    winded speech, Astrid didn¡¯t even spare her a nce.


    As the countdown began, Susana, despite boiling with rage,posed herself and prepared to go on


    stage.


    The Illusionist¡¯s Realm was an online variety show. But it stood out from the others. Most shows are


    pre¨Crecorded, so mistakes can be edited out But The Illusionist¡¯s Realm was different. It was live, any


    mistakes would be painfully awkward. That¡¯s why manyizens watched the show. They were not


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    particrly interested in who had the best magic tricks. They were more interested in the cringe that


    came with any magic gone wrong!


    ¡°Let¡¯s wee our stars for today, Susana and Astrid!¡± announced the host.


    They were supposed to walk out together, but in a bid to steal the limelight, Susana walked out alone.


    The director was so frustrated he could choke her. But it was live, he couldn¡¯t call cut, and had to let


    Susana walk out first.


    After Susana took her ce, Astrid walked out, looking elegant and cheeky in her light purple dress


    and light makeup, Standing next to Susana, she.. outshone herpletely.


    Among the audience were many of Susana¡¯s fans.


    Astrid had only one supporter. She spotted him instantly, the guy in the hat and mask holding a card


    ¨C Elio.


    She twitched her mouth. Did this guy not have a job?


    He was always around¡­


    Even came¨Cto¨Ccheer her on.


    But seeing him from the stage gave her a different feeling.


    It was subtle.


    When she looked at him, he formed a heart with his hands.


    The gesture seemed natural, but it warmed her heart a little.


    ¡°Please take your seats in the observation area,¡± said the host. As he finished, Susana hurried forward,


    as if afraid that she¡¯d walk in front of her.


    The recording began. The initial performances were mediocre at best, with many obvious ws.


    Astrid frowned at the performances.


    She sat bored, observing the audience, when she noticed a familiar figure in the second row. It was


    Fannie Santos.


    What was she doing here?


    Was she nning to stir up trouble after a period of silence?


    Astrid raised her eyebrows. Sometimes, she felt that Fannie was actually helping her. Every time


    Fannie caused a scene, her own poprity would surge a bit.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128


    Thements in the live stream were flying by so fast, they nearly obscured the screen.


    ¡°Wow, this girl is really pretty~¡±


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s performing a magic trick today? Can¡¯t wait!¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t I hear that herst assistant was just a stooge? Apparently, she¡¯d arranged it all with the


    charity event organizers beforehand, just to boost her fame with the magic trick.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡±


    ¡°Anyone know who¡¯sing today? The international magician, Thomas, we¡¯re about to see if Astrid is


    really up to scratch.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe this show could afford Thomas! I didn¡¯t see thating!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see someone¡¯s lies exposed.¡±


    Thements were mostly friendly, but suddenly a group of people appeared, leading the


    conversation in a new direction.


    Before long, thement section was filled with people waiting to see Astrid make a fool of herself.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    A good chunk of negativements also started to pop up¡­


    It was obvious someone was pulling the strings.


    Meanwhile, Astrid had yet to perform, yet Twitter was already buzzing with news about her being


    exposed by the magic master Thomas. Chad had seen the messages but didn¡¯t pay them any


    mind.


    The bigger the fuss, the more embarrassed those people would ultimately be.


    It seemed like one of his boss¡® secret identities was about to be revealed.


    Finally, it was time for the guest performance. The host excitedly announced, ¡°Let¡¯s wee the


    internationally renowned magician¨CThomas!¡± Hearing this, Astrid¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What?


    There was no such person on the guest list!


    Just as the host finished speaking, a handsome man with flowing hair walked out gracefully.


    Thomas greeted the audience with a smile, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Thomas~¡±


    He didn¡¯t even wait for the host to introduce Astrid and turned his head towards the audience.


    Astrid gestured for someone to shut up, but he seemed not to hear¡­


    He charged towards Astrid, dropped on his knees in front of her, and shouted, ¡°Teacher!¡±


    Astrid¡¯s heart sank.


    It was over¡­


    This secret identity waspletely exposed.


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s helpless look, Elio slightly curled his lips. If she knew he¡¯d known for a long time that


    she was the hacker whiz Aster, would she copse. on the spot?


    Elio imagined her reaction and chuckled softly, his gaze on her even more doting.


    His girl was a real gem.


    The audience and theizens watching the live stream were all dumbfounded.


    Thomas called her teacher?


    The host was stunned for a moment, then quickly regained control, ¡°You¡¯re quite the joker, how could


    Ms. Irvine be your teacher? If I¡¯m not mistaken, your teacher is Astar, right? How could Astar possibly


    be a young woman?¡±


    On hearing this, Thomas shouted, ¡°She is my teacher! Look, I even have a picture with her, for real!¡±


    With that, Thomas whipped out his phone and showed his screensaver to the camera.


    Sitting in the audience, Fannie couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. She¡¯d paid a hefty sum to bring Thomas here


    to take down Astrid, but now she found out that Astrid was Thomas¡¯s teacher.


    Who was Astar? The winner ofst year¡¯s global magicpetition!


    Astar had always kept herself well hidden, only showing a pair of hands. She never imagined Astar


    would be a woman, let alone Astrid!


    Netizens were also dumbstruck. They immediately looked up the video ofst year¡¯s global magic


    The mole on the side of Astar¡¯s index finger was identical to the one on Astrid¡¯s hand.


    Theizens who had been criticizing Astrid on the bullet screen were all silenced.


    They never expected that they¡¯d been badmouthing the wrong person all along.


    They thought she was just pretending to be proficient in magic to win everyone¡¯s attention. But they


    didn¡¯t expect that she was a woman at the top, the world¡¯s number one magician¡­


    #AstridIsMagicianAstar quickly trended.


    The heat was rising rapidly, and more and more details proving that Astrid was Astar were dug up.


    Like the same hat, shoes, and ne, etc.


    Fannie was getting a taste of her own medicine.


    She went to many magicians, and they all said Astrid¡¯s previous performance was simple and easy.


    And they also said there was no magician named Astrid in the magicmunity before, so she dared


    to spend money to invite Thomas!


    She wanted Thomas to confirm on the live broadcast that Astrid was a fraud, not a magician, so that


    Astrid would be ridiculed by the entire inte. That way, she could snatch back her leading role in the


    big movie!


    But who would have thought, Thomas knelt down to her right off the bat!


    And she, who spent the money, ended up pushing Astrid to the trending search.


    She was so mad she felt dizzy. She stood up to leave, but then she heard Astrid¡¯s teasing voice from


    the stage, ¡°Hey, Ms. Santos, isn¡¯t it a bit rude to leave after doing a good deed?¡±

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129


    Ms. Santos?


    Which Ms. Santos?


    Everyone on the set and the live audience werepletely baffled, and theizens watching the live


    stream were just as confused, Fannie didn¡¯t expect Astrid to recognize her despite her disguise, and


    she instantly felt extremely embarrassed.


    Although Fannie¡¯s poprity had declined, she still had a substantial following.


    Her presence would undoubtedly boost the show¡¯s ratings.


    How could the production team possibly let her leave!


    The cameraman smartly followed Astrid¡¯s gaze and quickly spotted Fannie who was about to leave. He


    immediately zoomed in on her.


    Seeing this, the host quickly said with a smile, ¡°What a surprise to have Ms. Santos on our show!¡±


    Fannie felt incredibly awkward. It was now hard for her to leave.


    Moreover, it was a live show. She had to y along. If she just walked off, people online would criticize


    her for being rude, etc. So she could only smile and greet, ¡°Hi everyone, I¡¯m Fannie Santos. I really


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    love magic shows, so I came to watch today. I didn¡¯t expect you all to spot me~¡±


    Thomas watched Fannie¡¯s forced smile, suddenly raised his microphone and said, ¡°Today, I was able to


    meet my teacher here, thanks to Ms, Santos. Ms. Santos knew that I hadn¡¯t seen my teacher for a long


    time, so she persuaded my agent to let me participate in this show, just to give my teacher a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Do you know? My teacher and Ms. Fannie were high school ssmates and they used to be very


    close. This time, Ms. Santos went through great lengths to allow me to see my teacher. She¡¯s such a


    great friend!¡±


    Hearing Thomas¡¯s words, Fannie felt dizzy.


    Now she understood it all. From the beginning, Thomas knew that she wanted to harm Astrid. He knelt


    down to Astrid in front of all the audience, and said these words, just to embarrass her.


    From the beginning, she fell into Thomas¡¯s trap, and she foolishly thought that Astrid would be


    discredited.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m feeling a bit under the weather, so I won¡¯t hold up the recording of the show. But, I will


    always support this show. Good luck.¡± Fannie tried to smile, but it was quite hard for her.


    ¡°Fannie, thank you so much! I really love this surprise, love you.¡± As Astrid spoke, she raised both


    hands above her head and made a heart gesture towards Fannie.


    Fannie was so angry that she almost spewed out a mouthful of blood.


    Fannie left the recording scene awkwardly, and the recording continued.


    Meanwhile, the direction of the livements hadpletely changed.


    ¡°Oh my god, Astrid is Astar? I was totally fascinated by Astar¡¯s high¨Caltitude magicst year.¡±


    *Can someone tell me if she has a Twitter? I urgently need to find her!¡±


    ¡°Astrid can transform, right? When she¡¯s Astar, I¡¯m totally smitten, I wanna marry her!¡±


    ¡°I want to express my love to Astrid!¡±


    By the time the recording ended, it was already dark. Astrid stretched and prepared to leave, and


    Thomas came over with a beaming smile, ¡°Aster, how did I do!¡±


    Astrid rubbed her forehead helplessly, looking discontent.


    He really didn¡¯t understand why he epted such a scatterbrained apprentice, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that


    you would help me hide my identity? With what you did, everyone now knows I¡¯m Astar!¡±

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130


    Catching Astrid¡¯s stern look, Thomas immediately realized that he seemed to have made a big mistake,


    but it was toote to take it back.


    Because the show was live.


    ¡°Sorry, teacher. I got carried away and forgot,¡± Thomas looked a bit pitiful.


    Astrid shot him a re, ¡°Just go, I don¡¯t need you anymore!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, teacher! Without me, would Fannie ever pay for her actions? My kneeling probably scared the


    bejesus out of Fannie!¡± Thomas was all tough on stage, but was totally humble in front of Astrid.


    Seeing Astrid ignoring him, he whispered again, ¡°teacher¡­¡±


    Before Thomas could finish his sentence, he saw Elio walking towards him.


    He immediately swallowed his words. Someone had tipped him off about theplicated rtionship


    between Astrid and Elio, so he felt it might be inappropriate for him to be here.


    He looked at Astrid, then at Elio, and suddenly felt like a third wheel!


    ¡°Teacher, I have some business to take care of, I¡¯ll go first!¡± Thomas politely nodded to Elio, then


    quickly disappeared down the corridor.


    ¡°Ms, Irvine?¡± Elio smiled, ¡°Can I invite you for dinner?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Astrid shook her head, ¡°Jon brought Colton Fortner back, they want me to take a look.¡±


    Colton?


    Elio¡¯s expression turned cold.


    ¡°By the way, you have so much going on at yourpany, you don¡¯t need to go out of your way to


    cheer me up.¡± Astrid took a few steps forward, turned back and said, ¡°But I¡¯m d you coulde


    today.¡±


    Hearing this, Elio¡¯s face lit up, ¡°Where are they? I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°No need, Jon is waiting for me outside, you go back and apany Roman.¡± After saying that, Astrid


    waved at him with a smile and left.


    Elio watched her back for a long time until his phone beeped.


    He nced at the message on his phone, his brow furrowed slightly.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve brought the guy to the WT Hotel, room 1908.¡±


    Putting his phone back in his pocket, Elio quickly left the hotel.


    Half an hourter, Elio arrived outside the hotel room, he rang the doorbell.


    A few secondster, a dark¨Cskinned man opened the door and bowed his head respectfully, ¡°Sir.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Elio walked straight in and saw a skinny man tied to a chair.


    Elio didn¡¯t say much, he just asked, ¡°Tell me, where did you get the kid from three and a half years


    ago?¡±


    The man was on the verge of a breakdown, ¡°I¡¯ve said it many times, someone gave me the child. He


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    gave me money and asked me to leave the child at a designated ce. Then he arranged for me to be


    smuggled, gave me stic surgery, and a fake identity.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything I know, I swear! I can¡¯t take it anymore, I can¡¯t!¡±


    Elio understood, the man in front of him was having a drug rpse.


    He slowly pulled out a small bag of white powder from his pocket, saying coldly, ¡°Tell the truth, and this


    is yours.¡±


    ¡°Tell me everything about the day you picked up the kid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! It¡¯s all true! All true!¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the stuff, he struggled


    non¨Cstop, ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything, I remember the child was carried out of a luxury car!¡±

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131


    ¡°But, I didn¡¯t get a good look at the people in the car. A young man handed the kid over to me, he was


    wearing a hat¡­ and a mask. Couldn¡¯t make out his face.¡±


    ¡°I tried to sneak a peek inside the car, and got a boot for my trouble. He threatened me, said he would


    gouge out my eyes¡­I can¡¯t take it anymore, please, could you spare me some¡­¡± The man was a


    wreck, veins popping out on his face, drenched in sweat.


    Elio remained cool as ice, ¡°Keep talking.¡±


    ¡°But I remember, in the backseat, there was a young man. And I saw his hands¡­I¡¯m positive they were


    a young man¡¯s hands¡­He was male, I saw his Adam¡¯s apple. Oh yeah, it was a ck Rolls Royce, but


    I don¡¯t know the specific model¡­Please!!!! Ahhhhh!!!¡± The man was in agonizing pain, tormented by


    withdrawal, ¡°Please, sir, I¡¯ve told you everything I know, everything!!!¡±


    He banged his head against the back of the chair, struggling, knocking the chair to the ground, ¡°Sir,


    that¡¯s all¡­ I don¡¯t know anything else!¡±


    Elio: ¡°Location. Where did the exchange take ce?¡±


    ¡°West side of town, out of the city, but¡­I can¡¯t remember the exact location, but¡­ but it was snowing


    that day¡­You could see¡­ see a pharmaceutical factory from there¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s consciousness was starting to fade.


    He was mumbling incoherently, his words making no sense.


    ¡°Take him away.¡± Elio tossed something on the table, signaling his men to take the man away.


    Drug addicts don¡¯t lie when they¡¯re in withdrawal and see drugs, but what he held in his hand was


    actually a bag of flour.


    There was a young man in the car?


    Elio lightly tapped his fingers on the table, sending a message to Carson: ¡°Check if there¡¯s a


    pharmaceutical factory in the western suburbs, and ask around if anyone saw a ck Rolls Royce


    there three and a half years ago.¡±


    Carson: ¡°Yes, my


    lord.¡±


    Looking at the dark night, he felt a bit irked.


    Who was the one who handed over the child?


    Why did they do that?


    He was starting to see a pattern, he believed he was close to the truth.


    Meanwhile, in a hotel room somewhere else.


    -Astrid was¨Cexamining Colton.


    Jon was sprawled out on the couch, gaming and grumbling, ¡°Do you even know how to y this game?


    Can¡¯t you cover me? As soon as someonees for me, you scram. Can¡¯t you give a hand? What, got


    your feet stuck in midne? Losers!¡±


    He lost another game, sat up straight and saw Astrid and Colton just sitting there, silent as the grave.


    He couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Star, I asked you to treat him, not to have a staring contest, right?¡±


    Astrid took off her gloves, and murmured, ¡°I just drew some blood, and checked the concentration of


    toxins in his system. It¡¯s not high, so he should be in and out of consciousness.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying he can still be cured?¡± Jon asked, his brows knotted in concern.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Astrid nodded, ¡°He probably knew from an early age that Farrah Fortner was out for his blood,


    so he yed dumb to protect himself. He didn¡¯t take all the ¡®medicine¡®, so he¡¯s notpletely out of his


    mind.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Jon asked, shocked, ¡°Farrah¡¯s a real piece of work, why would she do that to Colton?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Astrid rolled her eyes at him, ¡°You should be asking Colton that, how should I know?¡±


    Jon blinked, ¡°Oh yeah, Star, you gotta help him.¡±


    ¡°Help him? Give me one good reason.¡± Astrid crossed her arms and looked him up and down, ¡°You


    haven¡¯t told me where you two have been gallivanting these past few days!¡±


    ¡°Star, he¡¯s had enough on his te, you can¡¯t just leave him hanging, can you? If you don¡¯t help him,


    Farrah might just off him the moment he gets back.¡± Jon said urgently.


    Seeing this, Colton immediately pleaded, ¡°Babe, please help me! If you do, I¡¯ll let you win every card


    game from now on!¡±


    Astrid: ¡°¡­¡±


    Remembering how Colton instinctively blocked the hot water for her on the ne, Astrid sighed. This


    guy might act childish sometimes, but he genuinely considered her a friend.


    Astrid: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help him, but he can¡¯t keep crashing at the hotel. Jon, take him to your ce, I¡¯ll


    handle the rest and let you guys know.¡±


    *Stay at my ce? You mean I have to babysit him?¡± Before Jon could finish his sentence, Astrid shot


    him a re.


    Seeing her pissed off, Jon immediately shut up.


    After dropping Astrid off at her apartment, Jon left. By then, Astrid was starving.


    As soon as she got off the elevator, she saw Roman squatting by her door.


    Seeing Astrid, Roman bolted towards her, calling out, ¡°Astrid!¡±


    Astrid grinned and picked him up, ¡°Roman, why are you here? Where¡¯s your dad?¡±


    Roman pointed at the door, ¡°Inside.¡±


    ¡°Inside?¡± Astrid blinked, ¡°How does your dad have my keys?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°No keys, just a password!¡± Roman answered obediently.


    Astrid twitched, her door could be unlocked with a password or a key, but when did this guy memorize


    her password?


    Walking in with Roman in her arms, Astrid began to berate him, ¡°Elio, why did you sneakily memorize


    my door code? Do you n to sneak into my room while I¡¯m asleep and pull something?¡±


    Elio¡¯s voice rang from the kitchen, ¡°Didn¡¯t you give me the password when I brought Roman over and


    you weren¡¯t home?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°¡­¡±


    That was true.


    ¡°Do something to you? You¡¯re always the one plotting against me.¡± Elio carried two tes of food from


    the kitchen, he wasn¡¯t wearing his suit today, making him look more like a casual, homely man.


    Astrid looked at the dishes on the table, remembering how the kitchen was messed upst time,


    she.frowned, ¡°Are you sure this is edible?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Elio pulled out a chair from the dining table, ¡°Last time was an ident, that wasn¡¯t my


    true skill.¡±


    Astrid twitched her lips, indicating her disbelief.


    Roman said provocatively, ¡°Auntie, Elio is lying, he learned cooking just to please you!¡±


    ¡°Roman, shut up.¡± Elio was embarrassed to be called out by his son and looked quite ufortable.


    Seeing Elio¡¯s reaction, Roman immediately pretended to cry, ¡°Astrid, Elio is bullying me, I¡¯m scared.¡±


    Elio and Astrid were both speechless.

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133


    Astrid knew Roman was just fake crying, but the little guy was just too cute.


    She didn¡¯t have the heart to call him out on it, and could only coddle him.


    ¡°Roman, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here!¡± Astrid pecked Roman¡¯s cheek, then shot Elio a dirty look, ¡°Elio, could


    you lower your voice? You¡¯re scaring Roman.¡±


    Elio, who was serving soup, paused at her words,


    He slowly pushed the bowl of soup towards Astrid, then looked up at her and Roman.


    Somewhere along the line, Astrid had started calling him by his name, no longer addressing him as Mr.


    Lampard.


    She was no longer as polite and distant as before, even getting angry at him now.


    The sight of her protecting Roman was pretty cute.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep it down,¡± Elio softly replied, then pointed to a chair, ¡°Sit down, the food¡¯s getting cold.¡±


    Elio was being unusually gentle, which was a little disconcerting for Astrid and Roman


    Astrid¡¯s tummy started growling again, so she had to put Roman down on a chair and start eating.


    Even though Elio¡¯s cooking skills were mediocre, when you¡¯re hungry, everything tastes good.


    Roman was rather picky about Elio¡¯s cooking, but seeing Astrid enjoying her food so much, he ate


    everything up. Ever since Jon broke all the dishes, Astrid had bought a dishwasher, which made things


    a lot easier.. After cleaning the kitchen, Astrid saw Roman sitting on the couch, engrossed in his game.


    Elio had aptop on hisp, working intently. His brows were furrowed, as if he was dealing with some


    difficulty. Astrid¡¯s phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw a message from Chad, ¡°OMG! Boss, you¡¯re


    trending! Number one!¡± Astrid replied, ¡°You sound excited.¡±


    Chad responded, ¡°Boss, haven¡¯t you checked Twitter? You¡¯ve got a fan club! Oh, and a global fan


    support group!¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Astrid smirked. She already knew about the global fan support group, and the president of it was none


    other than Brandon.


    She took her phone into her bedroom. Thinking of Colton, she sent Chad a message, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a


    taskter, help me gather the herbs on the list ASAP.¡±


    Chad replied, ¡°Sure thing, boss.¡±


    After sending the message, Astridy on the bed. The movie project from Carlos had already been


    taken over by Dale, and shooting was starting the day after tomorrow.


    Astrid picked up the script on the table and began to study it intently.


    She had to be prepared and couldn¡¯t let anyone find any problems during filming. If she was going to


    do it, she had to do it right.


    The next day at noon, Carlos officially announced the lead actress for the blockbuster Mystic Mysteries


    on Twitter.


    Not long after, the news of Astrid starring in Mystic Mysteries became a hot topic.


    However, another topic was also trending.


    #AstridReces FannielnBlockbuster#


    Despite Fannie¡¯s contract termination with Starlight Entertainment and loss of some resources, her


    poprity was still hard to ignore. Her fans started to voice their opinions.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134


    ¡°Has the director gone nuts? Ditching the best actress for a nobody newbie?¡±


    ¡°How could she everpare to Fannie!¡±


    ¡°I gotta say, Astrid is just a supporting character next to Fannie.¡±


    ¡°Did the crew get conned or what? Weren¡¯t all the media saying Fannie was the lead in Mystic


    Mysteries?¡±


    ¡°Stealing roles? Astrid should just drop dead.¡±


    ¡°Wow, how can Astrid, with that face and acting skill, carry this movie? A good movie is ruined just like


    that. Can she even bring in the box office?¡± ¡°What works has Astrid done anyway? Many A¨Clist


    actresses couldn¡¯t bag this role, why is she the exception? Think about it, guys~~¡±


    ¡°Good lord, my idol will get dragged down acting with someone like her, right? A good movie with such


    a lead actress, even my idol can¡¯t save it no matter how popr he is!¡±


    The inte was in an uproar, but the protagonist was sound asleep.


    The phone rang, but Astrid didn¡¯t stir.


    Roman, who was ying outside, ran in hearing the noise, and shoved the phone to Astrid¡¯s ear,


    ¡°Astrid, phone!!!¡±


    Astrid opened her eyes to see three words on the screen: Dale.


    She answered the phonezily, ¡°Hello~ What¡¯s up Dale, aren¡¯t we starting production tomorrow?¡±


    Dale: ¡°There¡¯s some negative chatter about you online right now, don¡¯t react, I¡¯ll handle it. Just focus on


    your script.¡±


    ¡°Negative chatter?¡± Astrid sat up rubbing her head, ¡°I¡¯d rather handle it myself than let you do it.¡±


    Dale was speechless.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess around, showbiz isn¡¯t as simple as you think, every word and action of yours can be


    magnified or misconstrued. I¡¯m professional at dealing with these things. I¡¯m calling you to make sure


    you don¡¯t add to the chaos. After all, if something happens to you, it¡¯s my reputation at stake. You


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    can¡¯t.. tarnish my gold star manager badge!¡± Dale said huffily, then hung up.


    Astrid smirked lightly, then reached out to ruffle Roman¡¯s hair, ¡°Where¡¯s your dad?¡±


    ¡°Working.¡± Roman took a sip of his milk and said seriously, ¡°Astrid, you were talking in your sleepst


    night.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Sleep talking?¡± Astrid scooped Roman into herp, ¡°What did I say?¡±


    Roman stared wide¨Ceyed at Astrid, then whispered, ¡°You said: I¡¯m not going fishing! I¡¯m not going


    fishing!¡±


    ¨C¡°Haha.¡± Astrid couldn¡¯t helpughing. She was really traumatized by Magee, even dreaming about


    refusing to go fishing, ¡°Roman, go y outside first, I


    wille out to make lunch for youter.¡°¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Roman obediently walked out.


    Astrid picked up her phone and sent a WhatsApp message to Carlos, ¡°Director, can.I have my makeup


    test photos?¡±


    A few secondster, Carlos sent her the photos.


    He also sent Fannie¡¯s makeup test photos.


    Astrid looked at the two photos, her eyebrows slightly raised.


    This director really has an eye for talent. He knew exactly what he wanted and had even handed over


    the photos before she asked.


    Carlos said, ¡°Fannie also came in to do a makeup test for this role, but the results weren¡¯t ideal. She


    looked a bit too old,cking vitality, so we didn¡¯t choose her at the time.¡±

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135


    Carlos: ¡°But she¡¯s been spreading news, iming to have secured the lead role and stuff, misleading


    the public. It really grinds my gears.¡± Carlos: ¡°Astrid, do what you gotta do, tell me what you need, I¡¯ll


    provide anything you want. Her actions are just downright uneptable.¡± Astrid: ¡°Thanks, director.¡±


    She¡¯s been a fan of Twitter before she even made it big. Of course she has a Twitter ount, it¡¯s just


    that nobody knew it was hers.


    Because her ount name is: Miss Chaotic.


    Astrid logs into Twitter, uploads her and Fannie¡¯s costume photos,


    Then she writes: ¡°Hey there, I¡¯m Astrid, a newbie here with no fans to back me up, so I gotta step up


    myself. Been hearing people say I look like Fannie¡¯s maid, no offense taken, just thought I¡¯d share a


    couple of photos.¡±


    Just after she tweets,ments start to pour in.


    She takes a look; her lips twitch.


    Jon: ¡°Who said you got no fans, I¡¯m your diehard!¡±


    Not only did hement, the guy also retweeted.


    Then a few secondster, Brandon also shows up.


    Astrid Global Fanclub: ¡°Astrid¡¯s the prettiest, no rebuttals epted!!!¡±


    ¡°Ding dong.¡± Another notification.


    Magician Locke: ¡°I love you, like a mouse loves cheese!¡±


    Magician Thomas: ¡°Why are you belittling yourself,paring yourself to her!¡±


    Orion Willie: ¡°You¡¯re the best! You¡¯re the prettiest! I want to have your baby, Hank!¡±


    Astrid looks at these seemingly abnormal guys on her phone, frowning.


    But with their boosts, her tweet quickly heated up.


    ¡°Hahaha, a newbie? Astrid¡¯s just too adorable!¡±


    ¡°No pain, no gain. I thought Fannie was good¨Clooking before. But whenpared side by side, Fannie


    seems a bit old. Let¡¯s see how Fannie¡¯s fans stillpliment her!¡±


    ¡°Astrid looks like a fairy~¡±


    ¡°Fannie¡¯s fans, stop asking about styling and lighting. Apart from the face and aura, everything else is


    the same in these two photos. It¡¯s clear who¡¯s the servant and who¡¯s the princess!¡±


    ¡°Astrid is so pretty~ Even I, as a girl, am moved


    ¡°Wow, who said our Astar has no fans? All the magic fans are here to support Astar!!!¡±


    Astrid¡¯s followers started to skyrocket. She then tweeted a second time, two videos.


    One was her audition video, the other was Fannie¡¯s.


    Both were performing the same scene.


    Astrid¡¯s acting was natural and lively, and her magic performance was wless, her technique was


    beautiful, it was captivating.¡®


    Compared to Fannie, despite her ample preparation, she¡¯s not a magician, her performance was full of


    loopholes, her magic was unbearable to watch without post¨Cproduction editing.


    Even disregarding the magic performance, her acting still can¡¯tpete with Astrid¡¯s.


    Fannie¡¯s team originally just wanted to hype up the role contest today to increase her poprity.


    This kind of thing is verymon in the entertainment industry, typically, if the controversy isn¡¯t too big,


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    celebrities won¡¯t interfere.


    But they didn¡¯t expect Astrid to p back so straightforwardly.


    Saying she¡¯s not as good¨Clooking as Fannie?


    Alright, rebutted withparison photos!


    Saying her acting isn¡¯t as good as Fannie¡¯s?


    Alright, rebutted with audition clips!


    Saying she has no fans and poprity?


    Magicians, esports masters, real estate tycoons are all retweeting in support of her!

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136


    All of that isn¡¯t the key point. The real crux is, both Starlight Entertainment and the movie producers


    released a joint statement, ensuring that before signing Astrid as the lead actress, they hadn¡¯t inked


    any deal or verbal agreement with Fannie. This role was won by Astrid through her own abilities, there


    was no so¨Ccalled ¡°role snatching¡°.


    Post the announcement, Fannie instantly became the butt of everyone¡¯s jokes.


    After all, she herself had repeatedly bbed aboutnding the lead role in a blockbuster. Now, the


    movie producers had announced that she wasn¡¯t chosen as the lead actress!


    Thanks to the ¡°role¨Csnatching¡± scandal fabricated by Fannie¡¯s team, they sessfully boosted Astrid¡¯s


    poprity once again.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    The next day, Astrid and Gracie went to the set together. All the way, Gracie couldn¡¯t stop talking:


    ¡°Gosh, Astrid, that scandal must¡¯ve been bought by Fannie, don¡¯t ya think she was fuming yesterday?¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s really vicious, you said you never had any beef with her, why is she always targeting you?¡±


    ¡°And hey, how¡¯s that guy who blocked our wayst time? Is he still kickin¡®?¡±


    Astrid¡¯s hand, which was ying a game, suddenly froze, ¡°He¡¯s still kickin¡®.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. He was really scary, running around even though he¡¯s so sick. Do you think he¡¯d be


    pretty handsome if he wasn¡¯t so skinny?¡± Gracie had a thing for handsome men and was always on the


    lookout for them.


    Gracie¡¯s question took Astrid back to three years ago. Hal at that time was indeed handsome, the most


    popr professor among the female students. Of course, his gentlemanly and humorous facade hid a


    dark heart.


    Seeing Astrid falling silent, Gracie started singing to herself for amusement.


    Off the ne, some fans came to greet them.


    Although the number wasn¡¯trge, she was delighted.


    Apart from her fans, the others were fans of Clyde.


    Clyde, the male lead of her drama.


    Was Clyde on the same flight as her just now?


    Astrid gave a slight smile, waved to her fans, then shared the snacks she brought with everyone.


    Just as she was about to leave, Clyde¡¯s fans started shouting like crazy, suddenly a lot of fans surged


    towards them: ¡°Clyde!!!


    ¡°I love you!¡±


    ¡°Ah!!!! I love you!¡±


    The crowd was moving chaotically, Astrid sidestepped, ¡°Everyone be careful, I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Alright, rest well, see ya~¡±


    Astrid squeezed out of the crowd, Gracie¡¯s shoes were trampled off by those crazy fans: ¡°Oh my god,


    that was terrifying, my new shoes, I wore them for the first time today!¡±


    ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll buy you a new pair.¡± Astridughed a bit and then led Gracie towards their car.


    But looking at the car in front of her, it seemed familiar, it looked like the same model as someone


    else¡¯s.


    Wasn¡¯t the model Dale mentioned different?


    But this staff member said he came to pick her up.


    Seeing Clyde and his fans rushing over, Gracie immediately pulled Astrid into the car.


    Just as Gracie was about to close the door, a long hand stopped it, ¡°Excuse me, can I catch a lift?¡±


    Gracie turned her head and saw Clyde¡¯s smiling eyes, she immediately nodded: ¡°Of course, get in.¡±


    ¡°Could you sit in the front?¡± Clyde smiled at Gracie, almost giving her a heart attack.


    Just then, a cold voice came from the front: ¡°Sir, ever heard of ¡®men and women should not sit too


    close¡®? Is there a problem with you sitting in the front? Why do you need to squeeze next to the


    ¡°Also, isn¡¯t your car parked at the back?¡±

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137


    Astrid¡¯s eyes lit up the moment she heard that voice!


    Clyde adjusted his baseball cap with a bit of grumpiness, ¡°Astrid and I are about to y a couple in the


    film. What¡¯s wrong with us building up some chemistry in advance?¡±


    ¡°No can do!¡± the man replied.


    ¡°Either you hop in the passenger seat, or drive yourself!¡±


    The man started the car as he spoke.


    Clyde, a bit ticked off, opened the car door and got into the passenger seat. He turned to the driver ¨C a


    man in all ck with shades on and snorted, ¡°What¡¯s up with your attitude? You¡¯re just a driver, where


    do you get off talking to me like that? I can easily get you fired!¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°We¡¯ll see if you have the guts.¡± The man sneered, then said to Astrid, ¡°Star, hand me the meds.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing!¡± Astrid quickly rummaged through the car and handed a pill from a pill bottle to Gracie,


    ¡°Here, Gracie. Take this.¡±


    Gracie looked confused. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Motion sickness pill!¡± Astrid said excitedly. ¡°Hurry up and take it.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t get carsick.¡± Gracie refused to take the pill, which made Astrid anxious. She shoved the pill


    into Gracie¡¯s mouth.


    Seeing Gracie swallow the pill, Astrid grinned. ¡°Just because you didn¡¯t get carsick before doesn¡¯t


    mean you won¡¯t now.¡±


    Gracie was still a bit confused when the car started moving.


    The trip from the airport to the film set was three to four hours, and there was a stretch of road without


    speed cameras.


    Suddenly, the car elerated wildly on that stretch of road!


    You could say it was lightning fast.


    Gracie was stunned.


    She looked at Astrid with fear, but Astrid seemed thrilled. ¡°How¡¯s that, Gracie? Exciting, right?¡±


    Gracie: ¡°I¡­ Ahhh!!!¡±


    As they took a sharp curve, Gracie tensed up and let out a scream!


    But because she had taken the motion sickness pill, despite the fast speed, Gracie only felt nervous


    and scared, without any other difort.


    Clyde, on the other hand, was not so lucky.


    He was feeling dizzy and nauseous, and looking at the road ahead from the passenger seat made him


    even more scared,


    His stomach churned, and Clyde retched. Just when he was about to throw up.


    The man driving the car suddenly slowed down, quickly grabbed a stic bag from the side, and put it


    over Clyde¡¯s head. ¡°If you make a mess in my car, you¡¯ll have hell to pay.¡±


    Clyde was too scared to move from the man¡¯s ominous threat.


    Meanwhile, the rest of the cars from the film crew were left far behind¡­


    By the time they arrived at the film set, Clyde was slumped in the passenger seat like a dead fish.


    Astrid notified the crew members and had them take Clyde away.


    Once the parking lot was clear, Astrid jumped out of the car and threw herself at the man in front.


    ¡°Rickon, weren¡¯t you at ap¨¦tition in Europe? Why are you back?¡±


    ¡°Thepetition ended, I missed you, thought I¡¯de see you.¡± Rickon Brooke stroked Astrid¡¯s hair,


    took off his sunsses and attentively observed the girl in front of him, then frowned, ¡°You seem to be


    tan, has work been tough?¡±


    ¡°No, no, not at all.¡± To Astrid, Rickon was the man of her dreams. He was a retired special forces


    soldier, then turned top race car driver, and also incredibly handsome. His stubble had won the hearts


    of many girls!

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138


    Gracie, sitting in the passenger seat, nervously swallowed and tugged at her hair before gently pulling


    at Astrid¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Astrid, this is¡­?¡±


    ¡°This is my brother.¡± Astrid pulled Gracie in front of her, ¡°Bro, this is Gracie, my friend.¡°¡®


    Gracie was fixated on Rickon, seemingly captivated by his appearance.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Rickon nodded at Astrid, then said quietly, ¡°I¡¯ve found a better ce for you to stay, your crew¡¯s


    amodation is crap and it¡¯s not safe either.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Astrid obediently nodded, ¡°You¡¯re not leaving


    again, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll stick around for a few days until your opening ceremony is over, then you cane find me.¡±


    Rickon said, pulling out a card from his pocket, ¡°This is for you, let me know if you run out of cash.¡±


    Astrid pushed the card back, ¡°Bro, I¡¯ve got money.¡±


    ¡°This is for you, take it. And spend it fast, or I¡¯ll be pissed.¡± Rickon said before getting into his car. He


    started the engine and then asked, ¡°Has anyone been messing with youtely?¡±


    Astrid shook her head, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Rickon said before stepping on the gas and driving off.


    Rickon isn¡¯t a big talker, and he has his own way of showing he cares, but he really does love his little


    sister.


    Gracie finally snapped out of her trance, ¡°Astrid, that was your brother? You¡¯ve never mentioned having


    a brother before, where¡¯d hee from?¡±


    ¡°You never asked.¡± Astrid replied, then said, ¡°We better get going or we¡¯re gonna bete.¡±


    ¡°Holy smokes, he¡¯s so hot¡­¡± Gracie eximed, ¡°I should¡¯ve asked for his contact. Astrid, do you have


    his number? Give it to me, I¡¯ll make the first move!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll give it to youter, can we head to the opening ceremony now?¡± Astrid reluctantly


    agreed before dragging Gracie away.


    Meanwhile, at the president¡¯s office of the Lampard Group, Elio was working when his phone suddenly


    rang.


    He nced at the screen, it was an unknown number.


    He hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°Hello?¡±


    There was a pause on the other end of the line before a man¡¯s voice asked, ¡°Are you Elio?¡±


    Elio: ¡°Yes.¡±


    The man: ¡°I¡¯m her brother, I heard you¡¯re pursuing my sister? I disapprove.¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Elio was speechless.


    He had met Astrid¡¯s two¨Cbrothers, they knew about his pursuit of Astrid, but they had not explicitly


    objected.


    But this brother, straight up calling to say he disapproves¡­


    Elio: ¡°Can I ask why?¡±


    Rickon: ¡°I just disapprove, no reason needed.¡±


    With that, Rickon hung up.


    Elio raised an eyebrow and began digging up information on this brother.


    Astrid¡¯s father had never publicly disclosed information about his children, so he couldn¡¯t find any


    online. But he was confident he could find something if he looked hard enough.


    His fingers rapidly tapped at the keyboard when there was a knock at the door.


    Elio: ¡°Come in.¡±


    Carson: ¡°Chief, there was a mysterious man at the airport today who picked up Ms. Irvine.¡±


    ¡°A mysterious man?¡± Elio¡¯s fingers paused, ¡°Did we figure out who it was?¡±


    Carson: ¡°He¡¯s one of the top ten racing drivers in the world, Rickon.¡±

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139


    To be honest, Carson was shocked.


    He never thought that Astrid would know a world¨Css race car driver.


    Elio said, ¡°I get it, you can leave now.¡±


    Leave?


    Carson¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Chief, Rickon is the dream guy for many girls, he could be described as a


    total stud. And right now, he¡¯s fawning over Ms. Irvine, are you just going to let it happen?¡±


    Elio said, ¡°I told you to leave, now leave.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Carson sighed, ¡°You¡¯re not even worried, but I am!¡±


    Elio in his office turned his chair and looked out the window.


    Looks like, he needs to meet this Rickon.


    Movie shooting location.


    Clyde got really carsick in the afternoon and just barely held it in without throwing up in the car.


    Once he got out of the car, he threw up all the way.


    By the time he arrived at the hotel, he waspletely drained.


    Because of this, the shooting for the day was canceled.


    The crew¡¯s hotel is a three¨Cstar hotel, about a forty¨Cminute car ride from the shooting location.


    But the hotel Rickon arranged for Astrid was a five¨Cstar presidential suite, just a five¨Cminute walk from


    the shooting location.


    The other actors thought this was the director giving Astrid special treatment, so they started spreading


    some negativements.


    That night, the director arranged a dinner for everyone to get to know each other.


    Everyone basically arrived, but Astrid hadn¡¯t, and some of the minor actors started mocking her.


    ¡°Astrid is really too much, right? Making all these experienced actors wait for her.¡±


    ¡°Plus, she¡¯s so high¨Cprofile. Everyone else is staying at the hotel arranged by the crew, but she moved


    to a five¨Cstar hotel?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about a magician? It¡¯s just tricks that deceive people. She didn¡¯t even go to college,


    she can only learn some shady skills.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯mte.¡± Astrid walked in, and the chatter in the room immediately stopped.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    She looked around at everyone, found an empty seat and sat down, her expression natural.


    ¡°Astrid, since you¡¯rete, you have to take three shots.¡± Helena, one of the actresses in the movie,


    poured three full cups and pushed them towards Astrid, ¡°Penalty shots should be full to show your


    sincerity. Our leadingdy wouldn¡¯t refuse, right?¡±


    Astrid looked at the alcohol in front of her, picked up arge cup, poured a shot, and downed it in one


    go, ¡°Is that sincere enough?¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    The atmosphere became a bit awkward. Helena was also one of the candidates for the lead role. She


    had high hopes for this movie.


    She thought she would have a chance after Fannie had some issues, but then Astrid suddenly


    appeared, and director Carlos signed her immediately after the audition.


    She was a bit disgruntled, but as a senior, she couldn¡¯t act too ungraceful.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte, have you all started eating?¡± Carlos hurried into the room and everyone stood up to


    wee him.


    All sorts of ttery.


    Astrid sat in the corner, not saying a word.


    She didn¡¯t enjoy these kinds of dinners, but she knew, as an actress, she couldn¡¯t avoid these


    situations.


    At first, everyone was discussing the script. Suddenly, Helena said, ¡°Astrid is a magician, right? How


    about performing a magic trick for us?¡±


    Astrid¡¯s hand, which was dippingmb in hotpot, paused. They were eating, yet they wanted her to


    perform?


    What did they take her for?

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140


    Astrid slowly put some mutton into her bowl, cracking a smile as she said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about how


    well Ms. Helena can sing. I¡¯ve heard you sing on variety shows before and it¡¯s like the voice of an


    angel. I think people probably enjoy your singing more than watching magic tricks, don¡¯t they?¡±


    At this, Helena¡¯s face instantly darkened.


    Astrid went on, ¡°Some people online are saying that Ms. Helena lip¨Csyncs. I was really surprised when


    I heard this, as Ms. Helena had openly criticized those who lip¨Csync on Twitter before. I can¡¯t believe


    Ms. Helena would do that. Ms. Helena, could you sing a song for us today? It would be a real treat and


    also give me, a tone¨Cdeaf person, a chance to experience what real music is.¡± As soon as she finished


    speaking, Helena¡¯s face turned


    To maintain her image as a multi¨Ctalented goddess, she had always lip¨Csynced.


    This secret had remained undiscovered until a few days ago, at a party, where a small mistake led to


    her being criticized for lip¨Csyncing.


    sour.


    In order to save her image, she posted a video of herself singing on Twitter and criticized those who


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    lip¨Csync. But that video was also lip¨Csynced¡­


    If she sings in front of everyone now, wouldn¡¯t that be pping her own face?


    Helena nced at Astrid¡¯s beaming face, and could only try to change the subject: ¡°Forget about


    singing, it¡¯s too boring. By the way, I heard you never went to college, is that true?¡±


    Astrid raised an eyebrow and responded, ¡°Is there a problem with not going to college?¡±


    Helena was left speechless.


    She hadn¡¯t expected the seemingly delicate and soft¨Cspoken Astrid to be so sharp¨Ctongued..


    With an air of resignation, Helena said, ¡°Of course there¡¯s no problem with not going to college, but it¡¯s


    always good to learn more. In today¡¯s world, those without education are at a disadvantage.¡±


    Was that a dig at herck of education?


    Astrid finished eating her stewed mutton, gracefully wiped her mouth with a napkin, then turned to


    Helena, ¡°So, Ms. Helena, you¡¯re highly educated?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ms. Helena graduated from a prestigious university, and she was an excellent math


    student.¡± Clyde, who hadn¡¯t spoken before, suddenly. chimed in, ¡°She¡¯s a real nerd.¡±


    Astrid gave a small smile, ¡°I see. Today a rtive of mine asked me a primary school math question


    that I couldn¡¯t solve. Could you help me solve it, Ms. Helena?¡±


    Hearing it was a primary school math question, Helena confidently said, ¡°That¡¯s no problem for me, just


    give it to me, This is what happens when you don¡¯t study seriously, can¡¯t even solve a primary school


    math question¡­¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t respond, she quickly typed a series of numbers onto her memo pad and handed the


    question to Helena, ¡°Here, nerd, help me solve this.¡±


    Helena looked at Astrid¡¯s phone with a haughty gaze, but then her smile gradually disappeared¡­


    Indeed, it was a primary school math problem, but not a simple one, because it was an Olympiad


    problem.


    The surrounding celebrities seemed to enjoy the drama, they kept teasing her, ¡°Hurry up, solve it.¡±


    ¡°Is it really taking you this long to solve a primary school math problem?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a math whiz, she can do it!¡±


    ¡°Last time she was on that brainy variety show, she made it to the top three. She could solve college¨C


    level calculus, linear algebra, and Olympiad problems instantly, how could she not solve a primary


    school math problem!¡±


    Listening to the praise around her, Helena felt extremely awkward, wishing she could crawl into a hole.


    The truth was, the answers to the problems on that show were prepared in advance, she wasn¡¯t good


    at solving math problems at all.


    She turned to look at Astrid.


    Astrid was propping her chin in her hand, watching her with a charming smile. ¡°Ms. Helena, keep going.


    I believe you can do it!¡±

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141


    Helena stared at the question on the screen, feeling her hair stand on end.


    She initially thought it was just a basic primary school math question, but it turned out to be an


    Olympiad math question.


    Everyone was eyeballing Helena, who hadn¡¯t made a move for a while. Astrid said, ¡°Could it be, Ms.


    Helena doesn¡¯t know the answer?¡±


    ¡°What did you say? There¡¯s no way she doesn¡¯t know how to do this!¡± Helena¡¯s friend said, who has


    known each other for many years and this was their third time shooting a movie together.


    Helena was going to make an excuse, but her friend¡¯s words left her mouth shut.


    Clyde noticed Helena¡¯s awkwardness and said, ¡°A lot of primary school math questions are quite tough


    nowadays, it¡¯s normal she doesn¡¯t know how to do this since she graduated primary school ages ago.¡±


    Hearing this, Helena gratefully nced at Clyde, about to say something, but her friend cut in, ¡°Clyde,


    are you insulting her? It¡¯s just a primary school math question, it¡¯s a piece of cake for her!¡±


    Just when she could use this excuse to avoid the question, her friend messed¨Cit¨Cup again.


    Astrid, seeing Helena¡¯s angry eyes, couldn¡¯t helpughing, ¡°Ms. Helena, if you don¡¯t know, you don¡¯t


    know. No big deal. Just don¡¯t be so determined next time, otherwise, it could get quite embarrassing if


    things don¡¯t go the way you said.


    ¡°Looking at Ms. Helena, shecks social experience. It¡¯s better not to judge a book by its cover, after


    all, people¡¯s appearances can be deceiving.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone is as easy¨Cgoing as me, consider this a free lesson for you today.¡± Astrid said and drank


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    up her juice with a smirk.


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s teasing look, Helena opened her mouth but didn¡¯t say anything.


    After all, she was the one who started the fuss, and if she continued to argue, she would just be a


    Besides, she couldn¡¯t solve the problem. From the moment Astrid pulled out the question, she had


    already lost.


    Everyone began to look at Helena a bit oddly, because she always bragged about being a top student


    and often boasted about her educational background. She always imed to be ¨¤ math genius on


    variety shows, but now she couldn¡¯t even solve a primary school math question?


    Although no one said anything, they were a bit disappointed in Helena. Was her degree fake? A beauty


    with brains?


    Fake, all fake.


    The atmosphere at the dining table was a bit awkward, but then an assistant director suggested ying


    a game and the mood lightened up.


    When she came out after dinner, it was already around 10 PM. A little girl came over and whispered,


    ¡°Astrid, a lot of people are protecting Helena, you just arrived and offended her, she¡¯ll definitely give


    you a hard timeter.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Astrid nodded, looking at the cute girl in front of her with bangs and big eyes, and gently asked,


    ¡°Why are you telling me


    this?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a fan of Astar! Although I can¡¯t ept that Astar is a woman now.¡± The girl looked up at


    Astrid, her eyes full of sadness.


    She loved magic since she was little, and after Astar¡¯s magic video went viral on the intest year,


    she became deeply fascinated with that mysterious man. She always wanted to marry Astar, even


    dreamt of having kids for Astar several times.


    But who would¡¯ve thought, the person she longed to marry, turned out to be a woman!

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142


    Astrid couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the girl¡¯s despairing expression before her, reaching out to put ¨¢


    ¡°My name is Teresa. Take care. I¡¯m leaving now,¡± Teresa answered. Her cheeks turned as red as an


    apple when Astrid touched her. She looked so adorable.


    Barely able to look Astrid in the eye, Teresa brushed off Astrid¡¯s hand and left the restaurant in a hurry.


    Teresa felt like she was dreaming after her idol put an arm around her. She practically floated out of the


    restaurant.


    Astrid left the restaurant and started walking towards her hotel along the river. Before she even


    reached her hotel, Rickon sent her a message on WhatsApp: ¡°Star, I won¡¯t be able to have lunch with


    you tomorrow. I¡¯ve got some business.¡±


    Astrid was curious about his message. ¡°Got a date?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, The Racer challenged me to a race tomorrow,¡± Rickon replied.


    ¡°The Racer? Which one?¡± Astrid asked.


    ¡°Who else could it be? It¡¯s Fate, holder of the top speed record in Form One,¡± Rickon exined.


    Astrid¡¯s eyes widened at the message, and she immediately called Rickon. As soon as he picked up,


    she blurted out, ¡°Bro, take me with you! I wanna go!¡±


    Rickon replied, ¡°Star, you know how entric The Racer is. He only wants to meet me. But I can get


    his autograph for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Astrid said, sounding a bit disappointed.


    Hearing her disappointment, Rickon tried to cheer her up. ¡°I¡¯ll get it personalized for you.¡±


    With that, Astrid was instantly cheered up. ¡°Thanks, bro! Love ya!¡±


    Astrid¡¯s admiration for Fate started when she was fifteen.


    One day after she had been beaten up by Sandra, Chad showed her a racing video on the way to


    school.


    It was a video of Fate winning his first world championship.


    Despite everyone¡¯s skepticism, 22¨Cyear¨Cold Fate had proven them wrong and climbed to the top. He


    said, ¡°Step on the doubts and mockery with your strength, then you¡¯re the king.¡±


    The image of the defiant young man deeply impressed Astrid. Yes, she could be her own queen.


    She began to change, studied like crazy, fell head over heels for racing and the 22¨Cyear¨Coldd.


    But her admiration for Fate was not romantic love, but the passionate love of a fan for her idol.


    To the world, Fate was a mystery.


    Aside from his gender and age, no one knew anything extra about him.


    He was the god in the eyes of all racers, and many of his records remain unbroken.


    But why would such a person want to race with Rickon?


    She was increasingly perplexed.


    Back in her hotel room, Astrid finished her nightly routine. Afraid of sleepwalking again, she piled up a


    bunch of bottles behind her door, as usual, then got into bed and began a video call with Roman.


    The video was quite shaky on Roman¡¯s end.


    One moment, the camera was pointed at the ceiling, the next at the wall.


    ¡°Roman, why don¡¯t you point the camera at yourself? Point it at your face,¡± Astrid suggested.


    No sooner had she finished speaking than two faces appeared on screen.


    ¡°Astrid, what are you up to? Is work hard? If you need something, let me know. I¡¯ll get it for you,¡± said


    Amanda Lampard.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Astrid, who had been lying in bed munching on chips, sat up at once, embarrassed. ¡°Thank you,


    ma¡¯am. I¡¯m doing fine. I don¡¯t need anything.¡±


    Astrid often video¨Cchatted with Roman, but this was the first time she saw him at Amanda¡¯s house


    during a call.

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143


    Amanda Lampard: ¡°Astrid, I heard the filming location is pretty rough and the food is meh. How about I


    bring over some top¨Cnotch chefs to cook for you?¡±


    Astrid smiled, ¡°Amanda, I can cook myself, no need to trouble yourself.¡±


    Amanda: ¡°You¡¯re already so busy with filming, how can you cook for yourself? If you don¡¯t like Western


    food, I¡¯ll arrange some high¨Cend chefs for you, okay? Their only job is to cook for you, so it won¡¯t take


    away from your rest and work.¡±


    Amanda blocked the camera, Matthew Lampard and Roman couldn¡¯t get in the shot, they could only


    shout from behind, ¡°Move a little, we want to see too!¡±


    Astrid looked at the elderlydy who filled the entire screen, then noticed a little hand grabbing onto the


    back to me!¡±


    ¡°Grandma!!!¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, can you control your wife!¡±


    ¡°Astrid, I want Astrid!!!¡±


    Amanda ignored theints from behind, continued, ¡°Oh, the weather¡¯s been hottely, I had


    someone specially buy skincare and sunscreen products for you from abroad. Take good care of


    yourself. If youck anything, tell me. If he bullies you, just hit him, I won¡¯t mind!¡±


    After Amanda talked for a while, Roman finally got his phone back,ining, ¡°Astrid, Grandma


    won¡¯t give you back to me..¡±


    As he was video calling, Roman ran upstairs, afraid Amanda would snatch his phone again.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Roman was on guard against Amanda like against a thief.


    Astrid watched the little boy on the phone, couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Roman, don¡¯t be mad at Grandma.


    We see each other often but Grandma only sees me once in a while~¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Roman pouted, still very upset.


    Astrid: ¡°Alright, Roman don¡¯t be mad, why are you at your grandparent¡¯s house today?¡±


    Roman pouted, ¡°Elio is on a business trip.¡±


    ¡°Oh~¡± Astrid nodded, ¡°Then Roman, you should behave at your grandparents¡® house. They¡¯re old and


    can¡¯t withstand your mischief.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± Roman sat cross¨Clegged in the upstairs hallway, incredibly well¨Cbehaved.


    Amanda quietly went upstairs to check on Roman, just in time to see the little guy holding the phone in


    one hand and covering his mouth with the other,ughing. He looked adorable.


    After watching for a while, Amanda wiped her tears and went downstairs, sitting next to Matthew, who


    was ying chess on his phone. As he yed, he heard a soft sobbing sound next to him. He adjusted


    his reading sses, turned his head, and said with a disgusted look, ¡°What are you crying for?


    Shouldn¡¯t Roman be the one crying?¡±


    ¡°Roman never experienced a mother¡¯s love when he was young, and he always rejected other women


    getting close to his father. Now seeing him so happy with Astrid, I¡¯m happy for Roman!¡± The olddy


    wiped her tears, then said, ¡°Elio never had a girlfriend before, he has no experience in dating, do you


    think we should give him some advice?¡±


    ¡°Advice?¡± Matthew seemed contemptuous, ¡°As if you have a lot of experience, you¡¯ve only dated me in


    this lifetime.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Amanda sighed deeply, ¡°If I knew back then, I would have dated more when I was young, so I


    could pass on more experience to our kids.¡±


    Matthew was speechless.


    His unreliable wife, that¡¯s just the way she is.


    Such a headache.

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144


    The next morning, Astrid headed to the set.


    There were a lot of scenes to shoot today, so she arrived early, not wanting to keep the director and


    other actors waiting.


    While she was getting her makeup done, Dale walked in and said, ¡°Hey, you look pretty good today.¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°Hey, Dale, you look pretty chipper yourself.¡± Then she noticed the ring hanging around


    Dale¡¯s neck, and joked, ¡°Hey, did you guys make up? Good for you.¡±


    Dale froze instantly, looking down at the ring he had hung on a chain. He quickly tucked the ring into


    his shirt, saying, ¡°I just felt sorry for him, it was out of pity!¡±


    Watching his proud reaction, a wicked smile spread across Astrid¡¯s face. ¡°My brother is pitiful? I


    remember someone who often drowns his sorrows in alcohol and posts pessimistic stuff on


    Instagram¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when I started liking solitude.¡±


    ¡°Those who love music are usually lonely, and I¡­¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡± Before Astrid could finish, she got a smack on the head.


    Dale stood beside her, hands on his hips, fuming. ¡°Astrid! Are you asking for a beating?¡±


    Astrid picked up her phone, ¡°You dare to hit me, I¡¯ll call my brother¡­¡±


    Dale said, ¡°Okay, okay, you win!¡±


    Turning around, Dale saw Gracie trying to hold back herughter, and said angrily, ¡°Gracie, they say


    you¡¯re influenced by thepany you keep, don¡¯t let her corrupt you.¡±


    Gracie shrugged, mimicking Astrid¡¯s tone, ¡°Those who love music are usually lonely, and I, who like to


    listen to music and drinkte at night, am undoubtedly both lonely and empty.¡±


    Astrid gave Gracie a thumbs¨Cup, ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Selena also couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Amidst theughter of the three women, Dale


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    awkwardly beat a hasty


    retreat.


    Half an hourter, Astrid was ready to go to the set.


    There were a few rain scenes today. Carlos had arranged stand¨Cin for Astrid, but she insisted on doing


    it herself.


    Many experienced actors were worried about Astrid, a neer with little acting experience. But


    during the scenes, they changed their views on her.


    Astrid had a deep understanding of her role, and knew her lines well. Acting with her wasfortable


    and it was easy to get into


    character.


    After a day¡¯s shooting, the experienced actors couldn¡¯t stop praising Astrid.


    Helena watched as the experienced actors chatted with Astrid, her face turning green with envy.


    That night, Astrid returned to the hotel. As she walked into the lobby, the receptionist called her over.


    ¡°Miss Astrid, a gentleman left this for you.¡±


    Astrid went over and saw a note attached to it, which read: ¡°The autograph I promised you.¡±


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Astrid excitedly hugged the bag and ran back to her room. She carefully opened the bag.


    Looking at the white T¨Cshirt signed by Fate, she couldn¡¯t help but jump for joy. She quickly took a photo


    and posted it on


    Instagram: ¡°Man, I¡¯m thrilled! I finally got an autograph from my idol, Fate! And it¡¯s a ¡®To¡® autograph!¡±


    Her post had only been up for a short while when it received severalments.


    Robb said, ¡°Girls should y it cool.¡±


    Jon said, ¡°Star, is this person¡¯s autograph really worth more than mine?¡±


    Magee said, ¡°This handwriting is so messy, I can write better than this!¡±


    Just as Astrid was about to log off, she saw a newment.


    She opened it and her mouth twitched slightly.


    It was ament from Elio, just two words: ¡°Good taste.¡±


    Good taste?

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145


    Astrid frowned. Could it be that he¡¯s also a fan of the big shot?.


    As she was pondering, Rickon sent a message, ¡°Star, is there a guy named Elio chasing after you?¡±


    Seeing the message, Astrid¡¯s heart rate immediately elerated.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Thinking about those suitors who were ¡°discouraged¡± by her brother, she couldn¡¯t help but be nervous


    for Elio.


    Rickon was good at fighting, if Elio inadvertently annoyed him, he would definitely get beaten up.


    Astrid thought for a while, then started replying to Rickon, ¡°Bro, Elio is indeed pursuing me¡­¡±


    Before she could send it, her phone suddenly vibrated.


    Rickon: ¡°I approved.¡±


    Approved?


    Astrid was startled, immediately deleted the text she was typing, and sent a new message: ¡°Bro, what


    did he bribe you with?¡±


    Rickon: ¡°Bribe? You think I¡¯m that kind of person?¡±


    Astrid was taken aback.


    This waspletely against Rickon¡¯s character.


    But it¡¯s good, at least she doesn¡¯t have to worry about Elio getting beaten up.


    Astrid: ¡°How was your race with Fate today? How many seconds did you lose?¡±


    Rickon: ¡°Not telling you.¡±


    Fate was not only Astrid¡¯s idol but also Rickon¡¯s.


    All professional racers dream ofpeting with Fate, and he was no exception.


    Although he had this opportunity because of his sister, he still felt very satisfied.


    He did lose today, but he wasn¡¯t upset.


    It was his first time being close to Fate, he never thought that the legendary figure that all racers were


    crazy about would be one of his sister¡¯s suitors.


    He just agreed not to stop Elio from pursuing Star, as for whether he could win her over, that was up to


    him.


    Early the next morning, Astrid got up.


    Because today¡¯s work schedule was very full, she had to get up early to prepare.


    When she arrived at the makeup room, Selena had just arrived as well.


    Seeing her, Selena immediately greeted with a smile, ¡°Astrid, you got up so early, want some bread?¡±


    ¡°I brought some.¡± Astrid waved the bag in her hand, ¡°You look out of it. Didn¡¯t sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I don¡¯t know what got into Helenast night, she was crying and making a racket in


    the next room.¡± Selena. massaged her aching temples, ¡°She was screaming and shouting in the first


    half of the night, then singing in her room in the second half. Finally, someone came to find her, and her


    room quieted down. But then, my rm clock rang.¡±


    ¡°Poor thing.¡± After working with Selena on a TV series, Astrid asked her to be her makeup artist.


    Selena knew exactly when to speak and what to say. Most importantly, she was very good at her job.


    Selena was supposed to live with others, but Astrid paid out of pocket for her to live in a luxury suite,


    only to encounter Helena, a woman with no manners.


    ¡°I have to tell you, the person who came to find Helenast night is likely her sponsor, because your


    performance was just too outstanding and made her look pale byparison. The director cut several


    of her scenesst night, and she had a big fight with the scriptwriter¡­¡± After saying this, Selena


    carefully looked around, then said, ¡°She might cause trouble again today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I was just feeling bored.¡± Astrid sneered, pulling Selena into the makeup room.


    Not long after, she heard Helenaining loudly, ¡°Why do we have to film so early?¡±

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146


    ¡°When I signed the contract, I made it crystal clear that I need my eight hours of sleepping. If I don¡¯t


    sleep well, I will be in poor condition.¡±


    ¡°Why do we have to shoot the sunrise scene? Can¡¯t it be post¨Cprocessed? Or can¡¯t we use a stand¨Cin


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    to shoot?¡±


    Helenaining outside, but no one was paying her any attention.


    There was only a ¡°bang¡± sound, and the door of the dressing room next to it was mmed shut. After a


    while, someone knocked on the door.


    Selena went to open the door and saw the scriptwriter standing in the doorway with a sad face,


    ¡°Astrid, can Ie in and talk to you?¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± Astrid stood up, already guessing why he came.


    ¡°Astrid, today I¡¯m here to tell you about some changes to a few scenes, here¡¯s the new script.¡± The


    scriptwriter handed over the script to Astrid, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I don¡¯t have the right to decide.¡±


    Astrid took the script and sat down, quickly skimmed through it, then passed it to Selena next to her.


    Selena nced at it and was instantly shocked, ¡°This¡­ they¡¯ve transferred all the lead female roles to


    the second female? Even the emotional scene was also changed?¡±


    The scriptwriter looked awkward, ¡°It¡¯s the investors¡® proposition.¡±


    ¡°Investors?¡± Astrid raised an eyebrow slightly, ¡°You can leave the script here, sir. You go back and rest.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Astrid¡­¡± The scriptwriter sighed heavily and left the dressing room with a heavy heart.


    Once he was gone, Selena was immediately pissed off, ¡°Look, just look! I bet Helena is ying this


    tricks! She used to do it a lot! In one of the shows she was in, she somehow managed to w her way


    from supporting role to leading role. That show had a good reputation initially, but she ruined it and the


    ratings tanked!¡±


    ¡°The original lead actress ended up with only appeared in the trailer, it was just too bad.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you upset? Did someone bully you?¡± Gracie walked in and saw Selena


    outside. I took a picture and looked it up. It¡¯s even more expensive than the sports car that crazy fan of


    yours gave you before!¡±


    ¡°Selena, keep doing the makeup.¡± Astrid sat back down in front of the mirror, acting as if nothing had


    happened.


    Selena felt aggrieved for her in her heart, but it was almost time to start filming, and she didn¡¯t dare to


    dy, so she hurriedly put on makeup for Astrid. Half an hourter, shooting officially began.


    Due to the changes in the script, today¡¯s main role was Helena.


    Helena looked very happy as she stood there putting on her makeup.


    ¡°Oh my God, Astrid, she stole your role and you just watch like this?¡± Gracie was furious, but she knew


    any action on her part would affect Astrid, so she couldn¡¯t just act recklessly.


    Gracie was always a grumpy person, and seeing Helena keep teasing them with her eyes, she was


    about to explode.


    Astrid looked like a bystander.


    ¡°The role she snatched is indeed a key part in this movie, but not everyone is qualified for it.¡± Astrid


    leaned against the wall and said with a smile.


    ¡°Some people don¡¯t need her to deal with, they dig their own graves.¡±


    After saying this, she lowered her hair to send a few text messages and then started watching the


    movie again.

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147


    Many in the crew felt bad for her, but she herself didn¡¯t seem to care.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    The scene was an aerial one, requiring harnesses and even included a part where she had to jump into


    water from several meters high.


    The post¨Cproduction effects will surely be magical, but for now, she had to just suck it up and take the


    plunge.


    As soon as she stood on the prop tree, Helena.began to regret it. After the director shouted ¡°Action¡°,


    Helena did not move for a long time. She huddled up on the tree, trembling non¨Cstop.


    The director was already a little dissatisfied with Helena, and suddenly became emotional, ¡°What¡¯s the


    problem? Jump! Why aren¡¯t you jumping?¡±


    Clutching the tree trunk tightly, Helena was shaking like a leaf, ¡°Director, let the stunt double do it. I¡­


    I¡¯m scared of heights and water, I can¡¯t shoot!¡±


    ¡°What were you saying when you were filming this scene at dawn, when it was time to shoot this


    scene? You said you¡¯d do it yourself, no need for a stunt double! Either jump now or we¡¯ll rece you!¡±


    Carlos¡¯s words left Helena green in the face.


    This scene was the most impressive in the script. While it might seem in while shooting, the post¨C


    production effects would be mind¨Cblowing. She couldn¡¯t let Astrid steal this opportunity to shine.


    With that thought, she gathered her courage to look down again. But as soon as she saw what was


    below, she started shaking uncontrobly.


    She tried hard to convince herself not to be scared, but her grip on the tree just got tighter.


    After a few more minutes, Carlos lost his patience and shouted, ¡°Next!¡±


    ¡°Director, you can¡¯t rece me, remember what you promised Mr. Dalton?¡± Many on set were not


    pleased with her impertinence.


    The mention of this made Carlos very angry. If it wasn¡¯t for Mr. Dalton threatening to pull funding, he


    never would have agreed to give the leadingdy¡¯s scenes to the second lead.


    Without the Dalton Group¡¯s investment, he wouldn¡¯t find recement investors in time and the crew¡¯s


    work woulde to a halt. After all, the Dalton Group was the biggest investor, owning sixty percent of


    the shares and naturally had the biggest say.


    Carlos had high hopes for Astrid, but didn¡¯t expect Helena to mess things up. He was furious.


    Just then, his phone rang.


    He was in a bad mood and didn¡¯t pick up.


    To his surprise, the number called again.


    Sitting in his chair, he answered the phone with a frown, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Is this Carlos? I¡¯m Chad, the CEO of ForgeFire Games. I¡¯m interested in your uing movie, Mystic


    Mysteries. Our board of directors unanimously decided to invest in your movie¡­¡±


    Carlos stood up from his chair in shock, ¡°ForgeFire Games?¡±


    Just two and a half years ago, Forge Fire Games was a young gamingpany.


    Their first major online game quickly became the leader in the gaming industry. The games they


    continued to release were loved by gamers of all ages. Last year, ForgeFire Games sessfully went


    public and now they¡¯re one of the top three gaming groups in the world.


    Despite his surprise, Mr. Carlos wasn¡¯t going to believe him just because he said so, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I


    can¡¯t confirm your identity.¡±


    Chad: ¡°I¡¯ve already posted the news of our investment in your movie on our official ount. I¡¯ve also


    emailed the contract to you. If you¡¯re okay with the investment amount, we can sign it right away.¡±

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148


    Carlos fired up theputer next to him, and spotted a contract from ForgeFire Games. When he saw


    the investment amount on the contract, his eyes lit up, ¡°Chad, we¡¯re stoked to cooperate with your


    Chad replied, ¡°Our branch office employees are already on their way!¡±


    ¡°Branch office?¡± Carlos asked surprised, ¡°Can someone from the branch office sign this contract?¡±


    Chad exined, ¡°Investing in your movie is just a kind of entertainment for our CEO. This kind of small


    investment of tens of


    millions can be signed by people in the branch. I have a meeting. I wish you a happy cooperation.


    Goodbye.¡±


    Actually, the investment decision was all Chad¡¯s call, because the Chief couldn¡¯t be bothered with


    money matters, so he just went ahead and invested.


    He knew, any movie with the Chief in it was bound to be a hit, and he could make a tidy profit off of it.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Carlos was cut off mid¨Csentence, Chad had already hung up.


    A few tens of millions is small change?


    Although Carlos saw the investment news on ForgeFire Games¡¯s official Twitter, he still had his doubts.


    Was this investment just falling out of the sky?


    With a skeptical mind, Carlos called for a break on set, nning to wait a few hours.


    Three hourster, the branch office staff arrived on set, signing the investment contract with Carlos.


    When Helena heard big shots wereing, she immediately prepared to greet them. Upon seeing the


    branch office¡¯s boss, she enthusiastically greeted, ¡°Oh my, Mr. Hector, I heard you wereing, I


    couldn¡¯t believe it. Are you here to invest in Mr. Carlos¡¯s movie?¡±


    Mr. Hector and Helena knew each other from before; Helena had tried to be a spokeswoman for


    Forge Fire Games, but failed due to image issues.


    Mr. Hector looked at the woman in front of him, chuckled and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here to invest in this


    movie, and to pay a visit to the,


    set.¡±


    ¡°Visiting ss?¡± Helena smiled and said, ¡°Are you here to see me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± After Mr. Hector finished speaking, then politely nodded to Carlos and


    left.


    Helena stomped her foot in frustration, cursing as she left.


    In the afternoon, they continued shooting the scene from the morning.


    The set was ready, everyone was waiting for Helena, but she was still sleeping, taking forever to arrive.


    And she wasn¡¯t even in costume when she did.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Carlos was fuming when he saw her, ¡°Helena, didn¡¯t we agree to start shooting at 2:30? Everyone¡¯s


    been waiting for you, you¡¯re not even picking up your phone, it¡¯s 3:30 now!¡±


    Helena yawned, and arrogantly said, ¡°Director, I can¡¯t y this scene, I need a stand¨Cin.¡±


    ¡°And from now on, I need a stand¨Cin for sunbathing scenes, I am afraid of getting sunburned.¡±


    ¡°I also need a stand¨Cin for water scenes, the water is too dirty.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and scenes where it¡¯s windy outside, I¡¯d rather shoot them indoors. After shooting, you can cut out


    the image and give it to the post¨Cproduction team. That¡¯s all I can think of for now, if you have any


    issues, you can talk to Mr. Dalton about it.¡±


    Helena sat leisurely, legs crossed, holding a cigarette in her hand, ¡°I¡¯ve already arranged for the stand¨C


    in, you guys can take your time shooting. I didn¡¯t get a good night¡¯s sleepst night, I need to go back


    and catch up on some z¡¯s.¡±


    With that, Helena got up and left,pletely disregarding the director.


    Carlos was getting increasingly dissatisfied with Helena¡¯s behavior, so he said, ¡°Helena, you want to


    use a stand¨Cin for all your scenes, yet you still want the pay of the second lead. Do you really think


    there is such a good thing in the world?¡±

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149


    Helena smirked, ¡°Mr. Dalton agrees with me. If you don¡¯t listen to me, Mr. Dalton will divest.¡±


    ¡°Fine, if he wants to divest, so be it. And I want to inform you that we are going to rece you, we have


    found a new second female leading; you should notify your agent as soon as possible to start the


    contract termination process.¡± Carlos announced, then yelled to everyone, ¡°Everyone, get ready! We¡¯re


    starting filming¡°¡±


    Helena was taken aback. She didn¡¯t expect the director who was so submissive this morning to be so


    resolute, ¡°Director, are you kidding me? Are you really not worried that Mr. Dalton will divest?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve found a new investor. Mr. Dalton can divest as he likes.¡± Mr. Carlos responded and went


    straight to the actors to discuss the scene.


    ¡°A new investor? Is it ForgeFire Games? But they¡¯ve never invested in movies before. Even if they did


    this time, the amount wouldn¡¯t be high, right?¡± Helena paced anxiously, trying to call Mr. Dalton but she


    failed.


    ¡°Who could it be?¡± Helena muttered to herself, then turned to see Astrid behind her.


    Astrid was eating sunflower seeds, watching her calmly. This infuriated Helena, ¡°Astrid, do you find my


    embarrassment amusing?¡±


    Astrid nodded, ¡°Yes, I find it very amusing.¡±


    Helena was left speechless. ¡°You, you, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Astrid, get ready!!!¡± Carlos yelled, Astrid jogged over.


    Helena¡¯s behavior on set was captured by others and quickly spread on the inte.


    She had already lost some fans due to a lip¨Csyncing scandal, and now she was trending for her


    domineering behavior and yelling at the director on set. She was so angry she felt sick all over.


    There were rumors that Astrid did all her own stunts, and now with Helena¡¯s scandal, the public¡¯s


    opinion of Astrid skyrocketed!¡± Her Twitter followers also increased significantly.


    It was already dark when Astrid returned from filming.


    She ate dinner downstairs before returning to her room. She saw a man standing by her door from afar,


    and there was arge box by the door.


    Elio saw Astriding, quickly walked over and took the things from her hands, ¡°You must be tired?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, where¡¯s Roman?¡± Astrid didn¡¯t see him and felt a bit disappointed.


    She opened the door with her card and Elio bent down to pick up the box, ¡°Roman went on vacation


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    with his grandparents.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Astrid went into the room, stretched, then looked back at the box in Elio¡¯s hand, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Elio raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it and see?¡±


    ¡°Being all mysterious¡­¡± Astrid rolled her eyes, walked over and ripped open the box.


    When she saw what was in the box, she was so surprised she couldn¡¯t speak.


    The box was filled with memorabilia from her idol!


    His autographed helmet!!!


    His autographed racing suit!


    And many autographed pictures of him!


    Even though she couldn¡¯t see his face, she was over the moon!


    ¡°Elio, how do you have these things?¡± Astrid held the helmet, kissed it a few times in excitement, her


    eyes beaming with joy. Watching her happy reaction, Elio asked calmly, ¡°Do you like them?¡±


    Astrid nodded vigorously, ¡°I like them!!! I¡¯ve been a fan since I was fifteen! He¡¯s my idol!¡±


    Elio looked down at her, his voice gentle, ¡°Have you ever thought about bing his wife?¡±

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150


    Astrid blinked, looking up at Elio. ¡°Marry him?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Elio nodded subtly.


    In the few seconds he waited for her response, he was a bit on edge.


    Astrid was silent for a few seconds, and then nodded her head. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve considered it.¡±


    Elio¡¯s eyes lit up.


    But before Elio could even utter a word, Astrid continued, ¡°But¡­¡±


    But?


    His mood flipped from excited to anxious in an instant. The word ¡°but¡± was never a good sign.


    Astrid,pletely oblivious to Elio¡¯s inner turmoil, kept talking. ¡°But, it¡¯s just a thought. After all, he¡¯s my


    emotional rock. I can admire from a distance, but I can¡¯t get up close and personal.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Elio frowned, ¡°Why can¡¯t you get close?¡±


    He had no objections to her getting close.


    ¡°In my imagination, he¡¯s perfect. But if I were to actually get close, I might see his ws, and my idol


    would be shattered!¡±


    Elio initially thought he had this in the bag, he even prepared a recording device in case she backed


    out.


    But Astrid was not ying by the rules.


    Not willing to give up, Elio continued, ¡°Seems like you¡¯re not really in love with your idol.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Astrid was taken aback, ¡°How could you say that I don¡¯t love him?¡±


    Elio looked at Astrid, moved closer and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you young girls always say that if you can¡¯t


    be with your idol, life is meaningless?¡±


    ¡°I can see that you don¡¯t even want to be with him, which means you don¡¯t like him that deeply.¡±


    Astrid choked.


    What kind of logic is that?


    She had felt something was off about Elio from the start, and his words just confirmed her suspicions.


    With Elio¡¯s personality, if he knew she admired another man, he would definitely belittle him!


    There¡¯s no way he would utter something like ¡®life is meaningless without your idol¡®.


    And he was being so indirect, clearly trying to lead her into saying something.


    Considering thements Elio left on her Instagramst night, Astrid suddenly understood.


    He was ying the long game¡­


    Trying to lead her into saying something he wanted to hear?


    Astrid smirked, ¡°My affection for him is not as simple as you think. He¡¯s like a god in my life. Whenever


    I encounter a problem, I pray for his blessing. I even want to set up a monument in his honor.¡±


    Elio was devastated.


    Set up a monument?


    Seeing Elio¡¯s face fall, Astrid had to hold back herughter. ¡°Elio, thank you so much for bringing me all


    these things. It¡¯ste, you should go home. Good night.¡±


    With that, she pushed a disgruntled Elio out of the room and shut the door.


    After locking the door, Astrid picked up the helmet, the corners of her mouth lifting in an uncontroble


    smile.


    Elio was Fate.


    He was her ido!!!!


    Rickon should have lost thepetition with him, so he agreed to pursue his own. Yesterday, Elio saw


    her Instagram, so he prepared all this stuff to catch her attention.


    But unfortunately, his skills were still too rusty.


    She saw his intention at a nce.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    His behavior today was just too abnormal.


    Even if she wanted to, it was hard not to suspect him.

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151


    Recalling Elio¡¯s awkward face just now, Astrid couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.


    ¡°Elio, you have today too!¡±


    She carefully organized the stuff in the box, feeling ecstatic.


    He¡¯s the one she¡¯s loved for so many years.


    This feeling, it¡¯s quite subtle.


    Astrid was having a st in the room, while someone else was having a dark cloud over their head.


    The moment he got in the car, Carson called. ¡®As soon as he picked up, Carson¡¯s excited voice came


    through: ¡°Chief, how did it go? Was it a sess? Wasn¡¯t my n awesome?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the nerve to call?¡± Elio¡¯s cold voice rang out, and Carson¡¯s smile vanished instantly.


    Carson: ¡°Chief, didn¡¯t it work out following her preferences? That doesn¡¯t make sense!¡±


    Just thinking about Astrid wanting to erect a monument for him made Elio furious, ¡°How¡¯s the car


    investigation going?¡±


    Carson: ¡°We found the pharmaceutical factory, but it¡¯s been demolished and many people have moved


    out. Moreover, it was snowing heavily at the time of the incident, there weren¡¯t many people outside,


    and no one nearby saw the car,


    ¡°Keep looking, I refuse to believe he can vanish into thin air.¡± Elio hung up, and once again Astrid¡¯s


    smiling eyes appeared before him.


    He thought for sure he¡¯d seed this time, but he failed again.


    This girl¡¯s way of thinking is different from the norm, looks like he needs to study her more.


    But thinking of her kissing the helmet, a smirk appeared on Elio¡¯s face.


    She kissed his helmet.


    Could this be considered as her taking the initiative to kiss him?


    With that thought, Elio¡¯s mood lightened up.


    The next morning, as soon as Astrid woke up, she saw a message from Gracie: ¡°Wow, Astrid, Helena


    really got reced, and her sponsors withdrew funding too, do you know who has be the biggest


    investor in our movie?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    Gracie: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you excited at all?¡±


    What she¡¯s excited about was herpany. But Chad went ahead and acted first before reporting.


    She was notified until someone signed the contract. Gracie: ¡°It¡¯s so boring; I want to share this big


    news with you first. Get up, there are a lot of scenes today.¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Got it.¡±


    After putting down her phone, Astrid yawned and went to wash up.


    When she came out, she saw an unread text message on her phone.


    Opening it up, Astrid raised her eyebrows slightly.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Unknown number: ¡°Astrid, this is Helena, I want to talk to you.¡±


    Astrid: ¡°We have nothing to talk about.¡±


    After replying, Astrid heated up some milk, then quickly had breakfast and left.


    Just arrived at the set, Clyde¡¯s manager Irene came over with a smile: ¡°Astrid, good morning, did you


    sleep wellst night?¡±


    ¡°Very well, what¡¯s up?¡± She¡¯s been on set for a while, this is the first time Irene hase to her directly,


    so there must be something.


    Irene smiled slightly, ¡°Actually, I do have something I¡¯d like to discuss with you, how about we go inside


    and talk?¡±


    ¡°Alright, this way please.¡± They both went into the dressing room, and Irene got straight to the point: ¡°I


    can see you¡¯re a straightforward person, so I¡¯ll just cut to the chase, I¡¯d like to generate some buzz


    about you and our Clyde, it would increase the movie¡¯s exposure, and can also boost both of your


    poprity.¡±

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152


    ¡°Clyde¡¯s already a very popr person, and working with him is all upside for you, no downside. You¡¯re


    new, you know what public attention means to you, right?¡±


    Astrid kept quiet, not interrupting Irene.


    Not until Irene finished her sermon did she lift her head with a smile, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t this be up to my


    manager?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already talked to Dale, but he shot me down. I figured he values your opinion, so I thought I¡¯d run


    it by you.¡± Irene grinned, then said, ¡°Dale usually manages top¨Ctier talent, they don¡¯t need


    coborations to boost their visibility, but you, you need to ride someone¡¯s coattails to get noticed.¡±


    ¡°Boost visibility?¡± Astrid arched an eyebrow, ¡°Are you trying to use me?¡±


    Irene¡¯s face flickered.


    Astrid continued, ¡°Clyde¡¯s a crowd favorite, most of his fans are girls. If I coborate with him, they¡¯ll


    think I¡¯m taking advantage of their idol.¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Clyde will get more attention, but I¡¯ll get mmed by his fans. Boost visibility? More like asking for a


    roasting!¡±


    Astrid tilted her head, looking at Irene. Her smile made Irene a bit ufortable.


    That was exactly what she had in mind, she just didn¡¯t expect Astrid, a newbie, to see right through her.


    In TV and movies, lead actors stirring up gossip ismon. Sometimes it¡¯s a joint effort, sometimes it¡¯s


    a one¨Csided y.


    Ireneughed awkwardly, ¡°Astrid, how could I use you, this is a win¨Cwin.¡±


    ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m not interested. I need to get ready for makeup, can¡¯t chat now.¡± Astrid said, standing up.


    trene felt a bit embarrassed for being turned down. Clyde was a popr young actor, but he hadn¡¯t


    done any good work recently


    and his poprity was waning.


    Someizens even dubbed him the new king of trash movies.


    She had pulled strings tond Mystic Mysteries. She chose to work with Astrid because she saw the


    potential, thinking Astrid could be the next big thing.


    If she pulled this off, she could gain a lot.


    But Astrid t out rejected her.


    As Irene exited the makeup room with a sour face, she bumped into Gracie. Gracie greeted her with a


    smile, but Irene ignored her and stormed past.


    Gracie entered the dressing room andined speechlessly, ¡°This woman is so rude! She just


    brought a celebrity, so arrogant? Astrid, you have to get popr so that I can be as arrogant as her!


    Astrid, did you make a mistake with my paycheck? I heard from our coworkers that it¡¯s just over six


    thousand, why do I have over ten thousand?¡± Gracie loves money, but she wouldn¡¯t take what wasn¡¯t


    hers, so she was puzzled.


    Astrid nced at her, smiled, and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard, so there¡¯s a bonus. Over ten


    thousand is actually on the low side.¡±


    ¡°Bonus? Wow, thanks boss!¡± Gracie hugged Astrid¡¯s face and kissed her, ¡°Astrid, have you ever


    considered keeping me?¡±

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153


    ¡°Stop joking, don¡¯t you have any interview today? Get ready and stop fooling around.¡± After Astrid


    finished speaking, Gracie bounced off humming a song.


    In the afternoon, Astrid met the new supporting actress of the movie.


    To her surprise, the actress was the cute girl Teresa she had met a few days ago.


    Teresa had the typical Loli look and was around 158cm tall.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    The role of the supporting actress was originally set to look young. Compared to Helena pretending to


    be young, Teresa really looked young.


    Apparently, Teresa was a better fit.


    There was a scene between the two of them in the afternoon. As soon as Teresa stood in front of


    Astrid, she began to blush. Carlos was bothered by the timid and cautious behavior of the young girl.


    ¡°Cut!¡±


    Carlos walked over quickly and said to Teresa, ¡°Teresa, you¡¯re not in the right state. Didn¡¯t you perform


    perfectly during the audition? Why did you change when the official shooting began?¡±


    I¡¯m sorry, director. Can you give me some time? I need to adjust.¡± Teresa bowed apologetically to


    Carlos and also to the staff. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. Please give me a little more time.¡±


    Carlos was a bit confused, ¡°What do you need to adjust to?¡±


    Teresa turned to look at Astrid, pointed at her, and said, ¡°Her.¡±


    Astrid¡¯s lips twitched, ¡°Me?¡±


    Yeah, I¡¯m sorry. When I see her, I think of Astar, and then I blush and my heart beats uncontrobly!¡±


    After Teresa said aggrievedly, Astrid burst outughter.


    She was about tofort Teresa with a pat on the shoulder.


    Teresa jumped a meter away immediately and shouted excitedly, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!!¡±


    And then, her face turned even redder.


    Everyone was speechless.


    A few minutester, Teresa finally adjusted her state and got into character.


    This was Teresa¡¯s first time ying a supporting role and she was nervous and afraid of not performing


    well.


    But acting with Astrid, she got into character quickly, and her emotions were also driven by Astrid.


    Although she made a mistake due to nervousness, the overall feeling was good.


    The progress in the afternoon went smoothly. Although Teresa¡¯s acting was still a bit immature, she


    improved quickly, and Carlos was quite satisfied with her.


    At this time, Elio was frowning at his phone screen.


    This was a spoiler photo of Mystic Mysteries, clearly leaked by someone on set.


    In the photo, a short and cute girl was blushing as she looked at the person in front of her, her eyes full


    of admiration.


    And the person in front of her was pressing her head with her hand, smiling in her eyes.


    The headline was even more outrageous: Doesn¡¯t this look like a domineering female CEO and her


    cute wife?


    This photo was taken when Astrid wasforting Teresa during her break.


    Elio stared at the photo for a long time, the more he looked, the more he felt ufortable.


    It¡¯s one thing to keep men at bay, but now he has to fend off women too?


    After pondering for a while, Elio sent a message to Roman: ¡°Roman, when are you nning toe


    back?¡±


    Five minutes passed after the message was sent.


    Roman didn¡¯t reply.


    Then, he checked and found that Roman had just updated his status three minutes ago: Sooo many


    days without Ms. Irvine, I miss her! Miss her! Miss her!


    This little guy had time to update his ins but not reply to his message?


    After logging out of ins, Elio¡¯s lips curled up in a sly smile as he began to type the message: ¡°Roman, if


    you don¡¯te back, Ms. Irvine might be taken away by someone else.¡±


    One secondter.


    A prompt appeared on the screen: Roman has sent you a video call invitation.


    Elio was speechless.

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154


    Elio answered the video call, but instead of Roman, it was Amanda¡¯s face that appeared on the screen.


    She questioned him angrily, ¡°What else can you do? You can¡¯t even keep an eye on your girlfriend!¡±


    ¡°Let me talk.¡± Matthew snatched the phone, his tone serious. ¡°What else can you do besides using your


    kid to chase after women?¡±


    ¡°I warned you not to focus solely on making money. Look at you now; you can¡¯t even charm a woman


    properly!¡±


    Elio: ¡°¡­¡±


    Amanda: ¡°Just see what she needs, give it to her, and make her happy. Isn¡¯t that simple?¡±


    Elio: ¡°Shecks nothing.¡±


    Roman: ¡°Shecks me, Ms. Irvine needs me!¡±


    Seeing Roman¡¯s smug face, Elio couldn¡¯t suppress his anger. ¡°How much longer are you two going to


    y around?¡±


    Amanda: ¡°We¡¯re about to book our flights ande back ASAP. If we don¡¯t return soon, Astrid is going


    to leave us. Some people are just useless, hmph.¡±


    Before Elio had a chance to retort, Roman ended the call.


    His phone be¨¦ped. Elio nced at it. It was a message.


    Sunhaven Typhoon Blue Alert: A typhoon will affect our city within 24 hours. The city has entered a


    state of typhoon alert. Please be prepared.


    A typhoon?


    El¨ªo checked the situation where Astrid was and found that she was even more affected.


    He quickly stood up, put on his suit jacket, and strode out.


    Before the typhoon hit, Elio¡¯s flightnded safely at the airport.


    Due to the typhoon, the crew couldn¡¯t shoot outdoors and had to work in the studio.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    The rain wasing down hard, and Astrid¡¯s scar was starting to ache faintly.


    But over the years, she had gotten used to the pain.


    This time, however, the situation was worse. She also had menstrual cramps.


    The two types of pain mixed together were unbearable.


    ¡°Astrid, if you can¡¯t hold on, ask the director for leave. Your health is the most important thing, don¡¯t


    force yourself.,¡± Gracie, knowing Astrid had difort on rainy days, was worried.


    Astrid shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    The weather outside was stormy and cold, and no one had thought to bring a jacket, expecting it to be


    warm.


    ¡°Astar, are you okay? You¡¯re looking a bit pale,¡± Teresa asked, still blushing from time to time when


    calling her ¡®Astar¡®.


    Astrid touched her face, ¡°I look pale? Is it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Teresa nodded, ¡°maybe you should rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a few more scenes left.¡± Astrid looked in the mirror and realized she did look a bit off.


    After a while, she called Selena, ¡°Selena, can you touch up my makeup? Make me look a bit more


    lively.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Selena immediately came over to do her makeup. Gracie was worried, but knowing Astrid was


    stubborn, she didn¡¯t say anything.


    Due to some actors not feeling well, there were several takes, and it wasn¡¯t until past 10 PM that they


    finished filming for the day. The rain outside didn¡¯t let up, but got even worse.


    The drainage system here wasn¡¯t great. Rainwater flowed down the road like mini streams.


    The road was flooded, making it hard to walk.


    Some people ran out with umbres, but after a few steps, the wind flipped them over, soaking them


    instantly.

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155


    Gracie watched the pouring rain with a furrowed brow. ¡°Astrid, you can¡¯t afford to catch a cold, let¡¯s


    head back and wait it out. It won¡¯t rain all night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good, I¡¯m fine, I can get in the rain.¡± Astrid slung an arm around Gracie, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep together


    tonight.¡±


    ¡°No problem, it¡¯s been ages since we had a sleepover.¡± Gracie chuckled, popping open the umbre.


    Just as they were about to leave, a car suddenly pulled up.


    Through the rain, under the glow of the streetlight, the bystanders saw a tall man stepping out of the


    car.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that? He¡¯s drop¨Cdead gorgeous!¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he look a bit like Mr. Lampard?¡±


    ¡°Which Mr. Lampard? So handsome!¡±


    ¡°The CEO of Morgenster Corporation!!!¡±


    Gracie watched as Elio approached, then turned to Astrid.


    Astrid was taken aback seeing Elio here unexpectedly, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    Elio: ¡°Picking you up from work.¡±


    He came to pick her up???


    He flew all the way from Sunhaven just to pick her up?


    ¡°Here, hold this umbre for me.¡± Elio handed his umbre to Astrid, who paused before grabbing the


    handle.


    The next moment, someone bent down and she was suddenly lifted off the ground.


    Astrid !!!¡±


    He just picked her up like that?


    And in front of everyone!!!


    Astrid: ¡°Elio, put me down!¡±


    Elio: ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble, or you will fall into the water.¡±


    A gust of wind nearly blew the umbre away.


    With the road flooded, she didn¡¯t fancy falling in, so she wrapped her other arm around Elio¡¯s neck.


    Elio, carrying her, slowly made his way to the car, leaving the crowd speechless.


    Gracie shouted excitedly, ¡°Mr. Lampard is so sweet! He carried her all the way just to prevent her feet


    from getting wet!¡±


    Teresa who was standing next to her said dissatisfiedly, ¡°How can he be worthy of our Astar.¡±


    Gracie was speechless.


    Carlos was the first to snap back to reality, warning everyone not to spread rumors.


    After all, Elio was known for his temper. If they spread news without his consent, the consequences


    would be unthinkable.


    Several bloggers who had helped Fannie had disappeared.


    So, the media knew not to mess with stories about Mr. Lampard.


    At the car, Elio carefully set Astrid down inside. The moment she got into the warm car, her cold body


    started to thaw.


    He¡­ was being unusually caring today.


    It was a bit unsettling.


    Elio drove towards the hotel in silence. After a while, he said, ¡°I bought some medicine for you, check it


    out.¡±


    ¡°Medicine?¡± Astrid was baffled. She turned and saw a bag next to her. Inside were pills for stomach


    pain and a jacket¡­


    How did he know about her period???


    And how did he know her stomach was upset?


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Was she being monitored?


    Astrid: ¡°Elio, did you secretly install surveince camera in my room?¡±

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156


    ¡°Surveince?¡± Elio chuckled, ¡°Just saw this medicinest time I was at your ce. As for the date, I¡¯m


    smart enough to figure it out. Plus, you¡¯ve been a bit irritable these days.¡±


    Irritable?


    She hadn¡¯t noticed¡­


    How observant of him. Seeing her silent, Elio added, ¡°You always forget things. I figured you might


    have forgotten your medicine, so I bought some for you.¡±


    ¡°How do you know so much?¡± Astrid asked, ¡°Have you used this trick to woo girls before?¡±


    The car entered the underground parking lot.


    Elioughed and stopped the car. He turned to look at her, ¡°Yes, that girl is cute and charming, and she


    is staring at me right now.¡±


    Astrid: ¡°¡­¡±


    He¡­ seems a bit different than usual.


    Getting out of the car, Elio carried Astrid¡¯s things and pressed the elevator¨Cbutton, ¡°Roman will be back


    soon, I¡¯ll bring him to see you then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She hadn¡¯t seen Roman for a few days and she missed


    him.


    Her phone buzzed violently. She picked it up and a bunch of messages popped up.


    Brandon: ¡°Star, heard it¡¯s windy where you are, be careful not to get blown away.¡±


    Jon: ¡°Hope this wind could blow Star back home.¡±


    Rickon: ¡°Star, do you have enough money?¡±


    Seeing their messages, Astrid smiled, ¡°Rickon is the best to me, the others don¡¯t deserve to be my


    brothers.¡±


    Brandon: ¡°Star, what do you mean by that? I flew a ne to support you, doesn¡¯t it beat someone just


    driving a crappy car to pick you up?¡±


    Jon: ¡°I gave you such an expensive sports car, doesn¡¯t it beat someone¡¯s signed rag of a shirt?¡±


    Robb: ¡°Star, take care of yourself. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    Astrid was delighted to see a message from Robb, ¡°Bro, I can¡¯t reach Dale these days, and every time


    he goes out, he spends hours getting ready. I feel Dale is hiding something from us!!!¡±


    Robb: ¡°Astrid, how could you do this!!¡±


    Robb: ¡°Thatst message wasn¡¯t from me, some dummy snatched my phone.¡±


    Astrid felt a bit awkward.


    That message was clearly sent by Dale who had grabbed Robb¡¯s phone


    She had no idea Robb and Dale were together.


    Robb was too indulgent with Dale, even letting Dale snatch his phone to send messages.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Elio¡¯s voice came from the side. Only then did Astrid realize that the elevator had arrived.


    She stepped out quickly and took the things from Elio¡¯s hand, ¡°Thanks for bringing me home.¡±


    As she turned to leave, Elio suddenly called out to her, ¡°Astrid.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She looked back at him, he seemed hesitant.


    It took him a few seconds to speak, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    On the days he couldn¡¯t see her, he felt lonely every night.


    He never thought he¡¯d care so much about someone until he met her.


    He never imagined that he would miss someone to the point of insomnia.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    He never thought he would look up what to pay attention to during a girl¡¯s period.


    And he certainly never thought that one look from her could calm his restless heart sopletely.

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157


    His voice was gentle, but she had no idea what he was really thinking.


    She looked up at him, and he was looking back at her passionately.


    It felt like there was no one else around. Just him and her.


    ¡°Astar!!!¡± A man¡¯s screeching voice came from the elevator. Astrid and Elio, who were staring into each


    other¡¯s eyes, immediately looked away. Then a man with a small braid rushed towards Astrid, followed


    by a group of young men and women. ¡°Astar, it¡¯s really Astar! Astar, we came specifically to see you, I


    really like you, can you give me an autograph?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Astrid reached out and took the pen from the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Where do you want me to sign?¡±


    ¡°Here!¡± The man stripped off his shirt in a sh, revealing his muscr back. ¡°Sign on my back, thank


    you Astar!¡±


    ¡°I also want an autograph! I also want an autograph!¡±


    The group quickly surrounded Astrid. But none of them touched her. They all knew Astar wasn¡¯t


    Elio looked at Astrid, surrounded by everyone, and he felt happy.


    Just then, the man handed his phone to Elio. ¡°Sir, could you take a picture for us?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Elio nodded, picked up the phone, and took a picture of the group.


    Then the man said, ¡°Bro, you also like Astar, right? Want me to take a picture of you and Astar?¡±


    Like?


    Before Astrid could deny it, Elio took out his phone, opened the camera, and handed it to the man in


    front of him. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve liked her for a long time.¡±


    Astrid: ¡°¡­¡±


    The man took a picture of Astrid and Elio together.


    Astrid treated them to coffee at the cafe downstairs.


    She also performed close¨Cup magic for them.


    When they left, it was already one in the morning.


    After Elio dropped her off at her room, he left. After getting ready for bed, Astrid couldn¡¯t stop thinking


    about Elio.


    She pped her forehead, feeling annoyed. ¡°Why does he always appear around her?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so she opened Twitter to browse through posts.


    Then she froze.


    There was a post titled ¡°Astrid and Clyde seem like they¡¯re in love.¡±


    She clicked in to see behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes photos of them filming.


    At this point, Clyde¡¯s fans were alreadymenting under her Twitter ount.


    Astrid, you bitch!¡±


    How dare you be with Clyde!¡±


    Why can¡¯t you just focus on acting?¡±


    Astrid isn¡¯t like that, leave her alone!¡±


    We Astar fans are a lot; she doesn¡¯t need to do this!¡±


    .strid scrolled for a while, seeing more and more peoplementing on this post, she felt angry.


    low could people do such things?


    ¡®oes Irene really think that by doing this, she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it?


    ince Irene¡¯s helping her so much, wouldn¡¯t it be a pity that she didn¡¯t make good use of it?

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158


    Clyde¡¯s image has not been very good, and there have been several posts that revealed that he had


    improper rtionships with fans, but these were all dealt with by Irene. During his time on set, he kept


    bullying the young girls in the crew.


    However, these girls were willing to stay with Clyde, so she didn¡¯t feel it was her ce to say anything.


    As for this post, it must¡¯ve been approved by Clyde.


    Since they¡¯ve decided to pull such a stunt, they can¡¯t me her for fighting back.


    She had a good night¡¯s sleep.


    The next morning, as soon as Astrid woke up, Gracie called to inform her that she had to join a live


    broadcast with all the main actors at noon. Astrid didn¡¯t put much effort into dressing up, but for


    warmth, she wore the clothes Elio sent over yesterday.


    Because of Elio hugging herst night, everyone on set was looking at her differently today.


    By the time she arrived at the live broadcast room, Clyde was already on air


    Seeing here in, Clyde greeted her, ¡°Astrid,e over here.¡±


    He was grinning from ear to ear, making it seem like they were close pals.


    Astrid didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Hi everyone~¡± Astrid sat in front of the camera with her phone, nced at the screen which was


    already filled withments. She couldn¡¯t make out what exactly they were saying, and frankly, she


    didn¡¯t care.


    It¡¯s prettymon for actors to interact with fans through live broadcasts during filming periods, but this


    was Astrid¡¯s first time.


    She didn¡¯t announce this live broadcast on Twitter beforehand, so her fans had no idea she was on air.


    Clyde was tall, but not exactly handsome. In the live broadcast room, he relied on filters to maintain his


    beauty.


    T


    B¨²t as soon as he left the filter, he looked very old. His filter, however, didn¡¯t suit Astrid. As soon as she


    entered the room, her face got all distorted because of it, which immediately attracted a flurry of


    ¡°What makes Astrid¡¯s fans think she¡¯s good¨Clooking?¡±


    ¡°What happened to her face?¡±


    ¡°She must¡¯ve had stic surgery!¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°She¡¯s so ugly, especially sitting next to Clyde, she looks even uglier!¡±


    ¡°Her pictures online are nice, but she looks so ugly in person!!!¡±


    Before Astrid arrived, Clyde was answering fans¡® questions. But now, with everyone dissing Astrid, he


    was at a loss for words.


    Seeing him silent, Astrid leaned over to check thements.


    After seeing her appearance on screen, she immediately reached out, ¡°Who turned on the filter? My


    face is all distorted.¡±


    Then, Astrid swiftly turned off the filter.


    The speed was so fast that Clyde didn¡¯t have time to stop her.


    Clyde¡¯s first instinct was to cover his face, but Astrid pulled his hand down, ¡°What are you doing?


    You¡¯re practically disappearing from the frame. Move over here so your fans can see you!¡±


    Astrid¡¯s strength was so great that she pointed Clyde¡¯s face directly at the camera. In front of many


    fans, Clyde revealed his real appearance in a second. His skin was in bad condition, his face was


    chubby, and he looked exhausted. Without the filter, he looked old and worn¨Cout.

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159


    With the filter removed, Astrid was stunningly beautiful.


    The live chat was immediately flooded withments.


    ¡°What just happened? So her face was distorted because of the filter?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s this dude?!!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so ugly¡­ No wonder he refused to go bare¨Cfaced in previous shows. He¡¯s wearing makeup now


    and just removed the filter, and look at him. If he were to remove his makeup, he¡¯d look even uglier.¡±


    ¡°Clyde is the most handsome, we don¡¯t ept refutation!¡±


    ¡°This girl is so pretty. Where did this goddesse from? Who¡¯s sitting next to her?¡±


    ¡°Astar is so beautiful!¡±


    Astrid turned to Clyde, who was in a daze, and said, ¡°What are you thinking about? Why are you not


    interacting with your fans?¡±


    Clyde was at a loss. He was speechless.


    Ever since he became an actor, he had always made sure to look his best every time he¨Cappeared in


    public. Even when he was on variety shows, they would use filters for him.


    It was the same when he was filming his TV series.


    He never expected that Astrid would turn off his filter as soon as she arrived!!!


    His perfect image that he had maintained for so long disappeared in an instant. He felt like dying right


    there and then.


    Just as Astrid was about to speak, Irene suddenly barged in and interrupted the live stream.


    Irene: ¡°Everyone out, I have something to say to Astrid!¡±


    Everyone in the room exchanged nces and left the room one after another.


    ¡°Astrid, why did you turn off the filter?¡± Irene started scolding Astrid as soon as the crew members were


    gone. ¡°Do you think that just because Mr. Lampard spent the night with you, you can marry him? Let


    me tell you, Mr. Lampard is just temporarily interested in you. A woman like you is not what the


    Lampard family wants!¡±


    Astrid sneered, ¡°Before I came here, the crew didn¡¯t tell me that I couldn¡¯t turn off the filter. And whether


    I can marry Mr. Lampard or not, what does it have to do with you?¡±


    Astrid quickly tapped on the screen and resumed the live stream.


    Irene was so angry that she didn¡¯t notice that Astrid had already resumed the live stream.


    Irene was trembling with anger, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Did I say anything wrong? Clyde doesn¡¯t dare to show his real face to his fans, and his filter distorted


    my face. Should I just sit and wait forizens to criticize me? Netizens have the right to know the


    truth!¡±


    ¡°The truth?¡± Irene sneered, ¡°Just those fools, how could they know the truth? I just ask Clyde to post a


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    message, and his fans would believe him instantly. They will still buy his endorsed products, support


    him, and you will still be criticized by them and be the bitch in their mouths.¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°You¡¯re truly heartless!¡±


    Irene: ¡°You are lucky to be able to live stream with Clyde together.¡±

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160


    ¡°Anyway, fans now think you want to be with Clyde, no matter what you say, they won¡¯t believe it!¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t believe?¡± Astrid chuckled, ¡°We¡¯ll see


    about that.¡±


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s demeanor, Irene immediately felt uneasy.


    The next second, Astrid leisurely raised her phone, Irene and Clyde instantly trembling in fear.


    Because Astrid was live streaming!!!


    Did theizens hear everything she just said?


    The thought of her calling the fans idiots, Irene had no idea how to react


    She had offended the fans, which meant Clyde¡¯s career was over.


    She had no idea that Astrid was still live streaming on her phone¡­


    She had worked so hard to make Clyde famous, and now it was all over!


    Astrid gave a lightugh, picked up her phone and looked at thements, they were all cursing


    Clyde.


    ¡°Calling us idiots? Who¡¯s buying the products Clyde is endorsing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re supporting Clyde so much, but in your eyes we¡¯re idiots?¡±


    ¡°You treat us like idiots, ask us to scold innocent Astrid, how could you do this?¡±


    Astrid slowly closed the live stream, her initial intent of starting the live stream was to have Clyde admit


    that the posts on Twitter were made by Irene, not her. But she didn¡¯t expect Irene to blurt out the truth!


    Because of Irene¡¯s remarks, the fans started to feel sorry for Astrid.


    ¡°Poor Astrid, she¡¯s not only used, but also scolded by fans!¡±


    Feel bad for Astar!¡±


    ¡°Astrid is already so poor, but still being used!¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Astrid is so pretty, I¡¯m starting to like her!¡±


    Clyde issued a statement, the content was simple, everything was done by Irene, he could only listen


    to her, he didn¡¯t dare to refute, so he was the victim!


    Before this, Clyde had fallen ill several times due to the overwork arranged by Irene, although some


    fans no longer liked him, many fans chose to forgive him.


    Because of this, Clyde never dared to bully Astrid again.


    Except for filming, the two rarely interacted on set.


    One day, it waste when Astrid returned to the hotel after filming.


    She got out of the elevator, only to find the corridor dark, she couldn¡¯t see anything.


    The air was filled with a faint scent of roses.


    She took out her phone and turned on the shlight, walked a few steps forward, turned the corner, and


    the corridor lit up with a faint light, like moonlight.


    Both sides of the corridor were filled with blue roses.


    And Elio was standing outside her room with a gift box in his hand.


    Astrid was taken aback, she didn¡¯t expect Elio to be here.


    What was he trying to do?


    Confession?


    Or a marriage proposal?


    Astrid didn¡¯t move towards Elio, so he walked over.


    When he got closer, Astrid realized that they were wearing matching clothes.

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161


    She was wearing the clothes he gave herst time.


    In other words¡­ the clothes he bought were all couples¡® clothes. Elio: ¡°Astrid, happy holiday.¡±


    Happy holidays?


    Astrid was stunned, then suddenly remembered that today is Valentine¡¯s Day.


    After living for twenty¨Ctwo years, this is the first time someone has spent Valentine¡¯s Day with her.


    Looking up at the man in front of her, Astrid softly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t prepare a gift for you!


    ¡°As long as you ept my gift, I¡¯ll be happy. I don¡¯t need a gift.¡± Elio leaned in close to her, whispering,


    ¡°This is our first Valentine¡¯s Day. I hope that for the rest of your life, I¡¯ll be there for you on every


    Valentine¡¯s Day.¡±


    Looking at his affectionate expression, Astrid¡¯s heart rate unconsciously sped up.


    Just like what Matt said before, Elio was different from all her other pursuers.


    She was incredibly cold to everyone else, but for Elio, even if she was annoyed by some of his actions,


    she didn¡¯t push him


    away.


    There¡¯s no denying that she had feelings for him¡­


    ¡°Astrid?¡± Seeing her in a daze, Elio quickly reminded her, Aren¡¯t you going to see what I got you?¡±


    Astrid hesitated, then reached out and took the box from Elio.


    Elio watched her, whispering, ¡°Open it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Astrid gently opened the lid, and in that moment, the lights in the hallway went out.


    Many fireflies flew out of the box.


    Little points of light danced gently in the hallway, and after a while, Astrid smiled.


    Elio whispered, ¡°Gracie said you used to love watching the stars with her. So I¡¯m giving you a sky full of


    stars. This sky is just for you.¡± Astrid went speechless.


    So it was Gracie who told him.


    Elio: ¡°Are you so touched that you¡¯re crying?¡±


    ¡°No way, I¡¯m not the type to cry at the drop of a hat.¡± Astrid lightly pped Elio, ¡°Were you pretending


    not to know how to pursue women before?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t pretending.¡± Elio chuckled softly, ¡°So were you moved by me?:


    ¡°I won¡¯t be moved by your actions so easily!¡± Astrid opened the door and went into the room, feeling


    very shy..


    She put down the box in her hand, quickly walked to the table to grab something, then opened the door


    again and stuffed it into Elio¡¯s arms, ¡°This is my gift to you!¡±


    Before Elio could react, the door was mmed shut..


    He pped his hands, and the lights in the hallway came on.


    When he looked at the item in his hand, he couldn¡¯t help butugh softly.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Didn¡¯t she say she didn¡¯t prepare a gift for him?


    Elio was about to knock on the door when his phone rang.


    He took it out and saw that it was a video call invitation from Roman.


    Roman immediately asked excitedly, ¡°Elio!! How did it go? Did Ms. Irvine ept your confession?¡±


    Elio said, ¡°She will definitely agree. When have I ever been rejected?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying again, so many times have you been rejected by Astrid, when will I see you get married?


    The olddy forcefully pushed Roman away. ¡°Listen to me, you have to be with her all the time, make


    sure she sees you every minute, every second. Got it?¡±


    Elio was speechless.

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162


    The olddy could see the hotel room number from the video, and she immediately started to mock,


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°You said Astrid didn¡¯t turn you down! But look at you, locked out of the room!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so stupid that Astrid doesn¡¯t apany you on Valentine¡¯s Day.¡±


    The olddy started her nagging again. After listening for a while, Elio mercilessly hung up the video


    call.


    He turned around to look at the closed door, raising his hand to press the doorbell.


    After a while, the door opened.


    Astrid, looking at Elio standing at the door, was a bit puzzled, ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    ¡°Astrid, didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t prepare a gift for me? Then what¡¯s this?¡± Elio held up the Pikachu in


    his hand, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this return gift?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Astrid said, ¡°I just thought it would be really


    rude if I epted your gift but didn¡¯t give you anything in return. As for this Pikachu, I have a whole set,


    so I just gave you one.¡±


    As she was talking, Astrid moved aside to reveal a whole bunch of Pikachus on her table.


    Elio couldn¡¯t help but feel down, ¡°Then how many Valentine¡¯s Day gifts did you receive and give out


    today?¡±


    Astrid looked up at Elio¡¯s gloomy face and quickly replied, ¡°Every Valentine¡¯s Day, many people give


    me gifts. I really can¡¯t keep count.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, I¡¯m going to rest now. Good night.¡± After closing the door, Astrid picked up the box¨Cshe


    had just filled with fireflies, only to find another photo in it.


    It was a photo of her and Roman fooling around on the couch.


    Touching the photo, Astrid felt a sense of peace in her heart.


    Indeed, many people gave her gifts today, including Hal and Hawthorne, but she only epted Elio¡¯s


    gift.


    If she had epted gifts from Hal and Hawthorne, it would only create unnecessary trouble for herself.


    Those two were just too obsessed with her.


    If she didn¡¯t toughen up, they would only get in deeper.


    In love, if two people like each other, they should be together. If not, just reject them outright. It¡¯s better


    for everyone to be clear from the start.


    Elio was very angry as he went downstairs. As soon as he got into his car, he received a message from


    Astrid: ¡°Elio, you¡¯re such a big dummy. Thank you for the starry sky, I love it.¡±


    A few secondster, another Whatsapp message came: ¡°I only gave a gift to you today.¡±


    In an instant, Elio felt the world be a wonderful ce.


    She only gave him a gift, which means he is special to her.


    Elio couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    He took the Pikachu out of his pocket and put it on the dashboard of his car.


    Squeezing the Pikachu, he suddenly found it very cute.


    This was the first gift Astrid gave him, he had to cherish it.


    The next day, the rain stopped.


    The weather was great.


    After lunch, Astrid was about to touch up her makeup when she heard screams from the set.


    Thinking something had happened, she hurried over with Gracie..


    All she saw was Clyde standing there with a crowd around him, ¡°Call an ambnce!


    ¡°We¡¯re not filming anymore!¡±

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163


    Astnd thought Clyde was seriously hurt, so she went over to take a look.


    She found out he just got a cut on his hand, and it wasn¡¯t even bleeding much..


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it serious?¡± Gracie nced at Clyde¡¯s hand and immediately said, ¡°You just got a


    small cut, there are doctors on the set, they can bandage it for you. No need to call an ambnce.¡±


    Clyde¡¯s new agent, Rebekah, was immediately unhappy, saying, ¡°Clyde¡¯s hand is important! How could


    you say this is a small cut?¡±


    A crew member chimed in, ¡°Last time Astrid was bleeding from her knee, she continued filming after


    the doctor bandaged her. Clyde is a man, it¡¯s just a small cut, why call an ambnce?¡±


    It¡¯s not that they were biased against Clyde, it just seemed overkill to call an ambnce for such a


    small wound.


    Carlos came over and said to Rebekah, ¡°We have doctors on set, I¡¯ll let them handle Clyde¡¯s wound.¡±


    ¡°No, we have to go to the hospital!¡± Rebekah was adamant, which irked Carlos.


    A few minutester, Mirage Media called and asked Carlos to send Clyde to the hospital.


    Although Carlos was disgruntled, he had Clyde taken to the hospital.


    With the lead actor gone, no one was there to act with Astrid, so Carlos had to start shooting other


    scenes.


    Astrid was sitting under a tree reading the script when Gracie came running over with her phone.


    ¡°Astrid, I can¡¯t believe Clyde is such a drama queen!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Astrid looked up and Gracie shoved her phone in front of her.


    The post read: ¡°Today, Clyde was seriously injured during filming. He insisted on continuing to film, but


    the director worried about his injuries and sent him to the hospital. Clyde is currently undergoing


    treatment and is stable.¡±


    Seriously injured?


    A cut finger is considered seriously injured?


    To create a dedicated image, Rebekah would stoop to this level.


    The photo showed Clyde looking deathly pale on a hospital bed, appearing to be very weak.


    They knew the truth, but theizens didn¡¯t.


    Especially Clyde¡¯s fans, they were really worried about him.


    ¡°Is the crew abusing Clyde?¡±


    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t Carlos injured? Clyde is just filming, why is he being tortured like this?¡±


    Gracie kept cursing Clyde for being shameless, but Astrid didn¡¯t say anything. After all, this kind of


    thing has happened many times in the entertainment industry.


    The fans thought the crew was abusing Clyde and kept cursing the director and crew. But they didn¡¯t


    know it was all a sham.


    A few minutester, Clyde posted a message himself, along with a very weak selfie from the hospital


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    bed.


    Post content: I¡¯m sorry for that. I¡¯m fine now, don¡¯t worry.


    After seeing Clyde¡¯s post, his fans feel sorry for him even more.

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164


    Many people on the set sneered at Clyde¡¯s behavior, but Clyde didn¡¯t mention in his posts that he was


    seriously injured. Thus, even if people tried to expose him, he wouldn¡¯t get hammered by his fans and


    As for how Clyde and his team were operating, Astrid didn¡¯t want to stick her nose in


    As long as Clyde didn¡¯t mess with her, they could live in harmony. After all, she just wanted to focus on


    her acting.


    When she returned to the hotel in the evening, as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, her thigh


    was suddenly hugged tightly, ¡°I missed you so much! I couldn¡¯t even sleep!¡±


    ¡°I missed you too!¡± Astrid picked up Roman, noticing that he¡¯d gotten tanner, ¡°Roman, why are you so


    dark again?¡±


    Roman looked aggneved, ¡°Grandpa didn¡¯t let me wear a hat or use an umbre, saying that boys


    should be tan to be healthy.¡±


    Astrid couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, then pecked Roman¡¯s cheek, ¡°Even if Roman is tan, he¡¯s still the


    handsomest.¡±


    Roman was ecstatic, ¡°Am I more handsome than Elio?¡±


    Astrid. ¡°Of course, Roman is definitely handsomer than Elio!¡±


    ¡°Can I sleep with you tonight?¡± Roman started to act cute, pressing his little face against Astrid¡¯s.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Astrid agreed as she opened the door.


    1


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Roman was so happy he kissed Astrid¡¯s face several times, looking adorable.


    That night, Roman was like a clingy ko.


    Except for when Astrid went to the bathroom or took a shower, he almost always wanted to stick to her,


    making Elio once again doubt if Roman was his biological


    son.


    Around eleven/Roman fell asleep from exhaustion.


    Astrid put him to bed and walked out to see Elio busying himself in the kitchen.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Standing at the entrance, she saw Elio wearing an apron, cooking something.


    The smell wafted over, making her a little dazed.


    Elio, a CEO, had actually taken cooking sses to cook for her.


    That was kind of mind¨Cblowing.


    ¡°You go wait outside, it¡¯ll be ready soon,¡± Elio said without turning around, then continued his work.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Astrid responded and left.


    Before long, Elio finished cooking.


    He whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about eating, I¡¯ve chosen low¨Cfat ingredients, so you won¡¯t gain weight.¡±


    Astrid was surprised, she hadn¡¯t expected him to be so thoughtful.


    After all, actresses have to watch their diets. Even though she¡¯s skinny, she can¡¯t just let herself go.


    She was really hungry from eating less for dinner.


    Seeing her eat so quickly, Elio was also very happy.


    After Valentine¡¯s Day, their rtionship seemed a bit different.


    Even though she didn¡¯t say it, he could feel that they were getting closer.


    His courtship was finally making progress.


    After dinner, Astrid was nestled on the couch reading her script, while Elio was working on hisptop on


    another couch.


    Even though they didn¡¯t speak, the atmosphere was harmonious.


    The next morning, when Astrid had to leave for the set, Roman didn¡¯t want her to go, ¡°Ms. Irvine, just


    put me in your pocket and take me with you! I don¡¯t want to stay at home with Elio! He¡¯s so annoying!¡±


    Roman looked at Astrid and felt even more wronged.

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165


    Gracie called again to hurry her, Astrid gave Roman a kiss, and then reluctantly stepped into the


    elevator.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Humming a song along the way, Astrid headed to the set. She saw that familiar car even before she


    arrived.


    Seeing her approach, Hal got out of the car.


    He didn¡¯t look happy, and seemed to have lost more weight since hisst visit.


    ¡°Astrid, how have you been?¡± Hal approached her, and she took a step back.


    Seeing her deliberately keeping a distance, Hal felt sad, ¡°Astrid, we don¡¯t need to be like this.¡±


    Astrid chuckled lightly, ¡°I¡¯m an actress. If the media catches me alone with you, I¡¯m sure your fans will


    bash me. So, it¡¯s good for me to keep distance from you.¡± Hal: ¡°I really miss those days when we first


    met three years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Astrid cut him off, ¡°Hal, I don¡¯t want to argue with you. Just leave.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, I met you first. But why don¡¯t I exist in your eyes? You were supposed to be mine! Maybe I


    should have been more ruthless, then you would have been mine long ago!¡± Hal said fiercely.


    Seeing Hal in front of her Astrid was reminded of the heartbreaking past three years ago, ¡°Your love is


    twisted. Loving someone should make her feel happy.¡± Halughed coldly, ¡°In my eyes, love is


    possession. I love you, so I must have you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane! You¡¯re absolutely insane!¡± After Astrid spoke, Hal started to slowly approach her.


    He spoke as he walked, ¡°Your dream is to be a good actress, while my dream is to be with you. If you


    don¡¯t make my dreame true, I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t fulfill yours.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, if you¡¯re with me, we can fulfill each other¡¯s dreams. Wouldn¡¯t that be good?¡±


    Astrid¡¯s fists clenched tightly, with a renewed urge to punch this lunatic.


    Hal: ¡°Look, all the journalists around here are arranged by me. They¡¯ve already captured our meeting,


    and I can¡¯t guarantee what kind of stories they¡¯ll write.¡± Many journalists came out from the cars


    around, all carrying cameras, but all with serious faces.


    They hadn¡¯t expected that Hal wanted them to photograph Astrid!


    Thinking about the orders Chad had given them before, they felt very scared.


    Astrid nced at the journalists around, then looked back at Hal, without panic, ¡°So, are you


    threatening me?¡±


    Hal: ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, ask them if they dare to post what they¡¯ve captured online.¡± Astrid stood with her arms crossed,


    ¡°Did you guys capture anything?¡±


    The journalists shook their heads frantically, ¡°No, Ms. Irvine, my camera wasn¡¯t even turned on, I didn¡¯t


    capture anything!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a picture either. If I had known that I was here to shoot Ms. Irvine today, no matter how


    much he paid, I wouldn¡¯t havee!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, I was just passing by!¡±

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166


    Hal was livid as he looked at the reporters in front of him, ¡°When I asked you guys toe gossip


    hunting before, you weren¡¯t like this. Now that you¡¯ve taken my money, you want to ck off?¡±


    The reporter replied, ¡°But you never said we were to shoot Ms. Irvine! You didn¡¯t specify who the target


    was!¡±


    Seeing how afraid they were of Astrid, Hal was confused. After all, the media reporters he had hired


    were big shots, how could they be so scared of Astrid? Before he could figure out why, the reporters


    were already packing up to leave.


    ¡°You reporters love gossip, don¡¯t you?¡± Hal growled, ¡°She¡¯s just a small¨Ctime star, what are you so


    scared of?¡±


    ¡°A small¨Ctime star?¡± a reporter was taken aback, ¡°She¡¯s our boss!¡±


    ¡°You want us to expose our own boss? Are you trying to get us all fired?¡±


    Boss?


    DreamScape Entertainment had nurtured countless entertainment journalists, fifty percent of the


    famous ones in the industry worked for thepany.


    He had invited them because of their influence in the entertainment industry to shoot Astrid!


    Who would have thought, they would tell him that Astrid was the boss of theirpany!


    Hal refused to believe it, ¡°You guys are bullshitting, I¡¯ve checked yourpany, the legal representative


    is named Aaron!¡±


    The reporter exined, ¡°During our financial crisis a few years back, Ms. Irvine bought ourpany.


    Aaron is Chad¡¯s real name, he¡¯s just the acting legal representative. The real boss is Ms. Irvine, she


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    just didn¡¯t want us to disclose her identity!¡±


    Hal was furious. He knew Astrid liked to invest inpanies and even had her own. But he never


    expected Astrid to have bought DreamScape Entertainment! Gracie called again, Astrid didn¡¯t want to


    be around Hal any longer, so she bypassed him to leave.


    The reporters moved aside, Hal coldly said, ¡°I won¡¯t let go. I know your rtionship with Elio is fake,


    I¡¯ve already checked, you¡¯re not even married!¡±


    Astrid scoffed, ¡°Just because we¡¯re not married now doesn¡¯t mean we won¡¯t be in the future, Hal, I


    won¡¯t give you any chances!¡±


    ¡°Elio may not be perfect but he doesn¡¯t do things that disgust me, he doesn¡¯t force me to do things I


    don¡¯t want to, he would change for me, he respects me, is willing to protect my dreams with me, unlike


    you, who only wants to keep me as a ything!¡±


    Hal waspletely taken aback.


    Many pursued Astrid but none had received such high praise from her.


    She was still moved.


    Elio.


    Hal watched Astrid¡¯s retreating figure, his expression was very cold.


    Before she got to the set, Astrid texted Chad, ¡°Hal paid a bunch of reporters from DreamScape


    Entertainment to shoot me today, they¡¯re our people, but I¡¯m worried someone might defect, handle it.¡±

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167


    Chad ¡°No biggie, I¡¯ll handle it right away.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, finally you¡¯re here Did you oversleep again?¡± Gracie asked in a rush, ¡°Fortunately, a few actors


    haven¡¯t arrived yet, otherwise the crew would start saying you have no respect for people.¡±


    ¡°No worries.¡± Astrid yawned, ¡°Is Selena here yet?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been here for ages.¡± Gracie took Astrid¡¯s hand and walked forward, then after a few steps, she


    said, ¡°Oh right, what¡¯s the deal with Rickon? I sent him a friend request and hepletely ignored me!


    He still hasn¡¯t epted it!¡±


    Astridughed, ¡°You should mention you¡¯re my friend, maybe there¡¯s a one percent chance he¡¯ll ept


    your request, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t give you the time of day.¡± ¡°So ruthless! I love it!¡± Gracie took out


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    her phone and continued to send Rickon WhatsApp requests. ¡°If I send thousands of requests a day,


    maybe one day he¡¯ll be moved by my persistence and ept it.¡±


    The two continued their conversation while walking towards the makeup room. As they passed by


    Clyde¡¯s room, the door suddenly opened.


    Clyde came out with a smile, ¡®Astrid, I have something to talk to you about privately, can you ask your


    assistant to step aside?¡±


    Astrid frowned, ¡°Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of her.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Clyde hesitated, but Astrid was adamant, so he didn¡¯t say anything else, and just whispered,


    ¡°It¡¯s about my injury this time, I hope you can cover for me when the reporters ask about it.


    Hearing this, Gracie was not pleased.


    F


    Astrid nced at the bandaged hand of Clyde and said, ¡°The reporters probably won¡¯t ask me about


    this, after all, you¡¯re the one who got hurt, not me.¡± Clyde was speechless.


    ¡°Well, you might have misunderstood me, what I mean is¡­¡± Clyde didn¡¯t know how to exin.


    Gracie asked directly, ¡°You want Astrid to lie and y along with you, why should she help you?¡±


    ¡°Do you have the right to butt in when they¡¯re talking?¡± Rebekah stepped forward, ready to p Gracie.


    Astrid grabbed her wrist and said coldly, ¡°What she says is what I say! I chose not to expose you, and


    now you want me to lie with you, and you even want to hit my friend?


    Astrid jerked Rebekah¡¯s hand away. Rebekah looked at her wrist, which was red from Astrid¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Astrid, how could you do this to me!¡±


    ¡°You started this. Don¡¯t provoke me in the future!¡± Astrid was so intimidating that both Clyde and


    Rebekah were stunned.


    They stood there speechless for a moment.

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168


    Astnd was leading Gracie by the hand, and Gracie was totally swooning over her. ¡°Astnd, you¡¯re so


    cool. Can I marry you?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you just spamming Rickon with friend requests? Did you forget about him already?¡± Astrid


    flicked Gracie¡¯s forehead with her finger. They were having a great time as they walked into the


    dressing room.


    Seeing them walk in, Clyde immediately scowled at Rebekah, ¡°I told you not to mess with Astrid. Our


    rtionship is already messed up as it is, now she¡¯s even less likely to talk to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing this for you. Your poprity is dropping. Do you want to go back to being a nobody?¡±


    Rebekah red back, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m your manager now. Whatever I do, I won¡¯t screw you over.¡±


    Clyde still felt uncertain.


    But thinking back to his old days, he didn¡¯t argue with Rebekah.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that Astrid and Helena aren¡¯t on good terms, is that true?¡± Rebekah asked in a


    hushed tone.


    Clyde nodded, ¡°Helena tried to embarrass Astrid at a cast dinner, but she saw through it. Turns out,


    Helena¡¯s educational credentials are probably fake, it made things super awkward.¡±


    ¡°Educational background? Rebekah¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Astrid imed she had a PhD from the Endeavor


    Institute of the States, but Helena told me Astrid used to skip school a lot in high school, and she never


    went to college.¡±


    ¡°The Endeavor Institute of the States? I heard she only finished high school. Clyde was confused, ¡°So


    you¡¯re saying Astrid faked her credentials?¡± Rebekah, ¡°It¡¯s got to be fake. She¡¯s only 22, there¡¯s no way


    she¡¯s a PhD graduate!!¡±


    Clyde, ¡°She is still a neer, and this incident has a great impact on her. Maybe we should drop it.


    We don¡¯t interact much, but as lofig as we don¡¯t harm her, she won¡¯t interfere with us.¡±


    After a few seconds, Clyde continued, ¡°Also, we¡¯re the leads of the same movie. If this gets out, it could


    hurt me too.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say we have to expose this now. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Rebekah walked away after saying this.


    Even though she said they wouldn¡¯t expose it now, Clyde couldn¡¯t shake off his unease.


    He was distracted during the afternoon shoot.


    In a simple romantic scene, he kept forgetting his lines.


    Carlos was furious, ¡°Cut! Clyde, get yourself together and we¡¯ll resumeter!¡±


    After the shoot, Clyde immediately checked Twitter, hoping there were no posts about Astrid. He was


    relieved when he saw none.


    The next day, Astrid and Clyde were scheduled to participate in a variety show.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    They had to catch an early flight back to Sunhaven.


    Elio was well aware of her schedule, and booked VIP tickets early. He disguised himself and took


    Roman, pretending to be fans, to the show.

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169


    When Astrid and Clyde reached the TV station, a bunch of fans had already gathered outside.


    Astrid¡¯s fan base had grown significantly. She walked over with a smile, shook hands, and exchanged


    greetings before entering the station.


    The staff were waiting at the entrance to greet them. As the two walked over, one of the staff members


    said cheerfully, ¡°Right this way, please. I¡¯ll show you to the green room where you can get they of the


    ¡°Okay.¡± Astrid nodded, and Gracie, who was trailing after her, caught sight of a bunch of celebs,


    including her favorite one.


    But to avoid causing any trouble for Astrid, she kept her fangirling in check and acted very


    appropriately.


    ¡°Feel free to call on me if you need anything,¡± said the staff member before leaving. Astrid and Clyde


    sat down and remained silent.


    After a while, they heard a familiar voice, ¡°What a coincidence. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d bump into you here.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to run into you either, Ms. Helena.¡± Astrid looked at Helena, smiling as if all their


    previous unpleasant encounters had never happened.


    Helena sneered, ¡°Astrid, you wouldn¡¯t even be here if you weren¡¯t teamed up with Clyde. Poor Clyde,


    finallynds a role in a big¨Cbudget movie and gets stuck with bad luck like you.¡±


    Astrid, quick on the uptake/immediately caught the subtext in Helena¡¯s words, ¡°Bad luck? What do you


    mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Helena lit a cigarette, took a puff, then patted Clyde on the shoulder,


    ¡°Clyde, you¡¯ve drawn the short straw getting saddled with someone like this.¡±


    With that, Helena left.


    Clyde was on edge all day, and Helena¡¯s words had him tied in knots.


    Even though the show was pre¨Crecorded, there were plenty of live audience members. One little


    hup and someone would be posting about it online.


    If the press got hold of Astrid¡¯s information, they¡¯d find out she often skipped high school and never


    even went to college!


    Once the cat¡¯s out of the bag, that¡¯s a big deal!


    ¡°Astrid!¡± Clyde suddenly stood up, ¡°You can¡¯t do this show. Leave now! I¡¯ll cover the penalty fee.¡±


    Astrid arched an eyebrow at him, ¡°Why? This show is to promote the movie.¡±


    Clyde struggled and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Helena said just now? She may not be the hottest


    artist in town, but she has a good rtionship with many people in the TV station. You¡¯ve had a conflict


    with her. You guys are now on the same show, she¡¯s going to get you trouble!¡±


    Astrid had naturally picked up on the real meaning behind Helena¡¯s words, ¡°If there¡¯s a problem, we¡¯ll


    deal with it. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s fearlessness, Clyde was at a loss for words, ¡°Your connections can¡¯t hold a candle to


    hers. Why are you ying the hero at a time like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ying the hero. I just really didn¡¯t take her seriously.¡± Astrid yawned, looking quite content.


    Clyde was getting antsy. He decided toe clean, ¡°Your degree is fake, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Fake?¡± Astridughed. She said, ¡°Who told you my degree is fake? My diploma is still locked up in a


    drawer at home. It¡¯s brand new!¡±


    Clyde was struggling to digest this.


    The recording of the show officially began.


    Clyde, anxiously waiting backstage, was sweating bullets.


    Helena looked smug, ¡°Astrid, you won¡¯t beughing soon.¡±


    Astridughed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say, so I¡¯ll just thank you in advance.¡±


    Confused, Helena looked at Astrid¡¯s beaming eyes and suddenly felt uneasy, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Just what I said.¡± Astrid raised an eyebrow, patted Helena¡¯s arm, and gave her a mysterious look,


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Rx, just chill out.¡±

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170


    Helena had had a tough time with Astrid before. Seeing Astrid¡¯s familiar smile now, she felt more and


    more uneasy.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte,¡± Lacy, who was participating in the show¡¯s promo event with Helena, rushed over. He


    immediately stretched out his hand when he saw Astrid, ¡°Astrid, I¡¯m a huge fan! I¡¯ve been following you


    sincest year¡¯s magic convention. When I found out I¡¯d be on the same show as you today. I brought a


    pen and paper for your autograph.¡±


    *Astrid, can I take a picture with you after the recording? Can you give me your autograph?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d be honored, Astrid smiled, ¡°I¡¯m a fan of your acting too, I¡¯ve seen your series, it¡¯s


    fantastic!¡±


    Astrid wasn¡¯t just paying lip service Lacy really was a great actor.


    Lots ofizens had said that the show Helena was starring in might have been more popr if it had a


    different female lead. Not because of looks, but because her acting was just not up to par, shecked


    immersion. There was no chemistry between her and the male lead.


    Hearing the two of them chit¨Cchatting, Helena couldn¡¯t help but sneer, looking very displeased.


    After the opening dance, the host¡¯s voice came from the stage, ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Kali~¡±


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Israel. ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Israel~¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re thrilled to see you all again this Saturday. Now let¡¯s wee our four good friends who¡¯ll be


    spending the weekend with us. They are Clyde, Astrid, Lacy, and Helenal¡±


    Cheers erupted from the crowd.


    The other three walked out, but Helena stood still.


    Lacy was a bit helpless, whispering, ¡°What are you doing? Is this the time to throw a tantrum?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Astrid¡¯s ranking? Why was her name announced before mine!¡± Helena pointed at Astrid¡¯s back,


    fuming, ¡°A little actress with no works to her name, and she gets to go before me?¡±


    Lacy had had enough of Helena¡¯s capriciousness while filming, so he just ignored her and quickly


    joined Astrid and the others.


    The director, noticing the wrong number of people, immediately called a halt, ¡°What¡¯s going on? We¡¯re


    missing one.¡±


    After a while, a staff member trotted over to the director, looking troubled, ¡°Director, Helena¡¯s agent


    says Astrid is lower ranked, her name can¡¯te before Helena¡¯s.. And they¡¯re demanding that


    Helena¡¯s name must be first, or she won¡¯te out.¡±


    Hearing this, the director stomped in anger, ¡°So she thinks she can do whatever she wants just


    because she¡¯s good with some producers? Astrid may not be as established in the entertainment


    industry, but she¡¯s a global magic champion! Leaders from many countries scramble to invite her to


    perform. How can Helenapare to her?¡±


    ¡°And even without considering Astrid, Clyde has more poprity than Helena, and Lacy is a better


    actor!¡±


    ¡°Go tell her, I¡¯m giving her one more chance. If she wants to record, fine. If not, she can go find


    somewherefortable to wait!¡± After the director finished, the staff member quickly left.


    Helena thought she could intimidate the director. But she never expected that he wouldn¡¯t cater to her


    this time.


    In the end, without any other options, she had to follow them onto the stage with a disgruntled look.

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171


    Kali ¡°Look at all these pretty boys and pretty girls gathered here! Let¡¯s kick off with some self¨C


    introductions!¡±


    Upon realizing that Kali was pointing towards Clyde, Helena felt a pang of displeasure. But then she


    thought of Astrid soon to be in a pinch and mellowed down her


    emotions.


    Clyde: ¡°Hi everyone, I¡¯m Clyde. I y Jameson in the movie Mystic Mysteries. We¡¯re nearing the end of


    our shoot, so look forward to it!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Clyde nced at Astrid.


    Astrid said, ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Astrid, and I y Hedwig in Mystic Mysteries. Thanks for your


    support!¡±


    Audience: ¡°Astrid!!!


    Astrid gave a small smile and waved towards the screaming crowd.


    If it weren¡¯t for Elio holding him back, Roman might have jumped onto the chair.


    Roman. ¡°Astrid is so beautiful!!!¡±


    Elio nced at him, ¡°Am I not handsome?¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Roman turned his head to size up Elio, then shook his finger, ¡°You got a long way to go!¡±


    Elio went speechless.


    Naturally, the two casts that came for promotions have topete in a game segment.


    The segment was a quiz involving general knowledge and literature.


    Helena had already reviewed the answers beforehand. What¡¯s more, she had given a heads¨Cup to the


    assistant director to make sure all the questions for Astrid¡¯s side were tough ones.


    When this segment arrived, Clyde started to feel a headache. He whispered to Astrid, ¡°I didn¡¯t study


    hard in school. We might lose this round. If we lose, let me take the punishment. You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    The punishment was to drink a concoction. Clyde had tried it in other shows before, and the taste was


    aplete nightmare.


    Even though there was some friction between him and Astrid, he didn¡¯t want the girl to be punished. It


    would make him look like a bad sport.


    Astrid didn¡¯t expect Clyde to suddenly be so considerate.


    As Helena kept getting the answers right, Astrid calmly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t lose.¡±


    Clyde didn¡¯t respond, but he already lost hope. After all, Astrid was just a high school graduate. She


    used to skip sses in high school. How could she possibly beat Helena?


    ¡°All ten questions are correct! Helena is indeed our very powerful!!¡± Israel praised Helena, and then


    looked at Astrid and Clyde, ¡°Who¡¯s up?¡±


    Just as Clyde was about to raise his hand, Astrid had already stepped forward, ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, you¡¯ve got guts. Do you know Helena is a top student?¡± Kali asked.


    Astrid nodded, ¡°Whether she¡¯s a top student or not, I¡¯m not sure. But I know I can beat her.¡±


    The audience felt that Astrid was being overly confident.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Although Helena had made a fool of herself at thest gathering, her image as a top student was well


    ingrained in people¡¯s minds. Thus, in the eyes of the audience, the possibility of Astrid beating Helena


    was slim to none.


    Israel: ¡°Alright, the next question is: Who¡¯s the author of Hamlet? Option one, Poe, option two,


    Hemingway, option three¡­¡±


    Astrid: ¡°You don¡¯t need to say the options, I know the answer is Shakespeare.¡±


    Israel paused for a moment, ¡°That¡¯s correct! Okay, next question.¡±


    Astrid smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to read all the options, just ask the question. It saves time. You


    can also read a bit faster, thank you!¡±

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172


    Astrid¡¯s answering speed far exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations in the next session. Helena had


    already answered ten questions in just five minutes, which was pretty fast already!


    But Astrid? She nailed thirty questions. She only took an average of ten seconds on each!


    And the difficulty of their questions was not even on the same level!


    Most of Astrid¡¯s questions sounded super tough, but she didn¡¯t hesitate at all and blurted out the


    answers!


    At first, Helena was hoping to see Astrid make a fool of herself, but in the end, she began to doubt


    herself!


    She remembered the answers to ten questions and almost got mixed up. And Astrid, she can answer


    without thinking? Almost as soon as the host finished reading the question, she would immediately give


    the answer!


    But Astrid never went to college. How could she possibly be so amazing?


    The audience at first didn¡¯t believe Astrid would win. But in the end, everyone¡¯s jaws dropped in


    surprise! Roman said, ¡°Astrid is incredible. She¡¯s so smart and beautiful, Elio, you really don¡¯t deserve


    her.¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Hearing his murmuring, Elio¡¯s face grew even darker, ¡°Roman, are you asking for a punch?¡±


    ¡°If you dare to hit me, I¡¯ll tell Astrid, and she¡¯ll kick you out of the room. You won¡¯t even be allowed to


    sleep on the couch!¡± Roman taunted Elio while making faces. Elio was so annoyed he wanted to hit


    him, but he held back.


    After all, he didn¡¯t want to get kicked out of the room¡­


    Israel said, ¡°This is really unbelievable. Astrid, you actually answered thirty questions correctly!¡±


    Astrid justughed, ¡°Just business as usual.¡±


    Watching the audience¡¯s admiring eyes on Astrid, Helena was shaking with anger. She held the


    microphone and sneered, ¡°Answering without listening to the options, people who don¡¯t know might


    think you¡¯ve memorized the answers in advance!¡±


    With that said, the atmosphere in the studio became awkward.


    Astrid was waiting for her to say this, ¡°Memorizing the answers? If Ms. Helena doesn¡¯t believe I


    answered these questions myself, we can quiz each other on the spot. This way we can see who¡¯s the


    real schr, and who¡¯s been memorizing. After all, Ms. Helena is a top student, she shouldn¡¯t be afraid


    ofpeting with me, right?¡±


    Helena was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect Astrid to make such a request publicly.


    If Astrid said this, she couldn¡¯t refuse. If she refused Astrid¡¯s request, everyone would question her


    authenticity as a top student.


    But what if Astrid gave her a weird math question, wouldn¡¯t that be even more embarrassing?


    Seeing the mood going south, the host quickly stepped in, ¡°Both are top students, but Astrid answered


    more questions correctly, so Astrid wins this round. The questions on our show are confidential, there¡¯s


    absolutely no leaking!¡±


    With this opening, Helena immediately took it, ¡°Let¡¯s just say she won this round.¡±


    She sounded reluctant, as if she had suffered a great injustice.


    Before the next round of the game began, it was time for the trash talk segment.


    As soon as Astrid stepped out, Helena moved forward.


    Helena looked at Astrid and smiled contentedly, ¡°Although you¡¯re pretty, my education is better than


    yours.¡±


    Finally, Helena brought up this topic, and Clyde¡¯s legs went soft.


    Unexpectedly, Astrid replied, ¡°Your education may be higher, but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯s


    real.¡±


    The audience was shocked.


    Helena was even more terrified and broke out in a cold sweat. Her degree was bought, but no one else


    knew about this!


    But Astrid¡¯s eyes looked like she knew the inside story!


    At this moment, Israel suddenly said, ¡°Helena, are you joking? Astrid is a doctoral graduate from the


    Endeavor Institute of the States. How could her education be lower than yours?¡±


    Helena immediately pretended to be surprised, ¡°Really? A PhD at 22. So Astrid is a genius!¡±

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173


    Astrid watched the pathetic performance of the two, snickering under her breath.


    The live audience immediately started mocking Astrid.


    ¡°What¡¯s this joke? Got a PhD at 22?¡±


    ¡°Wait, I remember Astrid trending before, people were saying she only has a high school education,


    she never went to college!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, Astrid faked her education? That¡¯s just low.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe she¡¯s just that brilliant/She answered all those tough questions, and I can¡¯t even


    understand them!¡±


    ¡°Really, even if you want to brag, you have to limit it a bit. Getting a Ph.D. at the age of 22 is too


    exaggerated! Who would believe it?¡±


    The murmurs of the crowd grew louder, forcing the director to halt filming.¡±


    He¡¯d been in this industry for so many years, of course he could see that this was a conspiracy jointly


    carried out by Helena and Israel. Helena¡¯s goal was to get the live audience to expose Astrid¡¯s fake


    education on the inte. Now that her n had seeded, she was satisfied.


    The director called over Israel and demanded, ¡°What is going on? What are you ying at?¡±


    Israel put on an innocent face and said, ¡°Director, Astrid¡¯s bio says she¡¯s a PhD graduate from the


    Endeavor Institute of the States. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    The director angrily replied, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that people can fake¨Cthose bios? What are you talking


    about?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t deny it herself.¡± Israel pointed at Astrid on stage, who indeed looked expressionless.


    Without further dy, filming resumed.


    By now, rumors of Astrid¡¯s fake education had started spreading.


    Before the filming had even ended, the issue was trending.


    The situation escted, and by the time filming ended, the inte was filled with insults.


    ¡°Why is this woman always trending when she has no work?¡±


    ¡°She must be uneducated to tell such a lie, right? A PhD graduate from the Endeavor Institute of the


    States? No way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just shameless.¡±


    ¡°I was her high school ssmate. She was a chronic truant, she never went to college!!!¡±


    Elio asked Carson to handle the onlinements, but Carson said Dale was already on it and told him


    not to worry.


    After the show, Astrid had to rush back to the drama set. So she and Clyde headed straight to the


    airport.


    Roman was sulking since he didn¡¯t get to see Astrid.


    He finally cheered up when Elio promised to bring him on set during the weekend.


    Back at home, Helena was grinning from ear to ear seeing Astrid getting bashed.


    Just as she was scrolling through the news about Astrid, a new trending topic appeared.


    #Helena¡¯sFakeEducation#


    She clicked on Twitter nervously and the first tweet she saw was from the vice dean of Emerald


    University. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m the vice dean of the Mathematics department at Emerald University. Recently, fans


    have been inquiring if the current trending star, Helena, is our graduate. I¡¯ve checked and found that we


    have no student by that name in our system. I doubt the authenticity of Helena¡¯s Emerald University


    diploma. Perhaps she used a different name during her time at school? Otherwise, why can¡¯t we find


    her academic records?¡±


    Helena was shocked by this news.


    However, there was news that shocked her even more. The Endeavor Institute of the States twittered


    because of this trending topic: ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Dean Edmund of the Endeavor Institute of the States: I was


    shocked when I saw the trending topic. Someone actually questioned Dr. Astrid¡¯s qualifications? She is


    a genius and a role model for our school students! We will never allow you to denigrate Dr. Astrid like


    this. Here is her certificate, her semester grades, and photos of her participating in club activities. If you


    continue to defame Dr. Astrid, we will take legal action to protect her reputation!!!¡±


    Who was Edmund?


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    He was a globally renowned scientist and educator, fluent in sixnguages!


    He had refused invitations from many national leaders to give speeches, yet now he was personally


    tweeting in defense of Astrid?


    This could only mean one thing, Astrid¡¯s education was legit!!!


    At this moment, Helena felt like dying.


    She had brought this upon herself!


    If she hadn¡¯t tried to frame Astrid, her fake education would never have been exposed!


    She wanted to harm Astrid, but ended up screwing herself over!


    Her future was ruined!


    And she had inadvertently pushed Astrid higher up!


    Beautiful, smart, top student!


    With thisbel, Astrid¡¯s poprity was sure to reach new heights!


    Meanwhile, Astrid was sitting in her car, whistling contentedly.


    She opened Twitter, and thought for a few seconds, then tweeted, ¡°Originally I just wanted to get along


    with you as an ordinary person, but all I received were


    nders and insults. No more hiding, I am a genius.¡±


    Helena, already pissed off, rolled her eyes and fainted right after seeing Astrid¡¯s tweet

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174


    News of Doctor Astrid¡¯s graduation quickly climbed to the top of the Twitter trending list


    Thements were a mix of everything praise, crazy derations of love, and of course, a tiny bit of


    hate.


    ¡°Beauty and brains? So jealous!¡±


    ¡°Suddenly feel like I¡¯m not worthy to be your fan!¡±


    ¡°This is what a real mix of beauty and brains looks like, huh?¡±


    ¡°Some old dude tweets about it, and everyone just believes she graduated with a Ph.D. at 22? Who


    knows if it was really Edmund who tweeted? Everything can be faked these days. What¡¯s so hard about


    faking a Ph.D. certificate?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t buy it. The date on the diploma is three years ago. She was 19 then. So she graduated when


    she was 19, not this year!¡±


    ¡°This is definitely a publicity stunt! Only idiots would believe this is true.¡±


    ¡°If it were true, her team would¡¯ve hyped up this prodigy image of hers by now. Why would they wait


    until someone else reveals her fake credentials to mention her


    Ph.D.7¡±


    These negativements so pissed off Gracie that she couldn¡¯t help but cuss, ¡°These people are


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    freaking idiots. Does someone of Edmund¡¯s stature need to lie? Do they not allow others to have higher


    intelligence just because they have lower intelligence themselves?¡±


    ¡°And a publicity stunt? Does Astrid need one?¡±


    ¡°These haters!¡± Gracie was so mad she wanted to smash her phone, but she turned to see Astrid still


    sucking on a lollipop and ying games. Gracie couldn¡¯t sit still any longer, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to see


    what they¡¯re saying about you? You can actually y games at a time like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not money; I can¡¯t please everyone. You find all sorts of information on the inte. It¡¯s normal for


    an actress like me to get criticized.¡± Astrid¡¯s fingers flew across her screen.


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to let them talk smack?¡± Gracie really wanted to tweet back at these haters. But she


    was Astrid¡¯s assistant now, and any slip could affect Astrid. So, she had to keep her anger in check.


    Astrid finally nced up, ¡°Each diploma has a unique number. You can use that to verify whether it¡¯s


    real or fake. Some media outlet would¡¯ve checked by now.¡±


    ¡°News outlets will send people to check at the school for first¨Chand information. The truth wille out


    eventually. You said it yourself; they¡¯re haters; they won¡¯t believe anything I say. So why waste my


    breath?¡±


    Gracie: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Even so..¡± Gracie said as she scrolled through the trending topics. She suddenly gasped, ¡°Oh my god,


    are you a psychic? You were right! Someone did check your diploma, and it¡¯s legit!¡±


    ¡°They even interviewed your ssmates, who confirmed that you were an excellent student when you


    were at school; I can¡¯t believe it!¡±

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175


    Gracie hugged Astrid tightly, ¡°This is so freaking exciting. I know a genius!¡± ¡°You¡¯re bound to be famous


    soon. And you¡¯re about to make a fortune!¡±


    Astrid nced at the overly excited Gracie and curled her lips in distaste. Was it about making high


    money?


    She didn¡¯tck money.


    As the sky gradually darkened, it was already seven in the evening when Elio got home.


    He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. He then went to the back and gently picked up


    Roman, heading home.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Standing at the door, Wylie opened it for him as soon as he saw him and said in a low voice, ¡°Amanda


    and Matthew are here.¡±


    Elio nodded, walked in, and saw Amanda and Matthew sitting on the couch in the living room.


    ¡°I just heard from Lucas Lampard that Astrid has got her Ph.D.?¡± The elderlydy rushed over with her


    phone in hand. Seeing that Roman was asleep, she lowered her voice, ¡°I¡¯ve always thought you


    weren¡¯t good enough for Astrid. Now I think you¡¯re even less so. You guys don¡¯t even have the same


    level of education; how can you be together?¡±


    Matthew twitched his mouth in disgust, ¡°What kind of logic is that? Who says people with different¨C


    levels of education can¡¯t be together?¡±


    ¡°I saw it on the inte! Amanda was very serious, ¡°I was watching a video the other day, and this boy


    was confessing to a girl. The girl said they couldn¡¯t be together because they have a different


    vocabry.¡±


    Elio couldn¡¯t help but twitch his eyebrows and patiently said, ¡°Mom, I also have a Ph.D. The elderlydy


    muttered, ¡°Astrid is too outstanding. I told you to study hard, but you didn¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna put Roman to bed first.¡± Elio didn¡¯t want to listen to his mother¡¯s nagging, so he carried


    Roman upstairs.


    After putting Roman to bed, he quietly exited the room. His phone vibrated several times.


    He took it out and saw a message from Orion: ¡°Wow, Elio!!! My genius friend is also a genius like


    you!!!¡±


    Elio: ¡°That¡¯s fate.¡±


    Orion: ¡°But you¡¯re way worse than her; my friend is definitely the best!¡±


    Elio: ¡°Don¡¯t call her a genius anymore.¡±


    Orion: ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Elio: ¡°Because she¡¯s my wife.¡±


    Orion: ¡°¡­¡±


    Orion: ¡°Really???¡±


    Orion sent a bunch of messages in a row, but Elio didn¡¯t look at them.


    Thinking about Astrid¡¯s tweet, Elio could imagine her confident look when she tweeted.


    After thinking for a while, Elio sent Astrid a message: ¡°May I have the pleasure of taking the genius


    beauty out for a meal?¡±


    Elio sent the message while Astrid was on the ne. Astrid only received Elio¡¯s message when she


    Astrid smiled and replied: ¡°You can arrange a time with my assistant.¡±


    A minute after sending the message, Gracie¡¯s phone rang.


    Astrid didn¡¯t pay much attention at first until Gracie answered the phone, ¡°Mr. Lampard? Mr. Lampard,


    how can I assist you?¡±

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176


    Astrid was taken aback She had only joked about setting up an appointment with the assistant!


    But Elio had taken it seriously!


    Gracie said, ¡°Dinner? Astnd is free in the evening for the next few days as she¡¯s filming during the day.


    You can pick her up whenever.¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    Gracie had just agreed to his invitation without even asking her


    After hanging up, Gracie yfully nudged Astrid with her elbow and giggled, ¡°Mr. Lampard asked you


    out for dinner, and I epted for you. Men like Mr. Lampard, nich, loyal, considerate, and handsome,


    are hard toe by. You should cherish him!¡±


    Astrid asked in annoyance, ¡°Why did you ept me? Have you added my brother on WhatsApp yet?¡±


    Gracie nodded, ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯ll keep trying.¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    Back on set, Astrid got busy again.


    Because Astrid¡¯s educational background was public, many shows contacted her.


    Most of them were intellectualpetition variety shows.


    However, Dale had rejected most of the variety shows because of Astrid¡¯s schedule.


    Only a few promoting new dramas Astrid wanted to participate in were left.


    Gracie was confused, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you rejected so many variety shows for Astrid. She¡¯s


    very popr now; shouldn¡¯t she appear on more shows to increase her exposure?¡±


    Dale put down his schedule, looking serious, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Her main focus is on films and TV


    dramas. If she appears on variety shows frequently, it will overshadow her achievements in film and TV.


    Our priority now is to get her good film and TV resources. She will have more work in the future, and


    you will be busier. Thank you for your hard work.¡± Dale patted Gracie¡¯s shoulder and walked out.


    At the door, he turned back, ¡°I¡¯ll be away for a couple of days. Everything is arranged, don¡¯t mess it up,


    got it?¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to hint. I know you¡¯re going diving with Robb. You, who can¡¯t swim, better


    be careful you don¡¯t sink and nevere up!¡±


    Dale scratched his head awkwardly, then quickly left.


    Gracie asked curiously, ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered how did they meet?¡±


    Astrid remembered what happened that day,ughed, but did not borate, ¡°Maybe it was just meant


    to be.¡±


    Was it meant to be?


    Both Selena and Gracie were very curious.


    But no matter how they asked, Astrid wouldn¡¯t say. So they had to give up getting an answer.


    At half past six in the evening, Astrid finished filming and returned to the hotel. She immediately


    received a message from Elio, ¡°Take a shower first; I¡¯ll pick you up


    for dinnerter.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Astrid replied and went to take a shower.


    She dressed casually as usual, ready to leave, but then she returned to her room.


    Looking at her casual outfit in the mirror, she hesitated for a while, then changed into an elegant dress.


    When she left the elevator and started looking around, she didn¡¯t see Elio.


    Instead, a swarm of reporters surged toward her.


    ¡°Astrid, are the rumors true? Do you really have a fianc¨¦?¡±


    ¡°Astrid, can youment on your rtionship status?¡±


    ¡°Astrid, is Hawthome guy really your fianc¨¦?¡±


    ¡°Astrid, Astrid¡°!¡±

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177


    The reporters¡® voices were deafening, full of chaos.


    Her phone, tucked away in her bag, started to buzz non¨Cstop.


    She hadn¡¯t checked her phone before leaving, but if this was already up on the inte, her friends


    would¡¯ve texted her by now.


    These media folks, obviously, were intentionally brought in by someone.


    Weirdly enough, none of them worked for herpany.


    ¡°Quiet!¡± Astrid didn¡¯t choose to run. She removed her sunsses and looked straight into the camera,


    ¡°Hawthorne and I are over. He¡¯s not my fianc¨¦. I¡¯m single. I¡¯ll let you know if I find someone I want to


    spend the rest of my life with. Please only trust official news, and don¡¯t believe in these baseless


    rumors.¡±


    Reporter: ¡°Astrid, if you have no connection with this Hawthorne guy, why are there rumors saying you


    two are engaged?¡±


    Astrid replied coldly, ¡°Did someone leak information to get you guys to hound me? Is it a sick man?¡±


    Hearing Astrid¡¯s words, everyone¡¯s faces changed.


    Astrid knew she had hit the nail on the head, so she continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t be famous because of


    business interests. I¡¯m not afraid of my love life being exposed. Wnte whatever you want. But if you


    spread rumors, I¡¯ll take legal action.¡±


    ¡°See that surveince camera? It captures all your faces. If you don¡¯t believe me, try me.¡±


    ¡°I have other things to attend to. Sorry, I can¡¯t stick around; goodbye.¡± Astrid put her sunsses back


    on and walked out of the hotel with a smile.


    Elio¡¯s car was parked right outside. She quickly got in.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    When she got in the car, she received a message from Hal: ¡°Are you going with him?¡±


    Astrid replied: ¡°Yes, you sent those reporters, didn¡¯t you? I feel underestimated. Do you think I¡¯m still


    the same person who could be easily manipted by you three years ago? Hal, know when to stop.¡±


    Hal: ¡°What¡¯s so good about him? Is it because he¡¯s rich? Do you believe I can make him penniless in a


    second?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°So what if he bes penniless? I have money; I can take care of him!¡±


    After sending the message, Astrid was a bit surprised.


    She instinctively sent this message to defend Elio.


    After her message, Hal didn¡¯t reply.


    She knew why Hal sent those reporters to harass her. He just wanted to threaten her. He would expose


    her rtionship with Hawthorne if she didn¡¯t obey him.


    Hal didn¡¯t expect she wasn¡¯t afraid of their rtionship being exposed because there was nothing


    inappropriate between her and Hawthorne.


    Elio drove her out of the city. They arrived in the suburbs, a breeze blew over, and she felt her mind


    and body rx.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± Elio asked softly.


    ¡°What?¡± Astrid was a bit surprised but quickly understood Elio¡¯s intentions. He noticed her low spirits


    and purposely brought her here to rx, ¡°I feel much better now, but Elio, where can we find something


    to eat in this remote ce?¡±


    Elio said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you starve. Worst case, you can eat me!¡±


    Astrid said angrily and shamefully, ¡°Buzz off! Who would want to eat you!¡±

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178


    Things got a little awkward in the car.


    Soon afterward, Astrid picked up a familiar floral scent in the air. She turned her head towards Elio in


    surprise.


    Elio caught her gaze and murmured, ¡°Do you know what it is? Let¡¯s get out and see.¡±


    The car stopped.


    Astrid got out of the car. Under the faint moonlight, she saw fields of roses. Several small huts were in


    the middle of the flower field, with a few giant windmills nearby.


    The whole scene looked like something out of a fairy tale..


    Oh my god! Wasn¡¯t this the description she once gave Gracie about her dream home?


    Gracie had betrayed her again!!


    She walked forward and saw a wooden sign in front of a hut: Astrid¡¯s Home.


    ¡°You¡± She turned around to speak, but Elio had already approached.


    He smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She followed Elio into the hut, and the housekeepers inside retreated with a smile.


    Astrid washed her hands and sat down.


    The table dishes weren¡¯t exotic delicacies but all her favorites.


    Even the d¨¦cor and ornaments in the hut were all to her liking,


    This guy was thoughtful.


    She could feel his sincerity.


    Astrid enjoyed this meal a lot.


    When Elio dropped her back at the set, it was around eleven in the evening.


    When she exited the car, Elio asked, ¡°Astrid, did I score any points with you tonight?


    Seeing his earnest expression, Astrid raised an eyebrow, ¡°Today¡¯s dinner was decent, and the hut was


    also nice; I¡¯ll give you 10 points for your effort, just barely passing.¡±


    Elio chuckled, ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll work harder to meet your expectations.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good; good night!¡± Astrid waved at Elio and quickly entered the hotel.


    Looking at her retreating behaivour, Elio¡¯s eyes were filled with warmth.


    That night, Astrid had numerous dreams.


    And they were all over the ce.


    She felt like she hadn¡¯t slept well all night.


    The next day at noon, she was napping in the makeup room when Gracie rushed in, ¡°Astrid, wake up;


    you got a 500k fan bonus on Instagram!¡±


    Astrid opened her eyes in confusion, ¡°What bonus?¡±


    ¡°Your 500k Instagram fan bonus! Are you ying dumb?¡± Gracie rolled her eyes, ¡°Your fans are really


    pitiful. Look at your Instagram; you¡¯ve only posted twice since you¡¯ve opened it; it¡¯s basically forgotten.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you at least post a selfie?¡±


    Astrid¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Do I have to¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do. I¡¯ve already promised your fans that you would post a selfie when you hit 500k. Just sit


    there; I¡¯ll take the photo for you!¡± Gracie said, already pointing the camera at Astrid.


    ¡°You are so beautiful, and your photo can be posted directly!¡± Even while saying this, Gracie started


    editing the photo.


    Astrid yawned, ¡°You know the password; you post it. I don¡¯t want to think about the caption.¡±


    ¡°Okay, no problem!¡± Gracie opened Twitter, instinctively checked the trending topics, and then was


    stunned into silence.


    Because one of the trending topics was: #Elio Lampard, CEO of Morgenster Corporation, confesses to


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Astrid#


    Gracie clicked on it, and a video appeared on the screen.


    Reporter asked, Mr. Lampard, rumors say that Astrid has been clinging to you recently. Is this true?¡±


    Elio responded coldly, ¡°What? I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Gracie couldn¡¯t help but sigh; the Chief¡¯s demeanor was so different when he was with Astrid!


    Reporter asked further, ¡°Paparazzi took photos of you and Astrid having dinner alone. Is she clinging to


    you? As we all know, you don¡¯t like to be around women.¡± After pondering for a few seconds, Elio coldly


    said, ¡°I¡¯m a fan of hers. It¡¯s my honor that she agreed to have dinner with me.¡±


    ¡°If someone between us is clinging, it would be me. If clinging could get her to agree to have dinner


    with me again, I wouldn¡¯t mind being even more persistent.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± Gracie squealed, startling Astrid awake.

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179


    She sat up straight, looking at Gracie, who was bouncing around with her phone, and asked, confused,


    ¡°What¡¯s up with you, Gracie?¡±


    ¡°Astrid, look, look at this!¡± Gracie was so excited that she was about to lose her voice ¡°He is so bold,


    openly dering his love on the live stream of an international business summit! Look at his gentle


    expression when he mentioned you. Astrid, you should marry a guy like this!¡±


    ¡°I admire his character of speaking out loud when he likes something. That reporter obviously wanted


    to stir up trouble, but his words expertly defused the situation and generously expressed his love. How


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    amazing is that!¡±


    Gracie kept mumbling to herself while Astrid, watching the video content, slightly furrowed her brows.


    She returned the phone to Gracie, took out her own, and realized that it had turned off because of a


    dead battery.


    No wonder she didn¡¯t receive any messages from Chad.


    But she had taken a quick look, and there was no news about her pestering him as the woman had


    imed. Clearly, the woman wanted to stir up trouble.


    That woman wanted to create the impression that she was trying to cling to a rich man.


    After all, Elio was perceived as a cold and heartless man who disliked women.


    She saw it very clearly. After Elio spoke, the reporter was speechless.


    Elio¡¯s wordspletely caught her off guard.


    But that Elio, he indeed had a thick skin.


    ¡°Astrid, are we still going to post this photo?¡± Gracie asked softly.


    Astrid yawned, ¡°Let¡¯s not post it for now. Most of my 5 million fans are here because of my Astar


    identity. I¡¯ll go home tonight and record a magic video for them, much more substantial than a photo.¡±


    ¡°No way; even though most are magic fans, other fans also like your appearance. How could you not


    post selfies?¡± Gracieughed, ¡°Plus, I¡¯ve already edited the photo; you can¡¯t let my hard work go to


    waste, can you?¡±


    Astrid red at her, ¡°Fine, post it, but don¡¯t edit it too much. It¡¯s alright to post the original.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry~¡± Gracie went to post on Instagram. Astrid took the phone to charge it and


    then went to the set.


    Because of this video, Astrid became the topic of discussion again.


    Someizens thought they were a great match, but others talked behind their backs, saying Elio was


    ying around.


    Recently, Astrid had been a regr on the hot search list, gaining exposure and negativements.


    The poprity of the video kept rising, and Jon, who had just finished apetition, saw the video and


    immediately messaged the group: ¡°Star!Star!Star, what¡¯s! up? What¡¯s up?¡±


    Jon: ¡°I have to tell you, this guy has been eyeing Star because his son is adorable, and Star love


    children, so he always uses his son as an excuse to get close to our Star!


    Jon: ¡°He¡¯s very cunning; I don¡¯t like him!¡±


    Brandon: ¡°I noticed too; that guy really has no shame!¡±


    Rickon: ¡°Well, actually, I think this guy is okay.¡±


    Robb&Brandon&Jon: ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Rickon: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180


    Astnd¡¯s phone was dead, so he didn¡¯t see the messages from these people at all.


    In the Lampard family¡¯s vi, Amanda Was ying a mobile game on the sofa. Suddenly, a message


    popped up on the phone.


    This was from Lucas Lampard.


    She ignored it, and Lucas Lampard started texting again after a while.


    And it was all expressions.


    Amanda lost because the message kept blocking the screen. She immediately became irate.


    She quickly exited the game, opened WhatsApp, and held down the voice button to scold: ¡°Lucas


    Lampard, are you looking for trouble? What kind of expression did you send? I lost!¡±


    After sending the voice, Amanda looked at the emoticons, swiped to the top, and saw a lot of links with


    very attractive titles.


    ¡°Shocked, the billionaire actually confessed his love to the female Star in public!¡±


    ¡°Heroes always find it hard to resist the temptation of beautiful women; the president of Morgenster


    Corporation fell in love with a female star¡±


    ¡°Revealing the unspoken rules of the entertainment industry again, the brokeragepany has such a


    rtionship with its female stars¡±


    ¡°The Billionaire Speaks at a Business Summit, Shocking the Inte-


    Seeing this news, the olddy couldn¡¯t help being curious and immediately clicked in to read them.


    After clicking in, she saw Elio¡¯s interview video.


    ¡°Look! Come here quickly!¡± Amanda hurried upstairs with her mobile phone, ¡°ome and see; he finally


    made a move!¡±


    The grandpa and grandson who were nting flowers on the balcony, turned their heads with puzzled


    faces when they heard what the olddy said.


    After seeing the video on the olddy¡¯s mobile phone, they looked at each other and said in unison:


    ¡°Shameless!¡±


    Elio¡¯s face was hideous after the live broadcast of the business summit ended.


    Carson has not seen Elio so angry for a long time, but he can guess the reason, so he said


    immediately: ¡°Chief, I checked, that woman is not a reporter ¨¤t all. Her credentials are all fake. And I


    also checked; Hal arranged for her toe on purpose.¡±


    Hal?


    Elio¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Carson immediately handed over the phone, and a red dot was disyed on the screen, ¡°Here!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Elio finished, and Carson immediately drove.


    Half an hourter, the car stopped under Astrid¡¯s apartment.


    And Hal¡¯s location was in the building opposite Astrid.


    Carson looked up to the opposite building just in time to see the curtains of the house opposite Astrid¡¯s


    house being drawn, and Hal was standing in front of the


    window.


    He seemed to have expected them toe.


    He was smiling all over his face now, and he didn¡¯t look panicked at all.


    Hal¡¯s weird smile made Carson a little ufortable, and he whispered, ¡°Chief, let me go up with you;


    this person doesn¡¯t look normal.¡±


    ¡°No, you just wait here for me.¡± Elio quickly walked into the elevator.


    He had been cautious about dinner with Astrid but was still photographed.


    That would mean that someone somehow kept tabs on Astrid¡¯s every move. Wherever she went, that


    person would know.


    That day¡¯s incident was just Hal challenging him.


    Hal just wanted to tell him that he would destroy Astrid¡¯s acting dream if he didn¡¯t leave Astrid himself.


    Stepping out of the elevator, Elio walked straight into the house.


    ¡°Are you here? What do you want to drink?¡± Hal waved to Elio when he saw Elio walk in. He had such


    a big smile, like they were best friends.

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181


    Elio gave Hol a cold look and said, ¡®Do you think this will make me give up on her?¡±


    ¡°No, you misunderstood.¡± Hal poured himself a ss of red wine, ¡°I just came today to talk to you about


    her.¡±


    Elio walked to the windows, where Astrid¡¯s house could be seen. He didn¡¯t answer Hal¡¯s words but


    suddenly said, ¡°It seems you like to watch our family¡¯s life very much. Did you enjoy watching it?¡±


    Hearing Elio¡¯s words, Hal¡¯s hand holding the wine ss tightened suddenly, ¡°A family? You are not a


    family; don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±


    He had seen the scene that made him tremble with anger many times!


    Elio sneered, ¡°You lose your cool so easily, how could you make a big deal?¡±


    Seeing the sarcasm in the corner of Elio¡¯s eyes, Hal put his ss on the table heavily.


    The wine ss was shaken violently, and the red wine spilled out. The red wine dripped on the back of


    Hal¡¯s thin hand, which looked a little disturbing.


    He looked at Elio standing in front of the window and said softly, ¡°I investigated you.¡±


    Elio raised his eyebrows and didn¡¯t say much.


    Hal was really fed up with Elio¡¯s contemptuous eyes and said directly: ¡°She is not as perfect as you


    imagined. Do you know her past?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Seeing that Elio didn¡¯t respond, Hal said: ¡°If she had a boyfriend, would you still like her like this?¡±


    Elio¡¯s eyes changed slightly.


    Hal saw this and said, ¡°She and I lived under the same roof for a long time. Don¡¯t you want to know


    what we did during that time?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right; it¡¯s not hard to guess. We just did some things between men and women.¡±


    ¡°Have you finished?¡± Elio finally spoke, and his eyes became colder.


    Hal looked at him, ¡°Do you really not care? Don¡¯t you care about everything between me and her? Stop


    pretending. Who are your pretending to be calm for?¡±


    Elio slowly turned around and walked towards Hal, ¡°Even if she once had a boyfriend, that man wasn¡¯t


    you.¡±


    Elio¡¯s words pierced into Hal¡¯s heart like a sharp thorn.


    He clenched his fists tightly, his veins throbbing.


    ¡°Who said it wasn¡¯t me? It was me!!!¡± Elio¡¯s words broke Hal¡¯s calmness, ¡°It¡¯s me, it¡¯s me!!!¡±


    Hal started coughing frantically because of his agitation.


    He was coughing out of breath, his brow was covered with sweat, and he looked like he might faint at


    any moment.


    Elio said, ¡°If it was you, why are you so excited?¡±


    Seeing that Elio was about to leave, Hal shouted towards his back, ¡°You are a person with strong


    cleanliness. How could you ept that your woman had another man before you?¡±


    Elio walked to the door, his footsteps paused lightly, and then he turned his head, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with


    her having a man before? I have had a woman before her. It¡¯s not my first time.¡±


    ¡°Also, I have a son. In some people¡¯s words, I have a child to care for. I should feel fortunate that she


    doesn¡¯t dislike me.¡±

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182


    Elio¡¯s words left Hal dumbfounded. He thought he had Elio all figured out.


    Cold and arrogant, that was his vibe.


    But who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d say something like that?


    Still unconvinced, Hal tried again, ¡°But me and her¡­¡±


    ¡°You and her?¡± Elio interjected with a smirk, ¡°I wish I knew her sooner to keep her safe from a loon like


    you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Hal was shaking with rage, about to retort, when he got a message from his men, ¡°Boss, our


    operations have been sabotaged. Many of our guys have been arrested and our smuggled goods have


    been seized at customs. We¡¯ve suffered massive losses¡­¡±


    He looked up at the man before him as another message came in.


    One bad news after another, all was about his business going down.


    His business empire, carefully built over the years, was crumbling in a heartbeat.


    ¡°This is just the beginning. If you dare to meddle in her career, I¡¯ll expose all your dirtyundry and


    make sure you end up behind bars.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing it now only because I don¡¯t take pleasure in picking


    on the weak.¡± After saying this, Elio walked out of the room.


    Hal watched Elio¡¯s retreating figure.


    For the first time, he felt fear.


    It took him a decade to build his business empire, remaining under the radar of internationalw


    enforcement, yet Elio managed to dismantle it so effortlessly.


    Who the hell is this guy?


    Carson immediately opened the car door downstairs when he saw Elioing out, quietly asking,


    ¡°Chief, how did it go?¡±


    ¡°Nothing major; let¡¯s head back.¡± Elio got in the car, recalling Hal¡¯s manic appearance; his expression


    grew even colder.


    Knowing that she had a boyfriend before disappointed him, but mostly he felt sympathy.


    She would have suffered a lot being harassed by that nutjob Hal.


    In the future, he would treat her even better.


    A few dayster, the movie shooting wrapped up.


    Carlos presented Astrid with flowers, smiling, ¡°Astrid, it was such a pleasure having you in my film.


    Your talent is evident to all of us, and I hope we get the chance to work together again.¡±


    ¡°Director, I should be the one thanking you. After all, I¡¯m a neer, and you entrusted me with the


    lead role, which is a huge endorsement. I, too, look forward to our next coboration.¡± Astrid spoke


    from her heart. Because casting a newbie as the lead in a big¨Cbudget film required a lot of courage.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Despite minor hups during the shoot, Carlos and the film crew were highly professional and


    excellent.


    Being part of this film was a stroke of luck.


    ¡°Astar, I have something to tell you!¡± Teresa blushed as she ran up to Astrid with a small box, looking


    utterly adorable.


    Astrid pinched her little face, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Teresa handed the box to Astrid, stuttering, ¡°I made it myself. I was nning to give it to you when I


    marry Astar, but it seems I can¡¯t marry you now, so I thought I¡¯d give it to you now.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t open it now; wait till you get home. Can you promise me that?¡±

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183


    ¡°Okay then.¡± Astrid looked down at the delicate little box in her hand, full of curiosity.


    But she had promised Teresa not to look at it now, so she wouldn¡¯t.


    Seeing Astrid ept her gift, Teresa smiled softly, her eyes full of joy. ¡°You¡¯ve taught me a lot during


    our time on the set. I was really nervous when I first started, but with you there, I gradually got used to


    it; you made me feel safe.¡±


    ¡°You taught me a lot about acting and gave me confidence. I will keep pushing myself, and hopefully,


    we can work together again in the future.¡±


    As she spoke, Teresa¡¯s eyes started to well up.


    Holding back her tears, she looked at Astrid and continued, ¡°I used to be¡­ insecure. I¡¯ve been in the


    business for years without making a ssh. But after seeing your magic videos, I started learning


    magic, and it¡¯s because of magic that I had the chance to be part of this movie.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    By the end, Teresa was choking up so much she couldn¡¯t speak.


    Astrid gently hugged her andforted her softly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me; you should be thanking


    yourself. You never gave up; you kept practicing magic. Keep it up; I¡¯ll see you on a bigger stage.¡±


    Teresa burst into tears at this gentle encouragement, ¡°Why do you have to be a girl, huh? Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really heartbroken¡­¡±


    Gracie was initially moved but couldn¡¯t help butugh at Teresa¡¯s words, ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Teresa, you are just too cute.¡±


    ¡°Do you still want to marry our Astrid? Aren¡¯t you afraid that Mr. Lampard will fire you?¡± The more


    Gracie thought about it, the cuter she found Teresa. She pulled her from Astrid¡¯s arms and said


    thoughtfully, ¡°No more crying. You can¡¯t always be this fragile when we¡¯re not around, or you¡¯ll get


    bullied, okay?¡±


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Tears streaming down her face, Teresa said, ¡°I understand.¡±


    After a long talk, Gracie and Astrid left the set and drove home.


    Close to home, Gracie¡¯s phone rang.


    She was driving and didn¡¯t look at the message. Gracie stretchedzily when they arrived at Astrid¡¯s


    apartment, ¡°Astrid, you have a week off. What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I want to sleep, and you should rest too. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Astrid hugged Gracie gently, ¡°You can


    take the car. I probably won¡¯t go out these few days. If I need to, I have another sports car.¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll take a cab home. Roman loves your Pikachu car; he¡¯s waiting for you to take him for a


    ride.¡± Gracie said, took her suitcase out of the trunk, yawned, and walked away.


    Standing by the roadside waiting for a cab, her phone buzzed. She took it out and saw that Astrid had


    transferred 50,000 to her.


    Astrid: ¡°Treat yourself.¡±


    Gracie: ¡°Oh my god, Astrid, didn¡¯t you already give me a bonus? Another 50k? Did you get your pay


    yet? Do you still have money after giving me this?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Rx, my money is more than enough to support you.¡±

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184


    Seeing the news, Gracie burst outughing.


    Gracie: ¡°Then thank you!¡±


    Astrid received the message and smiled slightly.


    The job of a star assistant might look morous to outsiders, but only people in the circle would know


    how tedious and tiring the job could be.


    Recently, Gracie had lost a lot of weight, which seemed to be due to work pressure.


    When she was pregnant, Gracie helped her desperately. Then, she indeed wanted to help her well.


    Astrid stepped out of the elevator and was about to open the door when he saw a mess of footprints at


    the door.


    And these footprints were not dry yet; it seemed that someone had just entered the house not long ago.


    It should not be Elio and Roman because Elio attended a meeting today.


    So who could it be?


    Before she could figure it out, the door suddenly opened.


    Jon¡¯s face suddenly appeared in her sight, ¡°Star, wee home!!¡±


    Astrid put the suitcase in front of him, a little displeased, ¡°Why do youe here when you have time?


    Aren¡¯t you going to focus on training?¡±


    Jon took the suitcase self¨Cconsciously.


    Astrid entered the house and found three other people sitting inside besides Jon.


    Robb sat in the middle, and the other two brothers sat beside him.


    They looked like they were about to interrogate her.


    She panicked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Robb turned his head slightly, ¡°What¡¯s going on with you and Elio?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you very clear?¡± Astrid walked over directly and sat on the small sofa beside him, looking very


    confident,¡±My bodyguards were all arranged by you; you should have known that Elio was chasing me;


    I don¡¯t think you stopped me; I thought you were acquiescing.¡±


    Brandon took off his sunsses and turned to look at Robb, ¡°Robb, what¡¯s wrong with you? You


    already knew?¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Robb remained expressionless and said tly, ¡°I know, I have nothing against him chasing you, but that


    doesn¡¯t mean he can confess his love to you in public.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your problem, Star? Where is your rtionship with him? You¡¯re not with him anymore, are


    you?¡± As soon as Jon said that, the eyes of the other three brothers immediately looked at her.


    Those eyes looked like machine guns to Astrid.


    If she nodded, she would be criticized by them right away.


    Sheughed immediately, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m such a casual person?¡±


    The men in the room immediately breathed a sigh of relief.


    Astrid understood that things might be bad for Elio if she said something about her and Elio that day.


    Robb didn¡¯t wear a suit that day but a casual outfit.


    That was not for the convenience of fighting.


    The room had an eerie atmosphere, and after a while, Robb stood up and walked toward Astrid.


    Astrid stared at her wide¨Ceyed, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Robb didn¡¯t fully express what he meant but slowly raised his hand and gently ced it on top of her


    head, ¡°We don¡¯t want you to face life alone, but your marriage must be carefully considered; we Just


    hope you can find someone who will cherish you. We can¡¯t always be there for you to protect you, so


    we hope you will think carefully before making any decisions.¡±

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185


    ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡± Astrid looked into Robb¡¯s eyes, gripping his hand. ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, and I won¡¯t


    rush into anything; I¡¯ll think it through.¡±


    ¡°I installed an emergency device in your room. If anything goes south, just hit it and security will be


    there in a sh, Robb, still holding her hand, led her to the door and showed her the device. ¡°Even


    though you¡¯ve got some fighting skills and can handle your average Joe, you¡¯re still a girl, don¡¯t get too


    reckless, okay?¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Astrid knew he was just worried about her, so she let him be.


    ¡°Hey, Star, why don¡¯t you move in with me?¡± Jon sauntered over, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°I¡¯ll probably


    stop worrying if you do.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Brandon scoffed. ¡°Star would be better off living with me. Your ce looks like a dump; how can


    anyone live there? How could we let our Star live in a ce like that?¡±


    Jon bristled, ¡°Brandon! Who are you calling a dumpster dweller?¡±


    Brandon: ¡°You, I¡¯m talking about you!¡±


    Watching the two of them bickering again, Astrid shook her head helplessly.


    She remembered when she first returned to the Brooke family, the two brothers were at each other¡¯s


    throats over who should buy her a gift. Three yearster, they hadn¡¯t changed a bit.


    Anytime it had to do with her, they could start a fight.


    Watching his two bickering brothers from the sidelines, Rickon sidled up to Astrid and whispered, ¡°Star,


    are you running low on cash?¡±


    Astrid was torn betweenughter and tears.


    Every time Rickon messaged her, he, like always, asked the same question: Star, do you have enough


    money?


    Rickon was usually the silent type, and his face was always devoid of expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not broke; I¡¯m filming a movie, and getting paid for it,¡± Astrid said seriously.


    Rickon frowned, ¡°You¡¯re not famous yet; how much could you be making? I¡¯ll wire you moreter.¡±


    ¡°Also, that Elio¡­¡± Rickon¡¯s words trailed off; he nced at Robb nearby, quickly shoved something into


    her hand, and said, ¡°Keep this safe; look after yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Astrid nodded, her face full of confusion. Watching Rickon leave, she was about to see what he


    gave her when Robb shoved something into her pocket, signaling her to keep safe.


    What was going on with both of them?


    After a while, Jon sneaked over and handed her something, making her promise to keep it a secret,


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell them, okay!¡±


    ¡°By the way, you¡¯ve left Colton at my ce for so long; when are you nning to let him leave?¡±


    Astrid blinked, ¡°Has he been taking his medicines?¡±


    Jon nodded, ¡°He¡¯s been taking them, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be any significant improvement; he¡¯s


    still only lucid for short periods.¡±


    Astrid frowned; he had been on medicines for a while, and that wasn¡¯t right.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    I need to find time to check on him.


    Seeing her frown, Jon said, ¡°Visit him when you can; he wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, if you ever get tired of the entertainment industry, I¡¯ll fly you home! Don¡¯t forget about me!¡±


    Brandon shoved something into her pocket before leaving.


    Astrid was speechless.


    All four of them had left.


    She looked down at her hand, finally seeing what was in it: a mini taser and a small rm device.


    She slowly reached into her pocket: a can of pepper spray and a shlight.


    These guys were really on the same wavelength.


    They all saw Elio as a thug; those were their gifts of self¨Cdefense.

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186


    ¡°Her door¡¯s open; she¡¯s back! Awesome!¡± Roman¡¯s sweet voice echoed from outside the door. Astrid


    turned around and saw the little guy running towards her.


    Dropping what she held onto the couch, she squatted down to pick up Roman, kissing his chubby


    cheek. ¡°Long time no see, Roman. I¡¯ve missed you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too!¡± Roman responded, hugging Astrid¡¯s neck happily. Spotting the odd items on the


    sofa, he eximed, ¡°What are these? Tiny shlights?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Astrid replied with a smile. Elio, however, had already moved to pick up the can


    of pepper spray.


    Raising an eyebrow, he asked, ¡°Did you buy this?¡±


    ¡°Nope, the guys gave it to me,¡± Astrid responded, noticing a slight change in Elio¡¯s expression.


    Elio frowned, ¡°So, you think this stuff would be useful to me?¡±


    ¡°Well, we wouldn¡¯t know unless we try, right?¡± Astrid said, gripping a taser, a smirk on her face.


    Roman, curious, picked up the powerful shlight and directed it into Elio¡¯s eyes. Suddenly Elio couldn¡¯t


    see and shouted, ¡°Roman!!! I¡¯m blind!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!!¡± Roman, terrified at Elio¡¯s reaction, apologized.


    He had no idea this was no ordinary shlight.


    Had he known it would blind Elio, he would never have casually pressed the button.


    Seeing his panic, Astrid soothed him, ¡°Roman, you should only shine this at the bad guys¡® eyes, not


    your dad¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Roman pouted, tears streaming down his face. ¡°Will Elio go blind?¡±


    Astrid shook her head reassuringly, ¡°No, he¡¯ll be able to see again soon.¡±


    ¡°Elio, don¡¯t yell at him,¡± Astrid approached and gently grabbed Elio¡¯s arm, ¡°Come sit and rest a bit.


    Close your eyes, and they¡¯ll recover


    soon.¡±


    ¡°Roman, could you get your dad a ss of water?¡± She asked. Roman immediately went to fetch a


    ss of water.


    Having done something wrong, Roman was unusually obedient.


    Recently, Roman had been spoiled rotten by his grandparents, gaining quite a bit of weight, which


    made him look even cuter.


    His chubby cheeks jiggled as he walked, making Astrid want to squeeze and kiss him.


    ¡°You guys take a break; I¡¯ll make dinner,¡± Astrid was about to get up when Elio suddenly grabbed her


    by the wrist.


    She turned around and waved her hand before his eyes, ¡°You can see already?¡±


    Elio nodded, ¡°A little bit. You¡¯ve been busy all day. Go wash up and rest a bit; I¡¯ll handle the cooking.¡±


    ¡®No biggie, just cooking a meal wouldn¡¯t tire me out,¡± Astrid said, trying to free her hand. Just then, a


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    noise sounded at the door, which


    swung open.


    A skinny man carrying an electric guitar stood in the doorway.


    His hair was fluffy like instant noodles, he had five earrings in his left ear, and he wore ripped jeans. He


    looked very wild.


    A chill shed in his slender eyes after noticing Elio tightly holding Astrid¡¯s hand, ¡°Are you looking to get


    whacked? Who permitted you touch her?¡±

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187


    Elio nced toward the door, but his vision was blurred, and he couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s face.


    Seeing the person at the door, Astrid got up and walked over, her voice full of joy, ¡®Nathan Brooke, what


    brings you here?¡±


    The guy was Nathan, the second son from her uncle¡¯s family.


    Her uncle¡¯s family had two sons, Nash Brooke and Nathan Brooke, whose names hinted at their


    handsome and sophisticated looks.


    Both brothers were educated at home and looked handsome, but their personalities were as different


    as night and day.


    Nash was all about hitting the books.


    On the other hand, Nathan was not academically inclined; his heart was always with music.


    She still remembered when she first arrived at the Brookes, Nash dumped a stack of test papers on


    her, scaring the life out of her.


    Nathan was rough with others, but he was always gentle towards her.


    When she first moved into the Brooke family, she was emotionally unstable due to losing her child;


    Nathan often sat on the balcony with his guitar, singing for her for hours.


    During her most difficult times, Nathan was always by her side.


    The famous song in the entertainment industry that day was what Nathan wrote for her back then.


    ¡°Why am I here?¡± Nathan strode over, unceremoniously poking Astrid¡¯s forehead, ¡°Can¡¯t you keep


    yourself safe, youngdy? Rumors about female stars always surround Elio. If you hang out with him,


    your reputation will be hit!¡±


    ¡°Ha, your reputation will take a big hit!¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Astrid, her head wobbling from the poke, red at him and said, ¡°Nathan, you¡¯ve got it all wrong!¡±


    ¡°Wrong? I¡¯ve done my homework on him; if I weren¡¯t tied up with the national tour, I would¡¯ve taught


    him a lesson long ago.¡± Nathan said, frowning, ¡°Where¡¯s your brother? Didn¡¯t they call me here for a


    meeting?¡±


    A meeting?


    Astrid felt a bit helpless, ¡°They¡¯ve already left; you¡¯rete.¡±


    ¡°Late?¡± Nathan nced at Elio, his eyes filled with coldness, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been sote, how would I have


    caught this shameless guy holding your hand!¡±


    ¡°Nathan, you got it all wrong. His eyes were affected by the spotlight and he couldn¡¯t see, so I let him


    rest here.¡± After Astrid exined, Nathan took a closer look at Elio.


    He noticed that Elio¡¯s eyes did indeed seem to have a problem.


    But whether he could see or not, anyone who dares have designs on his sister is a no¨Cno.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay at your ce for a while to prevent certain people from making any moves on you.¡±


    After saying that, Nathan casually set his guitar aside and sat on the couch.


    Astrid rubbed her aching temples and nodded, ¡°Alright, stay as long as you want.¡±


    Elio felt wronged.


    When Astrid finally had some downtime, he thought he could score some points with her.


    But her brother showed up on the very first day of the holiday.


    They had him under tight surveince.


    When he saw Astrid heading to the kitchen, Nathan was about to y a game on his phone. He


    immediately put down his phone, quickly walked over, and grabbed her cor, ¡°Did I ask you to cook?


    Go rest; you¡¯re always like this.¡±

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188


    ¡°I was just cooking¡­¡± Astrid didn¡¯t even finish her sentence before Nathan yanked her out of the


    kitchen, shutting the door behind them. Astrid helplessly shook her head, only to see Roman sitting


    fearfully on the couch, visibly shaken.


    ¡°Roman, don¡¯t be scared. He¡¯s just loud; he won¡¯t hurt you,¡± Astrid whisperedfortingly.


    Roman extended his chubby little hand to wrap around Astrid¡¯s arm, whispering, ¡°Will he hit Elio?¡±


    ¡°No, he won¡¯t, Astrid gently ruffled Roman¡¯s hair, ¡°He has a beautiful voice. After we eat, I¡¯ll have him


    sing for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Roman obediently nodded. ncing at the guitar by the couch, curiosity filled his eyes, ¡°He


    sings nicely; can you sing too?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Astridughed awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m not really good at singing; how


    about we y a game instead?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Roman gave a sweet smile and snuggled into Astrid¡¯s arms.


    Not too long after, Elio¡¯s vision returned.


    He pulled out his phone and texted Carson: ¡°Can you look up a singer named Nathan who just finished


    his tour?¡±


    Carson: ¡°Are you talking about Nathan? My favorite singer!¡±


    Carson: ¡®Are you going to sign him? I heard his contract is almost up!¡±


    Mentioning his favorite singer, Carson got as excited as a kid in a candy store.


    Elio: ¡°Your idol? Do you know who his idol is? Or, what is his dream?¡±


    Carson: ¡°His idol is the songwriting king Bat! His biggest dream is to share the stage with Bat!¡±


    Elio spun his phone around a few times and nced at Astrid and Roman, who were engrossed in their


    game on the carpet. His eyes lit


    up before he typed: ¡°Have we confirmed the guest for our group¡¯s Summer Water Park opening


    ceremony?¡±


    Carson: ¡°Not yet; this water park is the biggest in the world; we must be cautious about choosing


    guests.¡±


    Elio: ¡°The guests must include Bat and Nathan; start arranging it now.¡±


    Carson: ¡°But Bat is an international superstar. His fees are high, and his schedule is hard to


    amodate.¡±


    Elio: ¡°I will personally invite him; you prepare the contracts.¡±


    Carson was stunned; his boss knew an international superstar.


    But since his boss had given him a task, he had to do it. So, he started preparing contracts


    immediately.


    About half an hourter, Nathan had finished cooking.


    Roman feared Nathan, so he stuck to Astrid and followed her into the kitchen to carry out the dishes,


    hoping to win Nathan.


    Nathan looked down at the kid beside him, ¡°Little buddy, you should go out; the dishes are hot.¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t help, will you still feed me?¡± Roman asked very seriously.


    Nathan¡¯s eyes softened, ¡°Of course, you¡¯re such a good boy; you¡¯ll get to eat.¡±


    Roman smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He happily walked towards the door, but he turned back to Nathan at the kitchen entrance and said,


    ¡°Can you give my dad a bowl of rice? He hasn¡¯t eaten yet today.¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Nathan paused, looking into Roman¡¯s big eyes. Heughed, ¡°For your sake, I¡¯ll give him a bowl of rice.¡±

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189


    Roman said, ¡°Thank you; you¡¯re the best!¡±


    A twitch appeared at the corner of Astrid¡¯s mouth; this little bugger knew how to tter.


    Everyone had a great time chowing down.


    Nathan¡¯s cooking skills were top¨Cnotch; Roman was eating like there was no tomorrow, ¡°Your food is so


    good!¡±


    Nathan replied with a grin, ¡°If you like, you can stick around; I can cook for you tomorrow too.¡± Just as


    he finished speaking, a phone on the table rang.


    He nced at it; it was his agent, so he picked up, ¡°What¡¯s up? Didn¡¯t I say I¡¯d be hanging out with my


    sister these days?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Bat wants to perform with me?¡± Nathan¡¯s excitement had him springing up from his seat. He


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth and continued, ¡°Cool, got it. I¡¯ll book a flight ASAP!¡±


    Hanging up, Nathan picked up his guitar and said, ¡°Star, I¡¯ve got some urgent business. Here, take this;


    stay safe!¡±


    ¡°See you around, kiddo!¡± Nathan handed Astrid a massive taser from his bag, ruffled Roman¡¯s hair, and


    dashed off.


    Watching Nathan leave, Elio leisurely sipped his soup.


    Perfect, finally, no one to disturb their peaceful family time.


    After Dinner, Astrid tidied up the house and was about to rest when she received a message from Jon:


    ¡°Star, Colton¡¯s in a bad way; he¡¯s been causing a stir all night. You muste over ASAP, or he will


    tear my ce apart!¡±


    Astrid frowned; he¡¯d been on medication for so long, and the toxins in his body should have been


    almost eliminated; what could be going wrong?


    She pondered momentarily, then stood up and said to Elio, who was working, ¡°I need to step out.¡±


    Elio stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll drive you.¡±


    ¡°No need; Roman will need to sleep soon; you stay with him.¡± With that, Astrid grabbed her car keys


    and headed out.


    The traffic was a bit jammed.


    It was alreadyte when she reached Jon¡¯s apartmentplex.


    She had just stepped out of the elevator when she heard noises from Jon¡¯s apartment.


    ¡°For crying out loud, Colton, what the hell is wrong with you! I¡¯ve had just about enough!¡±


    ¡°Put that down; that¡¯s my keyboard!¡±


    ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t smack you?¡±


    ¦°


    Realizing the situation was severe, Astrid quickly rang the doorbell.


    A few secondster, the door opened. Jon, seeing her, looked like he¡¯d seen his savior, ¡°Star, you¡¯re


    finally here!¡±


    ¡°Uhm, Colton, what are you doing?¡± Astrid shouted into the apartment.


    Upon hearing her voice, Colton just stared at her nkly.


    Jon was hopping around on hot coals, ¡°Star, Star, my keyboard, my keyboard!¡±


    Astrid knew how vital that keyboard was to Jon, so she immediately said, ¡°Can you put the keyboard


    down, please?¡±


    ¡°Beauty took you long enough!¡± Colton obediently put down the keyboard and, with a wronged look on


    his face, walked towards Astrid, pointing at Jon, and startedining, ¡°You told him to take good


    care of me, but he¡¯s been torturing me, making me eat all kinds of disgusting things, and even made


    me drink stinky soup!¡±


    Stinky soup?


    Astrid gave Jon a puzzled look. Jon, clutching his keyboard, guiltily said, ¡°Well, I was in a rush this


    morning and didn¡¯t have time to make fresh medicine, so I gave him the leftovers from yesterday. After


    he took the medicine, who knew it had gone bad? He drank it and then turned into this¡­¡±

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190


    Astrid nced around the room; looking like it had survived a disaster. Astrid was nursing a headache.


    ¡°Did I ever tell you that all medicines should be made fresh and drunk on the same day? He¡¯s got


    poison in him. If the medicine is expired, it¡¯ll have toxins. If he drinks it, of course, he¡¯ll have problems.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you rushing off to brew the medicine again?¡± Astrid red at Jon. Jon immediately dashed


    into the kitchen to prepare the


    medicine.


    It took Astrid a considerable amount of time to calm Colton down.


    Looking at Colton, who was dozing off on the recliner, Astrid bent down to tidy up the messy room. Just


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    as she turned around, a deep voice came from behind her. ¡°Astrid.¡±


    Astrid quickly turned around to see Colton, who was supposed to be asleep, was wide awake and


    looking at her.


    His eyes were clear and bright.


    ¡°Colton, are you awake?¡± Astrid asked, then Colton across from her nodded.


    Seeing a not¨Cso¨Cdumb Colton, Astrid felt a bit out of ce.


    Colton nced at the messy room and slightly shook his head. ¡°Astrid, I want to tell you something.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Astrid quirked a curious eyebrow. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Actually, the day Sandra brought you to my room, I was sober.¡± At Colton¡¯s words, Astrid¡¯s heart


    tightened.


    She had always thought she was smart but hadn¡¯t seen through Colton¡¯s act.


    This guy¡¯s acting skills were seriously top¨Cnotch.


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s surprised expression, Colton gave a small smile. ¡°Sometimes I¡¯m awake; sometimes


    I¡¯m dazed. But in front of Farrah, I¡¯ve been ying dumb for twenty¨Cthree years. So it¡¯s normal that you


    didn¡¯t catch on.¡±


    Astrid pushed some things away behind her chair and sat down. ¡°You should consider yourself lucky


    that you didn¡¯t make any inappropriate moves on me, otherwise, you would have been knocked down


    on the spot.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Colton stood up, taking a deep sigh. ¡°Thank you, Astrid. If not for you, I might be dead by


    now.¡±


    Astrid shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get involved in your family affairs. I helped you because you consider


    me a friend.¡±


    ¡°In return, I¡¯ll tell you a secret.¡± Colton¡¯s gaze deepened. ¡°Four and a half years ago, I saw you.¡±


    Astrid¡¯s heart clenched. ¡°You saw me? Where?¡±


    ¡°At Misen International Hotel. You were drunk, and someone carried you into the hotel. Because you


    slipped from their shoulder and fell, I saw your face¡­¡±


    ¡°What did the person carrying me look like? Do you remember any distinct features?¡± Astrid stood up


    immediately. ¡°Colton, think carefully. This is very important to me!¡±


    Colton furrowed his brows, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the person was wearing a mask; I didn¡¯t see his face. But he was


    very tall, about 1.95 meters. I was only sober for a short while and quickly became groggy.¡±


    Whenever Colton was sober, he would remember the astonishing face he saw that day.


    The day Sandra brought someone in, he recognized her right away.


    From the beginning, he never had any intention to harm her.


    ¡°Very tall?¡± Astrid frowned. The feature of being ¡®very tall¡® wasn¡¯t very distinctive and wasn¡¯t very


    helpful.


    After pondering for a few seconds, Astrid suddenly remembered something and looked up quickly. ¡°Did


    he have a mole on his left eyebrow?¡±


    ¡°A mole?¡± Colton frowned.


    After about ten seconds, he nodded vigorously, pointing to the spot above his left eyebrow. ¡°Right here,


    a raised ck mole. Big!¡±


    Astrid felt a shock go through her, her body instantly going cold.


    It was him!!!

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s expression turn stem suddenly, Colton immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s up? You know the


    guy?¡±


    Astrid nodded, ¡°Yeah, I know him. Thanks.¡±


    Astrid got up and went to theputer, reconnecting Jon¡¯s keyboard.


    Colton watched her fingers fly across the keyboard, full of curiosity but didn¡¯t approach to peek.


    After a while, Astrid got up and shouted towards the kitchen, Jon, take care of Colton. I gotta bounce!¡±


    ¡°Hold up, where are you headed? What if he smashes the keyboard again?¡± Jon rushed out from the


    kitchen, but Astrid was already


    gone.


    Seeing theputer still running, he went over to check.


    There were two photos on the screen. The guys in the photos looked alike, except one had a mole


    above his eyebrow while the other didn¡¯t.


    The screen also showed a location, a bar.


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal? Why was Astrid looking up this guy?¡± Jon asked Colton, then pped his forehead,


    ¡°Man, I¡¯m stupid; how would you know?¡±


    Jon went over and locked the door, ¡°You gotta stay in the house, stay away from the windows, and wait


    for me to make a concoction for you, got it?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± Colton obediently sat on the sofa, hands on his knees, sitting up straight.


    He looked like a preschooler.


    Jon chuckled at him and then headed into the kitchen.


    Meanwhile, Astrid had already exited the elevator.


    The night breeze was cool. She got in her car, but instead of starting it immediately, she called Robb.


    Robb didn¡¯t pick up. Just as she was about to call again, Robb called back..


    Astrid answered, ¡°I need twenty bodyguards waiting for me at Bush Bar.¡±


    ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t lend me your guys, I can call in my own. They¡¯re a bit far from here, and I don¡¯t have a


    minute to spare.¡± Astrid¡¯s voice was cold, a tone Robb hadn¡¯t heard in a long time.


    Robb realized something could be seriously wrong.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll notify them right away. Be careful.¡± Robb hung up and got up to change clothes.


    Dale was holding a bunch of grilled meat when he saw a stern¨Clooking Robb about to head out. He


    asked in surprise, ¡°What¡¯re you up to? Going to throw down or something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got stuff to handle. You should hit the hay; don¡¯t wait up.¡± He lowered his hat and snatched the


    grilled meat from Dale¡¯s hand as he left, ¡°I¡¯ve told you a million times, your gut isn¡¯t good. You should


    ¡®No, it¡¯s not that spicy. Can¡¯t you show some mercy?¡± When Robb shot him a cold look, Dale hadn¡¯t


    finished speaking, making him ¡°etract his neck immediately, ¡°Sorry, boss, I¡¯ve deeply realized my


    mistake.¡±


    Robb nodded in satisfaction and closed the door behind him.


    Dale crouched by the window, watching Robb¡¯s car leave the vi. He immediately took out his phone


    to order a takeaway.


    Then he realized the inte was down.

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192


    Robb sent me a message: ¡°I cut off the inte, so your takeout might not be happening today. I¡¯ve got


    food in the kitchen. Chow down and hit the hay early.¡±


    This ticked Dale off. He angrily thumped the window a few times, but what can you do? He took his


    grumbling to the shower and got ready for bed.


    When Astrid rocked up at the Bush Bar, the bouncers were already there waiting.


    She didn¡¯t roll up in her shy car to keep things under the radar but took a cab instead.


    As soon as she stepped out, the bouncer Fenton hustled over.


    Seeing Astrid all geared up, Fenton quickly dropped what he was doing and said, ¡°Ms. Irvine, you¡¯re


    here?¡±


    Robb had asked him to prepare a mask, hat, and sunsses for Ms. Irvine, but Astrid had already


    sorted that out.


    ¡°Yeah, follow me.¡± Astrid quickly headed into the bar. The security inside saw Astriding in with a


    posse and were quick to try and stop them.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to find someone,¡± Astrid said coolly, with a hint of politeness.


    ¡°You can go in, but the bodyguards can¡¯t.¡±


    Naturally, the bodyguards weren¡¯t about to let Astrid go in alone. Fenton stepped forward and said


    sternly, ¡°We¡¯re just here to find someone; we¡¯re not looking for trouble. But if you¡¯re not cool with that,


    we can y hardball.¡±


    ¡°Hardball?¡± The guyughed mockingly. ¡°You¡¯ve got numbers, but we¡¯re not short¨Cstaffed either. I¡¯d


    love to see how you¡¯re going to y hardball.¡±


    ¡°You guys want to start something? Do you know who owns this bar?¡±


    ¡°Get over here now! We¡¯ve got troublemakers!¡± He called his mates over the walkie¨Ctalkie, then sized


    up the slight figure before him.


    He thought Astrid was just some rich girl looking for her boyfriend, so heughed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen


    loads like you. Clingy and annoying.¡±


    As soon as he finished, a bunch of security guys swarmed over.


    The tension was palpable; a fight could break out any second.


    A guy smoking a cigar and wearing a chunky gold chain walked over just then. He looked at Astrid and


    sneered, ¡°Do you know who I am? You¡¯ve got some nerve trying to mess with my turf.¡±


    Astrid looked at the guy in front of her and scoffed, ¡°So you¡¯re the boss here?¡±


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me. And as long as I¡¯m the boss, you¡¯re not setting foot in this bar!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Astrid blinked, ¡°How much for this bar? I¡¯m thinking about buying it.¡±


    ¡°Buy?¡± The guy burst outughing, ¡°You can¡¯t afford it! Thest time someone offered 10 million, I didn¡¯t


    sell. You think hiring a few bodyguards makes you a rich kid?¡±


    ¡°A little girl is trying to y rich and look for trouble. Let me tell you we value our customers¡® privacy


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    here. I¡¯m not letting you in today!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 15 million. I¡¯m buying.¡±


    ¡°15 million?¡± The guy was so shocked he could barely speak. He was in debt from gambling and


    wanted to sell the bar for a while, but the offers were too low with the highest being only 9 million.

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193


    A girl whose face couldn¡¯t be seen offere 18 million just like that?


    Unbelievable


    But those days, many wealthy folks preferred to keep their privacy, to the guy thought about it and


    casually asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your dough


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, whipped out her phone, and showed him a text with her bank bnce. I got


    the bucks, but before I decide to splurge 15 million. I need to see if this bar is worth it. If you can meet


    my needs, fil buy it if you piss me off, I won¡¯t


    The guy¡¯s face changed immediately when he saw the massive amount in Astrid¡¯s ount if you can


    buy my bar, you¡¯ll be my savior today I¡¯ll do whatever you want. Who were you looking for again? Fil


    take you to him right now! You¡¯re so gorgeous, that guy must be blind to leave you ande to a ce


    like this! He deserves a good lesson!¡±


    Everyone was taken aback by the bar owner¡¯s quick change of heart. They didn¡¯t know what to say


    One minute he was acting all high and mighty, and the next, he changed his tune just by seeing a bank


    bnce.


    Did she really have that much money?


    And they couldn¡¯t even see the girl¡¯s face clearly. It was all covered up.


    And the bar owner was still raving about her beauty?


    What a shameless guy.


    Astrid raised an eyebrow and asked directly, ¡°Where¡¯s Warren Santos? Take me to him.¡±


    ¡°Ainght, let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to him, the owner bowed and scraped in front of Astrid and everyone was


    at a loss for words.


    ¡°What are you all looking at? Get back to work!¡± the guy barked, and everyone quickly scattered.


    ¡°Here, this is the ce. I¡¯ll be off if you don¡¯t need me anymore,¡± the guy said, hunching over and


    leaving humbly.


    Through the ss door of the private room, Astrid saw Warren Santos getting cozy with a woman.


    Warren Santos, Fannie¡¯s biological brother, is a retired basketball yer. He¡¯s a big guy.


    Back in high school, Warren Santos came to school to find Fannie more than once. Astrid remembered


    him clearly because of the ck


    mole on his eyebrow


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    She got drunk and went to the Santos family. Later, Colton saw her being carried by a man in the hotel.


    If it wasn¡¯t Warren Santos, who


    else could it be?


    ¡°Here, have a drink,e, give me a kiss-.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to feel a little meat on the hand? Hahaha¡­¡­¡±


    Warren Santos was having a st when the door suddenly flew open. He threw a bottle from the table.


    ¡°Get out! Who the hell let you in?¡± Astrid took a few steps forward, pulled out her dagger, wiped it clean,


    and told the women, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be sttered with blood, get the hell out¡­¡±


    The women were frightened by Astrid and her bodyguards and quickly left the room.


    In an instant, only Warren Santos was left on the sofa.


    Waren Santos locked at the woman in front of him, unable to hold back his anger, ¡°Who the hell are


    you? Dare to interrupt my fun?¡±


    ¡°Fun?¡± Astrid sneered, took off her mask and sunsses, leaned close to Warren Santos, and said


    with a smile, ¡°Seeing my face, do you still feel like having fun?


    ¡°Astrid Waren Santos broke out in a cold sweat, he quickly took out his phone to call for help


    But Astrid snatched the phone away as soon as he took it out

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194


    He looked terrified, making Astrid more convinced that her suspicions were right.


    ¡°It¡¯s just you and me here, and I¡¯ve got some questions for you. If you don¡¯t spill the beans, the headline


    in an hour might be ¡®Director Wes Santos¡¯s only son found dead in the streets.¡±


    Warren Santos was scared stiff. The Astrid he remembered was an innocent, kind girl. But the cold


    smile on her face now sent chills down his spine. He stammered to Astrid, ¡°We live in awful society;


    you can¡¯t just harm people. If youy a finger on me, you¡¯ll pay too!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s gonna know I hit you? Who¡¯s going to know I was here?¡±


    Warren Santos pointed to the surveince camera, only to find Astrid¡¯s bodyguard had taken it down.


    He began to yell for help, but no one answered.


    Astrid was losing her patience. She kicked Warren Santos in the face. He fell to the ground


    immediately, and a few bodyguards quickly pinned him down.


    He struggled to get up, only to see the dagger in Astrid¡¯s hand just inches from his eyes.


    Astrid sneered, ¡°Did your family drug me that year and then take me to a hotel? Who was the man in


    the room?¡±


    Warren Santos refused to spill the beans.


    Astrid¡¯s dagger got a little closer; it seemed like it could poke his eye at any moment!


    Warren Santos was on the verge of breaking down. All he heard was Astrid coldly saying, ¡°You thought


    you covered all your tracks? You were seen taking me to the hotel that year, and the person recognized


    you. Why else do you think I¡¯m here? Once this gets out, the reputation of the Santos family will go


    down the drain!¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Warren Santos closed his eyes, ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t threaten me. The power of the Santos family is


    untouchable. If you dare hurt me, PIL¡­¡± Before he could finish, the dagger in Astrid¡¯s hand plunged


    into his hand.


    ¡°I only hurt your hand. To me, you¡¯re nothing more than an ant.¡± Astrid sneered.


    Astrid pulled out the dagger, blood dripped onto Warren Santos¡¯s face, drop by drop.


    When the blood dripped into his eyes, he finally broke, ¡°I¡¯ll talk! Three years ago, Fannie met a high¨C


    ranking official from an entertainmentpany. She wanted to sign with them, but they said unless she


    epted their dirty game, they wouldn¡¯t sign her!¡±


    ¡°Of course Fannie didn¡¯t agree, and our parents wouldn¡¯t let her be humiliated!¡±


    ¡°Starlight Entertainment is a top film and televisionpany. At that time, my father wasn¡¯t famous,


    and even with all his efforts to find connections, they refused to sign.¡±


    ¡°After some discussions, we nned to spike a drink and get someone to rece Fannie.¡±


    ¡°Fannie thought of you. She said you were an adopted child, and no one would care too much if


    anything happened.¡±


    ¡°She arranged to meet you for drinks that day and also arranged to meet that man¡­¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ then she took you back to our house. She had prepared the drug in advance, and as soon as


    you arrived, she gave you water to drink, and then you passed out.¡±


    ¡°Next, I took the universal hotel room card and took you to that man¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°When I got home, I realized I had taken you to the wrong room!¡±

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195


    ¡°Did you send me to the wrong room?¡± Astrid snapped. ¡°You¡¯re lying, I know you guys know who¡¯s


    room you sent me to. Otherwise, why would you destroy all the hotel¡¯s surveince footage as soon as


    I left?¡±


    ¡°Destroy the surveince footage?¡± Warren Santos was taken aback, shaking his head frantically, ¡°No,


    we didn¡¯t destroy any footage!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve spilled the beans already; I wouldn¡¯t lie about the surveince. Dad always favored Fannie, most


    outsiders don¡¯t even know he has a son like me, so Fannie and I never got along since we were kids.¡±


    ¡°When Dad asked me to escort you to the hotel, I was initially reluctant, but Fannie insisted. She¡¯s my


    sister, after all, so I did as I was told.¡±


    ¡°As for what happenedter, I¡¯ve no idea. When I got home that night, I found out I sent you to the


    wrong room and got a good scolding from Dad.¡±


    ¡°But the weird thing is, Starlight Entertainment¡¯s execs called Fannie the next morning and agreed to


    sign her. Later we found out that a girl had identally entered that man¡¯s room that night. I¡¯ve told you


    everything I know; please let me off the hook!¡±


    Warren¡¯s words only added to Astrid¡¯s frustration.


    If it wasn¡¯t the Santos family who tampered with the surveince, then who?


    Before returning to the Brooke family, she was just an unloved adoptee of the Irvine family; she never


    offended anyone, let alone had enemies.


    She wouldn¡¯t buy the coincidence theory of the surveince being identally destroyed, especially


    when the footage of her encounter with that man was conveniently missing.


    And the hotel couldn¡¯t trace that man¡¯s check¨Cin records.


    Who was behind this?


    Someone definitely didn¡¯t want her to know that man¡¯s identity!


    ¡°Astrid, you¡¯re doing fine now, and you¡¯re even a big star. Let¡¯s let the past be the past, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s


    affecting you now, right?¡±


    Before Warren could finish, Astrid pped him across the face.


    He was utterly lost, not knowing what he said wrong.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m telling the truth, right? It was just a one¨Cnight stand; in this day and age, that¡¯s pretty normal,


    right?¡±


    ¡°A one¨Cnight stand?¡± Astrid sneered, ¡°Since you think it¡¯s so normal, let me give you a taste.¡±


    Did he have any idea how much that night affected her?


    He just brushed it off as a one¨Cnight stand?


    Her child was still missing!


    In the end, Warren Santos was an aplice to that incident; there¡¯s no way she would let him off the


    hook!


    Astrid stood up, turning to signal Fenton.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    After Fenton walked over, Astrid whispered something in his ear.


    Fenton¡¯s face changed, ¡°Ms. Irvine, if Robb finds out¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell him, how would he know? Just get it arranged! Let Warren Santos experience a


    romantic one¨Cnight stand.¡± Astrid said, then walked away.


    ¡°Astrid¡­ Ms. Irvine!!! I¡¯ve told you everything; please have mercy, let me go!¡± Warren Santos turned as


    white as a sheet.


    Looking at the terrified Warren Santos, Fenton sneered, promptly sealing his mouth with tape, pulling a


    hood over his head, and leading him away.

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196


    Astrid bent down to grab some napkins from the table to wipe off the blood on her hands.


    But damn, no matter how hard she scrubbed, it seemed like the blood wouldn¡¯t budge.


    Annoyed, she grabbed a bottle of booze from the table, sshed some on her hand, and scrubbed


    again. Finally, the blood was gone.


    With that done, she left the room and saw two towering figures not far away.


    Robb and Elio.


    A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she thought about Elio probably tailing her.


    And Robb was with his get¨Cup intriguing.


    Wait a minute!


    If Robb had been here all along, he must¡¯ve bumped into Fenton when he took his men out!


    ¡°Star,e here.¡± Robb beckoned her before she could even think.


    She reluctantly walked over, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I was worried about you.¡± Robb¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°I¡¯ve already had Fenton take that guy


    back. I¡¯ll grill him again.¡±


    Seeing the disappointment in Astrid¡¯s eyes, Robb added: ¡°Don¡¯t worry; after the interrogation, we¡¯ll deal


    with him ording to your wishes.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Astrid managed a small smile, ¡°I¡¯ll head back now.¡±


    Robb nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll handle the rest. Get some rest and call me if anythinges up.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Astrid waved at Robb and walked away. As soon as she took a few steps, Elio followed.


    Elio quickly caught up with Astrid, noticing that her smile for Robb was now reced with a cold


    expression.


    Astrid, engrossed in her thoughts about what happened, didn¡¯t notice Elio¡¯s gaze.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    She put on her mask and sunsses, adjusting the sunsses low.


    Outside the bar, there were several bodyguards, probably Elio¡¯s men.


    Once she got into the car, she remained silent.


    Noticing her mood, Elio yed some light music.


    Astrid¡¯s mood gradually calmed down with the soothing sound of the music.


    She needed to talk to Fannie. That woman knew more secrets.


    When Astrid got home, Roman was still ying video games.


    Seeing her, Roman immediately ran over and hugged her leg, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you! I can¡¯t get


    past this level!¡±


    ¡°Uncle Carson is a dummy, too; he couldn¡¯t get past it either!¡±


    Sitting on the sofa, Carson scratched his head, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. This game is tooplex; I really


    don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Complex?¡± Astrid raised an eyebrow, ¡°I¡¯m the designer you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Hearing this, Carson froze and awkwardly moved towards the door, ¡°Sorry about what I said¡­ bye!¡±


    Watching Carson disappear out the door, Astrid chuckled, bent down to set Roman on the couch,


    ¡°Here, let me help you win.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Roman pped his hands in happiness; his face lit up with a smile.


    Elio walked over to lock the door, then went off to the side to continue working on hisptop.


    He didn¡¯t question why Astrid showed up at the bar with many bodyguards or why she was looking for


    Warren Santos. It was as if he hadn¡¯t been there at all.


    After Roman had fallen asleep in the wee hours, Astrid was sitting in her room, lost in thought.


    Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Elio: Come out.


    She frowned, quietly getting up to leave the room.


    The moment she opened the door, the living room was pitch ck.

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197


    She was about to call out for Elio when suddenly, everything went dark, and a twinkling starry sky


    appeared in the darkness.


    This must be Elio¡¯s doing, using virtual imaging technology.


    It looked so beautiful.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Elio beckoned from the edge of the sofa. She slowly walked over, noticing he was holding


    a box in his hand.


    Before she could reach out, Elio already lifted the lid off the box. Inside was the uniform Fate wore


    during his first championship, even signed by him.


    ¡°Seeing you¡¯re down in the dumps, I thought I¡¯d cheer you up with a gift. Did it work?¡±


    Astrid took the uniform, feeling less excited about it now that she knew the man in front of her was her


    idol.


    After all, this guy was like her own personal shadow, quickly shattering the idealized image of her idol.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Facing Elio¡¯s expectant gaze, Astrid said, ¡°Elio, there¡¯s something I have to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Say it!¡±


    ¡°I knew you were Fate a long time ago.¡±


    Elio fell silent.


    It was a long silence.


    Finally, he murmured, ¡°Well, that makes things easier.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Astrid was at a loss for his meaning.


    Suddenly, Elio put down the box andy back on the sofa. ¡°Come on then.¡±


    Astrid was baffled by his strange behavior. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Elio casually ced his hands behind his head with a yful glint in his eyes.


    ¡°Your idol is right before you; don¡¯t you want to get closer to him?¡±


    What an outrageous statement!


    Astrid was livid, throwing the uniform at Elio¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re disgusting, Elio! What on earth is going on


    in that head of yours?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± Elio removed the uniform from his face, his eyes full of emotion. ¡°All I think about is you.¡±


    His sudden confession left Astrid stunned.


    Under the dim light, his intense gaze seemed to engulf her.


    ¡°I know you have a lot of secrets, but I won¡¯t pry. Everyone has secrets. If I love you, I¡¯ll ept


    everything about you.¡±


    ¡°I hate seeing you upset over things, and I want to protect you and shield you from the world. But I


    know that you don¡¯t need to be sheltered.¡±


    ¡°All I want is the chance to be there for you¡­¡±


    The sound of the door cut off Elio¡¯s words.


    Then it opened, and Jon and Colton appeared.


    ¡°Star, are you asleep yet?¡± Jon switched on the light and took a few steps forward, turning around to


    see Elio and Astrid.


    ¡°Oh my! Nathan was right!¡± Jon pulled Colton in. ¡°No wonder Nathan told me to keep an eye out. If I


    hadn¡¯te, there would¡¯ve been trouble!¡±


    Elio wanted to explode. He hadn¡¯t expected Nathan to be so persistent, even sending people over to


    interrupt after he¡¯d left. The mood was just right; judging by Astrid¡¯s reaction, she was moved.


    These two had a knack for bad timing!

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198


    ¡°Astrid, what the hell¡¯s going on? Even if he¡¯s after you, you can¡¯t let him stay the night!¡±


    ¡°Men are unreliable by nature, especially this guy who¡¯s been single for 29 years. He could do


    something inappropriate at any moment; you get me?¡±


    Jon keptining, stormed over to Astrid, and pulled her to him. ¡°Astrid, listen to me; get him out of


    here.¡±


    ¡°Jon, it¡¯ste; it wouldn¡¯t be right to kick him out. Besides, I think he¡¯s quite nice. Out of all the guys


    who¡¯ve chased after me, he¡¯s the best one!¡± As Astrid finished her sentence, Elio¡¯s eyes brightened..


    This could be considered as praising him..


    ¡°Good?¡± Jon became upset, ¡°What¡¯s good about him?¡±


    Astrid turned her head and gave Elio a once¨Cover, ¡°He looks pretty good.¡±


    Jon was speechless.


    ¡°Jesus, you¡¯re so impulsive! What kind of tricks did he use on you?¡± Jon was hopping mad.


    Astrid crossed her arms and lifted her chin, ¡°Jon, you and Colton should leave, right? My ce can¡¯t fit


    all of you; Elio is a guest; I won¡¯t let him leave tonight.¡±


    ¡°We are not leaving tonight either; I¡¯ll sleep in the guest room; Colton can take the couch; there¡¯s no


    ce for Elio!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Astrid¡¯s lips curled, ¡°Who says there isn¡¯t? My bed is big; if you guys won¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll


    have to let him take half of it.¡±


    Half of the bed?


    Jon was scared and stiff by Astrid¡¯s words.


    In the end, Jon, pulling Colton and Elio along, spent the night watching TV on the couch.


    When Astrid woke up the next day, Elio had already gone to work.


    Jon and Colton were soundly asleep on the couch, and the living room was filled with their snores.


    Thinking of Elio¡¯s wordsst night, Astrid¡¯s lips curled into a smile.


    Elio really was a big fool; how could he stay the night if she wasn¡¯t willing to give him a chance?


    She had considered giving him a chance a long time ago.


    It¡¯s just that he was too slow to pick up on it.


    A few days of vacation flew by. To prevent Elio from doing anything inappropriate, Jon stayed in the


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    house with Colton for six days.


    One day, while Jon and Colton were ying games with Roman at home, a conspiracy was quietly


    unfolding in a private room of a coffee shop.


    A woman sat fully armed in the room, pacing back and forth before the window, radiating unease.


    This person was Fannie.


    A few days ago, Warren Santos went to a bar for a drink and didn¡¯t return all night. The next day,


    someone reported that he had fainted in the hotel.


    Although he was saved after being rushed to the hospital, his mental state was not normal.


    Warren Santos, who often took women out for the night, now screams at the sight of women as if he


    had seen a ghost.


    After several days of treatment by a psychologist, Warren Santos¡¯s condition stabilized. He didn¡¯t reveal


    what happened that night but kept apologizing to her.


    He said Astrid was trying to kill him and to save his life; he told Astrid about what happened four and a


    half years ago.


    She was startled.


    A knock on the door brought Fannie¡¯s thoughts back to reality. She turned her head to look at the door.


    Seeing the man at the door, she hurried over enthusiastically and shook his hand, ¡°Mr. Laws, I¡¯m so


    d you coulde!¡±


    Mr. Laws smiled lightly, ¡°Ms. Santos, can you tell me now what you need me to do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple; I need you to hypnotize someone to spill a secret.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t reveal Astrid¡¯s secret because then Astrid would expose her secret.


    But, if Astrid spilled the beans herself, they couldn¡¯t me others.

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199


    Things got crazy busy for Astrid right after the holidays.


    Today, she had a magazine shoot with Clyde..


    Clyde had be a bit scared of her due to some shenanigans on set, always ducking out as soon as


    a shoot wrapped up and never daring to get too close..


    They went their separate ways after the magazine shoot without any interaction.


    The TV show Astrid had previously filmed was a low¨Cbudget web series with a short post¨Cproduction


    period, so it was quickly set for release.


    Despite the short production time, her value skyrocketed.


    She ran into some old colleagues from the TV show at a certain corporate party. Their attitude towards


    her had noticeably changed. ¡°Where did you get that gorgeous dress?¡±


    ¡°Long time no see. You¡¯ve be even more beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Wow, how did you manage to lose more weight? Share your secret!¡±


    In the entertainment industry, ttery is always the order of the day. Astrid just smiled and answered


    everyone¡¯s questions without showing any abnormality.


    Joana, all dolled up, got hardly any attention when she arrived.


    Everyone was busy chatting with Astrid. Joana was a bit peeved, but she didn¡¯t show it, just stepped up


    with a smile, ¡°Long time no see. Is Mr. Lampard from Morgenster Corporation chasing you? Any truth in


    that? Why didn¡¯t he drop you off today?¡±


    Astrid¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. ¡°I have my own car. I don¡¯t need anyone to drive me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I saw many people online saying you¡¯ve be even better.¡± Joana said with a smile, ¡°Honestly,


    I¡¯m quite envious. You¡¯re so beautiful, and with Mr. Lampard, you can get whatever resources you


    want. How could you not be popr?¡±


    Joana implied that Astrid only had her movie resources because she was with Elio.


    Astrid calmly replied, ¡°Only those without talent would think about relying on a man for resources. I


    don¡¯t need to be better because I¡¯m already awesome.¡±


    Astrid¡¯s confidence had everyone looking at her in a new light.


    Feeling a bit awkward, Joanaughed and said, ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true. Relying on men for resources


    can be quite nice.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Astrid raised an eyebrow at that, ¡°Joana, with your experience, you must have found a man to


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    rely on, right?¡±


    Joana went pale and started stuttering, ¡°What are you saying? I¡¯m single. I got to where I am today


    through my own hard work. I got the lead role because of my talent, not by relying on any man! Never!¡±


    Joana was clearly flustered, her face unnaturally pale.


    In the entertainment industry, people have sharp eyes. Rumors had been circting that a rich man


    had taken care of Joana.


    Seeing Joana¡¯s tant cover¨Cup, it was likely, the rumors were true.


    Unable to face the crowd, Joana grabbed her dress and bolted.


    ¡°Astar!!!¡± A familiar voice rang out. Astrid turned around to see Teresa running towards her.


    In heels, Teresa was having difficulty running and looked quite clumsy.


    Astrid stepped forward and caught her, ¡°Teresa, what are you doing? You¡¯re a public figure. Can¡¯t you


    mind your image a bit?¡±

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200


    Teresa smiled and said, ¡°No one knows me now; being unknown is the best camouge!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to see you again so soon; I¡¯m so stoked!¡±


    Astrid Irvine brushed her slightly messy hair and chuckled, ¡°Being unknown now doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯llst


    forever; better watch out, or you might get yed.¡±


    ¡°Got it, let¡¯s go in; the party¡¯s about to start.¡± Teresa looped her arm through Astrid¡¯s, and they walked


    forward. Before they could find their seats, they spotted a familiar face.


    Teresa looked at Fannie Santos not far away, ¡°Astrid, why is Fannie always picking on you? Is it


    because she¡¯s Into Mr. Lampard but he¡¯s into you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Here¡¯s your seat; sit down; I¡¯ll be back.¡± Astrid patted Teresa¡¯s head and made her


    sit down.


    Teresa was bummed; she really wanted to sit with Astrid.


    The organizers probably wanted to stir things up because Fannie¡¯s seat was right next to Astrid¡¯s.


    There was still some time before the party started, and as soon as she sat down, a reporter came over


    for an interview.


    Fannie was originally expressionless, but when the reporter came over, she immediately put on a


    smile.


    ¡°Ms. Santos, we heard that you¡¯re going to be in an international movie; is it true?¡± Asked the reporter.


    Fannie smiled. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Wow, congrattions! The reality TV show you¡¯re on, Sister¡¯s Life Journey, is also a hit. The next


    episode¡¯s theme is a [Friends visit], have you decided who you¡¯re gonna invite?¡±


    Fannie paused before leaning towards Astrid, ¡°Of course it¡¯s gonna be Astrid.¡±


    Astrid, who was ying a game, suddenly felt something leaning towards her. She turned her head and


    saw Fannie¡¯s head on her shoulder!


    ¡­ What?


    Is she nuts?!


    If it weren¡¯t for the cameras, Astrid would have shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, we remember in a magic TV show, Ms. Santos invited your apprentice as a secret guest


    just to surprise you. Now that you¡¯re going to be a guest on her show, are you going to surprise her in


    return?¡±


    Surprise?


    More like a scare.


    She was just worried about not having a chance to question Fannie about what happened years ago,


    and now she¡¯s willingly offering the opportunity.


    Astrid replied. ¡°If I told you the surprise, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise anymore.¡±


    ¡°We heard that the show also invited you at first, but your agent declined it. Now that the show¡¯s such a


    hit, do you feel regret?¡± The reporter asked.


    ¡°Not at all; the show is a hit because of Fannie¡¯s star power. If I went, who knows how much it would¡¯ve


    tanked.¡±


    All of Astrid¡¯s responses were spot on. The reporter interviewed Fannie for a while and then left.


    Fannie didn¡¯t expect Astrid to y along, so she turned to her and said, ¡°Astrid, I know my brother told


    you about what happened. I admit I was wrong and I¡¯m sorry. I wanted that opportunity so badly that I


    used you.¡±


    ¡°Astrid didn¡¯t even bother to look up at her.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    After a while, Fannie said again, ¡°Seeing your sess now, I¡¯m truly happy for you.¡±

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201


    ¡°You know this variety show is one of the hottest in the country. I invited you because I felt like I owed


    you something and wanted to give you some exposure to boost your poprity. That¡¯s all. I might not


    be as popr as I used to be, but my fame still surpasses what you can achieve in a short time. Can¡¯t


    we just shake hands and bury the hatchet?¡±


    Watching Fannie¡¯s animated performance, Astrid really wanted to give her a round of apuse. How


    shameless could she be to say something like that!


    They were already at odds. Simply put, they were enemies!


    But Fannie actually thought taking her on a variety show could make up for her past mistakes?!


    Moreover, her words today were full of holes. She was clearly trying to trick Astrid into doing the show.


    Fannie¡¯s show was live, broadcasting for 48 hours every Saturday and Sunday. She definitely wanted


    to stir up some drama on air!


    But that might be a good thing. Astrid could take this opportunity to get Fannie to spill the truth about


    the past.


    ¡°Fannie, do you think I¡¯m a pushover?¡± Astrid scoffed, ¡°That incident hurt me deeply. You think I¡¯d


    forgive you just because you invited me to your


    show? I thought you were my friend, but you were using me to get a contract. Is that something a friend


    does?¡±


    Fannie knew Astrid wouldn¡¯t agree to her proposal easily, so she tried to exin, ¡°But I have


    apologized. Why won¡¯t you forgive me?¡±


    So apologizing equals forgiveness?


    Astrid didn¡¯t expect Fannie to be this shameless.


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s silence, Fannie added, ¡°The media that interviewed us earlier was from a bigpany.


    The news of you being a guest on my show must have been released by now. If you don¡¯te, it¡¯ll


    really put me in a tight spot.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to know who I sent you to that night, right? That person is from Starlight


    Entertainment. If you agree to be on my live show, I¡¯ll tell you his name after the broadcast!¡±


    Astrid knew Fannie was lying.


    Because Warren Santos had said that he got the room¡¯s mixed up. The man in the room that night


    wasn¡¯t some high¨Clevel executive from Starlight Entertainment. They didn¡¯t even know who he was!


    Fannie was just trying to trick her into being on the show and ruin her in the process.


    She thought she was putting on a wless act, but in Astrid¡¯s eyes, she was just a clown.


    After a few seconds of silence, Astrid pretended to hesitate, ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡±


    Fannie was thrilled inside to see Astrid wavering, but she managed to keep herposure, ¡°Record it


    on your phone. I promise that if youe to the show, I¡¯ll tell you his name!¡±


    Astrid took out her phone and started recording. Fannie repeated her promise, and Astrid agreed to be


    on her live show.


    Fannie was overjoyed. She had everything nned out. Once the live show started, Astrid would have


    no way out.


    This time, she was determined to make Astrid ruin herself.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Unlike Fannie, Astrid was much moreposed.


    Astrid nced at Fannie with a look of disdain.


    She had taught Fannie so many lessons, yet she still tried to set her up. How foolish!


    But she would show no mercy to anyone who wanted to harm her.


    If Fannie wanted trouble, she would fall right into her own trap.

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202


    ¡°Sister¡¯s Life Journey¡± is a live¨Cstream show that spills the beans on the real lives of female celebrities.


    The cameras run non¨Cstop for 48 hours over the weekend, so what you see is as real as it gets.


    This was way more thrilling than those pre¨Crecorded shows because unpredictable shenanigans


    always happened.


    Therefore, this show had always been the hot potato among all the variety shows.


    On Friday morning, Astrid had just woken up to find Roman Lampard sitting next to her, staring at her


    with his big eyes.


    She yawned, rolled over, and asked, ¡°Roman, why are you staring at me?¡±


    Roman gave a sweet smile, ¡°I want to feast my eyes on your drop¨Cdead gorgeous looks.¡±


    ¡°Ha¨Cha, Roman, you sure know how to sweet¨Ctalk.¡± Astrid pulled Roman into her arms, ¡°Come, let¡¯s hit


    the hay for a bit more.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Roman snuggled into Astrid¡¯s arms, ¡°do you want me to sing you a luby?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Astrid kissed Roman¡¯s forehead, ¡°I have to go to work tomorrow and can¡¯t keep you


    ¡°Oh.¡± Roman seemed a bit down, ¡°I will miss your hugs; being with Elio is a total drag.¡±


    Astrid nodded in agreement. ¡°True, he¡¯s such a wet nket.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s got a bad temper.¡±


    ¡°Right, he¡¯s as stubborn as a mule.¡±


    ¡°Also¡­¡±


    As they were having a whale of a time gossiping in bed, the bedroom door was opened.


    Astrid and Roman on the bed instantly yed possum once they saw Elio at the door.


    Elio barely twitched a smile, pretended not to notice, then gently closed the door.


    At dinner, Chad texted. ¡°Chief, Fannie contacted the hypnotist, Laws; she might pull a fast one in the


    live¨Cstream tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already hip to that.¡± Astrid replied.


    ¡°Holy cow, you knew, and you¡¯re still going?¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how tough I am.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Chad struggled to find a response.


    ¡°Remember to watch the live¨Cstream tomorrow and throw in somements singing my praises.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, I will root for you.¡±


    Astrid¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the message. The show was about to start.


    Theizens all thought she and Fannie were buddies, so she had to bring a gift to Fannie¡¯s ce.


    After buying some fruits, Astrid strolled leisurely towards Fannie¡¯s ce.


    She rang the doorbell, and before long, Fannie came to open the door. Fannie immediately gave her a


    warm hug upon seeing her, ¡°You¡¯re here;


    ¡°OMG, Astrid is really here!!!¡±


    ¡°But I saw the news online that they¡¯re just friends for show; they don¡¯t interact on social media; they¡¯re


    totally fair¨Cweather friends!¡±


    ¡°Gosh, Astrid is so beautiful and all¨Cnatural; even the tiny pimple on her face is clear as day!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so into you like a mouse loves rice!¡±


    ¡°My god! I can¡¯t believe my eyes!¡±


    Astrid walked into the living room with a big smile and saw the man sitting on the sofa.


    Fannie hurriedly introduced, ¡°Astrid, this is my family member.¡±


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Astrid.¡± Astrid chuckled internally. Family? Isn¡¯t this the hypnotist?


    She and Fannie didn¡¯t really have much inmon. They couldn¡¯t keep the conversation going after


    they awkwardly chatted for a while.


    She excused herself to get some snacks and left the living room.


    At this moment, Laws on the sofa changed his position, turning his back to the camera.


    These cameramen were long bought off by Fannie, naturally knowing what angle to switch to.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Astrid, feeling bored, suddenly perked up. Is it starting?


    She was curious to see what this guy was really capable of.


    Astrid was enjoying the watermelon Fannie brought over, looking veryfortable.


    A few secondster, the man took out a chain and swung it in front of Astrid¡¯s eyes.


    Fannie was in the kitchen, constantly peeking towards the living room.


    Despite only waiting for a few seconds, Fannie felt like time was dragging.


    Just then, the chain in Laws¡® hand clinked and fell to the ground.

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203


    Fannie was as tense as a long¨Ctailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. She nearly jumped out of her


    skin upon seeing Laws¡® action.


    But Laws had once told her that interruptions during hypnosis were a big no no, so she didn¡¯t dare to


    go check what was going on.


    A few secondster, she saw Laws spring into action.


    He bent down to pick up a chain that had fallen on the floor, but after several attempts, he still couldn¡¯t


    get hold of it. To make matters worse, his hands were slightly trembling!


    Fannie suddenly had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Just as she was about to make herself scarce


    with the pudding she had just made, Laws suddenly grabbed the chain on the floor and turned towards


    her.


    By this point, Laws was as pale as a ghost, sweating bullets, and even his steps were wobbly.


    Seeing this, Fannie signaled the camera operators hearby and asked the one in the kitchen to bug out.


    Now, there were no cameras on Laws and Fannie.


    The broadcast was unique since the audience could freely¡¯switch cameras.


    But now, viewers found that most of the cameras in the room were focused on Astrid, and a few were


    pointing at Fannie¡¯s cat.


    Fannie had vanished from the screen.


    The audience was as confused as a goat on AstroTurf. ¡°What the heck is going on? Fannie invites


    Astrid as a guest and then leaves her alone in the living room?¡±


    ¡°I knew their friendship was as fake as a nine¨Cdor bill. Their conversation was so awkward. Even I, a


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    mere fan, know that Astrid hates sour food, but Fannie kept pushing that super sour Myrica Rubra on


    Astrid!¡±


    ¡°This is so weird; why are all the cameras on Astrid?¡±


    ¡°Where did that guy disappear to?¡±


    Thement section was a hot mess, but Astrid was as happy as a m.


    She made herself at home, turned on the TV, and lounged on the sofa.


    When they heard Astrid was going on Fannie¡¯s show, Robb Brooke and the others knew Fannie might


    stir up some trouble.


    Seeing Robb glued to the live stream, Dale sidled over, casually saying, ¡°Rx, man. No way Fannie¡¯s


    gonnay a finger on her with her little


    tricks!¡±


    ¡°Astrid¡¯s tough, but to avoid any surprises, I¡¯ve gotta keep an eye on her. Have your guys among the


    cameramen taken their spots?¡± Robb kicked Dale, who was lying on the window seat.


    Dale immediately sprang up, ¡°All set. Hey, watch your attitude, or you¡¯lNose me!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Robb smiled and took a sip of his tea, ¡°Then you can leave; I won¡¯t see you out.¡±


    Dale clutched his chest dramatically and copsed on the floor, ¡°I¡¯ve wasted my heart on you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a goof.¡± Robb nonchntly took out two concert tickets from his pocket, tossed them onto


    Dale¡¯s face, and sauntered off.


    Feeling somethingnding on his face, Dale picked it up, then jumped up excitedly, ¡°Holy cow!! VIP


    tickets for KIO¡¯s global tour, Robb!!¡±


    ¡°Tired? Need a massage?¡±


    ¡°Hungry? Want me to cook?¡±


    ¡°Robb¡­¡±


    Robb, who just walked into the study, found the person behind him too noisy, so he immediately locked


    the study door.

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204


    The door was shut and Dale began knocking from the outside. ¡°Don¡¯t be so heartless;e out


    already!¡±


    Inside, Robb listened to the knocking with a smirk ying on his lips.


    Suddenly, the sound of something shattering came from the live stream, drawing his attention to the


    iPad in his hands.


    Although the camera didn¡¯t catch what was going on in the kitchen, he could tell that someone had


    broken a ss there.


    He had promised Astrid in the past not to meddle in showbiz matters, but if these people dared to harm


    Astrid, he¡¯d make them pay dearly.


    Meanwhile, in Fannie¡¯s kitchen.


    Laws was shaking, his hand trembling as he held a,ss. He¡¯d taken two sips of water, but his hand


    was still shaking. His lips were trembling and he was unable to form a coherent sentence.


    Fannie was getting anxious, lowering her voice to ask. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is Astrid that hard to deal with?


    You said it would be easy to hypnotize her when you took the money. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°L, I¡­¡± Laws wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was a renowned master at the International


    Hypnosis Association, and for the past forty years, he had always been confident in his abilitie¡¯s.


    But just now, he tried to hypnotize Astrid like he always did, but she waspletely unaffected.


    He¡¯d tried everything, but Astrid continued eating and even asked him. ¡°Sir, would you like something to


    eat?¡±


    Laws felt deeply humiliated as he remembered Astrid¡¯s nonchnt attitude. This was the lowest point


    of his career!


    Even if he couldn¡¯t fully hypnotize her, there should have been some sort of reaction. But Astrid just


    kept eating,pletely ignoring him.


    He¡¯d faced many hypnotists before; the only ones he couldn¡¯t hypnotize were those stronger than him.


    But Astrid was just an ordinary actress and didn¡¯t seem like someone who knew hypnosis.


    Why couldn¡¯t he hypnotize her?


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a refund; I can¡¯t hypnotize her.¡± Laws knew continuing would be futile, so he chose to


    refund the money.


    But Fannie, after waiting so long for this opportunity, wasn¡¯t going to let it go easily. ¡°Maybe Astrid was


    too focused on eating to notice your props. Try again, and if it still doesn¡¯t work, then you can give me a


    refund.¡°¡±


    ¡°Believe in yourself; you¡¯re a master hypnotist. How can you not hypnotize a little girl?¡±


    Laws thought Fannie made sense. After all, he¡¯d hypnotized many people before; he should be


    capable.


    The two people in the kitchen didn¡¯te out, and Astrid was falling asleep.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    She was a bit confused. Fannie had put in so much effort to lure her into the live stream; she should


    have been fully prepared.


    Was Laws just testing her just now?


    Had he not shown his full strength yet?


    Astrid was startled when she remembered Laws¡® expression when he left. Oh no, had Laws already


    used all his hypnosis skills?


    She thought it was just a trick when she saw him using props like a novice hypnotist. She didn¡¯t expect


    it to be his strongest move! He was really


    weak.


    Surely Laws wouldn¡¯t leave just because he was devastated, would he?

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205


    Well, ain¡¯t this a fine mess? My n is going down the drain then, isn¡¯t it?


    Ugh, I should¡¯ve just yed along and pretended to be hypnotized.


    This viin was such a weakling. How can he actually need me to y along?!


    What a pain in the neck!


    Just then, Laws came out of the kitchen with a wide grin on his face and a couple of cups of coffee in


    his hands.


    He casually sat down, slid the cup of coffee in front of Astrid, and said, ¡°Astrid, I heard you¡¯re a


    magician, and I actually dig magic too. I learned a trick and wanted to get your advice.¡±


    Astrid knew Laws was fibbing, so she yed along, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to advise you, but we can think of


    it as a magic exchange.¡±


    ¡°Great, great.¡± Due to the earlier incident, Laws was a bit flustered when he saw Astrid. He pulled out a


    mirror, ¡°Astrid, you¡¯ve gotta keep your eyes on this mirror. See if you can spot any ws.¡±


    A mirror? Such an antiquated method.


    Astrid was really ticked off, but she still yed along and stared at the mirror..


    After a while, she figured it was about time.


    Astrid then put on a spaced¨Cout look and pretended to zone out.


    Laws thought she was hypnotized and regained his confidence when he saw her like that.


    He gave Fannie a nod, and she carefully approached and sat next to Astrid.


    ¡°Astrid, I heard from Fannie that you guys were buddies in high school. She even told me about some


    things you guys experienced together, like your grades or love life, remember?¡± Laws couldn¡¯t directly


    state his intentions, or it would raise suspicion. He had to steer Astrid in that direction bit by bit.


    Astrid got what Laws was up to, so she went along with his words, ¡°Our high school life was pretty dull,


    but I remember always being top of the ss at the end of each term, while Fannie was always at the


    bottom.¡±


    Fannie was totally flustered upon hearing this.


    The part about her always being at the bottom was true, but she always portrayed herself as a hard


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    worker and never brought up her high school grades after entering the entertainment industry. She


    didn¡¯t think Astrid would bring up her being at the bottom.


    They had so many high school ssmates, and the media could easily find out that Astrid was telling


    the truth. As this was a live broadcast, she couldn¡¯t deny it.


    Fannie forced a smile, which looked worse than crying, ¡°Yeah, I used to. Well, I wasn¡¯t very good at


    school.¡±


    Seeing this, thement section suddenly blew up, ¡°What? She was always at the bottom in high


    school. How did Fannie get into film school?¡±


    ¡°I remember Fannie once mocking an actress, saying that she was poor at school. What right does she


    have to say that when she was at the bottom of her ss?¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it a low blow for Astrid to bring this up on a live broadcast?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Wasn¡¯t it Fannie¡¯s family who brought up this topic first? How did it suddenly


    be Astrid¡¯s fault?¡±


    Fannie was already very embarrassed, but she didn¡¯t realize this was just the beginning. Next, Astrid


    started to reveal her past.


    ¡°As her family, you should¡¯ve taught Fannie better. She loved to drink in high school; I couldn¡¯t even


    keep up with her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and she was punished for cheating in the final exam.¡± Astrid continued.


    Fannie was shocked and at a loss for words!

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206


    Netizens were all confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t Fannie allergic to alcohol?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she always say she was taking care of her health and didn¡¯t drink?¡±


    ¡°It must be true; otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t Fannie clear this up? Isn¡¯t she always portraying herself as a


    vibrant and healthy young girl?¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! What a fraud!¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Fannie started to panic; if Astrid kept going, all her lies would be exposed!


    And she had a feeling that if this continued, things would get very ugly!


    She gently tugged at Law¡¯s sleeve, ¡°There¡¯s really nothing to talk about from our high school days; how


    about we change the topic?¡±


    Then Fannie picked up her phone and texted the cameraman. ¡°Please turn off the microphone for a


    moment.¡±


    After seeing the cameraman give the OK sign, Fannie gave Laws a look, and Laws immediately


    started. ¡°Astrid, didn¡¯t you have a child over three years ago, and you don¡¯t even know who the father


    is?¡±


    After Laws finished, the cameraman immediately turned the microphone back on.


    Fannie was trembling all over, hoping that Astrid would say it herself.


    As the seconds ticked by, Astrid remained silent.


    Just as Laws thought his hypnosis had failed. Astrid suddenly mmed a walnut onto the table.


    Laws instinctively looked at the walnut in Astrid¡¯s hand.


    Astrid gently fiddled with the walnut in her hand, tapping it lightly on the table. Before long, Laws was


    entranced.


    Astrid smirked slightly, ¡°Laws, are you really Fannie¡¯s rtive?¡±


    Fannie was taken aback. Wasn¡¯t Astrid hypnotized?


    Why would she say something like this?


    ¡°I¡¯m not her rtive; I barely know her. She asked me toe here and pretend to be her rtive, just


    to set you up!¡±


    Fannie was dumbstruck by Law¡¯s words; she didn¡¯t understand why Laws would suddenly say these


    things, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Astrid decided to y along when she saw that Fannie was getting angry. ¡°Exactly, how could you


    frame Fannie like this? She¡¯s so innocent and/ kind, and we¡¯re such good friends; she would never


    harm me.¡±


    ¡°Good friends?¡± Laws pulled out his phone, opened his chat history with Fannie, and turned the screen


    towards the camera. ¡°Everyone, see for yourself; I was just hired for this. The chat history clearly


    showed Fannie wanting to ruin Astrid¡¯s career, so she asked me to hypnotize Astrid and make her lose


    this live show!¡±


    Fannie was scared out of her wits!


    She immediately stood up, wanting to end the live broadcast, but the cameraman didn¡¯t allow it.


    After all, the contract stated that unless the person being broadcasted cannot continue due to health


    reasons, the broadcast cannot be stopped.


    They took Fannie¡¯s money and could pretend not to know about Fannie¡¯s scheme, but they absolutely


    couldn¡¯t go against the director¡¯s orders to stop the live broadcast.


    Fannie was shaking all over, and then she heard Laws speaking to the camera again, ¡°My real identity


    is Laws, a hypnotist from the International Hypnosis Association; this is my ID. I am willing to take


    responsibility for what I said today! I didn¡¯t nder anyone!¡±


    After seeing all this,izens simply couldn¡¯t believe their eyes.


    ¡°I double¨Cchecked; this guy is actually a hypnotist!¡±

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207


    ¡°OMG, Fannie is such a bitch, actually using a hypnotist against Astrid!¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable, is she scared that Astrid will steal her limelight?¡±


    ¡°I feel betrayed; my idol is actually this malicious?¡±


    ¡°I feel so sorry for Astrid; she was only there as a guest for Fannie, but Fannie wants to ruin her on live


    stream!¡±


    ¡°Fannie, exin yourself! Blink twice if you¡¯re being held hostage!¡±


    ¡°No way! No way! No way! My idol is so innocent, so cute, so kind; she must have been framed; she


    must be the victim!¡± ¡°Fannie would never do this; Astrid must be spreading rumors!¡±


    Jon Brooke and others watching the live stream couldn¡¯t believe thatizens were actually starting to


    nder Astrid, so they immediately fought back.


    Without saying much, Jon directly tweeted. ¡°Wake up, Fannie¡¯s fans! Laws already exposed the


    transfer records, and you¡¯re still saying Astrid framed Fannie? Fannie¡¯s lies have been exposed, so


    now we don¡¯t even know if her entrance exam scores are real or fake. I hope the relevant departments


    can investigate Fannie¡¯s grades!¡±


    Orion Willie c¨®mmented. ¡°I really can¡¯t stand it anymore! Astrid is clearly the victim; it was Fannie who


    invited her to the show,¡±


    Fannie¡¯s fansmented. ¡°Our star would never associate with such a scammer!¡±


    Many people started to speak out. At this moment,izens discovered that Elio had unusually


    tweeted. ¡°I will protect my idol.¡±


    The attached picture was a candid shot from a few days ago when Laws and Fannie met privately.


    To prevent fans from saying the masked person wasn¡¯t Fannie, Elio thoughtfully released a photo of


    Fannie¡¯s agent apanying her.


    ¡°OMG, since Elio¡¯s one¨Csided confessionst time, there has been no news from both of them. I


    thought there was no follow¨Cup, but he actually stood up for Astrid and even referred to her as his idol.


    This is so sweet!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m rooting for them; I feel like they have to get married!¡±


    ¡°They are just like the male and female leads in the romance novels I read; they are so perfect for each


    other!¡±


    The live stream was trending everywhere, while Fannie just wanted to die.


    Fannie¡¯s agent realized there was a problem with the live stream and immediately contacted the


    director to end the live broadcast, but it was toote now.


    Doing so would only makeizens more convinced that Fannie was maliciously trying to harm Astrid.


    Fannie red at Astrid as if she wanted to eat her.


    She looked at Astrid and then at the photographers in the room, ¡°The live stream is over; you guys


    leave; I have something to say to Astrid alone.¡± When she uttered these words, everyone in the room


    immediately left.


    The fact that she paid to hurt an artist had beenpletely exposed, and no one could save her now.


    Unless Astrid stood up and admitted that all of this was her conspiracy, her acting career would be


    over.


    ¡°Astrid.¡± Fannie called out Astrid¡¯s name, her voice trembling, ¡°You won, happy?¡±


    Astrid shrugged, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°As long as I say the word, the live stream can continue at any time. Are you not afraid that I will reveal


    what happened years ago? You had a child out of wedlock, which is a huge w for you since you are


    rising in your career. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Astridughed coldly, I never thought my child was a w; he was my baby.¡±


    After saying this, Astrid snapped her fingers in front of Fannie, and her tone became softer, ¡°Fannie,


    rx¡­ rx¡­¡±


    ¡°Everything that just happened was an illusion; you are still the popr figure everyone looks at, the


    princess adored by fans.¡±


    ¡°You are about to shoot an international blockbuster; your movie has been nominated for best picture


    and your career is thriving.¡±


    Astrid¡¯s voice was light and soft. A few secondster, Fannie¡¯s body slowly tilted back, gently leaning


    on the sofa. She wore a smile as if nothing had just happened.


    Seeing this, Astrid slowly approached her, ¡°Now, tell me, who was the man in my room more than four


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    years ago?¡±

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208


    Fannie replied. ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah¡­¡±


    She seemed to hesitate, a frown creasing her brow.


    A few seconds passed, but she still didn¡¯t say the name.


    Looking at her, Astrid softened her tone, ¡°You look beat. Once we¡¯re done here, you can get some


    shut¨Ceye.¡±


    After a few moments, Fannie finally spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t know who he is. That day, Warren Santos got the


    rooms mixed up. He sent you to a stranger¡¯s


    room.¡±


    Astrid had suspected that Fannie might not know the man¡¯s identity, but she was still a bit bummed.


    ¡°Warren Santos said you went to the hotel the next day. Did you see the guy from the next room?¡±


    Upon hearing Astrid¡¯s words, Fannie fell silent.


    She furrowed her brows and was lost in thought.


    After a while, she said, ¡°I saw him.¡±


    Astrid got a bit antsy, ¡°What did he look like? How old was he?¡°¨C


    ¡°When I came out of the elevator, he wasing out of his room and heading down the corridor. I


    didn¡¯t see his face. His clothes were baggy, and he had a hat on¡­ I¡¯m not sure if his leg was injured or


    if he naturally limps.¡±


    Limping?


    A cripple?


    Astrid frowned slightly, then asked, ¡°Any other details? Was he with anyone else?¡±


    ¡°People?¡± Fannie paused for a moment, ¡°There were two guys following him, one fat and one thin. The


    thin one called the fat one Quincy. Yeah, Quincy. And they were going¡­ somewhere, I didn¡¯t catch it¡­¡±


    Quincy?


    Doesn¡¯t sound like a real name.


    Maybe this name could lead to some clues.


    For some reason, she felt familiar with this name, as if she had heard it somewhere.


    Astrid asked Fannie a few more questions, and Fannie told her all she knew.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Considering it was about time, Astrid snapped her fingers near Fannie¡¯s ear.


    Fannie suddenly woke up.


    She sat there, looking nkly at Astrid, then at her own home, feeling empty.


    Was the live streaming incident a dream?


    Why was Astrid here?


    Was it all real?


    Wait, she was definitely dreaming just now.


    Fannie¡¯s emotions started spiraling. Just then, the doorbell rang.


    Instinctively, she asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Santos, please open the door. We are the police and we need your cooperation in an


    investigation.¡± A man¡¯s voice came from outside, startling Fannie.


    Police?


    She suddenly stood up and pointed at Astrid, ¡°Astrid, you actually called the cops? Aren¡¯t you worried


    I¡¯ll spill all your secrets? I¡¯ve got nothing to lose now; I¡¯m not afraid!¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Astrid snorted, leisurely peeling an orange to eat, ¡°You¡¯re not scared?¡±


    If you dare expose this, I guarantee tomorrow¡¯s headline will be: ¡®Fannie gained leading roles in several


    films through illicit rtionships with producers and directors.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s well¨Carranged. The news report will include detailed text and pictures!¡±


    ¡°You, you, you¡­¡± Fannie was shaking. Astrid¡¯s words sessfully evoked memories of her unsavory


    past.

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209


    When she first entered showbiz, she wasn¡¯t particrly stunning, and her acting was kinda unpolished,


    so she never got any significant roles. Her roommate, ying by the rules of the entertainment


    industry, quickly scored some good roles.


    But she, on the other hand, kept hitting roadblocks.


    No matter where she went, she was overlooked and often met with icy stares. For a proud person like


    her, this was unbearable.


    She wasn¡¯t particrly good looking, butpared to other actresses, she had one advantage: her


    killer body.


    Some actresses climbed to the top through their own hard work, step by step, but that would take a lot


    of time, and she couldn¡¯t wait that long.


    At her agent¡¯s arrangement, she attended a party full of high¨Cprofile figures. That day, she deliberately


    wore a sexy dress and sessfully caught the attention of a few rich guys.


    As a result, she started to get a lot of support from these sugar daddies and gradually became popr.


    But apart from her agent, nobody knew about this.


    How in the world did Astrid find out?!


    ¡°Fannie, if you don¡¯t want others to know, then you shouldn¡¯t do it. I don¡¯t think having a kid is a


    scandal, and there¡¯s no rule that says you can¡¯t have a child out of wedlock, right? I¡¯m just keeping it


    private because the time isn¡¯t right and I don¡¯t want my personal affairs to be made public through


    others.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, you, to escape those rules, sold me out. But what did you get in the end? You still


    bowed down, didn¡¯t you? You still became someone¡¯s mistress. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that you were


    discovered by his official girlfriendst year, you¡¯d probably still be in contact with that rich guy, right?¡±


    Fannie looked at the smiling girl in front of her and felt ja chill run down her spine.


    She never thought she would end up here.


    She thought her n was foolproof, ¡°Did you pay Laws? Why else would he change sides on the live


    stream and frame me?!¡±


    ¡°Money? I didn¡¯t give him any money. He was probably attracted to my personal charm and couldn¡¯t


    bring himself to harm me. Fannie, you need to reflect on yourself. I¡¯m going now.¡± Astrid stood up to


    leave, but Fannie quickly ran in front of her to stop her.


    Fannie bit her lip lightly, her voice soft as she looked at Astrid, ¡°Astrid, please help me. Considering we


    were once good friends, help me out. I don¡¯t want to lose everything because of this. I¡¯ve put in so


    much to get where I am today.¡±


    ¡°Help you?¡± Astrid scoffed, ¡°I¡¯ve already saved your dignity by not directly hurting you. Stop crying; it¡¯s


    disgusting. Don¡¯t insult the term ¡®good friend¡®, okay?¡±


    With that, Astrid left.


    Fannie sat on the ground in a daze and mumbled, ¡°You can¡¯t arrest me; I¡¯m a star. I haven¡¯tmitted


    any crime!¡±


    The police stated. ¡°The evidence we received shows that you hired someone to hurt a personst


    March, causing a female star to fall from a height, resulting in her breaking both her legs and almost


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    bing paralyzed. Now that we have concrete evidence, please apany us to the police station!¡±


    Hired someone to hurt others?


    Last March?


    Fannie was in a daze; it took her quite a while to snap back to reality.


    At the beginning ofst year, she was filming a fantasy movie. A young actress on set identally


    discovered her secret meeting with a sponsor. Worried that the young actress¡® presence on the set


    would cause unnecessary trouble, she arranged for someone to sabotage the safety equipment,


    causing the young actress to leave the set horribly injured.

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210


    A whole year had flown by, and she had pretty much forgotten all about it.


    But then the cops showed up outta howhere; it threw Fannie for a loop. It took a while for it to click.


    That young actress was Teresa, the one who had been in the spotlight with Astrid!


    Just as the penny dropped, the cops were already grabbing her arm.


    She blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m a celeb; can we use the underground garage? I don¡¯t wanna be caught on


    camera!¡±


    The cop replied, ¡°No, we can¡¯t; we¡¯ve gotta do this by the book.¡±


    Fannie tried again, ¡°Come on, can¡¯t you cut me some ck?¡±


    The cop retorted, ¡°I¡¯m begging you; can you talk normal? You¡¯re giving me a headache.¡±


    Fannie was speechless.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Just then, Fannie¡¯s agent rushed in and assured her, ¡°Fannie, don¡¯t sweat it. I¡¯ll get someone to help.


    Don¡¯t say anything you shouldn¡¯t.¡± Fannie nodded, ¡°Got it.¡±


    The news of Fannie being taken away by the cops created quite a buzz.


    That day¡¯s trending list was mostly all about Fannie.


    Fannie always wanted to trend, but she didn¡¯t see iting this way.


    Netizens were split in their opinions.


    ¡°Wow, did she piss off some big shots?¡±


    ¡°Is that arrest photo for real?¡±


    ¡°She must¡¯ve been framed. Astrid is nothing but trouble. If she hadn¡¯t been a guest, none of this


    would¡¯ve happened.¡±


    ¡°I saw a bunch of tweets saying an actress was injuredst year and it¡¯s all Fannie¡¯s fault. I remember


    that actress almost got paralyzed.¡± ¡°Dang, I¡¯m shocked. It¡¯s clearly Fannie¡¯s fault, but people are


    defending her? She invited Astrid as a guest. Can¡¯t people in thements see that?¡±


    Just as Astrid stepped off the elevator, she saw two familiar figures not far away.


    She tiptoed over, only to hear Jonining, ¡°Colton, aren¡¯t you sober now? How can you suck so


    bad?!!¡± Colton replied, ¡°I¡¯m this bad when I¡¯m sober; if I weren¡¯t, I¡¯d probably be serving myself on a


    tter to our enemies.¡± Jon red at Colton, ¡°You¡¯ve got the nerve to act cocky with those skills?¡±


    He loudly grumbled, ¡°Where¡¯s Astrid? If she doesn¡¯t show up soon, I might die from frustration because


    of Colton.¡±


    Astrid walked over, lightly patting Jon¡¯s shoulder, ¡°What are you guys doing?¡±


    Jon turned to her and asked, ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here. What¡¯s the update? Is it all sorted?¡± Jon almost


    tripped over as he stood up because his foot was numb from sitting too long. Lucky for him, Colton was


    there to catch him.


    Ungrateful, Jon shrugged off Colton¡¯s hand, ¡°We were worried that Fannie might send some goons or


    something after you. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here on guard duty. If pushes to shove, we¡¯ll even throw


    down for you.¡±


    Colton nodded along, ¡°Yeah, throw down.¡±


    ¡°Throw down?¡± Astrid couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Jon, if you get into a fight, you might get suspended.¡±


    Jon shrugged nonchntly, slinging his arm over Astrid¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Even if I get suspended for


    protecting my sister, it¡¯s worth it! Nothing is more important than you!¡±

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211


    ¡°No worries now; everything¡¯s been handled. Let¡¯s scoot.¡± To avoid being pounced on by reporters at


    the gate, Jon thoughtfully took off his jacket and draped it over Astrid.


    Colton also whipped out his hat.


    Masked up, they slipped out of theplex under the watchful eyes of the press.


    Back home, Astrid found the little box sent to her by Teresa as she sat in front of herputer.


    In fact, she had already peeked inside the night it arrived.


    It contained Teresa¡¯s diary and various small gifts prepared for different holidays. There was a hand¨C


    knit scarf, some handmade dolls, her drawings, etc.


    The diary detailed how she was initially captivated by Astrid¡¯s magic and her journey thereafter.


    What caught Astrid off guard was that Teresa dreamed of having a son and a daughter with Astrid.


    And¡­ Astrid found baby clothes knitted by Teresa in the box.


    She was gobsmacked!


    Having carefully read through the diary, she learned about Teresa¡¯s near paralysis incident from the


    performance.


    In the months on set, she hade to consider the blushing girl as her friend.


    She couldn¡¯t fathom the despair the young girl must have felt when she found out the man she wanted


    to marry had turned into a woman. The least she could do now was find out who was behind all this


    and avenge her.


    As for Fannie, she brought it upon herself and deserved no sympathy.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    After tidying up, Astrid booted up herputer and started digging into the name Fannie had given,


    Quincy.


    As expected, it was a pseudonym.


    There were countless people around the country with that name.


    Since it¡¯s a pseudonym, even lodging and travel records were a no¨Cgo.


    Just a name wasn¡¯t enough to narrow things down.


    Astrid propped her chin up and tapped her fingers on the desk, feeling that the name was eerily


    familiar. She must have heard it somewhere. After racking her brain for a long time, it still didn¡¯t click.


    Feeling frustrated, she rested her head on the keyboard.


    A few secondster, she jolted upright!


    The dark web!!!


    Yes, she had seen this name on the dark web!


    Chad had previously bragged about taking on a job from an organization, and the agent¡¯s name was


    Quincy!


    Although this Quincy may not be the one she was looking for, she¡¯d rather risk false positives than miss


    out.


    As Astrid logged onto the dark web, she shot a message to Chad. ¡°Chad, didn¡¯t you say you took a job


    from an organization? Wasn¡¯t the agent¡¯s name Quincy?¡±


    A few secondster, Chad replied. ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Send me his ID; I need to track him down.¡±


    Chad replied. ¡°You better drop it, Chief. I swiped tens of millions from them; they¡¯re gunning for us.


    You¡¯re just asking for trouble.¡±


    Astrid replied. ¡°Cut the crap and give me the ID. You think I can¡¯t track him down on my own?¡±


    Chad had no response.


    -A few secondster, Chad sent a string of numbers.


    Astrid entered the numbers and zeroed in on Quincy.


    She sent a message. ¡°Quincy, need to talk. Let¡¯s meet up.¡±


    In the office, Elio was working when his phone, used formunicating with Quincy, rang.


    He picked it up, and Quincy¡¯s flustered voice came through. ¡°Boss, the head of that bully organization


    from the dark web reached out to me. Can I wipe him off the map?

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212


    Elio¡¯s response was brief. ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Whatever I want?¡± Quincy seemed thrilled. ¡°Alright, chief, I got you.¡±


    After ending the call, Elio tossed his phone onto the desk without a care.


    He turned around to look out the window as Astrid¡¯s face reyed in his mind.


    She should be home by now, right?


    What was she doing?


    The incident online today was a big deal; would it affect her?


    After some pondering, Elio felt restless.


    He spent about an hour wrapping up his work, then made his exit. Once in his car, he rang up Roman.


    The first call went unanswered.


    He dialed again, and Roman¡¯s excited voice came through. ¡°Elio, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Hurry, Astrid! Hit him, hit him!¡±


    The noise on the other end was overwhelming.


    ¡°Where are you, Roman?¡± Before Elio could finish, Roman hung up.


    But from the sounds of it, he was at the arcade, and it seemed like he was with Astrid.


    While he was worrying about whether Astrid was upset about the online incident, she was out ying


    games at the arcade with Roman?


    And the most important thing was that they went without him and had no ns to include him.


    Unbelievable.


    After sitting in his car for a while, Elio decided to call Astrid.


    It took a while before Astrid picked up. ¡°Elio, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Where are you guys? I¡¯ming over.¡± Fearing rejection, Elio quickly added, ¡°It looks like it¡¯s gonna


    rain soon; let me pick you up.¡±


    ¡°I drove here.¡± Astrid replied.


    Elio was speechless.


    Roman¡¯s voice came through the phone, ¡°Hurry up; I want to y that¡­ Don¡¯t mind Elio; he doesn¡¯t


    know how to y games.¡±


    Elio was speechless again.


    That little rascal!


    Astrid was being tugged by Roman. But upon hearing the silence from Elio, she felt bad for rejecting


    him and said, ¡°We¡¯re on the third floor of the arcade. We¡¯re gonna y first.¡±


    With that, Astrid hung up.


    Roman pouted and was a bit unhappy. ¡°Why did you invite Elio? He¡¯s always staring at you.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Astrid was at a loss for words. ¡°Roman, let¡¯s be generous and let him watch.¡°)


    Roman sulked, ¡°Fine.¡±


    Looking at Roman¡¯s adorable face, Astrid picked him up and showered him with kisses through her


    mask.


    Roman looked at Astrid with her mask on. ¡°We used to go out without masks; why do we have to wear


    them now?¡±


    ¡°And why do I have to wear one too?¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Astrid paused, ¡°Because I¡¯m a celebrity now, and if people recognize me, they might invite me


    to y with them, and then I won¡¯t be able to y with you!¡±


    Hearing this, Roman immediately became alert and used his chubby little hands to pull Astrid¡¯s hat


    down to cover her face.

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    Chapter 213


    Astrid couldn¡¯t help butugh at the little guy¡¯s antics, ¡°Roman, you¡¯re blocking my view. I can¡¯t see the


    floor.¡±


    ¡°I am your eyes. I don¡¯t want people to recognize you. I want you to keep hanging out with me!¡± Roman


    clung onto Astrid¡¯s neck, ¡°I¡¯ll protect you!¡±


    ¡°Haha, alright. I owe you one then!¡± Astrid, with her sight blocked by her hat, moved forward carefully


    while hugging Roman.


    She was scared of bumping into someone.


    There were tons of guys called Quincy in the world, so why did she choose to meet the Quincy from the


    dark web?


    For one reason only, this dude was from Sunhaven.


    If that guy back in the day could vanish without a trace, he must¡¯ve had some pull. As his right¨Chand


    man, Quincy wouldn¡¯t be an ordinary man.


    And the Quincy from the dark web was the second inmand of the second¨Cranked organization on


    the dark web. So she needed to meet this dude.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    She was leaving the country tomorrow to meet Quincy. The thought of not seeing Roman for a few


    days made her feel kinda bummed, so she decided to take him out for some fresh air.


    She took a shine to him from the first moment they met. After spending some time together, she found


    herself really enjoying hispany. Having him around seemed to brighten her mood.


    Elio got out of the car and picked up some casual clothes from a nearby shop. After changing into his


    new threads and putting on a mask, he headed to the arcade.


    After wandering around the third floor for a bit, he spotted Astrid and Roman engrossed in a zombie


    game.


    He recognized them instantly, even though he could only see their backs..


    Both were wearing Pikachu hats, carrying Pikachu backpacks, and looking pretty darn cute.


    Just as they beat the game, Roman shot up and threw himself at Astrid, shouting, ¡°Awesome! You¡¯re


    the best!!¡±


    Astrid, holding Roman, got up to head to the next game when she saw Elio not too far away.


    Roman looked at Elio, who was staring at Astrid, and said with disdain, ¡°Check out Elio. He looks like


    he¡¯s never been out in the world!¡±


    Astrid chuckled and walked towards Elio while holding Roman, ¡°Elio, got a favorite game? Let¡¯s y


    together!¡±


    Roman shouted. ¡°Elio never ys games!!!¡±


    ¡°Today, you¡¯ll see what a real gamer looks like!¡± Elio grabbed Roman from Astrid, ¡°Astrid¡¯s so skinny;


    how can you keep making her carry you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m strong enough; I can handle it!¡± Astrid reached to take


    back Roman, but Roman kicked his little legs and reached out, trying to jump back into Astrid¡¯s arms.


    But Elio wasn¡¯t having any of it. He held onto Roman tightly, ¡°Roman, what did I do wrong that you hate


    me holding you so much?¡± Roman replied, ¡°Astrid¡¯s embrace is so warm and soft; you¡¯ve never been


    held by her, so you wouldn¡¯t know how wonderful it feels.¡± Elio furrowed his brow. Besides when she


    was sleepwalking, Astrid never really hugged him voluntarily.

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    Chapter 214


    I¡¯m really hurting


    ¡°Alright, Roman, normally your dad is too busy with work to spend time with you. Now let him keep you


    carrying Roman


    But Roman kept on yapping and didn¡¯t seem too interested.


    They had a st, and by the time they got home, it was already dark.


    Even in his sleep, Roman would subconsciously clutch at Astrid¡¯s clothes. She didn¡¯t have the heart to


    wake him.


    She gently ced Roman on the bed, tucked him in, and then headed for the kitchen.


    Elio settled himself on the sofa for a breather. After a while, he caught a whiff of a faint medicinal scent


    from the kitchen. This scent was so familiar.


    He mulled it over for a bit and finally remembered that it was the scent Astrid had on her when they first


    met.


    Seeing here out of the kitchen, he asked, ¡°You brewing some sort of medicinal concoction?¡±


    Astrid nodded, ¡°Yes, a remedy for sleepwalking. I drink it for a while, then take a few months off before


    continuing.¡± A remedy for sleepwalking?


    If she cured her sleepwalking, then she wouldn¡¯t end up in his room in the middle of the night anymore.


    But that was just a thought. He still hoped she could cure it; otherwise, there might be a mishap on set


    someday.


    He nced at her and asked softly, ¡°Does the medicine taste bitter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m used to it.¡± Astrid smiled and added, ¡°By the way, I¡¯ll be out of the country for a few days


    and won¡¯t be home.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After Elio responded, Astrid ced the medicine on the table and went to


    take a shower.


    Elio eyed the medicine box, reached out to take it, and sniffed it.


    He poured out a bit of the medicine and took a sip, then scrunched up his face.


    It was really bitter.


    So bitter that his tongue almost went numb.


    Elio didn¡¯t stay over. By the time Astrid emerged, he had already left.


    Early the next morning, she sent Roman home and then headed to the airport.


    Not long after she boarded the ne, Hawthorne Cliff, who was tending his nts, received a


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    message. ¡°Sir, Ms. Irvine has gone to G country alone. She seems to have found some information.¡±


    Hawthorne paused his watering.


    He set down his watering can, wheeled himself away to wash his hands thoroughly, then replied, ¡°Find


    out who she¡¯s meeting. Nothing can go wrong¡±


    After sending the message, he plucked a blue petal and muttered, ¡°Astrid, why can¡¯t you just stay put?¡±


    The blue petal slipped from Hawthorne¡¯s fingers and floated down with the wind.


    His face was calm and his eyes were seemingly gentle but icy.


    G country airport.


    The moment Astrid stepped out of the airport, a man in ck approached, ¡°Astrid, I¡¯m Lamont. Chad


    sent me to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Astrid followed Lamont. As they exited the airport, she saw a row of bodyguards.


    Upon seeing her, the bodyguards bowed in unison, ¡°Wee, Astrid.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hit the road Astrid got into the car and the bodyguards immediately followed in other cars.


    Lamont whispered, ¡°Astrid, the border situation in G country has been a bit shakytely, so we have to


    be more cautious. We¡¯ll stay in a hotel tonight and escort you to the person you need to see tomorrow


    morning.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Astrid nodded in response. After a while, she asked, ¡°How¡¯s our business been recently? Any


    troublemakers?¡°

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    Chapter 215


    ¡°No worries, all¡¯s been chilltely, no one¡¯s been busting our balls.¡± Lamont had everything prepared


    ahead of time and directly handed Astrid the ounts, ¡°All the records are here, take a look.¡±


    Astrid bent her head to check the ounts, the silence in the car was suffocating.


    After who knows how long. Astrid lifted her head, ¡°Did you guys have a run in with a dude named


    Quincy?¡±


    ¡°Not really a run in. The business on the dark web is all about snatching. They¡¯re not as strong as us,


    so clients wouldn¡¯t want to assign tasks to them. We earn our business on merit.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, are you going to swing by the HQ? The boys heard you wereing and they¡¯re stoked.¡±


    Astrid paused for a moment, ¡°Once I¡¯m done with my stuff and have some free time, I¡¯ll drop by.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Lamont was high up in the ranks within the organization, but he could still be thrown off by


    Astrid¡¯s aura.


    But Chad had told him that Astrid was a young girl who was easy to get along with.


    The girl in front of him had such a strong vibe. How was she easy to get along with?


    The atmosphere in the car was tense again.


    The sound of a cheerful game came from the backseat.


    A twitch appeared at the corner of Lamont¡¯s mouth; he was at a loss for words.


    He was finding it harder and harder to figure out his boss.


    Once they got to the hotel, Astrid started a video call with Roman as soon as she put her stuff down.


    Roman immediately showered her with a barrage of virtual kisses, ¡°I miss you, I miss you, I miss you!


    Kisses~¡±


    ¡°Auntie, when are youing back? I miss you so much, I¡¯m starving and I¡¯ve lost weight!¡±


    Everyone else in the room looked at Roman¡¯s chubby hands and plump chin and were at a loss for


    words.


    Lose weight?


    Starving and losing weight after just a few hours?


    Astrid chuckled, ¡°I miss you too. Are you at your grandparents¡® house?¡±


    Before Roman could reply, the camera shifted and Amanda Lampard appeared in the video, ¡°Astrid,


    you¡¯re in G country? I heard it¡¯s dangerous there, take care of yourself!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of myself.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, I know some people in G country; where are you? I¡¯ll have theme protect you,


    okay?¡± Amanda¡¯s expression was serious, ¡°Tell me where you are right now.¡±


    Knowing Amanda was serious, Astrid replied, ¡°I won¡¯t wander off; I¡¯ll be back in at most three days;


    there won¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    ¡°Then you have to report to mom every night, or mom will worry about you!¡±


    Mom?


    Astrid showed a slightly awkward but polite smile.


    Next, the camera shook a few times, and she saw Elio.


    ¡°My people are nearby. Be careful, and I¡¯ll see you when you¡¯re back.¡±


    His people?


    This guy had people in G country too?


    Never underestimate him.


    After getting a response, Elio handed the phone back to Roman.


    Roman, afraid Amanda would snatch his phone, hid in his room with his phone and continued the video


    call with Astrid.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    After about twenty minutes, Astrid ended the call.


    But she had an uneasy feeling.


    Dark web users usually don¡¯t leave contact info in private, she and Quincy had agreed on a meet¨Cup


    time and ce on the dark web, but now she was a bit nervous.


    She walked over to herputer, logged into the dark web, and sent Lamont several messages.


    After a while, there was still no reply from Quincy.


    An hourter, someone knocked on her hotel room door.


    someone called and said Quincy was in a car ident!¡±


    Car ident?


    ¡°No worries, all¡¯s been chilltely, no one¡¯s been busting our balls.¡± Lamont had everything prepared


    ahead of time and directly handed Astrid the ounts, ¡°All the records are here, take a look.¡±


    Astrid bent her head to check the ounts, the silence in the car was suffocating.


    After who knows how long. Astrid lifted her head, ¡°Did you guys have a run in with a dude named


    Quincy?¡±


    ¡°Not really a run in. The business on the dark web is all about snatching. They¡¯re not as strong as us,


    so clients wouldn¡¯t want to assign tasks to them. We earn our business on merit.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, are you going to swing by the HQ? The boys heard you wereing and they¡¯re stoked.¡±


    Astrid paused for a moment, ¡°Once I¡¯m done with my stuff and have some free time, I¡¯ll drop by.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Lamont was high up in the ranks within the organization, but he could still be thrown off by


    Astrid¡¯s aura.


    But Chad had told him that Astrid was a young girl who was easy to get along with.


    The girl in front of him had such a strong vibe. How was she easy to get along with?


    The atmosphere in the car was tense again.


    The sound of a cheerful game came from the backseat.


    A twitch appeared at the corner of Lamont¡¯s mouth; he was at a loss for words.


    He was finding it harder and harder to figure out his boss.


    Once they got to the hotel, Astrid started a video call with Roman as soon as she put her stuff down.


    Roman immediately showered her with a barrage of virtual kisses, ¡°I miss you, I miss you, I miss you!


    Kisses~¡±


    ¡°Auntie, when are youing back? I miss you so much, I¡¯m starving and I¡¯ve lost weight!¡±


    Everyone else in the room looked at Roman¡¯s chubby hands and plump chin and were at a loss for


    words.


    Lose weight?


    Starving and losing weight after just a few hours?


    Astrid chuckled, ¡°I miss you too. Are you at your grandparents¡® house?¡±


    Before Roman could reply, the camera shifted and Amanda Lampard appeared in the video, ¡°Astrid,


    you¡¯re in G country? I heard it¡¯s dangerous there, take care of yourself!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of myself.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, I know some people in G country; where are you? I¡¯ll have theme protect you,


    okay?¡± Amanda¡¯s expression was serious, ¡°Tell me where you are right now.¡±


    Knowing Amanda was serious, Astrid replied, ¡°I won¡¯t wander off; I¡¯ll be back in at most three days;


    there won¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    ¡°Then you have to report to mom every night, or mom will worry about you!¡±


    Mom?


    Astrid showed a slightly awkward but polite smile.


    Next, the camera shook a few times, and she saw Elio.


    ¡°My people are nearby. Be careful, and I¡¯ll see you when you¡¯re back.¡±


    His people?


    This guy had people in G country too?


    Never underestimate him.


    After getting a response, Elio handed the phone back to Roman.


    Roman, afraid Amanda would snatch his phone, hid in his room with his phone and continued the video


    call with Astrid.


    After about twenty minutes, Astrid ended the call.


    But she had an uneasy feeling.


    Dark web users usually don¡¯t leave contact info in private, she and Quincy had agreed on a meet¨Cup


    time and ce on the dark web, but now she was a bit nervous.


    She walked over to herputer, logged into the dark web, and sent Lamont several messages.


    After a while, there was still no reply from Quincy.


    An hourter, someone knocked on her hotel room door.


    someone called and said Quincy was in a car ident!¡±


    Car ident?

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216


    Astrid frowned, her face unchanging. ¡°No problem, I got this.¡±


    Seeing Astrid so calm, Lamont asked nervously, ¡°Astrid, are you sure you¡¯re okay? Do you want me to


    use our connections to look into this? We¡¯re not even sure if there¡¯s been a car ident!¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it. You guys stay alert and keep people away from my floor.¡± With that, Astrid shut the door.


    Lamont¡¯s worries grew. He wasn¡¯t scared when they were bidding against other organizations because


    those transactions were anonymous on the dark web.


    But if their info got leaked, things would turn nasty.


    They had plenty of enemies. Peaceful days might soon be a thing of the past.


    After arranging his team, Lamont texted Chad, ¡°Chad, we¡¯ve got a situation. Our contact info has been


    leaked. Someone called and said, Quincy had been in a car ident!¡±


    Chad was at a barbecue stand when he saw the message.


    He put down his chicken leg, wiped his mouth, and quickly replied, ¡°Is this info legit?¡±


    Lamont replied. ¡°Still checking.¡±


    ¡°Keep Chief safe. If anything happens to her, you¡¯re responsible.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    As he put down his phone, Chad lost his appetite for the barbecue.


    He looked at Hank, who was sitting across from him, ¡°Hank, Chief might be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°What? Who dares to mess with our Chief?¡± Hank smashed his beer bottle on the table and started


    furiously tapping on his phone.


    Chad was perplexed, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Booking a flight so we can go protect our Chief!!¡± Hank stood up and said to the barbecue stand


    owner, ¡°Boss, check please!¡±


    They paid the bill and quickly left the stand.


    Meanwhile, Astrid was tracking the call.


    She couldn¡¯t reach Quincy, so he might actually be in trouble.


    The hotelputer was slow and kept freezing.


    Soon, she located the caller at a nearby hotel.


    Back at herputer, Astrid quickly connected all the recent events.


    From the moment Colton mentioned a tall guy with a mole, a chain of events had begun.


    From the info about the tall guy and the mole, she found Warren Santos, who then betrayed Fannie,


    and then she learned about Quincy from Fannie.


    But as she got closer to the truth, Quincy got into trouble.


    This only meant one thing: the person behind the scenes was getting anxious.


    He was starting to worry.


    The fact that he knew about her meeting with Quincy meant he was no ordinary person.


    Most people she¡¯d met at the hotel had been dealt with, except for Colton, because everyone thought


    he was an idiot.


    Idiots don¡¯t spill secrets.


    If anyone knew Colton had regained his sanity, he would be in danger!


    Because without Colton mentioning he¡¯d seen her, the event that happened four years ago would


    remain a mystery.


    On her phone, Astrid sent Jon a message. ¡°Please keep Colton safe. Don¡¯t let him go out until I get


    back.¡±


    Realizing the gravity of the situation, Jon immediately took Colton to find Rickon Brooke for safety,


    knowing Rickon was skilled in self¨Cdefense.

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    Chapter 217


    Rickon was totally against these two, but since Astrid said they were here to protect Colton, he had no


    choice but to let them in. Late at night, Astrid was wide awake.


    Her phone buzzed a few times. She slowly picked it up and saw Elio¡¯s messages.


    ¡°Everything going okay?¡±


    ¡°Need any help?¡±


    Astrid¡¯s finger hovered over the screen for a moment before she replied, ¡°I can handle it. You need to


    take care of Roman.¡±


    She might lean on her brothers, but she hadn¡¯t gotten used to Elio yet, even though he¡¯d been doing a


    great job.


    The next day, Astrid went to the ce where she and Quincy agreed to meet.


    When night fell, Quincy was still a no¨Cshow.


    In the middle of the night, Astrid received a text from Quincy. ¡°Sorry, something came up. Can¡¯t meet


    right now. We¡¯ll talk online if there¡¯s anything.¡±


    Astrid replied. ¡°Did you get in a car crash?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I wasn¡¯t in a car crash. Something happened at home. I went backst night.¡±


    No car crash?


    Did someone try to stop her from meeting Quincy?


    After a pause, Astrid replied. ¡°Were you in Sunhaven over four years ago?¡±


    Quincy: ¡°I was!¡±


    He w¨¢s?


    Astrid felt a rush of anxiety, ¡°Did you go with your boss?¡±


    Quincy paused after he read this and checked Astrid¡¯s profile and saw ¡®male¡®. He retorted swiftly, ¡°Why


    are you looking for my boss? Are you trying to marry him? You don¡¯t have a chance; he¡¯s already got a


    kid, and he doesn¡¯t swing that way!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a woman.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re a woman, our boss won¡¯t be into you. He¡¯s already head over heels for someone else,


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    and she¡¯s a knockout who¡¯s super talented! hate home wreckers; don¡¯t you dare mess with our boss


    and his girlfriend, or I¡¯ll make your life miserable!¡°.


    Astrid fell silent.


    She was just asking a few questions, how did hee up with such a storyline?


    How did she suddenly be the other woman?


    She just wants to find that man and figure out if he took her child.


    She had no interest in him; she just didn¡¯t want to miss any information about her child.


    Even though Sandra Irvine said that the child was dead, she was a master of deception, and her words


    couldn¡¯t be fully trusted.


    Unless someone else confirms that the child was dead when stolen, she¡¯ll never give up looking for her


    child.


    Just as she was about to ask Quincy more questions, a system message popped up. ¡°The other party


    has blocked and reported you; please use appropriatenguage to create a harmonious online


    environment.¡±


    Blocked?


    Was this guy out of his mind?!


    ¡°Ding dong ding dong ding dong!¡± The doorbell rang and Astrid got up to answer it.


    Upon opening the door, she saw a worn¨Cout Chad and Hank.


    Astrid¡¯s mouth¨Ctwitched slightly, ¡°What do you guys want?¡±


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± Hank gave Astrid a once¨Cover, then pped Chad, ¡°God, did you trick me into


    thinking Chief is in trouble just because you wanted to travel abroad on your own?¡±

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218


    Chad rubbed his reddened forehead with a look of injustice, ¡°It was Lamont who said there was a


    problem!*


    Lamont, standing at the door, jumped, ¡°There was a problem!¡±


    Astrid felt a headacheing on as she looked at the trio in front of her, ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s alright now.


    Chad, you guys go get some rest. I¡¯m giving you a week off, take it easy.¡±


    ¡°A vacation?¡± Chad was nearly in tears, ¡°Chief, how can we take a vacation right now?¡±


    Hank said, ¡°Chief, we¡¯re the ones dealing with all the important stuff for thepany. If you give us a


    vacation, who will handle the work?¡±


    ¡°You guys can¡­ work remotely. As for contracts and such, you can sign them when you get back.


    Haha.¡±


    Chad and Hank were left speechless.


    They knew this was too good to be true.


    But getting out would be good enough.


    Once they confirmed there were no issues, Chad and Hank went to rest.


    Quincy firmlybeled her as a homewrecker trying to interfere with the boss¡¯s rtionship. Even when


    she tried to contact him using Chad¡¯s online ount, he immediately reported it, not giving her a


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    chance to exin.


    She tried to locate Quincy, but his firewall was surprisingly strong. She spent a long time breaking


    through the firstyer, only for it to be repaired almost instantly.


    Dale called her to participate in a public event. She didn¡¯t have time to deal with Quincy and quickly


    flew back home.


    She nned tounch an all¨Cnight attack on Quincy¡¯s firewall once she got back; she didn¡¯t believe


    there was a firewall she couldn¡¯t break. The day she broke through, the truth would be revealed!


    Quincy had no idea that the person he called a ¡°homewrecker¡± was actually Astrid. He proudly bragged


    to Elio, ¡°Chief, some shameless woman tried to meddle in your rtionship with Ms. Irvine; I gave her a


    piece of my mind!¡±


    ¡°Keep it up.¡± Elio replied.


    Then he sent Quincy a bonus. Quincy was thrilled to receive the money.


    He never imagined he would be scolded by the boss for today¡¯s actions so soon.


    Elio wanted to pick up Astrid, but she texted him before boarding the ne and said she had to discuss


    something with Dale afternding, so he should go ahead with Roman.


    On the way, Roman was thrilled and kept singing nursery rhymes.


    But Roman¡¯s musical talent was limited; just like Astrid, his singing was terrible.


    The father and son duo just stepped out of the elevator and saw a man at Astrid¡¯s door.


    It was none other than Hawthorne, who was in a wheelchair.


    He looked awful, like death warmed over.


    He gave a slight smile upon seeing Elio, ¡°Mr. Lampard, we meet again; are you here to see Astrid too?¡±


    Elio frowned. He went over and entered the code to open the door when he saw Hawthorne¡¯s dire


    state, ¡°Come in and wait.¡±


    Hawthorne¡¯s hand tightened as he watched Elio effortlessly enter the password.


    How would he know Astrid¡¯s home password?


    Has he moved in with Astrid?


    No way!


    How is that possible?


    Roman asked, ¡°Do you want me to push your wheelchair?¡±


    ¡°No need, thank you, you¡¯re so cute.¡± Hawthorne stared at Roman for a while, which made Roman


    nervous.


    Roman scampered behind Elio and clung to his leg, looking at Hawthorne with a bit of fear.


    Elio found some tea and made a cup for Hawthorne, ¡°Have some tea and rest; I heard from Astrid that


    your health isn¡¯t suited for long trips. Why did youe here?¡±

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219


    Hawthorne cradled his cup of tea but didn¡¯t drink it. ¡°I know I¡¯m not in the best shape, so I wanted to


    see Astrid.¡±


    ¡®Oh, have you eaten? Want me to fix you something?¡± Although Elio had no love for hispetitor, the


    guy was sick and had traveled a long way. He had to y the gracious host.


    ¡°No need; I just want to rest a bit. I¡¯ll leave once Astrid gets back.¡± Hawthorne¡¯s smile was gentle and


    gave off a refined air.


    But Roman hadn¡¯t forgotten that scary look Hawthorne shot him at the door.


    Roman lingered in the living room for a while before heading to his room alone. He even dragged a


    small stool to barricade his door.


    The silence in the living room between Elio and Hawthorne was deafening. Bored, Elio found some


    scissors and began trimming the flowers at home. Before he could finish, Astrid¡¯s voice echoed from


    outside. ¡°Elio, help me with the fish! It¡¯s about to jump out!¡±


    1


    Hearing her, Elio immediately dropped what he was doing and went to help Astrid.


    Astrid handed all the groceries to Elio. She looked slightly disappointed when she didn¡¯t see Roman.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my little one? Why didn¡¯t hee to greet me?¡±


    ¡°He might be sleeping, Oh, and we have a guest.¡± Once Elio finished speaking, Astrid entered the


    house while pushing her luggage.


    Her face changed when she saw Hawthorne. ¡°Are you out of your mind? The high¨Caltitude pressure


    could kill you, yet you dare to travel long distances?¡±


    Hawthorne chuckled, ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t be mad. I didn¡¯t fly. I took a cruise and then the high¨Cspeed train.


    I¡¯m worn out from trying to see you. You need to make it up to me.¡±


    Astrid frowned. Hawthorne always imed that everything he did was for her sake.


    ¡°Hawthorne, we can never be together. I made it clear three years ago. Life is so precious; why are you


    wasting it?¡± Astrid was really tired. She couldn¡¯t remember how many times she had rejected


    Hawthorne.


    He was such a headache!


    Hawthorne looked up at Astrid and said softly, ¡°What¡¯s the point of my life without you?¡±


    For a moment, Astrid didn¡¯t know what to say to Hawthorne.


    Seeing her dilemma, Hawthorne said softly, ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t worry. I can sleep on the couch. I¡¯ll only stay


    for two days.¡±


    Elio was not pleased to hear this.


    Didn¡¯t this guy just say he would leave once he saw Astrid?


    Now he wanted to crash on the couch?


    After a few seconds of thought, Elio stepped forward, ¡°Considering your health, the couch is not ideal,


    and the air quality in the city is not conducive to your recovery. I have a house in the suburbs. You can


    stay there temporarily.¡±


    A secretive light shed in Hawthorne¡¯s eyes, but his face still held a smile, ¡°The suburbs? Isn¡¯t that too


    far? And we¡¯re not exactly close; it would be a bother, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No need to be polite with him. He has plenty of houses. Stay as long as you like.¡± Astrid finished


    speaking and squatted down, ready to take Hawthorne¡¯s pulse.


    However, Hawthorne suddenly withdrew his hand, ¡°Astrid, what are you doing?¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking your pulse. Stop dawdling.¡± Astrid reached out again, but Hawthorne still refused.


    Astrid frowned, ¡°Hawthorne, your health is not good. I need to check your pulse so I can prescribe the


    right medication for you. Give me your


    hand!¡±


    ¡°No need; I brought my own meds. I just want to stay here for a few days, just a few.¡± Hawthorne


    looked up at Astrid, his eyes pleading.


    Elio was dumbfounded.


    Two days turned into a few days?


    He was really pushing his luck.


    At this moment, Roman was peeping through the door crack.


    He remembered Elio saying that some men always wanted to run off with Astrid, but they wouldn¡¯t do it


    once they knew she had a child.


    Thinking of this, a smile crept up on Roman¡¯s face as he started his performance. Rubbing his eyes, he


    walked out, acting adorable, ¡°Mom, is dinner ready? I¡¯m hungry!¡±


    Hawthorne stiffened when he heard Roman call Astrid ¡°mom¡°.

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220


    He turned to look at the kid, rubbing his eyes with a smile on his face. ¡°Kid, you can¡¯t just go around


    calling people ¡®mom¡®.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I didn¡¯t just call her that. She is my mom, and I¡¯m her cutest baby!¡± Despite being slightly scared of


    Hawthorne, the moment he saw Astrid, his confidence skyrocketed.


    He ran over to Astrid and clung tightly to her leg.


    After spending so much time together, Astrid naturally understood Roman. His actions now were


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    nothing more than a sign of feeling threatened and wanting to chase Hawthorne away.


    The kid was scared of losing her.


    Astrid gently stroked Roman¡¯s head, not exposing his lie.


    A glint of approval shed through Elio¡¯s eyes when he saw his son¡¯s actions.


    Before Astrid and Elio could even respond, Roman spoke again, ¡°Sir, I wasn¡¯t lying. We¡¯re a family.


    Haven¡¯t you noticed all the household itemse in threes?¡±


    Hawthorne¡¯s fists unconsciously clenched upon hearing this. He had noticed earlier.


    The house had a special family set of three teacups and even a set of tea ware for guests. The balcony


    was decorated as a children¡¯s y area. It was clear that they lived together regrly.


    If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn¡¯t have believed that Astrid, who sneered at her


    suitors, would actually live with the man in front of him.


    He stared at Roman for a while, and Roman hid behind Astrid again.


    After a few seconds, Hawthorneughed, ¡°Kid, you can¡¯t just call her ¡®mom. It¡¯s easy to misunderstand


    and can affect her chances of making friends.


    ¡°Friends?¡± Roman tilted his head, ¡°You mean boyfriend?¡±


    Hawthorne replied. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Roman nodded, ¡°Then you don¡¯t need to worry. Elio is her boyfriend. And if you think Elio is not


    good enough, I can be!¡±


    After saying this, Roman even patted his own chest..


    Elio narrowed his eyes.


    Astrid, hearing Roman¡¯s words, couldn¡¯t help butugh. She picked up Roman, gave him a few


    affectionate kisses, and then said to Hawthorne, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to stay in Elio¡¯s house, I can arrange


    for someone to take care of you.¡±


    Hawthorne was somewhat excited to hear this, ¡°But I came here to see you. If you put me in a separate


    house; what¡¯s the point of meing?¡±


    Astrid frowned slightly when she saw his agitation.


    ¡°Hawthorne, I have my own life. You pestering me is pointless and will only make our rtionship


    worse. Your father only has you as a child; can¡¯t you consider him?¡± Astrid¡¯s expression started to show


    impatience.


    ¡°I¡­cough¡­cough¡­¡± Hawthorne began to cough violently.


    He couldn¡¯t stop coughing and looked like he might copse at any moment due to his difficulty


    breathing.


    Astrid immediately went over to check on him when she saw something was wrong, but Hawthorne


    simply covered his chest and said, ¡°Never. mind¡­ Never mind, since you¡¯ve found your home; I won¡¯t


    cause any trouble here. I¡¯ll leave on my own. Wish you happiness.¡±

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221


    He hit the automatic button on his wheelchair and nned to make an exit, but Elio put a hand on the


    chair, stopping him in his tracks. ¡°You¡¯re a friend of Astrid¡¯s. He said coolly. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna let anything


    happen to you Let me take you to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°No, no need!¡± Hawthorne rebuffed Elio, but that didn¡¯t stop him from rolling him out the door without a


    moment¡¯s hesitation.


    He turned to Astrid and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got this.¡±


    Astrid nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Hawthorne¡¯s gaze turned icy once they got in the elevator.


    Blood trickled from the corner of Hawthorne¡¯s mouth, giving him a somewhat scary look. ¡°Elio, what are


    you up to?¡± He asked.


    Elio scoffed, ¡°Sorry to burst your bubble. Thought you were so sneaky, huh? Did you think Astrid


    wouldn¡¯t see right through you?¡±


    Hawthorne¡¯s body gave a jolt, and he coughed lightly, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Elio smirked, ¡°You¡¯re just trying to use your sickness to get Astrid¡¯s pity and mooch off her at


    her ce.¡±


    ¡°She saw right through you. That¡¯s why she¡¯s having me take you away.¡±


    Hawthorne was speechless.


    Blood dripped from the corner of Hawthorne¡¯s mouth, staining his white clothes.


    He wiped his mouth with his hand and fell silent.


    A few secondster, Elio wheeled Hawthorne out of the elevator. They had only taken a few steps


    when a group of men in ck briskly approached. A doctor from the group brought over a small oxygen


    tank from their vehicle and put an oxygen mask on Hawthorne.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing this, Elio turned and walked away. But before he could get far, Hawthorne called out to him,


    ¡°Elio, do you know about Astrid¡¯s past?¡±


    ¡°I will listen when she¡¯s willing to tell me, but I won¡¯t pry into what she doesn¡¯t want to share. I love her,


    and my job is to protect her, not to expose her wounds.¡± Elio finished, turning back to nce at


    Hawthorne, ¡°Anything else? If not, I¡¯ve gotta go have dinner with my wife and kid.¡±


    Have dinner with my wife and kid¡­


    Those words stung Hawthorne deeply. His usual gentle demeanor faded, ¡°You and her have no future.¡±


    ¡°Whether we have a future is between us. But you and her don¡¯t even have a past. She has liked me


    since she was fifteen.¡±


    ¡°Since she was fifteen?¡± Hawthorne scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    ¡°If you really like Astrid, you should know that she¡¯s been a big fan of the race car driver, Fate, for many


    years, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know. Fate is her idol and her rock.¡±


    After he finished speaking, Hawthorne sensed something was off.


    He looked sharply at Elio, his eyes wide with shock.


    Could it be¡­


    Elio looked at Hawthorne and finally said, ¡°I¡¯m her idol, Fate.¡±


    As he finished his sentence, he saw Hawthorne¡¯s body stiffen.


    Elio nced at him, then turned and walked away, leaving Hawthorne staring after him,pletely


    stunned.


    Elio is Fate! Elio is Fate!!


    ¡°Sir, we should head to the hospital now.¡± The bodyguard¡¯s voice broke the silence, finally bringing


    Hawthorne back to reality.


    But Elio was already out of sight.


    It took a while for Hawthorne to regain hisposure. He removed his oxygen mask and said coldly,


    ¡°In a week, it¡¯s Amanda¡¯s birthday party. We¡¯re going.¡±

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222


    The bodyguard stooped and said, ¡°We don¡¯t have any ties with the Lampard family; they wouldn¡¯t invite


    us.¡±


    ¡°No sweat.¡± Hawthorne chuckled lightly, speaking in a gentle tone, ¡°I¡¯ve got my ways. Let¡¯s roll.¡±


    Hawthorne closed his eyes, seeming to ponder something, and a smile tugged at his lips.


    The bodyguard opened the car door, only to find the blue roses inside had started to wilt.


    Hawthorne gently touched the petals, smiling warmly, ¡°Hang in there; we¡¯re heading home soon.¡±


    When Elio came back, Astrid and Roman were not in the living room.


    The kitchen was filled with Astrid and Roman¡¯s singing; their off¨Ckey notes were oddly in sync.


    Their voices sounded incredibly harmonious.


    Astrid eximed, ¡°How am I this good¨Clooking!!¡±


    Roman went, ¡°Whoa¨Cwhoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa-whoa~¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°What to do with all these good¨Clooks!!!¡±


    Roman went, ¡°Whoa whoa whoa¡­¡±


    Elio fell silent.


    If it weren¡¯t for the lyrics, he wouldn¡¯t have a clue what they were singing.


    They werepletely out of tune.


    He slowly walked to the kitchen door and peeked in. He saw Roman using a bitter gourd as a


    microphone and shaking his booty with all his might. His chubby cheeks were wobbling.


    Astrid was chopping vegetables; she even considerately put on a mask, afraid her spit would ssh on


    the food while singing.


    Elio¡¯s heart melted instantly when he saw the two of them.


    Both Hal Cot and Hawthorne had spoken to him about the same topic: her past.


    He might be curious, but he wouldn¡¯t fuss over it.


    Because she never pried into his past, what right did he have to probe into hers?


    He should protect everything he had right now and protect his loved ones.


    The next morning, Astrid didn¡¯t get up until past ten.


    She came out to see Roman ying games on the sofa. She bent over and pinched his cheeks,


    ¡°Roman, I need to go to work; I¡¯ll send you hometer, okay?¡±


    Roman shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me; Uncle Jon wille y games with meter.¡±


    Uncle Jon?


    Astrid¡¯s lips twitched, ¡°Since, when did you get so chummy with him?¡±


    ¡°Although Uncle Jon is a bit annoying, he¡¯s really good at games, so we¡¯re friends now.¡± After finishing


    his words, Roman nted a kiss on Astrid¡¯s cheek, ¡°Don¡¯t worry and go to work; I¡¯ll miss you.¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm, good boy, Roman.¡± Astrid stretchedzily, then went to freshen up. She made some food for


    Roman to eat, and as she was about to prepare her medicine, she noticed a pack of something next to


    her sleepwalking medication.


    She picked it up and found it was a pack of candy.


    There was even a Post¨Cit note on it. ¡°I can¡¯t drink the bitter medicine for you, but I did handpick this


    candy. They¡¯re very sweet, and I hope they can make the medicine a bit more bearable.¡±


    Astrid took out two pieces of candy and held them in her palm. A small smile appeared on her face; he


    really was thoughtful.


    Jon had just arrived when Gracie called to rush Astrid.


    She gathered her belongings and then quickly went downstairs.


    Due to staying upte the night before, she still felt tired, and as soon as she got in the car, she started


    to rest her eyes.


    Seeing her look so lifeless, Gracie immediately started teasing her, ¡°Astrid, can you pep up a little? You


    look like you¡¯ve been pulling all¨Cnighters for days.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it; I¡¯ll be in top form during the recording.¡± Astrid yawned, ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Dale? Has


    he gone to the studio?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already there.¡± Gracie sighed, ¡°I still haven¡¯t got your brother¡¯s contact info. I have no chance to


    even approach him. It¡¯s a real downer!¡±


    Astrid quicklyforted her, ¡°That¡¯s just the way my brother is. He doesn¡¯t deserve you, and missing


    out on you is his loss!¡±


    ¡°You got that right! I¡¯m a stunner! I¡¯ve got both the looks and the curves; he¡¯s definitely taking an L by


    missing out on me!¡± Gracie finished, then heaved a deep sigh, ¡°But your brother is really handsome!¡±


    Astrid was dumbfounded.


    She stayed uptest night ying with Roman, so she had Chad continue to attack Quincy¡¯s firewall.


    But even with a whole night¡¯s effort, Chad still had no results.


    This made her even more suspicious of Quincy.


    Looks like she¡¯ll be pulling an all¨Cnighter tonight.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She popped a piece of candy in her mouth and thought it was deliciously sweet.


    The candy Elio picked truly tasted great. It was sweet but not too much; she really liked it.


    Before she could even finish one piece, she heard Gracie shouting, ¡°Astrid, what did you just eat???¡±


    Astrid looked confused, ¡°Candy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a rising star; you need to watch your figure. How can you eat candy? I¡¯m going to confiscate


    them all!¡± Before Gracie could finish, she saw Astrid in the rear¨Cview mirror quickly stuffing several


    pieces of candy into her mouth. Then she shed her a triumphant peace sign.


    Gracie got a headache from anger, and as soon as she got out of the car, she started calling to


    too!¡±


    Dale replied. ¡°You¡¯re telling me this, but what can I do? I can¡¯t afford to offend her, let alone her


    brother.¡±


    Gracie fell silent.


    Never mind; she couldn¡¯t afford to offend them either.


    Seeing Gracie frowning, Astrid walked over and whispered, ¡°Alright, Gracie, I¡¯ll watch my diet in the


    future. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself; I didn¡¯t threaten you.¡± After Gracie finished, she and Astrid entered the studio


    together.


    .


    Today she and Joana were promoting their drama together; their TV show was about to air.


    Astrid saw Joana from a distance. If it were before, even if she didn¡¯t dare to do anything, Joana would


    still say a few sarcastic words.


    But ever since Fannie¡¯s incident, manyizens have been saying that female artists who had beef


    with Astrid didn¡¯t end up well. Joana may be disdainful, but she was still a bit scared deep down.


    Her career had just started and she didn¡¯t want any problems.


    So she was very polite to Astrid, ¡°Astrid, you¡¯re here? I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡±


    Astrid smiled and nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They were both not new to this studio and quickly found the green room.


    After sitting for a bit, a young woman with a work badge appeared at the door of the green room, ¡°Ms.


    Irvine, the makeup room is this way.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Selena called in sick today and took a day


    off; therefore, she had Dale arrange a makeup artist with the studio. However, she didn¡¯t expect them


    to be so efficient.


    Joana felt even more ufortable when she saw that the studio had even found a makeup artist


    specifically for Astrid.


    The VIP makeup room wasn¡¯t far from the green room; it was only about a dozen meters away.


    When Astrid walked in, a young girl was already waiting for her. Seeing here in, the girl


    immediately smiled and said, ¡°Hello Ms. Irvine, you can call me Ca; I¡¯m your makeup artist for today.


    If you have any requests about your makeup, just let me know.¡±


    ¡°Just a light makeup will do.¡± After Astrid finished, Ca gave her a shy smile, then quickly opened her


    makeup kit and started doing her makeup. Gracie went to the restroom, and only Astrid and Ca were


    left in the makeup room.


    Someone knocked on the door, causing Ca to put down her tools and run to open the door.


    As soon as the door opened, a strong smell of alcohol hit them, and when Ca saw who it was, her


    face changed immediately, and she shouted, ¡°Ms. Irvine, run!¡±


    ¡°Run?¡±

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224


    Astrid frowned but didn¡¯t move.


    Ca was suddenly shoved aside by the man who¡¯d just walked in and hit the wall hard. ¡°Why the rush


    to leave, prettydy? Can¡¯t we just chat?¡± He said. The man closed and locked the door behind him. He


    had a wicked smile on his face as he turned to look at Astrid.


    Astrid recognized him. He was Lambert, a seasoned TV host who had been in the industry for over a


    decade. His humorous hosting style and solid professional skills had earned him countless fans.


    But what Astrid hadn¡¯t expected was that behind the humorous and charming persona on TV, he was


    actually this kind of person.


    Judging by Ca¡¯s reaction, she must¡¯ve known what kind of person Lambert was, which was why she


    had told her to run.


    But there was only one door in this makeup room. Where could she run to?


    And besides, she had no intention of running away.


    As Lambert advanced step by step, Ca quickly moved to stand in front of Astrid.


    Even though she was scared, she resolutely shielded Astrid behind her.


    ¡°Sir, Ms. Irvine is one of Dale¡¯s artists. Are you not afraid of angering him? And she is currently being


    heavily promoted by Starlight Entertainment. If you do this, Starlight Entertainment will cut ties with our


    station!¡±


    ¡°This is not your ce to speak!¡± Lambert said. He roughly grabbed Ca¡¯s arm and shoved her aside.


    ¡°I call the shots here. Who do you think will believe her if she goes out and uses me of improper


    advances?¡±


    Indeed, with Lambert¡¯s poprity, if Astrid went out and used Lambert of making inappropriate


    advances towards her in the makeup room, no one would believe her. Instead, she¡¯d be subjected to a


    torrent of abuse..


    After all, Lambert¡¯s image as a good man, a good father, and a good senior was deeply ingrained in


    people¡¯s minds. No one would believe that he could do such a thing.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Lambertughed without restraint. ¡°Let¡¯s be straight. If you don¡¯t make me happy today, I¡¯ll


    make sure the entire station cklists you.¡± ¡°cklist me?¡± Astrid sat leisurely in the chair, crossing her


    legs. ¡°On what grounds?¡±


    Ca was shocked by Astrid¡¯s domineering attitude. She leaned in and whispered in Astrid¡¯s ear, ¡°Ms.


    Irvine, he¡¯s good friends with Fannie. Many people say you¡¯re the one who screwed Fannie over. I¡¯m


    afraid he won¡¯t let you off the hook today. Better keep a low profile. I¡¯ll stall him while you run; don¡¯t


    suffer for no reason.¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t expect this girl she¡¯d just met to help her out like this. She patted Ca on the shoulder


    and smiled contentedly. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared; I¡¯ll be fine!¡± ¡°You, get out! Don¡¯t interfere with my business! If


    I hear any rumors when I get out, you know the consequences!¡± Lambert reached out to grab Ca, but


    Astrid suddenly stood up and twisted his arm hard!


    With a crisp ¡°crack¡°, Ca felt a chill run down her spine.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Lambert cried out in pain and his face twisted in agony. ¡°My hand, my hand¡­ Call an ambnce,


    call an ambnce¡­¡±


    Lambert tried to reach for his phone with his other hand, but Astrid snatched it away.


    Astrid looked at Lambert with a nk expression and her arms crossed in front of her chest, despising


    him. ¡°You¡¯ve used these tactics to bully countless neers, haven¡¯t you? How can you be so


    despicable?¡±


    ¡°You, how dare you talk to me like that?¡± Lambert had a widework of connections and held a high


    position in the station, so many young actors who were unfairly treated dared not speak up, and those


    who wanted to fight back were silenced by his money.


    He had always been attracted to Astrid¡¯s beauty, but thest time Astrid came to the station, Dale was


    there, so he didn¡¯t make a move.


    But this time, once he saw that Astrid was alone In the makeup room, he decided to pursue his ulterior


    motives.

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225


    He didn¡¯t see thising at all. Astrid was so fiery that she straight up snapped his hand!


    Lambert was so pissed that his teeth were chattering, ¡°Astrid, if I go out there and tell everyone how


    disrespectful you were to your elder and that you injured my hand, what do you think will happen to


    you?¡±


    ¡°Oh? I broke your hand?¡± Astrid blinked, looking all innocent, ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t get it.


    How could I possibly break your hand?¡±


    Astrid stretched her slender arms out, waving them in front of Lambert, ¡°Are you sure these skinny


    arms of mine could break your arm?¡±


    Lambert looked at Astrid¡¯s petite arms, then at his own. His arms were at least two or three times


    thicker than Astrid¡¯s.


    And he was a regr at the gym.


    If he went out and said Astrid broke his arm, would anyone believe him?


    ¡°You¡­you saw it, right?¡± Lambert turned to Ca, his voice stern, ¡°You saw it, right?¡±


    Ca shrank back in fear, ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t see anything¡­¡±


    She really hadn¡¯t seen anything; she just heard the noise.


    Lambert was dumbfounded.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Okay, let me tell you this. As long as you please me, you can get a ton of resources and be


    famous in no time! But you pissed me off! Do you really think I¡¯m just a host? Let me tell you, with one


    TV stations won¡¯t even invite you to do shows! You¡¯re done!¡±


    Astrid just scoffed when she heard this.


    Recalling that Ca mentioned Lambert had a close rtionship with Fannie, Astrid had an idea,


    ¡°Wow, so Fannie became famous because of you?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were here to avenge Fannie. I didn¡¯t expect you to move on so quickly!¡±


    Lambert¡¯s face turned a bit awkward, ¡°What are you talking about?! I have nothing to do with Fannie!¡±


    The more he denied it, the more Astrid believed her own thoughts, ¡°Fannie has been involved with a lot


    of people during your rtionship; aren¡¯t you afraid of catching something?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Lambert¡¯s body visibly shook; clearly, he was unaware of Fannie¡¯s dealings behind his back.


    Seeing this, Astrid continued, ¡°You better leave now, or else if I get in a bad moodter, it won¡¯t be as


    simple as just breaking a hand.¡±


    ¡°You!!!¡± Lambert was shaking with anger. He had been in this industry for decades, and no one had


    ever dared disrespect him like this. ¡°Astrid, who gave you the audacity to talk to me like this?!¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± A cold voice came from the doorway, and before Lambert could react, there were several loud


    bangs, and the makeup room door was smashed open!


    Elio strode over,nding a punch on Lambert, ¡°Do you want to die?!¡±


    This was the first time Astrid had seen Elio hit someone, and for some reason, she found it very


    satisfying.


    ¡°No, I was wrong. I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry!!!¡± When Lambert saw Elio, he immediately became cowardly.


    He had also seen Elio¡¯s courting gestures towards Astrid online, but Astrid never responded, and the


    two were never photographed together. So he didn¡¯t take it seriously.


    He never thought that Elio would actually show up!!!

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226


    Sure, he had some clout, but it wasn¡¯t worth a hill of beanspared to Elio.


    He¡¯d heard about Elio¡¯s tricks and now he was kicking himself, ¡°Mr. Elio. Mr. Elio! It¡¯s a


    misunderstanding! It¡¯s all just a misunderstanding. I was just joking around with Ms. Irvine. I was only


    joking, I swear. I meant no disrespect!¡±


    At this point, Lambert was groveling at Elio¡¯s feet and was a picture of total humiliation.


    Seeing Elio unmoved, Lambert turned to Astrid for support, but she quickly stepped away, ¡°Don¡¯t kneel


    to me; it makes me sick.¡±


    Elio nced at the nonchnt Astrid and softly asked, ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m in trouble? Rx, I¡¯m fine.¡± Astrid gave Elio a small smile, ¡°By the way, it¡¯s almost


    time for my ¡®show; let¡¯s move to another ce to continue my makeup; you can deal with this guy.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Elio¡¯s gentle tone when speaking to Astrid was so unexpected that it nearly knocked Ca¡¯s


    socks off.


    ¡°Ca, let¡¯s go.¡± Astrid called out to Ca at the door, and Ca finally snapped back to reality and


    scurried out with her makeup box.


    Elio looked down at Lambert on the floor like he was a bug, ¡°Carson, you know what to do, right?¡±


    Carson nodded, ¡°Chief, don¡¯t worry, I got this.¡±


    Lambert was scared witless, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. I know I was wrong!¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be apologizing to me; you should apologize to the girls you¡¯ve hurt.¡± Elio left him with


    those words and walked away.


    Lambert copsed in despair.


    The variety show recording took several hours, and by the time Astrid was done, the rumor mill was in


    full swing.


    Lambert¡¯s good guy image crumbled overnight, and someone even dug up his affair with Fannie.


    In the car, Astrid was reading the news and couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t build up a


    fake image, because when it copses, you¡¯re


    toast.¡±


    ¡°Mm, Elio agreed, then asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you scream for help when he entered the dressing room?¡±


    Astrid smiled, ¡°I could handle it myself; there was no need to cry wolf.¡±


    ¡°By the way, why did youe?¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Elio hesitated, ¡°Today is my birthday; I wanted to have dinner with you after the show.¡±


    Astrid gripped her hands tightly and quickly changed the subject, ¡°How did you know I would agree to


    have dinner with you?¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t agree, I would announce on Twitter that you talk in your sleep and grind your teeth, and


    your goddess image would be shattered.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shameless.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡±


    Astrid had no response.


    In all the time she had known Elio, aside from a tiny Pikachu, she didn¡¯t recall ever giving him a gift.


    Astrid thought for a moment and sent a message to Chad. ¡°Chad,e out,e out, it¡¯s urgent!¡±


    There was no reply.


    Astrid sent another message to Hank. ¡°Hank! Come out,e out; it¡¯s urgent!¡±


    Still no reply.


    Feeling hopeless, she sent out a gift card in their group chat.


    The gift card was quickly snapped up.


    Chad replied. ¡°Wow, Chief, are you ying us? Why¡¯d you send out such a low¨Cvalue gift card?¡±

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    Chapter 227


    Astrid replied. ¡°I need you guys! You were just gonna vanish if I didn¡¯t send a gift card, huh?¡± Chad, ¡°I¡¯m


    gaming, Chief. What¡¯s up?¡°,


    Astrid, ¡°I¡¯m in Sunhaven¡¯s central business district. I need all the electronic billboards.¡±


    Hank, ¡°Chief, what are you up to?¡±


    Astrid, ¡°It¡¯s someone¡¯s birthday! I forgot to prepare a gift, so I have to wing it.¡±


    Chad and Hank were speechless.


    How could renting all the electronic billboards in the city center be ¡°winging it¡°?


    Do you have any idea how much that¡¯s gonna cost?


    There went a ton of cash again.


    Most people would have a tough time breathing after seeing that much money go.


    Astrid, ¡°The message should read ¡®Happy Birthday, Elio¡°.¡±


    ¡°You guys have half an hour. Nopletion, no pay. If you get it done, there¡¯s a bonus.¡±


    Chad replied. ¡°We got it, boss; your wish is ourmand! We¡¯ll get it done!¡±


    As they approached downtown, Astrid turned her head to look out the window. ¡°Elio, do you want to get


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    off and check out the night view?¡± Elio had no idea what Astrid was nning, but he was always up for


    whatever she wanted to do.


    Astrid got out of the car with a mask on; the breezy river air was pretty cool.


    Across the river, the giant LED screens on the buildings were showing various ads.


    The duo walked along the river for a bit, and suddenly all the screens went dark.


    A few secondster, every single screen they could see disyed the message ¡®Happy Birthday, Elio¡®.


    Elio froze. He turned to look at the girl beside him with a hint of surprise in his eyes.


    Passersby were in awe. ¡°Wow, who¡¯s the big spender renting all the billboards to celebrate Mr.


    Lampard¡¯s birthday?¡±


    ¡°One building¡¯s LED ad costs thousands per second; this is ridiculously extravagant!¡±


    Hearing the praises, Astrid moved closer to Elio and whispered, ¡°Happy Birthday, Elio.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Astrid.¡± Elio moved in for a hug, but Astrid sensed his move and stepped back.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cross the line, or I¡¯ll punch you!¡±


    ¡°Cross the line?¡± Elio smirked. ¡°I would never.¡±


    With that, Elio leaned in, quickly pecked Astrid on the lips, and then stood up as if nothing had


    happened.


    Even with the masks on, the touch made Astrid¡¯s heart flutter.


    Elio, you cheeky devil!


    How dare you sneak a kiss?!


    Coming back to her senses, she lifted her foot to kick him.


    Seeing this, Elio quickly made a run for it.


    They chased each other along the river, running quite a distance.


    Elio loved the birthday gift because it showed that she cared for him.


    But it also gave him a headache.


    Because this birthday celebration method was also in his ns. He originally wanted to do this for


    Astrid¡¯s birthday. He didn¡¯t expect her to be so bold and rent all the billboards in the city center for half


    an hour.


    What a headache!


    But Elio felt a bit better when he thought about the romantic candlelight dinner they would have soon.


    They arrived at the restaurant, and just as they stepped in, soft music began ying.


    Then Amanda, Matthew, and Roman came out singing ¡°Happy Birthday¡± and pushing a cake.


    ¡°Happy Birthday to you~ Happy Birthday to you~~~


    Elio really wanted to kick them all out at that moment.


    He wanted to have some alone time with Astrid!


    It was a romantic candlelight dinner! Why would theye?!


    Damn! He really wanted to punch someone!

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228


    The moment Amanda saw Astrid, a grin popped up on her face. She quickly walked over and grabbed


    Astrid¡¯s hand, ¡°Astrid, I¡¯ve missed you!¡±


    ¡°Oh, by the way. I got you this skincare product. I heard you¡¯ve been pulling some all¨Cnighters filming,


    so take this.¡±


    After pushing the makeup into Astrid¡¯s hands, Amanda dug into her bag again and pulled out lipstick.


    ¡°Astrid, this shade will look great on you!¡±


    Astrid took a look, and sure enough, it was her favorite color. Without any pretense, she epted it,


    ¡°Thank you, I love it!¡±


    Elio stood at the door with a cold expression on his face as he watched Amanda unload gift after gift


    onto Astrid. Eventually, he couldn¡¯t hold his tongue any longer, ¡°Mom, what about my gift?¡±


    ¡°Your gift?¡± Amanda seemed taken aback before casually pointing to a cake next to her, ¡°That¡¯s it; I


    specially pre¨Cordered it over the phone!¡± Specially pre¨Cordered?


    The difference in Amanda¡¯s treatment of Astrid and Elio was ring.


    He started to question if he was even part of the Lampard family.


    ¡°Amanda, this is for you!¡± Astrid pulled out a golden card from her bag and handed it to Amanda,


    Amanda covered her mouth in surprise when she saw the card, ¡°A Mona Lisa Beauty International


    supreme VIP gold card? Oh my god, Astrid, are you sure this is for me?¡±


    Astrid nodded, ¡°Yeah, I had this card made specifically with your information. From now on, any beauty


    service you want is free.¡±


    ¡°I love you so much!¡± Amandaunched herself at Astrid for a hug, then started to berate Elio and


    Matthew Lampard.


    ¡°Astrid is the only one who treats me right. All these years, Matthew has never given me a nice gift. He


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    even said my makeup makes me look like a wicked witch!


    ¡°And Elio, just like his dad, said my trips to the beauty salon are a waste!¡±


    ¡°Astrid is the best. She even got me a gold card from the world¨Cfamous Mona Lisa Beauty


    International.¡±


    As she spoke, Amanda shot Elio and Matthew a re, ¡°Hmph, men!¡±


    Elio and Matthew fell silent.


    Women were such a hassle.


    Roman Lampard had been standing to the side for a while before saying, ¡°I got you a gift too!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Astrid bent down and asked with a smile, ¡°What gift did you prepare for me?¡±


    ¡°Close your eyes first.¡± Roman said with a grin. Astrid obediently closed her eyes.


    Roman then nted a quick kiss on Astrid¡¯s cheek, ¡°I want to give you a sweet kiss.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± Astrid thought Roman was adorable. She hugged him tightly and showered him with kisses,


    Roman giggled from the affection while Elio¡¯s desire to kick these three out grew stronger.


    But it could only be a wish. Kicking them out was out of the question.


    And just like that¡­ his candlelit dinner turned into a family dinner.


    And then¡­


    Roman stayed nestled in Astrid¡¯s arms from start to finish, which infuriated Elio.


    Amanda grew fonder of Astrid as the night went on. After dinner, she whispered to Astrid, ¡°Astrid, it¡¯s


    my birthday this weekend. You have toe. If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t celebrate my birthday!¡±


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be there on time.¡± After saying goodbye to Amanda, Elio took Astrid home.


    Like a loyal sidekick, Roman trailed behind her all the way to her house.

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    Chapter 229


    Roman messed up all of Elio¡¯s subsequent ns, but even if he was angry, there was nothing he could


    do about it. After all, Astrid was on Roman¡¯s side.


    The Lambert issue was not over yet. Astrid had just returned home when a strange number called her.


    She didn¡¯t answer the first time, but when they called again, she picked up. ¡°Hello¡±


    ¡°Is this Astrid? I¡¯m Queenie, Mr. Lambert¡¯s agent. Can we meet somewhere?¡® Queenie was very


    humble, with a hint of ttery in her tone.


    Astrid could naturally guess that Queenie was looking for her mainly to help Lambert save face.


    But how could she possibly help such a scumbag?


    Astrid turned down Queenie without any hesitation. ¡°There¡¯s no need to meet. Everyone must pay for


    their actions, and Mr. Lambert is not worthy of my sympathy¡±


    Queenie on the other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds. She didn¡¯t expect Astrid to be so


    firm. ¡°Ms. Irvine, if you don¡¯t help Mr. Lambert, he won¡¯t make your life easy in the entertainment


    industry.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think Elio will protect you forever? He¡¯s just ying with you. How could such a


    prominent family like the Lampard family look up to a poor girl like you?¡±


    Astridughed as she listened to Queenie¡¯s sarcastic words. ¡°I¡¯m a poor girl? Then what are you? A


    trashy woman?¡±


    When I won the Global Magic Contestst year, my prize money was five million dors. Do you ever


    have three million dors?¡±


    Five million dors?


    That¡¯s not a small amount.


    Queenie didn¡¯t know much about the Global Magic Contest, so she didn¡¯t know that the first prize was


    that much.


    Astrid chuckled at Queenie¡¯s silence. She hadn¡¯t even mentioned her billions in pocket money yet, was


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    she scared already by a few million dors? And she wanted to negotiate with her at this level?


    What trash!


    Queenie replied. ¡°Five million dors is just a small amount. Mr. Lambert was ranked fifth on the


    domestic rich listst year.¡±


    Astrid sneered, ¡°What kind of rich list is that? My name isn¡¯t on it. It¡¯s definitely fake and not


    authoritative at all.¡±


    Queenie looked down on Astrid. She thought she was just a nouveau riche who hadn¡¯t seen the world,


    trying to get on the rich list with just a few million dors?


    Seeing that Queenie didn¡¯t speak, Astrid continued. ¡°And you¡¯re quite funny. My name isn¡¯t mentioned


    in the trending topics either, so what¡¯s the use of you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°I just want to find some celebrities to speak for Mr. Lambert. If you speak for him, it will definitely cause


    a wave of public opinion to swing in his favor, which will also increase your exposure. I¡¯m giving you an


    opportunity; don¡¯t you know how to appreciate it?¡±


    Queenie¡¯s shamelessness once again refreshed Astrid¡¯s worldview.


    Knowing that Elio exposed Lambert because he offended her, how could Queenie actually have such a


    naive idea?


    Was she crazy?


    Queenie waited for a while without hearing Astrid speak, thinking that Astrid was moved, and


    continued. ¡°Helping Mr. Lambert is nothing but good for you; he will give you a lot of resources. Do you


    know how Fannie Santos became famous?¡±

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230


    ¡°Fanniending a role on that popr, TV show was all thanks to Mr. Lambert¡¯s rmendation. y


    by the rules and you could be the next Fannie too.¡± The next Fannie?


    ¡°The next Fannie? You¡¯re not hoping for me to end up behind bars like Fannic, are you?¡± Astrid was


    speechless at Queenie¡¯s words, unable to understand how she ended up as an agent.


    Queenie was at a loss for words. She turned to Astrid after Lambert¡¯s mishap because all the stars who


    were close to him had distanced themselves. She pleaded for a while, but no one was willing to vouch


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    for Lambert. If this continued, Lambert¡¯s career would be over, and she had no choice but to approach


    Astrid.


    It was announced on Twitter that Astrid would be on Lambert¡¯s variety show, and Lambert even


    interacted with Astrid on Twitter.


    Astrid was unaware of this, as Gracie managed all work¨Crted tweets.


    Seeing Astrid unmoved, Queenie bluntly said, ¡°Astrid, this is yourst chance or you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t regret it, goodbye.¡± Astrid prepared to hang


    the phone and added, ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you, I recorded this call.¡±


    Queenie¡¯s body went numb as soon as she heard this.


    She didn¡¯t expect Astrid to be so smart and keep evidence.


    With this, her n to drag Astrid down was impossible.


    Queenie¡¯s n failed, and she was very annoyed. She picked up her phone and sent a message to


    someone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Astrid is very vignt. She recorded our call; I can¡¯t frame her.¡±


    The mysterious person replied. ¡°Idiot! What¡¯s the use of keeping you around? Did you reveal any


    information about me in the call?


    ¡°No, but why are you targeting Astrid? Do you have a grudge against her?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions you shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Yes.


    ¡­


    In the apartment, Astrid came out of the shower and felt something was off about the call.


    The caller was suspicious.


    To get to where he is today, Lambert¡¯s agent yed an indispensable role. However, the person who


    called her seemed tock professional skills.


    Her logical thinking was wed.


    She looked up Lambert¡¯s agent, and indeed, her name was Queenie.


    She stared at Queenie¡¯s photo on her phone for a while, then turned to Elio, who was working on the


    couch, ¡°Elio, have you ever met Lambert¡¯s agent?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Elio didn¡¯t even lift his head, ¡°Starlight Entertainment is a subsidiary of Morgenster Corporation. I


    never got involved in anything rted to Starlight Entertainment before you joined thepany.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Astrid nodded. Was she being too sensitive?


    The next afternoon, Astrid went to audition for a TV drama, and Dale apanied her..


    They started chatting as soon as they got into the car. Astrid thought of the odd call fromst night and


    asked the man¡¯next to her, ¡°Hey, Dale, do you know Queenie?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a great agent.¡± Dale said without lifting his head, ¡°Why, are you looking for her?¡±

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    Chapter 231


    ¡°Really good?¡± Astrid frowned, opening the recorded call fromst night and putting it to his ear,


    ¡°Listen.¡±


    After hearing the first couple of sentences, Dale shook his head. ¡°No, this is not Queenie¡¯s voice.


    Queenie has a regional ent when she speaks. And she¡¯d never say such dumb things; this is clearly


    someone impersonating her.¡±


    Astrid froze. Someone pretending to be Lambert¡¯s agent had called her?


    What was going on?!


    Before Astrid could speak, Dale continued, ¡°Good thing you¡¯re smart; otherwise, you would¡¯ve been


    duped by this person.¡±


    This person may not be Queenie, but they¡¯re probably from Queenie¡¯s team, and they¡¯re not doing this


    for Lambert; they¡¯re trying to drag you down.¡± ¡°Lambert is public enemy number one right now, so


    anyone who defends him is just asking for trouble. You don¡¯t even know Lambert; why would they pick


    you of all people?¡±


    ¡°Because you seem easy to manipte. If you had given in to their threats and tweeted, they would


    have struck back immediately. They¡¯d stir up a scandal saying you and Lambert are having an affair,


    and Elio found out about it and made up fake news to ruin Lambert!¡±


    ¡°Once public opinion shifts, Lambert would be the victim.¡°.


    ¡°And you would be the homewrecker who destroyed Lambert¡¯s family, the shameless actress who¡¯d do


    anything for fame!¡±


    Astrid listened quietly to Dale¡¯s words, then pulled a face in disbelief, ¡°Oh my god! The entertainment


    industry is too intense. This is even more thrilling than a movie. Whose brilliant idea was this, trying to


    turn the tide like that?¡±


    ¡°If you were a timid neer, they would¡¯ve seeded. Unfortunately for them, you¡¯re way too tough


    to be fooled by such tricks!¡± Dale finished, cursing under his breath, ¡°Daring to scheme against my


    artist, I¡¯ll show them what¡¯s what!¡±


    Dale had been in the entertainment industry for many years, and he was no stranger to such schemes.


    Some artists love to drag others down when they¡¯re in trouble to distract the public¡¯s attention.


    But they never would¡¯ve guessed that Astrid, who looked as harmless as a bunny, was actually a devil.


    Those who dare to frame Astrid would soon pay the price.


    The weekend arrived, and so did Amanda¡¯s birthday.


    For the past few days, Astrid had been working overtime to design a set of clothes and jewelry for


    Amanda and had them made overnight.


    With over three hours until the birthday party, Amanda had been constantly calling to hurry her up..


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She had prepared the gift and was about to leave when Elio arrived.


    He casually came over and took the things from her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s go; my mom¡¯s been standing at the


    door waiting for you; she¡¯s practically worn out her eyes looking for you.¡±


    Astrid chuckled as she pictured the scene in her mind.


    When they arrived at Amanda¡¯s vi, it was already dark.


    As soon as Astrid got out of the car, Amanda rushed over and grabbed her hand, ¡°Astrid, I¡¯ve been


    waiting for you!¡±


    ¡°Auntie, happy birthday!¡± Astrid smiled, ¡°Where¡¯s Roman?¡±


    Amanda, holding Astrid¡¯s hand and walking towards the house, seemed to not notice Elio standing


    behind her, ¡°Roman¡¯s got a stomach ache; he¡¯s in the


    bathroom.¡±


    ¡°A stomach ache?¡± Astrid frowned, ¡°Is it serious?¡±


    Amanda replied, ¡°No worries; he¡¯s so chubby that I can barely lift him. A stomach ache once in a while


    is good for him; at least he¡¯ll lose some weight.¡±


    Astrid had no response.


    ¡°By the way, Astrid, I want to introduce you to someone.¡± Amanda smiled, leading Astrid into the house


    and pointing to a man sitting in a wheelchair, ¡°This is Hawthorne Cliff.¡±


    Hawthorne?


    Why was he here?


    Hawthorne watched as Astrid approached, and a gentle and friendly smile appeared on his face,


    ¡°Astrid, what a coincidence; we meet again.¡±

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    Chapter 232


    Amanda heard this and was a bit taken aback, ¡°Ah, you guys know each other?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do.¡± Astrid looked at Hawthorne with a somewhat cold gaze. It seemed like tonight wouldn¡¯t


    be so peaceful.


    Honestly, ever since Hawthorne risked his life to find her, her life was bound to change.


    She had no idea when Hawthorne had be what he was now.


    Maybe he had always been like this, but he had concealed it so well that she had never noticed.


    ¡°Whoa¡® Babe, I finally get to see you in person; you¡¯re even more stunning than you are on TV!¡± Lucas


    Lampard jumped in front of Astrid and quickly pulled out a few white T¨Cshirts from his bag. ¡°Astrid, do


    me a solid; I¡¯ve been boasting to my friends that I know you, and they want your autograph. Please!¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Astrid took the pen from Lucas and signed all the T¨Cshirts for him.


    ¡°Whoa, I¡¯ll be the talk of the school for a whole year!¡± Lucas was bouncing around Astrid.


    Astrid¡¯s penmanship was beautiful, which earned her praise from Lucas, ¡°Whoa, are you some sort of


    superwoman? Your handwriting is even better than some calligraphy masters¡®; did you fall for Elio


    because you¡¯re shortsighted?¡±


    ¡°Ouch, who dares to hit me?!¡± Lucas felt a pain in his head right after he finished speaking, and he


    turned around to see Elio staring at him coldly.


    Lucas Lampard¡¯s anger ¡®vanished instantly, and he became respectful, ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit dizzytely; your


    hit woke me right up!¡±


    He was so excited to see Astrid that he rushed over without seeing Elio.


    If he had known Elio was there, he would have never said something like that, ¡°You and Ms. Irvine are


    a match made in heaveny a handsome guy and a beautiful girl!¡±


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Astrid was speechless.


    She handed the signed T¨Cshirt to Lucas, ¡°Why are you afraid of him? He won¡¯t eat you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, you know, he¡­¡± Lucas was cut off by a re from Elio, which scared him


    into shivering and quickly retreating.


    ¡°Aunty Astrid!¡± Roman¡¯s voice came over, and Astrid turned to see him running towards her, all chubby


    and full of joy.


    Astrid squatted down to catch him and picked him up, ¡°Roman, let¡¯s go get something to eat.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I love you the most!¡± Roman wrapped his arms around Astrid¡¯s neck,pletely ignoring Elio.


    Seeing Astrid about to leave, Hawthorne whispered, ¡°Astrid, do you think Amanda can ept someone


    like you?¡±


    Although Hawthorne didn¡¯t explicitly state his meaning, Astrid was smart and immediately understood


    what he was trying to imply.


    He was suggesting that Amanda wouldn¡¯t ept a woman who had already had a child as her


    daughter¨Cinw.


    The Lampards were high society, but she was too!


    Hawthorne¡¯s thinking was too simplistic.


    She slightly raised her head, ¡°Hawthorne, are you still living in the old days?¡±

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233


    ¡°Astrid, do you really know Elio? What would you do if one day the mother of his child came back?¡±


    Hawthorne asked Astrid, his expression unreadable. Astrid just smiled, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about


    me. No matter how tough the road I chose is, I¡¯ll stick to it.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any difficulty on this road, only love.¡± Elio said, causing Astrid¡¯s heart to flutter.


    Hawthorne said nothing and just clenched his fists.


    At Amanda¡¯s birthday party, not only family members, but a few good friends were invited too.


    After making her rounds to greet everyone, Amanda immediately went to find Astrid. Seeing Astrid


    holding Roman, she said sympathetically, ¡°Roman, you¡¯re so heavy! Come, let Daddy hold you!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Roman refused, hugging Astrid tighter and resting his head on her shoulder. ¡°My


    tummy hurts. I need Astrid to hold me to feel better.¡± Elio and Amanda were both taken aback by his


    behavior.


    Who knew Roman could be such a little rascal?


    Astrid, who loved it when Roman clung to her, quickly reassured Amanda, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I work out; I


    can handle Roman¡¯s weight.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, you¡¯re going to spoil him rotten.¡± Amanda chuckled before grabbing Astrid¡¯s arm to introduce


    her to everyone, ¡°This is Astrid, my son¡¯s girlfriend. She¡¯s amazing; she already has a Ph.D. at such a


    young age, and she¡¯s a magic champion!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s also an actress and going to be very sessful in the future!¡±


    The richdies all listened with smiles, constantly greeting Astrid.


    Amanda looked incredibly proud, as if Astrid was her own daughter.


    In the distance, Farrah Fortner was enjoying a drink with someone. Hearing themotion, she turned


    around.


    Her gaze hardened upon seeing Astrid.


    If it weren¡¯t for Astrid¡¯s meddling, her son, Colton Fortner would¡¯ve been dead by now. With Colton


    dead, she could¡¯ve been the sole heiress of the corporation.


    She initially nned to establish a connection with Astrid¡¯s family through Colton, but he disappeared


    out of the blue.


    She couldn¡¯t find him anywhere.


    Although Colton was missing, he kept updating his social media, which meant he was still alive.


    As long as Colton was alive, even if he was an idiot, he was the heir to the Fortner family.


    She despised Astrid and had sent people to assassinate her several times, hoping to find Colton¡¯s


    whereabouts, but her men were always intercepted by the guards around Astrid¡¯s home.


    Eventually, she didn¡¯t dare act rashly.


    She heard Elio had someone he liked, but she never expected it to be Astrid.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Farrah watched Astrid for a while, then walked over with her drink and a smile, ¡°Astrid, who¡¯d have


    thought we¡¯d meet again? What a small world. You were so close to bing my daughter¨Cinw!¡±


    The moment she spoke, the lively room went quiet.


    Ady curiously asked, ¡°Farrah, what did you mean by that? Ms. Irvine is so talented; surely she


    wouldn¡¯t marry your clumsy son?¡±

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 234


    ¡°No kidding, right? Didn¡¯t you guys attend the engagement party as well? It¡¯s just that Colton wasn¡¯t


    fond of Astrid, so the wedding was called off.¡± After Farrah said this, everyone exchanged nces.


    She was rejected by Colton?


    That must mean Astrid was not a good woman.


    After all, if even a dummy like Colton didn¡¯t want her, she must be pretty bad.


    People were realistic, especially these snobby rich wives.


    After hearing about this, they unconsciously distanced themselves from her, as if she had some sort of


    contagious disease, even though just a second ago they were singing her praises.


    Farrah couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased when she saw this.


    Elio was upset, but before he could say anything, Astrid shook her head at him, signaling him not to


    speak. She then turned to Farrah and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, I almost got sold to you as a daughter¨Cinw


    by my foster mother.¡±


    Sold to Farrah by her foster mother?


    Upon hearing this, Amanda felt a pang of sympathy. Thank god the engagement didn¡¯t go through, or


    she would have lost her daughter¨Cinw.


    Farrah didn¡¯t fully exin the reason for the engagement being called off, just to cause a


    misunderstanding. When Astrid rified, everyone¡¯s gaze on Farrah was filled with scrutiny.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Astrid continued, ¡°Colton is a good kid, and he¡¯s not the dummy you think he is. He has the intelligence


    of a five¨Cyear¨Cold; he can distinguish right from wrong, and he only wants to marry someone he loves.


    Therefore, we agreed to cancel the engagement.¡±


    ¡°You should make things clear next time, Farrah. Otherwise, it¡¯s easy for people to misunderstand.¡±


    After Astrid finished speaking, Farrah was somewhat embarrassed.


    Her intention was to provoke Astrid into a heated argument in front of everyone because Amanda


    hated rude people the most.


    But her n backfired. Most rich wives were outrageous and she figured that a proud person like Astrid


    couldn¡¯t tolerate it and would definitely lose her cool.


    But Astrid was remarkably calm, as if nothing had happened.


    This made Farrahe off as petty.


    ¡°Oh, it was all a misunderstanding. Let¡¯s eat, everyone.¡± Onedy diffused the tension, and the


    atmosphere eased slightly.


    Amanda was looking at Astrid with a smile so wide that she couldn¡¯t close her mouth. The more she


    looked, the more she liked Astrid.


    Beautiful, smart, generous, and ssy. Oh, how could such a perfect girl exist?!


    Astrid gave a faint smile, knowing that Amanda was specifically following her drama.


    Mrs. Faye, unable to stand Amanda¡¯s endless praise for Astrid, said, ¡°Mrs. Lampard just mentioned


    that Ms. Irvine is a celebrity, but I¡¯ve never seen any of her dramas?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because it hasn¡¯t been aired yet? It starts on October 1, with two new episodes every Tuesday


    to Thursday, and members getting a first look at two episodes!¡±


    ¡°Since Ms. Irvine is an actress, she must not have attended a good university, right? My daughter is a


    graduate student at a top¨Cnotch university in our country!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Faye, didn¡¯t I ask you to y less mahjong and more news? Astrid graduated from the Endeavor


    Institute in the States. It was all over the news!¡±


    Mrs. Faye was dumbfounded.


    Mrs. Faye then said. ¡°She¡¯s so young and already a PhD graduate; she must be a bookworm with no


    talents. My daughter has passed level nine¨Cpiano; she¡¯s a real talent!¡±


    Amanda, not to be outdone, ¡°Astrid is also a global magicpetition champion with many disciples!


    How can your daughterpare?¡±

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235


    Mrs. Faye said. ¡°Magic¡­ It¡¯s all a big fat lie. It¡¯s all smoke and mirrors, but it takes real talent to y the


    piano!¡±


    ¡°Those tricks all look magical on TV, but in person, they¡¯re all phony. Who knows how many people


    they hired to help?!¡± ¡°Only a fool would think a magician was legit!¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Astrid interjected, gently setting down Roman and then pulling out a wad of cash from her


    bag.


    She handed the money to Mrs. Faye, ¡°Here, please check if these are regr banknotes.¡±


    Everyone was puzzled, especially Mrs. Faye, but she took the notes and gave them a thorough


    examination, ¡°No problem, these are regr banknotes.¡± Astrid didn¡¯t say anything and took back the


    notes.


    And ripped them in half!


    Everyone was shocked. Even though it was just a couple hundred bucks, tearing them up was a total


    waste!


    In the midst of their shock, Astrid held the torn pieces in her hand, ¡°Mrs. Faye, you can start counting


    down from ten.¡±


    As she said this, Astrid sped her hands together, dovering the torn pieces in her palm. She gently


    rubbed them, leaving everyone on edge.


    Just as Mrs. Faye counted down to one, Astrid opened her hands. The torn banknotes were perfectly


    restored; there wasn¡¯t a single trace of damage, and even the serial numbers were exactly the same as


    before.


    Everyone gasped, ¡°Ms. Irvine is freaking awesome!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s magic!¡±


    ¡°I was staring the whole time; this isn¡¯t magic, it¡¯s sorcery!¡±


    ¡°No, impossible! Magic is all fake!¡± Mrs. Faye clutched the banknotes, her face burning.


    But she couldn¡¯t spot any trickery. And Astrid didn¡¯t tell her to check the serial numbers; she


    remembered them herself. The banknote serial numbers were sequential, and the restored ones had


    the exact same numbers!


    Astrid looked at Mrs. Faye, speaking softly, ¡°Mrs. Faye, is it that hard to admit that someone else is


    good? Your daughter¡¯s mastery of the piano is excellent, and so is my magic. There¡¯s no need to put


    me down to prop up your daughter. Excellence isn¡¯t bragged about; it¡¯s proven.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Talking a big game doesn¡¯t make you a winner because the fake can never be real.¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t say anything too harsh and just stated the facts calmly.


    If Astrid had said anything inappropriate, Mrs. Faye might have argued back.


    But Astrid¡¯s words were all reasonable; if she argued further, it would just be making a fuss for no


    reason.


    Amanda liked her even more when she saw how gracefully Astrid handled the situation.


    Mrs. Faye lowered her head awkwardly. Just then, the butler walked over, ¡°A package just arrived by


    courier. It was marked as urgent, so I brought it over immediately.¡±


    ¡°An urgent package at this hour; it must be something important!¡± Amanda hurried over to take the


    package.


    Seeing this, Hawthorne in the corner narrowed his eyes slightly.


    Amanda opened the package and examined its contents closely. Suddenly, her face changed, and,


    then she turned to look at Astrid!

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236


    Astrid guessed something was amiss when she saw Amanda¡¯s expression.


    She moved to snatch the document from Amanda¡¯s hand, but Farrah beat her to it, grabbing the


    somewhat worn¨Cout paper. They were all prenatal checkup reports!


    Farrah was taken aback, then shouted, ¡°Astrid, you¡¯ve had a child?!¡±


    Everyone in the room was gobsmacked.


    Many socialites would kill to marry Elio, but he turned them all down. And the one he chose had a


    child??


    Elio was also shocked. He stared at Astrid, speechless.


    Hawthorne was watching Elio¡¯s reaction, but he didn¡¯t see the anger he was expecting.


    Elio¡¯s face was a mix of shock, sympathy, and confusion. But no anger.


    He was not angry?


    Why?


    Shouldn¡¯t he be angry that the woman he loved had a child with another man?


    Shouldn¡¯t he be angry that Astrid hid this from him?!


    Seeing Elio¡¯s expression, Farrah realized he didn¡¯t know about this either. She continued, ¡°Astrid,


    you¡¯re really disgusting. You¡¯ve had a child, yet you pretend to be a pure and innocent girl trying to


    marry into a wealthy family?¡±


    ¡°Can such a person be a star? Are you blind? How can you actually like her so much?!¡±


    Honestly, Amanda was shocked but not mad. It was a modern era, so what if she had a child?


    Astrid wasn¡¯t bothered by Elio having a child.


    She didn¡¯t meet Astrid often, but she genuinely liked her. She didn¡¯t think this was a big deal, especially


    since Astrid never mentioned the child, nor was the child with her.


    Perhaps the child was no longer with us.


    Besides, Roman liked her so much, and she liked Roman too. Maybe it was all fate.


    Seeing no one from the Lampard family speak, Farrah continued, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, the Lampards will


    never ept a woman who¡¯s had a child!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Matthew, who had been silent, roared, startling Farrah.


    Matthew stood up, looked at Farrah, and said coldly, ¡°Does the Lampard family need your opinion on


    who they should ept as a daughter¨Cinw?¡± ¡°Leaving aside whether these documents are real or


    fake, so what if she¡¯s had a child?¡±


    ¡°Does thew prohibit women who¡¯ve had children from remarrying?¡°)


    Farrah was stunned. She never thought the old man would have such thoughts. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that


    after she marries into the Lampard family, her child wille and fight with Roman for the inheritance?¡±


    ¡°Please show some respect. I don¡¯t think having a child makes me inferior! And my child doesn¡¯t need


    to fight anyone for inheritance. If Elio dislikes me for having a child and no longer loves me, then I¡¯ve


    misread him.¡± As soon as Astrid finished speaking, her hand was held by a bigger one.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She turned around and looked up at him.


    Honestly, she never deliberately hid her past. But Elio never asked about it, and she didn¡¯t know how to


    bring it up.


    Today¡¯s incident was clearly premeditated.


    There were no records about her at the rural hospital, and even the doctors and nurses disappeared,


    so these documents were clearly forged.


    The goal was to make Amanda and Matthew dislike her.


    She turned to look at Hawthorne, who was looking at the floor in the dim light. She couldn¡¯t see his


    expression.


    But at that moment, Astrid had an answer in her heart.


    Before Elio could speak, Farrah, who was flipping through the medical reports, shouted as if she had


    discovered a new world, ¡°The date of birth was deliberately rubbed out, so you can¡¯t see the specific


    date, but you can see the year. The child should be three or four years old now.¡±


    ¡°Caesarian section! Born in the countryside, a boy!¡±


    ¡°Astrid, if you don¡¯t deny it, then these documents are true. Where is your child?¡±


    Astrid¡¯s body stiffened, ¡°My child was stolen from the hospital on the fourth day after birth. His


    whereabouts remain unknown.¡±


    Three years ago?


    A boy?


    Stolen?


    Unknown whereabouts?


    Why are there so many coincidences?!


    Elio felt like he was struck by lightning; his hand holding Astrid¡¯s tightened. He looked at her lost face


    and called out in disbelief, ¡°Astrid¡­¡±

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237


    ¡°Elio, chill out; we can¡¯t be sure she¡¯s Roman¡¯s mom yet. Maybe she¡¯s just a scammer; how could you


    fall for her word¡¯s so easily!¡± Farrah persisted, ¡°We should do a DNA test first!¡±


    ¡°What if you¡¯re being fooled? Pretty girls are the best at ying people!¡±


    A few rich wives chimed in immediately, ¡°Yeah, maybe she¡¯s just pretending to be Roman¡¯s mom


    because she saw you were into her!¡±


    ¡°What if her sones for Roman¡¯s inheritanceter?¡±


    ¡°Nowadays, some women will do anything to marry into a wealthy family!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s an actress, and the Lampard Group has so many entertainment resources, she¡¯ll definitely


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    rely on you to get famous!¡±


    Elio was taken aback by their constant whining.


    The conversation got sharper, and Elio nced at them, coldly saying, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    His words were like a seal, instantly silencing the wives.


    They looked at Elio¡¯s icy face and grew uneasy as they nced at each other.


    All theirpanies, more or less, had coborations with the Lampard Group. You could say the


    Lampard Group put food on their tables.


    Led by Farrah, they had spoken out of turn, and now, reflecting on it, they were suddenly scared¡­


    If they upset Elio, theirpanies might go bankrupt in a sh.


    ¡°I believe her.¡± Elio said, looking down at Astrid, ¡°I believe she is Roman¡¯s mom, and I believe she won¡¯t


    lie to me.¡±


    Amanda watched Elio protect Astrid. Her eyes reddened as she leaned on Matthew¡¯s shoulder.and


    began crying, ¡°Matthew, isn¡¯t he just like you? Do you remember when I was newly pregnant, some


    people said the baby wasn¡¯t yours and encouraged you to do a DNA test.¡±


    ¡°You also firmly believed in me and protected me back then.¡°.


    Matthew raised his hand to wipe his wife¡¯s tears when he saw her cry, ¡°You¡¯re all grown up and still


    crying. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed? Stop crying, you¡¯re making a spectacle of yourself.¡±


    Amanda spoke. ¡°Whether we do a DNA test or not, I believe in Astrid; I just want her to be my


    daughter¨Cinw. If Elio ever treats Astrid badly in the future, I¡¯ll break his legs and send him to beg on


    the streets! You have to be on my side, not his!¡±


    Matthew was both amused and exasperated, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m on your side..


    Just then, Astrid spoke up, ¡°I agree to the DNA test, but I¡¯m not doing it to prove anything; I¡¯m doing it


    to shut the doubters up.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the room fell silent.


    A few secondster, Hawthorne¡¯s voice came from the corner, ¡°Astrid, why are you putting yourself


    through this? Doing a DNA test is a sign of distrust;/ wouldn¡¯t it be better if we just went home? Why do


    you have to put up with all the scorn here?¡±


    Astrid looked at him and sneered, ¡°Hawthorne, stop pretending to be kind; I¡¯ve seen through you.¡±


    ¡°I used to despise Hal Cot, but now I find you even more disgusting. At least his craziness is out in


    the open, unlike you, who snuck around doing bad things!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m definitely doing this DNA test!¡±


    Hearing Astrid¡¯s words, Hawthorne felt a chilling coldness spread through his limbs.


    He never saw thising.

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238


    ¡°Elio, chill out; we can¡¯t be sure she¡¯s Roman¡¯s mom yet. Maybe she¡¯s just a scammer; how could you


    fall for her word¡¯s so easily!¡± Farrah persisted, ¡°We should do a DNA test first!¡±


    ¡°What if you¡¯re being fooled? Pretty girls are the best at ying people!¡±


    A few rich wives chimed in immediately, ¡°Yeah, maybe she¡¯s just pretending to be Roman¡¯s mom


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    because she saw you were into her!¡±


    ¡°What if her sones for Roman¡¯s inheritanceter?¡±


    ¡°Nowadays, some women will do anything to marry into a wealthy family!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s an actress, and the Lampard Group has so many entertainment resources, she¡¯ll definitely


    rely on you to get famous!¡±


    Elio was taken aback by their constant whining.


    The conversation got sharper, and Elio nced at them, coldly saying, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    His words were like a seal, instantly silencing the wives.


    They looked at Elio¡¯s icy face and grew uneasy as they nced at each other.


    All theirpanies, more or less, had coborations with the Lampard Group. You could say the


    Lampard Group put food on their tables.


    Led by Farrah, they had spoken out of turn, and now, reflecting on it, they were suddenly scared¡­


    If they upset Elio, theirpanies might go bankrupt in a sh.


    ¡°I believe her.¡± Elio said, looking down at Astrid, ¡°I believe she is Roman¡¯s mom, and I believe she won¡¯t


    lie to me.¡±


    Amanda watched Elio protect Astrid. Her eyes reddened as she leaned on Matthew¡¯s shoulder.and


    began crying, ¡°Matthew, isn¡¯t he just like you? Do you remember when I was newly pregnant, some


    people said the baby wasn¡¯t yours and encouraged you to do a DNA test.¡±


    ¡°You also firmly believed in me and protected me back then.¡°.


    Matthew raised his hand to wipe his wife¡¯s tears when he saw her cry, ¡°You¡¯re all grown up and still


    crying. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed? Stop crying, you¡¯re making a spectacle of yourself.¡±


    Amanda spoke. ¡°Whether we do a DNA test or not, I believe in Astrid; I just want her to be my


    daughter¨Cinw. If Elio ever treats Astrid badly in the future, I¡¯ll break his legs and send him to beg on


    the streets! You have to be on my side, not his!¡±


    Matthew was both amused and exasperated, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m on your side..


    Just then, Astrid spoke up, ¡°I agree to the DNA test, but I¡¯m not doing it to prove anything; I¡¯m doing it


    to shut the doubters up.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the room fell silent.


    A few secondster, Hawthorne¡¯s voice came from the corner, ¡°Astrid, why are you putting yourself


    through this? Doing a DNA test is a sign of distrust;/ wouldn¡¯t it be better if we just went home? Why do


    you have to put up with all the scorn here?¡±


    Astrid looked at him and sneered, ¡°Hawthorne, stop pretending to be kind; I¡¯ve seen through you.¡±


    ¡°I used to despise Hal Cot, but now I find you even more disgusting. At least his craziness is out in


    the open, unlike you, who snuck around doing bad things!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m definitely doing this DNA test!¡±


    Hearing Astrid¡¯s words, Hawthorne felt a chilling coldness spread through his limbs.


    He never saw thising.

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239


    None of this was what he had in mind!


    ¡°But I really have to thank you. If you hadn¡¯t faked those reports, making me and Elio notice something


    fishy, we might not have found out that we were the ones that each other were looking for.¡± Astrid said.


    Hawthorne started coughing violently right after. Over and over again, as if he were about to cough his


    lungs out, ¡°I didn¡¯t, Astrid; I didn¡¯t, how could I do something like that?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve really crossed the line.¡± Astrid scoffed, ¡°Stop ying dumb in front of me. I¡¯m a professional


    actress; I can see right through you, just like thest time you faked being sick at my ce. I had you


    figured out from the start; I just didn¡¯t call you out on it.¡±


    Hawthorne was dumbfounded.


    Matthew asked everyone to go home when he saw the situation escting.


    The partygoers gradually left, leaving only Amanda, Astrid, and a few others.


    Even now, Astrid still felt like she was dreaming.


    She told the butler to fetch a medical kit, then found a syringe and skillfully drew a blood sample into a


    tiny vial. She then handed the vial to Amanda, ¡°Please keep this safe. I have to go now.¡±


    Amanda hurriedly grabbed her when she saw her leave, ¡°Silly girl, I trust you. We don¡¯t need to do a


    paternity test!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but how are we going to shut people up without a paternity test? There was too much going


    on today; I may not be able to stay for your birthday anymore. I¡¯m heading back now.¡± Astrid turned to


    leave, but Roman clung to her leg.


    ¡°Mommy!!! You can¡¯t leave me again!¡±


    Astrid couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Mommy has some things to take care of; can I pick you up tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to be separated from Mommy!¡±


    1


    He wouldn¡¯t let go, so Astrid had no choice but to carry him, ¡°Then let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°Yay!!!¡± Roman immediately kissed Astrid several times. He had tears streaming down his face, but he


    was beaming with joy.


    Seeing Astrid leave, Amanda immediately pped the daydreaming Elio, ¡°Are you dumb??? Go after


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    her!!!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Elio responded reluctantly; he was nning to go anyway.


    Amanda looked annoyed, ¡°My god, how did I end up with such a clueless son?!¡±


    Matthew retorted. ¡°You¡¯re not exactly a genius yourself.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Amanda was furious, ¡°What did you just say? Let me tell you, if you cross me now, I won¡¯t


    push your wheelchair when you¡¯re old!¡±


    Matthew sarcastically replied. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so scared.¡±


    Amanda was speechless.


    Amanda kept nagging and followed Matthew upstairs while the servants started cleaning.


    A man came in and pushed Hawthorne out. The night breeze was warm, but Hawthorne felt cold.


    After stepping out of the vi, he immediately dialed a number. As soon as it was connected, he yelled,


    ¡°What the hell are you doing? I asked you to prepare something to make the Lampard family despise


    Astrid. What did you prepare? Even if you prepared those items, why did you put the year on them?¡±


    He finished speaking and started coughing violently.


    There was a long silence on the other end of the phone, then a chilling male voice said, ¡°Long time no


    see; you¡¯ve really got a temper now.¡±


    Upon hearing the man¡¯s voice, Hawthorne¡¯s face turned very ugly, ¡°Who are you? Where are my


    people?¡±


    ¡°I am your father.¡± The man said only these words, then hung up.


    Hawthorne angrily chucked his phone at the ground.

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240


    Meanwhile, in Elio¡¯s car.


    Roman was on his phone, excitedly telling everyone that he had a mom now.


    Secondster, Lucas Lampard replied to his voice message. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I got it! I¡¯m in the middle of a


    game; you don¡¯t have to repeat it. I was there, and I know you have a mom. Can you stop spamming


    me with the same messages?¡±


    ¡°Lucas, your mom doesn¡¯t look as good as mine!¡±


    ¡°Fine, your mom¡¯s the prettiest. She¡¯s like a fairy or something. Can you quit bugging me when I¡¯m


    gaming! I¡¯m in the middle of a team match, and I¡¯m getting my butt kicked!¡±


    Roman replied. ¡°You just suck at it.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Astrid fell silent.


    She didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    Roman was spamming all his friends on WhatsApp. He wasn¡¯t satisfied and started making calls.


    He was telling everyone that he had a mom without actually telling them who she was, and then he


    would just hang up, regardless of whether they had finished their sentence.


    Astrid didn¡¯t stop him because she knew he was happy.


    Astrid had mixed feelings when she looked at the little guy next to her.


    Elio wanted to talk to Astrid but didn¡¯t know what to say.


    At a red light, the car stopped.


    Watching the windshield wipers move back and forth, Elio finally spoke up. ¡°Astrid, did you ever try to


    find me back then?¡±


    When I found out I was pregnant, I looked up the hotel registration from that night. But I couldn¡¯t find


    your record, and the surveince had beenpletely destroyed. Where was I supposed to look for


    you? Was I supposed to announce to the world that I was pregnant and ask the father toe find


    me?¡±


    Elio¡¯s question reminded Astrid of her past struggles.


    After getting pregnant, she was threatened by an anonymous person to abort the baby. She had


    several close calls with idents.


    She thought about giving up the baby, but the doctor told her that due to her weak body, she might not


    be able to get pregnant again after an abortion. After much struggle, she decided to keep the baby.


    Knowing someone was out to harm her baby, she decided to keep a low profile.


    Later, for her and her child¡¯s safety, Gracie took her back to their hometown.


    During her pregnancy, she had severe morning sickness. She couldn¡¯t eat, and she would throw up


    whatever she ate. Other pregnant women would gain weight, but she lost a lot because she couldn¡¯t


    keep food down.


    In Gracie¡¯s words, she was surviving on a wing and a prayer!


    In theter stages of her pregnancy, she recovered slightly, but she often felt dizzy due to anemia.


    Her child was stolen and she braved the rain to search for him. Then her C¨Csection wound tore open;


    she bled heavily, and she almost lost her life!


    And Elio?


    He was having a scandal with Fannie!


    Astrid felt a surge of resentment as she thought about the past.


    Back home, Astrid led Roman straight into the house, with Elio following right behind her. When they


    got to the door, Astrid turned around and said, ¡°Turn around!¡±


    Elio looked at her, not understanding her request, but obediently turned around.


    Without hesitation, Astrid lifted her leg and kicked him in the butt, sending him flying out of the door.


    Then she mmed the door shut with a bang.

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241


    Eho was caught off guard and stumbled backward after being kicked, struggling to maintain his


    bnce. Just as someone walked out of the elevator, he pretended to casually cover his mouth and


    cough a few times, trying to mask his embarrassment. Only after that person entered the room did Elio


    nce at Astrid¡¯s closed door


    She was perfectly fine when they got off the car. Why did she suddenly get angry? They had gone


    through so much to find each other; shouldn¡¯t they cherish their rtionship?


    Why did she kick him out so abruptly?


    Thinking it over, Elio couldn¡¯t understand why Astrid was upset. He tried entering the door code, but it


    kept showing ¡°wrong password¡± and wouldn¡¯t open. Clearly, Astrid had changed the code as soon as


    she went inside.


    Sighing, Elio took out his phone to call Astrid, but the call was continuously busy. When he opened


    WhatsApp to send a message, he realized that he had been blocked.


    After a few seconds of contemtion, Elio dialed Roman¡¯s number, and he answered promptly, ¡°Elio,


    what¡¯s up?¡±


    Elio said, ¡°Roman, open the door.¡±


    Tm too short, I can¡¯t reach the door,¡± Roman replied casually.


    Gritting his teeth, Elio said, ¡°I remember you have a small stool.¡±


    Oh Roman nonchntly responded, then said, ¡°Mom said she doesn¡¯t want to see you now. She wants


    you to leave immediatelyProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Elio fell silent.


    Elio said, Then ask your mom what mistake I made. I want to understand where I went wrong.¡±


    Hearing these words, Roman turned his innocent gaze towards Astrid, holding the phone to her mouth,


    ¡°Mom, Elio says he wants to understand where he went wrong¡±


    Astrid raised her eyelids indifferently and replied, ¡°I hate him for no reason.¡±


    Before Elio could react, the call was hung up.


    When he tried calling again, it wouldn¡¯t go through.


    Now Elio was even more bewildered.


    Even before knowing that Roman was their child, he could clearly sense the change in Astrid¡¯s attitude


    towards him. They were only a formal confession away from being together.


    In theory, knowing that Roman was their child should have strengthened their rtionship, right?


    So why did he suddenly get kicked out in such an embarrassing manner?


    Realizing that it was pointless to continue like this, Elio left the building.


    He opened the car door and sat inside, contemting for a while. Then he dialed Gracie¡¯s number.


    Gracie was singing karaoke with friends when she saw Elio¡¯s call. She walked out to answer, asking,


    ¡°Chief, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Elio hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know how I offended Astrid.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how?¡± Gracie was confused. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she with you tonight, celebrating your mother¡¯s


    birthday? Did some woman at the party show interest in you, making her angry?¡±


    ¡°No¡± Elio remained silent for a few seconds, then said, ¡°Tonight, after she found out that Roman is our


    son, she suddenly got angry without any warning.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god Gracie eximed. ¡°So, you¡¯re that despicable man?¡±


    Recalling Astrid¡¯s past experiences, Gracie no longer cared who Elio was and started berating him,


    ¡°Elio, you had a night with her and then left. Do you know how difficult it was for Astrid?¡±

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242


    ¡°The Irvine family kicked her out the moment they found out she was pregnant, she had nowhere to


    turn to. Because of the pregnancy, she missed her chance to go to her dream college


    ¡°She was constantly threatened while pregnant and came close to losing her life a couple of times¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°The entire pregnancy was a struggle, and she always had severe morning sickness Later on, her kid


    got stolen, and she almost died. When I found her, she was lying in the rain, soaked in blood from the


    waist down¡±


    ¡°Even now, her section scat hurts when it rains, a pain she¡¯s gotta live with for the rest of her life


    If you really wanted to find her, you¡¯d have done it by now. And you have the nerve to ask me why


    she¡¯s ignoring you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t get your ass beat. I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re screwed, Elio. If Astrid¡¯s brothers find


    out, you¡¯re toast! Eko fell silent


    Gracies words struck a chord in Elio¡¯s heart, he never knew Astrid had gone through so much pain.


    As Gracie said, he didn¡¯t really make an effort to find her back then.


    He just had someone look into it, and when they couldn¡¯t find anything, he didn¡¯t push any further.


    It wasn¡¯t until Roman showed up that he started seriously looking for her, but by then, over nine months


    had passed, and all traces of her were wiped


    If he had persisted back then, maybe they¡¯d be together by now, and things wouldn¡¯t have ended up


    like this.


    People wanted to hurt her?


    She almost lost her life?


    And someone else knew about the night Astrid went into his room?


    But who was it?


    His mind was a whirlwind of confusion, which frustrated him.


    He had to find out who was behind all this.


    But right now, the most important thing he had to do was get his wife back.


    She had suffered so much, and it was all his fault.


    She seemed happy and carefree on the outside, but in reality, she carried so much pain.


    How could he make it up to her?


    If it were in the past, he could¡¯ve used Roman, but now that Roman had a mom, he forgot all about his


    dad.


    His situation just got a lot tougher.


    The next day, he took off work and went grocery shopping himself so he could cook Astrid a nice meal


    to appease her.


    But when he knocked on the door, there was no answer, and even Roman¡¯s phone was off.


    Elio stood at the front door, frustrated and confused, while Roman and Astrid were already having a


    st at the amusement park.


    Now that Astrid had found her child, she was over the moon


    She had a good night¡¯s sleepst night.


    She and Roman had missed out on over three years of time together, so now, whenever she had the


    time, she wanted to spend it having fun with him.


    The two of them went to buy matching outfits early in the morning and had just gotten off the roller


    coaster when Astrid¡¯s phone rang. She picked up the call, only to hear her father¡¯s loud usation,


    ¡°Astrid!!! How long were you nning on keeping this from me??¡±


    ¡°Before Astrid could finish, her brother¡¯s stern voice came through ¡°Astrid, you¡¯re in the wrong this time.


    Why wouldn¡¯t you tell us about something this important?


    Holding Roman¡¯s hand, Astrid sat down on a nearby chair, ¡°I was waiting for the paternity test results to


    tell you guys.


    But it was strange, who told her father and brother? She only told Gracie and Dale, she hadn¡¯t told


    anyone else yet.


    Date? He must¡¯ve been the one to spill the beans to her brother.

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243


    Robb Brooke shouted. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know you? How could you agree to a paternity test if you¡¯re


    not sure he¡¯s your kid? Remember back in the day when you went through hell for this boy? If our


    people hadn¡¯t found you and rushed you to a top¨Cnotch hospital, you¡¯d probably be six feet under in


    some country hospital


    Astrid could feel Robb getting pissed, so she kept her mouth shut.


    Her father said. ¡°I didn¡¯t agree either, but I want to see my grandson. I knew there was a reason I liked


    him so much the first time I saw him. Turns out he really is my grandson!¡±


    ¡°Astrid, is my grandson with you? I want to video chat with him!¡± He hung up the phone in a hurry, and


    the next second, a video call came through.


    She answered the video call and pointed the screen at Roman, ¡°Your grandpa.¡±


    Roman was quite the charmer. As soon as the video connected, he sweetly called out, ¡°Grandpa,


    Uncle!¡±


    Robb was initially in a sour mood, but the kid¡¯s sweet ¡°Uncle¡± instantly mellowed him out.


    Her father continued, ¡°Oh, my grandson, I miss you. When are youing to fish with me again?¡± As


    soon as Mr. Brooke finished his sentence, Astrid saw a hint of fear in Roman¡¯s big eyes.


    Roman answered, ¡°Grandpa, can I not go fishing?¡±


    ¡°Fishing is our family tradition. Everyone in our family has to fish with me! That¡¯s an order!¡±


    ¡°Okay, Grandpa¡­


    Mr. Brooke was so thrilled to learn he had a grandson that he even kissed the screen after a few words.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Both Astrid and Roman made faces when they saw his big lipsing over.


    Elio found Astrid and Roman¡¯s location and was about to go find them when his phone started buzzing


    like crazy.


    He looked, and it was all selfies of Astrid and Roman.


    They were even wearing matching outfits.


    Just as he was about to send a message, Roman sent him a voice message.


    Roman¡¯s message read, ¡°Elio, I¡¯m going to live with my mom from now on; I¡¯m noting home. Don¡¯t


    bother us; we¡¯re really happy now.¡±


    Happy?


    Elio replied, ¡°Roman, do you think you¡¯re untouchable now? You¡¯lle back one day, and we¡¯ll settle


    the score then.¡±


    ¡°My mom will protect me; I¡¯m not afraid of you.¡±


    Elio had no response.


    By the time Elio got to the amusement park, Astrid and Roman were long gone.


    Once home, Astrid installed an anti¨Ctracking app on both her and Roman¡¯s phones so Elio couldn¡¯t find


    them anymore.


    The paternity test results came back, and as expected, Roman was indeed Astrid¡¯s son.


    Amanda immediately posted the results in the family group chat, ¡°See? The paternity test results are in.


    I hope no one dares to hurt Astrid behind her back from now on, or I¡¯ll make sure you pay.¡±


    Those words were actually aimed at Farrah.


    At the banquet, the first one to stir up trouble was Farrah.


    Everyone went silent after seeing the report and the group chat was eerily quiet. A few secondster,


    Elio, who rarely posted in the family group chat, sent a message.


    ¡°Everything that happened at my mother¡¯s birthday banquet stays secret. Anyone who leaks


    information will face the consequences.¡±

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244


    Everyone replied, ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah.¡±


    Even if Elio didn¡¯t say anything, they wouldn¡¯t dare gossip around.


    After all, upsetting Elio was like losing their jobs; they weren¡¯t that dumb.


    Astrid spent another day at home with Roman before reluctantly sending him to Amanda.


    She¡¯d love to be with Roman every day, but she also needed to work.


    The TV show was about to premiere, and she couldn¡¯t miss all sorts of promotional activities.


    One day, the crew held a promotional event at the square in front of the Central Mall. She was just a


    supporting actress who didn¡¯t have much screen time..


    But when she got there, she found out that she had more fans than the leading actors, which made


    Joana¡¯s face turn sour.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The online notice had already mentioned that Joana was overshadowed when they were together.


    Joana grew even more upset when she saw Astrid¡¯s poprity.


    But she didn¡¯t dare provoke Astrid; even though she was unhappy, she still had to put on a smile.


    As the event was nearing its end, the crowd¡¯s reaction was pretty good. Just as the host was about to


    announce the end of the event, some flickering lights appeared in the dark sky.


    Everyone looked up and gasped.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Drones?¡±


    ¡°There are so many; they¡¯re everywhere!¡±


    ¡°Did the crew prepare this? Isn¡¯t this a bit extravagant?¡±


    ¡°No, no, I remember the crew is broke; they can¡¯t afford drones, right?¡±


    While everyone was talking, the drones suddenly changed formation and spelled out ¡®I LOVE ASTRID¡®.


    ¡°I love Astrid!!!¡±


    Someone in the crowd shouted, and everyone turned to look at Astrid on the stage.


    Astrid looked at the drones in the sky, and her brow furrowed.


    Then she saw the drones¡® formation change again.


    After some adjustments, the final image was a little figure kneeling on the ground with some ck


    object under its knees.


    ¡°Is that a person kneeling on a keyboard, like an apology? Who is that?¡±


    Astrid¡¯s mouth twitched. Who else could it be but Elio.


    After all the hardship she went through, he thought some drone stunt would be enough to make


    amends?


    Dream on!


    Joana, being the lead actress, was already overshadowed; now, with this grand gesture, all attention


    turned to Astrid.


    As everyone was anticipating what the drone formation would change into next, there was a loud


    rumble.


    A fleet of helicopters flew over from a distance, quickly blocking the drones.


    Brandon Brooke, who was on one of the helicopters, was barking orders, ¡°Block them, block them all; if


    those drones dare toe close, crash into them. My sister is someone nobody should mess with!


    Crash them into pieces!¡±


    Elio, who was on the rooftop controlling the drones, felt a headacheing on when he saw this.


    Just as he was about to recall the drones, a helicopter hovered near him, then a loudspeaker boomed


    overhead, ¡°Elio, if you dare to approach Astrid again, believe it or not, I¡¯ll throw you off this roof!¡±


    *Get lost with your trash, or I swear, I¡¯ll beat you up every time I see you!¡±

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245


    The wind from the helicopter was so strong that Carson, standing next to Elio, could barely keep his


    eyes open.


    Squinting at his boss, he was worried that Elio would blow his top because of Brandon¡¯s antics.


    Elio looked up at the helicopter hovering in the sky and then at his drone, which was being battered by


    the wind and was obviously not in a good mood.


    If it had been anyone else, they probably would have lost their cool by now.


    But when he thought about the fact that the people on the helicopter belonged to the Brooke family, he


    forced himself to chill out.


    Astrid was their little princess, and knowing that he was the one who had hurt her in the past, they


    would definitely be pissed.


    If he didn¡¯t know any better at this point, the Brooke family mighte after him with guns zing.


    ¡°Call all the drones back; we¡¯re leaving.¡± Elio said, and everyone besides Carson looked confused.


    Seeing Elio leave, a man quickly ran over to Carson and asked in confusion, ¡°What the hell? That


    youngd was so cocky; how could our boss stand it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no other way; that¡¯s the boss¡¯s brother¨Cinw! You guys should have some emotional


    intelligence!¡± Carson shot them a disgruntled look and then quickly caught up with Elio.


    The boss¡¯s brother¨Cinw?


    Everyone on the rooftop was puzzled. Brandon, peering down through binocrs, waited until Elio left


    and all the drones were gone before he said into the walkie¨Ctalkie, ¡°Everyone, prepare to return.¡±


    The pilot answered. ¡°Roger.¡±


    As the helicopter returned andnded, Brandon was the first to brag about his victory in the group chat,


    ¡°I caught Elio at Astrid¡¯s event today, and I sent him packing.¡±


    Robb, ¡°Nice.¡±


    Rickon, ¡°I agree.¡±


    After the event, Astrid didn¡¯t join the dinner but went with Dale to meet a producer.


    In the car, she looked at the group chat andughed without saying a word.


    They still didn¡¯t consider her feelings at all.


    Seeing her downcast, Dale turned to her and asked softly, ¡°Do you hate him?¡±


    Hate?


    Astrid¡¯s hand, which was ying a game, paused slightly, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    She was resentful, but she didn¡¯t hate him.


    Dale sighed, ¡°But he asked for it. I¡¯m curious, who was the one who wanted to harm you when you


    were pregnant? Sandra Irvine or the Santos family?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Astrid looked up listlessly, ¡°Sandra wanted to kick me out of the house, so as soon as


    she found out I was pregnant, she made me leave. Since I had already left, there was no need for her


    to harm the child in my belly.¡±


    ¡°As for Fannie, she didn¡¯t know whose child I was carrying. She had already signed with Starlight


    Entertainment. If she harmed me and it got found out, it would be like she was sabotaging her own


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    career. So I don¡¯t think she could be the one behind it.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Dale frowned, ¡°So all those idents were really just idents?¡±


    Astrid shook her head, ¡°It can¡¯t be a coincidence. Once, someone threw something from a high ce


    and itnded right next to my feet. There were several times when someone tried to hit me when I was


    crossing the street. Even when I went to the market, people would bump into my belly more than once.¡±

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246


    ¡°I¡¯m just quick to react and always manage to defuse the crisis. If Gracie hadn¡¯t taken me back to my


    hometown, the kid could have been gone long ago.¡± Hearing Astrid talk about this, Dale felt even more


    sorry for her.


    If she had gotten hurt, she could have miscarried at best or lost both the baby and her life at worst!


    Dale stayed silent for a few seconds, then said, ¡°Back then, you didn¡¯t have your own squad. After all


    these years, it¡¯s hard to trace back. Now that Roman¡¯s back with you, let¡¯s not dwell on heartbreaking


    memories.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Astrid responded softly, still unable to disregard the matter. Someone might have known that the


    kid in her belly was Elio¡¯s and tried to make her miscarry on purpose.


    Now that she had recognized Roman, she didn¡¯t know if the person behind the scenes would strike


    again.


    For Roman¡¯s safety, she had to find that person and get rid of the potential threat..


    ¡°Astrid, there¡¯s a globally renowned director preparing for a blockbuster, and he actually sent you an


    audition invite.¡± Dale said, full of surprise, ¡°Do you know who else got invited for the audition? Big stars


    like Tania, I¡¯m genuinely taken aback; why would he think to invite you?¡±


    ¡°Dale, are you underestimating me?¡± Astrid grabbed the iPad from Dale and looked at the email about


    the movie and the confirmed cast list. She frowned, ¡°Not a single confirmed actor?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal; after all, they¡¯re still auditioning. Although the role you¡¯re invited to audition for isn¡¯t the


    lead, appearing in a global blockbuster would put you ahead of your peers, so you need to take this


    seriously.¡± Once work came up, Dale became very serious,pletely without his usualid¨Cback


    demeanor.


    Though you have a good image and demeanor, you dress too casually. When we go for the audition,


    please dress up a bit. You cannot always wear T¨Cshirts, jeans, and hats, okay?¡±


    Astrid nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve known you for so long, but I rarely hear you speak French. How¡¯s your French? Don¡¯t embarrass


    yourself when you get there. My French is pretty good. How about I tutor you a bit?¡± After saying that,


    Dale turned to look at Astrid.


    However, Astrid looked at him as if he were an idiot, ¡°Dale, did my brother knock you silly? I have a


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Ph.D. from the Endeavor Institute in the States. My entire defense was in French, and my score was


    the highest among my cohort. And you¡¯re asking me if I can speak French?¡±


    Dale was taken aback, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    He got so anxious that he forgot that Astrid was a genius.


    Amanda¡¯s birthday party was already a few days ago. Elio had already put aside everything that


    happened at the party.


    Right now, Astrid was at a crucial stage in her career, and he didn¡¯t want her to be distracted by this.


    He knew Astrid was a very decisive person. She would reveal her child¡¯s identity when the time was


    right, and he absolutely couldn¡¯t force her to ept him because of the child¡¯s identity.


    He had another sleepless night.


    The TV show Astrid was in officially premiered.


    Before the show even started, people were already praising Astrid¡¯s beauty. Many haters said Astrid


    only looked good after photoshopping, but when her first scene came on, thement section


    exploded.


    ¡°Wow, she¡¯s so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s what the woman of my dreams looks like!¡±

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247


    ¡°Wow! This beauty totally outshines the leadingdy. And Joana is supposed to be the campus queen


    in the show?*


    ¡°Such perfect body proportions! Damn! I¡¯m green with envy!¡±


    As Astrid and Roman were munching on chips and watching the premiere at home, Roman kept


    pouring outpliments. ¡°Wow, Mom, you¡¯re so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Where did this beautye from?¡±


    ¡°Gosh! Mom¡¯s smile is so sweet. Can you smell it? The air has turned sweet.¡±


    Astrid blushed so much that she couldn¡¯t speak.


    Did this little guy have a silver tongue or what?


    Did someone teach him to say these things?


    After some thought, Astrid pulled the little one who had been bouncing around in front of her, ¡°Roman,


    tell me how you learned to say all these things. Did Elio teach you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Roman shook his head firmly, ¡°It was Lucas who taught me!¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    Roman tilted his head to look at Astrid and then softly called out, ¡°Mom.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Astrid kissed his cheek, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Roman stretched out his chubby little hands and hugged her, ¡°Nothing; I just really wanted to call you


    mom. I never want to be apart from you again.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Astrid held him close, ¡°Mom has to work, but I¡¯ll


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    be with you whenever I¡¯m free.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Roman curled upfortably in Astrid¡¯s arms. After a while, Astrid realized that he had fallen


    asleep.


    She turned off the TV with the remote.


    Astrid gently picked up Roman and walked towards the bedroom.


    It seemed like it was about to rain outside because the wind blowing in was somewhat chilly.


    She walked to the window to close it, but there was a tter from upstairs.


    Apanied by the noise was music, which was getting louder.


    The loud noise seemed like it could shake the roof down at any moment.


    Roman, who had already fallen asleep, was woken up. He rubbed his eyes and said quietly, ¡°Mom, is


    there construction going on upstairs? It¡¯s so noisy.¡±


    ¡°Go back to sleep. Mom will go up there and ask them to quiet down.¡± Astrid lightly stroked Roman¡¯s


    head, then put on a coat and stepped out.


    As she climbed the stairs, the closer she got to the room, the louder the noise became, and she could


    hear people cheering.


    She rang the doorbell, but nobody answered.


    After ringing it a few times, she lost her patience and kicked the door a few times.


    The music inside the room died down slightly.


    A few secondster, the door opened. A waft of alcohol and smoke hit her face.


    The blond man at the door saw a beautiful woman standing outside and broke into a smirk, ¡°Hey,


    gorgeous, feeling lonely in the middle of the night? Want toe in and hang with us?¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Frivolousughter echoed from behind the man.


    Astrid took a step back and said coolly, ¡°Could you please keep it down? Your noise is seriously


    disturbing me and my family¡¯s rest.¡±


    ¡°Rest? Don¡¯t you want toe in and y?¡± The punk reached out to grab Astrid and tried to pull her


    in.


    ¡°Are you asking for trouble?¡± Astrid dodged his hand and kicked the man in front of her. He stumbled


    backward but was caught by his buddies.

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248


    ¡°Whoa, feisty! I like you!¡± The punk didn¡¯t learn his lesson and was still trying to mess with Astrid.


    In a split second, Astrid grabbed his wrist and delivered a swift kick to his groin, ¡°Are you deaf? I¡¯ve told


    you guys to keep it down. But you didn¡¯t listen, did you want me to get physical?¡±


    ¡°I like a girl with spirit!¡± The punkughed, ¡°Boys, grab her!¡±


    As soon as he finished his sentence, a group of men rushed out of the room.


    Astrid was ready to fight, but at that moment, doors from the other rooms opened. Lamont and a group


    of bodyguards rushed out and quickly beat down the gangsters,


    The guys looked at the bodyguards with fear written all over their faces, ¡°We¡¯re sorry! we¡¯re sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll turn off the music right now. I promise I won¡¯t make any more noise.¡±


    The punk scrambled back into his room to turn off the music, tiptoeing as if afraid of making any noise.


    Astrid knew her brother had arranged for bodyguards to be around her, but she didn¡¯t expect this many,


    ¡°Are all the people on this floor, besides these punks, your guys?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Lamont shook his head, pointing to a closed door, ¡°Thendlord lives there. This whole building


    belongs to him.¡±


    Owning a building in the luxury business district meant he must be loaded.


    Wait, maybe he was old money.


    ¡°You guys get some rest. I¡¯m going to bed.¡± Astrid yawned, pressed the elevator button, and then heard


    a loud noise from afar.


    Everyone looked towards thendlord¡¯s door.


    Then a strange smell came wafting out.


    It smelled like something had been burned.


    Seeing this, Lamont quickly knocked on the door, ¡°Is anyone in there? Hello?¡±


    After knocking for a while with no response, Lamont grew worried, ¡°Miss, I heard thendlord is an old


    man. Something seems wrong, I¡¯m going to break in.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Astrid stepped back.


    She thought Lamont would break down the door, but someone brought a toolbox, and he picked the


    lock in no time.


    ¡°Sir? Are you okay?¡± ck smoke poured out of the room, causing everyone to cough violently, ¡°Sir,


    are you alright?¡±


    After a while, a voice came from inside, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    The voice was full of vitality and was nothing like an old man¡¯s.


    And why did it sound so familiar?


    Astrid was taken aback, Elio?!


    This was Elio¡¯s building!


    When she left his house, she fell right into his trap!


    What a despicable man!


    RSS I O I F


    He had been plotting against her from the start!


    ¡°Cough cough¡­¡± Elio coughed lightly and came out. He saw the lock that had been picked and Astrid


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    standing at the door.


    He felt a bit embarrassed. He was using a pressure cooker to make something for Astrid and Roman,


    but he filled it too much and it exploded.


    The explosion wasn¡¯t the problem.


    The problem was that thendlord¡¯s identity was exposed.


    Elio felt a chill down his spine when he saw Astrid¡¯s eyes.


    This didn¡¯t look good.

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249


    The bodyguards were gobsmacked. They¡¯d never in a million years guessed that thendlord would be


    Elio! Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be some old geezer?


    Lamont¡¯s hair stood on end in a sh, he waspletely freaked out. He¡¯d just tried to pick Elio¡¯s lock.


    This was a disaster!


    Astrid stood with her arms crossed, looking at the man in front of her, and said frostily, ¡°Well, well, Mr.


    Landlord, fancy bumping into you here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, small world.¡± Elio didn¡¯t know what to say, but he knew she¡¯d find out sooner orter, so he


    didn¡¯t try to hide it anymore. ¡°Look, Astrid¡­ Let me exin.¡±


    ¡°Exin?¡± Astrid scoffed. ¡°The facts are right in front of me. What¡¯s there to exin? You¡¯ve been


    ying me!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Elio was silent for a few seconds, then said quietly, ¡°If I¡¯ve been ying you, it¡¯s because I¡¯m into


    you.¡±


    The bodyguards were shocked!


    Did he just confess his feelings out of the blue?


    Suddenly, everyone felt like they might be intruding a bit.


    Astrid was even more furious when she heard this. ¡°Yeah, right. You¡¯ve got some nerve!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry.¡± Elio responded softly. ¡°I messed up. I shouldn¡¯t have treated you like that. Tell me how I can


    make it up to you.¡± Everyone fell silent.


    Were they hallucinating?


    Was this really the same intimidating CEO they knew from the business world?


    Astrid paused for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. You¡¯re nothing to me, and you don¡¯t deserve any


    sort of punishment!¡±


    Elio¡¯s face darkened even more at her words.


    Was it really this hard to even ask for punishment these days?


    Lamont and the others wanted tough, but they held it back.


    They couldn¡¯t afford to piss off Elio.


    Astrid gave Elio onest look before turning and leaving. She didn¡¯t even wait for the elevator, choosing


    to take the stairs instead.


    Seeing Elio follow her, Lamont was about to join them but was held back by his colleagues.


    Lamont turned to the man next to him and shook him off. ¡°Waldo, have you lost your mind? Have you


    forgotten what the boss said? He said they can¡¯t be alone together!¡±


    Waldo looked helpless, gesturing for everyone else to drag Lamont back inside.


    ¡°Lamont, are you ying dumb or are you really that clueless?¡± Waldo asked exasperatedly. ¡°Miss


    Astrid and Mr. Lampard have a child together, and you can tell she has feelings for him. She¡¯s always


    been so good to us; do you want her to be lonely forever?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Lamont shook off his colleagues¡® hands unhappily. ¡°Miss Astrid is perfect; there are so


    many men who like her. Even without Elio, she could find someone worthy of her, like¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Are you trying to get yourself killed by mentioning that guy?¡± Waldo red at Lamont, who


    walked over and sat down on a nearby sofa.


    The atmosphere in the room felt a bit strange. Waldo was about to go over and say something, but


    then Lamont got a text from Astrid. ¡°Go buy a lock and change it for him.¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Lamont replied with one word. ¡®Okay¡®


    After sending the message, he got up to buy the lock. As he opened the door, he saw Elio walking out


    of the elevator.


    Elio was shut out, looking as cold as ice.

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250


    Lamont felt a bit awkward when he spotted Elio. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Lampard, I heard a loud noise and thought


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    something happened to you, so I unlocked your door. I¡¯ll get you a new lock.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Elio nodded, expressionless, and walked straight into his room.


    Lamont felt a cold breeze blow past him, making him shiver involuntarily. Elio really had a strong aura.


    This guy was no pushover.


    The next morning, Astrid dropped Roman off at Amanda¡¯s. He refused to let her go and clung to her


    like a little octopus. ¡°Mom, I want to go to work with you I can be your assistant!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Gracie¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°You¡¯re trying to steal my job?¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Roman mumbled unhappily, only letting go after Astrid promised to pick him up as soon as she


    finished work.


    On the road, noticing Astrid continuously yawning, Gracie asked, ¡°Hey, Astrid, did you pull an all¨C


    nighter doing something shady?¡±


    ¡°No, someone upstairs was throwing a party. I couldn¡¯t get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Astrid yawned again,


    then asked, ¡°By the way, do we have a hectic scheduleing up?¡±


    1 checked this morning; it¡¯s pretty packed. We have two interviews today.¡± Gracie replied, grinning


    smugly, ¡°Looks like our Astrid is about to be a big star. Your first show got such rave reviews. By


    the way, I hope you can change your Twitter name. Is the current one suitable for a female star?¡± Astrid


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling you. If you don¡¯t change it to your name, I will.¡± Gracie began to nag, giving Astrid a


    headache.


    Pulling out her phone, Astrid logged into Twitter and changed her name to ¡®Astrid.¡®


    Astrid frowned unhappily as she looked at her new name. This Twitter name was totally nd.


    Gracie asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to meet the director by yourself? Shouldn¡¯t we wait for Dale?¡±


    Astrid shook her head. ¡°No need; I can handle it.¡±


    Gracie was still a little worried, but seeing Astrid¡¯s confidence, she didn¡¯t say anything more.


    When they arrived at the office, the person they were supposed to meet was already waiting..


    With half an hour to spare before the scheduled time, Astrid didn¡¯t expect the other party to be so early.


    She walked over smiling, ¡°Hello, sorry for keeping you waiting.¡±


    The man was impressed with Astrid¡¯s humility. Although Astrid was not a very famous star, she was a


    well¨Cknown figure in the magic circle. ¡°You¡¯re notte; I¡¯m early. Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Astrid smiled, ¡°Sure.¡±


    While Astrid and the man were discussing the project in the VIP room, Gracie waited outside. She


    couldn¡¯t help with such matters and was afraid she might say something wrong, so she didn¡¯t go in.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing here?¡± A woman¡¯s voice startled Gracie.


    Turning around, she saw Tania.


    Tania was a star at Starlight Entertainment. She and Fannie used topete for the top spot at


    Starlight, but now that Fannie had left, Tania was enjoying the spoils.


    This was Gracie¡¯s second time meeting Tania. They didn¡¯t know each other well, so Gracie politely


    replied, ¡°Oh, the party¡¯s director is here to meet Astrid; I¡¯m waiting for her.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Tania lit a cigarette nonchntly, ¡°These days, even nobodies can attend such parties.¡±


    Gracie fell silent.


    If it weren¡¯t for fear of causing trouble for Astrid, Gracie would¡¯ve lost her temper.

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251


    There¡¯s a designated smoking area in the hallway, but Tania didn¡¯t bother using it; she just smoked next


    to Gracie. Gracie was pretty pissed, but she kept her mouth shut.


    After a while, Tania turned to Gracie and said, ¡°I heard Astrid¡¯s with Mr. Lampard now; is that true?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Figures, how would you know? You call yourself an assistant, but you¡¯re just a gofer,¡± Tania smirked,


    ¡°Get me a cup of coffee.¡±


    Gracie red at her.


    But she saw nothing but scorn in Tania¡¯s eyes.


    Gracie¡¯s always had a fiery temper, and if Tania hadn¡¯t been so snarky, she wouldn¡¯t have minded


    fetching her a cup of coffee. But it was clear this woman looked down on her.


    Just then, the door to the meeting room opened, and out came Astrid and Zack, all with smiles.


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, I¡¯m really looking forward to your creative performance; it¡¯s going to blow the audience


    away. I can see myself out; no need to walk me.¡± Zack


    said.


    ¡°Miss, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here; what a pleasant surprise.¡± Zack¡¯s tone warmed up noticeably


    when he spotted Tania, ¡°My new project really needs you as the leadingdy; won¡¯t you reconsider?¡±


    Tania smiled, ¡°Zack, it¡¯s an honor to be in your y, but my agent handles all my work. I always follow


    his advice. Why don¡¯t you talk to him again? I¡¯d love to work with you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to him again. I¡¯ll be off now; goodbye.¡± Zack sensed Tania was blowing him off, so he


    didn¡¯t push it and left.


    Once Zack was gone, Tania smirked, put out her cigarette in the trash can, and walked over to Astrid,


    ¡°Astrid, I heard you¡¯re set to take my ce in a few years. What do you think?¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Astrid raised an eyebrow and nodded, ¡°They¡¯re right.¡±


    Tania was dumbfounded.


    She was taken aback by Astrid¡¯s blunt response and was at a loss for words.


    She was, after all, a senior at thepany, and Astrid was being incredibly disrespectful!


    ¡°We have other things to get to, goodbye.¡± Astrid said, pulling Gracie along with her.


    As they walked away, Gracie started venting, ¡°Astrid, that woman is insufferable! She¡¯s always so


    condescending, calling me a gofer, trying to drive at wedge between us!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to put up with that, Gracie.¡± Astrid knew Gracie well; she would¡¯ve told Tania off if not


    for her.


    Astrid took out her phone and sent Gracie a big bonus for ¡®constion¡®.


    ¡°Oh wow, haha! Who knew a little suffering could pay off? Maybe I should get insulted more often.¡±


    Gracie joked, ¡°By the way, how¡¯s it going? Is the performance all set?¡±


    Astrid nodded, ¡°Of course, there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do once I set my mind to it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the best, Astrid!¡± Gracie and Astrid chatted and left.


    Tania watched their backs and whispered, ¡°Take my ce? In your dreams.¡±

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252


    The party went ahead as scheduled.


    There were six artists from Starlight Entertainment participating in this shindig.


    Before the party officially kicked off, there was the red¨Ccarpet ceremony.


    Being under the same banner, these six naturally had to strut their stuff on the red carpet together.


    Keen to steal the limelight, Tania started prepping early, even ordering a globally limited¨Cedition


    couture outfit.


    Among the six, Astrid was the least famous.


    After all, her debut drama was still airing. She was a big cheese in the world of magic but still a newbie


    in the entertainment industry.


    Tania, being the A¨Clister of thepany, set the standard that others looked up to.


    With the red¨Ccarpet event about to start, Astrid finally showed up.


    The sight of Astrid left their fellow artists gobsmacked.


    Today, Astrid didn¡¯t don a dress but a unique ck casual suit. Her chic outfit, paired with her bold red


    lips, made her look cool and beautiful, a stark contrast to her usual image.


    Tania looked slightly diforted, but remained mum.


    The six of them arrived at the red carpet in a stretch limo, with Tania being the first to step out.


    She was wearing a white haute couture dress, looking as graceful as a proud swan.


    ¡°Wow, so beautiful!!¡±


    The fans started cheering, closely followed by the other artists from thepany.


    The fans were all hooting and hollering, shouting their idols¡® names at the top of their lungs.


    Then Astrid got out of the car.


    A unified and powerful chant filled the air, instantly quieting the scene. ¡°Astrid, Astrid, we¡¯ll always


    follow you!¡±


    The chant was firm, unified, and filled with warmth and a touch of simplicity, sessfully making Astrid


    the center of attention in a sh.


    Astrid gave everyone an awkward yet polite smile. She really wanted to kill her brother; she didn¡¯t want


    a brother like him anymore!


    He was so old¨Cfashioned and a real headache!


    The problem was that the fan chant kept repeating, showing no signs of stopping.


    The live streamments went wild.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with Astrid¡¯s fans?¡±


    ¡°Are all her fans middle¨Caged or something? How else would theye up with such a chant?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m dying. Look, is she trying not tough?¡±


    ¡°But she looks so cool and gorgeous!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t drag the idol into fan behavior; who are these people that came to support her today.


    They¡¯re hrious!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha.¡±


    Astrid instantly stole Tania¡¯s spotlight, or to be precise, Astrid¡¯s fans did.


    She was pissed.


    But in front of the public, she had to keep her perfect smile.


    For the first time, she wished the red carpet ceremony could end sooner.


    Tania quickened her steps, quickly distancing herself from Astrid.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Just then, petals started raining down on Astrid.


    The petals followed her steps as if they had eyes.


    She looked up to see rows of drones flying overhead, with small bags hanging underneath, the petals


    inside swirling in the wind.


    Oh my god!


    Whose bright idea was this?


    Elio¡¯s? Or her unreliable brother¡¯s?


    She just wanted to walk the red carpet in peace, can these people please chill?


    Theizens watching the live stream wereughing their heads off at Astrid¡¯s bewildered expression.


    ¡°Oh my god! Which crazy fan arranged this?¡±


    ¡°Look, she¡¯s about to cry.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I think she¡¯s hot about to cry; she¡¯s about to punch someone!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta say, her fans are really creative.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a publicity stunt. She knows the red carpet is being live streamed, so she¡¯s deliberately


    creating buzz to trend!¡±


    ¡°The one saying it¡¯s a publicity stunt,e out here. Who would use such a method for publicity? This


    is just asking to be mocked, okay?¡±


    Finally, Astrid finished walking the red carpet. As soon as she reached backstage, she saw Elio holding


    a drone controller and immediately shouted, ¡°Elio!¡±

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253


    Elio stiffened in shock.


    There were many celebrities around. When they heard Astrid¡¯s shout, they immediately turned their


    heads to see what was going on.


    ¡°Who dares call Chief by his name directly?¡±


    ¡°Which female star is trying to get Mr. Lampard¡¯s attention this time?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s Astrid!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    There were many people in the corridor, a mix of stars and staff. Many of them didn¡¯t know who was


    shouting for Elio. Only those closest to Astrid saw her.


    A few didn¡¯t even recognize her.


    Elio heard Astrid¡¯s angry voice and was confused. What had he done wrong this time?


    Elio stood obediently and did not move when he saw Astrid storming towards him.


    Just as Astrid was about to reach Elio, Dale darted out and pulled her away. ¡°I know Elio made your red


    carpet walk a disaster, but if you hit him now in front of all these people, your career is over!¡±


    Astrid, thinking about the embarrassing situation earlier, was so angry that she had a stomachache.


    ¡°Dale, did you see how pathetic I was? I just wanted to walk the red carpet properly; look at what that


    guy Elio did!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, calm down; your image is the most important. If you hit him now, you¡¯re the one who will


    lose. Your performance tonight is very important; it¡¯s a chance for you to show your talent. You can¡¯t let


    your anger ruin your future.¡± Dale said, pulling her away.


    Elio waited for a long time, but Astrid didn¡¯te back. He handed the remote control in his hand to


    Carson, who was a little ways away, with a puzzled face. ¡°Carson, what¡¯s with your face?¡±


    ¡°Chief, you didn¡¯t get hit?¡± Carson asked quietly.


    Elio frowned, ¡°Why would I get hit?¡±


    Carson said, ¡°You made Ms. Irvine¡¯s red carpet walk a disaster. Knowing her personality, it¡¯s weird if


    she didn¡¯t beat you up.¡±


    ¡°Beat me?¡± Elio was confused. ¡°I looked it up online; don¡¯t girls like unexpected surprises? Aren¡¯t rose


    petals a surprise? Isn¡¯t it romantic?¡±


    Carson was at a loss for words at Elio¡¯s nonchnt attitude.


    Though Carson was afraid of getting his sry docked, he still weakly said. ¡°Chief, a shower of petals


    is indeed romantic, but you have to use it at the right ce. Didn¡¯t you see how the rose petals messed


    up Ms. Irvine¡¯s hair, blocked her vision, and even got blown into her mouth? Overall, it was a disastrous


    red¨Ccarpet scene.¡±


    Rose petals were blown into her mouth?


    Oh boy!


    No wonder Astrid¡¯s voice was full of anger.


    He had used robots and drones to simte the scene multiple times to ensure everything was perfect.


    But he didn¡¯t take the wind into ount.


    What a mess! He wanted to create a romantic experience, but it looks like he¡¯s losing points now.


    ¡°Chief, Zack is looking for you.¡± Carson¡¯s voice interrupted Elio¡¯s thoughts.


    His expression returned to its usual indifference. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Carson said, ¡°He said it¡¯s about Ms. Irvine.¡±


    Elio paused, ¡°Take me to him.¡±

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254


    ¡°Alright, here we are, Carson said, feeling utterly helpless. Their boss, Elio, was totally controlled by his


    wife. But, ever since the boss found someone he liked, Carson also got a lot of perks.


    The boss was grinning more often now, and the wholepany vibe was way more rxed and


    cheerful.


    ¡°A few days ago, we even got a pay rise for no reason, and the employees in thepany were happy,


    like it was a new year.


    I guess I need to give the boss some advice, help him bring his wife home sooner. Then, as long as the


    boss is happy, he could give me thousands of bonuses, which is really wonderful.¡±


    Elio and Carson were chatting while heading upstairs, the third floor was the reception area, quite a bit


    quieter.


    As they turned a corner, Elio smelled a strong whiff of perfume.


    He scrunched up his brow and walked towards Carson.


    Around the corner, they saw Taniaing from the other end, she had changed out of her red carpet


    dress, now in a sexy slip dress that showed off her figure perfectly.


    ¡°Mr. Lampard!¡± Tania greeted Elio with a smile, but Elio didn¡¯t even turn his head to look at her, and


    even used Carson as a shield, like she was some kind of monster.


    Carson gave an awkward chuckle, ¡°Hello, Miss. The boss and I have some business to discuss, so


    we¡¯ll take our leave now.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lampard, I¡¯m an artist from Starlight Entertainment, my name is Tania, we met atst year¡¯s


    annual party.¡± Tania said, trying to approach Elio. Elio, sensing her intention, snapped coldly, ¡°Stop right


    there, don¡¯t get any closer. If I get any weird smell on me and get misunderstood by my wife, you¡¯ll be


    out of Starlight Entertainment by tomorrow.¡±


    My wife? Tania was startled by Elio¡¯s words. Could it be that Elio¡¯s public confession on Twitter wasn¡¯t


    just a whim, does he really like Astrid?


    But that¡¯s impossible, with Astrid¡¯s family background, how could Elio be interested in her!


    Tania had a n, and she stepped aside in high heels.


    As she walked by Elio, her foot suddenly slipped, and she rushed towards Elio!


    Both Carson and Elio quickly dodged to the side.


    Tania hit the floor hard, almost crying from the pain!


    ¡°Normally, if a beauty falls down, there is always someone rush to help, right?¡±


    Even if Elio didn¡¯t help, his assistant should not sit idly by, right?


    But, they both jumped away at the same time, like she had some contagious disease!


    She was sure her act was convincing, could they tell she fell on purpose?


    Tania was livid. Just then, Carson came over to help her up, ¡°Whoa, Miss, be careful when you walk.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Let go of me.¡± Tania had a chin stic surgery a month ago and it hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet, now her


    chin felt a bit crooked.


    Tania stood up and walked away awkwardly.


    Watching her walk away, Carson burst intoughter, ¡°Chief, you have to be careful, so many actresses


    want to get close to you, if your wife sees it, you won¡¯t be able to exin it clearly.¡±


    Elio shot Carson a cold nce, ¡°You know it would be hard for me to exin, yet you didn¡¯t try to block


    her? You even ran?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re scared of your wife, and I¡¯m scared of mine too!¡± Carson shot back, ¡°I can¡¯t let this kind of


    woman ruin my reputation.¡±


    Elio was speechless.


    Zack just stepped out of the office at that moment.

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255


    Seeing Elio, he quickly walked over, showing great respect: ¡°Mr. Lampard, I was just about to go down


    and meet you.¡±


    ¡°No worries, let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Elio nodded at Zack, and they walked into the office.


    Every year, the g was extremely grand, with big names gathered. This year¡¯s line¨Cup was even


    stronger thanst year¡¯s, as some international big names from overseas were also invited.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Astrid slipped into her performance outfit, and took a seat in the VIP star¨Cwatching section to catch the


    show.


    Dale was worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to resist picking on Elio if she saw him, so he sat with her


    the whole time.


    At these parties, other than professional singers belting out live, the rest of the performers were fake.


    So, whenever these kinds of parties rolled around, the lipsyncers always ended up trending online.


    The partysted for several hours, and her performance slot was still a ways off. Sitting in her chair,


    she started to doze off.


    ¡°Hey, Astar!¡± A familiar voice rang out from behind her. Astrid¡¯s eyes popped open to see Teresa¡¯s big


    eyes. ¡°Astar, why are you dressed so skimpy? It¡¯s getting chilly outside.¡±


    Teresa, with a concerned look, draped her own jacket over Astrid. ¡°I¡¯m fat, I¡¯m not afraid of cold. Just


    take off the jacket before your performance.¡± ¡°How¡¯ve you been?¡± Astrid always felt better seeing


    Teresa.


    ¡°Good, just missing you a lot. But I feel awkward reaching out to you.¡± Teresa pouted, looking unhappy.


    ¡°My manager keeps telling me not to hang around you too much, saysizens might start suspecting


    my sexual orientation.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Astrid couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Your manager¡¯s concerns aren¡¯t unreasonable, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Irvine!¡± A staff member rushed over. Seeing his expression, Astrid knew something was wrong.


    Astrid: ¡°What happened?¡±


    Man: ¡°Sorry, I just checked the props you were going to use, and someone poured sulfuric acid on


    them. They¡¯re all corroded!¡±


    ¡°Sulfuric acid?¡± Teresa was shaking with fear all over. ¡°Who dares to harm Astar? Are they tired of


    living?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Astridforted Teresa with a pat, then checked the time and the schedule. There were


    only two shows before she was on stage.


    It¡¯s toote to prepare things again now. The things she needed were all special materials, all custom¨C


    made, and couldn¡¯t be found on short notice.


    That show couldn¡¯t have done its best without those props. This was a live broadcast¡­there must be


    no mistakes.


    Someone had deliberately ruined her props, just to keep her form performing.


    Did they really think she could only perform magic tricks?


    Too naive.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just switch my act.¡± Astrid got up and left.


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s worried look, a smug smile crept onto Tania¡¯s face.


    A stunning performance?


    Without your magic tools, I¡¯m really curious to see how you n to grab everyone¡¯s attention.


    Tania was up before Astrid, and although Tania wasn¡¯t a professional singer, she had a good voice,


    especially unique, and coupled with the stage effects, she received a round of apuse at the end of


    her performance.


    Lots of people were praising her in thements section, too.


    ¡°I always thought Tania had stic surgery before, but today¡¯s makeup made me suddenly see her


    beauty!¡±

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256


    ¡°Gotta say, she¡¯s really attractive, like that kind of charmingdy.¡±


    ¡°Her chin looks less pointed today. More natural.¡±


    ¡°She really sang it, right? It seems that there are two mistakes in the lyrics, but the high¨Cpitched part is


    very steady!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s next? Astrid?¡±


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s going to do magic!¡±


    ¡°Oh, magic is just the most boring thing. Just a few tricks, it makes me nauseous after a while!¡±


    ¡°Astar will definitely amaze the audience. Those who like to criticize better keep quiet, otherwise they


    may be embarrassed by what they saidter!¡± ¡°Hmph, let¡¯s see what she¡¯s up to! Lousy magician!¡±


    At this point, Tania¡¯s performance ended and the venue was filled with screams. She smiled and waved


    to the audience before heading towards the host, Urs.


    Urs said, ¡°Tania, you look absolutely stunning tonight. I¡¯m enamored.¡±


    Tania replied, ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Urs. You look lovely tonight as well.¡±


    Urs asked, ¡°Up next is Astrid from yourpany, it¡¯s her first time participating in this g. Are you


    worried about her performance?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Tania smiled, ¡°We all know how great her magic is. She¡¯ll definitely do well.¡±


    ¡°And if she asked you to be her performance partner, would you refuse?¡± Urs probed further.


    Tania realized something was wrong and answered immediately. ¡°That¡¯s not okay, I have a good


    rtionship with her. If I were to be her partner,izens might think I¡¯m her sidekick.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Just kidding,¡± Ursughed, ¡°Go on and take a rest. So, who¡¯s excited for Astrid¡¯s performance?¡±


    A few voices shouted in anticipation, making the atmosphere slightly awkward.


    Urs chuckled, and then announced, ¡°Let¡¯s look forward to a street dance performance by Astrid and


    the ¡®Dance King¡® Mini!!!¡±


    The crowd immediately erupted.


    Who¡¯s Mini?


    He¡¯s recognized as the king of street dance!


    That¡¯s a dancer¡¯s idol!Most importantly, Mini once said he wouldn¡¯t coborate with any female dancers


    unless he felt that the girl¡¯s dancing skills surpassed his!


    And now, He actually wanted to cooperate with Astrid?


    ¡°Astrid is a tone¨Cdeaf. If you are a tone¨Cdeaf, you will generally have a poor sense of rhythm, right?


    Can such a person dance well?¡± Mini had a lot of fans, King of Dance was very popr, and the


    originally harmoniousment area suddenly became chaotic. ¡°Wow, Astrid is trying to destroy my


    idol?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy, what ecstasy did Astrid put on our idol? Last year, after singing and dancing, he


    proposed cooperation and was rejected, but now he wants to cooperate with Astrid?¡±


    ¡°Mini tweeted that this is his own performance. Was Astrid forced onto him by the organizers? I heard


    rumors that Astrid has a sponsor!¡±


    ¡°My God! Can Astar dance?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s look forward to it. Girls dancing street dance is the coolest and most powerful!¡±


    Suddenly, the stage lights went off.


    Then, a spotlight hit Mini, who was situated on a high swing.


    The crowd was excited, ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome!¡±


    There were screams one after another, at this very moment. Another beam of light came on, and


    Astrid¡¯s figure appeared on therge electronic screen. As the music started, Astrid did a cool backflip,


    and the audience fell silent instantly.


    The next second, shended perfectly. Raising an eyebrow at the camera, she exuded coolness, ¡°Hey,


    babe! burn with me!¡±

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257


    The camera focused closely on her eyes at this moment. Her arched eyebrows, filled with arrogance


    and dominance, instantly stun everyone.


    As the music starts, Astrid Irvine began to move to the rhythm.


    Her movements were powerful and graceful, and every beat was urate.


    The unpredictable moves left the live and screen audiences in awe. Who said Astrid can¡¯t dance?


    Apparently, she¡¯s a hidden dance master, right?


    Even standing next to the dance king, Mini, she did not pale inparison!


    With the intense music, Astrid and Mini set off one wave of frenzy after another on the spot.


    Those who previously said Astrid couldn¡¯t dance were now bowled over by her dancing.


    They start to scream loudly, shouting Astrid¡¯s name!


    Even paired with the strongest dance king, she didn¡¯t show any weakness, full of confidence.


    Once she stepped on the stage, she¡¯s like a queen.


    Though the person next to her was the dance king, her confidence overflown from the screen like a


    tide, as if she¡¯s the queen of the stage! Elio Lampard sat below, watching her unrestrained on stage,


    his mouth slightly hooked.


    After tonight, he didn¡¯t know how many people will fall for her.


    But, he¡¯s genuinely happy for her.


    ¡°To love someone is not to make her change into what you like for you, but to let her be herself happily


    and love everything she loves.¡± ¡°Give her the biggest support.¡±


    At first, Mini¡¯s fans were criticizing Astrid, but after seeing Astrid¡¯s performance, their attitudes changed


    instantly.


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m mesmerized, I wanna marry her!!!¡±


    ¡°Her moves are so crisp and decisive, handsome yet with her unique personality, I¡¯m head over heels


    for her!¡±


    ¡°I really hope they coborate again!¡±


    ¡°Wow, she seems like a pro dancer, those who criticized her dancing before must be regretting!¡±


    ¡°What a gem! Not only academically brilliant, a magic master, who knew she could also dance so well, I


    feel unworthy to be her fan!¡±


    Because of the chilly weather today, Roman caught a cold and didn¡¯t go to the scene.


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s performance, Roman¡¯s eyes were full of admiration, ¡°Oh my God, Mom is so beautiful,


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    so awesome!¡±


    ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t you think mom is awesome?¡±


    Amanda nodded, ¡°Yes, super awesome!¡±


    Getting the answer, Roman turned his face to ask Matthew, ¡°Grandpa, isn¡¯t mom cool?¡±


    Matthew: ¡°Hmm, way cooler than your dad.¡±


    Roman: ¡°Right, mom is beautiful, cool, strong, and rich, why do I need Elio to be my dad? I don¡¯t want


    this dad!¡±


    The two elders werepletely stunned.


    They didn¡¯t expect Roman toe up with such a conclusion.


    ¡°Hold on, Roman listen to me, this logic is wrong!¡± Amanda turned her face, pulld Roman who was


    jumping around on the sofa into her arms, ¡°You have to help dad bring mom back home, then you will


    have a little brother!¡±


    ¡°Brother?¡± Roman frowned, ¡°Brother will grab toys with me, I don¡¯t like brothers!¡±


    Matthew: ¡°What about a sister?¡±

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258


    ¡°A sister?¡± Roman shook his head: ¡°A sister who¡¯s always crying and ying with Barbie dolls? Nah,


    too childish for me.¡±


    Matthew didn¡¯t say a word.


    The music from the TV grew louder, the atmosphere more intense. Roman got up and started dancing


    around on the couch.


    Amanda turned to watch his roly¨Cpoly moves, and couldn¡¯t stand it.


    Before meeting Astrid, Roman was a delicate and handsome little boy.


    But hanging out with Astrid made him happier, more cheerful, and¡­ noticeably fatter.


    Who could possibly hug him if this goes on?


    ¡°Mom¡¯s the best! Mom¡¯s the most beautiful! Mom, I love you!¡± Roman shouted excitedly on the couch,


    forcing Amanda and Matthew to join in. ¡°Granny, Gramps,e on, dance with me!¡±


    The two old folks were exhausted by his antics and couldn¡¯t dance anymore. Then Roman started


    messing with the servants.


    Before long, under Roman¡¯s guidance, the servants started to dance like crazy.


    The party was still going strong.


    The audience was stunned by Astrid and MNI¡¯s performance, but even more so by¡­ Tania.


    Tania had sabotaged Astrid¡¯s props, hoping to prevent her from performing. But she never expected


    that Astrid would convince the notoriously aloof dance king, Mini, to perform with her!


    And despite the limited prep time, they somehow managed to dance in perfect harmony!


    As if they¡¯d been practicing together for ages!


    If Astrid had been performing magic, everyone would¡¯ve thought she was the best in the business, no


    matter what.


    But her sudden breakdancing was a pleasant surprise!


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    And she was really good at it, making it a double whammy of surprise and awe, totally setting the party


    on fire!


    This was way better than any magic show!


    Hearing the audience cheer for Astrid, Tania was green with regret.


    The music suddenly stopped, and Astrid and Mini finished their performance with a cool move.


    The crowd erupted in cheers.


    ¡°Astrid!! Astrid!¡±


    ¡°Mini! Astrid!¡±


    Urs and the other hosts couldn¡¯t stop praising them. ¡°Amazing! Mini, Astrid,e over here.¡±


    Astrid and Mini walked over to Urs. Astrid moved to the side to let Mini take center stage.


    But Mini didn¡¯t move to the center, so there was a gap between them.


    Urs couldn¡¯t help butugh: ¡°Is there something wrong with the center spot, you two?¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± Mini bowed and gestured for Astrid to move over.


    The audience was surprised at his humility.


    Urs immediately asked Astrid: ¡°Astrid, you and Mini did a great job keeping your coboration a


    secret! I only found out about it recently. Have you been preparing for this performance for a long


    time?¡±


    Astrid smiled and replied: ¡°Not that long.¡±


    Urs asked: ¡°Have you learned breakdancing before?¡±


    Astrid answered: ¡°I¡¯ve learned a bit.¡±


    Thinking Astrid was being modest, Urs turned to Mini and asked, ¡°Mini, have you known Astrid for a


    long time?¡±

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259


    Mini: ¡°Yeah, I met her through her agent Dale ages ago. She¡¯s super talented when ites to


    dancing. I should be d she¡¯s not really into street dance, or she might have stolen my dance king


    title.¡±


    Even though everyone thought Mini was just joking, he was actually telling the truth.


    The host asked Astrid and Mini to draw a lottery for the audience and then asked them to leave the


    stage.


    Just as they walked backstage, Astrid lightly patted Mini¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for thank yous between us.¡± Mini smiled charmingly.


    He called out to Astrid when he saw her about to leave. ¡°Got anything going on after the party? How


    about I treat you to BBQ?¡±


    ¡°No need, Gracie would probably be pissed if she found out I went for BBQ tonight.¡± Astrid shrugged, ¡°I


    gotta go.¡±


    Mini watched her leave and reminisced about their first meeting two years ago.


    He and Dale were good friends, and he went to a party Dale once organized.


    That¡¯s when he first met Astrid, who got drunk and was dancing with Chad.


    Even though she was drunk, her dance skills were amazing. Her unique dance style was unforgettable.


    He loved dancing, so he joined them.


    Since then, they became friends.


    Today¡¯s dance performance was his masterpiece. The lyrics and music were all created by Astrid, he


    sang and choreographed the dance with Astrid, but outsiders didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Mini, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ve already told the director, let¡¯s leave first, or we might not make it to our variety show


    tomorrow.¡± His agent kept urging him. Mini looked at the direction Astrid left and felt a bit lost, then he


    turned and left.


    He didn¡¯t know when he would see her next.


    Astrid went straight to the control room. She knocked on the door and a young man with sses


    quickly opened it.


    The man nced at her and said irritably, ¡°This is the control room, no loiterers allowed. Can¡¯t you read


    the sign? Why are you knocking?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Hello, could you help me retrieve some surveince footage?¡±


    If she had aputer with her and Chad and Hank hadn¡¯t disappeared, she wouldn¡¯t be here asking


    for help.


    ¡°Who are you? Why should I listen to you and retrieve the footage?¡± The man¡¯s tone was quite bad,


    after all, everyone else was at the party, leaving him alone here, of course he¡¯d feel upset.


    Astrid: ¡°Who I am isn¡¯t important, but I can give you some money if you help me.¡±


    Man: ¡°Hmph, I want you to understand, I¡¯m not someone who¡¯d abandon my professional ethics for a


    bit of money! My professional integrity isn¡¯t something you can understand, don¡¯t insult me with


    money!¡±


    Astrid: ¡°200 dors.¡±


    ¡°What time frame of surveince records do you need?¡± The man¡¯s attitude changed drastically as


    soon as he heard 200 dors. Considering that his monthly sry is only 600 dors, getting 200


    dors just for retrieving a piece of surveince record was a fantastic deal!


    ¡°Do you need something to drink? What would you like? Orange juice? Coffee? Tea?¡±

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260


    Astrid rolled her eyes at the man¡¯s brown¨Cnosing, feeling utterly exasperated. ¡°Quit wasting time, find


    the props room footage from the past hour.¡±


    The man replied, ¡°Alright, hang on a sec.¡±


    Astrid felt that the man was too procrastinating, so she decided to check it herself. When she left the


    props room, she had checked the props ¨C they were in perfect condition. During that time, only one


    person hade close to her prop box.


    This man wore a hat and a mask, and even had gloves on. He acted all secretive, trying his best to


    avoid the cameras.


    But as long as there were traces left behind, she was not afraid she couldn¡¯t find him.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    She kept searching for the man¡¯s tracks at every intersection and eventually, after the man disappeared


    in a blind spot of the camera, a woman appeared wearing a mask.


    Even with the mask on, Astrid recognized her in a heartbeat.


    She was one of Tania¡¯s assistants.


    In fact, this woman had been very careful. She changed her clothes and even tied up her long hair,


    obviously trying to change her appearance.


    But she didn¡¯t change her shoes.


    Details made a difference. After paying, she rushed out of the surveince room.


    Back at the VIP seats, Teresa ran over and hugged Astrid tight, ¡°Astar, you were so cool just now!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid thatizens will question your sexual orientation now?¡± Astrid said, ncing at


    Tania¡¯s seat.


    Tania felt guilty and scared. Upon seeing Astrid looking over, she immediately lowered her head.


    Teresa handed over her coat. Astrid patted her head and draped it over her, ¡°I¡¯m way healthier than


    you, keep it on yourself.¡± ¡°Do you know who messed with your props?¡± Teresa asked, her


    eyes wide open.


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Astrid nodded, raising her voice, ¡°I¡¯ve found proof. When I get back, I¡¯m going to report this to


    thepany.¡±


    Upon hearing Astrid¡¯s words, Tania started to feel anxious.


    She didn¡¯t want people to know it was her doing, so she had a in¨Clooking new assistant carry out the


    task, hoping to distance herself from the situation.


    But the way Astrid nced at her when she was speaking seemed to hint at something. Did Astrid


    really find something out?


    Astrid¡¯s performance tonight was very impressive. Her acting opportunities were bound to improve.


    Astrid was much more attractive than her, and with her impressive achievements and magician identity,


    if she got more acting gigs, her own position would be threatened.


    Tania grew more and more flustered.


    She took out her phone and found the contact info of Fannie Santos¡¯s manager, Pa, and sent her a


    message: ¡°I need to talk to you about something.¡± Soon after, Pa replied, ¡°I was about to discuss


    something with you too. I guess we might be thinking about the same thing.¡±


    Tania nced in Astrid¡¯s direction and pursed her lips, ¡°Not too long ago, Lambert¡¯s manager, Queenie,


    approached me. If we¡¯re thinking about the same thing, maybe you should consider getting in touch


    with her.¡±


    After a while, Pa replied, ¡°Queenie has already contacted me. Let¡¯s schedule a time. I don¡¯t believe


    that Astrid¡¯s problem can¡¯t be solved with the connections of our three teams.¡±


    Tania: ¡°Alright.¡±

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261


    ¡°Tania, some big shot wants to meet you.¡± Tania¡¯s agent patted her gently and continued, ¡°Put on a


    good attitude, try to get him to give you the leading role in ¡®Endless Longing¡®. That¡¯s a historical mega


    film, whether your poprity can climb higher depends on this drama. Many top actresses are fighting


    for this drama.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Tania responded impatiently. If her agent had Dale¡¯sworking skills, would she need to


    entertain these producers and directors?


    Astrid, a neer, got to star in ¡®Mystic Mysteries¡®. Apart from her being a master magician, another


    factor was that she was Dale¡¯s artist. Many producers in the circle were now giving Dale face.


    Although currently she and Astrid did notpete for resources, once Astrid became famous and with


    Dale¡¯s support, she wouldn¡¯t get any good scripts.


    The more Tania thought about it, the more annoyed she became, so she stood up, put on a poker face,


    and left.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Watching Tania¡¯s arrogant departure, Teresa was extremely disdainful. ¡°Tsk, I don¡¯t get her attitude. By


    the way, Astar, you said you found out who messed up your props?¡±


    Astrid yawned, ¡°Tania.¡±


    Teresa was shocked and stuttered, pointing at the direction Tania left and then at Astrid, ¡°You just said


    that out loud! She¡¯ll definitely stir up trouble if she knows!¡±


    ¡°I did it on purpose.¡± Astrid said, noticing the puzzled look on Teresa¡¯s face, she flicked Teresa¡¯s


    forehead.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Teresa still didn¡¯t get it, ¡°Astar, can you be more straightforward?¡±


    Dale suddenly interrupted, ¡°It¡¯s better for you not to know, some things.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, I had someone clean up your house, when are you moving?¡± Dale took a sip of


    Coke, ¡°You¡¯re living just fine, why do you want to


    move?¡±


    ¡°I just feel like moving. I¡¯ll move once I¡¯m done with my busy schedule.¡± Astrid said, then turned to the


    person next to her and raised an eyebrow, ¡°Robb¡¯s birthday ising up, have you thought about what


    to give him?¡±


    Dale feplied, ¡°We men are not as fussy as you women.¡±


    Astrid chuckled, this guy always acted fearlessly, but when it came to Robb, he stammered.


    It¡¯s true that the wicked have their own grind.

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262


    After the party, Astrid had barely stepped out of the venue when a bunch of her eager fans came up


    asking for her autograph.


    She happily obliged, signing for each fan and constantly reminding them, ¡°It¡¯s freezing out here, guys.


    Don¡¯t wait up sote next time. Be careful getting home. Could the boys please escort the girls home?¡±


    The male fans replied, ¡°Sure, sure!¡±


    As Astrid was engrossed in signing autographs, Tania stepped out of the venue with her assistants.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Once in the car, Tania told the driver, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    The driver replied, ¡°Ms. Tania, we need to wait for Ms. Irvine. We¡¯ll drive once everyone¡¯s here.¡±


    1


    ¡°Just go ahead! Can¡¯t Astrid get herself home? Don¡¯t disturb her fan time!¡± Tania¡¯s voice was cold, and


    the other celebrities in the car felt she was out of line, but they didn¡¯t want to cross her.


    So they kept their mouths shut.


    Not wanting to lose his job, the driver closed the door and prepared to drive off.


    The November weather was already chilly and it started to rain.


    Seeing Astrid standing alone in the crowd, Tania¡¯s lips curled up slightly.


    Thinking of Astrid getting wet in the rain, Tania felt a secret thrill.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining!¡± Without a second thought, Gracie took off her jacket and held it over Astrid¡¯s head.


    Astrid took the jacket and put it on Gracie, ¡°Put it on. I¡¯m not that delicate. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    When Gracie turned around and saw thepany car had already driven off a bit, she was furious,


    ¡°What! We haven¡¯t even gotten in the car! This is too much!¡±


    A fan said, ¡°Astar, I drove here. Let me give you a ride!¡±


    ¡°I have an umbre, use this first!¡±


    can drive you too!¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°Thanks, everyone. I¡¯ll wait for Dale.¡±


    Just as her words fell, the crowd suddenly quieted down


    Feeling the strange atmosphere, Astrid followed everyone¡¯s gaze and spotted Elio striding towards her


    with arge umbre.


    Before the fans could react, Elio¡¯s umbre was already over her head, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He draped his coat over Astrid, but she handed it back to him with a disgruntled face.


    The fans had seen Elio¡¯s confession online, so they were super excited now.


    They had only seen photos of two of them together before, but seeing them standing together, many


    girls were very excited,


    ¡°Ah! I¡¯crazy, they¡¯re perfect for each other!¡±


    They have to get married!¡±


    Hearing this, Elio was visibly pleased.


    The fans had originally thought that someone of Elio¡¯s status would be arrogant and serious, but they


    had never expected him to interact with them.


    She had been mad at him before, and then he¡¯d made her feel awkward on the red carpet today. The


    new resentment on top of the old grudge made her want to punch him.


    Not long after, Elio¡¯s car arrived.


    A few secondster, Dale¡¯s car also pulled up.


    Ignoring Elio, Astrid directly got into Dale¡¯s car and left.


    Elio was not angrly. He politely said goodbye to the fans and got into his car and left.

 Chapter 263

    Chapter 263


    Dale and Astrid went to pick up Roman. Noticing Astrid¡¯s cough, Dale said, ¡°Astrid, go home and take


    some medicine. You might have a cold tonight¡± Astrid replied, ¡°I¡¯ll take some medicine when I get


    home. It¡¯s gotten colder tonight and I didn¡¯t dress warmly enough. Plus, standing in the cold wind for so


    long, I¡¯m feeling a bit under the weather.¡±


    Dale: ¡°How about I stay and take care of you?¡±


    Astrid said: ¡°No need, it¡¯s just a few coughs. I¡¯m fine.¡± After saying that, she sneezed several times in a


    row.


    Seeing this, Roman was very worried, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go to the doctor.¡±


    Astridforted him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Roman. But I should take you home first, I don¡¯t want to get you


    sick.¡± After saying that, she ruffled Roman¡¯s hair, but Roman shook his head.


    Roman hugged Astrid, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sick too, let¡¯s be sick in bed together¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    Daleughed, ¡°You two are really peas in a pod.¡±


    After dropping them off, Dale watched Astrid take some cold medicine and then left the apartment.


    Once he was out of the building, he immediately contacted his staff to postpone Astrid¡¯s work for the


    next day, giving her ample time to rest.


    Late at night, Astrid felt a throbbing pain from her C¨Csection scar


    Painkillers could alleviate the pain, but it would take many years to fully recover,


    In the middle of the night, Astrid started to run a fever.


    Roman felt as if there was a furnace beside him.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He touched Astrid¡¯s arm and found that her body was very hot. He was frightened and whispered,


    ¡°Mom, are you okay?¡±


    Astrid replied: ¡°I¡¯m okay. After saying that, she turned on the bedsidemp, I go take some medicine,


    you go back to sleep¡±


    There was fever medicine at home, so she got up to take it


    Because she was so sleepy, she was a bit wobbly on her feet. She bumped into the door!


    When Roman saw this, he immediately called Elio.


    Elio quickly answered the phone, ¡°What¡¯s up, Roman?¡±


    Roman: ¡°Elio, my mom is sick and she can¡¯t even walk steadily!


    After hanging up, Roman walked into the living room and found Astrid in the bathroom.


    After taking the medicine, Astrid went back to bed to sleep and told Roman, ¡°Roman, keep your


    distance from me. I¡¯m afraid I might infect you.¡± ¡°Okay, Mom, you rest. Roman remembered how his


    grandma used to wipe his forehead with a wet towel when he had a fever. So, he got up from the bed,


    grabbed a stool, and fetched some water, intending to do the same for Astrid,


    The little guy couldn¡¯t wring out the water, but he tried his best.


    After a while, Elio walked into the room, bringing a breath of cold air with him.


    < = ¡ã


    He had been workingte at the office today. As soon as he got Roman¡¯s call, be rushed over right


    away. Thankfully, there was no traffic at night, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to get there so


    quickly.

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264


    Tll do it ¡°Elio stepped forward to take the small towel from Roman¡¯s hand, saying gently, ¡°Go get some


    rest.¡±


    I can¡¯t sleep. Mom¡¯s not feeling well,¡± Roman looked at Elio worriedly, his voice barely above a whisper,


    ¡°Don¡¯t we need to take mom to the hospital?¡±


    Elio reached out to touch Astrid¡¯s forehead. She was starting to sweat, but it wasn¡¯t very hot. It seemed


    like her fever was starting to break.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine, her fever is going down. Go rest,¡± Elio said. But Roman didn¡¯t go to rest, he just stared at


    Elio.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Elio ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Roman: ¡°Mom¡¯s okay now, you can leave and rest in the other room.¡±


    Elio felt a sudden urge to scold the little guy.


    ¡®Just because your mom¡¯s okay now, doesn¡¯t mean she won¡¯t get a fever again. So, I need to stay here


    tonight,¡± Elio stated confidently, not feeling the least bit shameful for arguing with a child.


    ¡°Stay here all night?¡± Roman shook his head, ¡°No, men and women need to keep their distance, you


    can¡¯t sleep with mom.¡±


    Men and women need to keep their distance?


    Elio¡¯s face darkened, ¡°You¡¯re also male.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not the same,¡± Roman waved his tiny hand, ¡°You¡¯re a man, I¡¯m a boy.¡±


    ¡°Plus, I¡¯m mom¡¯s baby, you¡¯re not.¡±


    Elio was speechless,


    The atmosphere between them got awkward. At that moment, Astrid, who was half¨Casleep, turned


    around and her hand brushed against Elio¡¯s cold one. And she grabbed it.


    And she even let out afortable exmation, ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Elio and Roman Were both speechless.


    People who take cold medicine always sleep deeply, and, Astrid, who was still a bit feverish, was even


    more groggy.


    Because she held his hand, Elio got his wish to lie next to Astrid.


    Since he had juste in from outside, his body was a bit cool, and Astrid found itfortable to lean


    against him. She turned around and hugged him tightly.


    Her thigh draped over his body.


    And she even moved a bit.


    Elio¡¯s nervous body felt extremely ufortable.


    He turned his head and saw Roman still staring at him.


    His eyes seemed to say, ¡°Elio, if you dare to touch my mom, you¡¯re done for!¡±


    Elio had no intention of doing anything, especially since Astrid was still sick.


    He gave Roman a disgusted look and closed his eyes.


    After so many days, he finally got to spend the night with Astrid again on the same bed.


    How wonderful.


    The next day, Sunhaven was hit with a drastic drop in temperature.


    It was freezing. Astrid yawned, turned over and saw Elio lying on his side next to her, ¡°Oh my God, Elio,


    you shameless guy, how did you end up in my bed again!¡±


    Elio: ¡°I didn¡¯t get into your bed, you held onto me and wouldn¡¯t let go. Roman can testify to that.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Astrid turned to look at Roman, ¡°Roman, tell the truth and don¡¯t let him intimidate you!¡±


    Roman: ¡°Mom, I saw you tightly holding his hand, not letting him leave.¡±


    Astrid scratched her head awkwardly, moved to Roman¡¯s side and held him tightly, then turned to Elio


    and said, ¡°I was feverish and deliriousst night. If I were in my right mind, I¡¯d never let you set foot in


    this house!¡±


    Elio: ¡°Astrid, I know all the suffering you¡¯ve been through is because of me, and I¡¯m really sorry. But can


    you give me a chance to make up for my past mistakes?¡±

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265


    He has always wanted to have a conversation with Astrid.


    But, he¡¯s been blocked by Astrid. Even if they met, she would not talk him.


    Astrid gave him a side¨Ceye, full of anger inside.


    Seeing Elio so pitiful, Roman spoke up for him, ¡°Mom, look at him, he¡¯s so pathetic. Let him exin.¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t expect Roman to defend Elio.


    Although Roman always says no to having a dad, he and Elio have been together for over three years,


    it¡¯s impossible for Roman not to have feelings for Elio.


    Roman had been missing Eliotely. He actually missed him a lot.


    Astrid heard Roman calling ¡°Dad¡± in his sleep several times at night.


    After thinking for a few seconds, Astrid finally said, ¡°Fine, now I¡¯ll ask you some questions. If your


    answers don¡¯t satisfy me, I¡¯ll kick you out right away.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Elio agreed without hesitation, as if


    worried she would change her mind.


    Astrid looked at him for a while, then asked, ¡°Tell me, do you really have no other women besides me?¡±


    Elio answered, ¡°I swear, absolutely not.¡±


    Astrid continued, ¡°Since you don¡¯t have a wandering eye, what happened that night?¡±


    Elio finally exined, ¡°I was drugged. I was unconscious that night. When I woke up the next day, you


    had already left. So, I didn¡¯t know that the woman that night was you. If I had known it was you, we


    would have recognized each other by now! We might even have a second child.¡±


    Astrid angrily said, ¡°Shameless! I don¡¯t want to have a second child with you!¡± Then she red at Elio,


    ¡°So tell me, is Quincy your guy?¡±


    Elio was surprised, ¡°Yes, did he do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°You go ask him!¡± Astrid, remembering how she was scolded by Quincy for no reason, was very upset.


    She was about to say something about Quincy when her phone rang.


    It was from an unfamiliar number.


    Astrid motioned for Elio and Roman to be quiet and answered the call, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Astrid, this is Tania.¡± Tania¡¯s voice came over, and Astrid raised an eyebrow.


    This woman moved so fast.


    Astrid hadn¡¯t even settled yesterday¡¯s scores with her, and she was already pursuing it.


    Astrid said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. What¡¯s up?¡±


    Tania said, ¡°I recently auditioned for an epic period film Endless Longing. I rmended you to the


    director and producers since we¡¯re in the samepany. They¡¯re very satisfied with you and would like


    to meet you.¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Wow, an epic period film?¡± Astrid pretended to be surprised, ¡°Can I really do it?¡±


    ¡°The cast are all top stars, and there are many veteran actors. Do I really stand a chance?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Tania didn¡¯t expect Astrid to agree so quickly, so she continued, ¡°How about this, are you


    avable tonight? I¡¯ve arranged to have dinner with the producer and director, would you like to join


    us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m avable tonight. So, see you tonight. Thanks a lot, Tania.¡± Astrid hung up, her lips curling up


    slightly, ¡°Elio, I have things to do today, so I won¡¯t bicker with you. You should leave now.¡±


    Elio: ¡°Are you going to a social event? I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going with me? No thanks.¡± Astrid shook her head, ¡°In what capacity are you going with me?¡±


    Elio: ¡°Boss? Boyfriend? Or, the father of your child.¡±


    ¡°Elio!¡± Astrid gritted her teeth, ¡°Stop making a scene.¡±


    Seeing Astrid about to blow up, Elio quickly backed down, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t go.¡±


    Anyway, if she didn¡¯t take him, he could go by himself. Finding the location shouldn¡¯t be too hard.


    Astrid gave Elio a big eye roll and went straight to contact Chad.


    It was definitely a crucial moment tonight. She must be fully prepared to prevent any mishaps.


    Just as she was about to call Chad, Chad called her first. She answered the phone, and Chad¡¯s loud


    scream came from the other end, ¡°Chief, oh my god, something big happened! Mr. Hamilton is back!¡±


    Astrid was taken aback, ¡°Oh my God? Where is he?¡±


    Chad: ¡°ording to the location¡­ at your front door!¡±

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266


    ¡°Ding¨Cdong, ding¨Cdong~¡± The doorbell rang, sending a chill down Astrid¡¯s spine.


    What a bummer.


    Elio noticed Astrid¡¯s face turn sour. Even though the doorbell was ringing, she didn¡¯t seem to want to


    answer it. So, he decided to do it himself.


    ¡°Hold up!¡± Astrid stopped him, ¡°Elio, let me handle this!¡±


    Astrid¡¯s expression was a bit strange.


    This piqued Elio¡¯s curiosity about who could be at the door.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The doorbell kept ringing. Astrid took a deep breath, then reached out and opened the door. As soon


    as she did, a bunch of random stuff flew towards her face.


    ¡°Yates Hamilton, are you asking for a death wish?¡± Astrid spat out whatever debris was in her mouth,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to cut ties with me? Weren¡¯t you the one who said we should go our


    separate ways, that we wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with each other anymore? Why are you back?¡±


    ¡°I took a stroll around the world, realized only you¡¯re worthy of me, so here I am,¡± a teasing voice rang


    out, and a handsome man appeared at the door. He was in his twenties, with a blue diamond earring in


    his left ear. He had an indescribable charm about him, and his smile was breathtaking, ¡°Astrid, really,


    you moved on so quickly and got a new boyfriend?¡±


    Elio looked at Yates, his face expressionless, ¡°Astrid, who is this? Aren¡¯t you going to introduce us?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°He is¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Yates. Astrid always has a thing for handsome men. Don¡¯t take this rtionship too seriously, or


    you will get hurt.¡± Yates looked up at the tall man in front of him, praising Elio without hesitation, ¡°I have


    to say, my Astrid, your taste has improved quite a bit. This man is definitely top¨Ctier!¡±


    ¡°Your Astrid?¡± Elio¡¯s tone was icy, ¡°The mother of my child, when did she be yours?¡±


    ¡°Astrid and I grew up together, we¡¯ve been good friends since kindergarten,¡± Yates didn¡¯t care about


    Elio¡¯s cold tone at all, ¡°And besides, I already knew she had a kid, but I don¡¯t mind at all.¡±


    He walked straight into the house. Seeing all the kids¡® toys in the room, his face changed slightly. He


    turned to Astrid with a wounded look, ¡°Astrid, you guys are already living together?¡±


    ¡°How many times have I told you, what happened when we were kids was just child¡¯s y. Stop


    bringing it up every time!¡± Seeing the man in front of her gave Astrid a headache, ¡°I have a child with


    him.¡±


    ¡°So what if you have a child? Are you guys married?¡± Yates flopped onto the bed, ¡°Even if you are, you


    can still get a divorce. You¡¯ll eventually realize that it¡¯s only you and me who are meant to be. Everyone


    else is just passing through.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, get me a ss of water.¡± Yates opened a bag of chips and started ordering Elio around.


    Elio didn¡¯t get angry, instead, he went to make some coffee.


    This surprised Astrid.


    Elio, the big boss, can be manipted at will?


    That was really unusual.


    Astrid turned to look at Yates¡® annoying face, ¡°Elio, don¡¯t mind him, I¡¯ll get rid of him right away!¡±


    ¡°How dare you make others make coffee for you? Don¡¯t you have hands and feet?


    ¡°Yates, get up right now, stop loafing around here!¡± Astrid went over and grabbed Yates by the cor,


    but Yates held onto the edge of the couch and refused to leave.

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I just asked him to get me some coffee, and you¡¯re all bent out of shape?¡± Yates


    pouted, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you care about me that much.¡±


    Care?


    *Pfft, when have I ever cared about him?¡± Astrid retorted, only to realize there might be a grain of truth


    in it. She didn¡¯t like watching Yates bossing Elio around and found herself instinctively protecting Elio.


    What¡¯s going on¡­


    ¡°Please enjoy.¡± Elio served a cup of coffee.


    Without a second thought, Yates grabbed the coffee and took a sip.


    In an instant, Yates who just tasted the first sip of coffee, spewed it right out!


    His face scrunched up, tears and snot streaming down his face.


    ¡°Oh my god, Elio, are you trying to kill me? Oh my god, this is so bitter! Oh my god! Astrid, I think I¡¯m


    losing my sense of taste! Elio, you¡¯re dead meat!!!¡± Yates was caught off guard by the bitter taste of the


    coffee that smelled so heavenly.


    He¡¯d never had coffee this bitter in his life!


    His tongue felt numb, the bitter taste spreading rapidly in his mouth. It was unbearable.


    Even his tears and snout were out of control.


    Astrid, bursting intoughter at the sight of Yates¡¯s teary and snotty face, asked, ¡°Hahaha, Elio, what on


    earth did you serve him?¡±


    Elio, looking at theughing girl next to him, felt the chill in him melt away, ¡°Bitter coffee.¡±


    These beans are specially grown, put a bit too much and it gets very bitter.¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Yates deserved it, because he dared to ask Elio to make him coffee. How could Elio listen to him


    obediently?


    ¡°Thanks for helping me get rid of him, I had no idea how to shake him off,¡± Astrid chuckled, gave


    Roman a peck on the cheek and went to freshen up. She then told Elio, ¡°I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯ll be back


    tonight, you take Roman hometer.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Elio wanted to ask Astrid about Yates, but she seemed busy, so he kept quiet.


    He could clearly sense something off about Yates. Despite his mboyant exterior, this man had


    concealed his sharpness.


    When he looked at Elio, Elio didn¡¯t miss the fleeting glimpse of depth in his eyes.


    Also, he could tell that Astrid¡¯s attitude towards Yates was different.


    She clearly disliked Hal Cot and Hawthorne Cliff, but as for Yates, it seemed like they once had a


    This man was unusual.

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268


    Elio¡¯s phone suddenly buzzed. He took it out and saw a message from Quincy: ¡°Boss, the big shot from


    ShadowBloodFest is in Sunhaven. Our guys just had a run¨Cin with them a couple of days ago. He


    mighte looking for you soon. I¡¯ve arranged for some guys to protect you in secret. Be careful


    yourself.¡±


    Elio: ¡°Alright.¡±


    Recalling what Astrid had said before, Elio asked, ¡°Did you piss off my wife?¡±


    Quincy: ¡°I¡¯m innocent! I¡¯ve been hoping you¡¯d bring your wife home sooner. I¡¯ve dealt with so many


    people who want to mess up your rtionship!¡±


    Elio: ¡°Confess now and maybe you¡¯ll get off lighter.¡±


    Quincy: ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t do anything! I never even talked to your wife. How could possibly piss her off?


    And I¡¯ve been very well¨Cbehavedtely. Apart from cursing out that shameless PhoenixRuler, I haven¡¯t


    pissed off anyone else!¡±


    PhoenixRuler?


    Elio furrowed his brow slightly. Looking at Astrid, who was helping Roman get dressed, he suddenly


    remembered her recent trip abroad. Quincy mentioned something about meeting someone back then.


    But that meeting never happened due to some circumstances.


    Elio: ¡°What did that woman tell you? Why would you think she¡¯s trying to mess up our rtionship?¡±


    Quincy, who had just received the message, felt something was off. His boss seemed especially


    strange tonight.


    Why did he sense a hint of danger from his words?


    But then, he thought, he was just defending his boss¡¯s love life. He did nothing wrong!


    With that, Quincy replied: ¡°She asked if I was with my boss in Sunhaven over four years ago. Then it


    clicked. If she¡¯s asking about you like this, isn¡¯t she trying to ruin your marriage?¡±


    Quincy: ¡°So I gave her a piece of my mind. She even messaged me from a different ount! So I


    announced on social media she¡¯s trying to break up your marriage and blocked and reported her!¡±


    Elio looked at Quincy¡¯s messages and couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brow.


    He knew Quincy was a drama queen who loved watching soap operas and had a wild imagination. But


    he never expected Quincy tobel someone as a threat to their rtionship based on a single question.


    Thinking about Astrid¡¯s reaction to Quincy¡¯s name, Elio knew what was going on.


    PhoenixRuler? That username did seem like her style.


    That night over four years ago, Quincy was by his side.


    She probably found Quincy and wanted to figure out who he was through Quincy. But she was


    mistaken for a threat by Quincy, who was too nosy for his own good, and got a good scolding and was


    blocked.


    So, he could have met her sooner.


    But because of Quincy, not only did they not recognize each other, but Astrid¡¯s hatred towards him


    increased.


    Elio: ¡°Quincy, you like watching soap operas, right? How about I give you a break and you can binge¨C


    watch to your heart¡¯s content?¡±


    Quincy: ¡°I don¡¯t want a break. I love my job!¡±


    Elio: ¡°I¡¯ll have Carson Fisher make some arrangements for you. You¡¯re leaving tonight for the Arctic.


    There¡¯s a project there that needs your attention.¡±


    The Arctic?


    Go to the Arctic to watch TV operas?


    Quincy: ¡°Boss, did I do something wrong?¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Elio: ¡°The woman you cursed out is my wife.¡±


    Quincy was speechless.


    Holy cow?

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269


    These vulgar idol dramas were really harmful. He must watch less idol dramas in the future¡­¡­..


    Astrid and Chad discussed their strategy and then left with Roman.


    After all, dinner was at night, she could still handle her own stuff during the day.


    Elio wanted to tag along, but he got cold¨Cshouldered.


    Back in the car, he dialed Gracie.


    As soon as Gracie heard it was him, her mood soured: ¡°Mr. Lampard, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Elio: ¡°Gracie, do you know Yates?¡±


    Gracie: ¡°Sure do, he¡¯s a big shot at our school and is super tight with Astrid.¡±


    Speaking of Yates, Gracie couldn¡¯t help but feel nostalgic.


    If Yates hadn¡¯t left for abroad, he¡¯d be protecting Astrid, that kid wouldn¡¯t have been taken.


    Some things are just destined to be.


    Elio: ¡°They¡­ just friends?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Gracie hesitated, there were things she didn¡¯t want to spill to Elio.


    But the hurt Astrid¡¯s been through, it was fitting for Elio, the culprit, to make amends.


    And she could tell, Astrid had a soft spot for this guy.


    After a few beats of silence, Gracie started, ¡°Yates and Astrid go way back, they¡¯ve always been tight,


    Yates used to fight off bullies for her. When we were freshmen, Lucinda Irvine got a bunch of people to


    bully Astrid, Yates came in swinging a pipe and injured them, then he got expelled, his folks shipped


    him off abroad. Astrid always saw him as a friend, the night he left he confessed his feelings to Astrid,


    but she turned him down right there. Then they lost touch. I¡¯m not sure what happened after, but I think


    they reconnected after Astrid left for abroad.¡±


    Gracie spilled a lot about Yates, but one point stuck out.


    Yates got rejected.


    There was no romantic involvement between them.


    ¡°Thanks, Gracie.¡± Elio hung up, feeling strangely relieved.


    The dinner party kicked off, the hotel¡¯s luxury suite was packed.


    All big shots from the business world.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Everyone wasughing and chatting with a drink in hand, Tania sat among the crowd, her gaze


    constantly drifting to the entrance.


    Ruining a female star could be simple.


    A scandalous video was the quickest and most direct way.


    Today¡¯s setup was all for Astrid.


    Once Astrid showed up, she was toast.


    Astrid was bing a serious threat, Tania needed her out of the picture to secure her top star


    position.


    She wed her way up in the industry, suffered all sorts of cold shoulders, finallynded where she is


    today.


    She wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to snatch what¡¯s hers.


    ¡°Sorry everyone, I¡¯mte.¡± A pleasing voice came from the entrance. Everybody turned around and saw


    Astrid standing at the doorway.


    Astrid wasn¡¯t dolled up, but she was naturally stunning, even without makeup she could steal the show.


    Many producers on site were captivated by her beauty.


    There were certain unspoken rules in the entertainment circle, everyone just sort of goes along.


    Newbies like Astrid were more likely to ept these rules.


    ¡°Astrid, over here~¡± Tania acted super friendly, as if they were besties, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.


    Laters have to down three shots~¡±


    Jania grabbed a ss, poured a drink swiftly and handed it to Astrid, ¡°All these directors are watching,


    if you refuse, you¡¯d seem like you don¡¯t know the drill.¡±

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270


    Astrid was not one of those naive people who were easily bullied. Before stepping into this ce, she


    had already anticipated all possible scenarios. The booze in the bottle should be fine, ¡®cause everyone


    would be pouring from it. So, if there was any foul y, it¡¯d probably be with the sses.


    So, she came prepared.


    ¡°Sure, I should be penalized, but your ss is too small,¡± Astrid stated, astonishingly pulling out a ss


    wrapped in cling film from her bag, ¡°See, I brought my own ss, if we¡¯re gonna drink, we should do it


    right.¡±


    Tania was stunned by Astrid¡¯s move.


    Who¡¯d have thought someone would bring their own ss to a party!


    What¡¯s gotten into Astrid?


    Things were escting beyond her calctions, and Tania suddenly felt a rush of panic.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Her hand clutching the ss was trembling.


    Chuckling, Astrid poured herself a full ss of red wine and downed it in one go, ¡°Cheers everyone, I¡¯ll


    start with three shots!¡±


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s hearty drinking, some of the producers immediately took a liking to her.


    She was a breath of fresh airpared to those pretentious, fake actresses who always imed they


    didn¡¯t drink.


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, you sure can hold your liquor, I enjoy working with people like you,¡± Roberson grinned at


    Astrid, his face alight with satisfaction, ¡°I heard from Tania that you¡¯re interested in my period drama?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m quite fond of that show you¡¯re backing, but seeing as I¡¯m just a newbie without any notable


    works, I had to ask Tania to introduce me,¡± Astrid spoke with grace and tact, earning her a few more


    brownie points.


    Tania sat there, her smile somewhat strained, ¡°Yes, Roberson, Astrid¡¯s new but she¡¯s got some serious


    acting chops, it¡¯d be great if you could give her some screen time.¡±


    Tania was starting to lose her cool. Her schemes had fallen through.


    Suddenly, Astrid seemed to have taken the reins, making her feel a bit defensive.


    ¡°She¡¯s a good actress, I agree. I¡¯ve watched her in that recent hit show. Her role might not be big, but


    it¡¯s the most talked about online. And her fan base has been growing rapidly since the show aired,¡±


    Roberson¡¯s words sent a chill down Tania¡¯s spine.


    She never thought someone as important as Roberson would pay such close attention to a newbie like


    Astrid!


    Something felt off.


    ¡°Astrid, you know what, the lead female role for my period drama isn¡¯t cast yet. I think you¡¯d be a good


    fit. Come audition at ten in the morning the day after tomorrow, let me and the directors take another


    look,¡± Roberson finished, other directors and producers nodding in agreement.


    Astrid gave a small smile, pouring herself another full ss, ¡°Thank you so much, Roberson. I¡¯ll drink to


    that first, you follow.¡±


    Tania felt cold sweat trickling down her back. In just a few short sentences, Astrid had suddenly


    be one of the potential leads?


    How is this going? Her initial n was to sabotage Astrid, how did she end up creating a new


    ¡°Tania, this one¡¯s for you. If it wasn¡¯t for your rmendation, I wouldn¡¯t have had this opportunity. I


    truly appreciate it!¡± Astrid raised her ss, looking sincerely at Tania, innocence written all over her


    face.

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271


    Tania was about to have a mental breakdown, but she couldn¡¯t lose her cool in front of everyone. So


    she just picked up her wine ss with a forced smile, ¡°No problem, no problem. We¡¯re all in the same


    She was lucky she had a backup n, or else she might have really lost it tonight.


    Roberson was having a chat with Astrid and the more they talked, the more impressed he was with her.


    She just knew so much and could carry a conversation on just about anything.


    They were discussing today¡¯s international economy and Astrid was sharing her insights. Roberson


    and everyone else were just eating it up. Poor Tania, she just couldn¡¯t get a word in edgewise.


    ¡°Roberson, Dr. Banfield¡¯s assistant just called, he can¡¯t see you.¡± After the assistant said this,


    Roberson¡¯s face changed.


    He frowned, sounding serious, ¡°He¡¯s not moved even by the hefty fee we¡¯re offering?¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Jack: ¡°Dr. Banfield said he doesn¡¯t care about money, unless¡­¡±


    Roberson: ¡°Unless what?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Banfield said unless his goddess would give him an autograph.¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    Roberson: ¡°Did he mention who his goddess is?¡±


    Getting an autograph wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Roberson. After all, he had invested in tons of movies


    and TV shows, many actresses would do him this favor.


    The assistant looked troubled, ¡°No, he only said his goddess is having dinner with you tonight, but he


    didn¡¯t say if it¡¯s Ms. Tania or Ms. Irvine.¡±


    ¡°Also, he said his goddess is multi¨Ctalented, the all¨Caround goddess of the entertainment industry.¡±


    All¨Caround goddess?


    Tania, who had been feeling down, suddenly perked up. The all¨Caround goddess was her image.


    She was a triple threat in acting, singing and dancing. While Astrid was talented, she couldn¡¯t sing,


    which ruled her out of the all¨Caround category. Roberson had always been in poor health, if she could


    help Roberson win over Dr. Banfield, she would have a better shot at this role.


    Roberson also thought of Tania first, ¡°Get me thetest photo book of Tania.¡±


    ¡°Tania, I¡¯m going to need your help with this.¡±


    Tania smiled, ¡°Roberson, what are you talking about? It¡¯s a piece of cake. I¡¯m honored to be able to


    help.¡±


    As she spoke, Tania shot a challenging look at Astrid.


    But Astrid didn¡¯t even nce her way, she was busy chatting with the bigwig of another filmpany.


    Soon, Jack brought the photo book and Tania signed it sincerely, even drew a heart and wrote ¡°xoxo¡°.


    Tania: ¡°Roberson, where does Dr. Banfield live? Otherwise, let me go there with you. Compared with


    getting the goddess¡® autograph, he must be happier to see the goddess herself..¡±


    Goddess?


    Roberson agreed immediately, ¡°Dr. Banfield is staying in the presidential suite of this hotel. Tania, I¡¯d


    appreciate it if you could apany me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Tania got up and fixed her appearance.


    ¡°Roberson, I also want to see Dr. Banfield for a consultation, can Ie with you?¡± Another director


    asked quietly, ¡°My mom has been sick for a long time. I¡¯ve always admired Dr. Banfield but I have been


    unable to contact him. I was hoping Roberson could bring me along.¡±

 Chapter 272

    Chapter 272


    ¡°I also want to meet Dr. Banfield¡­¡±


    ¡®And me¡­¡±


    As the conversation continued, Astrid couldn¡¯t help but smirk. She saw Keen Banfield for what he really


    was a scam artist. His reputation as a miracle doctor was nothing more than hyped¨Cup media talk.


    Just like the public image of a celebrity, it was all fluff and no substance.


    Arge group of people followed Roberson towards the rooftop in a grand procession.


    Bored with nothing to do, Astrid decided to tag along for the fun.


    As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they saw Keen¡¯s assistant, Ray, standing at the door.


    Seeing so many people, Ray¡¯s face immediately showed a hint of displeasure.


    As he was about to chastise Roberson, he saw a familiar face in the crowd.


    Before Ray could call out, Astrid shot him a fierce re.


    And just like that, Ray shrunk back, cowed.


    Ray said: ¡°Dr. Banfield doesn¡¯t like noise. Please stand back. Who needs an autograph?¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡± Jack approached with a smile, saying with a sycophantic grin: ¡°Could you please tell Dr.


    Banfield that we¡¯ve found his goddess? He can finally meet her.¡±


    Ray nced at Astrid, then turned and gently knocked on the door: ¡°Dr. Banfield, your goddess is


    here!¡±


    A crash sounded from inside the room, then the door swung open to reveal a man with a face mask


    and a loose bathrobe, revealing his muscr chest¡­ ¡°Where? Where? Where¡¯s my goddess?¡±


    Despite his obscured face, Keen still exuded an impressive aura.


    Tapia blushed at the sight of his chest. She yed coy, twirling a strand of her hair, then approached


    him with her signed photo in hand, cooing: ¡°Hello, I signed this for you. It¡¯s an honor to be liked by


    you~¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Keen put away his silly expression, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Everyone was shocked.


    Tania: ¡°I¡­I, I¡¯m Tania!¡±


    Keen: ¡°Never heard of you. Why would I want your autograph? Roberson, are you ying me?¡±


    Roberson was wronged, ¡°Dr. Banfield, didn¡¯t you say your goddess is an all¨Crounder? The only one


    who¡¯s called an all¨Crounder at dinner tonight is Tania. ¡°Goddess? Don¡¯t insult that word, okay?¡±


    ¡°Just her face, her personality, and her acting skills? How can shepare to my goddess?¡±


    Tania¡¯s face felt burning, as if she had been pped several times, ¡°You, you, you¡­¡±


    ¡°I never said you were my goddess, you assumed that yourself and came running over. Don¡¯t make


    that face at me!¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Astrid couldn¡¯t help butugh, and then Keen saw her!


    Sensing something was off, Astrid frantically signaled to Keen, but Keen, looking like he had lost his


    mind, rushed over to her, ¡°My goddess!!¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 273

    Chapter 273


    After a few seconds of stiffness.


    Tania suddenly woke up, she must get out of here immediately! Queenie once told her about the


    symptoms of this drug, if she didn¡¯t leave immediately. the consequences would be disastrous!!


    Tania suddenly stood up, feeling dizzy and weak in the knees. She fell backward!


    A producer nearby saw this and quickly reached out to catch her, asking with concern, ¡°Ms. Tania, are


    you okay?¡±


    The scent of the man wafted into Tania¡¯s nostrils. She turned to look at the middle¨Caged man next to


    her, but everything was blurry and double.


    Tania didn¡¯t push him away, which surprised him. ¡°Ms. Tania, you¡¯ve had too much to drink. Let me take


    you home?¡±


    ¡°No, no need.¡± Tania sobered up and immediately pushed him away. But by now, she realized her legs


    couldn¡¯t support her anymore, and she began to break out in a cold sweat.


    She pulled out her phone to call her assistant, but her hands were shaking so badly that she dropped


    her phone before she could dial. ¡°Could you please go outside and get my assistant? I¡¯m not feeling


    well!¡±


    Tania knew damn well that if she fell into the hands of these men, things would go south real quick.


    So before she passed out, she couldn¡¯t let these guys anywhere near her.


    Astrid was standing by a window nearby, clearly seeing what was happening with Tania.


    She had noticed as soon as she arrived that Tania¡¯s ss had been marked,


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She deliberately showed Tania the red dot on the ss, but in reality, the red dot on her ss was


    made with lipstick when Tania wasn¡¯t looking.


    Seeing the ss in her own hand, Tania would let her guard down and not pay attention to her own


    ss. In reality, Astrid had already silently switched Tania¡¯s ss.


    As a magician, switching things was no biggie for her.


    No matter what happened tonight, she wouldn¡¯t feel sorry for Tania.


    Everything was Tania¡¯s own damn fault.


    If she wanted to hurt Astrid, she would have to pay the price.


    The party was over.


    Renato couldn¡¯t find Tania¡¯s assistant, so he came back and said, ¡°Ms. Tania, I can¡¯t find your assistant.


    You can rest in the hotel room.¡±


    Seeing Tania¡¯s flushed face, he was already getting ideas.


    A few of the more upright bosses around saw this and immediately stepped up to say, ¡°Renato, I think


    Ms. Tania¡¯s assistant will be here soon. After all, she is a top star. If you go up with her alone and get


    photographed by passersby, it will surely affect her image.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, let the waiter take her to rest in the hotel.¡±


    ¡°Right, your wife is still waiting for you at home. You should go back right away.¡±


    Renato was already smitten, his rationality long gone. How could he listen to everyone¡¯s advice?


    He had already yed around with many actresses and never had any problems before.


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t need to worry about me and Ms. Tania.¡± After saying this, everyone noticed that Tania


    was leaning on this producer, and it didn¡¯t look like she was being forced.


    Renato stood up with Tania. Due to the effect of the drug, Tania couldn¡¯t control her actions anymore.


    She reached out and wrapped her arms around Renato¡¯s neck, leaning tightly against him.

 Chapter 274

    Chapter 274


    After a few seconds of stiffness.


    Tania suddenly woke up, she must get out of here immediately! Queenie once told her about the


    symptoms of this drug, if she didn¡¯t leave immediately. the consequences would be disastrous!!


    Tania suddenly stood up, feeling dizzy and weak in the knees. She fell backward!


    A producer nearby saw this and quickly reached out to catch her, asking with concern, ¡°Ms. Tania, are


    you okay?¡±


    The scent of the man wafted into Tania¡¯s nostrils. She turned to look at the middle¨Caged man next to


    her, but everything was blurry and double.


    Tania didn¡¯t push him away, which surprised him. ¡°Ms. Tania, you¡¯ve had too much to drink. Let me take


    you home?¡±


    ¡°No, no need.¡± Tania sobered up and immediately pushed him away. But by now, she realized her legs


    couldn¡¯t support her anymore, and she began to break out in a cold sweat.


    She pulled out her phone to call her assistant, but her hands were shaking so badly that she dropped


    her phone before she could dial. ¡°Could you please go outside and get my assistant? I¡¯m not feeling


    well!¡±


    Tania knew damn well that if she fell into the hands of these men, things would go south real quick.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    So before she passed out, she couldn¡¯t let these guys anywhere near her.


    Astrid was standing by a window nearby, clearly seeing what was happening with Tania.


    She had noticed as soon as she arrived that Tania¡¯s ss had been marked,


    She deliberately showed Tania the red dot on the ss, but in reality, the red dot on her ss was


    made with lipstick when Tania wasn¡¯t looking.


    Seeing the ss in her own hand, Tania would let her guard down and not pay attention to her own


    ss. In reality, Astrid had already silently switched Tania¡¯s ss.


    As a magician, switching things was no biggie for her.


    No matter what happened tonight, she wouldn¡¯t feel sorry for Tania.


    Everything was Tania¡¯s own damn fault.


    If she wanted to hurt Astrid, she would have to pay the price.


    The party was over.


    Renato couldn¡¯t find Tania¡¯s assistant, so he came back and said, ¡°Ms. Tania, I can¡¯t find your assistant.


    You can rest in the hotel room.¡±


    Seeing Tania¡¯s flushed face, he was already getting ideas.


    A few of the more upright bosses around saw this and immediately stepped up to say, ¡°Renato, I think


    Ms. Tania¡¯s assistant will be here soon. After all, she is a top star. If you go up with her alone and get


    photographed by passersby, it will surely affect her image.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, let the waiter take her to rest in the hotel.¡±


    ¡°Right, your wife is still waiting for you at home. You should go back right away.¡±


    Renato was already smitten, his rationality long gone. How could he listen to everyone¡¯s advice?


    He had already yed around with many actresses and never had any problems before.


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t need to worry about me and Ms. Tania.¡± After saying this, everyone noticed that Tania


    was leaning on this producer, and it didn¡¯t look like she was being forced.


    Renato stood up with Tania. Due to the effect of the drug, Tania couldn¡¯t control her actions anymore.


    She reached out and wrapped her arms around Renato¡¯s neck, leaning tightly against him.

 Chapter 275

    Chapter 275


    Seeing Tania¡¯s move, everyone else didn¡¯t say much and just left straight away.


    Renato had shown his favor to Tania multiple times before, but Tania had always ignored him.


    He never expected that Tania would throw herself at him tonight.


    Tania, restless in his arms, whispered in his ear, ¡°Hug me, why aren¡¯t you hugging me~¡±


    Her coquettish, soft voice made Renato want to take her right there and then.


    He scooped Tania up around the waist and headed for the top floor in the elevator.


    The top floor was where the presidential suite was, there were hardly any residents usually.


    By this time, the drug Tania had taken had fully taken effect.


    As soon as they exited the elevator, she offered her lips to Renato and started to kiss him passionately.


    The people secretly filming from a hidden spot felt a bit awkward looking at the increasingly steamy


    scene.


    Weren¡¯t they just supposed to capture some juicy gossip?


    How did things escte so quickly?


    The scene was getting more and more explicit, with Tania being the instigator all along. At some point,


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    the paparazzi couldn¡¯t bear to watch anymore¡­ Over at another hotel, Queenie and Pa were


    anxiously waiting for any news.


    But it was past midnight and they had heard nothing.


    Impatient, Queenie picked up the phone and dialed the reporter¡¯s number.


    ¡°Hello, what¡¯s up?¡± The noise in the background suggested he was at a bar.


    Queenie¡¯s face fell instantly, ¡°Where are you? Weren¡¯t you supposed to be at the hotel spying on


    Astrid?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who let us off the hook? All of us have already left!¡± The reporter¡¯s words sent a


    chill down Queenie¡¯s spine.


    Queenie: ¡°When did I ever say you could leave? I never called any of you!¡±


    The reporter got mad upon hearing this, ¡°You were the one who texted me, the number is yours! You


    even said we didn¡¯t need to refund the fee! What? Are you trying to get your money back now?¡±


    He indeed received a text, but that was sent by Elio using hacking techniques, not Queenie.


    But the reporter didn¡¯t know that and continued, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it was you who said we didn¡¯t need to


    refund the money. If you dare to go back on your word, I¡¯ll expose your scheme to frame Astrid!¡±


    Before Queenie could say anything, he hung up.


    Seeing Queenie¡¯s troubled expression, Pa asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The reporters are not at the hotel!¡± Queenie was more and more frantic. She never sent a message to


    those people, so why would he say she let them leave?


    Before she could figure it out, her phone rang again.


    Seeing the unfamiliar number on the screen, she hesitated before answering, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Queenie, how dare you with my artist? I¡¯m telling you, Mr. Lampard has issued a ban on you and your


    artists, you¡¯re done for!¡± Dale was really angry, how dare they mess with Astrid while he was sick!


    Queenie was taken aback, ¡°Wait, Dale, let me exin!¡°.


    Dale: ¡°Exin what? Would I have called you without evidence? There are some basic lines you don¡¯t


    cross. I must have been blind to think you were¨Ca- good agent, you trash!¡±


    ¡°You should be d Astrid is okay. If anything had happened to her, your life would be over!¡±


    Dale hung up, leaving Queenie stunned.


    Not long after, she received a message from thepany, telling her toe in first thing in the


    morning to resign!!!


    Quit?

 Chapter 276

    Chapter 276


    Queenie was totally bbergasted.


    She was a well¨Cknown agent in the entertainment industry and had trained many top stars, but the


    done


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    So.


    Thepany used to turn a blind eye, but now they were firing her just because she messed with


    Astrid?


    Queenie was livid. She dialed the CEO directly and as soon as he picked up the phone, she burst out,


    ¡°Firing me? Do you think yourpany would be where it is today without me? And now you want to


    kick me out?¡±


    1


    CEO: ¡°You¡¯ve messed with the wrong person. The evidence has been emailed to me and several


    bigwigs have called for your dismissal. If you don¡¯t leave, mypany will be toast!¡±


    Queenie: ¡°I never thought you would be scared of Astrid. Even if Mr. Lampard is fond of Astrid, he


    wouldn¡¯t cklist me just for one actress, right? I¡¯ve got connections too!¡±


    CEO: ¡°Mr. Lampard himself called. You¡¯re too full of yourself, Queenie. Without Astrid, do you really


    think someone of Mr. Lampard¡¯s caliber would notice a small fry like you? For him to cklist you is just


    a snap of his fingers. You might want to check the inte.¡±


    Queenie was blindsided. She thought Elio¡¯s interest in Astrid was a passing fancy, but Elio was actually


    ordering a ban on her for Astrid!


    She opened Twitter and saw those trending hashtags. Her mind went nk.


    #TaniaScandalousVideo#


    #TanialmageCrash#


    #TaniaCastingCouch#


    #TaniaCorridorVideo#


    Wasn¡¯t Tania supposed to drug Astrid?


    How did it turn out to be Tania being drugged?


    Queenie grabbed her phone. Seeing that she was about to call the police, Pa snatched her phone


    away, ¡°Are you out of your mind? What the hell are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Calling the cops! If they find out Astrid drugged Tania, she¡¯s done for!¡± After Queenie finished


    speaking, Pa burst intoughter.


    She couldn¡¯t believe the usually savvy Queenie coulde up with such a dumb idea.


    Pa: ¡°If the police investigate, Tania will rat us out and we¡¯ll be done for!¡±


    ¡°So, Astrid screws me over and I can¡¯t do anything?¡± Queenie mmed the cup on the table to the


    floor.


    The shattered pieces scattered, almost hitting Pa.


    ¡°Oh right, the boss!¡± Queenie grabbed her phone and quickly dialed a number.


    She called once, no answer. She redialed and anguid male voice answered from the other end,


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Queenie: ¡°Boss, remember you wanted us to figure out a way to drive Astrid out of the entertainment


    industry? We set a trap today, but¡­


    ¡°Astrid didn¡¯t fall for it. Now Elio is trying to cklist me, and the CEO wants to fire me. I really need


    your help!¡±


    There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line.


    Then, a cold voice answered, ¡°So you brought this onto yourselves and ended up trending on Twitter?¡±


    Queenie didn¡¯t deny it and confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You guys are fools. I just wanted to make it hard for her to stay in the industry so she would go home.


    But you actually dared to harm her?¡± The man¡¯s severe coughing was heard. Queenie didn¡¯t even dare


    to breathe loudly.

 Chapter 277

    Chapter 277


    On the surface, the big boss of thepany seemed to be Ms. Ileane, but the actual helm was


    Hawthorne Cliff.


    Because she made a lot of profits for Hawthorne, Hawthorne still trusted her. But she didn¡¯t expect that


    Hawthorne really had feelings for Astrid. The coughing on the other end of the phone got louder,


    Queenie started to get a little anxious, so she whispered, ¡°Mr. Cliff, I know I messed up, but Astrid


    wasn¡¯t injured today, so I¡¯m begging you. I hope you can help me out, I can apologize to Astrid right


    away!¡±


    The coughing from Hawthorne finally stopped.


    While waiting for his response, every second felt like an eternity for Queenie.


    After a while, Hawthorne said, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up, you go to Southhaven.¡±


    Upon hearing Southhaven, Queenie felt a chill run down her spine. She bolted from the scene, leaving


    Pa standing there looking dazed.


    A few dayster, the media reported that Queenie had gone missing.


    It was as if she had vanished off the face of the earth there was no news of her.


    Because of this, Tania got the boot from Starlight Entertainment overnight.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Astrid knew, those reporters at the hotel were arranged by Elio, and those videos were also released


    by him.


    This had a big impact on Starlight Entertainment, even their stock took a hit.


    On the day Astrid moved, Carson was by her side singing Elio¡¯s praises, ¡°Ms. Irvine, our boss is really


    willing to do anything for you!¡±


    ¡°Due to the Tania incident, thepany lost a few billion, movie contracts, endorsements, variety show


    breaches, all have to bepensated, but our boss said he doesn¡¯t care at all. As long as he can


    avenge you, any loss is worth it! You know, our boss only has you in his heart!¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± Astrid was annoyed by his words, ¡°Carson, how much does Elio pay you a month? How much


    does he pay you for each good word you say about him?¡±


    Carson was a bit embarrassed by Astrid¡¯s question, he scratched his head, ¡°Ms. Irvine, what are you


    implying? When I say good things about the boss, could it be for money? It¡¯s because of my deep


    admiration for the boss!¡±


    Astrid rolled her eyes.


    She¡¯s not a fool, of course, she knew what Elio had done.¡±


    Butpared to the suffering she had endured, what was his little hardship? He deserved a taste of


    hardship!


    ¡°Astrid, everything is packed.¡± Elio, wanting to leave a good impression on Astrid, specifically took the


    day off work to help her move.


    Astrid looked at the sweaty Elio and smiled, ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    She never liked living in big houses, partly because the empty space felt lonely, and partly because big


    houses were a pain to clean.


    So this time she chose a two¨Cbedroom house again, but this time she bought it herself.


    Because if she didn¡¯t buy it herself, who knew if she would end up renting one of Elio¡¯s ces again.


    ¡°Astrid!¡± Yates¡¯s voice came from the side, Astrid turned her head, seeing him rushing towards her with


    his arms outstretched. Astrid frowned, ready to kick him away with one swift kick.


    The next second, a figure stepped in front of her, stretched out a hand, and firmly pressed Yates¡¯s


    head, saying coldly, ¡°Beat it.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell dares to mess with me, dare to touch my head¡­¡± Yates looked up in fury, only to see the


    stern face of Rickon, he immediately put on a smile, ¡°Rickon, long time no see, I really missed you!¡±


    Rickon emotionlessly pushed Yates away, grabbed Astrid¡¯s hand and walked away, ¡°Star, look at these


    riffraff you attract, not one normal one, they¡¯re all so annoying.¡±


    Elio and Yates were both speechless.

 Chapter 278

    Chapter 278


    ¡°Rickon, what brings you here all of a sudden?¡± Astrid grabbed Rickon¡¯s arm, ¡°You don¡¯t want to give


    me more money again, do you?¡±


    Rickon cast a sidelong nce at the girl beside him, her smile brights, and whispered, ¡°Do you have


    any money left?¡±


    Sure enough, Rickon always thought she was short on money.


    Rickon didn¡¯t say much, just pulled Astrid into the car and shut the door.


    Then he turned to Elio behind him: ¡°Thanks for helping Star move today, but that¡¯s it. I don¡¯t care about


    the past, but you can¡¯t make up for the harm Star had suffered just by doing these little things. I¡¯m


    talking to you calmly now, just because of your other identity. If Robb Brooke were here, he probably


    wouldn¡¯t be so kind.¡±


    Rickon opened the car door, about to get in, when Elio said, ¡°I never thought that these little things I did


    could make up for anything. I never make excuses for the past. We missed a chance four years ago,


    but this time I will not give up on her.¡±


    Rickon paused slightly.


    He looked up at Elio, then didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Rickon drove off, followed closely by the movingpany¡¯s truck.


    Yates still had his usual yful smile, ¡°Elio, I used to think¨CAstrid¡¯s brothers all hated me, but seeing


    you, I think I might not be the most hated one, hahaha¡­¡±


    After a while, Yates¡¯sughter slowly faded.


    Because he noticed that the gentlemanly Elio in front of Rickon now seemed like apletely different


    person.


    His sharp gaze made him feel a bit ufortable.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Elio: ¡°Have you had enoughughs?¡±


    Yates didn¡¯t answer.


    Elio bent down, elegantly adjusting his shirt cuffs, ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss in front of me, I¡¯m in a good mood


    today so I won¡¯t bother with you. If youugh again, you¡¯ll have to face the consequences.¡±


    Carson was used to his Chief¡¯s strong aura, but was still taken aback.


    He quickly opened the car door, Elio took a few steps and then looked back at Yates, ¡°By the way, did


    you like the coffeest time? I have plenty more, can give it to you for free.¡±


    With that, Elio got in the car.


    Yates watched the car drive away, kicked a can at his feet, ¡°Elio, we¡¯ll see.¡±


    In the car, Carson was driving while ncing at Elio, then a cold voice came from behind, ¡°Carson, can


    you drive more seriously?¡±


    Carson: ¡°Boss, I noticed something, I don¡¯t know if I should say it or not.¡±


    Elio: ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Carson organized his thoughts a bit, ¡°I noticed that ever since you met Ms. Irvine, you¡¯ve


    be more gentle. If it was you before, you would¡¯ve¡® kicked Yates out at his arrogant behavior. But


    you didn¡¯t eveny a hand on him just now!¡±


    Elio: ¡°Was I really that violent before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Carson nodded frantically, ¡°Remember that Vice¨CChairman of Euphoria Entertainment?


    You almost kicked him, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Elio: ¡°That¡¯s because he tried to push women into my hotel room. He deserved it.¡±

 Chapter 279

    Chapter 279


    Carson: ¡°Didn¡¯t Fallon from Serenity Real Estate get a concussion from your punch?¡±


    Elio: ¡°Because he said Roman was an orphan, shouldn¡¯t he be beaten?¡±


    Carson was speechless.


    Thinking about it now, those people deserved to be beaten. It¡¯s just that Yates was so arrogant today,


    and it¡¯s rare for Elio to hold back. The light turned green and Carson focused on driving, staying silent,


    In truth, Elio really wanted to fight Yates today.


    But Astrid and Yates were childhood sweethearts. Even though there¡¯s nothing romantic between them,


    she considered him as a friend.


    If he did hit Yates, she might not say anything on the surface, but she would definitely be hurt on the


    inside. The goodwill he had umted through hard work might disappear because of this.


    Astrid just moved into a new home and was about to pack up but was stopped Rickon. ¡°Star, chill out.


    You¡¯re always working your butt off. Take a break now and let me handle this.¡±


    ¡°I have so many things, how long are you going to clean them up by yourself?¡± Astrid was about to get


    up but Rickon pushed her back down again. Rickon pulled out his phone, opened a game, and handed


    it to Astrid. ¡°Your task is to help me improve the game level.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Astrid, looking at the phone in her hand, immediately reached out and pinched Rickon¡¯s face.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you really Rickon? The Rickon I know always says gaming is a waste of time! You monster! Give


    me back Rickon!¡±


    Rickon nced at Astrid, pushed her head back down onto the couch.¡± No more questions. Just y


    the game. I¡¯ll get someone to help pack things. You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Astrid, having no choice, can only listen to Rickon¡¯s demand and started gaming on the couch.


    After just one round, Astrid was shocked. She chose a game role but found out that Rickon¡¯s win rate


    was only 9%¡­


    She switched to several other game roles only to find that Rickon¡¯s win rate didn¡¯t exceed 30% with any


    of them. This was a total disaster!


    ¡°Rickon, have you ever considered that gaming might not be your thing?¡± Astrid said, trying to put it


    gently.


    154


    Rickon frowned, ¡°Who says I¡¯m not cut out for it? I think I¡¯m pretty talented. I can kill dozens of people


    even at the lowest level.¡±


    Astrid chuckled, ¡°Rickon, new yers usually get paired with bots. In other words, you¡¯re not ying


    against real humans, but robots¡­¡± ¡°Star, do you really think I¡¯m that easy to fool? Just help me level


    up!¡± After saying this, Rickon went back to sorting things out.


    Astrid held her head in her hands. Did Rickon take the wrong pills or something?


    While she was gaming, she heard Jon and Colton¡¯s voices outside the door.


    Colton: ¡°Jon, have you lost your mind? Why did you buy so many cacti?¡±


    ¡°Mind your own business!¡± Jon walked in, arms full of cacti, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Star, look what I


    brought for you!¡±


    Astrid looked up, gave him a dismissive nce, and then continued ying her game.


    Jon continued to ramble: ¡°These cacti, you can put them on the windowsill and nightstand in your


    bedroom. They¡¯re nice to look at, but they can alsoe in handy as self¨Cdefense tools!¡±


    ¡°Like say, if Elio suddenly barges into your house with ill intentions, you can fling these cacti at him!¡±

 Chapter 280

    Chapter 280


    ¡°What do you think? Is it a good idea?¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    Ever since Jon started hanging out with Colton, it felt like Jon¡¯s IQ was slowly shifting towards Colton¡¯s


    level.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t saying Colton wasn¡¯t smart. It¡¯s just that he doesn¡¯t look very smart.


    ¡°Stop being annoying, get up and clean,¡± Colton grabbed Jon¡¯s hoodie and pulled it back.


    Jon stomped, ¡°Colton, you dare to pull me?¡±


    Rickon, who was cleaning the kitchen, heard the noise and walked out in a frosty manner, ¡°Shut up,


    both of you. If you argue again, I¡¯ll kick you out.¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    It only took one second. Just one second.


    Jon and Colton, like mice in front of a cat, meekly went to clean.


    By evening, the house was cleaned, and everything was put away.


    Rickon made dinner, and the four of them ate together.


    Jon and Colton, usually boisterous, were as quiet as kindergarten kids¡­


    They ate obediently, not uttering a word.


    Astrid looked at Colton and Jon, who were sitting primly, and weakly turned to Rickon, ¡°Rickon, what


    did you do to these two?¡±


    Rickon: ¡°Nothing, just took them for a few 10¨Ckilometer runs in the mountains.


    A ten¨Ckilometer run? Still in the mountains? This wasmonce for Rickon, after all, he used to


    train like this in the army. But for Colton and Jon, it was almost a death sentence.


    Even on t ground, these two might be half dead after walking 10 kilometers, let alone in the


    mountains¡­


    Astrid; What did they do to upset you?¡±


    Rickon: ¡°They were too noisy.¡±


    Being dragged to running training just because they are too noisy?


    Astrid instinctively covered her mouth.


    After all, she was the noisiest one at home.


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s reaction, Rickon¡¯s stern face softened a bit, ¡°Star, don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t mind your noise,


    you can talk as much as you want.¡±


    ¡°I like listening to you.¡±


    Looking at Rickon¡¯s expression, the food in Jon¡¯s te suddenly lost its taste.)


    He suddenly remembered those painful experiences.


    When Astrid was abroad and asked him to protect Colton, he took Colton to Rickon¡¯s out of concern.


    Rickon had a strict routine from his army days, he actually went to bed at 9 pm!


    He and Colton were so noisy in the living room, Rickon warned them a few times but they didn¡¯t care.


    The next day they were dragged off for running training.


    The first time they came out from the mountain, Jon and Colton were practically crawling out of the


    forest, and then dragged onto the car by Rickon like dead dogs.


    After that, they identally pissed off Rickon a few more times, and it was just miserable.


    After dinner, Rickon and the others left the house.


    Astrid stretchedzily, getting ready to video chat with Roman, when the doorbell rang.


    She went to answer it and saw Roman standing at the door with a small backpack and suitcase, and


    Elio was standing behind him.


    As soon as Roman saw Astrid, he immediately ran over and hugged her leg tightly: ¡°Mom, I really


    missed you!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I supposed to pick you up tomorrow? Why are you here today?¡± Astrid lifted Roman up but


    found it a little challenging: ¡°Little Roman, have you gained weight again?¡±


    Roman replied, ¡°I got fatter because I¡¯m so happy. I¡¯m so happy because I have a mom, that¡¯s why I


    gained weight!¡±

 Chapter 281

    Chapter 281


    She gave Elio a nce. He was standing obediently at the door. She picked up Roman and turned to


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    say, ¡°Come on in.¡±


    Elio walked in, nonchntly closing the door behind him, and said, ¡°Astrid, I actually came over today


    because I need to discuss something with you.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Astrid put Roman on the couch, grabbed the remote and turned on his favorite cartoon.


    Before Elio could speak, Roman piped up, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going to kindergarten tomorrow. Can you take me


    to school?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Astrid nodded, ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Roman excitedly ran to the middle of the living room and started dancing. ¡°I want them to


    know that I have a mom!¡±


    Astrid listened, feeling a little sore in her heart. Elio softly exined, ¡°I started sending Roman to


    nursery in early May. He¡¯s quiet and I thought it would be good for him to interact more with kids his


    age, maybe he¡¯d be more outgoing.¡±


    ¡°He was okay for the first few days, but on Mother¡¯s Day there was an activity at the nursery. He didn¡¯t


    have a mom and the other kids made fun of him.¡± ¡°After that, he didn¡¯t want to go to nursery anymore.¡±


    Astrid listened to Elio¡¯s words, feeling even more upset. She walked over, squatted down and hugged


    Roman, ¡°Roman, as long as mom¡¯s free, I¡¯ll take you to and from school, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Roman smiled sweetly, ¡°I really want mom to take me, but I know you¡¯re really tired from work.


    If you¡¯re too tired, Elio can take me.¡±


    ¡°My Roman is really sensible, much more sensible than someone.¡± Astrid cuddled Roman, kissing him


    a few times, ¡°If you¡¯re going to school tomorrow, you can¡¯t stay up toote tonight.¡±


    Roman: ¡°Okay!!


    Astrid led Roman towards the bathroom. After a few steps, she turned back to look at Elio, who was


    sitting on the couch ying with his phone, ¡°Elio,e and give your son a bath!¡±


    ¡°A bath?¡± Elio seemed taken aback, and then replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Roman was already quite grown up, but Elio had never bathed him before.


    Elio took Roman into the bathroom. It wasn¡¯t long before Astrid heardints from inside. ¡°Elio,


    soap got in my eyes!¡±


    ¡°Elio, the water¡¯s too hot!¡±


    ¡°Elio, the water¡¯s too cold!¡±


    ¡°Mom! Mom, save me, Elio is abusing me!¡±


    Astrid rolled her eyes.


    Roman could actually bathe himself, but the bathroom floor in the new house was a bit slippery. She


    hadn¡¯t bought a non¨Cslip mat yet, so she asked Elio to help him.


    Who would have thought, Elio didn¡¯t even know how to bathe a child!


    What good was a dad like that!


    She was speechless.


    At that moment, her phone rang. Astrid went to answer it. The caller ID showed Yates¡® name.


    As soon as she picked up the phone, she heard Yates¡® cheerful voice, ¡°Astrid, to celebrate your move,


    how about I treat you to a meal tomorrow?¡± Astrid yawned mightily, ¡°I¡¯m starting a new job tomorrow, I


    won¡¯t have time.¡±


    Yates: ¡°How about I treat you tote¨Cnight snacks tonight?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°I don¡¯t want anyte¨Cnight snacks. I already ate a lot tonight. Is there anything else? If not, I¡¯m


    hanging up.¡±


    Yates went silent.


    The sound of water in the bathroom stopped.


    Elio couldn¡¯t find a towel after searching for a while, so he came out and saw Astrid on the phone. He


    asked loudly, ¡°Astrid, where are the towels?¡± Hearing this, Yates on the other end of the phone was


    instantly displeased.


    Ello was taking a bath at her ce?

 Chapter 282

    Chapter 282


    ¡®Astrid, kick Elio out of your house right now, that guy is bad news!!¡± Before Yates could even finish his


    sentence, Astrid had already hung up the phone. The thought of Elio spending the night at Astrid¡¯s


    house made Yates so restless he couldn¡¯t sit still for even a second.


    He grabbed his car keys and hurried out the door.


    At that moment, Elio was facing Astrid¡¯s dissatisfaction.


    He had helped Roman take a bath and ended up soaking wet.


    He looked like he¡¯d just crawled out of a pool, a pitiful sight.


    Astrid dried Roman¡¯s hair, then carried him out to hear Elio sneezing continuously.


    Elio: ¡°Astrid, can I take a shower here? Ah¨Cchoo!¡±


    ¡°Of course, if it¡¯s inconvenient, I can go home and take a shower.¡±


    Astrid looked at Elio, all wet, then at the stormy weather outside, and sighed lightly, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Getting her permission, Elio gave a slight smile and quickly went into the bathroom.


    In the room, Astrid held Roman and told him a bedtime story. The little guy was engrossed, not sleepy


    at all, even sharing his own thoughts. Astrid: ¡°Once upon a time in a small kingdom, the king and queen


    had no children. One day, while they were walking by the river, a little fish jumped out of the water and


    told them: You will soon have a daughter!¡±


    Roman: ¡°Mom, is the fish a monster? Why can it talk?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Astrid paused, ¡°In fairy tales, many small animals have magic. They can talk.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Roman nodded, then asked, ¡°Mom, why did the fish say they will have a daughter and not a son?


    Do they prefer girls?¡±


    Prefer girls?


    Astrid¡¯s speechless.


    Where on earth did Roman get such weird ideas?


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    While Astrid and Roman were talking, they faintly heard the doorbell ringing.


    Elio came out from the bathroom and went straight to open the door.


    Yates had been in such a hurry to leave the house that he didn¡¯t have time to change his shoes, and


    was soaked by the rain.


    He looked a bit disheveled.


    He looked at Elio, wet and wearing a bathrobe, ¡°Elio, don¡¯t you understand the difference between men


    and women? Don¡¯t you know to keep a distance?¡± Elio wiped his hair with a towel and narrowed his


    eyes, ¡°Why should I keep a distance? We¡¯re a family!¡±


    ¡°A family?¡± Yates chuckled, ¡°You think just because you provided a sperm, you qualify as a father?


    Where were you when Astrid was bleeding heavily after giving birth? Where were you when she was


    set up and almost got into an ident? And where were you when she was depressed and couldn¡¯t eat


    after giving birth? Let me tell you, I don¡¯t care how powerful you are, I¡¯m not scared of you. If you dare,


    kill me, otherwise, stop yelling here!¡±


    After hearing Yates¡¯s usations, Elio felt a bit upset, but he didn¡¯t defend himself.


    Although it was due to Warren Santos¡® misleading that Astrid ended up in his room and they spent the


    night together, the child was his, and all the hardships she had gone through were rted to him.


    ¡°The surveince records that day were maliciously deleted, and I couldn¡¯t find her. I didn¡¯t mean to let


    her endure all that pain. You¡¯re her friend, I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Elio said, then stepped back, ¡°As


    long as I¡¯m alive, I¡¯ll do everything I can to give her the best life and ensure she won¡¯t be hurt anymore.¡±

 Chapter 283

    Chapter 283


    ¡°It¡¯ste, you should head home, we¡¯re calling it a night.¡±


    As Elio reached for the door, Yates stopped him with an outstretched hand, ¡°Elio, you¡¯re always


    surrounded by beautiful women and constantly embroiled in scandal with female celebrities, you¡¯re not


    good enough for her.¡±


    ¡°All those rumors are bull. I¡¯ve only ever had eyes for her, unlike you who could probably form a football


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    team with your exes. Elio¡¯s words made Yates freeze.


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about having a few ex¨Cgirlfriends?¡± Yates didn¡¯t let go, ¡°Elio, listen to me, if you


    hurt her again, I¡¯ll wreck your Lampard Group


    tomorrow.¡±


    Elio said, ¡°You won¡¯t get the chance.*


    With that, Elio mmed the door shut.


    Turning around, he saw Astrid standing at the bedroom door watching him.


    ¡°Elio, open up! Elio, leave here!¡± Yates¡¯s shouts echoed from outside. Astrid, worried about getting


    Seeing Astrid in her pajamas, Yates looked hurt, ¡°Astrid, why are you letting him spend the night?¡±


    ¡°Yates, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?¡± Astrid said with a hint of exasperation, ¡°Go


    home. I¡¯m tired, I want to sleep.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not leaving, I¡¯m staying here tonight too!¡± Yates knew Astrid wouldn¡¯t throw him out, so he


    barged in, threw himself on the sofa and pretended to sleep.


    He even started to snore.


    Astrid was used to Yates¡¯s antics and merely found them annoying: ¡°Yates, how old are you? Still


    ying these childish games?*


    Yates mumbled from the couch, ¡°I don¡¯t care, if he can stay, so can I.¡±


    Astrid was helpless.


    ¡°Elio, go to bed, don¡¯t mind him.¡± Astrid then retreated to her bedroom.


    Ek¨® smirked.


    He was prepared to be kicked out, but Yates¡¯s tantrum meant he could stay.


    purpose


    Although the guy was a bit of a pain, he did serve a purpose.


    Elio picked up hisptop from the side and headed into the second bedroom.


    Next morning, while Yates was still asleep, he was awakened by the sound of a child¡¯s chattering.


    ¡°Mom, there¡¯s a giant monster on our sofa. It¡¯s huge.¡±


    Astrid nced at Yates sleeping on the sofa under the nket and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s not a monster.¡±


    Roman asked, ¡°Then why is he staying at our ce?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Astrid smiled, ¡°Because he¡¯s my friend.¡±


    ¡°Friend?¡± Roman tilted his head, ¡°Is he the kind of friend who will take mom away?¡±


    Astrid chuckled at Roman¡¯s question, she touched his nose gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ho one will take me


    away. I will always be with Roman.¡±


    Roman¡¯s eyes lit up instantly, ¡°Elio can¡¯t take mom away, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Astrid put his little hat on Roman, grabbed his backpack, and held his hand gently,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Roman. We need to get going, or we¡¯ll bete.¡±

 Chapter 284

    Chapter 284


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m so stoked!¡± Roman hopped excitedly, then turned to the man still dilly¨Cdallying in the


    bathroom. ¡°Elio, are youing or not? If you¡¯re noting, we¡¯re gonna ditch you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± Elio strode out, bending down to scoop up Roman with one arm.


    Roman grumbled a little, looking a bit miffed.


    Elio scolded softly. ¡°Roman, do you have any idea how heavy you are? You¡¯re gonna wear your mom


    out.¡±


    Hearing this, Roman kept his mouth shut.


    Yates watched the cheerful trio leave, his gaze chilling slightly.


    Yates at this moment was a far cry from the jittery man he usually was around Astrid. His eyes were


    cold, enough to give anyone the jitters.


    They hit a bit of traffic, but forty minutester, Elio¡¯s car pulled up outside the kindergarten.


    It was an elite kindergarten, attended by the children of the rich and famous.


    I


    To avoid being recognized, Astrid wore a mask and a hat.


    The teacher Mattie, knowing that Roman wasing today, was waiting at the door. Upon seeing


    Astrid leading Roman out of the car, she warmly greeted them. ¡°Roman, you finally came to school. I¡¯ve


    missed you.¡±


    Roman, with his little backpack, strutted over, chin held high. ¡°Mattie, this is my mom!¡±


    Looking surprised, Mattie turned to Astrid. Since Astrid¡¯s face was covered, she didn¡¯t recognize her,


    just greeting. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you too, Mattie. I¡¯ll leave Roman in your hands, thank you.¡± Astrid said with a smile.


    Roman obediently followed his teacher inside. This was the first time she had taken Roman to school.


    She was filled with emotions. Ever since Roman went missing, she had been dreaming of this moment,


    and now, it was finally happening.


    ¡°Alright, Astrid, it¡¯s cold out. Get in the car,¡± Elio said softly. Astrid turned and got back into the car.


    The temperature in the car was just right, and soft music yed. Astrid found herself getting drowsy.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She was about to doze off when her phone rang, waking her up. She answered the phone with her


    eyes still closed. Before she could say anything, Gracie blurted out, ¡°Astrid, we¡¯re screwed! Someone


    else snagged the role in Endless Longing!¡±


    Compared to Gracie¡¯s panic, Astrid was cool as a cucumber.


    She yawnedzily, ¡°I only auditioned a few days ago, and the director didn¡¯t even say the role was


    mine. How can it be stolen?¡±


    ¡°Astrid, how can you be so chill about this!¡± Gracie said in a frantic voice. ¡°This TV show is a big deal, if


    you got the role, it would be a huge breakthrough in your career! But it¡¯s really weird, Joana¡¯s poprity


    isn¡¯t that much higher than yours, plus you¡¯re prettier and a better actress. How did they end up


    choosing her?¡±


    At the mention of this name, Astrid frowned. ¡°If you said some super popr star took my role, I might


    believe it. But Joana? I find that hard to believe.¡± Given her acting skills and looks, she believed she


    stood out among the auditionees. She didn¡¯t believe Joana could easily take this role.


    If the role really was taken, it could only mean Joana got into the production by throwing money at it.


    After all, it was no secret in the industry that Joana had a wealthy backer.

 Chapter 285

    Chapter 285


    Gracie: ¡°How could it not be possible? The inte is buzzing that Joana got the lead role, she¡¯s on the


    brink of stardom!¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Calm down, Gracie. Let¡¯s wait for the official announcement.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Astrid logged onto Twitter, only to find it flooded with news of Joana


    People were not just singing Joana¡¯s praises, they were also throwing shade at her.


    They wereparing the two since they had previously worked together and were now both in the


    running for the same role.


    ¡°Astrid is the better fit, isn¡¯t she? After all, beauty is power.¡±


    ¡°I reckon Joana¡¯s the better bet though, she may not be as striking as Astrid, but she¡¯s got a solid body


    of work under her belt!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see Astrid in period costume!¡±


    After scrolling through a fewments, Astrid got bored and was about to hit the sack when a


    message popped up on her screen. Dale: ¡°Roberson rang me, you¡¯re confirmed for the lead in Endless


    Longing. Contract signing at 1 pm, do you need a lift?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Nah, I can make it on my own.¡±


    Joana was just trying to stir the pot and making a ssh. She wlways up to no good.


    When Astrid got home, Yates had already left. She set her rm and retreated back to bed.


    Half¨Casleep, she caught a whiff of something delicious.


    The smell grew stronger and she roused herself, only to find Elio cook in the kitchen, apron on and all.


    Astrid leaned against the kitchen doorway, askingzily, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be at work, Elio?¡±


    Without turning, Elio softly replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing some new recipes, thought you might want to


    give them a try.¡±


    Astrid pursed her lips, not saying a thing.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    The soup had a medicinal smell. Though Elio¡¯s culinary skills were far from ster, for someone who


    didn¡¯t know how to cook at all, his progress was -impressive.


    Soon, Elio had a meal ready. Hedled some soup into a bowl for Astrid and cautioned, ¡°This soup¡¯s


    still hot, wait a bit before drinking.¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t respond, but she knew what medicinal herbs Elio had added to the soup.


    They were to help with her pain.


    She¡¯d had them before, but they were bitter and she¡¯d given up on them.


    Elio watched her intently, worried she would refuse to have it.


    She took a small sip, the bitterness instantly spreading across her tongue, ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore, it¡¯s


    too bitter.¡±


    Elio: ¡°You have to.¡±


    Astrid gulped down water and protested, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯ve been in pain so long, so I¡¯m used to it. This


    medicine is even more bitter than my sleepwalking meds. I really can¡¯t stomach it.¡±


    After downing several sses of water, Astrid felt like she was about to lose her sense of taste.


    Watching her suffer, Elio took the bowl from her.


    He stared at the soup for a moment, then took a cautious sip with his own spoon, his face contorting at


    the bitterness.


    Astrid said, ¡°I told you it¡¯s bitter, you¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Elio downed a few more mouthfuls, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll drink it with you.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Astrid shook her head.


    Elio: ¡°I¡¯ll have three sips, you have one.¡±


    Astrid: ¡°No way.¡±


    Elio: ¡°I¡¯ll drink a whole bowl, you have a sip.¡±


    Astrid: ¡°No!¡±


    Elio fell silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up and leaned in, ¡°If you won¡¯t drink it yourself, I¡¯ll


    feed it to you.¡±


    With that, he gulped down the remaining soup, then fixed her with a stare.


    Astrid¡¯s eyes widened.


    What?


    What is he trying to do?!

 Chapter 286

    Chapter 286


    Was he nning to feed her with his mouth?


    mouth?


    Astrid realized what was happening and immediately tried to step back, ¡°Elio, don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    But Elio was quicker. He held her by the back of her head and his lips met hers!


    The bitter soup entered her mouth and Astrid was so shocked by the bitterness that she frowned tight.


    She tried her best to push Elio away, but this guy held her tight and showed no signs of letting her go.


    Astrid got angry and stepped hard on his foot.


    But she was wearing slippers, so it didn¡¯t hurt him at all.


    ¡°Easy girl, stop fussing¡­¡± Elio murmured, trying to deepen the kiss.


    But Astrid wasn¡¯t going to let him have his way. She bit his lips and tried to knee him where it hurts!


    Elio realized her intention and quickly let her go, ¡°Astrid!¡±


    ¡°Elio, you dare to force a kiss on me!¡± Astrid kicked Elio with all her might!


    But Elio didn¡¯t dodge. He caught her foot, ¡°Calm down.¡±


    ¡°Get lost, just get lost! Astrid picked up a feather duster and hit Elio. Elio walked out slowly, taking a few


    hits!


    But instead of getting angry, his face had a hint of smile, as if he was amused.


    Seeing him like this, Astrid was even more irritated and pushed him out of the door.


    When she came back to her senses and looked at the soup on the table, the scene just happened


    yed back in her mind. Her face was slightly flushed.


    ¡°Shameless!¡± Astrid muttered. Seeing that the time was almost up, she packed up and left.


    Gracie had timed her arrival perfectly. Seeing hering out, she waved, ¡°Holy crap, Astrid, are you


    running a fever?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Astrid got in the car and touched her face.


    It didn¡¯t feel hot to her.


    ¡°Then why is your face so red?¡± Gracie started the car, ¡°I know, it¡¯s not a fever, is it?¡±


    Astrid gritted her teeth, ¡°Do you want to lose your bonus?¡±


    Hearing this, Gracie surrendered immediately, ¡°It¡¯s an illusion. Everything that just happened was an


    illusion.¡±


    Not to mention the generous bonus for the month, it was pretty good.


    Gracie: ¡°By the way Astrid, you have very few people around you. Do you want to hire more


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    assistants?¡±


    ¡°Hire assistants? Gracie, are you tired?¡± Astrid knew Gracie was usually busy with work and she


    herself was pretty upied as well, she had overlooked this aspect.


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Gracie quickly shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not busy, but I see other celebrities have lots of


    assistants, at least two or three, which looks more impressive. Your fame is rising, having more


    assistants is not a bad thing.¡±


    Astrid was speechless, ¡°I don¡¯t trust others, so how about this, I give all the assistant¡¯s sry to you,


    isn¡¯t it good for you to take a few sries?¡±


    Gracie: ¡°Good! Absolutely good, boss, whatever you say! By the way Astrid, you¡¯ve already received


    the contract, so why are there tons of news online about Joana being the lead actress?¡±

 Chapter 287

    Chapter 287


    ¡°She¡¯s just trying to ride the hype, anyway we¡¯ve already signed the contract. If anyone¡¯s gonna feel


    awkward, it¡¯s her.¡± Astrid yawned, just about to take a nap when her phone buzzed.


    Dale sent a message: ¡°I¡¯m at the VIP3 lounge on the 23rd floor of Liberty Technology.¡±


    Astrid replied: ¡°Ok¡±


    ¡°Gracie, I¡¯m going to rest for a bit. Wake me up when we get there.¡± Astrid closed her eyes and drifted


    off to sleep quickly.


    By the time she arrived at Liberty Technology, Director Gaines, the director of Endless Longing, had


    already arrived.


    Both sides were pleased with the negotiation, whether it was about the payment or other contract


    matters.


    The role selection was a collective decision by the director¡¯s group, and amongst all those who


    auditioned, Astrid was undoubtedly the best. After signing the contract, Astrid headed downstairs.,


    In the elevator, Astrid saw Dale constantly fixing herself in the mirror. She joked, ¡°Dale, what are you up


    to? Got a hot date?¡±


    Dale replied, ¡°No, don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± She adjusted her hair and turned to Astrid, ¡°The shooting


    location is up north, it¡¯s bitter cold there. Pack more warm clothes. I won¡¯t be around all the time, don¡¯t


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    be stubborn if something happens, got it?¡±


    Astrid nodded, ¡°Is the male lead decided?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Palmer. He¡¯s a great actor, very honest, and talented.¡± Mentioning this actor, Dale added, ¡°But his


    fans are crazy fanatical, it¡¯s best if you limit your interaction with him.¡±


    Astrid nodded, ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll avoid contact as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°By the way, how¡¯ve things been with Eliotely?¡± Dale asked Astrid curiously, ¡°Any new


    developments?¡±


    Astrid nced at Dale, ¡°Are you pulling my leg?¡±


    Gracie chimed in, ¡°No, I bet he¡¯s Robb¡¯s spy!¡±


    Dale was speechless for a moment, ¡°Do I look like someone who does everything Robb says?¡±


    Astrid and Gracie nodded in unison, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re exactly that person!¡±


    Dale retorted, ¡°Cut the crap!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Robb does whatever I tell him to. If I tell him to go east, he wouldn¡¯t dare go west. If I


    tell him to sit, he wouldn¡¯t dare stand!¡±


    ¡°Ding¡­¡± The elevator doors opened, and seeing Robb standing there, Dale quickly shut up.


    Robb nced at the people in front of him, ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°Uh, couldn¡¯t help it, Gaines likes to drag out negotiations.¡± Dale adjusted her hair, a bit nervous.


    Hopefully, Robb didn¡¯t hear what she just said.


    After all, the elevator is soundproof.


    ¡°Star, you¡¯re heading north for a shoot?¡± Robb went over to fix Astrid¡¯s messy hair, then reminded her


    gently, ¡°Take care of yourself, call me if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°I got it, don¡¯t worry.¡± Astrid smiled, and Robb handed her a card.


    She was speechless for a moment, and without looking at the card, she pushed it back, ¡°Why are you


    acting like Rickon now? I¡¯m not broke, I have money!¡±


    ¡°Silly, it¡¯s not a bank card, it¡¯s a VIP card for Exquisite Indulgence. With this card, you can have


    anything you want delivered to the set.¡± Robb casually put his hand on her shoulder, gave it a soft


    squeeze, then frowned, ¡°See, you¡¯ve lost weight again.¡±

 Chapter 288

    Chapter 288


    ¡°Don¡¯t starve yourself just to look good on camera, Star. You¡¯re beautiful no matter what. If anyone


    dares to pressure you to lose weight, tell me and I¡¯ll teach them a lesson.¡± As Robb said this, he looked


    towards Dale.


    Dale shrank back, not daring to speak.


    Gracie, scared, hid behind Astrid.


    Robb¡¯s presence was overwhelming, giving off an intangible pressure.


    Astrid chuckled lightly, ¡°Thanks¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, dumbass.¡± Robb took hold of Dale¡¯s cor and led the way.


    Dale protested non¨Cstop: ¡°Robb, have some respect. After all, I¡¯m a decent agent. Where¡¯s my dignity if


    you treat me like this?¡±


    ¡°Robb, let me go, let me go¡­¡±


    Astrid was used to their dynamics, but she still couldn¡¯t help butugh every time she saw it.


    I


    ¡°Let¡¯s move, Gracie.¡± Astrid turned her head to see Gracie¡¯s mouth almost reaching the sky with


    She immediately reached out, forcibly pushing down the corners of Gracie¡¯s mouth, ¡°Calm down, calm


    down.¡±


    Gracie continued tough uncontrobly, ¡°Indeed, hot guys should be with hot guys. So adorable!¡°.


    Astrid was speechless.


    This one is hopeless.


    As they walked towards thepany entrance, before reaching the main gate, they saw arge group


    of peopleing from outside. Astrid took a closer look and realized the person leading was Joana.


    She was followed by a bunch of bodyguards and assistants.


    Before Astrid could speak, Joana took the initiative to greet, ¡°Hey, Astrid, what brings you here? Did


    you also get a role in Endless Longing?¡± ¡°Our Astrid¡­¡± Gracie was cut off by Astrid before she could


    finish.


    She looked at Joana with a smile, ¡°Yeah, are you participating too? Didn¡¯t expect us to work together


    so soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the director messaged me that I¡¯m the leading actress. So, I guess you must be a supporting


    role then?¡± Joana smirked, ¡°Don¡¯t feel down if you didn¡¯t get the lead. After all, I have a lot of


    experience in this industry. After a few more supporting roles, you¡¯ll be able to get the lead like me.¡±


    Listening to Joana, Astrid raised an eyebrow. If she hadn¡¯t just signed the contract, she might have


    believed Joana.


    But if Joana didn¡¯t receive a message, then she wouldn¡¯t need to sign a contract, and she even brought


    journalists.


    However, since the contract was in her hand, she didn¡¯t bother to argue with this woman, ¡°Joana, you


    might be mistaken. I¡¯m the leadingdy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the lead?¡± Emily suddenlyughed, ¡°Astrid, stop kidding. Our Joana¡¯s lead role was personally


    chosen by the director. How could you possibly be the lead? You¡¯re not even in the same league.¡±


    Astrid pulled a face silently, ¡°I really got it, you don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    Emily scoffed, ¡°Of course not!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Astridughed, ¡°Just to let you know, I¡¯ve already signed the contract.¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Then show it to me!¡± Emily finished, leaving Astrid stunned. The contract had been taken away by


    Dale.


    She couldn¡¯t show it.


    ¡°Never mind, I don¡¯t want to argue with you. I have things to do, so I¡¯m leaving.¡± Astrid really didn¡¯t want


    to waste time with these two women, but Joana grabbed her before she could leave.


    Joana said, ¡°Since the reporters are here, let¡¯s go upstairs and see who¡¯s the lead, so no one can


    use me of stealing your role¡±


    Seeing these two women being so persistent, Astrid felt annoyed, but she couldn¡¯t beat them up in front


    of so many people.


    Astrid gently shook off her hand, ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    If someone was asking for trouble, she didn¡¯t mind lending a hand.


    Gracie and Astrid entered the elevator first, Joana walked in slowly, still with a smug face.


    As soon as Joana stepped out of the elevator, she saw Gaines and approached him enthusiastically,


    ¡°Gaines, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte.¡±


    Gaines looked at therge group of bodyguards, assistants, and makeup artists behind Joana and


    frowned unhappily, ¡°Why did you bring so many people?¡±

 Chapter 289

    Chapter 289


    ¡°No, not at all.¡± Joana said with a smile, ¡°Actually, a reporter from FableVision Entertainment wanted to


    interview men brought her along. After all,


    through them.¡±


    ¡°Female lead?¡± The director frowned, ¡°Who told you that you are the female lead of this drama?¡±


    This short sentence left Joanapletely baffled.


    Emily was also surprised, ¡°Sir, it was you who personally sent me a message yesterday telling me to


    ¡°Yeah, I did send the message, but could you please read it carefully? Are you ming me for your


    ownck of attention?¡± The director was irritable, already annoyed to see Joana bringing a whole crowd


    with her, and even more so at her attitude.


    After all, truly talented people don¡¯t need to parade around with bodyguards and assistants to show


    how popr they are.


    Emily took out her phone and looked at the text again, ¡°Gaines, yeah, you did actually tell us toe


    and sign the contract for the female lead today.¡± Gaines: ¡°It is indeed a contract for the female lead, but


    not for Endless Longing, it¡¯s for Tycoon¡¯s Sweetheart!¡±


    Tycoon¡¯s Sweetheart?


    Gracie almost burst intoughter, but managed to hold it¨Cin.-


    Emily and Joana were stunned. They had indeed been in touch with the drama Tycoon¡¯s Sweetheart,


    but they never thought the female lead the director was talking about would be from this drama!


    Joana: ¡°Mister, so the female lead for Endless Longing is really Astrid?¡±


    Gaines: ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her. She¡¯s the perfect female lead for the drama.¡±


    Joana became anxious, impulsively saying, ¡°Gaines, you can¡¯t use Astrid, she can¡¯t carry the drama.


    Plus she¡¯s only been acting for a short time, how can she handle such a major role!¡±


    ¡°When did I start needing your guidance for casting?¡± The director was already annoyed with Joana¡¯s


    rudeness, and her aggressive attitude how made Astrid look even better, ¡°You can leave now. Anyway,


    someone who needs a bunch of bodyguards whenever she goes out like you probably wouldn¡¯t be


    interested in a small web series like this. We can¡¯t afford a big shot like you, so please leave!¡±


    ¡°Gaines, don¡¯t be mad, Joana is young and didn¡¯t control her words well.¡± Emily never expected things


    to turn out this way and quickly pulled Joana aside, ¡°Joana, hurry up and apologize to the director!¡±


    Joana had just been nominated as the most popr female actress and was extremely arrogant. She


    had always looked down on the drama, so she directly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong, I don¡¯t need


    to apologize!¡±


    With that, Joana stormed off, leaving Emily standing awkwardly to the side.


    Having had enough of this farce, Astrid and Gracie slowly descended the stairs.


    When they remembered Joana¡¯s self¨Cinflicted humiliation, they couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Not long after the two left, a trending topic appeared.


    #Astrid Snatched Joana¡¯s Role#


    When they saw this trend, Gracie and Astrid were having dinner.


    Gracie said, ¡°How can this woman be so shameless? The director clearly said that you¡¯re the lead, so


    how did it be you snatching her role?¡± ¡°Gaines will clear things up. Right now, I¡¯m the focus of


    public opinion, no matter what I say,izens won¡¯t believe me.¡± Astrid was really hungry. Gracie


    looked at her wolfing down her food, ¡°Where¡¯s your celebrity grace, eating like a starving beast?¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ who¡¯s this?¡± Gracie suddenly widened her eyes looking at the screen, ¡°Astrid, we¡¯re in big


    trouble! Who is this crazy fan that popped out of nowhere?¡±

 Chapter 290

    Chapter 290


    ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Astrid took the phone from Gracie¡¯s hand and saw the tweet.


    EternalLoveMoments: ¡°Astrid is the most beautiful, no arguments allowed. Joana doesn¡¯t even


    and producers don¡¯t respect our Astrid now, they might not even be able to afford her in the future. That


    Joana, she¡¯s a woman who has to buy her way onto film sets, has no right topare herself with our


    Astrid. So what if she steals your role? Trash!¡± This ount used her picture as an avatar and had


    many followers, but all the previous tweets had been deleted.


    Just over fiftyments and it¡¯s already trending, how interesting.


    Clearly, someone was impersonating her and causing drama.


    Looks like someone spent on it to be a hot trending.


    This tactic is low¨Clevel but often brings a lot of hate, and it seriously damaged her image.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Obviously, someone intentionally bought the trend for this tweet to stir up controversy.


    Thements under the tweet were starting to get chaotic.


    ¡°Oh boy, this trend is so awkward!¡±


    ¡°Good lord, Astrid¡¯s fans are too much, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Even if Astrid is pretty and can act, saying she¡¯s about to be a top star is a bit much, isn¡¯t it? How


    many top stars are there in the industry!¡± ¡°So, is it true that Astrid stole the role?¡°.


    ¡°Astrid is disgusting, get lost!¡±


    ¡°Does our Astrid need to steal roles? And from the start, the producers never said the lead was Joana,


    did they? Joana¡¯s just a drama queen!¡± ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re actually being led by this fake troll, where¡¯s your


    brain? Got eaten by zombies?¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Gracie said angrily. ¡°I¡¯ll teach them a lesson!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Astrid. I¡¯ll use a burner ount to argue, won¡¯t affect you!¡±


    Astridughed at Gracie¡¯s indignant look, ¡°Gracie, this kind of thing is normal in the entertainment


    world, and it¡¯s clearly Joana¡¯s trick. Don¡¯t argue with them, eat something. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll handle it?¡± Gracie mmed the table. ¡°How will you handle it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s a small problem, my friend can sort it out in no time.¡± Astrid started texting Chad.


    Gracie looked skeptical, ¡°Your friend? What kind of friend is he?s he powerful? If he¡¯s handsome, can


    you introduce him to me?¡±


    Astrid paused her typing at the thought of Chad, ¡°He¡¯s not that good looking. Oh, weren¡¯t you interested


    in Rickon? Given up already?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to talk about it.¡± Gracie looked downcast at the mention of it, ¡°Rickon is so hard to


    get close to, I can¡¯t add him friend no matter what.¡±


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, ¡°I expected as much, Rickon has never dated and to him, girls other than me


    might as well not exist.¡±

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    Chapter 291


    ¡°Astrid, do you have any single friends you can hook me up with? I¡­¡± Gracie couldn¡¯t finish her


    sentence when she spotted a familiar faceing from not too far away.


    She gripped Astrid¡¯s hand tightly, ¡°Astrid, I see Joanaing! More urately, I see her with a super


    hot guy, man, he looks like a model.¡±


    Joana?


    Is that hunk Joana¡¯s boyfriend?


    Astrid lowered her head, retyping a message: ¡°Chad, can you find out who¡¯s the guy with Joana?¡±


    The message was sent, but there was no reply.


    After a while, Chad replied: ¡°Astrid, no need to worry about Joana now, I¡¯ve found out who the ount


    ¡®EternalLoveMoments¡¯ belongs to, I even hacked into theirputer, guess who the puppet master is?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Joana¡¯s team.¡±


    Chad: ¡°Nope, guess again!¡±


    Is it not Joana¡¯s team? That¡¯s really bizarre.


    Astrid pondered for a few seconds, then sent a message: ¡°Hawthorne.¡±


    Chad: ¡°Holy cow, how did you know it was him?¡±


    Hawthorne had been out of the picture for a while now. She had a lot of questions for him, but he


    changed his number and vanished.


    Hal was the kind of guy who wore his intentions on his face, whereas Hawthorne would smile at you


    while stabbing you in the back. He always came across as harmless, but he was anything but.


    Chad: ¡°Astrid, Hawthorne is a cunning one. I suggest you avoid a direct confrontation. He might do


    something drastic. You¡¯re not alone now, you have Roman to think about, you can¡¯t take him with you


    everywhere.¡±


    Astrid: Chad, can you locate Hawthorne?¡±


    Chad: ¡°That will take some time, give me a moment.¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Alright, thanks for the help.¡±


    Hawthorne¡¯s move was cunning, he took advantage of the drama between her and Joana to make his


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    y, all to tarnish her reputation.


    A star¡¯s poprity with the public is crucial, once that¡¯s gone, the impact is massive.


    Put simply, Hawthorne was trying to oust her from the entertainment industry.


    But he underestimated her.


    ¡°Gracie, I need to head home now, don¡¯t waste your time arguing with those trolls, just go home.¡± Astrid


    said, rising from her seat and settling the bill on her way out.


    Gracie, staring at the people hurling insults at Astrid, was fuming, ¡°I¡¯m not backing down from these


    trolls today. You think you can just insult my friendy Astrid like that? Scum! Scum!¡±


    ¡°Saying Astrid¡¯s average looking? Show me what you call ¡®average¡¯ then!¡±


    ¡°Saying Astrid¡¯s poor? Astrid could bury you in cash!¡±


    While Gracie was happily engaging in an online battle with her burner ount, Astrid was back home.


    Astrid thought that if she could retrieve her old tweets, she could prove the ount to be a troll and


    everything would resolve itself.


    As she opened herptop ready to expose the ount, she suddenly received a few news alerts.

 Chapter 292

    Chapter 292


    ¡°Morgenster Corporation CEO Elio Defends His Goddess¡±


    ¡°What Did Astrid Even Do To Deserve This¡±


    News headlines were raining down one after another.


    Astrid pulled up Twitter on her phone, only to find that things were going absolutely bonkers.


    Trending now: #ElioStands UpForAstrid #


    She clicked on it, seeing a tweet from Elio: ¡°Nobody gets to badmouth my goddess. If anything like this


    happens again, I¡¯ming for you.¡±


    The screenshot attached was from the Twitter ount EternalLoveMoments.


    This ount hadn¡¯t tweeted anything about her before but had¨Cliked a few posts criticizing her.


    Astrid looked at these screenshots, her lips curling into a smile. She and Elio were on the same


    wavelength.


    Elio seldom tweeted, but his recent posts all revolved around her.


    Under the tweet, fans were going wild.


    ¡°Mr. Lampard is so into her, I need a boyfriend like that!¡±


    ¡°Starlet and CEO romance, I¡¯m here for it!!!¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But hasn¡¯t Mr. Lampard wooed Astrid yet? If he has, then he should call her his wife, not goddess. Go


    for it, Mr. Lampard!¡±


    ¡°Even though Mr. Lampard is impressive, our Astrid doesn¡¯t need a man, she is amazing on her own~¡±


    ¡°To be honest I think Astrid and Teresa are a better match.¡±


    With Elio¡¯s public evidence, the EternalLoveMoments ount hastily deleted itself.


    His actions only further proved he was a hater.


    Meanwhile, the cast of Endless Longing was announced, and the inte¡¯s attention was diverted to


    Astrid and Palmer¡¯s promotional photos. At four¨Cthirty in the afternoon, Astrid picked up Roman from


    kindergarten. Instead of heading home, they went straight to an amusement park. When they returned


    home, tired from ying, Elio was waiting at the door, surrounded by bags of stuff.


    Astrid was still mad about his forced kiss, ¡°Elio, how dare you show up?¡±


    Elio: ¡°I came to apologize.¡±


    Astrid shot him a look, ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you!¡±


    Elio: ¡°I¡¯m genuinely sorry. How about I let you kiss me a few more times as punishment?¡±


    Kiss him more times?


    Roman: ¡°I disagree!¡±


    Elio: ¡°Is this any of your business?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Roman wrapped his arms around Astrid¡¯s neck, earnestly saying, ¡°I have to protect


    mommy. I won¡¯t let her get hurt!¡±


    Astrid burst intoughter. Her son was just too cute.


    Elio was in agony, unable to speak for a while.


    Astrid wasn¡¯t nning on letting Elio in, but she had to catch a flight at six in the morning. She had to


    get up at four to make the airport in time and couldn¡¯t leave Roman home alone.

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    Chapter 293


    Although Astrid was a bit peeved with the guy in front of her, she still let him in.


    She led Roman into the room, then said, ¡°Roman, go y by yourself for a bit. Mommy needs to pack


    some things.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Roman obediently climbed onto the sofa and sat down. Shortly after, he saw Astrid dragging


    tworge suitcases into the bedroom.


    Roman watched the direction of the bedroom for a while, then slowly walked over.


    Astrid took some thick clothes out of the wardrobe, turned around to put them in the suitcase, and saw


    Roman sitting cross¨Clegged in the suitcase. She couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Roman, why did you hop into


    the suitcase?¡±


    Roman: ¡°Mommy, one suitcase is enough for your clothes, put me in the other one!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be a good boy, I promise I¡¯ll wait for you at the hotel every day, I won¡¯t let anyone find me!¡±


    Seeing the little guy¡¯s earnest expression, Astrid gently squatted down and patted his head, ¡°Mommy is


    going to be gone for a while, and I¡¯ll be very busy, I won¡¯t have time to look after you.¡±


    ¡°Roman can take care of himself.¡± Roman hugged Astrid¡¯s arm and started to act coquettishly,


    ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m so cute and well¨Cbehaved, taking me will cheer you up.¡±


    Astridughed and pinched his face, ¡°Be good and study-at¨Chome, mommy wille back to see you


    when I have time¡­¡±


    Roman wanted to say something else, but Elio walked in, ¡°Roman, you¡¯re not a three¨Cyear¨Cold


    anymore; quit causing a fuss here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not causing a fuss! Humph!¡± Roman ran into Astrid¡¯s arms after saying this, then hid in her


    embrace and looked at Elio triumphantly. Elio, helpless, walked away in a huff.


    It took a lot of persuasion from Astrid for Roman to agree to stay home and not go with her.


    Early the next morning, Astrid carefully got out of bed only to find Elio had packed his stuff and was


    waiting in the living room. He walked over, picked up her two suitcases, and said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s


    go, I¡¯ve arranged for a bodyguard to look after Roman.¡±


    Astrid: Gracie is picking me up.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t push me away.¡± Elio suddenly grabbed her hand, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to be with you for the rest


    of my life, you won¡¯t be able to shake me off.¡± With that, Elio flung the door open.


    Two bodyguards walked in, one helped Astrid with her luggage, the other stayed to take care of


    Roman.


    Seeing that it was almost time, Astrid shook off Elio¡¯s hand and called Gracie.


    Gracie picked up and asked, ¡°Astrid, where are you?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Aren¡¯t you picking me up?¡±


    ¡°Picking you up?¡± Gracie, standing in the departure hall, was a bit confused, ¡°Mr. Lampard said he¡¯d


    drop you off, so I headed straight to the airport.¡± Astrid looked at Elio, who was acting as if he had


    nothing to do with it.


    Gracie asked, ¡°Astrid, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Astrid hung up, stepped on Elio¡¯s foot, and stormed off.


    It was freezing cold, with the night wind blowing.


    By the time Astrid arrived at the airport, it was almost time to board.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Elio watched Gracie and Astrid go through security, turned to leave, and then saw a familiar figure in


    the distance.

 Chapter 294

    Chapter 294


    Carson also spotted that guy and his heart skipped a beat, ¡°Boss, that¡¯s Hawthorne!¡±


    ¡°Tell Robb, Hawthorne and Astrid are on the same flight, Elio said, and then he just walked off.


    Carson was stunned for a moment, then the penny dropped.


    Hawthorne was the one who had stolen Roman from the hospital. The Brooke family must have known


    about this, so Robb would definitely hate Hawthorne.


    On the ne, Astrid had just settled in her seat when she saw Hawthorne, who was in a wheelchair,


    boarding the ne.


    Gracie tightly gripped her arm and whispered in her ear, ¡°Astrid, keep your cool. You¡¯re a public figure,


    you can¡¯t confront him here.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, calm down,¡± Gracie held Astrid¡¯s hand tightly, afraid that Astrid might lose it and hurt


    Hawthorne.


    After all, Hawthorne looked like he was on death¡¯s door, and Astrid was pretty strong. If she wasn¡¯t


    careful, she could really hurt him.


    That would be more trouble than it¡¯s worth.


    The time on the ne was torture. Once theynded, they went to collect their luggage.


    On the way, Astrid grabbed Hawthorne¡¯s wheelchair and pulled him into a corner!


    She¡¯d been looking for him for so long without any luck, and now he suddenly appeared. He must be


    up to something!


    Hawthorne was wearing a mask. He looked up at her.


    The hatred in her eyes was like a spike piercing his heart. ¡°Star, don¡¯t look at me like that.¡±


    ¡°How should I look at you then?¡± Astrid was trying to control her emotions. She was afraid that her fist


    wouldnd on his face any second.


    ¡°Why did you try and steal my child? Speak!¡±


    Listening to Astrid¡¯s icy voice, Hawthorne lowered his eyelids, his tone calm. ¡°Star, do we really need to


    talk to each other like this? Everything I did, I did for your own good.¡±


    ¡°Showbiz is tooplicated. You¡¯ll get hurt. Better go back to a simple and happy life.¡±


    ¡°My life is not for you to arrange! Even my dad didn¡¯t stop me from entering showbiz, who are you to


    stand in the way of my dreams?¡± Astrid was sick and tired of Hawthorne¡¯s ¡®for your own good¡® excuses.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one more time, why did you steal Roman?¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry, Star,¡± Hawthorne remained calm. ¡°I came here today to talk to you about


    this.¡±


    ¡°Over four years ago, I received a message. It said that my fianc¨¦e was carrying someone else¡¯s child,


    and the father of the child was Elio.¡±


    Hearing this, Astrid¡¯s heart fluttered. ¡°Who sent you the message?¡±


    Hawthorne said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. The phone number was specially set up, it couldn¡¯t be called back or


    receive replies.¡±


    ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t believe it. But then they sent me your photo. You look a lot like your mother. So, I


    secretly sent someone to investigate you and found out that you were really pregnant.¡±


    ¡°I was sick at that time, but not as serious as now. I secretly visited you. I fell for you at first sight.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t want the child in your belly.¡±


    E


    Astrid was taken aback, her lips trembling slightly. ¡°So, you were the one who caused all those


    idents, trying to make me miscarry?¡±

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    Chapter 295


    ¡°Nah, it ain¡¯t like that¡­¡± Hawthorne shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve had the same thoughts, but I didn¡¯t follow


    through, ¡®cause I know how much an abortion can hurt a woman, I wouldn¡¯t wanna harm you. I didn¡¯t


    tell your dad I found you, I had someone shadowing you, and on the fourth day after you gave birth, I


    had the baby sent back to his dad.¡±


    Hawthorne watched as Astrid¡¯s clenched fist rxed. He knew if he had confessed just now, Astrid¡¯s


    punch wouldn¡¯t have hesitated tond on his face. They still ended up here.


    Astrid looked at Hawthorne, her gaze colder than ever, ¡°How can you prove the person you¡¯re talking


    about is real? Is he not just a figment of your imagination?¡±


    ¡°Astrid¡­¡± Hawthorne sighed lightly, his eyesplex, ¡°Am I really that unworthy of your trust?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Astrid scoffed, ¡°Hawthorne, after all the things you¡¯ve done, how do you expect


    me to trust you?¡±


    Her trust in him had already been shattered bit by bit.


    Hawthorne¡¯s hand gripping the wheelchair tightened, I¡¯ve deleted the message. I have no proof, but I


    promise every word I said today is true.¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Hah.¡± Astrid stood there looking at him, ¡°You could¡¯ve just hid well and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to


    find you. Why did you suddenly appear and tell me all this?¡±


    Hawthorne said, ¡°I just want you to know, the person who messaged me is dangerous. He knows


    everything about you, including your true identity, that you¡¯re the long¨Clost daughter of the Brooke


    family, and he knows about our marriage!


    He didn¡¯t want you to have Elio¡¯s child, so he told me about your pregnancy, hoping I¡¯d do his dirty


    work. But I couldn¡¯t do it, so, he tried repeatedly.


    I watched your belly grow bigger every day, after all, it¡¯s a life that you were carrying. When you and


    Gracie went to the countryside, I dealt with those following you, otherwise, do you think you¡¯d have


    been safe?¡±


    Astrid was silent.


    Seeing her not speak, Hawthorne continued: ¡°As you said, I could¡¯ve just hid, disappeared. But I came


    to find you because I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll harm you again. I¡¯ve been having nightmarestely, can¡¯t sleep. I


    keep dreaming that something happened to you, that you¡¯re covered in blood¡­Astrid, you¡¯ve entered


    the entertainment industry, and you¡¯ve be the center of attention. The higher you climb, the harder


    you fall, and I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt. -Everything I¡¯ve done is just to get you out of the


    entertainment industry. Even if you don¡¯t want to be with me, I don¡¯t care. I just want you to be happy,


    that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Hawthorne reached out, trying to grab Astrid¡¯s hand.


    Astrid took a step back, ¡°Hawthorne, I can¡¯t be sure if what you¡¯re saying is true or lies. I just want to tell


    you, don¡¯t try to control my life. Your so¨Ccalled kindness is suffocating. Maybe you did deal with the two


    people who were tracking me and Gracie, allowing me to give birth safely. But you had someone steal


    my child, is that right? Just because you like me, but not the child in my belly, you decided to take him


    away from me!¡±

 Chapter 296

    Chapter 296


    ¡°To get my kid back, I nearly gave my life I searched high and low for him, but you, you were the one


    who sent him away, and yet you yed dumb in front of me! You even hypocritically offered to help me


    find him, but you knew all along where he was!¡±


    Astrict felt a chill ¡°You knew my dream was to be a great actress, but you quietly tried to stop me, to


    ruin my career. Is this your idea of kindness?¡±


    arned his head and nced at lum.


    ¡°We should leavel Hawthorne¡¯s bodyguard whispered from the side Hawthor


    The bodyguard felt a bit scared, lowered his head, and stayed silent.


    Hawthorne turned back. ¡°Star, I know you hate me, hate me enough to want me dead, but what I just


    said was from the heart. I just want what¡¯s best for you to achieve my goals, I may have used some


    tactics, but I don¡¯t regret it. Biscause all I wanted was to protect you¡±


    ¡°Protect me?¡± Astridughed coldly, and before she could finish speaking, amotion erupted.


    She turned and saw Yates rushing towards her.


    Vates was a fast runner and quickly reached Astrid, ¡°Astrid, what a coincidence, we meet again! We


    must be fate bound!¡±


    Heh¡± Astrid responded helplessly, ¡°Yates, can¡¯t you to serious? Is there anything else you can do other


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    than following me around? Don¡¯t you have to work?¡±


    Yates shrugged, ¡°Astrid you know I¡¯m an old money, I don¡¯t need to work. I just need to enjoy life! I¡¯m


    an only child, I¡¯ll take over thepany sooner orter, so I¡¯m enjoying my life before that!¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    ¡°Besides, my most important mission is to pursue you. My mom is a huge fan of you, she¡¯s been


    watching your TV series these days and even asked me to get your autograph!¡± Only then did Yates


    notice Hawthorne in his wheelchair.


    He gave Hawthorne a courteous smile, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Yates, and you are?¡±


    ¡°Hawthorne¡± Hawthorne watched the energetic young man and felt a pang of regret.


    If it weren¡¯t for the ident, he wouldn¡¯t be in this wheelchair.


    ¡°Wow, Hawthorne? Are you her ex¨Cfianc¨¦?¡± Yates eyed Hawthorne, ¡°You should be resting at home in


    this condition, why are you out? Aren¡¯t you afraid it will worsen?¡±


    Hawthorne remained expressionless: ¡°What I do should be none of your business,¡±


    ¡°None of my business?¡± Yates raised an eyebrow, ¡°Howe? You were the fianc¨¦ of the girl I¡¯m


    pursuing. That¡¯s a pretty big deall¡±


    have nothing to do with him, and you, stop tailing me!¡± Astrid pushed Yates away in annoyance.


    Gracie picked up her luggage, realized Astrid hadn¡¯t arrived yet, and turned back to find her. Seeing


    her, she quickly waved, ¡°Astrid, the crew¡¯s been waiting for a long time, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Astrid nodded and left.


    Yates stepped ahead quickly, then ran back to Hawthorne and said: ¡°Hawthorne, let me tell you, you


    better not cause any more trouble for Astrid. I¡¯m keeping a close eye on you!¡±

 Chapter 297

    Chapter 297


    Hawthorne gave Yates a cold nce, chuckling under his breath, ¡°You think you can keep tabs on me?


    I doubt you¡¯re cut out for it.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll see about that.¡± Yates shot Hawthorne a look before quickly taking off.


    But he was already a step behind. Astrid had left.


    Yates hopped into a car, chasing in the direction Astrid had gone.


    A whileter, Hawthorne¡¯s assistant slowly emerged, pushing a wheelchair.


    Before his ride arrived, several ck cars appeared at the airport exit.


    A bunch of bodyguards got out of the cars and immediately surrounded Hawthorne, ¡°Mr. Cliff, we¡¯re


    here on your father¡¯s orders to take you home.¡± Hawthorne nced at the people in front of him, ¡°I¡¯m


    not going home.¡±


    The bodyguard said, ¡°Your father said if you don¡¯te back, he¡¯s going to destroy all the blue roses


    you¡¯ve been growing in the backyard.¡± Thinking about those flowers, Hawthorne eventually gave in and


    followed his family¡¯s men.


    By the end of November in the north, it was already freezing cold.


    As soon as they got in the car, Gracie whispered in Astrid¡¯s ear, ¡°Astrid, I have to tell you, the


    handsome guy I saw with Joana yesterday, it was that guy just now! Yes, it was Yates! I thought he


    looked familiar yesterday, and now I finally remember! I originally thought he was pretty good looking,


    but now that I think about him being with Joana, I suddenly feel like he¡¯s just average.¡±


    Astrid was taken aback, Yates?


    But how was Yates with Joana again?


    Thinking about this, Astrid remembered that she had asked Chad to check on Joana and that guy


    yesterday, and Chad seemed to have replied in the middle of the night.


    She was half asleep at the time, so she didn¡¯t check.


    Astrid quickly pulled out her phone and opened up WhatsApp to see the message Chad sent, ¡°Astrid,


    the guy with Joana is Yates!¡±


    Chad said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Yates have a lot of ex¨Cgirlfriends? Joana is one of them, but they only dated for a


    few days before breaking up.¡±


    Chad: ¡°What do you think of Yates¡® taste? How could he eyen be interested in a woman like Joana?¡±


    Chad sent a lot of messages, but Astrid only noticed one thing, Joana was Yates¡® ex¨Cgirlfriend.


    This guy¡¯s taste really isn¡¯t all that.


    The car¡¯s heater was warm, and Astrid started dozing off after ying with her phone for a while.


    Just as she was about to fall asleep, Brandon sent a message: ¡°Star, your set¡¯s location is so remote,


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    there aren¡¯t any good hotels. How about you stay in a five¨Cstar hotel downtown and I¡¯ll drive you to the


    set every day, how¡¯s that?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Brandon, could you be a little more low¨Ckey? Everyone else can stay in small hotels near the


    set, I don¡¯t want to be special.¡±


    Brandon: ¡°Star, I¡¯m worried the heating in the small hotels won¡¯t be enough and you¡¯ll get cold. How


    about this, I¡¯ll have someone renovate your room, how¡¯s that?¡±


    Astrid rolled her eyes, ¡°Brandon, could you do something productive?¡±


    Brandon said, ¡°Isn¡¯t caring for and protecting my sister my responsibility?¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°Brandon, I can take care of myself, if there¡¯s any problem I¡¯ll let you know first. Could


    you please note to the set and mess things up?¡± Brandon said, ¡°Alright then, remember to miss


    me, Star!¡±


    Next, Brandon sent several kissy face emojis made from his own GIF.


    Astrid nced at those emojis with annoyance, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

 Chapter 298

    Chapter 298


    After sitting in the car for hours, they finally arrived at the film set where Gaines had arranged for


    helpers to help Astrid with her luggage.


    The moment they opened the door to the hotel room, Gracie blurted out in surprise, ¡°Holy cow, is this


    your house or what?¡±


    Astrid was a bit thrown off too, she looked down at her room key, confirming that this was indeed a


    hotel room.


    But to her astonishment, everything in the room was exactly like her own house, even her pet fish was


    there.


    It was as if her house had been magically transported here.


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, are you satisfied with the room?¡± the hotel manager approached with a smile, ¡°Actually, our


    hotel was recently bought by a new owner. He gave us a design and had workers renovate these


    rooms overnight to look just like this.¡±


    ¡°Since we were short on time, do you find the room eptable?¡±


    Astrid responded, ¡°It¡¯s perfect, you guys have done a great job.¡±


    The room was nice and toasty, making it feel cozy as soon as they walked in.


    Gracie eximed, ¡°Man, the world of the rich is just oh another level, isn¡¯t it? Buying a hotel on a whim


    and replicating your house here!¡± ¡°Seriously, talk about attention to detail.¡±


    Her phone buzzed, Astrid checked it and saw a message from an unknown number, ¡°Astrid, I was


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    worried you wouldn¡¯t feel at home there, sol remodeled your room. I hope you can unblock me now.¡±


    Astrid chuckled, this guy must have started remodeling the room when she went for the audition.


    After a bit of consideration, Astrid decided to unblock him.


    After the opening ceremony, the crew got to work.


    Although the room was warm, the moment they stepped outside, Gracie was hit by the cold, ¡°Astrid,


    why did we have to film here?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s been snowing heretely, and there are a lot of snow scenes in our script, this ce is


    perfect for filming.¡± Astrid replied, then looked at Gracie who was stomping her feet in ce, and felt a


    pang of sympathy, ¡°I¡¯m not busy right now, you should go back to the room.¡±


    Gracie shook her head and said, ¡°No, if I leave, it¡¯ll be inconvenient for you if you need something. I¡¯m


    fine, just not used to the cold here, I¡¯ll get used to it in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, you don¡¯t have to push yourself so hard. Look at Palmer. He uses a stunt double for most of his


    scenes. It¡¯s so cold outside, you can use a stunt¡± double too.¡± Gracie was worried about Astrid. Astrid¡¯s


    scar would hurt when the weather was cold and rainy, and with such heavy snow now, it must be


    hurting even more.


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine, Gracie.¡± Astrid was about to say something, but the director started calling for the actors


    to get ready, so she quickly took off her down jacket and ran over there.


    The snow was getting heavier, and Gracie couldn¡¯t stand the cold so she put on Astrid¡¯s coat.


    She was standing there under an umbre, stomping her feet, when she felt somethinging towards


    her from behind. When she turned around, a big snowball hit her right in the face.


    ¡°Who was that? Have you no decency? I¡­ Before Gracie could finish her sentence, she saw Yates


    standing not far away, waving at her with a big grin on his face.


    Gracie instantly got a headache. This guy does everything ording to his own whims. If he stirs up


    trouble on set, it¡¯ll definitely be tomorrow¡¯s hot gossip!


    Just then, Gracie saw a bunch of people getting off a car in the distance. When she saw what they


    were carrying, a chill ran down her spine.


    They were in trouble, big trouble!

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    Chapter 299


    Watching the peopleing towards them, Gracie started to feel a headacheing on


    It was only then, standing in the snowy field, that Yates realized he¡¯d mistaken the person


    Because it was snowing. Gracie was holding an umbre Yates saw the clothes, thought it was Astrid


    and didn¡¯t expect to mistake the person.


    He was a bit embarrassed, ¡°Sorry, I thought you were Astrid¡±


    Yates rushed over, brushing the snow off Gracie¡¯s clothes, ¡°You okay?¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± Since he had already apologized, Gracie didn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it. She was


    never the sensitive type.


    ¡°Shooting in this freezing weather, don¡¯t you think the crew is being cheap? Why bother with outdoor


    scenes when they can just fix it in post¨Cproduction?¡± Yates kicked the snow beneath his feet, clearly


    not pleased.


    Gracie turned to look at him. His side profile was striking, just like the handsome men she¡¯d seen in


    smiled, ¡°Gracie, don¡¯t stare at me like that. I already have someone I like. I¡¯m not interested in you.¡±


    Gracie was left speechless. She was just admiring his good looks, nothing more. Her heart belonged to


    Rickon.


    Hearing Yates mention this, Gracie remembered something and asked, ¡°Yates, how did you end up


    with Joana?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± Yates let out a chuckle.


    He pped the snow off a tree branch and casually asked, ¡°How did you find out about Joana and


    me?¡±


    ¡°I saw you two having dinner together yesterday. Astrid saw it too.¡± The moment Gracie finished her


    sentence, Yates¡® eyes widened. ¡°What? Astrid saw us? She didn¡¯t misunderstand, did she?¡± Yates


    violently kicked the tree next to him, causing the snow to fall.


    At the same time, the group of people in the distance finally reached them.


    Only then did Gracie see what they were carrying: clothes, jewelry, food, drinks, toys, etc.


    Some were even carrying cameras, apparently there for an interview.


    ¡­Reporters were one thing, but there were even people dressed as servants!


    They actually brought a whole crew to cater to Astrid?


    What was Yates thinking? Hadn¡¯t he considered the consequences?


    Gracie was speechless, her tone growing cold, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Yates: ¡°You think the food provided by the crew is edible? I brought a world¨Css chef to ensure


    Astrid¡¯s diet; I also brought a stylist, makeup artist, and fashion designer, with dozens of outfits to make


    sure she looks stunning in this drama.¡±


    ¡°Also, I¡¯ve arranged an exclusive interview for Astrid.¡±


    ¡°Yates, I know you like Astrid, but what you¡¯re doing might cause unnecessary trouble for her. She just


    wants to focus on her work and doesn¡¯t want any special treatment. Gracie knew Astrid very well and


    understood what she really wanted.


    Besides, there were many people in the crew, and once the news spread out, it could be twisted.

 Chapter 300

    Chapter 300


    Media would definitely say that Astrid refused to dine with the crew, and she even brought servants on


    set!


    She¡¯d be theughing stock for sure.


    ¡°You really didn¡¯t think this through. Now I see why Astrid said you could only be friends and not lovers,


    Gracie finished, and Yates¡¯s face visibly stiffened. He frowned at Gracie, his voice deep as he asked,


    ¡°Did she really say that?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Gracie nodded helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you, you¡¯re not a match for Elio. Even though Elio has


    done some things that hurt Astrid, he always considers things from her perspective first and doesn¡¯t put


    her in a difficult situation.¡±


    Honestly, Elio was pretty careful about everything.


    For instance, to prevent the rest of the crew from saying Astrid received special treatment, he paid to


    upgrade the rooms for the other main actors, so no oneined anymore,


    Yates didn¡¯t know what he did wrong, he was somewhat distressed, ¡°I did all this out of consideration


    for her.¡±


    ¡°Is it the same? Once these things appear, the reprimands from the crew will put pressure on Astrid.¡±


    Gracie hadn¡¯t finished speaking when she saw Astrid walking towards them.


    She quickly grabbed a jacket to put on Astrid, ¡°Astrid, how¡¯s it going? Is the scene over? Are you cold?¡±


    ¡°The snow is too heavy, the director said we¡¯ll take a break today.¡± Astrid looked at Gracie¡¯s red face


    from the cold, then said, ¡°I told you to go back, why don¡¯t you listen? If you don¡¯t go back, I¡¯ll dock your


    pay!¡±


    Gracie: ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll go back right away!¡±


    ¡°Yates, what the hell are you doing? I¡¯m here to film, not to vacation. Why did you bring so many


    people?¡± Astrid looked at therge crowd and was speechless.


    She had just managed to stop Brandon, and now Yates shows up.


    Seeing the interview crew nearby, Astrid¡¯s gaze at Yates became even colder.


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s gaze, Yates knew he messed up and quickly apologized, ¡°Astrid, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s okay if


    you¡¯re mad, but don¡¯t look at me with that cold gaze.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fit for Style Icon at all. Did you use your


    power to threaten them intoing?¡± As soon as Astrid¡¯s words fell, Yates guiltily lowered his head.


    Astrid knew she had guessed right and turned to the reporters and staff, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my friend¡¯s


    impulsive behavior. I will reimburse your travel expenses, and thanks for making the trip. I know the


    standards of your magazine, I will work hard to improve myself, and hope to get the opportunity for an


    exclusive interview through my own efforts in the future.¡±


    Style Icon is an authoritative international entertainment magazine. The reporter Sabina who came


    today is an excellent journalist. In fact, they were all unhappy on the way because the higher¨Cups


    strongly requested them toe.


    Not to mention a newbie star like Astrid, even some A¨Clist stars can¡¯t make it onto their magazine.


    They originally thought it was Astrid¡¯s sponsor wanting to do an interview, but after hearing what Astrid


    said, they realized they misunderstood her.


    Seeing how polite Astrid was, their anger subsided quite a bit.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 301

    Chapter 301


    Sabina chuckled, ¡°I believe Ms. Irvine has a bright future ahead of her. I also look forward to doing an


    exclusive interview with Ms. Irvine one day. Let¡¯s say goodbye today, bye!¡±


    ¡°Yates Hamilton, you should see them off and remember to pay all bills,¡± After finishing her words,


    Astrid Irvine shot Yates a look.


    Although Yates looked unhappy, he followed her advice. He even dismissed the cook and the servants,


    afraid that Astrid would kick him out in a fit of


    anger.


    As they left,Gracie heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°Astrid, Yates is unreliable. If we don¡¯t get rid of him, he¡¯s


    bound to cause trouble!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle it. Let¡¯s go.¡± Astrid looped her arm through Gracie¡¯s and they headed back to


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    the hotel, with Gracie grumbling about Yates all the way.


    Once back at the hotel, Astrid took a bath and then lounged on the sofa, reading her script.


    Not long after, the doorbell rang.


    She went to open the door and saw Yates standing in the doorway sneakily.


    Astrid was speechless, ¡°Yates, did you forget to take your medicine or did you overdose?¡±


    ¡°No. Gracie said that I don¡¯t consider you much. But I thought if I just showed up, people would say you


    were having a secret rendezvous with a sugar daddy or something. So I disguised myself like this. How


    about it?¡± Yates said, winking at Astrid smugly.


    ¡°Whatever, juste in.¡± Astrid pulled Yates inside and shut the door.


    Looking around at the decor in the room, Yates suddenly said, ¡°This ce looks familiar, and so does


    this couch.¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    Yates said, ¡°Oh, right. Astrid, I came to exin about me and Joana!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to exin. Wish you two a happy life and early birth.¡± Astrid was holding a lot of


    scripts. She didn¡¯t even raise her eyelids. Her tone was very perfunctory.


    Seeing this, Yates became anxious, ¡°Astrid, are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone, I have to read my script!¡± Astrid had been friends with Yates since they were kids, so


    cursing was the norm for them.


    Yates justughed it off, ¡°Joana¡¯s the one who¡¯s been chasing me!¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    Yates said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, she¡¯s my rtive¡¯s child. But we¡¯re not rted by blood. I¡¯ve always seen


    her as a little sister. Then out of the blue, she started liking me, she wanted to sleep with me!¡±


    Astrid was taken aback, ¡°And you slept with her?¡±


    Yates, ¡°No way. I know she has a sugar daddy. She is a woman who¡¯s willing to be an old man¡¯s toy for


    her career, so I will never touch her!¡±


    And then, before Yates could finish his sentence, Astrid¡¯s phone rang.


    She picked it up. It was a video call from Roman Lampard, so she immediately answered with a smile,


    ¡°Roman, is school over?¡±


    Roman said, ¡°Mom, Gracie told me it¡¯s snowing over there. Is that true?¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s snowing pretty heavily.¡±


    ¡°Then you need to dress warmly, Mom. Since I¡¯m not there to take care of you, you have to make sure


    you don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Roman¡¯s brow furrowed, looking very serious.


    Seeing him like this, Astrid¡¯s heart softened, ¡°Okay, Roman, I will take good care of myself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of your mom for you!¡± Yates suddenly popped into the frame, making a


    funny face at Roman.


    The moment Roman saw him, he cried out as if he¡¯d seen an enemy, ¡°Elio Lampard, there¡¯s a home


    wrecker!¡±


    Home wrecker?

 Chapter 302

    Chapter 302


    Elio never expected to find Yates in Astrid¡¯s room. He wasn¡¯t worried about Astrid falling for Yates, he


    just wasn¡¯t keen on them being alone together. ¡°You can¡¯t be talking like this. I¡¯m not the home wrecker,


    Yates said, clearly miffed.


    If Astrid wasn¡¯t present, Yates would¡¯ve probably lost his temper by now.


    How could he possibly be the home wrecker?


    If anyone¡¯s the home wrecker here, it¡¯s Elio, because Yates had known Astrid since kindergarten!


    But this kid was Astrid¡¯s little darling, so he couldn¡¯t lose his cool with him. So he swallowed his


    annoyance, ¡°Your mom and I go way back. I¡¯m not the home wrecker.¡±


    ¡°You are, you definitely are!¡± Roman was getting upset, ¡°Mom, even though Elio¡¯s not the best Dad, I


    don¡¯t want a stepdad.¡±


    ¡°Abbas from my ss told me his stepdad hits him a lot and doesn¡¯t feed him. I don¡¯t want a stepdad.¡±


    Astrid And Elio were both speechless.


    Watching her son fake crying on the screen, Astrid suddenly realized that her son was talented in


    acting.


    This kid¡¯s imagination was very strong.


    Yates had only said one sentence, and he immediately thought of having a stepdad.


    Even though she knew her son was fake crying, Astrid still reassured him, ¡°Roman, don¡¯t worry. He is


    thest man I want to marry. So he won¡¯t be your stepdad.¡±


    ¡°Great! Yay! That¡¯s awesome!¡± Roman immediately stopped crying and high¨Cfived Elio in celebration.


    Yates felt like he¡¯d been sucker punched, ¡°Astrid, what do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°It means exactly what I said. I only see you as a friend. I don¡¯t have feelings for you. I don¡¯t like you, so


    I won¡¯t be with you. I must¡¯ve said this at least ten times, right?¡± Astrid got up and walked into the


    kitchen, and Yates followed her.


    She turned around to see Yates looking at her with a pitiful expression, ¡°Astrid, you¡¯ve changed. You


    weren¡¯t like this before.¡±


    When you confessed your feelings to me before, I blocked you. I was hoping you could forget about me


    and find someone to spend your life with. So if you are still making trouble now, I can still ignore you.¡±


    Yates said, ¡°My god, you¡¯re so ruthless.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better leave now, or it¡¯ll ruin my image if this is caught on camera.¡± Astrid pulled Yates up,


    opened the door, and pushed him out.


    Yates stood outside, looking at the closed door, and casually whistled as he left.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d been kicked out, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    Astrid sat back down on the sofa and continued video chatting with Roman. ¡°Roman, how have you


    been doing at school recently?¡±


    Roman said, ¡°I¡¯ve been doing well. All the teachers say I¡¯m the smartest.


    Elio immediately startedplimenting them, ¡°You must be very smart, your mom is a smart woman


    after all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m lucky that I inherited my mom¡¯s brains. If I had inherited your intelligence, I might have trouble


    even finding a wife.¡± As soon as Roman finished talking, he could feel the atmosphere around him


    drop.


    Afraid of being hit by Elio, Roman started crying again, ¡°Mom, you should find me a stepdad after all. A


    biological dad who hits is worse than a stepdad.¡± Elio And Astrid were speechless again.

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    Chapter 303


    If the video call had ended, Elio would¡¯ve punched Roman,


    With strong support from his Mom, Roman had be increasingly unscrupulous.


    But it was because of Roman that he could asionally see her in the video calls. Otherwise, he didn¡¯t


    know when he¡¯d see her again.


    Astrid had a long chat with Roman again. Elio saw Astrid yawn several times, so he gently tapped


    Roman¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°Your mom is tired, you should say goodnight.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Roman obediently blew a big kiss at the screen. ¡°Good night, Mom. Love you.¡±


    Astridughed softly, ¡°I love you too. Be obedient and listen to Dad.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± Roman ended the video call, turned around, and met Elio¡¯s icy stare.


    Scared of being punched, he immediately grabbed his phone and bolted upstairs.


    Elio was scrolling through Instagram and saw a selfie of Astrid and Gracie in the snow. His lips curled


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    up involuntarily.


    They had only been apart for a few days, but it felt like he hadn¡¯t seen her for a long time.


    He was starting to miss her.


    As the temperature dropped day by day, everyone in the crew suffered a lot.


    One night, Astrid was about to go to bed when she heard amotion outside, along with vague


    screams and cries.


    She quickly got dressed and saw a crowd gathered outside a room at the end of the corridor. The


    crew¡¯s medical staff were there too. Seeing everyone¡¯s tense faces, Astrid didn¡¯t hesitate. She hurried


    over, grabbed Gracie, and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who lives in this room?¡±


    Q


    Gracie replied, ¡°Bernice! She fell ill suddenly not long after she arrived, and the doctors couldn¡¯t figure


    out what the disease was. The heavy snow blocked the roads, so the ambnce from town can¡¯t get


    here! She¡¯s been in a lot of dramas I like. I hope she¡¯s okay! Bernice was a popr actress in the


    1990s. She hasn¡¯t done any film in ages. Lots of TV and film makers couldn¡¯t get her. I didn¡¯t expect our


    director managed to invite her!¡±


    Bernice? Astrid¡¯s expression darkened instantly.


    The director had mentioned that a prestigious actress would guest star as the female lead¡¯s mentor, but


    she hadn¡¯t expected it to be Bernice. Bernice was Hawthorne Cliff¡¯s aunt, and they had met abroad


    before.


    Astrid took one look at Bernice¡¯s purplish face and said coldly, ¡°Everybody, step back. Open the


    windows in the corridor and the room to keep the air circting.¡±


    ¡®Gracie, go get my medical kit from my room. Hurry!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Gracie didn¡¯t hesitate and ran off immediately.


    Dr. Eaton from the medical team saw this scene and immediately stopped her. ¡°What are you going to


    do? Nobody can touch her now!¡±


    Astrid retorted coldly, ¡°Dr. Eaton, Bernice is in a very dangerous state right now. Since you can¡¯t save


    her, you shouldn¡¯t prevent others from trying. Are you going to just let her die here?¡±


    Dr. Eaton said, ¡°You have no idea about this. How can you save her? Saving lives isn¡¯t just about


    talking. I¡¯m a professional doctor from a hospital. I can¡¯t even save her. What can you do?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Eaton, be quiet. Let her try.¡± Director Gaines stepped forward, gesturing everyone to step back.


    Then he looked at Astrid and asked, ¡°Astrid, are you sure that you can save her?¡±


    ¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°I need to examine her in detail to be sure. But Gaines, rest assured, I will do my utmost


    to save her.¡±

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    Chapter 304


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡± Gaines didn¡¯t expect this to happen right after taking Bernice in. He didn¡¯t blindly trust


    Astrid. Anyone who can earn the admiration of the renowned doctor Keen Banfield was certainly not an


    ordinary person.


    ¡®Astrid, Astrid, your med kit!¡± Gracie lugged over Astrid¡¯s medical kit, tired and out of breath.


    While others¡® med kits were small, Astrid¡¯s was as big as her suitcase and quite heavy.


    If she wasn¡¯t strong, she wouldn¡¯t be able to lift it.


    ¡°If she dies, it¡¯s her responsibility! Dr. Eaton said angrily.


    ¦¯


    Hearing this, Gracie was dissatisfied and was about to refute. But Palmer spoke first: ¡°You said you


    can¡¯t save her, so why it is her fault if she can¡¯t save her as well? Besides, you are ipetent doesn¡¯t


    mean that she is also ipetent, so get out of here and stop interfering others!¡± ¡°Everyone, get out,


    just have a few keep watch outside.¡± Gaines shooed them away, and Astrid dragged her suitcase into


    the room.


    Palmer whispered, ¡°Do you need my help? I was an internal medicine doctor before I became an


    actor.¡±


    ¡°No need, thanks.¡± Astrid closed the door behind her, leaving Gaines restless outside.


    The assistant director kept nagging, ¡°Gaines, what are we going to do? If Bernice dies, our drama is


    over! We¡¯ve prepared so long, spent so much money, hired so many people. If someone in the crew


    dies, the investors will pull out and our drama is over then!¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Gaines red at Randal, ¡°What¡¯s more important, human life or the


    drama?-Bernice is seriously ill and you¡¯re still worried about the drama and the investors?¡±


    Randal snapped, ¡°I¡¯s there something wrong with me caring about the drama? Not everyone is like you.


    Many people rely on this drama for their livelihood!¡±


    ¡°Astrid is too young to know anything. Bernice might have held on until the ambnce arrived, but


    being tossed so much by Astrid, maybe she will die soon!¡±


    ¡°Gaines, what were you thinking? Why did you agree to let Astrid treat Bernice?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Gaines had a headache from Randal¡¯s incessant nagging. ¡°Astrid is not as ipetent as


    you think, and she¡¯s not someone you can afford to mess with!¡±


    Randal was even more upset to hear Gaines defend Astrid, ¡°She¡¯s pretty and that¡¯s all. Do you think


    she¡¯s a know¨Cit¨Call? She can act, do magic, and dance, but can she also do medicine?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, she¡¯s a shameless woman!¡±


    ¡°E¨Csports bigwigs gave her support. The Olympic champion also support her. Someone gave her a


    fancy car, and someone else gave her diamonds as presents. She must have slept with them, or why


    would they like her?¡±


    Randal kept talking on and on.


    Gracie had been patient, but she couldn¡¯t stand Randal¡¯s harsh words anymore. ¡°Randal, we once


    respected you. We didn¡¯t offend you, or talk about your personal life. Why are you so hostile towards


    us?¡±

 Chapter 305

    Chapter 305


    ¡°Alright, listen to this¡­¡± Randal was taken aback when this assistant dared to talk back to him, and his


    temper red up instantly.


    He strode over to Gracie, just as he was about to talk, the closed door suddenly opened.


    Seeing Astrid appear in the doorway, Randal immediately pointed at her and said, ¡°I told you she is


    ipetent, right? Look, Bernice is still lying there, she¡­¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Before Randal could finish his sentence, Astrid stepped forward and quickly shoved something into his


    mouth.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± A bitter and spicy taste filled his mouth, and then Randal was horrified to find that he couldn¡¯t


    speak!


    His throat felt like it was on fire, and Randal turned to look at Astrid.


    Astrid winked at him, ¡°Oh, Randal, why don¡¯t you continue talking?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you that this pill is from the ck market. There is no information about its


    production date, ce of origin, or manufacturer. I have no idea what side effects it might have.¡±


    ¡°The person who sold it to me said it¡¯s for noisy and brainless people. The more nonsense they talk,


    the faster their tongue rots!¡±


    Hearing this, Randal was scared to tears.and ran to find Dr. Eaton.


    Dr. Eaton couldn¡¯t do anything, so he ran back to beg Astrid.


    Astrid leaned against the door with her arms folded and a smirk on her face, ¡°Randal, are you begging


    me? No, I can¡¯t handle that. Who is Astrid? Just a shameless woman. Why are you afraid of me?¡±


    Randal couldn¡¯t believe Astrid had heard those words, and he felt incredibly guilty..


    He tried to open his mouth, but he couldn¡¯t make a sound, his tongue began to sting as if it was about


    to rot at any moment.


    Gaines stepped forward and said: ¡°Astrid, it¡¯s true that he said something wrong, but since I¡¯ve worked


    with him for so many years, I hope you can give him a chance.¡±


    Being in the film industry for many years, Gaines had an eye for things that most people didn¡¯t.


    He had seen the famous Dr. Keen respect Astrid in the hotel, so he knew Astrid was no an ordinary


    person.


    ¡°Randal has freedom of speech, let him speak. Gracie, go get the megaphone from my room so Randal


    can express himself!¡± After Astrid finished speaking, Gracie immediately ran back to her room.


    In no time, Gracie came back with a small megaphone and handed it to Randal, ¡°Here, speak your


    mind. If you don¡¯t speak up now, you won¡¯t get the antidote, and once your tongue rots, there¡¯s no


    saving it. We don¡¯t even know when the roadblock will be lifted.¡±


    Looking at Randal, Gracie felt a great sense of satisfaction.


    ¡°¡­ah, ah¡­¡± Randal couldn¡¯t speak, but he didn¡¯t dare not to, so he just kept making noises.


    Astrid turned and went back into the room. She saw that Bernice¡¯splexion was much better, then


    she breathed a sigh of relief.


    About half an hourter, Bernice slowly woke up, ¡°Star¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. Have a good rest.¡± Astrid stopped Bernice¡¯s attempt to get up and covered her with the


    nket.


    Bernice reached out and gently grabbed Astrid¡¯s hand. Her eyes filled with tears, ¡°Star, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Sorry?

 Chapter 306

    Chapter 306


    Astrid was bbergasted for a moment and immediately understood. Bernice was probably apologizing


    for everything Hawthorne had done.


    ¡°Bernice, we all know it¡¯s Hawthorne who screwed up. He¡¯s the one who should be saying sorry, not


    you.¡± Astrid didn¡¯t know Bernice that well. They¡¯d only met a few times.


    She didn¡¯t want to say anything more.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Bernice took a deep breath, ¡°Star, to be honest, Hawthorne is just too into you. That¡¯s why he


    did what he did.¡±


    O


    ¡®Bernice, since you¡¯re okay now, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Astrid knew Bernice was here to bat for Hawthorne, but


    she couldn¡¯t forget what Hawthorne did. ¡°Star, don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go.¡± Bernice suddenly sat up. She quickly


    got up and grabbed Astrid. There was a sound, and a stic bottle fell to the ground. Seeing that thing


    roll away, a flicker of panic crossed Bernice¡¯s face. She wanted to pick it up, but Astrid picked up the


    bottle first!


    Astrid noticed that Bernice looked a bit off. She found that there was something wrong with the stic


    bottle!


    She gently opened the bottle cap, took a sniff, then her eyes turned icy. ¡°Bernice, why on earth would


    you poison yourself?¡±


    When things came to light, Bernice was a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Star, but if I didn¡¯t do this, you


    wouldn¡¯t even see me! Your dad knows about what Hawthorne did and now he wants to cut ties with


    the Cliff family. Hawthorne¡¯s been at home not eating or drinking, he¡¯s dying!¡±


    ¡°After all, he¡¯s also my rtive. I can¡¯t just watch him die like this, so I came up with this n to get


    close to you.¡±


    ¡°Star, can you forgive him?¡±


    Astrid looked at the woman in front of her, bit her lip softly, and said nothing.


    Bernice was a legend in the 1990s. All these yearster, she¡¯s still a stunner in her forties.


    To her fans, she was a goddess, a princess.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Two years ago, Bernice visited her house. She rolled up her pants like any ordinary person to catch fish


    and shrimp in the river. After dinner, she even insisted on doing the dishes,pletely disregarding her


    status.


    People said Bernice had been hurt by a man before, so she never married.


    It was said that Bernice had a son, but nobody knew who he was.


    Astrid used to believe that Bernice was an angel, but after seeing what Bernice did today, she started


    to have doubts.


    This woman wasn¡¯t as gentle and kind as she appeared on the outside.


    In order to get close to her, she even poisoned herself. Bernice was just like Hawthorne, willing to do


    anything to achieve her goals.


    Astrid sighed helplessly. Looking up, Bernice had already started crying. ¡°Star, can¡¯t you save


    Hawthorne? If you don¡¯t forgive him, he¡¯s going to die!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here apologizing to you. Can¡¯t you just give


    him a call, chat with him for a bit? You can yell at him, he will eat just by hearing your voice.¡± ¡°He¡¯s sick.


    If he doesn¡¯t start eating, it¡¯s going to be life¨Cthreatening.¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Astrid cut Bernice off. Her voice was cold. ¡°Bernice, all of this is just a facade. As his family


    member, don¡¯t you know what kind of person he is? Don¡¯t you understand what¡¯s going on with his


    illness?¡±

 Chapter 307

    Chapter 307


    Bernice did not expect Astrid to disregard their past friendship, and she was left speechless. ¡°Star¡­¡±


    ¡°He is indeed sick, but not to the extent that he could die at any time. To tell you the truth, he¡¯s just


    pretending to be seriously ill to gain my sympathy.¡±


    ¡°Bernice, did you forget that I was once a medical student? I¡¯ve already read Hawthorne¡¯s medical


    records. As long as he doesn¡¯t hurt himself on purpose, he can still live for at least another decade.¡±


    ¡°He tries to gain my sympathy by starving himself, then let him starve!¡±


    After saying those, Astrid mmed the door shut and stormed off.


    Bernice stood where she was, her face of sadness quickly faded. She wiped the tears from her face,


    her eyes filled with sorrow.


    In the corridor, Gaines saw Astriding out and immediately asked, ¡°How¡¯s Bernice?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s awake, you guys can go rest now,¡± Astrid said. Gaines, along with everyone else, breathed a


    sigh of relief.


    Gaines pointed at Randal who was holding a small megaphone, ¡°Astrid, he¡­¡±


    Astrid cut him off, ¡°It¡¯s just an anesthetic for his vocal cords with a bit of hot sauce, he will recover in a


    few hours. If Randal talks nonsense about me next time, I might just throw some sulfuric acid into his


    mouth.¡±


    Sulfuric acid?


    Randal got chills all over his body from Astrid¡¯s cold gaze. He did not expect Astrid to know medical


    techniques!


    Even Dr. Eaton was helpless with Bernice¡¯s condition, but Astrid managed to cure her.


    Looking at Gaines¡¯s expression, he seemed to know something.


    Astrid was no ordinary person. She probably had powerful backing. Crossing her might make his life


    difficult.


    But there were no such thing as undo button in this world; all he could do was avoid provoking Astrid.


    Astrid yawned and left with Gracie.


    Gracie asked, ¡°Is Bernice okay now?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Astrid looked at Gracie, ¡°If Bernice tries to get close to you, don¡¯t give away too much about me.¡±


    ¡°I will never reveal your personal affairs to others,¡± Gracie hodded, then asked, ¡°But why would she


    want to know about your personal affairs?¡± Astrid grabbed a bag of chips and sat on the couch,


    ¡°Because she¡¯s Hawthorne¡¯s rtive. She came to apologize on behalf of Hawthorne, hoping I would


    give Hawthorne a chance.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gracie felt like she missed a big scoop, ¡°Bernice is Hawthorne¡¯s rtive? No wonder they¡¯re


    all so good¨Clooking!¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t understand why Bernice would do this. Hawthorne has done something unforgivable. As


    Hawthorne¡¯s rtive, she must know what kind of person he is.¡±


    ¡°How could she, if she truly cares about you, push you back to such a terrible person?¡±


    ¡°Wow, Gracie, you¡¯re seeing things clearly this time around?¡± Astrid ate a chip, leaned back on the


    couch, and closed her eyes, ¡°Anyway, this woman isplicated. Let¡¯s just try to avoid her in the


    future.¡±


    Gracie nodded, ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°By the way, I feel like our colleagues have been avoiding us recently, and I¡¯m not sure why.¡±


    ¡°Especially the actresses, their attitudes are just iprehensible!¡±


    Astrid shrugged indifferently, ¡°Those actresses are just upset that I got the female leading role. Let¡¯s go


    home and rest, goodnight, Gracie.¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

 Chapter 308

    Chapter 308


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going back to sleep, good night.¡± yawned Gracie, looking a bit pooped.


    Astrid stretched outzily, but inside, she was feeling a bit irritable.


    All she wanted was to snag the Best Actress award, but it seemed so difficult,


    It¡¯s like there was always someone getting in her way.


    Astrid didn¡¯t know when she had fallen asleep, but when Gracie called to wake her up the next day, she


    was sleepy.


    But thinking about the loads of scenes she still had to shoot, she dragged herself out of bed.


    After a few days of snow, the weather finally cleared up.


    The sun wasn¡¯t exactly warm, but it felt good on her skin.


    1


    ¡°Astrid, we¡¯ve got a few fight scenes today. To avoid any idents, please let a stand¨Cin shoot those


    scenes for you.¡± Worried about Astrid, Gaines suggested again that she used a stand¨Cin.


    Astrid shook her head, ¡°No need. Just get the fight choreographer to run me through the moves. I


    should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright, give it a shot. If it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll bring in the stand¨Cin.¡± He repeatedly reminded her to be


    careful, then left.


    After a while, the fight choreographer, Fabian, arrived. He looked at Astrid¡¯s thin figure and said with


    concern. ¡°Ms. Irvine, are you sure? We¡¯ve got a stand¨Cin. Even the leading man is using a stand¨Cin.


    You don¡¯t have to work so hard.¡±


    ¡°No problem. I learned martial arts for a while. So I should be able to get started quickly. Just teach me


    the moves. I want to rehearse with my partners beforehand, otherwise, I¡¯m afraid I might hurt them,¡±


    Astrid¡¯s words made Fabian chuckle.


    Hurt someone?


    He¡¯d be happy if she didn¡¯t get hurt by others.


    Fabian said, ¡°There¡¯s a horseback fight scene this afternoon. I still rmend you use a stand¨Cin. It¡¯s


    genuinely dangerous.¡±


    ¡°No need, honestly. When I was learning horseback riding at the equestrian club, even the coach said I


    had a knack for it. I ride pretty well, Astrid was telling the truth, but Fabian thought she was joking, so


    he didn¡¯t take it seriously.


    Astrid insisted on doing it by herself, so Fabian began to instruct her.


    The other actors watching the hard¨Cworking Astrid couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Is Astrid losing it? Is she


    trying to y themitted professional?¡± The supporting actress, Iris,ughed, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see


    Gaines praising her every day? Everyone else is using a stand¨Cin, but she wants to stand out.¡± ¡°Aikin,


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    you have a scene with herter. Will you show mercy?¡±


    Aikin smirked, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    Irisughed, ¡°You¡¯re a famous martial arts star. If you don¡¯t hold back, won¡¯t you hurt her?¡±


    1


    ¡°She¡¯s been told to use a stand¨Cin, but she won¡¯t. If anything happens, she can¡¯t me anyone else.¡±


    Aikin looked at the hard¨Cworking Astrid in the distance, his expressionplicated.


    At lunch break, Astrid was still practicing her moves.


    As soon as Aikin arrived on set, Fabian ran over to him, ¡°Aikin, could you rehearse the fight scene with


    Astrid in advance?¡±


    ¡°Fabian, how did you get hurt?¡± Aikin looked at the bruise on Fabian¡¯s face. He was furious. ¡°Did Astrid


    forget her moves and hit you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s my fault,¡± Fabian felt a bit embarrassed. He couldn¡¯t admit he¡¯d been defeated by Astrid


    during practice.


    Fabian patted Aikin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°All in all, you¡¯d better rehearse with her. Otherwise, you might get hurt.¡±

 Chapter 309

    Chapter 309


    ¡°Me, get hurt? Impossible.¡± Aikin brushed off Fabian¡¯s words and walked away with scorn.


    Astrid was standing under a tree practicing her fight moves when she saw Gracie running over with a


    grim face.


    Before Astrid could even ask what was wrong, Gracie grabbed her arm and asked seriously, ¡°Astrid,


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    can you ride a horse?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Seeing the expression on Gracie¡¯s face, Astrid yfully tapped her head with a script, ¡°Anger


    ages people.¡°.


    Gracie plopped down, her face stormy. ¡°I just came from over there. There was a bunch of people


    huddled in the prop room, and I have no idea what they were doing. So I sneaked a peek, and they


    scattered as soon as they saw me!¡±


    ¡°Then I heard them setting up a bet on how many times you¡¯ll be knocked off your horse by Aikin this


    afternoon! It made my blood boil!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Astrid raised an eyebrow, ¡°Just a gamble, why are you pissed off?¡±


    ¡°Some people¡¯s words were too harsh, so I couldn¡¯t help but go over and argue with them.¡± Gracie


    pouted. ¡°Then they kept provoking me and you know my temper, I couldn¡¯t help it, so I bet with them!¡±


    ¡°If I lose, I have to stand outside for an hour in a short sleeve shirt. If they lose, they all have to stand


    outside for an hour in short sleeves!¡±


    ¡°But then I realized they tricked me. They did it on pur


    purpose, but I already signed the bet!¡±


    At this point, Gracie was very regretful, ¡°Ever since I became your assistant, I¡¯ve been¨Ctrying to control


    my temper, but I can¡¯t stand them talking bad about you!¡±


    ¡°Do not be angry.¡± Astrid patted Gracie¡¯s back, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you freeze outside.¡±


    Those who bully Gracie are bullying her.


    How could her Gracie be bullied? She must win this bet for Gracie!


    Q


    ¡°Really?¡± Gracie was still a bit worried, ¡°I¡¯m not doubting you, Astrid, but Aikin seems to be very


    powerful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Astrid¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°By the way, who are the people involved in


    this bet?¡±


    ¡°I have a list here. Take a look.¡± Gracie pulled out the signed note from her pocket. Astrid looked at the


    list and a sly smile crept up her lips.


    ¡°Gracie,e here, I have something to tell you.¡± Astrid gave Gracie a mischievous look, and Gracie


    immediately leaned in.


    They filmed a few scenes in the studio in the afternoon, then started filming outside.


    Word about Gracie¡¯s bet with Iris quickly spread around the set. No one believed Astrid could win. After


    all, Aikin was good at fight skills.


    He had been a fight choreographer before. Later, due to his good looks and decent acting skills, he


    gradually transitioned to acting and had a reputation in the industry.


    Astrid is good¨Clooking and a magician. But she had to fight in the scenes, not just create the illusion


    like magic.


    And Aikin was stronger than Astrid by andslide. As long as he did not show any mercy, Astrid would


    be defeated.


    Gaines arrived on set and was immediately displeased when he heard about the bet. He called Aikin


    and Astrid over and asked, ¡°Aikin, what the hell are you doing?¡±

 Chapter 310

    Chapter 310


    ¡°Gaines, I didn¡¯t do anything. We were just betting whether Astrid would take a tumble while filming.


    After all, filming action scenes is a different ball game, it¡¯s normal to fall,¡±


    Aikin couldn¡¯t understand Gaines¡® preference for Astrid, so he continued to say, ¡°Besides, this time,


    Astrid¡¯s assistant voluntarily signed the bet with us. No one forced her.¡±


    ¡°If you overprotect Astrid, it might cause dissatisfaction among everyone. It¡¯s just a little bet. We don¡¯t


    have any recreational activity to do in this freezing winter, and this bet could be a good distraction.¡±


    Just as Aikin finished, the director¡¯s face turned serious.


    Seeing this, Astrid suddenly said, ¡°Gaines, it doesn¡¯t matter, I will definitely win. I¡¯ve had a few horse


    riding lessons before. My coach said I¡¯m a natural because I can stay on the horse for several rounds!


    So I can definitely win!¡±


    Hearing this, Aikin snickered inwardly.


    Just a few riding lessons? Being called a prodigy just because you can stay on a horse? How stupid.


    He was sure he would win this bet.


    As Aikin was about to leave, he turned around and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re a prodigy, I guess you wouldn¡¯t


    mind our little bet. How about we make it more interesting?¡±


    Astrid smiled faintly, thinking the original bet was too boring.


    To bait Aikin, Astrid arrogantly said, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of any challenge, what do you want to bet?¡±


    ¡°If I lose, all of us in the bet will have to run around the set shirtless, yelling ¡®I¡¯m a trash!¡°,¡±


    Aikin raised his eyebrows, looking extremely pleased, ¡°But if you and Gracie lose, You shall also


    receive the same punishment!¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t expect Aikin to propose such a bet, so she asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Aikin replied, ¡°I¡¯m sure. Dare to take the bet?¡±


    Astrid lifted her chin and said, ¡°How could I be afraid! And I will never lose!¡±


    ¡°You are the one who changed the punishment. What if the others don¡¯t ept it? You can go find


    them and make a record as evidence. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you guys running shirtless in the


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    snow.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know who will end up running shirtless yet!¡± Aikin was unsure where Astrid got the courage


    to ept his bet, but he had been annoyed by Gaines¡® favoritism towards Astrid for a while and he


    wouldn¡¯t miss a chance to embarrass her.


    Aikin managed to get everyone¡¯s agreement to change the punishment and even recorded it. The bet


    was officially on.


    Gaines was still worried, but this was Astrid¡¯s decision, so he couldn¡¯t interfere.


    Astrid couldn¡¯t bet with Aikin during filming, so she got Gaines to referee during her break.


    Due to a previous incident where an actor fell off a horse and got injured, Gaines reced the horses


    with fake ones and even padded the ground.


    The performance in the afternoon attracted arge audience, and most were there to see Astrid fail.


    Some people don¡¯t want Astrid¡¯s acting career go smoothly, so they always look forward to her making


    mistakes.


    Iris saw Aikining over, quickly pulled him aside, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you sure about


    this? What if you lose?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Astrid¡¯s a dunce. Didn¡¯t you see how stupid she is? Have you contacted the reporters?¡±


    Aikin asked. ¡°Yep.¡± Iris nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve contacted several entertainment reporters. They¡¯re all waiting for


    Astrid to mess up!¡±

 Chapter 311

    Chapter 311


    ¡°Okay.¡± Aikin waved his weapon around, about to walk away when Iris grabbed him again.


    He turned to look at Iris, his tone showing a hint of impatience, ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡±


    Iris said, ¡°Astrid and I work for the samepany and we have conflicts over resources, so I have


    reasons to oppose her. But you and her have no conflicts of interest, so why are you targeting her?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my business. You don¡¯t need to know.¡± Aikin shrugged off Iris¡¯s grip and stride away.


    Iris watched Astrid chatting andughing with Gracie. A hint of viciousness shed across her face.


    She had been hustling in the entertainment industry for over a decade, but never had a chance to be


    the lead. This time she got the supporting role only because the previous actress stepped down due to


    a scandal.


    1


    Meanwhile, Astrid, who only did a small role in a web drama, got the lead role in a blockbuster. Even


    before the film was released, shended the lead role in this film.


    All this happened in just a few months! They¡¯re in the samepany. How could she swallow this?


    This time, she vowed topletely ruin Astrid¡¯s reputation.


    A few minutester, the contest began.


    Aikin walked into thepetition area only to find the prepared horse had been swapped for a fake


    one and thick padding wasid on the ground. Seeing this, Aikin irritably said, ¡°Gaines, what do you


    mean?? We agreed on a horsebackpetition, what¡¯s the point with a fake horse?¡±


    ¡°Aikin, enough is enough. You¡¯re a veteran. Horse riding and martial arts are no problem for you. But


    Astrid isn¡¯t good at these, so you¡¯re already bullying the weak. Do you really want her to fall off a real


    horse and get hurt?¡± Clearly, Gaines was pissed.


    Knowing that Gaines was worried about her, Astrid stepped forward and said, ¡°Gaines, thanks for your


    concern, but I want topete with him on a real horse. I want a convincing defeat!!¡±


    ¡°Astrid.. Gaines was exasperated, ¡°A real horse is unpredictable. I can¡¯t bear to risk it.¡±


    ¡°Gaines, Aikin and I are volunteering for thispetition. Even if something happens, it¡¯s our issue. I


    have prepared a waiver, both Aikin and I will sign.¡± Astrid knew she wouldn¡¯t lose, but she was worried


    that Aikin might ckmail the crew, hence the necessity for the waiver!


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Aikin indeed had this n, but Astrid signed the waiver in public first. He had nothing to say but to sign


    as well.


    in public


    Unable to dissuade Astrid, Gaines had no choice but to bring in real horses.


    He had medical staff on standby, just in case anything went wrong.


    Aikin mounted the horse gracefully, causing a few girls to gasp in admiration.


    Just when everyone thought Astrid would need help, she effortlessly got on the horse, her movements


    swift and sure, matching Aikin stride for stride, The onlookers were a bit dumbfounded. Can Astrid ride


    a horse?


    Those who signed the bet including Iris started to feel nervous because Astrid¡¯s horsemanship was


    obviously well¨Ctrained, even professional!


    ¡°Iris, what should we do? Astrid isn¡¯t gonna win, is she?¡± Actress Andrea whispered.


    Iris bit her lip nervously, ¡°Absolutely not. Aikin is an expert. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d lose to a newbie like


    Astrid!¡±


    Andrea: ¡°But from the looks of it, Astrid certainly knows how to ride a horse!¡±

 Chapter 312

    Chapter 312


    ¡°Even if she can ride a horse, so what? Can she still fight while riding? You need to keep in mind that


    Aikin is a professional martial artist!¡± Iris rebuked loudly, leaving Andrea speechless for a moment.


    Even though she said that, Iris was also feeling uneasy inside.


    The bet was made under Gaines¡® witness. If Astrid won, they would have to face the punishment of


    running around in the freezing weather. Even withyers of clothes, it would be cold.


    If they remove their down jackets, they would freeze to death!


    !


    What¡¯s more, she also invited reporters! If Astrid won, wouldn¡¯t she be the one caught in the


    embarrassing photos?! ?


    Her heart started to thump faster as she looked at Aikin and Astrid in front of her.


    Aikin was galloping on the horse, showing off his superior horsemanship and even swinging his prop


    weapon with one hand while riding. asionally, he performed some difficult moves, earning cheers


    from the crowd.


    *So amazing!¡±


    ¡°His martial arts moves are so cool!¡±


    You can tell he¡¯s a pro!¡±


    ¡°His moves are so cool. They are enough to scare Astrid off the horse!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing Astrid and her assistant running in the snow. Astrid¡¯s got a great figure!¡±


    Hearing some of thesements, Gracie and Selena were furious.


    ¡°These people are too much! We¡¯re all part of the same crew. How can they be so malicious towards


    us!¡± Selena stamped her foot in anger, but being timid. She didn¡¯t dare to speak up.


    Gracie was angry too but held it back, ¡°Selena, just watch. They¡¯ll get what they deserve soon!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Selena responded, still a little scared, ¡°Gracie, can Astrid ride a horse?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Gracie said with determination, ¡°My Astrid is a genius!¡±


    Selena nodded. She also thought highly of Astrid. She thought Astrid was already very talented, but


    Astrid kept pulling out new skills, constantly surprising everyone.


    Moreover, having been with Astrid for so long, she had some understanding of her.


    Astrid would not have agreed to this bet if she was not confident!


    After the crowd had been noisy for a while, Aikin said smugly, ¡°Astrid, do you see? No one thinks you


    can win.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you set this trap for Gracie. I¡¯ll make you pay for messing with me!¡± Astrid


    replied, causing Aikin to burst intoughter.


    He swung his weapon quickly, each move looking very fancy, earning a round of apuse from the


    crowd!


    Astrid looked at it for a while, then curled her lips in disdain, ¡°Exaggerated. Just as Astrid finished


    speaking, he swung his whip, and the horse rushed out immediately. Contrary to everyone¡¯s


    expectations, Astrid didn¡¯t fall off but sat as firm as a rock, looking very cool.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Aikin was stunned, even forgetting to swing his weapon.


    In that moment, Astrid had already ridden up to him. With one hand on the saddle, she leaped up and


    delivered a sweeping kick, knocking Aikin off his horse.

 Chapter 313

    Chapter 313


    Before anyone could even react, Astrid was already sat back on her horse steadily.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    The ce went dead silent in a heartbeat.


    What just happened?


    Did Astrid just kick Aikin off his horse?


    Wasn¡¯t Aikin supposed to be a master? How could he get beaten by a newbie like Astrid? Did he get


    taken down just like that?


    Even Aikin himself was still in shock, but he was indeed off his horse.


    Not only could Astrid ride, but she was also damn good at it, and she could even show off fight skills on


    horseback?


    She just kicked an experienced actor off his horse with one swift move?!


    Those who were justughing at Astrid for possibly getting scared off her horse by Aikin were now


    mute.


    They were all glued to Astrid like they¡¯d just seen some kind of monster.


    After the initial shock, Gracie was the first to snap out of it and shouted, ¡°Awesome! Astrid, I love you!¡±


    Selena: ¡°Incredible!¡±


    Their shouts snapped Iris out of her daze, who immediately shouted, ¡°That was a sneak attack. It


    doesn¡¯t count!¡±


    Everyone else: ¡°Exactly, sneak attack! That was a low blow!¡±


    ¡°Fair fights should be honorable. What¡¯s so great about a sneak attack?¡±


    ¡°Fight head¨Con if you dare!¡± Those who had ced bets were all fired up.


    Gracie and Selena were outnumbered, so they couldn¡¯t outshout them, and it was driving them nuts.


    Aikin never expected Astrid to be this skilled, ¡°Astrid, the sneak attack doesn¡¯t count. Let¡¯s go again!¡±


    ¡°Bring it on! I have plenty of ways to take you down. I won¡¯t stop till you surrender!¡± Astrid said with


    great confidence. Aikin who got beaten once wouldn¡¯t dare to belittle her anymore.


    Astrid was twirling her spear, whistling lightly, ¡°Hey, trash, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you suffer!¡± Aikin was enraged. He swung his weapon and shed towards Astrid.


    Astrid skillfully dodged, grabbed the saddle, and flipped over on the horse, pinning down Aikin¡¯s


    weapon with her legs.


    When Aikin tried to pull his weapon back, she suddenly let go, causing Aikin to lose his bnce and


    stagger back.


    Although he managed to stabilize himself, he found Astrid¡¯s spear pointed at his head the moment he


    got up.


    He grabbed the saddle and slid to the side to dodge, but his hand got hit hard twice. He felt a sharp


    pain in his hand, and he let go and fell off the horse. Everyone was shocked.


    They were all staring, mouth agape, at the girl on the horse, speechless.


    They could tell that Astrid must be skilled. Her moves werepletely overpowering Aikin.


    Astrid pointed her spear at Aikin, with a sly smile on her face, ¡°Still want to continue? Rookie!¡±


    ¡°Once more!¡± Aikin knew he had already lost the bet, but he couldn¡¯t believe he couldn¡¯t beat Astrid, so


    he got back on his horse.


    This time he didn¡¯t wait for Gaines to shout to start, he attacked right away!


    However, his attack was easily dodged by Astrid. When Aikin¡¯s body leaned towards her, Astrid quickly


    snapped her fingers at Aikin, then wagged her finger in front of his eyes, casually saying, ¡°You can get


    off now.¡±


    Next thing Aikin knew was he fell off his horse again.


    In the following minutes, Aikin presented everyone with a variety of ways to fall off a horse.

 Chapter 314

    Chapter 314


    Seeing Aikin tumble again and again, the crowd felt a pang in their hearts! However, Aikin had a


    stubborn character. He wouldn¡¯t give up so easily!


    He kept pushing on!


    Astrid was riding a horse and darting around the open field, all while munching on sunflower seeds and


    whacking him. She looked chuffed and satisfied. Everyone thought Aikin must¡¯ve lost his marbles, and


    Aikin himself questioned his sanity.


    He was clueless as to why he kept falling over, feeling like he would randomly tumble for no reason. It


    was as if he had forgotten something, but he couldn¡¯t recall what it was!


    Aikin was knackered, lying on the ground, unable to get up.


    Even with all his brainpower he couldn¡¯t figure it out, because he was hypnotized.


    Those who were hoping for Astrid to embarrass herself felt pretty awkward right about now. Not only


    did Astrid ace her studies, but she was also a magic master. She could break dance and was a whizz


    at horse riding and martial arts!


    This was a hard pill for them to swallow!


    The gamblers were kicking themselves. Had it not been for Iris and Aikin stirring the pot, they wouldn¡¯t


    have bet in the first ce!


    Astrid dismounted her horse gracefully, waving at Gracie.


    Gracie quickly brought the bet over, standing beside Astrid, radiating pride!


    ¡°Now, those who have signed the bet, please consciously fulfill the bet. Men should walk around the set


    topless, and women should walk around the set in tank tops shouting ¡®I¡¯m trash¡® all the while. The


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    change of the betting agreement was also approved by you, so now please consciously take off your


    clothes.¡±


    Iris and the others didn¡¯t budge, looking like they were trying to weasel their way out.


    Seeing this, a smirk appeared on Astrid¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, where did all your bravado go? Trying to cheat


    now?¡±


    Gaines stood by, not saying a word.


    After all, it was Aikin who started the squabble and they mutually agreed on the bet. There wasn¡¯t much


    to say.


    Though the crew forbade gambling, this bet didn¡¯t involve money, so he wouldn¡¯t intervene.


    Those who didn¡¯t bet gave Iris a look of contempt, seeing her trying to wriggle out.


    Iris didn¡¯t expect things to go south like this and started ying the victim. ¡°Gaines, isn¡¯t Astrid being


    too harsh? It¡¯s so cold but she wants us to run in tank tops. If we get sick and can¡¯t film, we¡¯ll lose a lot


    of money today!¡±


    ¡°Money?¡± Astrid raised an eyebrow. ¡°Gaines, sorry for wasting your time. I¡¯ll cover today¡¯s lost wages. If


    anyone gets sick and can¡¯t film, I¡¯ll cover those costs too. But they have to run around the set!¡±


    ¡°This is what happens when you try to screw me over. To those who think they can bully me, are you


    afraid of the cold?¡±


    Gracie immediately hugged Astrid, ¡°Oh my God, Astrid, you¡¯re so cool, I want to marry you!¡±


    Selena quietly raised her hand, ¡°I want to marry you too!¡±


    ¡°Thinking of getting hitched without my permission?¡± A chilly voice came from behind. Turning around,


    Gracie saw Elio, umbre in hand, standing behind them!


    With all the excitement, they didn¡¯t notice that Elio had arrived.


    Seeing Elioing, Iris and the others immediately felt scared.


    Elio slowly walked up to Astrid, ¡°She told you to run. Can¡¯t you hear?¡±

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    Those actors and crew didn¡¯t dare to make a sound.


    Astrid was backed by Elio¡¯s presence, so they wouldn¡¯t dare not follow the betting rules!


    One word from Elio could potentially cklist them, and their future might be destroyed. Minutester,


    topless actors and crew along with actress in tank tops started running in the light snow. There were


    other film crews at the movie base, and Iris, fearful of being identified, wore a mask as she ran. She


    was so cold that her teeth were chattering.


    C


    Iris asked the reporters to leave. She thought the reporters had already left, but she didn¡¯t expect that


    the reporters actually support Astrid. Even though the reporters weren¡¯t on set, they used a drone to


    conduct a live broadcast of the whole process!


    After running for a while and seeing no one following, Iris wanted to wear a down jacket since her


    assistant immediately handed her one!


    Just then, a few ck¨Cd bodyguards appeared, shouting, ¡°Foul? What are you doing?¡±


    Iris immediately turned on the charm to the man next to her, ¡°Can you pretend you didn¡¯t see that? I¡¯ll


    give you an autograph and take a picture with you, okay?¡±


    Bodyguard: ¡°Who are you? Why would I want a picture with you? You¡¯ve got three seconds to run, or


    you can forget about wearing that tank top and just bare it all.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lampard has made it clear that no one is allowed to break the betting rules!¡±


    Faced with the stern look of the bodyguards, Iris¡¯s tears were swirling in her eyes, ¡°You are bullying


    me!!!¡±


    Before Iris could finish speaking, a sled dog suddenly rushed over.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    She was so frightened that she couldn¡¯t speak and immediately started running!


    From afar, Astrid heard the scream, raising a brow.


    Gaines, seeing Elio, lost all his pomp and quietly stood aside, not daring to say a word.


    Elio didn¡¯t say anything, just trailing after Astrid.


    Wherever Astrid went, he followed.


    The whole studio was tense. Everyone looked at Elio like they¡¯d seen a ghost, and their work couldn¡¯t


    proceed as normal.


    Astrid was speechless, turning to Elio behind her, ¡°Why are you here instead of doing your job?¡±


    Looking at the woman he longed for day and night, Elio said straight up, ¡°I miss you.¡±


    Gaines happened to overhear this.


    He immediately pretended he hadn¡¯t heard anything and quickly left their vicinity, even getting everyone


    else in the studio to leave.


    In a short while, only Astrid and Elio were left in the big studio.


    Astrid didn¡¯t expect him to be so careless about others, and she was momentarily speechless.


    She took a few seconds before saying, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee. You¡¯re disrupting my work.¡±


    Elio: ¡°But my mind is full of you. If I can¡¯t see you, I can¡¯t focus and can¡¯t work. You¡¯re severely


    disrupting my work too.¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    ¡°What kind of logic is that? It¡¯s not like I asked you to miss me.¡±


    How weird. How did it turn into her fault?!


    Looking at Astrid¡¯s face, Elio leaned in, ¡°Are you feeling shy?¡°,


    ¡°I¡¯m not being shy!¡± Astrid lifted her foot and stepped on Elio¡¯s foot.


    El¨ªo didn¡¯t flinch, ¡°My love, the harsher you are to me, the more it means you love me.¡±


    Astrid shout, ¡°Elio!¡±


    How could Elio be so shameless after just a few days without seeing her?


    ¡°Hmm? If you want to hit me, go ahead, I won¡¯t fight back.¡± Elio thought Astrid so cute even when she


    was angry.


    Every time he saw her, his mood would instantly brighten up.

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    ¡°Mr. Lampard, I heard you were here, but I couldn¡¯t believe it.¡± A soft female voice drifted in from the


    entrance. Elio tumed his head, saw the personing in, then slowly


    stood up.


    ¡°Hi, Bernice. Elio greeted politely


    Astrid¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly Did Elio know Bernice?


    After recent events, every time Astrid saw Bernice, she felt something off about Bernice¡¯s gaze.


    Bernice still looked at her with the same gentle eyes, but it always made her ufortable.


    Bernice walked in, standing between the two of them, ¡°Mr. Lampard, how¡¯s your mom doing recently?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing well. Thanks for your concern,¡± Elio¡¯s voice was indifferent. He quietly took a step back,


    putting some distance between him and Bernice


    Bernice seemed oblivious to Elio¡¯s deliberate distance, and continued with a smile, ¡°I saw on the news


    that people online were saying you fancy Star. I didn¡¯t believe it, but here I see it with my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°Star has a lot of admirers. She had many suitors in college, and each one was excellent¡­¡±


    ¡®Bernice, I need to go film. I¡¯m leaving first. You guys carry on,¡± Astrid didn¡¯t want to hear more from


    Bernice and turned to leave.


    ¡°Of course, the more outstanding a person is, the more suitors they¡¯ll have. But the one who will spend


    a lifetime with her will only be me,¡± Elio said, quickly catching up to Astrid


    ¡°Haha, really?¡± Bernice gave a dryugh, ¡°Mr. Lampard, I think it would be better if you kept a low


    profile. After all, Astrid¡¯s career is on the rise. If she suddenly starts dating, it might have a big impact


    on her career.¡±


    ¡°And besides, I don¡¯t think you and Astrid¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Elio cut Bernice off coldly before she could finish, ¡°I don¡¯t like being interfered with. You¡¯re a


    friend of my mom¡¯s, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can meddle in my love


    life.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to challenge my patience. I have limited tolerance for outsiders.¡±


    Elio¡¯s aura was intimidating at this moment, even Bernice was taken aback.


    Astrid nced at Elio. Noticing her gaze, Elio quickly whispered, ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t hang out with her


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    anymore. This woman is not a kind person.¡±


    ¡°She is not a kind person, but I don¡¯t think you are a kind person either.,¡± Astrid knew very well what


    Bernice was up to. She simply didn¡¯t want her to be with Elio.


    She must have been blind to think of Bernice as a graceful, beautiful woman. In fact, she was just a


    replica of Hawthorne.


    Annoying and troublesome.


    By the time Iris and the others returned from their run, they were exhausted. As soon as she sat down,


    she found out that their run had been live¨Cstreamed!


    She was furious when she saw the negativements fromizens. She wanted to take action


    against Astrid, but with Elio around, she feared being shut down and dared not do anything.


    -Elio¡¯s presence drastically changed everyone¡¯s attitude toward Astrid.


    Although Elio made his stance clear to the crew, no one dared to openly talk about his rtionship with


    Astrid.


    Elio¡¯s tough tactics were well known in the industry; and no one wanted to cross him.


    Elio stayed in the crew for a few days. Except for the first day, he didn¡¯t go to the set anymore but


    stayed in the hotel dealing with work and cooking for Astrid.


    Astrid wanted Elio to leave, but he was adamant about staying.


    Considering his cooking skills had greatly improved, Astrid stopped trying to get rid of him.


    Even though they couldn¡¯t openly discuss it, the crew couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous of Astrid..

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    Chapter 317


    The supposedly cold¨Chearted CEO who¡¯s rumored to be uninterested in women is willing to cook for


    Astrid himself?


    The actors living on the same floor as Astrid could smell the delicious aroma of food wafting from the


    hallway, making them insanely jealous of Astrid


    On this day, Astrid came back from the work site at six o¡¯clock. She opened the door and found that


    Elio was not at home. There was only a note on the table. ¡°Ive gone back. Remember to miss me.¡±


    Looking at the empty house and the neat dining table, Astrid was a little upset for a while.


    But he haspany affairs to deal with, so he can¡¯t stay with her all the time.


    Humph! She didn¡¯t want to be with him all the time!


    Astrid said as she walked towards the kitchen, where she tied up her hair and washed her hands


    before starting to cook.


    After a while, her phone rang.


    She wiped her hands and went out. Astrid picked up the phone, ¡°Jon, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Star, we¡¯ve got a problem!¡± Jon¡¯s voice sounded desperate. ¡°Star, when can youe back? Colton


    Fortner isn¡¯t doing well!¡±


    A problem?


    Colton isn¡¯t doing well?


    Astrid was taken aback, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±


    Jon: ¡°I don¡¯t know, He¡¯s been taking the medicine you gave him these days, and his condition hasn¡¯t


    rpsed Today I went to training, and he texted me that he wanted to go home.¡±


    ¡°When I got back, he hadn¡¯t returned, and his phone was unreachable Just now, I heard the doorbell


    and opened the door to find him lying on the ground


    ¡°I took him to the hospital, but the doctors say they can¡¯t save him. The Fortner family¡¯s people have


    arrived, and I can¡¯t hold them off alone. You have to think of a way¡°¡± Something¡¯s happened to Colton,


    and this isn¡¯t a coincidence Someone attacked him


    If it wasn¡¯t for Colton mentioning Warren Santos, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to uncover those things


    Colton had decided not to return to the Fortner family, but why would he suddenly want to go back?


    Someone must have deliberately lured him back, wanting to get rid of him


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    She checked the flights. The earliest one was tomorrow at noon, but it was toote


    After thinking for a few seconds, Astrid took out her phone, found Keen¡¯s number, and dialed it


    Keen was taking a bath and almost fell asleep in a daze


    Hearing the phone ring, he reached out with his eyes closed to find his phone next to him, fumbling for


    a while before dropping it into the water


    ¡°Oh, my god.¡± He muttered under his breath as he fished his phone out of the water, angrily saying


    ¡°Who¡¯s bothering me at this time? Oh my goddess!!!


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s name shing on the screen, he quickly dried his phone and picked it up. ¡°What can I


    do for you?


    Astrid replied, ¡°Where are you right now? I need your help¡±


    Keen said, ¡°It would be my honor to be of service to you! Even if I¡¯m at the end of the world, I can rush


    over whenever you need me


    Astrid rubbed her forehead, ¡°Go to Sunhaven and help me save someone Jon will contact youter If


    you save him, I¡¯ll help you solve one of your problems that bothers you.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± As a medical enthusiast, what Keen loved most was learning new knowledge


    Hearing Astrid¡¯s words, he ran straight out of the bathtub and rushed into his room, ¡°Wait for me I¡¯ll


    save him!


    Astrid replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After hanging up, Astrid gave Jon Keen¡¯s phone number, feeling a little agitated

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    Chapter 318


    She¡¯s been worrying about Colton¡¯s condition all day, so she didn¡¯t even eat.


    Late into the night, around 10 pm, Jon called, ¡°Colton¡¯s condition has stabilized, but we don¡¯t know


    when he¡¯ll wake up. Looks like Farrah Fortner poisoned him, and now the whole Fortner family showed


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    up, wanting to take him back.¡±


    ¡°If we let them take him, Colton¡¯s life will be in danger.¡±


    ¡°But we have no reason to hold onto Colton.¡±


    ¡°Star, Colton is our friend. We can¡¯t just sit back and watch him die. We need to figure out a way to


    save him.¡±


    Astrid could hear Jon¡¯s worry, so she asked, ¡°Is Keen with you?¡±


    Jon replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°Pass the phone to him.¡±


    Jon didn¡¯t understand why Astrid wanted to talk to Keen, but he handed the phone to Keen, ¡°Star wants


    to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Keen took the phone and listened carefully to Astrid, ¡°Uh huh, okay, okay, got it.¡±


    ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so cunning, but I like it!¡±


    After a while, Keen hung up the phone, took out two bottles of medicine from his bag, mixed them, and


    handed the powder to Jon: ¡°Take it.¡±


    Jon frowned at the ck powder, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t kill you, but it might make you feel a bit ufortable. If you want to save him, listen to me.¡±


    Keen took the medicine himself, then gave some¡® to Colton. Seeing this, Jon also swallowed the


    powder.


    Keen is a fan of Star, so he wouldn¡¯t hurt him.


    A few minutester, Jon found many red rashes on his hands and face, itchy and painful.


    He scratched it, and several bloody scratches appeared on his arm, which looked very scary..


    High heels were heard outside the corridor, Farrah checked Colton out of the hospital.


    As the door turned, Farrah strode in, ¡°The doctor said Colton just needs to rest, so now I¡¯m taking him


    home.¡°.


    ¡°How dare you show up!!!¡± Keen yelled suddenly, scaring Jon a bit.


    Farrah was also taken aback, she turned to look at Keen and was stunned because Keen¡¯s face was


    full ofrge pimples!


    ¡°Farrah, Colton has contracted a virus, and I was infected when I treated him. I can¡¯t even find a cure.


    Why did you¡¯hide Colton¡¯s condition?¡± Keen angrily questioned, and Jon also reacted at that moment.


    Jon looked at Farrah, suddenly rolled up his sleeves, and rushed at Farrah: ¡°Farrah, even Keen can¡¯t


    cure this virus, then I won¡¯t live long! You¡¯re his mother, you must know he¡¯s sick!¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯m not saved, I won¡¯t let you go! Farrah, looking at the blood scratches on Jon¡¯s arm, was so


    scared that she kept backing away!


    Colton was infected with a virus? How did she not know?


    Although she was not sure if it was true, it was better to keep her distance! If Colton carries a virus, that


    would be a real mess.


    Farrah immediately left the ward and closed the door, Jon deliberately bumped into the door.


    Seeing his crazy behavior, Farrah quickly said to the bodyguards next to her: ¡°Block the door. Don¡¯t let


    them out. Find a doctor to see what¡¯s going on!¡±

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    Chapter 319


    Not long after, the attending doctor strolled in, fully armed.


    A few minutes after entering the patient¡¯s room, he suddenly burst out, urgently asking: ¡°Farrah, you


    didn¡¯t touch anything in this room just now, did you?¡±


    Seeing the doctor so anxious, Farrah¡¯s face turned pale, and she quickly shook her head. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t


    touch anything!¡±


    The doctor said: ¡°The patient has been infected with an unknown virus that¡¯s super contagious. The


    two people inside have already caught it too. This virus is very scary, and our hospital doesn¡¯t have the


    medical technology to treat it!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re her mother, so you need to take him home and quarantine him for now. When the international


    medical experts arrive, we¡¯ll treat him.¡±


    A virus?


    This is one of the top hospitals in the country. If they won¡¯t take Colton, she might get infected just on


    the way home!


    Farrah turned pale with fright, quickly backing away, fearful of touching the doctor¡¯s protective gear.


    ¡°Doctor, you¡¯re joking, right? My son has always been healthy. How could he suddenly get infected with


    a virus?¡±


    The doctor paused, then let out a sigh: ¡°He was poisoned before, and you said he was missing before


    he came home, so it¡¯s highly likely that he got infected during that time. There is an incubation period,


    and he¡¯s just now showing symptoms.¡±


    ¡°Right now, I can only use drugs to maintain his vital signs; and there¡¯s no better treatment. Our


    hospital has a lot of patients, I have to consider the others, so Farrah, please take him home for now.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, Farrah was in total denial, ¡°Doctor, how can you ask me to take him home? If I get


    infected, won¡¯t I be done for?¡±


    ¡°Doctor, you can¡¯t do this!¡±


    The doctor said: ¡°As long as you wear protective gear, you won¡¯t get infected. You¡¯re his mother. Now¡¯s


    when he needs you the most. How can you just abandon him?¡± ¡°Doctor, can this virus be cured?¡±


    Farrah was scared out of her wits, ¡°And also, if it can be cured, are there any after¨Ceffects?¡±


    The doctor said: ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this virus before, so I don¡¯t know if it can be cured. But right now, you


    need to hurry and take him away, or else if the virus spreads, the entire hospital is over!¡±


    Would the whole hospital be over? Farrah was horrified. She¡¯d been hoping for Colton¡¯s death. How


    could she possibly take him home?


    Colton was poisoned by her and infected with a virus. It looked like he won¡¯t be around much longer,


    Once Colton died, she could rightfully im all of the Fortner family¡¯s wealth!


    With these thoughts, Farrah and her bodyguards made a beeline for the exit!


    Seeing her leaving, the doctor called out urgently: ¡°How could you do this! He¡¯s your son. Are you


    going to abandon him?¡±


    ¡°How can you be so heartless. If you give up on him he¡¯ll definitely die!¡±


    Farrah had been hoping for Colton¡¯s death, so hearing the doctor say that Colton will definitely die, she


    left even quicker!


    After watching them disappear into the elevator, Keen immediately walked out: ¡°Caldwell, thanks for


    your help just now.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Banfield, if I wasn¡¯t wearing a mask, there¡¯s no way my lousy acting could have fooled those


    people!¡± Caldwell scratched his head a bit embarrassedly. ¡°But Dr. Banfield, what¡¯s with these lumps on


    your face?


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just help me prepare a stretcher and ambnce. I need to take Colton away.¡± Farrah was


    only temporarily fooled. Once she came to her senses, she would probablye looking for the doctor


    again. Before that happened, he needed to get Colton out of there.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on it.¡±

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    Chapter 320


    Caldwell went off to make arrangements while Jon was left mulling over Farrah¡¯s words, feeling a bit


    uneasy.


    It was hard to imagine how Colton got through these years. Farrah was so infuriating. At 1 in the


    morning. Astrid received a message from Jon: ¡°Star; we¡¯ve sessfully moved Colton to a safe ce.¡±


    A weight lifted from Astrid¡¯s shoulders upon reading the message, and sheid down on her bed.


    Just as she was about to close her eyes and rest, her phone buzzed again.


    Picking it up, she saw it was a news alert: ¡°CA7843 flight from L city to Sunhaven met with an


    ident.¡±


    From L city to Sunhaven? Wasn¡¯t that her flight home?


    Astrid clicked on the news and her heart sank.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Elio couldn¡¯t have been on that flight, could he?


    She quickly dialed Elio¡¯s number, but the phone was switched off.


    Eventually, she called Carson Fisher. It waste into the night and Carson was still groggy, ¡°Ms. Irvine,


    what¡¯s up?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Which flight was Elio on to Sunhaven today?¡±


    ¡°Oh, let me check.¡± Carson yawned, ¡°CA7843.¡±


    Hearing this number, Astrid¡¯s heart clenched, ¡°I just saw the news about an ident with that flight. Are


    you sure Elio was on board?¡± With that, Carson was wide awake.


    ident?


    He hung up and saw numerous news alerts, all reporting about the flight incident.


    Although the emergencynding was sessful, there were casualties and several people were


    seriously injured.


    Astrid sat in her room, dialing Elio¡¯s number over and over again, her heart pounding like never before.


    He couldn¡¯t¡­ he couldn¡¯t have been in an ident, right? He must be fine¡­.


    She suddenly heard the doorbell. Who could be ringing the bell at this hour? Astrid got out of bed with


    her taser in hand, wearing her coat.


    She opened the door to find Elio standing there, covered in snow.


    He was fine, and Astrid¡¯s heart finally eased.,


    i


    Elio: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Astrid. There was a heavy snowstorm, and my car broke down on the way. That¡¯s why I


    missed the flight and came back. Would you mind if I crash here for the night?¡±


    ¡°Come on in.¡± Astrid moved aside. Seeing him, her nervousness suddenly faded, ¡°Why was your phone


    switched off?¡±


    Whether it was Elio¡¯s delusion¨Cor¨Cnot, he saw a look of concern on Astrid¡¯s face.


    Elio took off his coat and hung it on a hook ¡°My phone died. What¡¯s up? You needed something?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You should get some rest.¡± Astrid went back into her room. Remembering that Carson


    might still be worried, she texted him, ¡°Elio is safe and sound.¡± Carson finally rxed when he got the


    message. Luckily his boss is okay.


    The next morning, the first thing Elio saw when he turned on his phone was a call from Carson.


    Carsonn said, ¡°Boss, you might not realize it, but Ms. Irvine was really worried about you, I could hear it


    in her voice. She sounded like she was about to cry. Did she cry when she saw you?¡±


    ¡°Cry?¡± Elio frowned, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No? How could be!¡± Carson sounded troubled, ¡°She was worried about you. Boss, I think Ms. Irvine


    cares about you a lot. Why else would she call me in the middle of the night asking about you? She


    was afraid something happened to you!¡±

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    Chapter 321


    ¡°Just do your job.¡± said Elio before hanging up the phone. Thinking back to Astrid¡¯s behavior the night


    before, Elio¡¯s brows furrowed slightly.


    No wonder he felt that she was very gentlest night. She thought of him when she saw the ident,


    indicating that she was worried about him.


    At noon, Astrid was about to have lunch with the crew when Selena sneaked over with a lunch box.


    ¡°Astrid, guess what¡¯s in here?¡±


    Astrid nced at the box. ¡°Did you make me lunch?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s lunch, but not made by me!¡± Selena didn¡¯t know the story between Astrid and Elio, but she liked


    them very much. ¡°It¡¯s lunch made by Elio!¡±


    With that, Selena opened the lid of the lunch box.


    Astrid nced at the food inside and her mouth twitched slightly. The vegetables and meat were cut


    into heart shapes, and even the rice was shaped into a heart!


    ¡°Astrid, eat up. This is Elio¡¯s love for you,¡± Selena said.


    ¡°I could give it to you¡± Astrid offered.


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t dare eat the lunch Elio prepared for you. He told me to tell you that you either eat it


    yourself or he wille and feed you himself.¡± Selena said this with a big smile.


    Ever since Elio had fed her medicine, Astrid always felt weird about him feeding her.


    If she didn¡¯t eat it herself, he mighte and feed her!


    Astrid took a bite and her eyes lit up.


    It was really good.


    Not far away, Elio saw Astrid start to eat the food he made, then a slight smile appeared on his lips. It


    seemed that his decision to learn how to cook was right.


    During a break from filming, Astrid received a call from Dale. Dale didn¡¯t express himself clearly. ¡°Uh,


    Astrid, can youe back for.a¨Cbit?¡±


    ¡°Dale, you know I can¡¯t leave the set now. What do you want me toe back for?¡± Astrid asked.


    ¡°Just, uh, to attend a press conference,¡± Dale¡¯s voice got smaller and smaller.


    Astrid sensed something was off, so she asked, ¡°What did you do? What press conference? I don¡¯t


    have any new projects.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I might as well tell you. Maddox and I went out for drinks and I got a little drunk, and I


    identally signed you up for a reality show.¡± Dale sounded quite confused.


    He and Maddox had been friends since they were kids. Maddox was a renowned reality show director,


    and Dale was a well¨Cknown agent.


    Maddox had been hoping for Astrid to appear on his reality show, but he had turned him down.


    Who knew that Maddox had invited him out for drinks for this reason, and he had signed the contract


    while drunk?


    Maddox had officially announced that Astrid would be a regr guest, effectively cutting off any way


    out for her.


    Astrid initially thought it was something serious. Upon hearing it was just a reality show, she rxed.


    ¡°What kind of reality show is it?!


    Dale said, ¡°It¡¯s a wilderness survival adventure show.¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    Most female celebrities participated in reality shows where they either sat elegantly in the studio or took


    part in some games. But she was going off the beaten path ¨C her first reality show was a wilderness


    survival?


    Did Dale think she was having too easy a time?


    If Dale were there at this moment, he would probably be scolded.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Astrid wanted to blow up, but she tried her best to remain calm.


    It¡¯s okay. At least it¡¯s not a dating reality show Just an adventure. No big deal.

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    Chapter 322


    Astrid took a deep breath, and then asked again, ¡°Where are we going to explore? Who¡¯s gonna take


    us on this adventure?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Dale¡¯s voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, ¡°We¡¯re off to all sorts of ces, like deserts,


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    rainforests, swamps, snowy mountains, and so on!¡±


    ¡°The one leading you guys is a survival expert named Naylor.¡±


    ¡°Dale!¡± Astrid shouted, causing heads to turn in their direction.


    Upon hearing this, Gracie said a silent prayer for Dale.


    Astrid was a huge fan of survival shows. She liked Bear Grylls!


    However, liking watching a show and experiencing it for yourself are two entirely different things.


    Surviving in the wild is not that simple! She has seen many videos of Naylor Eating bugs and bark was


    signed me up for this, you will be severely punished immediately!!¡±


    Dale said, ¡°I¡¯ve already been threatened with Rickon Brooke¡¯s long-distance running training, Gracie¡¯s


    martial arts sparring, Brandon Brooke¡¯s skydiving, and Jon¡¯s horror cooking!¡±


    ¡°I know I screwed up, but the fans already know and they¡¯re super excited. If you bail now, you¡¯ll lose


    fans, which is bad for you, so you have to go obediently!¡±


    1


    ¡°If I manage to survive your brothers¡® punishments, you can punish me whatever you wantter!¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    What a headache. A real, throbbing headache.


    But what¡¯s done is done, so she¡¯ll just go with it.


    She spent the whole afternoon filming and didn¡¯t check her phone. When she finally opened Twitter,


    she found out Maddox had already announced the regr guests for the


    show.


    Clyde, Joana, herself, an Oscar¨Cwinning middle¨Caged actor named Odell, and the national high jump


    Olympic champion Parrish.


    Seeing Clyde¡¯s name alone gave Astrid a headache.


    And Joana, my God, this journey was not destined to be peaceful. Late into the night, Astrid rushed to


    finish the next day¡¯s filming then hopped on a ne back to Sunhaven. Midway through the press


    conference, the host suddenly announced, ¡°Today we have a surprise guest. Any guesses who it might


    be?¡±


    The audience shouted out a bunch of names, but the host kept shaking his head, ¡°Nope, nope. I¡¯ll give


    you a hint: he¡¯s handsome! He¡¯s not in showbiz, but he¡¯s just as popr as any A¨Clister!¡±


    ¡°He was a great dad and a leader in the business world!¡± The crowd roared, ¡°Elio!!!¡±


    The host said, ¡°That¡¯s right, let¡¯s wee the final regr guest on our show, the CEO of Morgenster


    Corporation, Elio!!!¡±


    Astrid was shocked.


    ¡°Elio? God, This man is getting more and more annoying!¡±


    When Elio walked out, everyone was stunned.


    Firstly, they didn¡¯t expect Elio to suddenly appear on this show!


    Secondly, Elio and Astrid were wearing matching outfits!


    ¡°What the heck is going on?¡±


    ¡°Are they together?¡±


    ¡°Did Elio join this show just to be closer to his goddess?¡±


    ¡°Love is so powerful, hahaha.¡±


    Astrid nced at Elio¡¯s clothes, then down at her own. She instantly felt an urge to throttle him.


    The host asked, ¡°Mr. Lampard, your corporation owns a filmpany, yet you¡¯ve never appeared on a


    reality show before. What made you decide to join our show?¡± Elio said, ¡°To get closer to my goddess.¡±


    What a shameless man.


    The host said, ¡°You two are wearing matching outfits. Any good news you¡¯d like to share with us?¡±


    Good news?

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    Without even ncing at Elio, Astrid threw out, ¡°I¡¯m currently single and not married yet.¡±


    At Astrid¡¯s words, all eyes turned to Elio.


    Elio didn¡¯t want to upset Astrid, so he chose to keep silent. He still had many opportunities in this


    wilderness survival show, and he didn¡¯t need to piss off anyone for now. The host turned to look at


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Astrid A faint smile hung on her face, revealing nothing about her mood.


    But the host found her gaze somewhat intimidating.


    She dared not continue the topic, and turned to Joana, ¡°Joana, you¡¯re the little princess in the hearts of


    your fans. Why did you decide to join our show this time?¡± Joana replied, ¡°Because I¡¯ve always loved


    adventure. I¡¯m thrilled to go traveling with Naylor.¡±


    ¡°Traveling?¡± Naylor suddenly spoke from the side, ¡°Is Joana misunderstanding the nature of this


    show?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty much the same thing.¡± Joana gave an awkwardugh. The first season of the show was very


    sessful, and the then¨Cquestioned female star Madeline was acknowledged for her performance on


    the show.


    Joana had previously offended Gaines, leading to fewer resources.


    Emily had to pull a lot of strings to secure this chance for, Joana, and she couldn¡¯t afford to mess up


    this time.


    The more you speak, the more you risk going wrong. So she decided to keep her mouth shut this time!


    The press conference ended at over nine in the evening. The moment Astrid stepped down from the


    stage, she prepared to leave. But before she reached the door, the show¡¯s executive director, Maddox,


    rushed up to block her way. ¡°Ms. Irvine, sorry to bother you. I know you are busy, but could you stay for


    dinner with us tonight?¡±


    Upon hearing Maddox being so polite to Astrid, Joana and others who followed Maddox out felt a bit


    disgruntled.


    After all, Astrid was the least famous among them, but Maddox was a renowned reality show director


    domestically. Why should he be so respectful to Astrid?


    Astrid paused, looked at the young man in front of her, and politely declined, ¡°Mr. Maddox, you know


    I¡¯m currently filming. I squeezed time for this press conference, and now I need to rush back. I have a


    full day of shooting tomorrow. I¡¯m sorry. We can have a meal together when there¡¯s another chance.¡±


    She wanted to meet Roman, but Roman was taken to Hawaii for a vacation by Amanda Lampard.


    So, all she wanted now was to get back to the set as fast as she could and to film.


    ¡°Astrid, since Mr. Maddox invited you, wouldn¡¯t it be a bit disrespectful if you refuse?¡± Joana¡¯s words


    were a bit sarcastic, and the faces of the other guests didn¡¯t look too good either.


    Joana wanted to add fuel to the fire, and she saw Elioing back from a phone call, ¡°Forget it, Astrid


    has Mr. Lampard¡¯s protection, so she doesn¡¯t care about respecting others.¡±


    Maddox was a bit annoyed at Joana¡¯sments. He said to Joana, ¡°What nonsense are you talking


    about? Does Astrid need someone to protect her? Which female star in the entertainment industry has


    her capabilities? Her poprity isn¡¯t lower than any A¨Clisters!¡±


    When her works are broadcast one after another, it will be hard for us to invite her onto the show.¡±


    ¡°So Astrid, since you¡¯re busy, go ahead: We¡¯ll see you when we record the show.¡± Maddox had been in


    the entertainment industry for many years, and his judgment was usually spot¨Con.


    When Astrid¡¯s magician identity was exposed, he predicted that this¨Cgirl would shine.


    When he announced her as a regr guest, many fans from the first season questioned Astrid¡¯s fame,


    but what he wanted to say was Astrid was the treasure of this show. With the addition of Elio, this pair


    would surely make this season¡¯s show more attention¨Cgrabbing.

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    Chapter 324


    Dale is a shrewd guy. He wouldn¡¯t sign a newbie unless they¡¯ve got the potential to be a superstar.


    So, he was all eyes and ears for Astrid¡¯s performance this time.


    After saying goodbye to the director and other guests, Astrid made her exit..


    Elio followed her out, without uttering a word.


    Just as Astrid reached the door, a cold breeze carrying the chill of the rain hit her.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    She instinctively reached out to keep the rain off, but in the next instant, Elio moved in front, shielding


    her from most of the wind and rain, ¡°You good?


    Astrid took a step back, then looked up at him. There was a hint of annoyance in her tone, ¡°Elio, are


    you stalking me? You have to tag along even when I¡¯m on a show!¡± ¡°Surviving in the wild is dangerous,


    so I have to protect you.¡± Elio said while opening his umbre, ¡°Plus, I¡¯m notfortable with you being


    alone with Naylor.¡± Alone with Naylor?


    Astrid was at a loss for words. With so many crew members around, how could she possibly be alone


    with Naylor?


    These were all excuses.


    Seeing her upset, Elio quietly said, ¡°The storm¡¯s pretty bad tonight, so the flight might get canceled.


    Can I take you to see Colton?¡±


    ¡°You know where he is?¡± Astrid frowned, ¡°What else do you know?¡±


    Elio said, ¡°I also know that you had Keen pretend to be infected to save him. Both Keen¡¯s and Jon¡¯s


    ces were not safe at that time, so I arranged a hiding ce for Colton. Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s doing well


    now.¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t expect Elio to know so much, and that he had been helping behind the scenes.


    If she hadn¡¯t returned to Sunhaven for the press conference today, he probably wouldn¡¯t have told her


    about this.


    Her phone vibrated a few times. She nced at it. It was a message about the flight being canceled.


    A snowstorm wasing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After saying that, Astrid turned around and walked into the rain.


    Elio tilted the majority of the umbre towards her, leaving most of his body exposed to the rain.


    Once in the car, Astrid noticed his wet clothes and frowned, ¡°Elio, you didn¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    Elio took off his jacket and put it aside, murmuring, ¡°I might not have done enough when I¡¯m not by your


    side. But when I¡¯m with you, I will protect you with all my heart.¡± Looking into his sincere eyes, Astrid¡¯s


    heart began to race.


    The honking outside pulled her back to reality. She quickly turned to look out the window, ¡°I don¡¯t need


    your protection. I can take care of myself.¡±


    Elio said, ¡°I know you¡¯re strong. I won¡¯t take away your right to handle things and won¡¯t interfere with


    your decisions, as long as you¡¯re safe. But some matters are better handled by men.¡±


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Elio tilted his head, a trace of teasing shing in his eyes, ¡°Like getting rid of bad guys.¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    The car gradually came to a stop.


    Carson got out of the car, and opened the umbre and the car door, saying, ¡°Boss, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Elio got out first, then bent down and said, ¡°You can get out now.¡±


    After getting out of the car, she saw rows of vis.


    She had only taken a few steps forward when she heard Jon¡¯s voice, ¡°Colton, why are you possessing


    someone else again?¡±


    Astrid and Elio were both speechless.

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    Chapter 325


    Carson coughed awkwardly, not knowing what to say.


    Astrid walked a few steps forward and heard Jon saying, ¡°Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, Colton, you¡¯re in


    big trouble now, man. You keep messing up one after another, and what the hell am I supposed to do


    with you?¡±


    Hearing these odd words, Elio felt a bit ufortable.


    He looked down and saw Astridughing wildly. He was speechless, ¡°Astrid, yourughter is a bit


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    nasty.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the nasty one!¡± Astrid suddenly turned around, ¡°Let¡¯s not disturb them anymore.¡±


    Elio was speechless.


    As they were about to leave, Jon shouted again, ¡°Oh my God! Colton, I beg you to uninstall the game.


    You can¡¯t even y a basic character well. What¡¯s the point of you?¡±


    Basic character? Astrid¡¯s mouth twitched.


    So, they were talking about ying a game and those odd words were about a character?


    Uh¡­


    Astrid turned around again and went straight up to knock on the door.


    Soon, Jon¡¯s loud voice came from inside, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°You have a delivery!¡±


    ¡°Star!¡± Jon immediately recognized Astrid¡¯s voice, rushed over to open the door, opened his arms, and


    hugged her, ¡°Star, I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡±


    ¡°Astrid!¡± Colton was delighted to see Astrid, ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you. Could you please make Jon calm


    down? He had a nasty tongue when he¡¯s ying the game!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. Don¡¯t speak ill of me in front of Star!¡± Jon said, quickly running over to tidy up a spot on the


    couch, ¡°Star,e sit down.¡°¨C


    ¡°No thanks. Colton,e here, let me check on you.¡± She trusted Keen¡¯s medical skills, but she felt


    something was off.


    Colton obediently walked over and squatted beside Astrid. Jon even brought out a medical kit and a


    pack of silver acupuncture needles from home.


    Seeing theplete setup, Astrid¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, ¡°Why do you guys have this in your


    house?¡±


    Jon shrugged, ¡°Dr. Banfield told us to buy it, and said you¡¯d need it when you came.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Astrid didn¡¯t say much and focused on checking Colton.


    Everyone in the room didn¡¯t dare to disturb her, just quietly watching her work.


    Twenty minutester, she pulled the silver needles out of Colton¡¯s arm and said softly, ¡°There¡¯s still


    some residual poison in your body. I¡¯ll prescribe some medicine for you. Take it on time and you¡¯ll be


    fine soon.¡°.


    Hearing Astrid¡¯s words, Jon instantly felt relieved.


    After writing the prescription and giving it to Jon, Astrid stood up and said, Jon, I¡¯m leaving. Take good


    care of him for me. Stop picking on him all the time.¡±


    ¡°What the hell, Star. Am I his nanny or something? How long have you been dumping him on me?¡± Jon


    grumbled.


    Elio looked at Jon and said, ¡°Jon, if you don¡¯t want to take care of him, I can send over two maids.


    Maids?


    Upon hearing the word maid, Jon instantly pictured a beautiful girl in a maid outfit.


    He immediately waved his hand, ¡°No need, I think it¡¯s quite fun to y games with him in my spare


    time.¡±

 Chapter 326

    Chapter 326


    Colton said, ¡°I think getting a maid is a good idea. I¡¯m not in the mood for games with you.¡±


    ¡°Huh, you think you deserve a maid?¡± Jon started arguing with Colton again. Astrid, fed up with their


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    bickering, shook her head, covered her ears, and left the vi.


    Elio drove her home. She had been struggling with severe sleep deprivation for days and fell asleep


    quickly after taking a shower.


    She had a bizarre dream.


    In her dream, she married Elio, but a woman showed up at their wedding iming to be pregnant with


    Elio¡¯s baby!


    She knew it was just a dream but she was still pissed off.


    In front of everyone, she beat up Elio, yelling at him, ¡°Elio, you¡¯re a bad guy!¡±


    ¡°Bad guy! Bad guy!¡±


    Elio, who was working on the couch, heard the noise from the room and tiptoed over.


    As soon as he opened the door, he heard Astrid scolding him.


    He walked in helplessly, picked up the cup she had kicked off, and put the lid back on.


    ¡°Bad guy, don¡¯t leave me!¡± Astrid grabbed him and pulled him back.


    His body tilted forward, and to avoid crushing her, he propped himself up with his hands at her side.


    Seeing the girl he had been missing right in front of him, Elio¡¯s suppressed desires surged up in an


    instant. Astrid, unaware of his presence, continued to mumble with her eyes closed, ¡°Elio you bad guy,


    I will punish you.¡± ¡°Punish me? That¡¯s a dangerous idea.¡± Watching Astrid¡¯s incessant chatter, Elio


    gently kissed the corner of her lips: His kiss was like a feather brushing lightly against her face, tickling


    her.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Astrid groaned slightly and rolled over.


    In the process, her lips identally touched Elio¡¯s.


    Elio opened his mouth and gently enveloped her lips.


    In Astrid¡¯s dream, Elio was forcing a kiss on her, which pissed her off so much that she kissed him


    back.


    Astrid was oblivious to the fact that Elio was kissing her in reality. Elio, assuming she was awake and


    consenting to his actions, gently pressed his body against hers, cradling her face.


    After a few seconds, Astrid¡¯s arms tightly encircled his back.


    Her small hands were exploring his back, and Elio¡¯s reason copsed in an instant.


    Since she initiated it, there was no need for him to hold back.


    As he kissed her and pulled back the covers, Astrid began to sense something was off.


    Because this dream¡­ was too real¡­


    Why was she out of breath from the kissing?


    It felt like there was a heavy weight on her.


    Something¡¯s not right!!


    Astrid suddenly opened her eyes and saw Elio¡¯s face close at hand. This was not a dream!!


    ¡°Elio, are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± Astrid abruptly pushed the person on top of her off. Having


    his meal snatched away from his mouth, Elio was extremely pissed, ¡°Astrid, you started it.¡±


    ¡°No, nonsense! I would never start it!¡± Astrid pulled up the cor of her nightgown, ¡°Get out, get out


    now!¡±


    Elio felt extremely ufortable. His gaze hardened and he charged at her again, ¡°You think you can


    just run away from the mess you created? How is that possible-.¡±

 Chapter 327

    Chapter 327


    Seeing Elio rushed towards her, Astrid¡¯s eyes twinkled as she took a step forward, wrapping her arms


    around Elio¡¯s neck.


    She hugged him, she turned around and sat on Elio¡¯sp, ¡°You can also help me if you want, but I don¡¯t


    like to be passive, I like to be active.¡± Looking at her smiling eyes, Elio chuckled, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to


    trouble you, darling¡±


    No sooner had he said that than hey down on the bed.


    Astrid leaned forward slightly, her hair loosely falling down Turning off the bedsidemp, she whispered


    into his ear, ¡°Close your eyes.¡±


    Her voice was soft and seductive


    Elio gently closed his eyes cooperatively. A faint rustling sound from the bedside drawer made Elio


    sense something was off.


    He opened his eyes, and Astrid had already popped something into his mouth, ¡°Here you go!¡±


    The thing in his mouth melted instantly. Before Elio could react, he had swallowed it, ¡°Astrid, you¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Elio¡¯s stomach started hurting.


    He immediately realized what he had just swallowed ¨C axative!


    And it was one made by Astrid herself!


    ¡°Hey, Elio, how¡¯s it feel?¡± Astrid patted Elio¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Enjoy.¡±


    As soon as she finished, Elio had already ran to the bathroom in embarrassment..


    After such a trick, Astrid didn¡¯t feel sleepy anymore. Shey on the bed ying on her phone, listening


    to Elio bustling in the bathroom, repeatedly shouting, ¡°¨¦lio, close the door gently, you¡¯re gonna break


    my bathroom door!¡±


    ¡°Elio, you okay in there?¡±


    ¡°Elio, how¡¯s my secret recipe? Feels good, huh?¡±


    Elio was speechless.


    Hearing Astrid¡¯s arrogantughter, Elio was livid.


    He wanted to storm into the room and confront her, but as he reached the door, his stomach started


    hurting again.


    The he had to run to the bathroom again!


    In the middle of the night, Elio was dehydrated from the runs and fell asleep groggily on the couch.


    u¡¯re awake. Here, have some soup.¡±


    The next day he woke up to a delicious smell. Opening his eyes, he saw Astrid holding a bowl of soup,


    smiling sweetly at him, ¡°Elio,


    io, you¡¯re Recalling what happenedst night, Elio was a little afraid of the soup in Astrid¡¯s hand,


    wondering if she would add anything to it, ¡°No, I have to get to the office.¡± He tried to be up from the


    couch, but was too weak and fell back down.


    ¡°Rx, it¡¯s just ordinary soup. No poison. You¡¯ve been running to the bathroom all night, you need to


    replenish your energy. You won¡¯t even make it out the door let alone to work,¡± Astrid said, cing the


    soup on the table in front of him, ¡°I have to catch a flight.¡±


    Her phone vibrated a few times. It was Gracie telling her to hurry to the airport.


    As she reached the door and opened it, she saw Carson with his hand raised, about to knock;


    Carson asked, ¡°Ms. Irvine, is my boss awake? We have a board meeting today, he might bete.¡±


    Astrid responded, ¡°He¡¯s too exhausted to get up, he won¡¯t make it to work today. You can take care of


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    him. I have to leave now.¡±

 Chapter 328

    Chapter 328


    Too exhausted to get up?


    Carson¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his head.


    OMG! His boss finally got his good time? They did it so fiercely that he couldn¡¯t even get out of bed?


    Not even with a little restraint, really. Wait a minute! Astrid was full of energy, but his boss couldn¡¯t get


    out of bed?


    Could it be that his boss was¡­? Oh my god, he seemed to have discovered something big!


    ¡°What are you doing standing at the door? Come in.¡± Elio¡¯s indifferent voice came, and Carson


    shivered and ran into the room.


    Astrid returned to the set and immediately started shooting.


    Her leisure time was very limited, and she only had time to video chat with Roman at night.


    That night, she was video chatting with Roman in bed, but she was so sleepy that she fell asleep after


    a few words.


    The phone slipped aside, and all Roman could see was half of her face. His heart ached, and he


    hurriedly reached out to pull Amanda who was sitting next to him, ¡°Granny, look, mom is working too


    hard, she fell asleep.¡±


    Amanda took the phone, looking at the sleeping Astrid, her brows furrowed, ¡°Roman, you should end


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    the call, don¡¯t disturb your mom.¡±


    T


    ¡°Okay.¡± Roman ended the call, then pouted and said sadly, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I grown up yet? If I grew up, I


    could earn a lot of money for mom.¡±


    ¡°And then mom wouldn¡¯t have to work, she could eat delicious food all day and wear beautiful clothes.¡±


    ¡°Elio is so useless, he deserves not to catch mom¡¯s eye!¡±


    Matthew Lampard said, ¡°Roman, you should help your dad more.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Roman lifted his head proudly, ¡°I will work hard to grow up and protect my mom!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to grow up now, goodnight grandma and grandpa.¡± Roman hopped off to his bedroom.


    Amanda and Matthew were puzzled, what did he mean by going to grow up?


    Thinking of Astrid¡¯s sleepy look just now, Amanda took out her phone and called Elio.


    As soon as Elio picked up the call, Amanda started to scold, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Elio: ¡°I¡¯m working right now.¡±


    ¡°Working overtime?¡± Amanda said angrily, ¡°Astrid is exhausted, and you¡¯re still working. You better drop


    everything and go to take care of her at the set! That¡¯s the job you should do.¡±


    Matthew rubbed his forehead helplessly¡­.


    Elio also felt helpless, ¡°Mom, Astrid wouldn¡¯t like a man who gives up his job and does nothing¡­.


    ¡°So you¡¯re always right! I just saw her on the video call, she¡¯s so thin from exhaustion.¡± Amanda sighed,


    ¡°By the way, who arranged that adventure reality show?¡±


    Elio quickly seized the chance to change the subject: ¡°It was her agent.¡±


    Whenever this topic came up, Amanda would get incredibly mad, ¡°Astrid is already suffering enough,


    and you guys want her to survive in the wild. Even though it¡¯s a show, I¡¯ve seen the first season! That


    guy called Naylor is just unreasonable! He¡¯s ruthless to the guests!¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s with the food they have to eat, how could Astrid live like that¡­¡±


    Elio said: ¡°I know, so to protect Astrid, I¡¯ve decided to join her on that reality show.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Amanda¡¯s anger subsided a little, ¡°I¡¯m telling you Elio, if Astrid gets even just a little


    bit of hurt when shees back from the show, I¡¯ll kick you out of the house!¡±


    Elio was speechless

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    Chapter 329


    Like always, she favored Astrid. But he¡¯s used to it by now.


    December, winter wasing


    Fifteen days before the recording of a variety show, Astrid had taken all sorts of vines to prevent


    viruses and bought a heap of emergency medication.


    By mid¨CDecember, Astrid had wrapped up a ton of scenes in a rush, squeezing out a week to


    participate in the first adventure of Adventures in the Abyss ¨C a winter mountain expedition


    Most variety shows were pre¨Crecorded, and Adventures in the Abyss was no exception.


    When Astrid got to the filming location, everyone else was already there.


    Joana, all dolled up and d in high¨Cend designer wear, looked like she was about to hit a runway.


    Naylor nced at the high heels on Joana¡¯s feet,said coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I have my manager tell you all to


    dressfortably? Do you dress like this for adventure or travel?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Naylor, my shoes don¡¯t affect my walking. I can walk around the streets in high heels for hours,¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Joana had a strong sense of keeping good looks, so it was impossible for her to show up without


    makeup like Astrid.


    Not wanting to continue the argument, Naylor stated coldly, ¡°Everyone travels light, with only a small


    amount of items in their backpacks.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Joana immediately opened her suitcase and stuffed her makeup into the backpack


    provided by the production team.


    Naylor watched it with visible annoyance. Seeing Joana like that, Naylor was very dissatisfied.


    Astrid had made full preparations beforeing to the show. She knew what she needed to bring to


    survive in the wild.


    She brought apass, heamp, water bag,pressed biscuits, dagger, filter and so on. These


    were basically necessities for survival, and she didn¡¯t bring any extra. things.


    After Maddox yelled ¡°Let¡¯s get started!¡°, a group of people gathered and started to follow Naylor


    towards the snow mountain.


    It was more than four o¡¯clock in the afternoon.


    After setting off for a while, Elio came over, ¡°Astrid, let me help you with your backpack.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks, I can handle it,¡± Astrid followed Naylor¡¯s footsteps closely, and kept looking at the


    surrounding environment.


    Joana: ¡°Wow, the snowy mountain is so beautiful! This is my first time here!¡±


    ¡°My fans warned me that this show was terrifying. But it¡¯s not that bad, I don¡¯t get why they think it¡¯s so


    scary!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very funny, just like going on a trip.¡±


    Listening to Joana¡¯s nonstop chatter, neither Elio nor Astrid looked well.


    Although Adventures in the Abyss was pre¨Crecorded, they didn¡¯t cut much in post¨Cproduction. Unless


    someone swore or there¡¯s a serious issue, all footage would be aired. And that was the very reason


    why the first season of this show was so sessful. Unlike some survival shows that were all talk and


    no action, this show was serious. Unless a guest¡¯s life was in danger, the crew would not interfere.


    Not long after they started, Joana gave out, ¡°Mr. Naylor, can you slow down? I can¡¯t walk anymore.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve barely started. If you can¡¯t continue, then quit. Don¡¯t waste our time.¡± Naylor walked on briskly


    after saying this, leaving Joana with no choice but to follow, her attempts to act cute having failed.


    Joana¡¯s backpack was filled with makeup and snacks.


    She didn¡¯t feel it at first, but when they started climbing, the weight became unbearable.


    Soon, she was some distance behind the others.

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    Chapter 330


    Olympic champ Parrish noticed Joanagging behind, so he took it upon himself to help her with her


    backpack and took her forward together. ¡°Isn¡¯t this just filming a show? Why so serious?¡± Joana was


    starting to regret it. If she knew the show was this hard, she would rather note! Hearing this,


    Parrish quicklyforted her, ¡°If you can¡¯t keep up, just quit. Remember, someone did quit in the first


    season.¡±


    Joana knew someone quit in the first season, but that person was ridiculed byizens for quite some


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    time.


    Before joining the show, she vowed she¡¯d stick it out till the end. If she quit now, she¡¯d definitely be


    As the night grew darker, snow started to fall in the mountains.


    The snow on the mountain did not melt all the year round, it¡¯s super thick, and it became more difficult


    for everyone to walk. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break here.¡± Naylor said, brushing away the snow from a rock and


    sat down.


    Astrid Irvine and Elio Lampard followed suit.


    Elio took out a thermos from his backpack, poured some water and handed it to Astrid, ¡°Here, have


    some hot water.¡±


    ¡°You drink it, I brought my own water.¡± Astrid took out her own water bottle and took a sip. Looking at


    Elio¡¯s professional gear, shemented, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re well¨Cprepared.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m here to look after you. I can¡¯t hold you back.¡± Elio chuckled, and then whispered in her


    ear, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If there is danger, I will definitely stand in front of you.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Astrid shot him a


    disdainful nce, ¡°How about you look after yourself first?¡±


    She didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s protection.


    Elio: ¡°¡­


    Naylor, a seasoned adventurer, chose the filming locations for the show.


    For example, this snow mountain was an inessible ce, and they didn¡¯t know what dangers they


    would encounter.


    ¡°Anyone wants snacks? I brought loads.¡± Joana pulled out her snacks and shared them with everyone.


    In front of the camera, she couldn¡¯t let her feud with Astrid show. She offered Astrid a bunch of snacks,


    but Astrid declined.


    The first day of the adventure went fairly smoothly, except for the cold at night.


    But by the second afternoon, Joana couldn¡¯t hold on anymore..


    Because she had finished her snacks and finished her water. She turned to the director for help,


    ¡°Director, can you give me something to eat? You made an exception yesterday and gave me new


    shoes, can you give me some food today?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re filming a show, you can edit it outter, the viewers won¡¯t know. They¡¯ll think I brought my own


    food!¡±


    Maddox, upon seeing Joana¡¯s theatrics, was not amused and tly refused, ¡°It¡¯s clearly stated in the


    contract when you signed up for the show. Our program does not condone any form of deception. The


    shoe swapping was necessary to prevent injury to your feet. But when ites to food, we absolutely


    do not provide you with any food on the show.¡±


    Clyde had also run out of food and was hoping for more.


    But hearing the director¡¯s firm stance, he was embarrassed to ask again.


    Meanwhile, Astrid and Elio were munching onpact biscuits, so they had plenty of food and water


    left.


    After some thought, Clyde approached Astrid, ¡°Astrid, could you share some food with me?¡±


    Astrid took out a packet ofpact biscuits from her bag and handed it to him, ¡°Take it.¡°¡±


    Seeing this, Joana immediately ran up to Elio, ¡°Mr. Lampard, could you share some food with me?¡±


    Elio scooted away from her without changing his expression, coldly replying, ¡°No.¡±

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    Chapter 331


    Joana thought that Elio would show her some respect while recording the show, and would not


    embarrass her in front of the camera.


    But she didn¡¯t expect Elio to be so brutally dismissive.


    ¡°Mr. Lampard, you¡¯ve got plenty of biscuits, sharing some with me would lighten your load¡± Joana¡¯s


    voice drew strong dislike from Astrid and Elio.


    Elio handed his tent pack to Joana ¡°If you want to lighten my load, help me carry the tent.¡±


    The crowd kept silent.


    Astrid bit her lip, almost bursting intoughter.


    Elio was just too blunt.


    Indeed, if she wanted to lighten the load, the tent would surely heavier than the biscuits.


    Joana was immediately dumbfounded, and her face turned beet red.


    She just wanted to chat with Elio to have more attention from the viewers when the show aired, but she


    didn¡¯t expect Elio to show such obvious dislike towards her. She must get the director to cut out that


    part, or else she¡¯d be mortally embarrassed.


    Seeing Joana¡¯s embarrassment, Clyde, not wanting to make the atmosphere more awkward, said,


    ¡°Joana, I can share some with you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Joana walked off to the side, tearfully sitting down, as Clyde split his pack ofpressed


    biscuits and gave half to Joana.


    Joana took a bite of the biscuit, the coarse texture making her quite disgusted.


    But for survival¡¯s sake, she held it in.


    The already low temperatures dropped even more as they entered the deep forest!


    Joana¡¯s hands were frostbitten, she began crying and refusing to walk, ¡°Director, I¡¯m an actress, you


    should take care of me, look at what my hands have turned into from the cold?¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Maddox nced at Joana, and said coldly, ¡°Astrid is also an actress, she¡¯s notining, why am I


    only hearingints from you?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Joana became irritated at the mention of Astrid, ¡°Astrid is always wearing gloves, I need to do


    makeup, my hands are bound to freeze!¡± Maddox: ¡°You could also go without makeup like her.¡±


    Without makeup?


    The difference between Joana with and without makeup was huge, how could she dare to appear on


    camera without it?


    And Adventures in the Abyss doesn¡¯t use filters, if she didn¡¯t wear makeup, her looks would certainly be


    overshadowed by Astrid.


    Tired of arguing, Maddox said, ¡°You can wear a mask.¡±


    Joana: ¡°A mask? Are you joking, director? What¡¯s the point of me being on a reality show if I¡¯m not


    showing my face?¡±


    Because Joana kept arguing with the production team, she seriously dyed progress, and Naylor,


    getting annoyed, said bluntly: ¡°If you don¡¯t want to film, just leave, nobody¡¯s stopping you, but please


    stop wasting everyone¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Naylor, your pace may be eptable for men, but it is indeed hard for us women to keep up, look


    at Ms. Irvine¡­ Joana wanted to say that Astrid was also having a hard time and needed a break.


    However, when she turned around, she saw Astrid swinging a sickle, clearing the thorny path ahead,


    her movements swift and precise, not at all tired, full of energy. Joana had nothing to say.


    Astrid noticed everyone watching her, she turned around, lollipop in mouth, ¡°Mr. Naylor, we need to get


    moving, the snowstorm¡¯s approaching, we need to find a suitable campsite ASAP, or we¡¯ll have a tough


    night ahead.¡±

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    Chapter 332


    Joana and the others thought Astrid was ying smart, and Parrish sarcastically said, ¡°Astrid, are you


    a weather forecaster now?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Astrid nodded, ¡°I understand a little bit.¡±


    Although the others didn¡¯t voice out, they didn¡¯t believe her at heart.


    Naylor¡¯s gaze at Astrid deepened.


    Indeed, a snowstorm was looming.


    Everyone quickened their pace up the mountain, and soon, the snowstorm got stronger.


    With the production crew carrying a heap of equipment, moving forward was a real pain.


    Astrid could have walked faster, but noticing her director ud couldn¡¯t keep up, she slowed down and


    asked, ¡°Are you good?¡±


    ud was a bit taken aback that Astrid was considering firm, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ms. Irvine.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, take a break. It doesn¡¯t matter if I have fewer shots.¡± Having said that, Astrid turned


    around and continued walking.


    ud was a little confused, generally, guests on the show wished they had more shots, and some


    celebrities even paid a lot of money to bribe the editors in order to increase the shots.


    But Astrid directly ignored the camera, at this time she had gone out of the camera. Elio had been


    following Astrid, seeing her walk off, he quickened his pace, ¡°Astrid, are you tired? I could carry you.¡±


    Carry her?


    Astrid rolled her eyes at him, ¡°No need. There are some poisonous bugs in this forest, it¡¯d be a pain in


    the rear if you got bitten, watch out.¡°¡±


    Was she cared about him?


    Elio¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly, this reality show was well worth attending.


    As dusk fell.


    ¡°That ce up ahead seems good, we¡¯ll rest there tonight.¡± Naylor pointed at a sheltered area ahead,


    before he finished speaking, Joana dashed forward and snatched the spot furthest inside.


    The others looked a bit awkward, but no one said anything.


    Their drinking water had run out, Naylor started a fire, filled a pot with snow, and boiled it for everyone


    to drink.


    After boiling, the snow water still had some impurities, seeing the dregs at the bottom of the water, the


    actor Odell looked a bit dissatisfied, ¡°We¡¯re drinking this?¡±


    ¡°You can choose not to.¡± Naylor, expressionless, handed the water to Astrid.


    Astrid poured some water into her sk, thanked Naylor politely, ¡°Thanks, Mr. Naylor.¡°.


    Having a sip of hot water in this weather was bliss..


    After boiling, most of the bacteria in the snow water would have been killed, it was safe to drink.


    Although the snowy mountain environment was harsh, at least there was water to drink. The real


    despair was the desert they would cross.


    Among everyone, only Astrid, Elio, and Clyde drank the¨Cwater without hesitation. Joana, Odell, and


    Parrish hesitated for a long time, only drinking the water reluctantly because they were too thirsty.


    The cameraman ced the camera around everyone and then returned to the production crew.


    The snowstorm hit, and it was massive.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    The production crew¡¯s tents were almost blown away.


    By dinner, they had eaten thest of their food, byte night, they were starving.


    The snowstorm was hitting their faces like a knife, causing intense pain.


    Elio had been shielding Astrid from the snowstorm with his body, seeing the snow intensifying, he took


    off his scarf and wrapped it around Astrid¡¯s neck, until only her eyes were visible.


    When he saw her trying to take off the scarf, he put his hand on her head, whispering softly, ¡°This is


    good for you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±

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    Chapter 333


    Astrid looked into his serious eyes and slowly lowered her hand.


    Joana, looking at the two people not far away, spoke with a sarcastic tone, ¡°Astrid, didn¡¯t you say you


    were single? Aren¡¯t you guys showing affection publicly now??¡±


    ¡°Public disy of affection?¡± Astrid turned her head ¡°So this is a public disy of affection? Then what


    about Parrish carrying your bag and walking with you, aren¡¯t you two also publicly showing your


    affection?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Joana didn¡¯t expect Astrid to retort, she was too angry to speak.


    At this moment, Naylor, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, ¡°Ms. Irvine, most of the gear you are


    carrying is military grade. Do you have connections in the military?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right¡± Rickon Brooke had given her all these things, which were very lightweight and much


    easier to use than ordinary outdoor survival tools.


    Naylor, an adventure expert, naturally saw how special Astrid was. Her clothes and shoes were all


    adventure¨Cspecific, and the way she wore her military boots and tied the cuffs of her pants was


    obviously guided by a professional.


    Noticing Naylor¡¯s gaze on Astrid, Elio frowned slightly, ¡°Naylor, if you want this gear, I can give you a


    set.¡±


    Naylor nced at Elio and casually shifted his gaze, ¡°No need to bother you, Mr. Lampard, I can afford


    it.¡±


    ¡°Once the snow stops, let¡¯s gather some dry wood to start a fire, otherwise it¡¯ll be tough tonight.¡°.


    ¡°Dry wood? Are you joking, Mr. Naylor? It¡¯s snowing so heavily, where can we find dry wood?¡± Joana


    huddled up, not wanting to move at all.


    Naylor didn¡¯t respond to her question and stood up to head out first.


    Indeed, the snow was heavy, but there were many dead branches on the trees in the forest that could


    be used to make a fire..


    They all brought tents, but under this temperature, sleeping in a tent would be freezing. Fire is the most


    important thing.


    Sitting still was very cold, but standing up and moving around was much warmer.


    Elio followed Astrid to gather firewood, looking like Astrid¡¯s littleckey, ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t move, let me get


    it.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t go there, you may slip and fall!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first. If there¡¯s a pit, I¡¯ll fall first.¡±


    ¡°How about I carry you?¡±


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Elio¡¯s director, Farris, was stunned. At first, when the production team asked him to follow Elio, he was


    desperate.


    In his mind, Elio was a very cold person, and there were many rumors about Elio online.


    Like, anyone who annoyed him would disappear.


    For another example, those who made him unhappy would be fired instantly and so on. So, from the


    first day following Elio, he was very careful, fearing that he would identally offend this CEO and lose


    his job.


    But when the show started filming, he discovered that Elio was vastly different from how the online


    rumors described him.


    Elio was indeed cruel, but only when dealing with people other than Astrid.


    In his interactions with Astrid, Elio was like an ordinary¨Cman, striving to win the favor of the woman he


    liked,


    His affection for Astrid didn¡¯t bring any pressure to Astrid, he just constantly cared for her and protected


    her.


    During their time together, Elio seemed to be unaware of his presence as a director, his eyes were only


    for Astrid¡­.

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    Chapter 334


    Elio even told Farris to let him take more shots of Astrid and increase Astrid¡¯s shots. He¡¯s already


    spoiling her rotten before he¡¯s even won her over. If he did win her over, he¡¯d spoil her even more,


    right?


    Astrid was in the woods, collecting firewood with a shlight. She found some wild vegetables and


    picked them. She took them to the spring for washing.


    But then a big hand snatched the veggies from her, ¡°Hold up, who said you could wash these? Put your


    gloves on, don¡¯t freeze your hands.¡±


    Elio squatted down to wash the vegetables by the spring, and he skillfully picked off the roots and


    yellow leaves, which surprised Farris. My God? The CEO can also cook?


    Judging by the look of it, he must cook often.


    By the time Elio finished washing the vegetables, his hands were frozen red.


    Astrid took out an ointment from her pocket and handed it to him, ¡°quickly wipe it on.¡±


    Elio: ¡°Thanks, darling.¡±


    ¡°Darling Astrid red at him, not pleased. She left holding a bunch of wild vegetables.


    Elio looked at the nameless ointment in his hand, quickly applied it, and felt warmth spreading across


    his hand. The pain from the freezing cold was gone in no time. He carefully put away the ointment,


    picked up the firewood, and hurried back.


    When Naylor returned with the firewood, Astrid and Elio were back too. Seeing the wild vegetables in


    Astrid¡¯s hand, he raised an eyebrow, ¡°Do you know what kind of vegetables these are?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re very nutritious and have medicinal value. We don¡¯t have anything else to eat tonight, so


    we¡¯ll make do with these,¡± Astrid said, putting down the vegetables. She took out a solid alcohol block


    from her bag and handed it to Naylor.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Joana came over to look, ¡°You said there was nothing left to eat, did you hide this?¡±


    Astrid gave her a look, ¡°If you want to eat it, then go ahead.¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Naylor had already lit the alcohol block.


    Seeing the burning object, Joana swallowed hard and said nothing.


    Elio and Clyde brought back a lot of firewood. Parrish, despite his size, only brought back a few sticks


    and looked unhappy.


    Joana and Odell didn¡¯t go collect firewood. They stayed behind, iming they felt unwell.


    After starting the fire, Naylor cooked the vegetables Astrid had brought back. Astrid sprinkled some


    spices she had brought with her, and soon the delicious aroma wafted through the air.


    Everyone was starving as the food they had eaten earlier was already digested.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Joana was dying to eat, but Astrid didn¡¯t invite her, and she felt too awkward to help herself. She


    murmured, ¡°You dare to eat anything you find in the wild? Aren¡¯t you afraid it¡¯s poisonous?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of being poisonous, don¡¯t eat it. Aren¡¯t you talking about losing weight every


    day? Then it¡¯s fine if you go hungry twice.¡±


    Joana had nothing to say.


    Everyone used their own utensils to serve themselves. Ello, worried that Astrid might not have enough


    to eat, gave her some of his share, ¡°Astrid, eat more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough,¡± Astrid said, finding him a bit annoying. ¡°If you don¡¯t eat enough and can¡¯t walk


    tomorrow, I¡¯m not taking care of you.¡±


    Elio smiled, ¡°I know you would take care of me.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Astrid red at him, ¡°You do trust me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Elio didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear, ¡°Think about it. Once


    this show airs, who wouldn¡¯t know you¡¯re my woman? Who would dare to take you away from me?¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    Oh my God.


    So, this is his real reason for being on this show, huh?


    How brazen¡­

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    Chapter 335


    Seeing the two bickering again, Joana walked over and whispered, ¡°Astrid, can I sleep with you in your


    tent tonight? I¡¯m scared to sleep alone.¡±


    ¡°Scared? How interesting you ask me this favor. Weren¡¯t you sleeping alonest night? Why weren¡¯t


    you scared then?¡± Astrid gave Joana a sarcastic look and bowed her head and continued to drink


    soup..


    Joana seemed a bit deted by the rejection, ¡°Yesterday we didn¡¯t walk far and we could still see the


    lights of the town, but now we¡¯re deep in the mountains.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the only two girls here, why don¡¯t we share the tent? This will keep both of us warmer..¡±


    Astrid ¡®I¡¯m not nning on sleeping in the tent tonight, I¡¯m going to stay by the fire.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a snowstormingte tonight. For safety¡¯s sake, nobody should be in the tents. If you¡¯re


    tired, just rest a bit by the fire.¡±


    ¡°You think you can just predict a snowstorm? Say there¡¯s a snowstorm and there¡¯ll be a snowstorm?¡±


    Joana pouted and returned to sit by the fire, sulking.


    Astrid didn¡¯t want to argue with Joana. She took a stick and poked the fire, adding more wood.


    Past midnight, the snow hadpletely stopped. Parrish stood up and said, ¡°Alright, the snow¡¯s


    stopped. We can pitch the tents now.¡±


    ¡°Tonight the temperature will drop to minus twenty. Don¡¯t stray too far from the fire.¡± Naylor said. Joana


    and the others ignored him, yawning and heading off to pitch the


    tents.


    Astrid shook her head speechless. She had checked the weather forecast for the week before they


    came. Tonight was the coldest night of the period. They brought sleeping bags and tents, but the


    sleeping bags weren¡¯t very thick.


    She was cold even in the special thermal clothes Elio had given her, let alone the others.


    Their campfire was in a shallow cave, which provided shelter from the rain and there wasn¡¯t much wind


    in the dead of night, so with the fire, it wouldn¡¯t be too cold.


    But the ce for pitching tents was right in the path of the wind, and the wind was very strong. It was


    too dangerous.


    Naylor, not a man of many words, didn¡¯t repeat his warning when no one listened to him the first time.


    Clyde had noticed since they entered the mountain that Astrid was very experienced in survival in the


    wild. Seeing that Astrid and Elio did not move, he did not go to pitch a tent either.


    After sitting for a while, Clyde was feeling sleepy, so he took out a deck of cards and said to the others,


    ¡°It¡¯s too boring. Let¡¯s y some poker.¡±


    Astrid was surprised at it. She didn¡¯t expect Clyde to carry a deck of cards with him.


    To kill time, they sat in a circle and yed poker.


    From the start, Clyde had noticed Astrid¡¯s gloves were different from the others¡®. He asked, ¡°Astrid,


    your gloves look pretty unique. Qurs are thick and bulky, but yours look thin. Are they waterproof and


    warm?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re quite warm,¡± Astrid, sucking on a lollipop, focused on her cards.


    Clyde: ¡°Where did you buy them? I also want to buy them.¡±


    ¡°They were a gift from my brother.¡± They were thetest product developed by Robb Brooke


    Corporation and hadn¡¯t officially been released yet.


    The gloves were temperature¨Cregting, always keeping the same temperature as the body. They


    were waterproof, warm, and made of a sturdy material that was hard to


    tear.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Clyde responded.


    Suddenly a gust of wind blew past, everyone couldn¡¯t help trembling.


    Naylor added some more wood to the fire. He stood up and looked at the sky, looking very serious.

 Chapter 336

    Chapter 336


    He got up, walked over to Joana and the others¡® tent and said, ¡°Storm¡¯s brewing, guys. Everyone get


    up quickly.¡±


    Joana and the others had just fallen asleep and were really not thrilled to get up.


    They thought to themselves, the crew was not far away, they should be no problem.


    The wind got stronger, it was not at the same level as the previous storm.


    The tent was about to be blown over. Odell and Parrish both ran out. No sooner had they left the tent


    than it was blown away by the wild wind.


    At this time, Joana has note out yet. Parrish yelled, ¡°Joana, get out here!¡±


    Joana¡¯s tent was about to copse. After Parrish shouted a few times, he heard Joana say, ¡°I can¡¯t be


    on camera without makeup! Mask, who has a mask for me!¡±


    Astrid rolled her eyes hearing this, ¡°Joana, what¡¯s more important, your life or your looks? Come out


    quickly!!¡±


    Joana replied. ¡°Then keep the camera off me, I don¡¯t want to be caught looking bare¨Cfaced.¡± Her tent


    was about to flip over, but she didn¡¯t feel the slightest danger. Just then, a gust of wind blew and


    Joana¡¯s tent was blown away.


    Parrish quickly rushed over to catch the tent, and the crew came over to help control the upturned tent.


    Joana crawled out of the tent and yelled, ¡°What kind of crappy show is this? Don¡¯t you care about the


    guests¡® safety?¡±


    ¡°Other survival shows are just for show, they don¡¯t film at night, and the guests can get a good sleep.


    You guys, on the other hand, seem to want us in danger!¡± Covering her face, Joana was afraid of being


    caught on camera without makeup.


    Maddox was immediately annoyed by her words, ¡°Joana, you were the one who didn¡¯t listen to our


    advice. When you were setting up the tent, Naylor warned you to be careful. Astrid reminded you too,


    and Parrish called you out but you didn¡¯te out. If you had listened to us, would the tent have


    flipped?¡±


    Joana looked at Astrid¡¯s nonchnt face and was immediately angry, ¡°Director, Astrid sneaked a phone


    in!¡±


    Astrid responded, ¡°I didn¡¯t. Joana, can you stop making things up?¡±


    Joana shot back, ¡°How did you know the temperature would drop? How did you know there would be a


    blizzard? You must¡¯ve checked the weather forecast sneakily!¡± Astrid asked, ¡°Do you know what a


    blizzard is?¡±


    Joana was a bit dumbfounded by Astrid¡¯s sudden question.


    Astrid exined, ¡°A blizzard is a heavy snowstorm with temperatures below minus five degrees


    Celsius. Before a blizzard, you can observe changes in temperature, wind strength, etc., you don¡¯t


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    need a phone.¡±


    ¡°Did you watch thest season? Do you know what you need to do to survive in the wild?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry, how could a woman who wears high¨Cheels to a survival show possibly be prepared in


    advance.¡±


    ¡°Joana, I don¡¯t care how you behave normally. But we¡¯re on the same show now, we¡¯re a team, and I


    hope you don¡¯t affect the whole team with your own stupid behavior.¡±

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    Chapter 337


    ¡°Stupid behavior?¡± Joana fumed, totally not thinking about her image, ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± Elio, who had been silent till now, suddenly spoke up. His voice was icy cold, his gaze colder


    than a snowstorm, ¡°None would want to be with a dimwit like you.¡±


    The moment Elio finished speaking, there was silence all around, only the whistling of wind and snow.


    Astrid quietly agreed with Elio. His words were sharp!


    Joana bit her lip, fighting back the tears. She dared not offend Elio.


    She knew that with just one word from him, she could be reced.


    In her anger, she had forgotten that Elio, the big shot, was present.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Seeing the tense atmosphere, Maddox cleared his throat and changed the subject, ¡°Erm, the


    snowstorm is pretty bad. Let¡¯s take shelter first.¡±


    Elio¡¯s cold gaze swept over Joana. She couldn¡¯t help but shiver, her legs too weak to move.


    After a few seconds, Elio turned his gaze to Astrid and spoke softly, ¡°Astrid, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s too windy


    here.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, it¡¯s slippery.¡±


    ¡°May I carry you?¡±


    Astrid: ¡°No.¡±


    Elio: ¡°Then may I hold you?¡±


    Astrid frowned, ¡°No, Elio. I¡¯m not a child. I can walk!¡±


    Elio: ¡°Alright, I understand.¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    Elio¡¯s attitude changed too quickly.


    But Astrid was probably the only one who dared to contradict him so directly.


    The next day, the weather was good, the sun was out, and the temperature had risen quite a bit.


    Looking around, the white snow¨Ccapped mountains looked magnificent.


    ¡°Wow! So beautiful!¡± Joana¡¯s cry came from nearby. Astrid¡¯s face changed immediately, ¡°Joana, don¡¯t


    shout loudly on the snow mountain!¡±


    Joana didn¡¯t care, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with letting off some steam?¡±


    Astrid was speechless. She sternly said, ¡°Sound waves have crests and troughs. If you shout loudly,


    the energy from the sound waves can trigger an avnche. The vibrations from the avnche can


    cause an even bigger one. Are you trying to get us all killed?¡±


    ¡°Avnche? I didn¡¯t realize I had that kind of power.¡± Joana rolled her eyes at Astrid and continued to


    shout, ¡°Wow!!! So beautiful!!! The snow mountains are so beautiful!!!¡± ¡°Wow!!!¡±


    Joana¡¯s voice echoed throughout the valley. Naylor, who was surveying the terrain not far away, felt a


    sudden urge to strangl¨¦ her. Before entering the mountains, he had given everyone a booklet on


    surviving in the wilderness. Clearly, Joana hadn¡¯t read it!


    Astrid was worried. She pulled out a roll of tape from her backpack and taped Joana¡¯s mouth shut.


    Joana: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯ll be quiet, I¡­¡± Astrid didn¡¯t get to finish her sentence. The snow on the mountainside next to


    them started to slide down.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Naylor had chosen a rtively gentle slope, the falling snow could have


    been much worse.


    Joana was stunned as she watched the snow slide down the mountainside.


    She tore the tape off her mouth, still defiant, ¡°The snow sliding down has nothing to do with me.¡±

 Chapter 338

    Chapter 338


    Astrid shot her a nce, ¡°I¡¯m afraid your low IQ might will affect me, so please stay away from me.¡±


    Joana was speechless.


    A group of people continued to walk forward. Without food, everyone was starving. They couldn¡¯t even


    find wild vegetables. After walking for a while, everyone¡¯s speed slowed down significantly.


    Odell, being older, couldn¡¯t keep up and started to grumble at the crew, ¡°Director, we¡¯re starving. You¡¯ve


    got the drama you wanted, can we have something to eat? Otherwise, we can¡¯t walk anymore, how can


    we record the show??¡±


    Naylor: ¡°Just hang in there. We¡¯ll find food after a short walk.¡±


    ¡°How many times have you said that now?¡± Odell was a renowned actor. He only agreed to participate


    in the show because of the high payment. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t havee to be suffered.


    Seeing this, Clyde chuckled, ¡°Hang on, Mr. Naylor is a survival expert. If he says there¡¯s food, there


    must be.¡±


    ¡°What? He is lying!¡± Odell plopped down on the snow, ¡°I¡¯m not going any further. You can go if you


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    want. I¡¯m old, and my physical strength is not as good as you young people. If the crew doesn¡¯t care, I¡¯ll


    just starve to death in the snow.¡±


    Joana, already struggling, quickly chimed in, ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you. We can rest a bit before we continue.¡±


    Odell knew what Joana was thinking, but he didn¡¯t intend to argue with her so he didn¡¯t speak!


    ¡°Woah! Pheasant!!!¡± Astrid shouted, and Naylor and Elio immediately followed her.


    Then they saw two pheasants under a tree not far away, and they were both fat.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Astrid smirked with a mischievous grin.


    Joana: ¡°You guys are gonna eat these chickens? That¡¯s brutal!¡±


    Parrish, who had been taking care of Joana, couldn¡¯t resist a snort, ¡°You¡¯d rather starve to death than


    eat?¡±


    ¡°These chickens are plump, but pheasants can fly and react very quickly, it is very difficult for us to


    catch them.¡± Naylor frowned, ¡°But we can try!¡±


    ¡°No need to bother.¡± Astrid waved her hand, pulling out something resembling an arrow from her bag


    and smeared some anesthetic on it. ¡°Quiet. I got this.¡±


    Seeing Astrid like this, Joana almost burst outughing, ¡°Astrid, this might happen in period dramas,


    but do you really think you can hit it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t show off.¡± Odell joined in the teasing, ¡°No need to try so hard just to look good.¡± Trying to look


    good?


    Astrid couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She wasn¡¯t trying to look good. She just wanted to eat.


    ¡°Exactly, Astrid. Sometimes you shouldn¡¯t talk big. If you can¡¯t back your words, you¡¯ll getughed at.


    Joana was still shaken from the scare Elio gave her yesterday, but she couldn¡¯t resist being sarcastic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass yourself. There¡¯s no way you can hit it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you¡¯ve never seen the world, just because you can¡¯t do it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t.¡±


    Astrid¡¯s lips curled up slightly. This little toy was a gift from Rickon. She used to practice shooting with


    Rickon all the time. If she couldn¡¯t hit such a big target at this close range, she wouldn¡¯t deserve to be


    called a genius.


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s focused expression, Elio, not wanting Joana and the others to disturb her, coldly said,


    ¡°Quiet.¡±


    Instantly, the chatterboxes fell silent.


    Astrid held her breath, slowly approaching the chickens. She peeked out from the side, squinted her


    eyes, aimed at the fattest chicken, and pressed the trigger!

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    Chapter 339


    Suddenly, pheasants from not far away flew up in a panic, as if they were scared by something.


    Joana, seeing this, couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°See, I said you couldn¡¯t hit it, right? You thought you could


    do anything, didn¡¯t you¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, the fattest pheasant fell from mid¨Cair. It struggled a bit, then stop moving.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Everyone present was stunned, thinking, can someone really hunt with arrows?


    Isn¡¯t this something from a TV show?


    The production team was shocked too: Is there anything Astrid can¡¯t do?


    Maddoxughed heartily, knowing this would definitely spark a hot discussion online! This is definitely


    going viral.


    Perfect.


    Parrish was taken aback for a moment, then he ran over to pick up the pheasant. Upon seeing the


    arrow in the pheasant¡¯s butt, he couldn¡¯t help but exim: ¡°Oh my God! That¡¯s amazing!¡±


    ¡°Astrid! If you have this skill, why don¡¯t you be a professional shooter? You could bring glory to


    our country!¡± Parrish held the chicken with a face full of smiles, his attitude towards Astrid suddenly


    became very respectful.


    Odell¡¯s expression towards Astrid changed as well.


    After all, the arrow was still in the chicken¡¯s butt, obviously not shot by anyone else, but Astrid!


    Astridughed and took the chicken, happily saying, ¡°We have chicken for dinner tonight!¡±


    Thank you, Astrid! There¡¯s water over there, I¡¯ll handle the chicken!¡± Parrish ran off with a smile. Clyde


    also went over to help.


    Odell walked over and looked at the arrow in Astrid¡¯s hand, asking quietly, ¡°Astrid, where did you buy


    this?¡±


    Astrid held up the arrow, ¡°I didn¡¯t buy this, it was custom¨Cmade for me by my brother. If you like, I can


    give you one in the future.¡±


    ¡°No, no need, I won¡¯t use it.¡± Odellughed, ¡°I¡¯m just curious. You as an actress, why do you know so


    many things?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always useful to learn more.¡± Astrid said. She still had many skills she hadn¡¯t revealed, she needed


    to keep a low profile.


    Naylor looked at Astrid¡¯s smiling face and came over to say seriously, ¡°Thank you this time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Astrid smiled, ¡°You chose this ce to shoot the show after researching, you must


    know there¡¯s food here. You wouldn¡¯t let us starve, even if we didn¡¯t get the pheasant, you could find


    other food.¡±


    Naylor nodded, ¡°Yes, I can find food, but it would take some effort. With you here, things are much


    easier for me.¡±


    Everyone was talking to Astrid, leaving Joana out in the cold.


    The wind blew, and the snow on the trees fell on her head, making her very annoyed: ¡°It¡¯s just a


    chicken, what¡¯s the big deal! Besides, who knows if she was the one who shot it!¡±


    Joana muttered to herself, no one paid her any attention.


    ¡°The woods up ahead are thick. Elio,e with me to see if there are any wild vegetables. Mr. Naylor,


    could you start a fire please?¡± Astrid said, then walked up the mountain with Elio.


    Naylor nodded, ¡°Be careful.¡°¡±


    Odell didn¡¯t want to sit back and enjoy, so he got up and looked for dry firewood around.


    Joana didn¡¯t help, but she didn¡¯t want the audience to criticize her for beingzy after the show aired,


    so she just wandered around aimlessly.

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    Chapter 340


    Parrish and Clyde did a bang¨Cup job cleaning up the chicken, while Astrid, with her own dagger in


    hand, cut the meat, boiled some in a pot, and skewered some onto wooden sticks to roast.


    Cooking meat took a long time, but grilling meat could be done quickly. Everyone was gathered around


    the fire, watching her hustle and bustle, like a bunch of kids waiting for supper.


    Especially Parrish, his mouth was watering like crazy.


    Astrid seasoned the roasted meat, and the tantalizing aroma of the grilled chicken made everyone feel


    even hungrier. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s all ready. Let¡¯s share it among ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Parrish didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, grabbed a piece of meat, and started to chow down. ¡°Wow,


    this is the best meat I¡¯ve ever had in my life!¡± ¡°Thanks to Astrid, otherwise we¡¯d be really hungry


    tonight!¡± Odell chuckled, thinking how lucky they were to have meat in such a ce.


    Joana was very cautious, she dared not grab any unless Astrid gave her the green light.


    Everyone got their meat, but she was the only one who didn¡¯t move. She was sitting there, hugging her


    knees, looking pretty pitiful. ¡°Take it. A skewer of meat was handed to her. She quickly raised her head


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    and saw Naylor¡¯s poker face.


    Naylor said, ¡°Please don¡¯t bother us in the future.¡±


    Bother?


    Joana wanted to throw the skewer away in anger!


    But she was so hungry, and Astrid had worked so hard to prepare this meal. If she wasted it, Elio would


    definitely not let her go.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t be self¨Cwilled anymore.¡± Joana took a small bite of the meat, feeling more and more


    wronged..


    Now everyone was on Astrid¡¯s side, Joana knew she was in for a rough few days.


    After they finished the meat, they had some soup and wild vegetables and everyone was in high


    spirits..


    Naylor said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hit the road.¡±


    It was hard to find food in the mountains during winter.


    It was only the third day, but Joana had already shed many tears, often bursting into tears as they


    walked.


    In the middle of the night in the forest, a woman¡¯s criesbined with the sound of the wind were


    pretty creepy.


    They walked for a long time, and by the time they found a campsite, it was already dark.


    The terrain was t, surrounded by dense trees and not much wind.


    After setting up the tent, Joana went straight to sleep.


    Elio saw Astrid pull out a small hand¨Ccrank ice drill from her bag and couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Astrid,


    what are you nning to do with that ice drill?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s for self¨Cdefense.¡± Astrid said, holding the ice drill, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s find some food.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, wait for me! What skill are you going to show off this time?¡± Parrish dropped what he was


    holding and ran over, ¡°I can be your grunt.¡±


    Astrid smiled faintly. Ever since she caught the wild chicken with her arrows, Parrish had been looking


    at her differently.


    ¡°I researched the terrain of this mountain range beforeing here. There¡¯s a mountainke nearby,


    I¡¯m gonna check it out, maybe we can catch some fish.¡± Astrid knew Parrish would follow, so she said,


    ¡°You bring a stic bag for the fish.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Parrish excitedly ran back to get a spare stic bag. He was as excited as a kid.


    He now realized that following Astrid meant good food!


    Clyde quietly walked over, ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡±


    Elio originally wanted to stay alone with Astrid to build up some rtionship, but suddenly two people


    came.

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    Chapter 341


    The two became more and more active. The main issue is they won¡¯t stop chatting up Astrid and


    they¡¯re sticking too close forfort.


    But Astrid had already agreed to theirpany, so he couldn¡¯t say anything. The four of them headed


    towards the mountain. Astrid has a memory like a steel trap, she had the map¡¯s terrain memorized in


    no time.


    Even though it¡¯s their third day hiking up the mountain, their progress was slower than msses in


    January. They¡¯ve only managed to cross two snowy mountains so far


    And that hilltopke was nearby. Everyone else¡¯s shlights died ages ago, but Astrid brought a sr¨C


    powered one. It gets juiced up in the sun during the day, so it¡¯s still going strong at night.


    Elio was very caring, he¡¯s worried about potential dangers ahead so he has been walking in front to


    lead the way.


    Not long after walking, Elio saw the smallke ahead through the light of the shlight. Parrish was so


    excited he almost jumped for joy, but he knew better than to make a racket in the snowy mountains.


    So, he kept his voice down and told Astrid, ¡°I tip my hat to you, Astrid. There really is ake!¡±


    Clyde chimed in, ¡°Sure, there¡¯s ake, but it¡¯s frozen solid and we didn¡¯t bring any fishing rods.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, who needs a fishing rod to ice fish in winter? This is all we need.¡±


    Astrid held up her ice auger with a smug grin, ¡°It¡¯s colder than a well digger¡¯s ass here every day, and


    thiske is formed from umted rainwater. It¡¯s stagnant water. As soon as we break the ice, the


    fish wille up for air.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have more fish than we know what to do with.¡±


    Parrish and Clyde exchanged a look and immediately began looking for rocks in the forest.


    In no time, they found a big rock and couldn¡¯t stop grinning.


    Astrid was pretty psyched about ice fishing. The fish in this kind ofke are aplenty!


    Seeing Astrid bolt towards theke like a runaway horse, Elio quickly pulled her back, ¡°I¡¯ll go first. What


    if you fall in because the ice is too thin?¡±


    ¡°If I can stand on it, then you¡¯re safe.¡±


    With that, Elio headed towards the icy surface.


    Watching his towering figure disappear into the night, Astrid felt something stir inside her.


    This guy¡­


    Sometimes, he¡¯s not so annoying.


    After jumping around on the ice a bit, Elio signaled for Astrid toe over once he was sure it was


    safe.


    Parrish couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Rumors really are misleading. Everyone says Mr. Lampard is a strict


    guy, but he¡¯s clearly a total softie around his wife!¡± Clyde replied, ¡°Wife? Astrid hasn¡¯t said yes yet. Let¡¯s


    go fish.¡±


    Just as Astrid was about to use the ice auger, Elio took it from her hands, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Astrid asked, ¡°Do you know how?¡±


    Elio retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t you know by now that I know?¡±


    ¡°Buzz off!¡± Astrid swung her foot towards Elio¡¯s rear end, fortunately Elio dodged just in time and was


    not kicked.


    Elio had already been kicked once, and this time he was prepared. Elio¡¯s skills were on point, he drilled


    a hole in the ice in no time.


    Astrid was puzzled, ¡°Elio, you¡¯re very skilled!¡±


    Elio replied, ¡°To impress your father, I learned fishing. Sea fishing,ke fishing, I¡¯m a pro at fishing now,


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    there¡¯s no fishing tool I can¡¯t use.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my father! My father!¡± Astrid red at Elio, ¡°Just help me drill


    the ice!¡±


    Elio: ¡°Okay.¡±

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    Chapter 342


    In no time, the small hole was expanded. A few secondster, fish began to swim out of the hole.


    Upon hearing themotion, Parrish and Clyde rushed over immediately. Hearing the slight sound


    from the hole, they were extremely excited.


    ¡°Hold on, just wait a bit longer.¡± Astrid stopped the two who were eager to grab the fish. They obeyed


    and waited quietly.


    Elio slowly widened the hole. The diameter of the hole had reached about twenty centimeters.


    Everyone moved to the side and sat quietly. Before long, a fish suddenly jumped out,nding on the


    ice.


    Parrish and Clyde had never tried ice fishing before. They were stunned on the spot.


    This was not fishing at all, it was more like picking up fish!


    Parrish: ¡°I¡¯m convinced, Astrid, take me as your apprentice!¡±


    An apprentice?


    Despite not being in touch often, she already had plenty of unreliable disciples.


    She was already stressed enough. This Parrish looked like an unreliable person. Astrid: ¡°Taking you as


    an apprentice is unnecessary, what can I teach you?¡±


    Parish: ¡°Teach me how to catch chickens! Teach me how to fish!¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    That¡¯s it?


    She hoped he would have higher aspirations.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve caught enough fish, let¡¯s go.¡± Astrid got up, Parrish immediately came over with a bag of


    fish: ¡°Master, I used to have prejudices against you because of my own values.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°But after spending a few days with you, I realize you indeed have real skills, I truly admire you!¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Astrid was speechless, ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed to take you as an apprentice, why are you calling


    me master?¡±


    Parrish: ¡°Master, don¡¯t mind these details!¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me that!¡± Astrid gave Parrish a nce, and Parrish quickly quieted down.


    That night, everyone enjoyed the grilled fish and was very happy.


    Parrish kept calling Astrid ¡°master¡°, Odell couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°Parrish, how did Astrid suddenly


    be your master?¡±


    ¡°I want to be her apprentice, but she hasn¡¯t agreed to take me yet.¡± Parrish grinned, ¡°After all, her


    disciples are all internationally renowned magicians, I may not be qualified.¡±


    Astrid chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not that you¡¯re not qualified, it¡¯s that I can¡¯t teach you anything, so I can¡¯t take you


    as my apprentice.¡±


    Parrish: ¡°I don¡¯t care, I want you to be my master!¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    He really is a stubborn guy.


    After chatting for a while, everyone went back to their tents to sleep.


    Because they caught a lot of fish, the next few days were quitefortable.


    On the noon of the seventh day, the adventurous journey finally ended.


    When Maddox announced the end of the first phase of filming, Joana sat on the ground and couldn¡¯t


    help but cry.


    Everyone took a helicopter back to the city, and the first thing they did was take a shower.


    After taking a shower, Astrid reported her safety to her family, then immediately threw herself back into


    work.


    For some reason, Astrid kept dreaming about Elio these nights, which annoyed her.


    Three days after the end of filming, the show was officially aired.


    The post production editing was very realistic, except for unnecessary scenes like them walking and


    sleeping, everything else was included, even Joana asking the director for food!


    It was too real.


    When Joana saw that scene, she felt desperate.

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    Chapter 343


    This is bad.¡± Joana was initially cheerfully watching the premiere, but now she was so scared that her


    hands started to shake.


    She was about to call Emily, but Emily called her first. As soon as she picked up the phone, Emily¡¯s


    angry voice came over. ¡°Joana!!! Are you trying to piss me off? Do you know how hard I worked to get


    you this opportunity?¡±


    ¡°You said you would behave, but now the whole inte is criticizing you!¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to make me angry to death?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emily.¡± Joana curled up on the sofa, tears kept falling down. ¡°In the past, the editors would


    cut a lot when recording variety shows, I didn¡¯t expect so little to be cut this time, I have been trying to


    control my temper.¡±


    Emily: ¡°It¡¯s only the first episode, but you¡¯ve got too many bad reviews. Look at Astrid, she¡¯s doing


    great, and her team¨Cup with Elio is very appealing. Her fans have increased by tens of thousands since


    the broadcast, and they¡¯re all good reviews!¡±


    ¡°And you, you¡¯ve already lost thirty thousand fans!¡±


    Joana choked up, ¡°Emily, before the second episode airs, you should go find Mr. Maddox.¡±


    ¡°What? You mean the first episode wasn¡¯t your worst performance?¡±


    Joana: ¡°Well¡­¡±


    If her scene of shouting on the snow mountain was broadcast, Emily might go insane.


    But her performance in the first episode was okay, right?


    Joana opened thements, then she froze.


    ¡°Oh my God, is Joana serious? Wearing high heels for an adventure on a snow mountain?¡±


    ¡°She actually asked for food from the production team, does she think Mr. Maddox¡¯s show is just a


    game show? Has she forgotten how miserable the guests werest season?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a fan of Joana, but I¡¯m very disappointed after watching.¡±


    ¡°But after watching this, I suddenly have a good impression of Clyde, he really didn¡¯t wear makeup.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about people without makeup, Astrid is so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lampard spoils Astrid too much, it seems no matter what, he takes care of her first.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, this must be love. Mr. Lampard¡¯s eyes are cold when he looks at others, but when he


    looks at Astrid, he¡¯s so gentle.¡±


    Meanwhile, Astrid and Gracie were also watching the premiere in their room.


    It was more than eight o¡¯clock in the evening, and the first episode wasn¡¯t even over yet.


    All you could hear was Gracie¡¯s voice, ¡°Oh my God, I really want to beat Joana.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, if Robb and the others see Mr. Lampard getting so close to you, would Mr. Lampard get beaten


    up?¡±


    Hearing this, Astrid paused with the chips in her hand, then she put the chips in her mouth and casually


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    said, ¡°If he gets beaten up, it¡¯s his own fault. It¡¯s not like I asked him to be on the show with me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Gracie yawned, ¡°But what about Clyde? He didn¡¯t use a filter in hisst livestream, this


    time he simply didn¡¯t wear makeup.¡±


    Astrid shook her head, ¡°For this kind of survival show, the more real it is, the more attractive it is to the


    audience. Fake performances will only turn the audience off.¡°¨C ¡°That¡¯s true, Clyde¡¯s fans have indeed


    increased a lot. But you must be the biggest beneficiary of this show. I heard Dale say many variety


    shows have invited you, but he refused.¡± Gracie was very excited about this topic, ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t you like


    to participate in variety shows?

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    Chapter 344


    ¡°Don¡¯t like it?¡± Astrid smirked, ¡°I don¡¯t dislike it, but I prefer acting. I n on being an actress,¡±


    After all, if she couldn¡¯t be an Oscar¨Cwinning actress, she would have to go home and inherit the


    family fortune.


    Gracie watched as Joana¡¯s face fell on TV, ¡°Astrid, do your think Joana¡¯s team would try to cut her


    screen time?¡±


    ¡°Emily might, but Mr. Maddox definitely won¡¯t agree.¡± Astrid spoke highly of Maddox. She had watched


    the first season of Adventures in the Abyss, which was popr because of its authenticity.


    The guests in the first season were all well¨Cknown, and although three of them were no longer as


    popr, they had once been very much in demand.


    In the first season, Maddox treated all guests equally and didn¡¯t give anyone special treatment. The


    guests were under a lot of pressure, and even scenes where they cursed the director weren¡¯t edited


    out.


    But after the show aired, the guests again attracted public attention, so many people scrambled to


    participate in this season.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    The guests in thest season were actors and athletes, and so were this season.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see Joana make a fool of herself.¡± Gracie grinned, ¡°Astrid, let me tell you, I met a newbie


    in the game.¡±


    ¡°A newbie?¡± Astrid raised an eyebrow, ¡°Gracie, you¡¯re a newbie yourself. Whoever you call a newbie


    must be really bad at games.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he really can¡¯t y. I beat him every time we y one¨Con¨Cone. He always begs for mercy.¡±


    Gracie was very proud, ¡°How about we y together and you can meet him?¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°Nah, if he can¡¯t even beat you, I¡¯m afraid he might uninstall the game as soon as I show


    up.¡±


    ¡°True, you¡¯re a pro after all.¡± Gracie stretched, continuing to gossip about Joana, ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t stand


    that woman.¡±


    ¡°Is she here to be funny?¡±


    And so on.


    Astrid chuckled, yawned, and was about to take a nap when her phone started vibrating violently.


    She frowned, and picked up her phone, and saw a mess in the group chat.


    Robb said: ¡°Is Elio crazy? How dare you approach Star!¡±


    1


    Brandon Brooke said: ¡°I¡¯ve known for a long time that this person¡¯s participation in variety shows is not


    kind, just look at the way he looks at Star!¡±


    Jon Brooke said: ¡°Robb, can we pull some strings to get him off the show?¡±


    Robb said: ¡°I¡¯ve contacted the production team, but with Mr. C backing him, I can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Mentioning Mr. C, the chat went silent.


    After a while, Brandon continued: ¡°No matter how I look at him, he¡¯s irritating. I don¡¯t know if those


    Jon said: ¡°What¡¯s so good about his face, he¡¯s not good enough for our Star!¡±


    Brandon said: ¡°He looks half human and half ghost! My Pinky is better looking than him!¡±


    Seeing her brothers¡® sharpments, Astrid silently closed the group chat.


    This was not the time for her to show up, or she would be the target of their attacks!


    Speaking of Mr. C, she was also somewhat curious about this man.


    She had tried to investigate him, but found no clues.


    Only from Robb had she heard that many foreign powers and leaders respected him.


    Many people were afraid of this man, but she was not.


    After all, many world leaders also respected her, but she preferred to keep a low profile.

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    Chapter 345


    Astrid was always hustling on set, often shooting into thete hours of the night.


    Many of the actresses on set looked wom out from the long hours and their skin condition had also


    became poor.


    But, even though Astrid also looked bushed, her skin was always wless.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Astrid, what kind of skincare do you use? You¡¯ve been burning the midnight oil for day¡¯s, how¡¯s your


    skin still so good?¡± Selena asked, looking enviously at Astrid¡¯s skin.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t always have to go for the big brands, the most important thing is to find something that


    suits you.¡± Astrid yawned, ¡°If you want, I can give you a set.¡± Selena: ¡°Okay, thanks!¡±


    ¡°By the way, the second episode of your variety show is airing tonight. I saw the first one, you were


    amazing! You seemed more energetic than Parrish!¡±


    Astrid justughed, ¡°It¡¯s not too bad, the mountain wasn¡¯t that steep so it wasn¡¯t too tiring.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, I brought your stuff!¡± Gracie walked in with a box.


    Seeing the logo on the box, Selena eximed, ¡°Oh my god! Is that memento from the online game


    Haunt Hall? Is it a figurine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a figurine.¡± Astrid nodded. The figurine was a piece of memorabilia from the popr game by


    ForgeFire Games.


    She really liked collecting these figurines, so she had Chad send her a set.


    ¡°Astrid, let me open it for you.¡± Seeing Astrid¡¯s nod, Gracie immediately started opening the box.


    She opened the exquisite box and took out the figurine. Selena gaped, ¡°Oh my god! Astrid, how did you


    get this? Isn¡¯t this ¨¤ limited edition?¡±


    Seeing Selena so excited, Astrid smiled and said, ¡°If you like it, you can have it.¡±


    ¡°You just give it to me??¡± Selena asked in surprise, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Astrid patted Selena¡¯s head with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ve been working so hard. Consider this a reward.¡±


    This figurine was rare, even people with money had a hard time getting their hands on it.


    But if she wanted, she could have lots.


    ¡°Astrid, where did you buy this figurine? My son loves it too, could you sell it to me?¡± Another actress


    from the set, Adrienne, walked in with a child trailing behind her.


    Adrienne was thirty¨Ceight and her son Larkin was just turned six.


    Adrienne had divorced Larkin¡¯s father a while ago and spoilt Larkin rotten. He was domineering and


    has no manners..


    Larkin must have seen Gracie with the box and asked Adrienne toe over to ask Astrid for it.


    Astrid: ¡°What a coincidence, I already gave this figurine to Selena.¡±


    Adrienne nced at Selena and sneered, ¡°Oh, she¡¯s just a makeup artist, she wouldn¡¯t appreciate it.


    It¡¯s a waste giving it to her. I¡¯m willing to pay for it, how much do you want?¡±


    Hearing this, Selena frowned, but she didn¡¯t dare to refute. Adrienne had some clout in the


    entertainment industry and Selena didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for Astrid. But there was no way


    Adrienne was getting this figurine for cheap!


    This was a limited edition figurine that many people couldn¡¯t get their hands on even if they threw


    money at it!


    Hearing Adrienne¡¯s words, Astrid¡¯s smile disappeared, ¡°So, a makeup artist can¡¯t be interested in


    figurines? What I give to her is hers!¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, giving a figurine to someone who doesn¡¯t understand its value is the biggest insult to


    the figurine!¡±

 Chapter 346

    Chapter 346


    Considering she was dealing with her own senior, Astrid was being pretty polite.


    ¡°They¡¯re just two dolls! Come on, son, let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll buy you a bigger one!¡± Adrienne tried to tug Larkin


    away, but Larkin was determined not to leave.


    Despite his age, Larkin had yed the game Haunt Hall. He knew those dolls were treasures among


    yers. If he had them, he could show off in the game.


    ¡°Mom, I want this one. Go and grab what¡¯s in that maid¡¯s hand and give it to me, otherwise I¡¯m going to


    make a fuss here!!¡± Larkin lying directly on the ground crying loudly.


    People who saw this might think Astrid was bullying him.


    Although Astrid wasn¡¯t as close to Selena as she was to Gracie, she considered Selena a friend. So


    when Larkin referred to Selena as a maid, she got pissed.


    Larkin: ¡°I don¡¯t care, I want that doll!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t give it to me, I¡¯ll keep crying. I curse you, I curse you that you¡¯ll have a car ident as


    soon as you walk out!¡±


    ¡°Astrid, you vixen, you¡¯re bullying me! Boo hoo hoo¡­¡±


    Adrienne nced at Astrid, pretending to be concerned. ¡°Oh Astrid, don¡¯t take a child¡¯s words to heart.


    Kids just blurt out anything.¡±


    ¡°Just give it to him, he¡¯ll leave. Otherwise, his tantrum here isn¡¯t good either, right?¡±


    Astrid looked at Larkin squalling on the ground, then walked over with a smile.


    Just as Adrienne thought the dolls were to be got, Astrid scooped up Larkin and dumped him in the


    hallway. ¡°You said I was bullying you? So if I don¡¯t bully you for real, wouldn¡¯t I be wronged?¡±


    Larkin, who was only fake crying, froze at Astrid¡¯s action.


    ¡°Astrid, how could you bully a child?¡± Adrienne rushed over to hug her son, ring at Astrid.


    Astrid smirked, ¡°I am bullying him just as he wishes.¡±


    Adrienne: ¡°¡­¡±


    With that, Astrid turned and shut the dressing room door.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Selena was moved to tears by Astrid¡¯s defense, ¡°Astrid, you¡¯re so good to me. Adrienne¡¯s ex¨Chusband


    is influential, what if she gets him to retaliate against you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Astrid patted Selena¡¯s head, ¡°I haven¡¯t taught people like her a lesson for a long time. I¡¯m


    just bored.¡±


    Selena gazed at Astrid in awe, thinking how badass she was. She felt like marrying her!


    Seeing Larkin¡¯s behavior made Astrid appreciate Roman Lampard even more.


    She changed into her costume for filming. Then an unknown text came in: ¡°You and Elio are destined


    to never be together.¡±


    She thought it was from some crazy fan, so she didn¡¯t pay it any mind.


    Selena and Gracie apanied her to the shooting site. When they returned to the dressing room in


    the evening, Selena found the exquisite dolls scribbled over with a marker!


    ¡°What happened? Who did this?!!!¡± Selena grabbed the ruined dolls, her hand shaking.


    She was a super fan of Haunt Hall, she¡¯d dreamed of owning these dolls!


    She couldn¡¯t believe they were ruined as soon as she got them!


    Gracie said, ¡°It must be Larkin! He¡¯s so young but so ruthless! If he can¡¯t have something, he¡¯ll destroy


    it!¡±


    Astrid lightly tapped her fingers on the makeup table and said to Gracie, ¡°Gracie, order a KFC family


    bucket.¡±


    Selena and Gracie were confused, ¡°Astrid, you never liked eating that, did you?¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but someone does. Just do as I say.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Gracie ordered the meal. When she looked up, she saw Astrid sitting on the makeup table, a


    mischievous smile on her lips. Selena and Gracie exchanged a nce. When Astrid had this


    expression, it meant someone was in for a rough time!


    Oops, what a thrill!

 Chapter 347

    Chapter 347


    Bad weather has slowed order delivery. By the time the family bucket arrived, it was a full forty minutes


    Her part of the shoot was done, but since Adrienne was still in the middle of hers, Larkin must¡¯ve still


    been on set.


    Selena looked at the family bucket on the table, puzzled. ¡°Astrid, the food¡¯s here. What do we do now?¡±


    Astrid smiled faintly, ¡°Selena, go find Larkin on set. Tell him we¡¯re sorry for what happened earlier today


    and we buy him a really big KFC family bucket.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gracie was instantly furious. ¡°Astrid, have you lost your mind? You want to please that little


    jerk? I¡¯d rather throw it to the stray dogs than let him have it!¡±


    Astridughed at Gracie¡¯s angry face, ¡°I have my reasons for inviting him to eat. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let


    him off that easily. If we don¡¯t teach him a lesson, he might think the world revolves around him.¡±


    Since Astrid had said so, Selena didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. She got up and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now. Wait


    for me.¡±


    Gracie didn¡¯t know what Astrid was up to and could only wait in the dressing room.


    A few minutester, Larkin¡¯s voice echoed from outside, ¡°Do you guys know who my dad is? He¡¯s the


    CEO of a bigpany. It¡¯s right for you to apologize to me now. Otherwise, when my dad gets here,


    you¡¯re all screwed!¡±


    When Larkin entered the dressing room and saw the family bucket, his eyes lit up. Most kids love this


    stuff, and Larkin was no exception.


    He walked over and grabbed a big drumstick without any hesitation, ¡°Since you guys are so sincere, I¡¯ll


    forgive you!¡±


    ¡°Larkin, did you do this?¡± Astrid held up a doll that had been scribbled all over. Larkin, who was


    enjoying his food, suddenly stopped his hand.


    He slowly put down the drumstick and stepped back, ¡°So what if I did? If any of you dare to hit me, my


    dad will feed you to the fishes!¡±


    Astrid looked at him and chuckled, ¡°Hit you? Why would we do that? I just think that the random marks


    you made with the marker pen make this doll artistically appealing!¡±


    Gracie and Selena looked at them, both confused. Artistic?


    Larkin was even more puzzled, ¡°Artistic? Really?¡±


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Astrid nodded seriously, ¡°I sent the picture of your drawing to a famous international designer.


    He said you¡¯re a once¨Cin¨Ca¨Ccentury genius. You¡¯re definitely going to be a top designer in the future!¡±


    Larkin: ¡°???¡±


    Astrid: ¡°Originally, this doll was soulless. But your clever scribbles added character to it, making the


    in outfit seem very designed, chaotic yet delicate. I really love it!¡±


    ¡°Can you also draw something on this shirt for me? If you be famous in the future, I can sell it for


    a good price!¡±


    Sell it???


    This kind of thing can be sold?


    Larkin was still a kid after all, hearing a little praise from Astrid and he immediately felt like a genius.


    He took the marker pen from Astrid and casually drew on the white T¨Cshirt. Before he could finish,


    Astrid eximed, ¡°Wow, this is too perfect! I must take this shirt home and keep it safe!¡±

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    Chapter 348


    Gracie and Selena looked puzzled. What strange thing was Astrid doing?


    ¡°Is it really that good?¡± Larkin already liked to show off, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have the idea of grabbing


    dolls to show off.


    Astrid had already investigated this kid. She even knew what color of underwear he preferred, so


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    naturally, she knew how to make him shoot himself in the foot.


    At that moment, Gracie finally caught on to Astrid¡¯s n. She quickly pulled up her clothes and


    squatted in front of Larkin: ¡°Hey, can you help me do some drawing too?¡±


    ¡°Not just clothes, bags work too, you¡¯re so talented, anyone would love your work!¡±


    Larkin¡¯s vanity was massively stroked. He watched as Gracie¡¯s clothes and bag were transformed into


    a riot of color by his hand, feeling extremely pleased.


    Gracie: ¡°My bag was just one color before, so boring. Now, it¡¯s really something!¡±


    ¡°Of course, after all, I did it. It¡¯s bound to look good.¡± Larkin strutted off with his bucket of fried chicken,


    not to the set, but back to his hotel. Watching him leave, Gracie turned to Astrid and chuckled: ¡°Job


    done.¡±


    Selena looked puzzled: ¡°Job done with what?¡±


    You¡¯ll see when Adrienne gets back to the hotel.¡± Gracie was all smiles, leaving Selena more confused


    than ever.


    It was a lovely day, so Astrid took Gracie and Selena out for a meal.


    They had a great time and didn¡¯t return to the hotel untilte.


    Just out of the elevator, the sound of a child crying could be heard. Selena looked ahead, ¡°Oh my,


    Larkin is getting a scolding. That¡¯s new. I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d actually discipline her precious son.¡±


    Some hotel staff enjoying the spectacleughed, ¡°How could she not? God knows what got into Larkin.


    He took a marker pen and drew all over his mum¡¯s designer bag and fancy dresses.¡±


    ¡°Even Adrienne¡¯s most treasured limited edition Hermes diamond bag wasn¡¯t spared. That thing¡¯s worth


    millions!¡±


    Hearing this, Selena finally realized why Astrid had treated Larkin to a bucket of fried chicken and


    called him a genius.


    That was a brilliant move!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Astrid, who had studied psychology, had nned all this.


    She had taken Gracie and Selena out to eat just in time to return and see this.


    Her dressing room was for her exclusive use, and she always locked the door when she left, leaving


    the key above the door.


    Larkin was just a kid, he couldn¡¯t get the key or open the door.


    That toy must have been tampered with at Adrienne¡¯s behest.


    Mess with Astrid¡¯s things, bully her people, and you¡¯re in for a world of hurt.


    Meanwhile, Joana was watching the newly released second episode of the show.


    This episode included the part where her refusal to listen to advice led to her tent blowing away. Joana


    had thought that since Emily had turned to Maddox, he might consider her feelings and delete these


    embarrassing scenes.


    Surprisingly, not only had they not been deleted, but the subtitle team had also addedughing


    emoticons when her tent was blown away.


    Joana dared not open thements, knowing theizens would definitely criticize her.


    She had hoped to gain some good exposure from this show, but if things kept going like this, her fans


    would be greatly reduced!!

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    Chapter 349


    Joana pondered for a moment, then gathered her courage and dialed Emily¡¯s number again on her


    phone.


    Emily didn¡¯t pick up her calls several times. After a while, Emily called back and Joana hastily


    answered, ¡°Emily, I need your help.¡±


    Emily: ¡°Now you are afraid, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Joana: ¡°I know I messed up.¡±


    Emily: ¡°For starters, you need to apologize on Twitter. I¡¯ll draft a content and send it to you. While your


    performance was bad, you at least added something to the show.¡±


    ¡°We signed Maddox for the whole season, Unless you do something totally uneptable, he won¡¯t


    rece you on a whim. After all, variety shows need gossip and attention.¡±


    ¡°But how could youck even the most basicmon sense? Screaming your head off on a snowy


    mountain, are you out of your mind or what?¡± Joana: ¡°¡­¡±


    Emily gave her a piece of her mind before hanging up. Joana felt a little better.


    She opened Twitter and was immediately dumbfounded by the trending hashtags.


    #JoanaScreamsOnSnowyMountain#


    #Astrid TapesJoana¡¯sMouth#


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    #AstridAndElio¡¯s SweetMoments#


    She always wanted to trend, but she never thought it would be because people were roasting her for


    being dumb.


    There were two other girls her age on the show, they were bound to bepared.


    The entire inte was criticizing her, and everyone was singing Astrid¡¯s praises.


    Joana was almost in tears, when Emily texted her: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this season. We will work on


    improving your performance gradually. I¡¯lle up with a strategy for you. Make a stark contrast with


    your past behavior, and you¡¯ll definitely improve your image.¡±


    Joana: ¡°Okay.¡±


    After sending the message, Joana let out a sigh of relief.


    Just as she was about to go to bed, a message from an unknown number popped up: ¡°Hello, Joana, I


    have a deal I want to talk to you about..¡±


    Looking at the odd message, Joana furrowed her brows and deleted the text message.


    Secondster, the message came again: ¡°I have some dirt on Astrid that could get her kicked off


    Adventures in the Abyss. Would you like to cooperate


    with me?¡±


    Astrid could be kicked off the show? Joana was tempted.


    She stared at the message for a long time, then typed back: ¡°You need to give me some proof first, so I


    know you¡¯re not lying.¡±


    A few secondster, the other party sent a photo.


    Seeing the picture, Joana¡¯s hand trembled slightly.


    Do it or not.


    Standing by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window and looking outside, Joana was hesitant.


    On Friday, Astrid got a call from Dale, inviting her to an awards ceremony.


    She was nominated for the Best Neer Award. Even though it was just a nomination, it was


    already an affirmation for her, considering she was just a supporting character in the TV series.


    Palmer, on the other hand, was nominated for the Most Popr Male Actor award thanks to his


    previous blockbuster drama.


    Astrid and Palmer didn¡¯t interact much on set, but when she was about to head to J City, Palmer and


    his assistant unexpectedly came to her.


    They were from the same show, so they could walk the red carpet together.


    It wasn¡¯t a big deal, so she agreed.


    By the time they arrived in J City, it was alreadyte at night, but there were still many fans waiting for


    them at the airport.


    Astrid soon spotted Elio standing in the crowd wearing a mask.

 Chapter 350

    Chapter 350


    He was wearing a long ck down jacket, but she still recognized him at first nce.


    He could¡¯ve just waited in the car to pick her up, but why pretend to be one of her fans?


    After interacting with her fans for a bit, Astrid stepped out. Carson Fisher was already waiting for her in


    his car. As soon as he saw her, he drove over, ¡°Ms. Irvine, please.¡±


    Carson was driving a stretch business car. Gracie and Selena voluntarily sat in the back. Shortly after,


    Elio got in too.


    He slowly took off his mask, his hands a bit red from the cold.


    Astrid asked, ¡°Why are you pretending to be my fan?¡±


    1


    Elio answered, ¡°I¡¯m not pretending. I¡¯ve always been a fan. I just wanted to experience what it feels like


    to watch you as a fan.¡± He then turned to look at her, ¡°Do you want me to apany you on the red


    carpet?¡±


    Astrid rejected him without a second thought, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll walk with my ¡®male co¨Cstar. It¡¯s a good


    promotion for our TV show.¡±


    Hearing the words ¡®male co¨Cstar¡®, Elio frowned slightly, ¡°But we¡¯re also a pair. Many video makers have


    made clips of us interacting. I¡¯ve been quite popr on TikTok recently.¡±


    Both Gracie and Selena were rendered speechless.


    Was this really Elio? He knew about TikTok?


    The image of Elio giggling while watching videos on his phone sent a shiver down their spines.


    Terrifying.


    Absolutely terrifying.


    Astrid said, ¡°I agreed to ride in your car today just to remind you not to pull any stunts on the red


    carpet!¡± Herst red carpet experience was a disaster and it left a deep scar.


    Just as she was about to continue, the car suddenly stopped.


    Carson said, ¡°Boss, we¡¯re in trouble.¡±


    Astrid peeked out and saw Robb¡¯s car and his team.


    She hadn¡¯t seen Robb in a long time. She immediately got out of the car and ran to him, jumping into


    his arms, ¡°Robb!¡±


    Robb asked, ¡°Why are you riding in his car? Haven¡¯t we got any cars?¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°I had something to discuss with him. That¡¯s why I took his car. Howe you¡¯re free to


    pick me up today?¡±


    Robb said, ¡°I was on a business trip in J City. As soon as I heard you wereing, I dropped


    everything to pick you up.¡± He gently tapped Astrid¡¯s forehead, ¡°I¡¯ve prepared your dress and makeup


    team. You¡¯ll steal the show as soon as you walk in.¡±


    Astrid always feels safe with Robb, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She told Carson, ¡°Please take Gracie and Selena to the ceremony. Bye~¡± Then, she arm¨Cin¨Carm with


    Robb, got into his car.


    Gracie and Selena didn¡¯t want to be in the same space as Elio. They immediately got out of the car,


    ¡°We won¡¯t bother you, Carson. We¡¯re going shopping. We¡¯ll hail a


    cab ourselves.¡±


    Carson said, ¡°Alright. Stay safe.¡±


    Elio, left in the car, took a look at the dress he prepared for Astrid and sighed, ¡°Carson, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Sure, boss.¡± Carson was truly worried for him. For all the other brothers of Astrid, Elio could always


    find ways to deal with them, but Robb was a formidable


    opponent.


    Perhaps, the real challenge wasn¡¯t Astrid¡¯s brothers, but Mr. Brooke overseas.


    This was tough.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Elio was daydreaming when Roman video¨Ccalled him. As soon as he answered, Roman¡¯s face


    appeared on the screen, cheerfully asking, ¡°Elio, where¡¯s my mom?T can¡¯t reach her!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve arrived at the hotel, waiting to meet mom!¡±


    Elio replied, ¡°Your mom was taken away by Robb.¡±


    Taken away?


    Roman¡¯s face fell and he immediately hung up the video call.


    Elio was speechless.

 Chapter 351

    Chapter 351


    Robb had invited a top¨Cnotch international styling team to get Astrid dolled up for a party. Astrid sat


    there yawning non¨Cstop, ¡°Where¡¯s Dale, bro?¡±


    ¡°He dares to show up?¡± Robb slowly lifted his eyes from his phone. His voice was calm but chilly, ¡°He


    even dared to let you join that wilderness survival reality show. If he actually turns up, he might get


    punched.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Astrid pouted, ¡°You only talk big in front of me. Brandon already told me. They wanted to find


    Dale but couldn¡¯t. You must¡¯ve hidden him.¡±


    Robb seemed to ignore Astrid¡¯s words. He slowly picked up his coffee and took a sip. His elegant


    demeanor was hard to believe, ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    Seeing Astrid¡¯s blooming smile, Robb was reminded of a past event.


    He remembered when Astrid was just born, all the brothers would stand guard by the crib every day,


    afraid someone would take their baby sister away. But they never expected a huge fire to break out one


    night, causing Astrid to disappear.


    Their mother died from depression, and their father¡¯s hair turned white overnight.


    Many years passed, and when everyone thought she was gone from this world, they found her.


    So, after Astrid came back, they treated her even better, afraid that she would encounter any ident


    again.


    When he saw Joana screaming on the snow mountain in the show, he really wished he could kill that


    idiot.


    Because if there was an avnche, they wouldn¡¯t have time to save her.


    ¡°Do I look good?¡± Astrid came out in a new dress, but she saw Robb spacing out, ¡°Robb, I¡¯m talking to


    you!!!¡°.


    Robb snapped back to reality and nodded indulgently, ¡°You look great. You¡¯re always the prettiest. You


    guys go out.¡±


    As soon as he finished his sentence, everyone else in the room left.


    Robb got up, walked over to lock the door, then turned around and asked, ¡°Star, I really don¡¯t want to


    interfere with you and Elio, but the Lampard family isn¡¯t as peaceful as it seems. Do you know about


    the Lampard family¡¯s past?¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t expect Robb to bring this up. Now that she thought about it, her rtionship with Elio


    seemed very simple. Neither of them had deliberately looked into each other¡¯s past.


    Knowing that Robb had something to say, she shook her head honestly, ¡°I haven¡¯t looked into the


    Lampard family.¡±


    Robb: ¡°Matthew Lampard didn¡¯t just have one son, Elio. His first three children all died shortly after birth


    due to various idents. It wasn¡¯t until he was forty that


    he had Elio.¡±


    ¡°Before Elio came of age, no one knew where he was or what he was doing.¡±


    ¡°The Morgenster Corporation was founded by Elio¡¯s grandfather and eventually handed over to


    Matthew. As soon as Elio came of age, Matthew let Elio manage the Morgenster Corporation. Elio


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    appeared in the public eye and some people didn¡¯t dare to act rashly.¡±


    With this, Robb paused slightly, ¡°Star, I don¡¯t want to interfere with your feelings, but for your safety, I¡¯ve


    decided not to let you marry into the Lampard family.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°If Elio is willing to marry into our family, then for your sake and Roman¡¯s, might consider giving him a


    chance.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Astrid¡¯s mouth opened wide.

 Chapter 352

    Chapter 352


    Her rtionship with Elio hadn¡¯t even reached the point where they were considering marriage yet.


    They hadn¡¯t even officially started dating! Robb¡¯s jumping the gun here.


    However, when Astrid gave Robb¡¯s words some thought, she suddenly realized something critical.


    Elio¡¯s brothers had unfortunately died when they were very young, and it was clear some folk in the


    Lampard family weren¡¯t too thrilled about Matthew having an


    heir!


    So, those who kept trying to hurt her, and wanted her to miscarry, were from the Lampard family.


    They didn¡¯t want Elio to have an heir.


    Just then, Astrid remembered that mysterious text message she¡¯d received before:


    She took out her phone to recheck the message, then looked up at Robb and quietly asked, ¡°Any leads


    on who sent that?¡±


    Robb knew about the assassination attempt when she was pregnant. Robb was smart. Since he¡¯d


    already dug into the Lampard family¡¯s dirtyundry, naturally he¡¯d suspect that the person/pulling the


    strings was from the Lampard family.


    Robb turned to her, gently patting her head and said, ¡°Star, I¡¯ll let you in on what you need to know.


    Don¡¯t worry about the rest, I just want you to be happy.¡±


    ¡°After all, we¡¯ve already lost you once.¡±


    Astrid looked at Robb, gently wrapping her arm around his, ¡°I know you guys care about me, but I have


    to get to the bottom of this. Only by outing the puppeteer can Roman grow up healthy.¡±


    Robb knew Astrid was stubborn, but how could he deny her what she wanted?


    Looking at Astrid¡¯s determined eyes, Robb chuckled, ¡°Let me handle this, you just keep chasing your


    dreams.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep you in the loop. There¡¯s stuff you can¡¯t really do while you¡¯re in the industry.¡±


    Plus, there could be danger involved in dealing with this, and he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to let her risk


    it.


    Astrid smiled and agreed, but she had no intention of leaving it all to Robb. After all, she wanted to


    understand some things herself.


    The awards ceremony was grand.


    ¡°Astrid, the red carpet ceremony is about to start.¡± Gracie knocked from outside, and Astrid went to


    open the door.


    Gracie was floored when she saw Astrid. She¡¯d always known Astrid was beautiful, but today¡¯s Astrid


    was a whole other level.


    Astrid had transformed into a princess straight out of a castle.


    Gracie asked, ¡°Astrid, I thought you said you didn¡¯t like this style?¡±


    Astrid shot Robb a nce, and Gracie immediately got it.


    Astrid was the little princess of the Brooke family, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that Robb had his team


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    transform her into this.


    Astrid¡¯s dress was a gradient champagne color, her skirt was embellished with diamonds. Her hair was


    styled in big waves, making her even more stunning.


    What Gracie loved most was Astrid¡¯s set of pink diamond jewelry. She¡¯d never seen diamonds so big


    and beautiful in her life.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Gracie and Astrid got in the elevator together.


    Robb picked up his phone and sent a message in the group: ¡°No one better ruin Star¡¯s red carpet


    moment today, or they¡¯re on their own.¡±


    Brandon and Jon were working. After receiving the news, they silently informed their team to cancel the


    red carpet surprise that had been prepared.

 Chapter 353

    Chapter 353


    Adrienne was also here for the awards ceremony today. Since her gown was ruined by Larkin with a


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    marker, she had to rent one at thest minute.


    The gown was a bit toorge and she had no time to alter it, so it didn¡¯t look too ttering.


    She was in a bad mood and didn¡¯t linger on the red carpet.


    The host: ¡°Next on our red carpet, we have the leading actor and actress from Endless Longing,


    Palmer and Astrid!¡±


    As the host finished, the camera panned to the other end of the red carpet.


    Astrid got out of the car and the fans on site were blown away.


    The cheers for Palmer were instantly drowned out!


    ¡°Wow, Astar!!¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, my Astar has turned into a princess, I really want to marry her!¡±


    ¡°Goddess Astar, I love you!¡±


    ¡°She smiled at me!!! She saw me!¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! She¡¯s gorgeous!¡±


    Someizens watching the live broadcast started toin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I just don¡¯t see her beauty.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just average.¡±


    ¡°Which brand is her gown? It¡¯s not some ordinary brand, is it?


    ¡°That diamond must be a gift from Eli¨°. She¡¯s just a woman who relies on a man, I don¡¯t understand


    why so many people like her.¡±


    ¡°Can some people stop being so ignorant? Her gown is a limited edition from a high¨Cend international


    brand, there¡¯s only one in the world!¡±


    ¡°Besides, does Astar need to depend on a man? Joke, she¡¯s stronger than most men.¡±


    Joana and the other actors from the drama were the next group to walk the red carpet, but all eyes


    were on Astrid, so Joana didn¡¯t get much attention this time.


    Although she was upset, she still smiled and greeted everyone before quickly walking in..


    Astrid and Palmer took photos, signed autographs and then walked away.


    At this point, Adrienne and Larkin were watching Astrid from a distance.


    When Adrienne saw the ruined gown and bag, she angrily hit Larkin, but then she realized.


    This was Astrid¡¯s trick.


    Astrid¡¯s trick was very clever, she didn¡¯t directly ask Larkin to ruin her gown and bag, instead she gave


    Larkin a strong psychological suggestion, leading him into/ her trap.


    Thinking about her expensive bags and gowns, Adrienne was so angry that she could eat Astrid alive,


    ¡°Son, when your fatherester, cry as pitifully as you! can, and tell him everything I taught you.¡±


    Larkin didn¡¯t dare to disobey Adrienne and nodded obediently, ¡°I understand, Mom.¡±


    Adrienne and her son waited there for a long time until a man in his forties came over. He nced at


    Adrienne with displeasure, ¡°I remember you said we wouldn¡¯t meet after the divorce, what do you


    want?¡±


    The reason for their divorce was Adrienne¡¯s betrayal, he felt nauseous whenever he saw her.


    Larkin immediately ran over and hugged Damian¡¯s leg, ¡°Dad, the actress in the crew hit me. It hurt a


    lot, she even threw me in the snow, and when Mom went to argue with her, she was insulted!¡±


    ¡°I told her I was your son, but she not only didn¡¯t stop hurting me, she also said you were useless.¡±


    ¡°Woooooo, Dad, I¡¯m so pitiful¡­¡±

 Chapter 354

    Chapter 354


    Although Damian couldn¡¯t stand Adrienne, he adored his son. When he heard his kiddo got hit, he was


    fuming.


    Lately, he¡¯s been binge¨Cwatching a reality show called Adventures in the Abyss, and he¡¯s got a soft


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    spot for Astrid on the show. He never saw iting that she¡¯d be the type to hit kids behind closed


    doors!


    ¡°Kid, don¡¯t cry. Dad¡¯s gonna get your justice.¡± Damian gently touched his son Larkin¡¯s head, then pulled


    out his phone and left.


    Adrienne couldn¡¯t help but smirk watching Damian¡¯s retreating figure.


    Astrid, are you expecting an award?


    What a joke.


    An hourter, the stars were mostly seated.


    Joana was obsessively eyeing Astrid¡¯s direction, clutching her bag tightly.


    Clyde¡¯s rtionship with Astrid had smoothed somewhat since the recording of Adventures in the


    Abyss.


    Although they were not very good friends, they were still ordinary friends now.


    Noticing Joana and Adrienne¡¯s constant stares, Clyde leaned over to whisper to Astrid, ¡°Why do Joana


    and Adrienne keep looking at you?¡±


    I


    ¡°Looking at me?¡± Astrid arched an eyebrow, ¡°Maybe they¡¯re looking at you.¡±


    Clyde was speechless.


    Despite what Astrid said, she was still wary of Joana and Adrienne.


    Joana had been getting a lot of criticism since the show aired recently, so she might be ufortable


    and maybe she would do something about it.


    As for Adrienne she couldn¡¯t stand Astrid.


    The host of the award ceremony, Janice, was famous in the entertainment circle, and she controlled


    the pace of the ceremony very well. Although she was the only host, she was very calm.


    She announced, ¡°Before we start the awards, we have another performance.¡±


    ¡°Today, we have invited internationally renowned psychologist Jim. Let¡¯s give a round of apuse to


    wee Jim.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! This¡­¡± Before Janice could finish, the stars and audience gasped at the big screen behind her.


    She turned around and saw an image on the electronic billboard.


    In the photo, Astrid and a tall man were arm in arm, entering a house.


    The man¡¯s face was in profile, not fully captured, but Astrid¡¯s face was visible.


    They were very affectionate and seemed to have a close rtionship,


    Other people might not know the man, but Elio and Gracie immediately recognized the man as Robb.


    Janice, the experienced host, immediately smiled and said: When our staff heard Jim¡¯s name, they


    were so excited that they identally reced Jim¡¯s picture with someone else¡¯s drama still. It looked


    like a lot of people liked Jim.¡±


    The image was quickly reced by Jim¡¯s photo as she finished her sentence.


    Janice breathed a sigh of relief, but her palms were sweaty.


    1


    The photo only shed for a second, but the livements were blowing up.


    ¡°Who¡¯s gonna believe that¡¯s a drama still?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Astrid just say she was single at the press conference for the show the other day? Things sure


    escted quickly!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s flirting with Mr. Lampard on the show while dating someone else in secret!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lampard, you¡¯d better watch out! How¡¯d you end up with such a false woman!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Maddox, rece this woman ASAP!!!¡±


    In no time, Astrid became a hot topic.


    Things escted quickly. Astrid¡¯s agent wanted to do some damage control, but Astrid told him not to


    interfere. She had her ns.


    Her brothers all over the world watching the live stream were pissed seeing the hatements about


    Astrid and they just left.


    Brandon was piloting a ne on a mission, but he immediately made a U¨Cturn.


    Jon, who was in the middle of training, dropped his phone and ran, and his coach followed him outside.


    Rickon was supposed topete in a car racing, but seeing his sister getting abused, he decided to


    ditch the race and leave.


    Brothers Edgar Brooke and Edwin Brooke overseas called in their yacht and dialed up Nathan Brooke.


    Nathan, who was chilling at home, rushed to find Nash Brooke, who was conducting chemistry


    research, ¡°Come out, it¡¯s urgent!¡±


    Nash said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to bother me unless the sky was falling?¡±


    Nathan replied, ¡°Star got framed at the awards ceremony and now she¡¯s the talk of the town¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Nash was already at the door, holding a test tube filled with an unknown


    substance.


    Nathan gulped, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Nash said, ¡°Whoever dares to mess with my Star is gonna get blown up.¡±


    Nathan was speechless.

 Chapter 355

    Chapter 355


    ¡°Would you stop being so grumpy?¡± Nathan eyed the stuff in Nash¡¯s hands nervously, silently backing


    off to the staircase. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to lock yourb when you leave, just in case any of your chemicals


    leaks knocks Mom and Dad out cold!¡±


    Nash shot Nathan a re. ¡°What do you mean ¡®chemicals leaks¡®? These are my precious experimental


    materials. And by the way, did you get your ne ticket yet?¡± Nathan said, ¡°No. Edgar said they¡¯re


    taking a cruise.¡±


    ¡°So, they¡¯re slow and you decided to be slow too? How long will it take for the cruise to get to the


    destination? By the time you get there, Robb would¡¯ve sorted everything out. Would there be anything


    left for us?¡± Nash grumbled, grabbing his phone to book a flight.


    Watching Nash retreat to his room for a shower, Nathan shook his head. Only Star could make him put


    down his experiments.


    One by one, several brothers rushed to J City.


    Meanwhile, the award ceremony was still going on.


    The event was progressing smoothly, but there were whispers and pointing fingers in Astrid¡¯s direction.


    Seeing this, Clyde quietly suggested, ¡°You can get your agent to confirm if you¡¯ve won anything. If not,


    you¡¯d better duck out early, or you won¡¯t be able to escape once the reporters swarm in.¡±


    Astrid was well aware she¡¯d be cornered by the press soon, but she had no intention of letting those


    behind her scandal off the hook.


    Her phone buzzed with a message. She nced at it and turned to Clyde. ¡°Thanks for the tip. I need to


    step out.¡±


    Watching Astrid leave, Clyde let out a sigh of relief.


    Secret rtionships weremon in showbiz, so Astrid having a boyfriend wasn¡¯t an issue. But the


    public exposure of this photo means she must have been deliberately targeted.


    Her name was everywhere on social media, which is bound to stir up jealousy.


    He could only hope Elio could help Astrid ride out this storm. After filming a variety show together, his


    impression of Astrid greatly improved.


    She was like a walking encyclopedia, seemingly knowing everything, which was astonishing.


    As Astrid exited the event, a man in ck wearing a mask approached. ¡°Astar, Chad sent me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°You brought the stuff I asked for?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man handed a chic Chanel handbag to Astrid. She opened it, checked the contents, and


    gave a satisfied nod. ¡°Tell Chad to keep a close eye on the Lampard family. And send more people to


    protect Roman.¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°Yes, Astar.¡±


    Watching him go, Astrid picked up her phone and texted Chad: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Three secondster, she stepped out of the blind spot of the surveince camera. This corridor was


    now covered by the second floor¡¯s surveince footage.


    She approached the control room, hearing faint voices inside.


    Pressing her ear to the door, she heard someone say, ¡°Good job. The money will be in your ount


    shortly.¡±


    Laughter echoed from within. Astrid¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she texted Chad: ¡°Please hack into the


    control room¡¯s surveince. I want to see who¡¯s inside.¡± Chad replied: ¡°Already on it. I¡¯ve also captured


    the part where the person told others to expose your photo. I¡¯ll upload it onler to clear your


    name.¡±


    A secondter, Chad sent over several photos and a screenshot.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.

 Chapter 356

    Chapter 356


    The middle¨Caged man in a suit in the video was the mastermind behind the whole thing, but who gave


    him the photos?


    Every time Robb met her, the bodyguards would always chase away any irrelevant people. But from


    the angle this photo was taken, the photographer was very close to her.


    Could there be a mole among the bodyguards?


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal next time.¡± Hearing the voice inside, Astrid Immediately unscrewed the


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    cap of the bottle in her hand and left it at the door. Astrid hid around the corner just as the door opened.


    Damian stepped on the little oval bottle and a scent started spreading around.


    1


    An associate picked it up, took a look, andughed, ¡°It¡¯s perfume, probably dropped by a coworker.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, not sure which brand it is, but it smells nice.¡± Sniffing the faint scent in the air, Damian and the


    man chatted their way off.


    Astrid sauntered back from the shadows.


    Seeing Astrid return, Clyde was speechless, ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave? Why are you back?¡±


    ¡°I just took a trip to the bathroom. I haven¡¯t received my award yet. How could I leave?¡± Astrid grinned


    as if the photo incident never happened.


    Janice was hosting, when suddenly someone dashed onto the stage and grabbed her mic!


    Adrienne and Larkin in the audience were dumbstruck because the man who rushed the stage was


    Damian!


    Damian, all sweaty, fell to his knees in Astrid¡¯s direction, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ms. Irvine. I was wrong to frame


    you. I deserve to die. Please spare me!¡±


    The audience was stunned.


    Larkin asked, ¡°Mom, why is Dad kneeling to Astrid. Didn¡¯t you say Dad was powerful and would take


    Astrid down?¡±


    ¡°Dad is so embarrassing. I¡¯ll beughed at by other kids in kindergarten!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Adrienne blushed.


    Damian was a man of high status, respected by many in the showbiz.


    But now, Damian was kneeling and apologizing to Astrid in front of the live audience and countless


    viewers at home!


    Wasn¡¯t this a p in her face?


    Several female celebrities were looking at her. Adrienne bit her lip, wishing she could find a hole to


    crawl into.


    Astrid watched as Damian kept apologizing on stage, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.


    She drugged Damian. The drug would cause him great pain, but he couldn¡¯t possibly know it was her.


    Why did he rush to the stage and kneel?


    Viewers watching the live broadcast saw this andmented angrily, ¡°Oh my God, didn¡¯t Astrid try to


    portray herself as a poor girl? Now it¡¯s clear she has powerful backers!¡±


    ¡°This man is worth billions, and he¡¯s kneeling and begging Astrid for mercy? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°But why do I feel like he¡¯s so scared?¡±


    ¡°That mysterious man must be the one in the photo. He must be Astrid¡¯s backer!¡±


    ¡°Astrid achieved her sess in the entertainment industry through her abilities. Can some people¡¯s


    ¡°No matter how you criticize, if any fans of her leave because of this, I admit defeat!¡±


    Seeing the situation was not good, the director of the award ceremony urgently yed a promotional


    video, ¡°Quick, go see what¡¯s happening?!¡±

 Chapter 357

    Chapter 357


    The director was practically tearing his hair out. This was the first time he¡¯d ever encountered


    something like this in over a decade!


    Damian was freaking out because of a message he received from the legendary Mr. C: ¡°Harm Astrid


    and you¡¯re toast.¡±


    ¡°Look, the whole mess tonight was because someone paid me off to set up Astrid through a staff


    member. Someone anonymously sent me a picture, which you guys just saw. That mysterious person


    asked me to reveal it on the live event!¡±


    ¡°I have proof and I have email conversations. Cameraman, get a close¨Cup of my phone, quick!¡±


    Damian was practically losing his voice, as if he¡¯d be killed by Mr. C if he was even a little bit slow!


    His hand was shaking violently, but the screen of the phone was still switched to the big screen, for


    everyone to see clearly!


    Indeed, someone had instructed him to do so.


    Someone in the audience immediately shouted, ¡°Even if someone instructed you to reveal this photo,


    the photo is real. Astrid did spend the night with that man!¡± Damian wanted to explode at the person


    who asked the question, ¡°That¡¯s her brother! That¡¯s her brother!*


    Everyone was stunned because they only knew Astrid had a sister named Lucinda Irvine.


    There was no information about Astrid having a brother in her profile.


    An audience said,¡°Who would believe that? Saying it¡¯s her brother doesn¡¯t mean being her brother.


    That man looks more like her boyfriend to me.¡±


    ¡°I knew there was a reason why Astrid is so sessful. It turns out she has Mr. Lampard on one side


    and a boyfriend on the other!¡±


    ¡°Is it a sugar daddy?¡±


    ¡°I was a fan of hers, never thought she¡¯d be like this. I am unfollowing her!¡®


    The scene was chaotic, the award ceremony tumed into a live broadcast ident.


    This award ceremony was always regarded as very authoritative in the industry, and Astrid didn¡¯t want


    to affect the ceremony because of her, so she said, ¡®Let¡¯s talk about this privately and do not affect the


    ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, okay.¡± Damian rolled and crawled off the stage.


    Astrid got up and walked out, just in time to meet the executive director who came down to check the


    situation.She apologized first, I¡¯m sorry director. My issue affected your ceremony. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    The director was a reasonable person. Even though the event went south, he knew Astrid wasn¡¯t to


    me.It was Damian!


    ¡°Damian, I¡¯m going to settle this with youter!¡± The director red at Damian and quickly left.


    Outside the venue, Damian was on the verge of tears, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! Ms. Irvine, I know I was


    wrong!!*


    ¡°Who told you to apologize to me?¡± Astrid coldly asked.


    please forgive me.¡± Damian shook his head desperately, ¡°I can¡¯t say, if I do, I¡¯m dead meat. I set you up


    today because my son came to me crying, so I acted impulsively. Ms. Irvine,


    Astrid frowned, ¡°Forgive you? I never said I wanted your life. Just get lost, don¡¯t let me ever see you


    again.


    Damian ran off, but Astrid was left with brows knitted.


    She originally wanted to deal with Damian herself, but the intervention of the mysterious person


    disrupted her entire n.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    If someone could scare Damian to this extent, that person must have a lot of influence. Could it be


    Robb?


    Or did Mr. Brooke personally handle this matter?


    Although Robb had a solidwork, he wouldn¡¯t make Damian this terrified, so it¡¯s probably their father.


    As she walked, Astrid took out her phone to video call her father.


    After a long time, her father finally answered the call, ¡°Star, do you miss me?¡±

 Chapter 358

    Chapter 358


    you¡¯re tanned enough? Want more wrinkles?¡± Looking at her father¡¯s big face against the familiar


    backdrop of a blue sea and sky, Astrid rolled her eyes dramatically. ¡°Dad! Really, fishing again? Don¡¯t


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    you think


    Her father retorted, ¡°How old do you think I am? You expect me to have a wless skin like Elio


    Lampard?¡±


    Astrid was speechless.


    Why did he suddenly bring up Elio?


    Astrid asked, ¡°Dad, did you threaten Damian?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Her father looked puzzled. ¡°Who?¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°Stop ying dumb!¡±


    Her father frowned. ¡°I seriously have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, Star. Is someone giving you a


    hard time in the entertainment industry? I¡¯ve told you before, what¡¯s so great about showbiz? You


    should juste back, take over the family business and be a happy, wealthy woman. How good


    would that be?¡± Astrid rolled her eyes again.


    Her father chuckled. ¡°Geez, hoiv can a star be so careless about her image? I should have recorded


    you just now and uploaded it online. It would get you a lot of


    attention.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡± Astrid ended the video call. Her father, sitting there fishing, fanned his straw hat and dialed


    Robb¡¯s number.


    Robb answered, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Her father asked, ¡°Is Star having troubles in the entertainment industry?¡±


    Robb hesitated slightly, ¡°Nothing serious.¡±


    big and fat. Want to join me?¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s good. Take care of her, since she¡¯s such a girl to be worried


    about.¡± Her father sighed, and then added, ¡°Son, I found a new fishing spot. The fish here are


    ¡°Forget about that. What if I send Dale to keep youpany for a few days?¡±


    His father replied,¡°Forget it, he¡¯s always chirping like a sparrow. I¡¯d rather fish alone.¡±


    be?¡± After hanging up, Robb turned to Dale, who was ying a game, and said coldly, ¡°Dad would


    rather fish alone than hang out with you. Just how annoying can you


    Dale snorted disdainfully, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t find me annoying.¡±


    ¡°Who said I don¡¯t?¡± Just as Robb finished his sentence, the car suddenly stopped.


    Then the car door was opened. Before Dale, still ying his game, could react, he was kicked out of


    the car by Robb.


    -Watching Robb¡¯s car speed away, Dale couldn¡¯t contain his rage, ¡°Robb, you heartless bastard,


    leaving me alone in this coldness! I¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he realized something.


    Astrid was in trouble and Robb must be going to help her, and others might being as well.


    Robb kicked him out to protect him.


    Well, this was¡­


    He hailed a cab, went back to thepany and issued a press statement for Astrid.


    At the award ceremony.


    Astrid won the Best Neer Award.


    She left right after receiving the award and was met with a swarm of paparazzi outside the door.


    Even though Damian had exined, many didn¡¯t believe it and the media were not going to let it go.


    ¡°Astrid, who¡¯s the man in the photo?¡±


    ¡°Astrid, how do you n to respond to the photo incident?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Irvine, is this fair to Mr. Lampard?¡±


    ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t you feel guilty for deceiving your fans?¡±


    ¡°Astrid!¡±


    The incessant camera shes were irritating her eyes. She was never used to having bodyguards


    around, only Gracie and Selena apanying her. Looking at these angry faces, Astrid felt a tinge of


    irony.


    Just a few hours ago, when she was on the red carpet, their attitudes were totally different.


    The paparazzi were rushing forward, so Gracie was pushed to the ground!


    But they didn¡¯t stop, they kept pushing forward.


    Astrid quickly pulled Gracie up, she roared, ¡°Enough!¡±

 Chapter 359

    Chapter 359


    ¡°Astrid!¡± Gracie, worried about Astrid losing control in public, kept reassuring her, ¡°I¡¯m okay, really, I¡¯m


    fine.¡±


    Once those irresponsible media outlets let the pictures out,izens would start making up all sorts of


    stories. God knows what kind of twisted tales they¡¯de up with. ¡°Astrid, just let it go, I¡¯m really okay.¡±


    ¡°Your hand got stepped on so badly and you¡¯re saying you¡¯re okay?¡± Astrid lifted Gracie¡¯s hand,


    noticing a footprint on the back of it. The pinky finger was crushed, bloody and horrifying.


    Astrid nced at the crowd and spotted a man trying to hide behind others, avoiding her gaze.


    She narrowed her eyes, grabbed Gracie¡¯s hand and shoved it in front of a male journalist, ¡°Apologize to


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    my assistant!¡±


    The journalist didn¡¯t react. Astrid repeated, ¡°Apologize to my assistant!¡±


    ¡°There are so many people, it was an ident. Besides, she¡¯s fine. Do I need to apologize?¡± The


    man¡¯s eyes were full of disdain, his words extremely irritating.


    Feeling the icy chill emanating from Astrid, Gracie gripped her tightly, whispering in her ear, ¡°If a dog


    bites you, you wouldn¡¯t bite it back, would you?¡±


    Astrid looked at Gracie, then strode forward.


    To be more urate, she strode towards that male journalist!


    Other journalists thought Astrid was leaving and tried to block her, but she pushed her way to the man


    and stomped on his foot with the heel of her high heel!


    Then she gave it a good twist.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The man¡¯s scream echoed throughout the venue, ¡°Astrid, you did that on purpose! You did!¡±


    Astrid smiled faintly, ¡°There are so many people, and it was an ident that I stepped on you too.¡±


    The man was speechless.


    That sounded familiar, didn¡¯t it? Wasn¡¯t that what he just said to Astrid?


    Had this woman gone mad, pissing off a journalist for a small assistant?


    Astrid said, ¡°Please make way, I need to take my assistant to the hospital.¡±


    Looking at Gracie¡¯s bloody hand, the crowd reluctantly parted.


    Gracie was injured but still had to drive. Astrid shoved her into the backseat, ¡°Stay quiet.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Gracie, watching Astrid drive, was a bit nervous, ¡°Astrid, I know you care about me, but pissing


    off a journalist is not wise. If he reports something out of context, won¡¯t we be the ones who suffer?¡±


    ¡°Journalist? He won¡¯t be for long.¡± Astrid¡¯s cold voice sent shivers down Gracie and Selena¡¯s spines.


    They exchanged looks, feeling that Astrid was really scary, almost as icy as Elio.


    After taking Gracie to the hospital for treatment, they returned to the hotel.


    Gracie spent the whole night scrolling through Twitter, checking the news, but there was no news about


    the journalist getting stepped on.


    Many people online were questioning Astrid and Robb¡¯s rtionship, even specting that Astrid¡¯s


    awards were bought.


    Gracie and Selena, using their burner ounts, had a heated debate with the critics online, then


    looked up to see Astrid sleeping on the couch.


    ¡°Hush.¡± Gracie signaled Selena to be quiet, then walked over to cover Astrid with a nket and turned


    the air conditioner warmer.

 Chapter 360

    Chapter 360


    The two snuck back into their room. As soon as she got back, Gracie started griping, ¡°That Damian is


    such a numb! Couldn¡¯t he have apologized in private? Making a scene like that in public not only didn¡¯t


    clear up the inte trolls¡® suspicions about Astrid, but it actually made them even more convinced that


    Astrid has a sugar daddy!¡±


    ¡°Totally,¡± Selena moaned. ¡°Now all the keyboard warriors think that Damian was threatened into


    providing fake evidence to defend Astrid!¡±


    ¡°It breaks my heart to see Astrid, who¡¯s such a gem, getting dragged through the mud like this!¡±


    The more Gracie thought about it, the angrier she got. ¡°These inte trolls are dead set on not


    believing that they¡¯re siblings. Even if you were to present irrefutable evidence, they¡¯d still say it¡¯s


    fabricated!¡±


    The two continued their fiery battle against the irrational inte trolls. Just then, Gracie saw a


    surveince video from the elevator and hallway posted by Starlight Entertainment.


    The video clearly showed Astrid and Robb¡¯s faces.


    They looked incredibly alike, like they could pass as twins!


    Then Dale tweeted a high¨Cquality picture of Astrid and Robb. The video was blurry due to the distance


    and lighting, but the picture clearly showed that the two looked crazily simr.


    Dale said, ¡°Seeing my little sweetheart being maliciously ndered is heartbreaking. I¡¯m painful to see


    such underhanded tactics in our industry, and saddened that Astrid¡¯s hard work is being met with such


    malice. She¡¯s been trying hard since her debut, always treating those who are kind to her well. Due to


    certain circumstances, she was separated from her biological parents when she was young, but she


    was lucky enough to be reunited with her family. She chose to keep her family information hidden to


    protect them from media attention. The man in the picture is her real brother. The video is right there for


    everyone to see. I trust that everyone¡¯s eyes are sharp.¡±


    After tweeting, Dale added a reply, ¡°Those who maliciously nder Astrid, Starlight Entertainment won¡¯t


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    let you off the hook. Brace yourself for awyer¡¯s letter! Also, a big thank you to all of Astrid¡¯s fans who


    have supported her. Let¡¯s protect her together in the days ahead.¡±


    Despite the evidence being right there, many continued to sling mud.


    ¡°Just because they look alike doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re siblings. There are tons of lookalikes in the world!¡±


    ¡°I am the one don¡¯t buy it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll protect Astrid together, haters step off!¡±


    ¡°Not gonna lie, Robb is hot!!! Wish he¡¯d debut too!¡±


    ¡°Robb is seriously handsome and their family¡¯s looks are off the charts. I could lose myself in Robb¡¯s


    dreamy eyes!¡±


    ¡°Some people are just trying to pull the wool over our eyes. Some biased fans just want something to


    go wrong for our Astrid!¡±


    ¡°Some people are just turning a blind eye to the truth. I bet even if we presented a DNA test, they¡¯d still


    say it was faked.¡±


    Although some people refused to see reason, most could confirm Robb¡¯s identity after seeing the


    evidence.


    So, the buzz around this matter gradually died down.


    Many inte trolls, afraid of getting sued, quickly deleted their negative posts about Astrid and issued


    apologies.


    Seeing this turn of events, Gracie immediately messaged Dale: ¡°Dale, you¡¯re the savior! I can¡¯t believe


    you found the video!¡±


    Dale replied, ¡°Mr. Lampard gave it to me.¡±


    Gracie was speechless.


    Turns out Elio had pulled some strings.


    She had been thinking that Elio was useless for not helping out after such a big incident, and that he


    deserved to get rejected by Astrid.


    But it seems like he does have his uses after all.

 Chapter 361

    Chapter 361


    Dale said, ¡°I just got a message. A staff of the control room on the ceremony and Damian were ill. They


    reek like a sewer and are barfing and crapping. Even the hospital can¡¯t help them.¡±


    Gracie said, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Dale asked, ¡°Cutie¡¯s phone is off. You and Selena were there today. Did she pull this off?¡±


    Gracie said, ¡°Nope, I had my eyes on her the whole time. She just went to the loo once, Besides that,


    she was sitting in her ce. Clyde can prove it.¡± After sending the message, Gracie turned to Selena,


    ¡°Selena, did you see Astrid missing ever today?¡± Selena shook her head, ¡°Nope. I was gaming out of


    boredom but every time I looked, she was there.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Gracie nodded, even though she knew it was


    Astrid¡¯s doing, but she wouldn¡¯t tell a bit.


    If those guys didn¡¯t kick the bucket, it would be fine. But if they croaked, it would be a big mess.


    Elio hesitated outside Astrid¡¯s hotel for a while but never went in to see her.


    Today¡¯s disy by Damian was beyond his expectations. He wanted Damian to spill the beans, but


    who knew Damian was so scared of the death threat that he caused a scene on stage. It not only


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    messed up the live broadcast but also put her in the spotlight.


    Seems like he underestimated the power of the nickname Mr. C.


    ¡°Mr. Lampard?¡± Gracie and Selena were about to go for a midnight snack when they saw Elio standing


    outside Astrid¡¯s room, ¡°Astrid has already gone to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Chuh.¡± Elio responded, ¡°Where are you headed?¡±


    Gracie said, ¡°Off for a midnight snack.¡±


    Elio said, ¡°No need for that. It¡¯s chilly outside. Just tell me what you want, and I¡¯ll have it sent to you.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Gracie was a bit discontent with Elio due to some issues, but his recent behavior made her


    see him in a new angle. So she didn¡¯t hesitate, ¡°If you insist, Mr. Lampard, then I won¡¯t be humble. I


    want the Mystic Spice Tavern¡¯s prime meal, two sets!¡±


    Selena didn¡¯t expect Gracie to actually order. The price of the Mystic Spice Tavern¡¯s set meal was


    really high. Selena could only dream about it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have it sent over in a bit. I should get going.¡± Elio said and headed for the elevator.


    Selena couldn¡¯t believe Elio agreed. She was ecstatic, ¡°Gracie, you think Mr. Lampard isn¡¯t pulling our


    leg, right?¡±


    Gracie shook her head, ¡°Definitely not. The meal might be pricey for us, but for someone like Mr.


    Lampard, it¡¯s peanuts. If he says he¡¯s treating, then he¡¯s treating.¡±


    Selena, ¡°A meal that costs a month¡¯s sry, what a thrill! I¡¯m definitely posting this on Instagram. And


    I¡¯m gonna eat all the food, won¡¯t waste a bite.¡± Gracieughed and looked at Selena, and then they


    went back to their room to watch TV.


    In the room, Astrid was sleeping like a log when there was a knock on the door.


    She staggered up and went to open it. As soon as she did, her legs was hugged around, ¡°Mommy!¡±


    ¡°Roman!¡± Astrid bent over and picked up her little treasure, giving him several kisses, ¡°Did Grandma


    bring you here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re staying upstairs. Roman really missed Mommy~¡± Roman Lampard pressed his little face


    against Astrid¡¯s, looking absolutely adorable, ¡°Mommy, have you been working hard recently? Roman


    has saved a lot of money, enough to support you. If you¡¯re too tired, can you stop working?¡±

 Chapter 362

    Chapter 362


    ¡°I ain¡¯t tired.¡± Astrid shut the door, scooping up the chubby Roman and plopping back down on the


    couch.


    Holding Roman was like hugging a soft, squishy teddy bear.


    ¡°Mum, there are a bunch of girls in my ss who like me,¡± Roman announced.


    Astrid was speechless.


    ¡°Well, with a good¨Clooking kid like you, Roman, it¡¯s no surprise you¡¯ve got a fan club. So, got any girls


    you fancy?¡± Astrid asked.


    Roman¡¯s eyes sparkled as he replied, ¡°Yep! I like Mum!¡±


    ¡°I like you too,¡± Astrid confessed, touched by Roman¡¯s affection. ¡°So, do you like any of the girls in your


    ss?¡±


    Roman pouted, ¡°Nah! They¡¯re all too childish! We aren¡¯t three years old anymore, but they still throw


    tantrums like toddlers.¡±


    Astrid chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s right, Roman. You¡¯re not three years old anymore. After Christmas, you¡¯ll be


    four! You¡¯re quite the little man now!¡±


    Roman nodded seriously, ¡°I know, I¡¯m growing up every day so I can protect Mum when I¡¯m grown up.


    Elio¡¯s too unreliable, so I need to be Mum¡¯s knight in shining armor.¡±


    Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Who could it be at this hour?


    Before she could get up, she heard Jon Brooke¡¯s voice, ¡°Star, Star, open up!!!¡±


    She opened the door to find not just Jon but all four of her brothers standing there.


    Astrid, a bit baffled, let them in and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up, guys?¡±


    ¡°Star, you¡¯ve been set up,¡± Brandon Brooke blurted out. ¡°We gotta help you sort this out. We can¡¯t let


    anyone mess with our beloved little sister!¡±


    Surprised, Astrid asked, ¡°Have you guys already¡­?¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Jon waved her off, ¡°By the time we found the jerk, he was already in the ICU. We figured you might


    have other ns, so we came back.¡±


    Relieved, Astrid said, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. If I can¡¯t handle minor hitches like this, how will I survive in this


    industry? Don¡¯t treat me like a kid. I can handle this.¡±


    Robb frowned, ¡°If you¡¯re not a kid, who is?¡±


    Astrid pointed straight at Roman, who was sitting on the couch.


    Roman instantly broke into a grin, ¡°Hi guys!¡±


    Jon scooped up Roman, ¡°Roman, have you been eating too much? Howe you¡¯re so chubby!¡±


    Roman pouted, ¡°Jon, I¡¯m adorable, not chubby. You¡¯re so skinny like Hank, no wonder you don¡¯t have a


    girlfriend!¡±


    Jon ruffled Roman¡¯s hair, ¡°Do you know how many fans I have? Do you know how many girls call me


    darling during my live broadcasts? My charm is beyond your imagination!¡±


    ¡°Move, move, don¡¯t touch Roman. I¡¯ll hold him!¡± Brandon tried to snatch Roman from Jon, but Jon


    wouldn¡¯t let go. Their bickering resumed.


    Watching the two goofballs, Robb whispered, ¡°I looked into the IP that sent Damian those photos. It¡¯s


    suspicious. But the IP has been heavily masked, You might need to handle it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Robb, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Astrid assured him, before adding, ¡°Judging from the


    angle and distance of the photos, it¡¯s likely someone from the security team leaked them. Robb, you¡¯ve


    got a traitor in your team.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of it. I¡¯ll rece them with a team I can trust,¡± Robb responded. ¡°This was my fault. It


    won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Seeing the guilt in Robb¡¯s eyes, Astridforted him, ¡°Robb, don¡¯t me yourself. Even if they


    couldn¡¯t bribe the security, they would¡¯ve found another way to spy. You¡¯ve done well.¡±


    The doorbell rang again.


    Astrid nced at the boys in the room, a thought crossing her mind. Could it be Elio?


    She walked over and peeked through the peephole, only to find an eye staring back!


    Even with just one eye visible, she recognized him ¨C Yates Hamilton.


    What was he doing here? Looking for trouble?

 Chapter 363

    Chapter 363


    Astrid wouldn¡¯t open the door, so Rickon thought an annoying reporter had snuck in. He stepped


    forward, pulling Astrid behind him, and then opened the door.


    As soon as the door was opened, Yates perked up. Seeing Rickon at the door, his smile froze on his


    face. ¡°Rickon, what are you doing here?¡±


    His gaze swept across the other people in the room. Yates instantly knew he was in hot water and tried


    to run away!


    But he was grabbed by the cor. By the time he realized what was happening, he was thrown onto a


    chair by Rickon, with everyone else staring at him like he was under interrogation.


    Rickon chuckled, ¡°Do you make a habit of disturbing Astrid at night?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Yates shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have the nerve! I just saw someone attacking Astrid


    online today, so I came tofort her.¡±


    Brandon patted Yates on the shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you not to bother Astrid?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, you did.¡± Normally, Yates was a bit of a loose cannon, but whenever he saw anyone from the


    Brooke family, he turned into a scared rat. After all, they were not to be messed with. ¡°I just want to be


    friends with her, I won¡¯t bother her anymore, Brandon, trust me.


    ¡°Trust you?¡± Jon scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re as trustworthy as a three¨Cdor bill. Stay away from Astrid, you


    yboy!¡±


    Yates was speechless.


    What rotten luck he had today!


    If he¡¯d known these guys were here, he wouldn¡¯t have shown up!


    He shot Astrid a pleading look, but she was engrossed in watching cartoons with Roman.


    Seeing Brandon start to crack his knuckles, Yates blurted out, ¡°Rickon, there¡¯s no need! Really no


    need! I¡¯ll leave right away, right away!


    Brandon: ¡°Don¡¯t bother Astrid again.¡±


    ¡°Got it, got it!¡± After his words, Yates was kicked out of the room. He looked at the closed door and let


    out a long sigh.


    With all these people protecting Astrid, she¡¯d have a hard time getting hitched!


    But he wouldn¡¯t give up. He was only saying he wouldn¡¯t bother her just to save his own skin.


    Anyway, these guys all have their own things going on. They won¡¯t stick around for long, and then he¡¯ll


    be back in the game!


    Yates went to call the elevator when his butler rang him. He answered, ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Butler said, ¡°Mr. Hamilton, you¡¯d better hurry back home. There¡¯s trouble!¡±


    ¡°Trouble? What trouble?¡± Yates responded nonchntly.


    Butler replied, ¡°A bunch of women showed up. They¡¯re all iming to be your girlfriends, and three of


    them even say they¡¯re pregnant. You¡¯d bettere back


    ASAP!¡±


    His girlfriends??


    Yates¡¯s voice hardened. ¡°I don¡¯t have any girlfriends!¡±


    Butler said, ¡°Well, they all have pictures with you on their phones. You know how your parents have


    been dying for a grandchild. Now there are three on the way. They¡¯re over the moon. If you don¡¯te


    back, things might get out of hand!¡±


    ¡°How could they possibly be pregnant!¡± Yates protested loudly. ¡°Let alone three of them!¡±


    People in the elevator gave him surprised looks when they heard his words.


    Yates noticed and felt a bit embarrassed. He coughed lightly, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll be right there!¡±


    Back at the hotel, as Elio was about to rest, he received a message from Carson, ¡°Mr. Lampard,


    everything¡¯s been handled. Yates has left.¡±


    Elio replied, ¡°Alright, keep an eye on him.¡±


    Carson said, ¡°Yeah, Boss, I noticed something odd. Robb seems to be investigating the Lampard


    family.¡±


    Investigating the Lampard family?


    Elio was quiet for a few seconds, ¡°Stay out of it, pretend we didn¡¯t notice. If he wants to dig, let him do


    it.¡±


    Carson replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    In fact, Elio knew why Robb was investigating the Lampard family. It was because Robb was worried


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    about his sister, Astrid, getting hurt. Gotta hand it to Robb, he was sharp.


    Indeed, the Brooke family wasn¡¯t as harmonious as it appeared on the surface, with chaos lurking


    behind the scenes.


    Elio didn¡¯t get a tiny bit of sleep that night.


    Early the next morning, Elio went to Astrid¡¯s door and knocked, only to find the mother and son fully


    decked out in matching outfits.


    Gotta admit, Elio felt a pang of jealousy.


    Because he was always left out when this mother and son duo went out to y.


    Upon seeing Elio, Roman was quite dismissive, ¡°What brings you here, Elio?¡°!!


    Elio asked, ¡°Where are you guys headed?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t spent time with Roman for a while. My flight got canceled because of the weather, so I


    thought I¡¯d take him to see his favorite movie.¡± Astrid held Roman, feeling quite content.


    ¡°Movie?¡± Elio paused, ¡°I¡¯lle along


    Roman asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you hate anime movies?¡±


    Busted again, Elio felt like punching Roman, don¡¯t like anime movies, but I like watching your mum.


    Roman and Astrid Were both speechless.


    That came out of nowhere. But man, this guy¡¯s flirting game hadn¡¯t improved a bit.


    Roman didn¡¯t want Elio toe at first, but seeing Elio looking all pitiful, he said, ¡°Mum, let¡¯s take Elio.


    We need a driver.¡±


    Hearing this, Elio gave Roman a look. Finally, Roman was on his side.


    The thought of the three of them munching on popcorn and watching a movie made Elio feel a tinge of


    anticipation.


    Astrid knew Roman wanted Elio toe, so she nodded, ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, the elevator doors opened and four tall figures walked out.


    Seeing two of them, Roman was taken aback, because they were decked out in Pikachu from head to


    toe, and they looked identical!


    ¡°Star!¡± Edgar Brooke lunged in for a hug. Astrid quickly held out a hand to block him, ¡°What are you


    guys doing here?¡±


    ¡°Even Nash Brooke is here, this must be serious!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside. You guys are attracting way too much attention. Next thing you know, the paparazzi


    are going to use me of having a private meeting with several men in a hotel!¡± Saying this, Astrid


    went back into the room.


    Elio waspletely ignored, but he didn¡¯t leave. Instead, he followed them into the room.


    Roman stared wide¨Ceyed at Edgar and Edwin Brooke¡¯s Pikachu outfits, he was over the moon!


    Edgar noticed the kid¡¯s gaze and immediately took out a cute Pikachu¨Cthemed outfit from his


    backpack, ¡°Roman, I¡¯m Edgar. This is a gift for you. It matches the outfit I¡¯m wearing!¡±


    ¡°Thank you! I love you!¡± Roman was thrilled as he hugged the outfit tightly. Then, the other three also


    gave Roman gifts.


    Roman was beyond pleased with every single gift!


    Roman grinned, ¡°Mum, do I have other rtives? I want more gifts!¡±


    Hearing this, Elio wanted to kick this kid out.


    He already had eight rtives!


    Does he really need more?


    Just then, Nathan Brooke turned his head to look at Elio.


    Elio greeted first, ¡°Hi there, I¡¯m Elio.¡±


    Nash nced at Elio, pulling out a transparent bottle from his bag,


    Seeing the liquid in the bottle, Nathan was immediately taken aback!


    Isn¡¯t this the stuff he said he¡¯d use to blow up the bad guys?


    ¡°Nash, stop! He might be annoying, but he¡¯s still Roman¡¯s dad!¡±

 Chapter 364

    Chapter 364


    Elio replied, ¡°Alright, keep an eye on him.¡±


    Carson said, ¡°Yeah, Boss, I noticed something odd. Robb seems to be investigating the Lampard


    family.¡±


    Investigating the Lampard family?


    Elio was quiet for a few seconds, ¡°Stay out of it, pretend we didn¡¯t notice. If he wants to dig, let him do


    it.¡±


    Carson replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    In fact, Elio knew why Robb was investigating the Lampard family. It was because Robb was worried


    about his sister, Astrid, getting hurt. Gotta hand it to Robb, he was sharp.


    Indeed, the Brooke family wasn¡¯t as harmonious as it appeared on the surface, with chaos lurking


    behind the scenes.


    Elio didn¡¯t get a tiny bit of sleep that night.


    Early the next morning, Elio went to Astrid¡¯s door and knocked, only to find the mother and son fully


    decked out in matching outfits.


    Gotta admit, Elio felt a pang of jealousy.


    Because he was always left out when this mother and son duo went out to y.


    Upon seeing Elio, Roman was quite dismissive, ¡°What brings you here, Elio?¡°!!


    Elio asked, ¡°Where are you guys headed?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t spent time with Roman for a while. My flight got canceled because of the weather, so I


    thought I¡¯d take him to see his favorite movie.¡± Astrid held Roman, feeling quite content.


    ¡°Movie?¡± Elio paused, ¡°I¡¯lle along


    Roman asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you hate anime movies?¡±


    Busted again, Elio felt like punching Roman, don¡¯t like anime movies, but I like watching your mum.


    Roman and Astrid Were both speechless.


    That came out of nowhere. But man, this guy¡¯s flirting game hadn¡¯t improved a bit.


    Roman didn¡¯t want Elio toe at first, but seeing Elio looking all pitiful, he said, ¡°Mum, let¡¯s take Elio.


    We need a driver.¡±


    Hearing this, Elio gave Roman a look. Finally, Roman was on his side.


    The thought of the three of them munching on popcorn and watching a movie made Elio feel a tinge of


    anticipation.


    Astrid knew Roman wanted Elio toe, so she nodded, ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, the elevator doors opened and four tall figures walked out.


    Seeing two of them, Roman was taken aback, because they were decked out in Pikachu from head to


    toe, and they looked identical!


    ¡°Star!¡± Edgar Brooke lunged in for a hug. Astrid quickly held out a hand to block him, ¡°What are you


    guys doing here?¡±


    ¡°Even Nash Brooke is here, this must be serious!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside. You guys are attracting way too much attention. Next thing you know, the paparazzi


    are going to use me of having a private meeting with several men in a hotel!¡± Saying this, Astrid


    went back into the room.


    Elio waspletely ignored, but he didn¡¯t leave. Instead, he followed them into the room.


    Roman stared wide¨Ceyed at Edgar and Edwin Brooke¡¯s Pikachu outfits, he was over the moon!


    Edgar noticed the kid¡¯s gaze and immediately took out a cute Pikachu¨Cthemed outfit from his


    backpack, ¡°Roman, I¡¯m Edgar. This is a gift for you. It matches the outfit I¡¯m wearing!¡±


    ¡°Thank you! I love you!¡± Roman was thrilled as he hugged the outfit tightly. Then, the other three also


    gave Roman gifts.


    Roman was beyond pleased with every single gift!


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Roman grinned, ¡°Mum, do I have other rtives? I want more gifts!¡±


    Hearing this, Elio wanted to kick this kid out.


    He already had eight rtives!


    Does he really need more?


    Just then, Nathan Brooke turned his head to look at Elio.


    Elio greeted first, ¡°Hi there, I¡¯m Elio.¡±


    Nash nced at Elio, pulling out a transparent bottle from his bag,


    Seeing the liquid in the bottle, Nathan was immediately taken aback!


    Isn¡¯t this the stuff he said he¡¯d use to blow up the bad guys?


    ¡°Nash, stop! He might be annoying, but he¡¯s still Roman¡¯s dad!¡±

 Chapter 365

    Chapter 365


    Nathan quickly snatched the thing from Nash¡¯s hand, fearing he might use it in a fit of temper.


    If it really gets used, it could cause a huge explosion, and everyone would be in trouble!


    Nash thought for a moment, then pulled out another small bottle from his bag, ¡°This one won¡¯t kill, it just


    knocks you out.¡±


    Nathan was speechless.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Nash, your stuff¡¯s valuable. Save it for yourself. I can handle him.¡± Astrid walked over with a smile and


    took the stuff from Nash, ¡°By the way, did you guyse just to see me?¡±


    Nash said, ¡°I came to deal with the jerk who¡¯s been badmouthing you. Where is he? Take me to him


    and I¡¯ll make him disappear.¡±


    Elio looked at Nash, his mouth twitching involuntarily.


    Seems like, Robb and his brothers are actually pretty nice.


    Dealing with Astrid¡¯s brothers is a real headache.


    Just because she was bullied, these four brothers rushed over from abroad. It¡¯s obvious how much


    they dote on their sister.


    Hearing Nash¡¯s words, warmth filled Astrid¡¯s heart, ¡°I know you guys worry, but don¡¯t you know me yet?


    Who do you think can bully me?!


    As soon as she finished, the four of them turned to look at Elio.


    After all, if it wasn¡¯t for Elio bullying Star back then, how could Star have suffered so much?


    Elio said, ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡±


    Four brothers said at the same time, ¡°In your dreams!¡±


    Elio was speechless.


    So, a happy trip for a family of three suddenly became a trip for seven.


    And the four of them guarded Elio like he was a thief.


    At the cinema, Astrid and Roman took the middle seats, and then Edgar and Edwin sat on one side,


    Nash and Nathan on the other.


    Elio was isted on the outside.


    Roman felt sorry for Elio for a second, and then quickly joined in with his rtives.


    Nathan and the others thought their behavior would make Elio angry, but to their surprise, Elio


    remained calm from beginning to end.


    Moreover, he thoughtfully arranged everything for them, clearly having done his research beforehand,


    even the hotel they stayed in was to their liking, and the meals ordered matched their taste.


    Not long after dinner, Roman, tired from ying, fell asleep in Astrid¡¯s arms.


    The next morning, Nathan and the others were leaving, and Astrid had to return to the set.


    Before leaving, Nash came back, pulling out a bunch of peculiar small bottles from his bag and


    carefully instructing, ¡°Star, this red one is explosive and it¡¯ll detonate if dropped. This deep purple one is


    highly corrosive poisonous. This blue one is¡­¡±

 Chapter 366

    Chapter 366


    Nash is a man of few words. Back in school, he was all about his studies, and after graduation, he put


    his heart and soul into his research.


    This is the first time Astrid has heard him talk so much. He seems to be the least close to her among


    his eight brothers, but in fact, he cares about her as much as the other brothers do.


    Nash said, ¡°Be careful when you take your medicine. The antidote is here, take care of yourself. If


    anyone bullies you, tell me anytime, I will help you out.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you, take care of yourself too.¡± Astrid gently hugged him, ¡°Don¡¯t always lock yourself in


    theb, go get a haircut and get out more. It¡¯s a shame to bury such a handsome face in ab.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Nash pushed his sses up, smiling shyly, ¡°I¡¯ve got to go.¡±


    Astrid chuckled, ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Her family always said that if she couldn¡¯t make it in the entertainment industry, she shoulde home


    and inherit the family fortune. But in reality, they get really nervous every time she has a little problem.


    ¡±


    Even though she was abused by Sandra Irvine for the first eighteen years of her life, after returning to


    the Brooke family, she was really pampered by this group of adorable brothers.


    She feels very fortunate.


    Back on set, Astrid started filming again.


    That day, a new episode of Adventures in the Abyss aired.


    The show updates at eight o¡¯clock, and Astrid was still filming at that time.


    When the show got to the part where Astrid shot a wild chicken with a sleeve arrow, just as Maddox


    expected, this clip quickly went viral.


    Many people marvel at Astrid¡¯s many talents, but there are also people who are making snide


    ¡°Wow, Astrid is amazing! How many skills does she have that we don¡¯t know about!!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive! My god, even a professional shooter wouldn¡¯t be this good, she hit the target from


    so far away!¡±


    ¡°I love Astrid!¡±


    ¡°Lwonder: Would Astrid agree to marry me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, do people really bring sleeve arrows to this kind of show? This has to be prearranged


    with the production team, they just wanted to show off her skills and create the image of a prodigy!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m not even sure she really hit the wild chicken. The chicken didn¡¯t fall down instantly, it fluttered


    before it fell, it¡¯s possible that someone from the production team shot it, and then edited it to make it


    look like it was her doing. After all, this is a recorded show, you know what I mean!¡±


    ¡°Did you see the subtitle saying that Astrid put anesthetic on the arrow? Anesthetics take some time to


    work, it¡¯s not possible for the chicken to fall down instantly!¡± ¡°Astrid¡¯s sugar daddy must be very


    powerful, even a CEO like Damian was scared into kneeling and begging for mercy. It¡¯s not impossible


    for her sugar daddy to ask the production team to cooperate with her performance! I just can¡¯t believe


    that one person can have so many skills!¡±


    ¡°I hate women like this! I don¡¯t know what Mr. Lampard sees in her. She had such good resources as


    soon as she debuted, I wonder how she got them!¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Mr. Lampard have severe OCD? Doesn¡¯t he find it disgusting?¡±


    Gracie and Selena were furious at these negativements online.


    At first, people were just skeptical about the authenticity of the event, butter many people started to


    attack her maliciously.


    When Astrid came back and saw their worried faces, she asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Gracie said, ¡°The endless maliciousments online are too much, they even say that you hitting the


    wild chicken with an arrow is a trick edited by the production team! And they¡¯re making up stories about


    you having a sugar daddy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I thought it was something serious.¡± Astrid had expected this, because some people just can¡¯t


    ept others being outstanding.


    Selena said, ¡°But we can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing!¡±


    Astrid yawned, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Gracie and Selena didn¡¯t understand why Astrid was so calm. On the way back to the hotel, they


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    When Astrid got back to her room, she called Maddox.


    Soon, Maddox¡¯s voice came over the phone, ¡°Hello, Astrid, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°Director, could the next phase of the show be live?¡±


    Live?


    Maddox was taken aback, ¡°Why?¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°Because live broadcasting can hit back directly, and it¡¯s more impactful.¡±

 Chapter 367

    Chapter 367


    In all honesty, when Maddox got a call from Astrid, he kinda had a hunch about what she was nning


    to deal with the online bacsh.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    But let¡¯s be real, a live outdoor reality show ain¡¯t exactly a walk in the park.


    Maddox took a moment, then said, serious as a heart attack, ¡°Astrid, our next shoot¡¯s on an ind,


    where doing a live show might be tricky. First, we might have iffy signals. Second, it¡¯s gonna cost more.


    Plus, you never know what can happen on a live show.¡±


    ¡°Hold your horses, director. Let me finish,¡± Astrid paused for a bit, then said, cool as a cucumber, ¡°I can


    set up a base station on the ind to make sure we have stable signals.¡±


    ¡°Also, I¡¯ll arrange for generators.¡±


    ¡°Lastly, about the cost, I¡¯ll take care of it. The crew doesn¡¯t need to sweat it.¡±


    After hearing Astrid¡¯s promises, Maddox was kinda pumped up.


    After all, the appeal of reality shows is in their authenticity. If they could do it live, it would be a lot better


    than pre¨Crecorded!


    Maddox said, ¡°Setting up a base station, getting generators, that¡¯s gonna cost a pretty penny. Did


    Morgenster Corporation agree to foot the bill?¡±


    Astrid answered, ¡°No need, I¡¯ve got the dough. Director, you just need to switch to live streaming and


    make a public announcement. The rest is on me.¡± Maddox was bbergasted.


    This is small change to her?


    What¡¯s the price tag on streaming live from an ind for seven days?!.


    But since Astrid was so confident, he had no reason to say no. So he agreed, ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve got a


    deal.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, director.¡± Astrid hung up the phone, feeling pretty good about herself.


    Let trolls keep yapping.


    keep y:


    The more they diss now, the sillier they¡¯ll lookter.


    The next morning, Adventures in the Abyss¡¯s official Twitter dropped a bombshell, ¡°To give you a more


    authentic adventure experience, we¡¯re switching from pre¨Crecorded to live streaming, and extending


    the adventure from seven to ten days. Due to scheduling conflicts with several guests, the next episode


    will be postponed to January 15. We¡¯ll be live¨Cstreaming non¨Cstop for ten days on a deserted ind.


    See you there.¡±


    The inte was shook.


    ¡°Live streaming? Holy moly, the show must be loaded! Outdoors reality show is doing live streaming?


    Are they gonna hang cameras on every tree on the ind?¡± ¡°So intense!!!¡±


    ¡°Hats off to Mr. Maddox, he¡¯s got the guts to throw the guests on an ind for ten days, no one else in


    the country would dare!¡±


    ¡°Did they change the airing time to amodate Astrid¡¯s schedule? My goodness, she¡¯s got mad


    influence!¡±


    ¡°Can we not spread rumors? Odell¡¯s wrapping up filming in early January, so is Clyde, Astar¡¯s drama


    ends on January 10. If they really adjusted for scheduling, it would be for Joana¡¯s schedule on January


    13!¡±


    ¡°Wow, I have a feeling this live stream is to boost Astrid¡¯s image. She must¡¯ve made some deal with the


    director beforehand. Can¡¯t wait to see what amazing skills she¡¯ll show off during the live stream!¡±


    ¡°Can the haters stop being so jealous? Astar¡¯s got mad skills, y¡¯all better worry about your own idols


    embarrassing themselves on live TV!¡±


    While fans from all sides were busy arguing, Astrid tweeted, ¡°Enough with the noise, people. See you


    on January 15, Astar¡¯s gonna conquer the ind with you!¡± ¡°OMG! Astar actually tweeted!¡±

 Chapter 368

    Chapter 368


    ¡°Oh my gosh, you still remember your Twitter ount?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna cry tears of joy!¡±


    ¡°Astar, you¡¯re amazing! See you on January 15th!¡±


    Soon after, #Astrid Irvine¡¯s Tweet# became a trending hashtag.


    While casually enjoying some barbecue, Dale teased with augh, ¡°Hey, Robb, she sure knows how to


    grab everyone¡¯s attention, huh? Just one tiny post and it bes a hot topic!¡±


    Robb typed away on hisptop, not looking up, ¡°She¡¯s a shining star by her own.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Dale sat up and slid over to Robb for praise.


    Without turning his head, Robb shoved him away with one hand, ¡°You¡¯ve eaten onions, so you can¡¯t


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so cold. Dale retorted but obediently took his barbecue and left the room. As he walked,


    he wailed and sang, ¡°Oh my life is so hard!¡± Even though his voice faded, Robb couldn¡¯t stand the


    annoyance. He picked up a nearby pillow and threw it at Dale, who sensed danger and quickly locked


    himself in his room.


    ¡°Idiot Robb muttered under his breath, then refocused on hisptop screen.


    The Lampard family¡­


    He was determined to eliminate any threat to Star


    On January 10th, Astrid wrapped up her role in Endless Longing.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Director Gaines even personally gave her flowers, ¡°Astrid, I hope to work with you again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my honor to work with a director like you.¡± Astrid smiled, ¡°Thank you for your help and care during


    this time-¡±


    Many crew members initially underestimated Astrid, thinking she was just a newbie ying such an


    important role.


    Butter on, Astrid¡¯s professionalism and her acting skills changed many people¡¯s minds.


    What¡¯s more, Astrid often ordered food for the whole crew when she ordered for herself. With meals


    and coffees, she gradually became friends with the


    crew.


    Many of them genuinely liked her, not just putting on a show.


    With a rare few days off, Astrid spent them having fun with Roman.


    This time, Elio didn¡¯t feel jealous at all.


    Because once the show starts, he can spend ten days and nights with her.


    The day before the recording, the director led the crew to the deserted ind to check the situation.


    Upon arrival, everyone was stunned.


    Jack, ¡°Director, are we on the wrong ind? There was nothing here when we first came!¡±


    Maddox himself was also confused, looking left and right, ¡°How did a building suddenly appear?¡±


    ¡°I get it, it¡¯s Astrid¡¯s doing!¡±


    Astrid had sent him a message yesterday, saying that all the equipment on the ind was ready and


    had been tested.


    But he didn¡¯t expect her to build a building in such a short time¡­


    ¡°Mr Maddox, there¡¯s a sign over there that says Director¡¯s Office. A crew member looked puzzled, ¡°Oh


    my gosh! Does our show have such a big budget

 Chapter 369

    Chapter 369


    Maddox couldn¡¯t straightforwardly say that all this was Astrid¡¯s doing, so he just said, ¡°When have we


    ever been short on cash for our show? Go, reset all the equipment today. When the guestse


    tomorrow, I won¡¯t tolerate any mistakes!¡±


    Everyone responded, ¡°Yes!!!¡±


    After entering the house, Maddox still found it strange. Although the ind was nominally deserted, it


    was still state owned.


    When they had gone to register earlier, it was clearly stated that they could film on the ind, but


    couldn¡¯t damage the environment or build any


    structures.


    Did Astrid not know that she couldn¡¯t just build a house here?


    If someone from the authorities saw this after the show was aired, it would be a big mess!


    Thinking of this, Maddox found a quiet spot and called Astrid. As soon as the call connected, Astrid


    asked, ¡°Mr. Maddox, no issues with the equipment, right?¡±


    Maddox replied, ¡°No issues, no issues, but is this house of yours illegal?¡± He had wanted to build a


    simple house on the ind since the weather was so unpredictable and the equipment could be


    damaged by rain, but his applications were always denied.


    So, he suspected that Astrid¡¯s house might be illegal.


    Astrid was taken aback, ¡°No way, Mr. Latham owed me a favor, so he agreed when I called him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this house is legal. I¡¯ll send you the certificateter.¡±


    What?


    Maddox was more confused.


    Astrid spoke so casually about this?


    From her tone, it seemed like she didn¡¯t care about this Mr. Latham at all.


    After hanging up, Astrid sent him the certificate via WhatsApp. Sure enough, all the details and


    approval process were in order.


    Who was behind this Astrid?


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    How could she so easily do something that even he couldn¡¯t?


    The more he thought, the more he didn¡¯t understand. It seemed like Astrid had an extraordinary


    background.


    No wonder that kid Dale was so concerned about her.


    The next day at noon, the guests sessfullynded on the ind.


    As soon as the show started airing, the viewership skyrocketed.


    Livements, ¡°Wow, Astar¡¯s beauty hit me hard!¡±


    ¡°Humph, all natural and still so gorgeous. It¡¯s good to be pretty


    ¡°I love watching live, especially shows with two female guests. Let the drama begin!¡±


    ¡°Love Clyde Love Astar!¡±


    The weather on the ind was hot, a stark contrast to the previous snowy mountain.


    Joana was hopping around saying, ¡°The location picked by the production team is so good this time, so


    sunny I won¡¯t cry this time for sure!


    Livements, ¡°Joana is so naive, does she think surviving on a deserted ind will be easy?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see Joana break her promise, I bet a bag of chips she¡¯ll be crying within three days?¡±


    ¡°Not even three days, I bet shell cry tomorrow!


    This time was very different from thest. Since it was hard to find food on the snowy mountain, the


    production team allowed the quests to bring some food


    However, this tropical ind had plenty of food, so the production team only provided each person with


    a bottle of water, no food.


    They had provided tentsst time because the conditions on the snowy mountain were harsh


    But this time, there werent even sleeping tents


    The only thing avable were two temporary tolets made from tents, the only concession from the


    production tear


    Other than that, there was nothing


    Moreover, apart from the toilets, the ind was covered in cameras, and there were drones in the sky


    When watching the show viewers could freely switch camera angles, watching whoever they wanted


    Everyone online predicted that Joana would cry the next day but they were wrong Joana started crying


    within a few hours


    And her crying was a bit too exaggerated and dramatic

 Chapter 370

    Chapter 370


    With the heat making her throat as dry as a bone, she had drunk all of her water but the crew didn¡¯t


    seem to give a hoot. She started shedding tears.


    Joana blurted out, ¡°Maddox, can you share some water? I¡¯m parched. Are you gonna just stand there


    and watch me die of thirst?¡±


    Maddox didn¡¯t respond, his face as nk as a sheet.


    Joana continued, ¡°If you can¡¯t share some water, can you at least give me a fan?¡±


    Inte users chimed in, ¡°What the heck is she thinking? Does she think they brought her here for a


    vacation? A fan? Why doesn¡¯t she just ask for an air conditioner?¡±


    ¡°I thought after being mmed byizens, Joana would have learnt her lesson and behave better, but


    her actions are getting even more bizarre.¡± ¡°What¡¯s Astrid up to?¡±


    Theizens quickly switched their cameras.


    At this moment, Astrid was holding a sharpened stick, ready to jump into the waters.


    Clyde and Parrish immediately followed.


    Parrish asked, ¡°Astrid, are you nning to fish?¡±


    Astrid nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Clyde asked, ¡°Fish in the sea?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Astrid, wearing a straw hat and with a grin on her face, said, ¡°Believe it or not, I can catch a


    shark.¡±


    ¡°A shark?¡± Clyde and Parrish were scared out of their wits. They had only heard of sharks attacking


    people, but never of people eating sharks! Astrid was definitely not your average girl.


    But she was somewhat speechless. She only said she wanted to catch a shark, not eat one!


    She wanted to catch a shark because she had made a bet with her father before setting off. She


    couldn¡¯t lose!


    The two men stood frozen, then heard a cold voice from behind, 1 believe it.¡±


    After a season of filming, Parrish¡¯s fear of Elio had subsided, so he asked in confusion, ¡°Mr. Lampard,


    even if you¡¯re smitten with Astrid, you can¡¯t blindly idolize her. Do you really think she can catch a


    shark? She might end up as shark bait!¡±


    ¡°What if she said she could pluck some stars, would you believe it?¡±


    Elio replied, ¡°Yes¡±


    Clyde and Parrish were both speechless.


    Inte usersmented, ¡°Haha, Mr. Lampard¡¯s way of speaking is a bit off!*


    ¡°Mr. Lampard¡¯s cool,posed image has copsed. He¡¯s actually a bit of a goof!¡±


    ¡°Oh my, I suddenly think he¡¯s adorably goofy¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lampard: My wife is always right. My wife can do anything!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, this is hrious¡±


    Astrid gave Elio a speechless nce, and took out a bloody piece of meat from her bag.


    The sight of the meat scared the living daylights out of Parrish, ¡°Astrid, are you serious? Are you really


    going to attract a shark?¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Astrid replied, ¡°Yes, what else would I carry this for?¡± Then she squatted on a nearby rock and waved


    at the three people not far away. Come on over don¡¯t disturb my fishing¡±


    Fisting for a shark?


    ¡°Quiet down, don¡¯t mess up my n¡± Astrid said, and threw the fishing line with the meat attached into


    the water


    The strong smell of blood hut them, and Parrish felt sick, ¡°Oh my god, what kind of meat is this? It


    stinks so bad!¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to attract a shark without this strong smell of blood?¡± Astrid looked at Parrish


    unhappily, and then sat on the rock, staring at the calm sea in the distance


    Real timements. ¡°My idol is definitely not ordinary nning to catch a shark on the first day


    ¡°This is just for show night? I¡¯ve never heard of anyone catching a shark!


    ¡°Just because you can¡¯t doesn¡¯t mean others can¡¯t My Astrid can do anything except singing


    Sharks are indeed easily attracted by the smell of blood, and there are many sharks in that sea area.


    Maybe she can really attract cel


    ¡°Fishing for a shark? I think this is just to attract everyone¡¯s attention¡±


    ¡°Is this insane?¡±


    ¡°I want to see if those who doubt her will feel embarrassed if she really catches a shark?¡±


    ¡®Oh my god! There really is a shark


    A minor stir caught everyone¡¯s attention


    ? number of people who switched their cameras surped all looking in the direction


    from not far away


    small telescope to look, a smile slowly spreading across her face. ¡°Well, well, it really came¡±

 Chapter 371

    Chapter 371


    Pamsh onginally thought Astrid was just pulling his leg. ¡°You¡¯re pulling my chain, right? You can¡¯t just


    easily see a shark like that.


    Real timement ¡°Oh my God, this is so thrilling! I actually saw a live shark, a live onel¡±


    1. ¡°Parish hadn¡¯t even finished speaking when the cold voice of Elio drifted over, ¡°Quiet, if you scare


    off the shark, I¡¯ll use you as a bait¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Upon hearing this. Pamsh instantly mped his mouth shut, squatting down in fright,


    He looked small, pitiful, and helpless.


    Viewers seeing Parish¡¯s wronged look burst intoughter


    ¡°Wow, our tall hunk Parish got scared by just one sentence from Mr. Lampard¡±


    Turns out Mr. Lampard¡¯s gentleness is only for his sweetheart!¡±


    ¡°Live broadcast is so much more fun than recorded ones. All these quests areedians, right? They


    all crack me up¡±


    At this point, the distant shark had swum near the reef.


    Astrid signaled everyone to be quiet, then she herself crouched by the reef, eyes wide as saucers,


    staring at the shark.


    The director filming was shaking all over, it was his first time seeing a real shark!


    And it seemed the shark was not small in size.


    Feeling the camera shaking, the already nervous viewers became even more anxious, Is it just me or is


    the camera shaking?¡±


    ¡°OMG, not just you, it¡¯s shaking on my end too.¡±


    ¡°And, it¡¯s shaking more and more!¡±


    At that moment, someonemented, ¡°Could it be that the cameraman¡¯s scared and his hand¡¯s


    trembling?¡±


    Everyone imagined the pale-faced cameraman holding the camera, wanting to run but couldn¡¯t, and


    burst intoughter.


    Meanwhile, the shark had swum up close.


    This shark was a bit different from the ones you see on TV, not too big, circling the meat twice in the


    water, then gulping it down!


    The viewers watching the live stream unconsciously held their breath, as if they were at the scene.


    The camera kept retreating, almost couldn¡¯t capture the shark anymore.


    Although Parrish looked strong, he was actually quite timid. When the shark was still far away, he could


    barely watch it from the side, but now the shark was night in front of him, he didn¡¯t even dare to look,


    and backed away involuntarily.


    Clyde was braver, he whispered to Astrid, ¡°We should cast the ahead of time, else it would be hard


    to catch it only with your stick.¡±


    ¡°My stick is enough.¡± Astrid chuckled, her eyes full of amusement.


    Noticing Clyde and Astrid chatting happily, Elio standing by looked displeased.


    Viewer, ¡°I can almost feel Mr. Lampard¡¯s anger through the screen.¡±


    ¡°Look, the shark¡¯s leaving! She didn¡¯t even make a move, seems like she was just bluffing!¡±


    ¡°Catching a shark, I think she¡¯s just putting on a show!¡±


    ¡°I was all prepared, and this is all we got?¡±


    ¡°Those who believed Astrid could catch a shark, feeling awkward now?¡±


    ¡°If Astrid catches a shark today, I¡¯ll eat myputer screen on the livestream!¡±


    ¡°TII eat my keyboard on livestream! Eat my chair and mouse! I¡¯m willing to eat anything¡±


    ¡°I bet, if she really catches this shark, I¡¯ll eat myself on livestream!¡±


    ¡°Pch! What a joke!¡±


    The viewers were busy voicing their opinions, but just then, the shark that had swum a meter or two


    away suddenly stopped and became still


    Everyone went silent


    What¡¯s going on?

 Chapter 372

    Chapter 372


    Why wasn¡¯t the shark moving?


    Livements popped up.


    ¡°Is this a fake shark set up by the director team? Controlled by a remote?¡±


    ¡°Right, Astrid just threw a chunk of meat, didn¡¯t do anything else, and the shark stopped moving?¡±


    Parrish stared for a while, the shark still motionless. He stood up, picked up a small rock and threw it at


    the shark, only to find that the shark really was not moving


    He immediately got excited, ¡°Astrid, what are you looking at with your binocrs? I¡¯m going down to


    carry this shark up!¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Astrid stopped him, ¡°I need to check if there are other sharks around, otherwise you will be


    eaten by another shark before you even get back¡±


    Upon hearing this, Parrish broke into a cold sweat.


    After making sure there were no other sharks around, Astrid prepared to go into the water, but was held


    back by Elio, Tll go. I don¡¯t want you to face any danger


    No sooner had he spoken than Elio jumped in.


    Astrid watched him leaving with a slight tremor in her heart.


    The livements exploded, ¡°Wow, how can Astrid be so cold? Elio has gone this far, and she¡¯s still


    not moved?¡±


    ¡°Astat, marry such a good man!¡±


    ¡°Astar, you¡¯re so lucky!¡±


    ¡°When will I meet such a man!¡±


    ¡°Elio always puts Astar¡¯s safety first at any time. Although his love words are a bit old-fashioned, his


    heart and eyes are all Astar


    ¡°This must be fake! There must be a script! They must be acting!¡±


    ¡°For the one who just said they were acting, do you have a brain? Elio¡¯s family has billions of assets,


    does he need to participate in such a show? He¡¯s just pursuing


    Astarl


    Although the shark wasn¡¯t particrlyrge, it was nearly two meters long, and it was difficult for Elio to


    move it alone. Clyde immediately jumped in to help.


    After participating in this show, Clyde really let go.


    He threw all his idol image to the back of his mind, he just wanted to have something to eat.


    Astrid took a look at the shark, then said to the cameraman, ¡°Didn¡¯t someone just bet me that I would


    eat something after catching the shark? Let¡¯s get started¡±¡± ¡°Everyone keep an eye on each other, after


    all, betting is about epting defeat. Otherwise, it¡¯s not fun, right?¡±


    After saying that, Astrid winked at the camera, then pulled the camera to give a close-up of the shark,


    and even touched the shark¡¯s eyes and mouth, ¡°Look, this is the shark¡¯s mouth, this is the shark¡¯s


    eyes!¡±


    When she mentioned the eyes, Astrid even pulled the shark¡¯s eyelid.


    Everyone.¡±¡­


    Those who were just cursing Astrid for acting and bragging were immediately silenced, this scene was


    too shocking!


    The most important thing is that Astrid had foreseen that some people would doubt her actions, and


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    she personally confirmed the authenticity of the shark in front


    of the camera


    Netizens went silent for a while


    ¡°Astrid is truly an extraordinary woman! Sigh!¡±


    ¡°I really admire her


    ¡°I dere, I¡¯ve fallen for her!¡±


    ¡°The one who just said he would livestream eating himself, I¡¯ve already taken a screenshot, hahaha,


    my friend, are you still watching the livestream?¡±


    ¡°Sharks are protected animals, right? We can¡¯t eat them! Let¡¯s report Astrid, she¡¯ll be sentenced!¡±


    The people on the ind were also startled by Astrid after all they had never seen such a bold actress

 Chapter 373

    Chapter 373


    Pared asked. ¡®Astrid, why did th


    suddenly kick the bu


    Astid said. ¡°Sharks have different tiers of protection, and this one is amon blue shark. I¡¯m saying


    this to preventi harmed a protected species.¡±


    Just a second ago, someone in the livements was using Astrid of illegal behavior. Before they


    could even finish, Astrid was already exining herself.


    After a quick fact-check, those who had criticized Astrid found out she was actually night. The blue


    shark is indeed a type of shark that can be eaten, leaving them speechless and awkwardly silent.


    Livements. ¡°Didn¡¯t all the guests have their phones confiscated? Howe I feel like Astrid can


    see our livements! How does she know wh


    online?¡±


    (¡®re saying


    As thisment popped up. Astrid responded with, ¡°I bet someone¡¯s doubting whether can see your


    are likely to chatter about.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always the same old, same old¡±


    ¡°Sigh, you guys really need to up your game, stop using the same yed-out tactics, they¡¯re way too


    obvious.¡±


    Critics can¡¯t help but think: Not only did we fail, but we got shot down by her


    And not only did we get shot down, but we were also mocked?


    And not only did we get mocked, but we were also scolded in the end?


    What the heck is going on?!


    Parrish thought the shark was dead and wouldn¡¯t move anymore, so he mustered up the courage to


    touch it.


    Clyde encouraged him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it ain¡¯t gonna bite!¡±


    Elio added, ¡°As a man, if you can¡¯t even conquer a shark, aren¡¯t you giving your fans a goodugh?¡±


    With that, Parrish finally gathered the guts to touch the shark, ¡°Who said I was scared? Who said I


    wouldn¡¯t dare? I ain¡¯t scared¡±


    Astrid nodded, ¡°Really, are you not scared?¡±


    Pamish replied, I¡¯m not scared at all!¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°Even if it¡¯s still alive, you¡¯re not scared?¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s still alive?¡± Parrish stepped back, ¡°Astrid! I don¡¯t like you anymore!¡±


    Elio asked, ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    Pansh said, ¡°Mr. Lampard, calm down, I didn¡¯t say anything, I just want to stay alive!¡±


    Hearing Astrid¡¯s words, even Clyde got a little scared, ¡°Astrid, are you saying the shark isn¡¯t dead?¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°Right, it¡¯s just knocked out, I drugged the meat it ate. The drug will make it sleep for an


    hour. It¡¯s been tested on sharks many times. The shark won¡¯t wake up early.¡± Astrid patted the shark¡¯s


    head, ¡°Let¡¯s push it to the shallows. Although blue sharks are edible, their meat must be treated


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    properly. We don¡¯t have the conditions here, so it¡¯s better not to take risks¡±


    ¡°Okay, good.¡± Clyde smiled, ¡°Thanks to you, I even got to touch a live shark, let alone hold it. I can brag


    about this for a whole year.¡± The group happily went fishing in a nearby rock pool. Joana, who had


    been waiting under a tree for a long time, was famished Spotting Odell resting nearby, she walked over


    and said, ¡°Odell, how about we go into the forest and find something to eat?¡± Hearing this, Naylor


    immediately objected, ¡°There are many hidden dangers in the forest, don¡¯t go in such a casual manner¡±

 Chapter 374

    Chapter 374


    ¡°Can¡¯t go anywhere, are they trying to starve us to death?!¡± Joana red up instantly, ¡°If you don¡¯t let us


    go find food, what are you gonna feed me when I¡¯m hungry?¡±


    Naylor, who was setting up the rain shelter, nced at Joana expressionlessly, ¡°I asked you to go


    fishing with them, you refused. I asked you to help me with the shelter, you declined. And you still


    wanna eat for free?¡±


    ¡°The sun is too strong over there, and the sea breeze is just too much. I¡¯d get tanned!¡± Joana pouted,


    ¡°As for the shelter, I¡¯m too weak to be of any help.¡± Comments: ¡°Oh lord, I can¡¯t stand it, I wanna punch


    Joana!¡±


    ¡°The way she talks is so artificial, good thing I didn¡¯t have lunch, or else I¡¯d puke!¡±


    ¡°Look at her expression, still pouting and trying to act cute at her age. I bet our Naylor is about to blow


    a fuse!¡±


    ¡°The camera work here is terrible, I¡¯m switching channels to watch Astrid and the others fishing!¡±


    The control room could see the viewership of each channel. After Joana¡¯s performance, her channel¡¯s


    viewership dropped to just a few tens of thousands.


    Meanwhile, the fishing team with Astrid was skyrocketing in poprity, nearly crashing the channel


    server.


    The crevices in the seaside rocks often had fish. Astrid had sharpened a stick specifically to spear fish


    among the rocks.


    As for shark hunting, it was merely because Magee said that if she could catch a shark, he wouldn¡¯t


    object to her investigating the Lampard family.


    Although Robb said he would investigate, in some ways, his power and abilities were not as good as


    bers.


    And Robb had already done too much for her, so she didn¡¯t want to depend on him for everything.


    ¡°Wow! There¡¯s a fish here!¡± Parrish, barefoot in the water, was, as happy as a child, ¡°It¡¯s quite big! Let


    me give it a try first, how¡¯s that?¡± Astrid twitched her mouth corners, extremely annoyed, ¡°You? You¡¯d


    be lucky not to fall into the water, and you still wanna spear fish?¡± Parrish insisted on grabbing her stick


    to try fishing, so she stood aside and watched.


    With a ssh, Parrish fell into the water, sshing water all over Clyde!


    Elio, however, pivoted his body, using hisrge frame to block the water that was heading towards


    Astrid, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    His voice was very soft.


    Astrid looked up at him, her heartbeat suddenly out of control.


    The setting sun shone on them, as they silently stared at each other, it was¡­ beautiful.


    Comments: ¡°Oh my god, Elio! Don¡¯t hesitate, just kiss her! Kiss her!¡±


    ¡°These two are a perfect match, get together, get together!¡±


    ¡°Am I watching a drama or a reality show? But I gotta admit, so sweet!¡±


    Seeing everyone¡¯sments, Astrid¡¯s brothers who were also watching the live broadcast turned pale.


    They all leftments: ¡°I disagree!!!¡±


    Jon hired a bunch of ounts toment, and in a short while, the screen was almost covered with


    numerous ¡°I disagree¡±ments.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Netizens were puzzled, ¡°Where did all these peoplee from? How did they send so many


    messages all at once!¡±


    ¡°They must be Astrid¡¯s hardcore fans!¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be called hardcore fans, they¡¯re maniacs! This is so annoying, I can¡¯t even see Astrid!¡±


    Jon didn¡¯t have time to respond to theiningizens, he gave instructions to the ounts he


    hired, ¡°Change the message, write: ¡®Don¡¯t kiss, Elio has bad breath!¡°¡±


    Those who received the instructions were confused, they didn¡¯t dare to offend this man, did they?


    Just then, a real¨Ctimement came out, ¡°Elio, I¡¯m already carrying your child, yet you¡¯re showing off


    your love with other women on reality TV! You¡¯re such a scumbag!!!¡±


    Jon looked at the ount name that posted this real¨Ctimement and suddenly burst intoughter.

 Chapter 375

    Chapter 375


    The username for that ount is: SunflowerSmile.


    It¡¯s the username for Astrid¡¯s dad, Magee.


    He uses this name for all his social media ounts.


    1


    Even though Magee has never been fond of Elio, he has never explicitly expressed his dissatisfaction.


    Who would¡¯ve thought his firstint would be¡­so¡­unique!


    At the moment, Magee, who was watching the live stream, was very angry so he was stomping his


    foot, wishing he could climb into the screen and whack Elio with a fishing rod.


    He never used to watch live streams, didn¡¯t even watch Astrid¡¯s shows before, but this time he was


    watching because she bet she could catch a shark! He kept his eyes glued to the screen!


    From the start of the show, he was a bit ticked off at Elio, even seeing the shark being caught didn¡¯t


    make him this mad, but the moment he saw theseizens encouraging Elio to kiss his precious Star,


    he couldn¡¯t sit still!


    Thement he posted quickly disappeared in the sea ofments, hardly anyone saw it.


    !


    He turned off the livement feature, staring at the screen with gritted teeth, ¡°You punk, if you dare to


    kiss my baby girl, I¡¯ll hook your mouth with a fishing hook!¡± Just then, Joana¡¯s scream came from a


    distance, and Astrid snapped back to reality.


    Oh man.


    She was actually mesmerized by Elio.


    She had fallen for him.


    Looks like she had been hanging out with Gracie too much, got influenced by that little lovestruck girl.


    The atmosphere was a bit awkward, Astrid was the first to look away, fixing her windblown hair, ¡°Well,


    it¡¯s so hot, getting sshed with water actually feels cool.¡± Meaning you¡¯re interrupting my cool off time.


    Parrish and Clyde turned silent.


    Seeing Elio¡¯s face gradually turn sour, the two could only try to hold back theirughter.


    Poor Elio, such a lovesick fool.


    Thought he¡¯d get some sweetness, some praise, but who would¡¯ve thought, things took a turn, and he


    got rejected again.


    Magee, watching the live stream, saw Elio¡¯s gloomy face, immediately pped his kneeughing,


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s my girl, well done!¡±


    Theizens were also rolling withughter, ¡°Ha, someone said before that Elio doesn¡¯t understand


    love, isn¡¯t Astrid the same?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, she can do anything but date, poor Elio!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t normal couples just kiss when they can¡¯t help it? After all, the romantic atmosphere was


    thick, but I forgot, Astar is not normal!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, look at Elio¡¯s face, sadness mixed with a hint of embarrassment, embarrassment mixed with


    a hint of disappointment, disappointment mixed with a hint of helplessness!¡±


    ¡°Why bother chasing those cheesy idol dramas? Isn¡¯t it better to watch a real¨Clife overbearing CEO


    tirelessly pursuing a girl?¡±


    ¡°I think this isn¡¯t a survival adventure, it should be called Elio¡¯s adventure in chasing his wife? So good!¡±


    ¡°Look, Parrish and Clyde, these two bystanders are secretlyughing, even if they¡¯re facing away from


    the camera, but you can tell they¡¯reughing by their shaking shoulders! Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡±


    ¡°Hey, Parrish, pass me my gear, I¡¯m going fishing!¡± After Astrid got in the water, she directly snatched


    the stick from Parrish.


    Clyde and Parrish¡¯s attention was immediately drawn.


    Elio had been rejected more than once or twice, he was momentarily lost for a few seconds, then


    immediately perked up, and walked towards Astrid again.


    Netizensmented, ¡°Is Astrid really going to use this stick to fish?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hit by reality, now I dare not disbelieve her.¡±

 Chapter 376

    Chapter 376


    ¡°This might be a bit tricky, huh?¡±


    ¡°Before, we could drug the bait to catch sharks, but now we need real skills. If you¡¯re not quick enough,


    there¡¯s no chance of catching a fish. Even I can¡¯t manage it, let alone her, the youngss!¡±


    ¡°With our Astar, anything can happen!


    ¡°Shush, keep it down, you¡¯ll scare the fish away!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, are you kidding me? Snap out of it, you¡¯re off¨Cscreen!¡±


    The three guys on the sidelines watched carefully as Astrid lunged at the fish, hermovements swift and


    precise, ¡°Yes! Dinner is served!¡±


    1


    She lifted the stick, a two¨Cpound grouper skewered through.


    The livements on the screen were filled with cheers.


    Netizens were all on the same page, cheering for Astrid!


    Since it¡¯s live, there¡¯s no way to fake it.


    So, those who were keen on ndering her had no reason to im she was faking this time!


    Parrish was in awe, ¡°Oh my God, you are amazing!!! Teach me, teach me!¡±


    Astrid, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to master this skill in no time. Can you gut a fish?¡±


    ¡°Sure can, I can do anything!¡± Parrish took the fish from Astrid, leaping joyfully towards Naylor, ¡°Naylor,


    we¡¯ve got fish!¡±


    The sun had set and the seaside breeze was getting a bit chilly.


    Compared to the daytime heat, this was much morefortable.


    Astrid and ¨¦lio walked shoulder to shoulder, with Clyde trailing behind.


    Suddenly, he turned to the camera, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m being a third wheel here?¡±


    The audience was amused by his serious inquiry, ¡°Dude, have some self¨Cawareness, ok? If we were


    there, we wouldn¡¯t awkwardly stand by their side. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to help Parrish with the fish?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, he does look like an extra wheel, hrious!¡±


    ¡°Clyde, if you don¡¯t take a hint and scram, be careful of Elio punishing you!¡±


    ¡°1


    §±


    The livements on the screen were filled withughter and joy, it was dinner time.


    Naylor started a fire, picked some wild veggies, and in no time, Parrish returned with the fish meat,


    ¡°Look, look how awesome Astrid is, she caught us a big fish!¡± Joana turned around and broke into


    ¡°After hours of work by the sea, and we only caught one fish. I thought there would be more.¡±


    Hearing this, Parrish immediately became upset, ¡°Joana, I heard you¡¯re on a diet, right?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes.¡± Joana affirmed without hesitation. She had lied about being on a vegetarian diet on a variety


    show recently.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Parrish brought up this topic, could it be¡­


    Joana turned to Parrish, who was grinning, ¡°Oh right, I saw that show you were on, Joana. You said


    you¡¯re on a diet and won¡¯t eat meat for half a year, right? Female stars really have it rough, having to


    maintain their figures, missing out on so many delicious foods.¡±


    Joana was at a loss for words.


    Those were her own words and she couldn¡¯t refute them now.


    If she did,izens would criticize her for lying on TV shows.


    Joana was furious, but Emily had advised her not to lose her temper on the show, so she held it in, ¡°I


    didn¡¯t n on eating anyway, Who knows if these random fish from the sea are poisonous or not. I


    don¡¯t dare to eat!¡±

 Chapter 377

    Chapter 377


    Naylor said, ¡°This type of fish ismon in the ocean, non¨Ctoxic, and safe to eat.¡±


    Joana was left speechless and walked off to sulk alone.


    She thought they¡¯d at least call her back when they saw her leave.


    But to her surprise, they didn¡¯t attempt to stop her at all, instead, they started to discuss how to make


    soup out of this fish!


    By this time, it waspletely dark, the forest was pitch ck and some unknown animals were


    making noises.


    Joana didn¡¯t dare to venture further and returned huffily.


    The fish soup Astrid made was delicious, the aroma wafting from the pot alone was mouthwatering.


    Thankfully, Naylor had gathered plenty of wild vegetables to put in the soup, everyone ate until they


    were almost full.


    T


    Joana didn¡¯t help out, thinking that there would be no share for her, but Naylor still gave her a portion.


    She ate everything in her bowl with her back to the camera, even had two bowls of soup.


    Webments, ¡°Haha, I¡¯m dying ofughter, does Joana think we won¡¯t know she¡¯s eating meat just


    because her back is to the camera?¡±


    ¡°I thought this girl was just pretending to be dumb, but now I think she really is, haha!¡±


    ¡°Our Naylor is really generous. Even though Joana keeps causing trouble, he still gave her something


    to eat.¡±


    ¡°If they didn¡¯t give her anything to eat, those nitpickers would definitely say Naylor isn¡¯t a team yer.


    Being a celebrity is so hard.¡±


    ¡°Joana said she would rather starve than eat the fish Astrid caught. And what happened? Half an hour


    ¡±


    The night wasn¡¯t cold, but the wind carried a hint of chill.


    Without the shelter of tents, they could only rest by the fire.


    Astrid took out a small spray bottle and sprayed some on herself. Before she finished, Clyde and


    Parrish squatted in front of her.


    They now believed that whatever Astrid used was useful and good.


    Astrid smiled and sprayed some on them, then saw a certain man was staring at her with a sulky look.


    She nced at him, tossed the bottle to him, and asked Naylor and the others, ¡°Do you need some?


    This insect repellent works great.¡±


    Odell said he brought his own.


    Joana didn¡¯t say anything, just took out a bottle of expensive bug spray from her bag and showed it off


    in front of the camera.


    Soon someizens recognized the thing in Joana¡¯s hand, ¡°The bug spray Joana uses is very


    expensive, it was hyped up online, priced several hundred dors a bottle.¡±


    ¡°What kind of bug spray can be sold so expensive? With that money, you can buy several bottles of


    branded perfume¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that Astrid is using? It¡¯s just a clear stic bottle, and there are no words on the bottle. It¡¯s not


    some unbranded inferior product, is it?¡±


    ¡°If our idol uses her stuff, will there be any problem with his handsome face? If he gets disfigured


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    because of this, I will never forgive Astrid.¡±


    Comments on the inte were all over the ce, but those who had been working hard in the forest


    all day didn¡¯t care. Leaning against their backpacks, they gradually fell asleep.


    Elio noticed Astrid had fallen asleep, so he gently covered her with his coat and sat next to her.


    Naylor saw Elio was still awake, and whispered, ¡°This is just the edge of the forest, so there¡¯s no


    danger, you can rest too.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m not tired.¡± Elio, who often worked overtime, used to be a total workaholic, so his sleep


    schedule was often messed up.


    Naylor was actually quite curious about Elio.


    He had been adventuring all over the world, met all kinds of people, but he couldn¡¯t figure out the man


    in front of him.


    Feeling bored, the two started to chat, ¡°Mr. Lampard, do you like adventuring?¡±

 Chapter 378

    Chapter 378


    Im not a fan¡± Elio stated, then tumed to look at Astrid, ¡°But if it¡¯s something she enjoys, I¡¯ll stick around.¡±


    ¡°Anything? Naylor inquired


    ¡°Yep ¡°Elo nodded, not hesitating. ¡°Anything¡±


    And then, silence fell


    A ghostly quiet


    After a long pause. Naylor finally said. ¡°You don¡¯t strike me as that type¡±


    Elia tumed to him. ¡°What type do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The kind that prioritizes love shove all elea¡± Naylor responded


    Elo fell silent again


    Two men of few words together always i


    ade for some awkwardness.


    A gust of wind blew by, and Elio instinctively adjusted his posture to shield the girl beside him from the


    wind. It¡¯s not about prioritizing love first, it¡¯s about putting her fires¡±


    Thements on the screen were instantly like surging waves, ¡°Wow! Who said all rich guys are


    yboys?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so sweet


    ¡°M: Lampard is spoiling Astrid too much, night? So jealous!¡±


    ¡°) look at Mi Lampard¡¯s behavior then look at my boyfriend who¡¯s currently ying video games, really


    want to beat the crap out of this game?¡±


    ¡°This couple it do sweet, Mr. Lampard keep going, you can definitely win over your goddess?¡±


    From now on, when I mad novels, the male and female characters already have their real life images!


    Mr. Lampard and Astrid! The loving CEO and his cute wife. but this wife is a bit fiercel LOL¡±


    And the conversation gradually came to an end


    The next moming the sun was shining.


    Everyone got up tidied up, and started heading into the mountains to look for food,


    Each of them only had one bottle of water, and Joana had run out of water yesterday already.


    They hadn¡¯t walked far before they found a stream. Joana raf over,ughing. ¡°This is spring water


    right? We can definitely drink it¡±


    ¡°Stop¡± Naylor yanked her back. ¡°You can¡¯t just drink. ter from the wild, this isn¡¯t a snowy mountain


    where you can casually drink melted snow.


    ¡°Mr. Naylor, you don¡¯t have to scare me spring water is naturally drinkable¡± Joana, extremely thirsty,


    kept trying to convince everyone to let her drink Astrid didn¡¯t want to meddle, but if something


    happened to Joana, it would affect the whole crew!


    Thinking of this, Astrid went over and grabbed Joana¡¯s cor. ¡°You can¡¯t drink this water¡±


    ¡°Asted, let go of me, why can¡¯t I drink this water? Joana was very upset, yelling at Astrid


    Astrid picked up a stick and slid it along the rocks by the water¡¯s edge, revealing a sticky creature on


    camera, ¡°Do you know what is? it¡¯s a leech, also known as a bloodsucker do you still want to drink the


    water?¡±


    ¡°When Joana backed away, screaming. The camera then zoomed in on the spring, revealing arge


    number of leeches in the water, on the rocks, and in the grass, Viewers felt a chill run down their


    spines, and instantly felt


    Comments on the screen surged again


    That¡¯s disgusting¡±


    ¡°Camera guy, you were shaking when you saw the shark yesterday, are you still shaking now? These


    leeches are so disgusting?¡°¨C


    I want to tell you all, leeches survive by sucking the blood of vertebrates or invertebrates.


    ¡°Oh god that¡¯s gross


    If it weren¡¯t for Astrid and Naylor holding Joana (


    , she might have already swadowed several leeches. Some of them are very small and could easily be


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Partish and Clyde, looking at the leeches in the water felt thar scalps tingle


    To prevent Joana from making the same mistake again, Naylor had to give her his remaining bottled


    water


    doana willked quickly, and Naylot fearing she would cause more trouble, called outta her, ¡°Joana, don¡¯t


    stray too far from the group, there are unakia in the forest.¡± Jacara acoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool mg. It¡¯s


    winter n¨®W.


    ting. That wont be any snakes?¡±


    thay sa


    (of faezing to death, do you think anakes in a tropical forest would still hubernate?


    kang and continued


    ko?e slopped.


    komad. Faind you¡¯re not an


    om a t¨®k not far away, het syns unmediately lit up

 Chapter 379

    Chapter 379


    Comments started popping up: ¡°For Astrid, anything can be a snack!¡±


    ¡°OMG, she¡¯s just grabbing whatever she sees to eat?! She doesn¡¯t fear death herself, but don¡¯t drag


    the others into this! Doesn¡¯t she know snakes are poisonous?¡± ¡°Astrid¡¯s got guts, I¡¯ll give her that. That


    snake may not be a giant python, but it looks like it¡¯s at least 5 to 6 feet long


    ¡°She¡¯s really risking her life for the spotlight, huh? If she provokes that snake, it¡¯s definitely gonna bite!¡±


    ¡°Jesus, just looking at that snake through the screen is giving me goosebumps!¡±


    ¡°Hold up, isn¡¯t the real issue that Joana has entered the snake¡¯s attack range?¡±


    Reading thesements, everyone was on the edge of their seats


    The snake¡¯s color was blended with the ancient tree¡¯s trunk, so Joana didn¡¯t notice it at first


    By the time she did, she was already very close to the snake.


    Astrid had carefully observed, it was amon Indigo snake, non¨Cvenomous and slow¨Cmoving. It


    usually eats frogs and mice, sometimes even other snakes. Although it was non¨Cvenomous, the snake


    was big and strong. It could be dangerous if it wraps around someone.


    Given Joana¡¯s careless nature, if they don¡¯t calm her down, she could scare the snake by screaming.


    Not to mention eating the snake, she¡¯d definitely get bitten!


    ¡°Joana, calm down and stay still.¡± Naylor, afraid that Joana would cause a problem, quietly reminded,


    ¡°Wait for me to handle the snake. Don¡¯t attack it or shout, it¡¯ll only make things more dangerous¡±


    Joana was scared and started crying non¨Cstop.


    Her makeup was all messed up from crying, making her look quite pathetic.


    Astrid was rummaging through her bag, seeing Joana crying louder, she said softly. ¡°Stop crying, the


    snake won¡¯t attack unless provoked. I kill it and make soup for you.¡±


    Saying this, Astrid pulled out something.


    The viewers saw and immediately got excited.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s the arrow Astrid used to kill the wild chickenst time


    ¡°But a snake is faster than a wild chicken, can she hit it?¡±


    ¡°I think Astrid is just looking for trouble. If she misses and scares the snake, it¡¯ll definitely bite Joana.


    How will she handle that?¡±


    ¡°Is the using our Joana as bait to catch the snake? What a wicked woman!¡±


    ¡°Joana¡¯s fans, can you stop being so nasty? It¡¯s your Joana who didn¡¯t listen and wandered into the


    snake¡¯s attack range, not Astrid! She¡¯s the one causing us trouble!¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Enough! We should be worried about Joana right now. Although she¡¯s a troublemaker, I don¡¯t like her,


    but it wouldn¡¯t be good if something happens.¡±


    Thement section was a mess, with fans instantly taking sides and hurling insults at each other.


    The live chat was in chaos.


    Astrid lifted her hand to aim at the snake, then frowned.


    She was looking for the right angle, when a hand suddenlynded on her shoulder.


    ¡°distract the snake, then you can take your shot.¡± Elio¡¯s words made Astrid stiffen


    Damn it


    How could he read her mind so easily?


    How did he know what she was thinking?


    Her n was to distract the snake, then kill it.


    Elio picked up a rock, weighed it, then looked at Astrid


    Astrid moved next to him, pointing at a tree one meter away from the snake, ¡°See that tree? Can you


    hit it?¡±

 Chapter 380

    Chapter 380


    ¡°No sweat,¡± Elio said, shifting slightly, ¡°Three, two, one¡±


    Just as his words hung in the air, he hurled the stone in his hand at the tree trunki


    Upon hearing the noise, the snake lunged at the stone with a vicious bite!


    At that moment, Astrid shot her arrow, nailing the snake at its weak spot. The snake hit the ground with


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    a heavy thud.


    Comments fromizens flooded in, ¡°Holy cow!!!¡±


    ¡°She actually hit it! That¡¯s insanel


    The snake continued to squirm.


    Its tail iled around and identally brushed against Joana¡¯s ankle Joana couldn¡¯t hold back her


    scream, ¡°Ahhhhh!!! [ve been bitten! I don¡¯t want to die!! Somebody save mell Get a doctor, I¡¯m not


    gonna make it! Help me


    Joana was freaking out, jumping and shouting like a madwoman. Parish couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and


    walked over to grab her arm, ¡°You weren¡¯t bitten, and the


    snake¡¯s dead¡±


    ¡°Really really?¡± Joana looked down at her foot, somewhat embarrassed. Seeing that she was indeed


    fine, she finally rxed, ¡°I¡¯m really okay? Thank god.¡±


    Realizing her earlier panic, Joana quickly covered her face with her hands, shouting, ¡°Don¡¯t put me on


    camera. Don¡¯t film me! If anyone recorded me like that, you¡¯re gonna get it!¡±


    Everyone was speechless


    Pamsh had initially felt sorry for her, but seeing her like this, he decided to leave her be


    Barrage. ¡°Is this fake? Did she really hit it that easily? I have doubts¡±


    1 suggest you go get your eyes checked, we all saw it. The snake went from wriggling topletely


    still, and you¡¯re still doubting? If you¡¯re so great, why don¡¯t you do it?


    Does a snake really die that easily? How could it die just like that? The camera angle was a bit far, it¡¯s


    hard to tell if the snake is real or fake!¡±


    ¡°Wow, I really can¡¯t stand you guys. You said the prerecorded stuff was fake, now they¡¯re live streaming


    everything and over a million people are watching, and you¡¯re still calling it fake??¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared just looking at this snake, Astar you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    ¡°Astar Snake you still want to hurt me? Snake: I dare not. Haha!¡±


    The snake got hit in its weak spot, it¡¯s definitely gonna die!¡±


    Everyone was excitedly discussing in the live chat. Astrid put away her weapon and walked over, then


    grabbed the snake by its tail and dragged it over.


    Her demeanor was absolutely boss¨Clike


    To the astonishment of manyizens, Astrid took out the military dagger Rickon had given her and


    lopped off the snake¡¯s head in a few swift motions.


    Her movements were clean and efficient, her eyes holding a hint of disdain, as if she was chopping a


    fish head, not a snake¡¯s


    Worried for her safety, her brothers were all watching the live stream. Seeing her series of brave


    actions, Robb couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    He then took out his phone to text his men, ¡°Pull some of our guys back, but keep the drones patrolling


    the ind. Rescue immediately if anything happens.¡±


    The other party, ¡°Roger that¡±


    Recalling Astrid¡¯s expression when she was dealing with the snake, Robb smiled slightly. Their little


    princess had grown up.


    The ind¡¯s inhabitants were amazed watching Astrid expertly handle the snake.


    Astrid was an actress, how could she have so many skills that ordinary people wouldn¡¯t learn?


    Seeing her skilled actions, it was clear this wasn¡¯t her first time dealing with a snake.


    Elio, who had never tried snake meat before, asked. ¡°Astrid, why did you cut off the snake¡¯s head?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Astrid smiled slightly, ¡°Even though this snake isn¡¯t poisonous, its head could have


    parasites. It¡¯s a bit of a hassle to deal with, so I just chopped it


    ¡°On¡± Elia nodded, learning something new

 Chapter 381

    Chapter 381


    Parrish trembled, slowly backing behind Clyde, ¡°Do we really have to eat this today?¡±


    Clyde said, ¡°You can choose not to eat and starve if you want!¡±


    Parrish was speechless.


    ¡°Parrish,e and help me deal with the snake.¡± Astrid called out. Parrish shook his head violently, ¡°I


    can¡¯t, please, I can¡¯t handle snakes.¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the guy who can do anything?¡±


    Parrish said, ¡°But I¡¯ve never eaten snake meat! Nor have handled a dead snake! Besides, it looks too


    scary!¡±


    Seeing his desperate look, Naylor rarely showed a hint of a smile, ¡°Astrid, let me do it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave it to you¡± Astrid stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s move faster, it¡¯s going to rain today.¡±


    Naylor, dragging the snake, followed behind the group, looking really frightening.


    After a long walk, Clyde spotted a cave, ¡°There¡¯s a cave oyer there!¡±


    Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a dark cave entrance.


    Naylor said, ¡°There are usually snakes in these caves. I¡¯ll go and have a look first, stay away from it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Elio moved forward as soon as he finished speaking, and Naylor didn¡¯t refuse.


    After confirming the cave was safe, everyone went in.


    It was a cavern, with arge space inside and an underground river,


    There was a lot of rainwater umted in the crevices of the rocks outside, so Astrid called Elio to go


    get water.


    Joana saw it and discontentedly said, ¡°Astrid, what are you getting the water here for? It¡¯s not for


    drinking, is it? Isn¡¯t there water in the underground river in the


    cave?¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t feel like exining, but she was worried Joana would contaminate the water, so she said,


    ¡°The water in the rock crevices is rainwater, and thus it¡¯s safe to drink after boiling it.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be sure what¡¯s in the water in the cave, so don¡¯t drink it casually. I suggest you don¡¯t either.¡±


    ¡°You always think you¡¯re so professional.¡± Joana showed a look of disdain and was about to step on


    the water pool next to her!


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Before her foot even touched the ground, someone grabbed her cor. She turned back to see Naylor¡¯s


    rather gloomy face, ¡°Joana, if you¡¯re used to doing whatever you want, as long as it doesn¡¯t affect us,


    we won¡¯t bother you, But do you know how hard it is to find some clean rainwater on this ind? You¡¯re


    over twenty, not a kid, stop being so willful!¡±


    ¡°You can drink the underground river water if you want, we won¡¯t stop you, but please don¡¯t ruin our


    water source. People¡¯s patience has its limits!¡±


    This was the first time anyone had seen Naylor angry.


    Joana was scared, her eyes immediately got red, choking up, ¡°I didn¡¯t dirty your water, did I? Do you


    need to yell at me? She said she would filter it, what¡¯s the big deal if I step on it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that the production crew would let us die of thirst here.¡±


    Netizens didn¡¯t expect Joana to be so unreasonable and acting like a madwoman, so they expressed


    their wish to enter the screen to discipline this unreasonable


    woman.


    Comments, ¡°Joana really doesn¡¯t get it! Does she understand the importance of clean drinking water?


    People can go a day or two without food, but they need to drink water!¡±


    ¡°The other guests are seriously taking part in the adventure, only Joana is treating this like a child¡¯s


    game, thinking there¡¯s always a way out!¡°.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been a fan of Naylor for several years, this is the first time I¡¯ve heard him speak in this tone, so


    you can tell he¡¯s really angry.¡±


    ¡°Joana is too conceited, she¡¯s a real madwoman! Even Mr. Lampard didn¡¯t show any disgust towards


    the water, does she think she¡¯s superior? If she doesn¡¯t want to drink it then don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! If she dies of thirst, she deserves it!¡±

 Chapter 382

    Chapter 382


    ¡°Truth be told, I used to think Joana was a decent actress, but now I¡¯m seriously wondering what she¡¯s


    good for, other than causing trouble for the rest of us¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s she good for? She just pisses us off time after time! What a numbskull!¡±


    Joana wanted to keep drawing attention to herself, but she felt a chilling from behind.


    She turned and met Elio¡¯s icy gaze.


    In that moment, Joana felt as though she had been choked. She couldn¡¯t utter a single word,


    She yanked her arm free from Naylot¡¯s grip and ran towards a cave. Only after she had put some


    distance between them did she start to cry, ¡°You¡¯re all ganging up on me! You all think Astrid¡¯s the bee¡¯s


    knees, don¡¯t you? You¡¯re all siding with her against me! Sure, she¡¯s a looker, but who¡¯s to say she


    hasn¡¯t had work done on her face?¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t get mad. She was never going to be friends with Joana anyway.


    Once the show was over, they would be strangers. So, there was no point in getting worked up over


    someone so insignificant.


    She turned to look at Elio. When he saw her, he smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s up, darling?¡±


    ¡°Darling??? Scram!¡± Astrid kicked at him without a second thought. And his sweet ¡°darling¡± set the


    inte on fire!


    Comments: ¡°Oh my God!!!¡±


    ¡°Elio¡¯s voice and gaze just now were so charming, I¡¯m losing my mind!¡±


    ¡°His voice is so sexy, I¡¯m in love!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d trade five years of my life for Elio to call me darling just once!¡±


    ¡°Joana, forget about catching fish and snakes. Look at the hottie right next to you!¡±


    ¡°Get together already! Elio, don¡¯t hesitate, kiss her already!¡±


    The inte was going crazy for Elio, but the star of this romantic saga was oblivious to their cries. She


    was still busy filtering water.


    She didn¡¯t even nce at Elio again.


    By three in the afternoon, the snake soup was ready.


    When Astrid went to have some, Elio stopped her and tasted it first.


    Comments: ¡°OMG, is Elio testing it for poison?¡±


    ¡°He values Astrid¡¯s life more than his own.¡±


    ¡°Plus, he¡¯s not even acting. He¡¯s always putting Astrid first. I used to not want them to end up together,


    but now I¡¯m wavering¡­¡±


    ¡°How hard is it to find a guy like this in the world?¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ this is too sweet, I can¡¯t take it.¡±


    ¡°I bet they¡¯ll end up together! There¡¯s no other way this drama can end!¡±


    n


    Astrid was taken aback. This guy, seriously¡­


    Naylor didn¡¯t say anything and started eating. After being boiled at a high temperature for over an hour,


    any parasites in the meat would be dead.


    After a bite, the usually expressionless Naylor actually smiled and gave Astrid a nod, Tastes good!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Odell, seeing Naylor eating heartily, couldn¡¯t help but join in.


    ¡°Oh my God, this is delicious.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the cameras and the millions of viewers, Clyde might


    have expressed his admiration for the taste in an even more exaggerated manner.


    Odell also praised, ¡°I¡¯ve had snake meat many times before, but this is the best I¡¯ve ever tasted!¡±


    Parrish was drooling at the sight. He really wanted to try.


    But he was also very scared.


    Not of poison.


    He was just afraid of snakes.


    ¡°Parrish, if you don¡¯t eat this, there might not be anything else to eat. This is our meal for the day!¡±


    Astrid, holding a piece of meat, took a deep breath, ¡°Wow, smells good.¡±


    ¡°Ah, whatever, I¡¯m going to eat!¡± Parrish, holding his bowl, looked very excited!


    Just then, a thump was heard. Joana, who was sitting not far away, had fallen to the ground.


    Astrid stood up to see what was wrong and found Joana foaming at the mouth,


    unconscious!

 Chapter 383

    Chapter 383


    This was Naylor¡¯s first time dealing with such a situation, he was so nervous that he rushed to yell out


    her name, ¡°Joana, Joana!¡±


    He called out twice, but Joana didn¡¯t respond.


    The medical team of the show had already rushed over, and the close¨Cup cameras had been turned


    off, but the fixed cameras in the cave were still broadcasting live.


    At the start of the show they had said that the live broadcast wouldn¡¯t be interrupted, it would continue


    until the adventure ends.


    Medical expert Dr. Foster came over for a check, instantly frowned and said, ¡°She¡¯s in a bad shape,


    what did she eat just now?¡±


    Parrish said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡±


    Comments: ¡°Astrid Irvine¡¯s snake meat must¡¯ve been poisoned, it has to be! Damn it, the others who


    ate the meat will also pass out, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use people like that! Joana didn¡¯t even dare to eat the snake meat they cooked! Don¡¯t me


    Astrid whenever something goes wrong!¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°I saw it, Joana must¡¯ve drank from the underground river!¡±


    ¡°Astrid already warned not to drink that water, she insisted on drinking it anyway, she¡¯s asking for


    trouble, who¡¯s to me?¡±


    ¡°Some people said before that Joana is a very real female star, showing her true self on the show, then


    I really don¡¯t understand, how did someone as dumb as her survive in the entertainment circle!¡±


    ¡°Stop arguing, she¡¯s in such a state now, let¡¯s just hope she gets better!¡±


    Watching the medical team¡¯s frantic efforts, people in front of the camera also started to get nervous


    Even thoughizens always say they want to see Joana make a fool of herself, it¡¯s just talking,


    nobody would want someone¡¯s life to be in danger because of a variety show.


    Dr. Foster was also very anxious, he knew Joana was poisoned but he didn¡¯t know what kind of poison


    it was. With limited medical conditions, he didn¡¯t know what to do for a while, ¡°Mr. Maddox, I suggest


    you send Joana back for treatment immediately. I can only try to stabilize her condition for now. With


    limited medical equipment, I don¡¯t know what kind of emergency situation might ur if we wait too


    long!¡±


    Maddox nodded and immediately said, ¡°Get her on a stretcher and get her out of here, I¡¯ll arrange a


    boat to send her back immediately.¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t be moved now, or her life will be in danger.¡± Astrid¡¯s words came, and everyone was


    stunned.


    1


    Dr. Foster turned to look at Astrid, his face full of anger, ¡°I know you guys are allpeting with each


    other, but you can¡¯t risk her life for your own future, can you? If you won¡¯t let us take her away, do you


    have a way to save her?¡±


    In fact, Astrid had met Dr. Foster before. She had once disguised her identity to treat someone for her


    master. At that time, those so¨Ccalled medical experts humiliated her, and in the end, she won them


    over with her abilities, they were begging her for help instead. Dr. Foster was one of those so¨Ccalled


    experts.


    He had many titles, but in fact, he didn¡¯t have enough medical ability.


    Joana was indeed poisoned, but it wasn¡¯t an unsolvable poison. Astrid had seen a lot of herbs in the


    mountains, those herbs could counteract Joana¡¯s poison.


    Maddox was sweating profusely with anxiety when he received a message.


    It was from Dale: ¡°Quick, beg Astrid! She can save Joana! She¡¯s the apprentice of the medical master


    Dr. Conrad, the famous Aster! She just has her own reasons, and she¡¯s been hiding her identity all


    along.¡±


    Aster?


    Maddox knew Dale had been watching the live broadcast. If he was sending a message at this time, he


    definitely wasn¡¯t joking.


    And Aster¡¯s name was well¨Cknown in the medical field!


    Without any hesitation, he immediately rushed to Astrid and said, ¡°Astrid, I beg you, save her.¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone at the scene was dumbfounded.


    Shouldn¡¯t Mr. Maddox be rushing Joana to a major hospital for treatment at this time?


    Moreover, if he needed to see a doctor, Maddox should be begging Dr. Foster instead. Why would he


    beg Astrid to save Joana, who was in critical condition?

 Chapter 384

    Chapter 384


    Astrid¡¯s got a lot of tricks up her sleeve, but medicine? How could she possibly know that!


    Netizens are also puzzled, ¡°Oh my god, has he lost his mind? Turning to Astrid at this time? Is he


    treating Astrid like a wishing well, where all wishes cane true?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Maddox, for god¡¯s sake, get our poor Joana to the hospital!¡±


    ¡°Oh lord, has Astrid put a spell on Mr. Maddox? If Joana isn¡¯t rushed to a major hospital soon, her life is


    really in danger! Look at her face, it¡¯s turning purple!¡±


    ¡°This is a matter of life and death! Has the production team gone mad?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Maddox is no ignorant fool, he must have his reasons for doing this, don¡¯t rush to me him!¡±


    ¡°Save Joana, please!!!¡±


    Dr. Foster in the cave was taken aback by Maddox¡¯s decision, his face turning a bit awkward, ¡°Mr.


    Maddox, are you suggesting that Astrid¡¯s medical skills surpass mine?¡±


    Maddox didn¡¯t know how to exin, considering Dale had already mentioned that Astrid needed to hide


    her identity, so he said, ¡°Dr. Foster, I have absolutely no doubt in your professional abilities, but even if


    we rush Joana back now, she might not make it.¡±


    ¡°You know very well, it would take us hours to get back to thend and to a hospital, can you guarantee


    that Joana will be alive by then?¡± Dr. Foster was taken aback. He really couldn¡¯t guarantee.


    He had just done a blood test on Joana, the results were out, but he had never seen this poison before.


    He couldn¡¯t be sure of the type of poison Joana had, so he couldn¡¯t guarantee how long Joana could


    live.


    So, he didn¡¯t have the confidence to answer Maddox¡¯s question.


    Dr. Foster looked at Maddox, then at Astrid, ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee, but do you really think Astrid can save


    Joana? You¡¯re not assuming she knows medicine just because she can catch sharks and snakes, are


    you?¡±


    Maddox didn¡¯t answer, just looked at Astrid, seeing her without a reaction, he leaned in and whispered,


    ¡°Help me out for Dale¡¯s sake, name your price.¡±


    Name your price?


    To have the top reality show director in the country owe her a favor, that¡¯s a good deal.


    Astrid smirked, ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°Check Joana¡¯s condition now, don¡¯t move her, and don¡¯t inject her with anything, wait for me toe


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    back.¡± After saying that, Astrid quickly walked out.


    Dr. Foster couldn¡¯t help but reprimand, ¡°Mr. Maddox, you¡¯re harming Joana this way!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this!¡±


    Theizens in front of the screen were also stunned, ¡°Director, have you gone mad?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, Mr. Maddox, have you been bewitched by Astrid?¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯m a fan of Astrid, I¡¯m a bit worried.¡±


    ¡°We have to believe in Astrid, she can definitely do it, she¡¯s already given us so many surprises, I


    wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she knows medicine!¡±


    Seeing Astrid set off to find herbs, Dale finally rxed.


    He knew Astrid wouldn¡¯t do nothing and let Joana die, but besides the people she cared about, she


    wouldn¡¯t help others for nothing. Maddox was definitely about to be heavily robbed by Astrid again.


    But Joana¡¯s previous performance on the show really pissed people off, she was always causing


    trouble, just seeing her on screen was annoying.


    Dale was sitting by the pool in a daze, feeling someone suddenly tug at his foot, and he immediately


    fell into the pool.


    After swallowing a few mouthfuls of water, he surfaced and started yelling, ¡°Robb Brooke, are you out


    of your mind? My brand new phone just dropped into the water!¡±


    Not far away, Robb surfaced, coldly saying, ¡°We agreed toe on vacation and not work.. If you still


    want to stare at your phone, then you can spend the rest of your life with it.¡±

 Chapter 385

    Chapter 385


    ¡°Robb, don¡¯t leave me hanging.¡± Dale awkwardly chuckled as he swam in his clumsy way towards


    Robb,ining out loud, ¡°I¡¯m really lonely without you around!¡±


    Listening to Dale¡¯s whining, Robb scowled and kicked Dale away with a stretch of his long legs.


    How heartless.


    While Robb and Dale were enjoying their vacation, Astrid was stuck on a deserted ind under the


    scorching sun, hunting for herbs.


    Parrish and Clyde followed her around like shadows, barraging her with questions. ¡°Astrid, are you sure


    you know what kind of poison she¡¯s been hit with? Are you really going to save her?¡±


    Clyde added, ¡°If you can¡¯t pull it off, don¡¯t take the responsibility. If you fail, theizens will forget all


    your past efforts and just m you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and what if there are poisonous bugs or snakes in this forest? What if you get bitten? Let¡¯s go


    back! Dr. Foster might be annoying but his medical skills are top¨Cnotch. We should let him take Joana


    back for treatment,¡± Parrish kept rambling on, brandishing a stick in his hand.


    ¡°Ha, found it, this is the one!¡± Astrid eximed excitedly as she darted over and dug up a grayish herb


    with her dagger. She turned to the trio, ¡°See this clearly? Start looking for this, the more the better!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Parrish was more than willing to help Astrid out.


    Astrid took out a small spray bottle from her bag and sprayed everyone with it. ¡°This will keep the


    poisonous bugs and snakes away, but still, be careful and don¡¯t stray too far from me.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Clyde didn¡¯t know what had gotten into him, but he found himselfpelled to obey Astrid


    whenever she spoke.


    It was as if she was the leader and he and Parrish were her sidekicks.


    Elio had been quiet the whole time, but he was efficient. Before long, he had gathered arge pile of


    the herbs Astrid had specified.


    By then, Astrid had found several other herbs.


    It was sweltering hot, and sweat was pouring down Astrid¡¯s face, but she didn¡¯t stop for a moment.


    Theizens felt a mix of emotions upon seeing her so serious.


    In thement section, they wondered, ¡°Do you think Astrid is really a doctor?¡±


    ¡°Stop kidding around. She¡¯s so young, there¡¯s no way she could know everything. It takes years to


    master such aplex subject!¡±


    ¡°I get it. The production team must have been bribed to y along with Astrid¡¯s act. Joana is just a


    guinea pig.¡±


    ¡°Can you guys be less pessimistic?¡±


    ¡°That so¨Ccalled Dr. Foster also said he isn¡¯t sure he can save her, but if he takes Joana away, will she


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    be saved?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I believe in Astrid. She wouldn¡¯t have agreed to save Joana if she didn¡¯t think she could.¡±


    The majority of Astrid¡¯s fans chose to believe in her, but most of the other viewers and fans criticized


    her.


    If Astrid hadn¡¯t told Chad and the others not to pay attention to thements before she left, they


    might have already used their hacking skills to shut off the live streaming.


    While theizens could see what Astrid was doing through the live stream, Dr. Foster couldn¡¯t, which


    made him even more distrustful of her.


    Astrid hadn¡¯t returned after two hours, so he started making sarcastic remarks. ¡°Mr. Maddox, it¡¯s been


    so long and she still hasn¡¯te back. Do you think she ran away because she knew she couldn¡¯t do


    it?¡±

 Chapter 386

    Chapter 386


    ¡°No way¡± Maddox nced at Dr. Foster and added, ¡°Doctor Foster, if Astrid really can save Joana, cut


    the snarkyments, will you?


    ¡°Snarky? You¡¯re using me of being snarky? Dr. Foster, being the expert he was, wasn¡¯t used to


    having someone challenge him this directly He got a bit heated, ¡°Mr. Maddox, Astrid is a prettydy, is


    that why you trust her? Is that why you¡¯re defending her like this?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Dr. Foster¡¯s assistant Ramsey, immediately jumped to his defense, Mr. Maddox, Dr Foster is a world


    renowned expert His reputation isn¡¯t something a mere actress like Astrid can measure up to, right?¡±


    ¡°Listen here, Mr. Maddox, Joana¡¯s in a critical condition. If things go south, it¡¯s gonna be a hot mess for


    your crew, and Astrid won¡¯t be able to wriggle out of this one!¡±


    ¡°Heck, if she can really save someone, I¡¯ll eat this snake skin!¡±


    Odell, who had been silent this whole time, nced at the pile of snake skin on the ground. Hezily


    raised his eyes and said, ¡°Remember what you just said. No take backs¡®


    Ramsey sensing some deeper meaning in Odell¡¯s words, asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡®


    ¡°Heh¡± Odell chuckled coldly. ¡°Exactly what it sounds like.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re back, they¡¯re back! A staff member shouted. Everyone looked towards the cave entrance and


    saw Astrid and the others returning with a bunch of herbs.


    ¡°Mr Naylor, bring the water I filtered today to wash the herbs. Everyone, get to work, we need to work


    fast. As soon as Astrid finished speaking, even Odell immediately got up to help


    Somewhere along the line, Astrid had be the big boss of their team.


    Whenever she spoke, everyone would listen.


    Of course, Joana, who wasn¡¯t exactly gifted in the brains or social skills department, was an exception.


    Everyone worked together and quickly finished washing the herbs.


    Seeing Parrish about to throw a handful of herbs into the pot, Astrid quickly stopped him, ¡°There¡¯s a


    method to brewing medicine, you can¡¯t just toss them in. Let me do it


    Ramsey, who had never trusted her, scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re just pretending to look mysterious.


    Nobody responded to hisment, and he felt a bit awkward. He added, ¡°It¡¯s just brewing herbs, does


    it need to be soplicated? Even Dr. Foster doesn¡¯t know what poison Joana was hit with, how do


    you know? What if you use the wrong medicine and Joana dies, how will you take responsibility?¡±


    Astrid calmly continued to brew the medicine, not responding.


    The weather was hot, and being near the fire was even hotter.


    Watching her sweat continuously drop, Elio couldn¡¯t stand it. He stepped forward, wiped the sweat from


    her forehead with his sleeve, and whispered, ¡°Let me do it. You just need to tell me when to add the


    herbs¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not that delicate. Astrid said, continuing to brew the medicine.


    Someizens started toin, ¡°What¡¯s the timing for this romance? They¡¯re still flirting!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you guys read the room? Joana¡¯s in danger, and you two are here putting on this sickening show


    of affection. Shameless!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, all of you! Mr. Lampard is just caring for his wife, what¡¯s wrong with that? If your own love


    lives are a mess, go cry somewhere else! Don¡¯t take it out on Astrid for no reason! She has every right


    to enjoy a happy love life!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a live streamer myself, if Astrid manages to save Joana, I¡¯ll eat my phone live to celebrate.


    Everyone¡¯s wee to watch!¡±


    While everyone was heatedly discussing, onement caught everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°Wait, this woman


    seems to be my master¡¯s master¡¯s master?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Theizen, ¡°Aster!!!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! I don¡¯t believe it! I don¡¯t believe it! How could Astrid possibly be the legendary, highly


    skilled Aster??¡±


    Astrid, who was focused on brewing the medicine, suddenly sneezed.


    She had a bad feeling about today.

 Chapter 387

    Chapter 387


    Every pair of eyes in the cave was glued onto Astrid, who was brewing up some medication, and the


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Astrid is Aster?¡®


    Im a bit lost, who¡¯s Aster?¡±


    ¡°It just hit me! There were news reports about him, Aster is a big shot in the medical world. They say he


    mastered medicine when he was young, a rare genius in the field! There were even photos of top dogs


    in medicine bowing to Aster, but somehow those news disappeared!


    ¡°Media always love to hype things up! Are there really that many geniuses?¡±


    ¡°Moreover, just because Astrid¡¯s nickname Astar is simr, you guys are guessing she¡¯s Aster? That¡¯s a


    bit far¨Cfetched


    ¡°I don¡¯t buy that Astrid is Aster, cause I remember a well¨Cknown blogger in the medical world saying


    Aster is a man in his thirties! No way it¡¯s a woman!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the guy who just spoke up? Why isn¡¯t he saying anything?¡±


    ¡°He must be feeling guilty for lying and doesn¡¯t dare to speak anymore!¡±


    The person who made thatment was a medical student named Hollis. Previously, a rtive of his


    was diagnosed with a terminal illness and it was Aster who saved them.


    Although Astrid was fully armed, her face hidden, his mentor had shown him a photo of Aster, and he


    was positive it was her.


    His mentor had also told him to keep this secret, but seeing the screen full of scolding, he got carried


    away and blurted it out! After all, Aster was his role model and what he strived for!


    He only posted twoments, was about to continue, but found hisputer screen remotely locked,


    unable to operate.


    ¡°What the hell? Did I catch a virus from watching too many trashy videos?¡± Hollis had no choice but to


    force shutdown, but the same frozen screen was there when he restarted, unable toment. Just as


    he was about to take out his phone to call for help, an unknown number called. After picking up, he


    heard a loud shout from the other end, ¡°Hollis, did you get kicked in the head by a donkey?¡± Hollis was


    perplexed, ¡°Huh? Who are you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important!¡± The voice roared, nearly scaring the phone out of Hollis¡¯s hand.


    Hollis was shocked, ¡°What???¡±


    The person calling him shouted, ¡°Who the hell I am is none of your business! What are you doing


    bbing the truth online? Why did you expose Aster¡¯s real identity!¡± Chief?


    Hollis immediately realized, this person was one of Astrid¡¯s crew!


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Hollis was sweating profusely, ¡®I saw them all bashing Astrid, she¡¯s my idol. I couldn¡¯t take it


    anymore, I just wanted to get everyone to stop, so ¡®blurted it out!¡±


    The person said, ¡°Are you an idiot? She¡¯s a celebrity now, but you exposed her real identity, do you


    know how many people wille looking for her for treatment? She¡¯s hiding her identity because she


    wants to focus on acting, now that people know who she is, anytime someonees looking for her for


    treatment and she refuses, she¡¯ll get criticized! You¡¯re not helping her, you¡¯re just making her face more


    criticism!


    Before her identity was revealed, she had the freedom to choose whether to help patients, and very


    few people could find her. But once her identity is revealed, many people will focus on her. If she


    refuses to save people, she might get criticized as cold¨Cblooded. If her medical fees are too high, she


    might get used of being greedy. Either way, she¡¯s gonna face all sorts of criticism! I¡¯m really pissed


    off, I wanna punch you, do you know how much trouble this will cause her?¡±


    Hollis hadn¡¯t given much thought to this issue before, but hearing this perspective, he immediately


    realized the gravity of the situation.


    Once Aster¡¯s identity is revealed, Astrid¡¯s acting career might just end cause there are so many people


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    worldwide wanting to see Aster for treatment, she won¡¯t have any time for acting!

 Chapter 388

    Chapter 388


    ¡°Sorry, my bad, what can I do to stop it?¡± Hollis didn¡¯t see iting that his casual words wouldnd


    Astrid in such a mess.


    Chad sighed, ¡°Exin it as I told you, you gotta fix this mess or I¡¯ll make you pay through the nose!¡°.


    Hollis replied, ¡°Got it.¡±


    After half a day of heated debate online, Hollis got hisputer back on track and started to post as


    Chad had instructed, ¡®Did I ever straight up say Astrid is Aster? You guys have weird imagination! I was


    talking about the guy standing next to Mr. Maddox, he looks like Aster!¡±


    Netizens were left confused over hisment.


    Thinking back, he seemed to have only mentioned seeing someone who looked like Aster, but did he


    specifically point out who it was in the camera shot?


    Then out of the blue, a viewer popped up insisting that there¡¯s no way Astrid could be Aster!


    Some believed Hollis, but there were still some skeptics.


    Seeing that thements had cooled down a lot, Hollis breathed a sigh of relief and added, ¡®As a med


    student, I can confirm that though Astrid is definitely not Aster, I believe she must have some medical


    knowledge too. Those herbs she collected can indeed cure Joana.¡±


    ¡°Who the heck are you? You say it can cure and we should just buy it?¡±


    I think you¡¯re just trying to get attention!¡±


    ¡°Listen here, if anything happens to my precious Joana, I¡¯ll have Astrid¡¯s head as long as I¡¯m


    breathing!¡±


    1 knew it Astrid just wants to ride on Aster¡¯s fame!¡±


    Riding on Aster¡¯s fame?


    Chad couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, Aster is such a low¨Ckey person, what fame is there to ride on?


    Another of Astrid¡¯s men, Hank, walked in with a sandwich, noticing Chad¡¯s sigh he asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°We had a close call, some idiot almost blew the Chief¡¯s cover!¡± Chad grabbed Hank¡¯s sandwich, taking


    a big bite, ¡®Didn¡¯t I tell you to add tomatoes? A sandwich without them is not a real sandwich. ¡°Stop


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    being so picky. The task the Chief assigned is done, but the oue was a bit surprising.¡± Hank sat


    down next to theputer, whispering, ¡°The Lampard family is full of surprises, you wouldn¡¯t believe


    what some people are up to.¡±


    Chad didn¡¯t even look up, ¡°No matter what they¡¯re up to, we just need to protect the Chief and Roman.¡±


    ¡°True, speaking of Roman, I noticed something recently. A guy named Lucas Lampard has been


    picking up and dropping off Roman a lot, should we keep an eye on him?¡± Hank frowned, ¡°Although


    Lucas Lampard seems to have a good rtionship with Mr. Lampard, I can¡¯t recall him ever driving


    Roman to kindergarten before:


    ¡°Lucas Lampard?¡± Chad put down his sandwich, ¡®Alright, keep tabs on him. The Chief entrusted us with


    Roman, we can¡¯t let anything happen to the little guy.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Hank nodded and headed for the door, but turned back after a moment, ¡°By the way, did you


    turn off your phone? Your mom called me, she reminded you not to forget your blind date tomorrow.¡±


    Chad shouted, ¡°GET OUT!¡±


    Thinking about what Hank just said, Chad suddenly found his sandwich vorless.


    Meanwhile, on the ind, Astrid had finally finished preparing the medicine.


    She got up, and Parrish immediately came over to give her a massage.


    But Elio beat him to it.

 Chapter 389

    Chapter 389


    Just as Elio¡¯s hand was about to touch Astrid¡¯s shoulder, she immediately swatted it away, saying,


    ¡°Hands off.¡±


    Elio didn¡¯t get mad at this, but obediently stepped aside and didn¡¯t bother her anymore.


    ¡°Can I get some help here?¡± Astrid had barely finished her sentence when a female staff member from


    the crew came over and asked in a low voice, ¡°Ms. Irvine, what can I do for you?¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°Pry her mouth open, I¡¯m going to give her some meds.¡±


    Dr. Foster couldn¡¯t help but scoff, ¡°She¡¯s already passed out, and you still want to medicate her? You


    should be giving her an injection.¡±


    !


    Astrid replied, ¡°We all have our own treatments and logics. If you can¡¯t help, then keep your opinions to


    yourself.¡±


    Dr. Foster was livid at Astrid¡¯s words, his face flushed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just stand here and see how you¡¯re


    going to treat her!¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t pay her any more attention, helped Joana sit up, gave her the meds, then gave her a hard


    p on her back. Joana¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly and she actually swallowed the meds.


    ¡°Mr. Maddox, the rest of the treatment isn¡¯t suitable for live broadcast. Please turn off the cameras,¡±


    Astrid said, to which Ramsey immediately scoffed, ¡°Why turn off the live streaming? Is it because you


    don¡¯t want the viewers to see you embarrassing yourself?¡±


    Hearing Ramsey¡¯s sarcastic words, Astrid snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t cry when you have to eat the snake skin


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to stop the live streaming, that¡¯s fine, but I¡¯m nning to perform acupuncture on her.


    It¡¯s not suitable to be shown on camera. For Joana¡¯s reputation, it would be best to prepare a tent.¡±


    As soon as Astrid finished speaking, Maddox immediately ordered a tent to be set up.


    Astrid carefully moved Joana into the tent, then took her backpack in and started the treatment.


    People outside were anxiously waiting, and the online viewers were also very worried.


    look


    ¡°I feel like Astrid really does have some great medical skills, look at how calm she is!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it was her who poisoned Joana, then had the antidote so went to detoxify her, all while acting


    all mysterious! I really can¡¯t believe a in actress could have so many skills!¡±


    ¡°Just stop guessing, Astrid is a genius!¡±


    ¡°Whoever said Astrid poisoned her, are you out of your mind? Many viewers saw Joana drink water


    from the dark river and then show signs of poisoning. Astrid wasn¡¯t with her during that time!¡±


    ¡°I hope Astridpletely cuts off ties with Joana after this reality show ends, Joana and her fan base


    are really scary!¡±


    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s out!¡±


    ¡°Really? Is Joana okay?¡±


    Astrid wiped off her sweat and told everyone, ¡°Joana¡¯s fine now, but she needs rest. Director, you


    should take her away for some rest. She is weak and needs nutrition. She can¡¯t continue doing the


    show with us.¡±


    Hearing that Joana was out of danger, Maddox immediately thanked her, ¡°Thank you, Astrid. I¡¯ll take


    her back tond right now.¡±


    ¡°Joana¡¯s fine now? In such a short time? I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Ramsey yelled and went to check on Joana.


    The cameraman immediately followed and found that Joana¡¯s previously purplish face had returned to


    normal. Even though she looked a bit pale, her breathing was steady.


    Dr. Foster also hurriedly brought over her equipment to check Joana, and found that all her vitals were


    back to normal!


    Comments section, ¡°Oh my god, is she really cured?¡±


    ¡°Ah, this must be scripted, right? Now I¡¯m starting to suspect that Astrid poisoned her and then detoxed


    her. Otherwise, I can¡¯t believe someone could cure a poisoned person so quickly without any medical


    equipment!¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

 Chapter 390

    Chapter 390


    Thements: ¡°Joana¡¯s fans are just too much, like a bunch of idiots! Astrid saved your beloved idol,


    and you guys still question her?¡± ¡°Oh, where¡¯s that guy who just said he¡¯d livestream eating his phone?


    I¡¯m heading to your live stream right now. Start munching!¡± ¡°Astrid is the best!¡±


    ¡°Whether or not Astrid is Aster, her medical skills are freaking top¨Cnotch. Astrid¡¯s techniques are super


    professional!¡±


    ¡°Those doubters, zip it! Astrid is the ultimate badass!¡±


    ¡°Astrid can do magic, medicine, shopting, street dance, then why would she want to act? Just because


    acting makes more money?¡±


    ¡°I wanna see that idiot chow down some snakeskin!¡±


    ¡°Eat snakeskin! Eat snakeskin! Make him eat snakeskin!¡±


    11


    §á


    Seeing Ramsey and Dr. Foster standing there, pale¨Cfaced, Odell coldly said, ¡°A bet¡¯s a bet, Ramsey.


    Start eating those snakeskins.¡±


    ¡°No way, I¡¯m not eating those. There¡¯s blood on the snakeskin. It could have parasites!¡± Ramsey was


    visibly scared and wouldn¡¯t eat it. ¡°Astrid, why¡¯d you hide your medical skills?¡±


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, ¡°I didn¡¯t hide anything, okay? And when did¨Cl¨Cever say I didn¡¯t have medical


    skills?¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    She never did say that.


    Ramsey chuckled, ¡°I was just joking earlier. Can¡¯t we drop it, considering Dr. Foster was worried too?¡±


    ¡°Joking?¡± Astrid scoffed, ¡°Didn¡¯t sound like a joke to me.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Foster? He¡¯s never respected me. Why should I care about him? Start eating. I¡¯m not letting you


    leave until you finish!¡±


    Ramsey didn¡¯t expect Astrid to be so tough, and became flustered, ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable!¡±


    Dr. Foster felt awkward, ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t be so harsh.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Astrid sat down on a rock, crossing her legs, ¡°Like I¡¯m scared of you guys. Don¡¯t evere in


    front of me spewing such nonsense in the future.¡±


    Ramsey was fuming, ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t cross the line!¡±


    ¡°Do you know who my mentor is? He¡¯s the world¨Crenowned Dr. Keen Banfield! He won¡¯t let you off for


    insulting me like this!¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Astrid thought he¡¯d mention some big shot, but lost interest when she heard it was Keen, ¡°Ask Keen if


    he dares to do anything to me.¡±


    ¡°Fine! Fine! You dare insult my mentor!¡± Ramsey took out his phone to call Keen.


    But Keen had already called!


    ¡°Astrid, you¡¯re screwed. My mentor must be watching the livestream. He¡¯s calling to scold you!¡±


    Ramsey excitedly answered the call, ¡°Keen!¡±


    Keen said, ¡°Put me on speaker! Quick!¡±


    Ramsey said, ¡°Astrid, my mentor wants me to put him on speaker. He¡¯s surely going to publicly argue


    with you. This is going to be embarrassing for you!¡±


    The show¡¯s crew quickly ced a microphone under the phone, and Keen¡¯s voice came through,


    ¡°Ramsey, you dumbass, stop calling me your mentor! I¡¯m so unlucky to have such a stupid student!¡±


    Everyone was left speechless again.


    This sudden turn of events left Ramsey puzzled, ¡°Mentor¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me your mentor. You dare insult my goddess, get out! Get out of my goddess¡¯s sight now!¡±


    Keen yelled at Ramsey, then lowered his voice to plead with Astrid, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sorry, did this idiot


    upset you? I¡¯ll make him leave right away. Please don¡¯t be mad at me!¡±


    The livestream viewers were totally confused.


    What was happening?


    This is tooplicated!


    Who¡¯s this Keen?


    A crazy fan of Astrid?


    Elio¡¯s face darkened even more.


    Roman Lampard, watching from his screen, pped in approval, ¡°Great, Elio has anotherpetitor!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Matt, I¡¯m puzzled. Is Roman really Elio¡¯s son? Why does he always side with others?¡± Amanda


    said, somewhat helplessly.


    Matthew scoffed, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand, Roman feels sorry for the hardships his mom went


    through, so he enjoys seeing his dad get bullied. The more his dad suffers, the morepetitors he


    has, the happier Roman is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually quite happy too.¡±


    Amanda didn¡¯t know how to respond.

 Chapter 391

    Chapter 391


    ¡°But don¡¯t sweat it too much, Roman¡¯s just all talk, no action. If there were any real contenders trying to


    snatch Astrid away, he¡¯d definitely team up with his dad to fend them off.¡±


    After Matthew finished, he immediately sighed and added, ¡°Look at Astrid, she¡¯s so exceptional. I


    thought she was already at the peak, but she always manages to pull out even more surprising skills.


    And then there¡¯s Elio, the kid¡¯s good at making money, but that¡¯s it!¡±


    On hearing this, Roman agreed instantly, ¡°Grandpa, Ipletely see where you¡¯reing from. Oh,


    and Lucas keeps picking me up from kindergarten these days.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you friends with Lucas? Don¡¯t you like it when he picks you up?¡± Matthew pinched Roman¡¯s


    cheek lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t bully Lucas, alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not bullying him, but he¡¯s been acting weirdtely. He keeps saying that if anyone elsees to


    pick me up, I shouldn¡¯t go with them: Roman pouted,ining in a small voice, ¡°He seems kind of


    upset, he¡¯s not as jolly as before.¡±


    Hearing this, Matthew paused, turning to look at Roman with narrowed eyes, ¡°Has anyone elsee


    to pick you up from school?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Roman thought for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Yeah, the teacher told me that an elder from the


    Lampard family came to pick me up, but I remembered Lucas¡¯s words, so I didn¡¯t go.¡±


    Hearing this, a wave of panic washed over Amanda, making her stiffen involuntarily Matthew¡¯s hand


    also trembled slightly, but he quickly put on a gentle smile, ¡°Roman, it¡¯s been coldtely, and I know


    you don¡¯t want to go to school. How about call your teacher and you can take a few days off?¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s awesome! I can stay at home with mom every day!¡± Roman cheered, pping his


    hands on the sofa, while the two elders were deep in thought. Some people couldn¡¯t stand watching


    Elio and Astrid getting closer.


    The two elders shifted their gaze to the TV, but they couldn¡¯t focus anymore.


    At this moment,izens were criticizing Ramsey for not keeping his promises.


    Ramsey lost, so he need to eat the snake skin.


    But he refused to ept his loss, and even started cursing, ¡°What a crap show! Making a medical


    expert eat snake skin?¡±


    By now, Ramsey was in shambles. His family had pulled many strings and shelled out a lot of money to


    make him Keen¡¯s apprentice, but to his surprise, Keen told him to get lost in front of everyone because


    of this Astrid!


    It was so humiliating!


    He didn¡¯t know how to exin this to his family!


    Ramsey turned to Elio, ¡°Mr. Lampard, you¡¯d better see clearly. This woman has climbed up many rich


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    men, otherwise how could she have smoothly entered this industry


    ¡°inly put, she¡¯s nothing more than a loose woman. She might look nice on the outside, but who


    knows how dirty she is!¡±


    Before Ramsey could finish, Elio took arge step forward.


    He was about to punch Ramsey when Astrid grabbed his hand in time. The powder in her hand was


    scattered, falling directly onto Ramsey¡¯s face.


    The powder was extremely fine, almost invisible to the naked eye.


    Ramsey felt something was wrong, he hastily wiped his face, then pointed at Astrid and shouted, ¡°What


    did you do to me?¡±


    ¡°What did I do to you? I just stopped Elio from hitting you, don¡¯t get it twisted!¡± Astrid held onto Elio¡¯s


    arm, her face full of smiles.


    Elio turned to look at her, she just lifted an eyebrow at him, a yful smile in her eyes.


    1

 Chapter 392

    Chapter 392


    Watching on the screen, nothing seemed off. All everyone saw was Astrid lunging at Elio, grabbing his


    arm that was about to strike Ramsey.


    However, the poison powder in her palm had already been sprinkled on Ramsey in that split second.


    As a public figure, it wasn¡¯t a smart move to get physical with Ramsey in front of all the viewers.


    But she had plenty of tricks up her sleeve to make him suffer.


    In the cave, while everyone else had left, Astrid simply returned as if nothing had happened and


    continued munching on snake meat.


    Seeing Elio with a constant frown, Astrid nudged him lightly with her elbow, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Keeping a stem face, Elio replied, ¡°He insulted you, why didn¡¯t you let me hit him?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Astrid couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Getting physical with a jerk like that would just drag


    you down, wouldn¡¯t it? Trust me, karma¡¯s a bitch!¡±


    Elio remained glum, so Astrid motioned towards the snake meat in the pot with her eyes.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Seeing the pot, Elio¡¯s expression gradually softened, and he obediently began to eat,


    Ramsey and Dr. Foster¡¯s gang left in huff.


    About half an hourter, Ramsey started feeling ufortable in the woods.


    He was unbearably itchy all over and couldn¡¯t scratch himself.


    His skin was like rotting flesh, bing mush at the slightest touch


    Dr. Foster had never seen such symptoms before and quickly backed away, ¡°Ramsey, what on earth


    happened to you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Ramsey was in immense pain. It took him a while to regain his senses and he


    screamed, ¡°It¡¯s Astrid! It has to be Astrid!¡±


    Even though Dr. Foster was biased against Astrid, he didn¡¯t lose his sanity Hearing Ramsey¡¯s


    usation, he retorted, ¡°What are you bbering about? Astrid didn¡¯t evene near you! There are


    plenty of insects and poisonous nts here, you must¡¯ve been bitten by a bug or infected due to a


    scratch!¡±


    ¡°No, it was Astrid, it has to be Astrid!¡± Ramsey began to run back frantically, but fell down due to the


    unbearable pain.


    He distinctly remembered that waft of powder in the air at that time, it was definitely not ordinary dust, it


    had to be Astrid¡¯s doing!


    Ramsey tried to speak, but the flesh inside his mouth had begun to decay!


    He couldn¡¯t utter a word, blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth, and he locked horrific!


    The other members of the medical team, fearing Ramsey¡¯s disease might be contagious, didn¡¯t dare to


    approach him.


    The camera hanging from the tree captured everything Ramsey was going through. Netizens who saw


    this felt sorry for Astrid, ¡°Poor Astrid, she didn¡¯t even touch this trash, even generously didn¡¯t let him eat


    snake skin, but he gets bitten and mes it on Astrid!¡±


    ¡°Astrid is so unlucky!¡±


    ¡°But Dr. Foster is so useless. He couldn¡¯t cure Joana¡¯s poison, and he can¡¯t cure Ramsey¡¯s either. He¡¯s


    totally useless.¡±


    ¡°Ramsey being bitten is divine punishment! He insulted Astrid, well, karma is a bitch!


    ¡°Astrid was right, bad guys always get their just desserts. It¡¯s just that karma came faster than


    expected. It¡¯s truly satisfying!¡±


    Dr. Foster didn¡¯t dare to touch Ramsey, so he called the rest of the medical team, had them put on


    protective suits, and bring a stretcher to rescue Ramsey, while he himself hurriedly left.

 Chapter 393

    Chapter 393


    The live stream was still rolling, and Joana was taken to the production team¡¯s break area, slowly


    When she heard that the crew was nning to send her off to a hospital on drynd, she clung to


    Maddox¡¯s clothes. ¡°Mr. Maddox, I¡¯m fine, just need to catch my breath. I want to tough it out with


    everyone else. I don¡¯t want to give up.¡±


    ¡°No can do,¡± Maddox insisted. ¡°You¡¯re in no shape to continue the challenge. We¡¯re going to find a


    guest to fill your spot for the filming. You cane back after you¡¯ve recovered.¡± He had been keeping


    tabs on Joana¡¯s performance over the past few days.


    Joana¡¯s actions stirred up quite a buzz.


    But in reality TV, you need characters like her. Some people love watching Astrid¡¯s jack-of-all-trades


    act, others get a kick out of Joana¡¯s blunders. Without some drama and tension, the show would be a


    total failure.


    However, Joana¡¯s poisoning incident was a curveball no one sawing.


    If Astrid wasn¡¯t such a capable person when it came to medical stuff, they could¡¯ve been in hot water.


    Thinking about this, Maddox said, ¡°Joana, both Mr. Naylor and Astrid warned you about drinking the


    water from the underground river. Why did you do it anyway?¡± ¡°The water in the river looked cleaner


    than the collected rainwater. But I didn¡¯t realize¡­ Joana¡¯s voice trailed off, guilt-ridden. ¡°Mr. Maddox, I


    really don¡¯t want to quit. I think I¡¯m holding up okay. I¡¯ll be back on my feet after a good night¡¯s rest.¡±


    ¡°Director, Bernice is on the line!¡± Jack ran over with his phone, sounding amazed. The superstar


    herself! The legendary Bernice!¡±


    Maddox was taken aback but quickly picked up the call. ¡°Hello, Bernice¡±


    Bernice said, ¡°Mr. Maddox, I¡¯ve been following your show. I¡¯m a huge fan of this type of program. I saw


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    you guys ran into some trouble, and I happen to have some free time. I¡¯d love to join your show, if that¡¯s


    okay.¡±


    Maddox was surprised. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he quickly said, ¡°It would be an honor


    for me and the crew. When can youe? I¡¯ll pick you up myself!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Bernice chuckled, soundingpletely at ease. I¡¯lle myself, I should be there by


    tomorrow morning. Astrid and I go way back. l¡¯even made a cameo in her TV show once. I¡¯m sure this


    will be a delightful experience.¡±


    Maddox said, ¡°That¡¯s fantastic, thank you so much!¡±


    After hanging up, Maddox still felt like he was dreaming.


    A big name like Bernice joining the show was bound to stir up quite a buzz.


    ¡°Hello, yes, I¡¯m Mr. Maddox¡¯s assistant, I¡¯ll be liaising with you about Bernice joining the show¡­¡± Jack


    walked away on his phone, immediately drawing a crowd from


    the crew.


    ¡°Mr. Maddox, is it really THE Bernice who¡¯sing?¡±


    ¡°Is it for real?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a goddess! Mr. Maddox, this is huge for the show! I can¡¯t believe Bernice ising as a guest!¡±


    Everyone was excited about the news. Joana felt the pressure. She clenched her jaw and said, ¡°Mr.


    Maddox, I¡¯m really okay. I can stick it out till the end.¡±


    Maddox frowned. ¡°Your agent already called for us to take you to the hospital. And you¡¯re in pretty


    rough shape¡±


    ¡°Also, while you¡¯re resting, think about the importance of teamwork. You keep saying you get along with


    everyone and don¡¯t want to leave, but all I see is you doing things your own way, ignoring advice.¡±


    ¡°The risks you¡¯ve faced on the show are all because of your stubbornness. You¡¯re always stirring up


    trouble. This time you drank the water recklessly if Astrid hadn¡¯t saved you, would you even be here


    talking to me?¡±

 Chapter 394

    Chapter 394


    Joana woke up to the shocking news that she was getting shipped back tond. She thought it was the


    medical team from the show that saved her


    But when she heard it was Astrid who saved her, she was taken aback.


    She paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Mr. Maddox, are you joking? Astrid doesn¡¯t know anything


    about medical stuff, plus we¡¯re not exactly friends. Why would she save me?¡±


    ¡°There were tons of people watching, and everyone on TV saw it too. Astrid did save you! If you¡¯re not


    grateful, at least stop bad¨Cmouthing her. Enough said, let¡¯s get her out of here!¡± Maddox sighed. If he


    hadn¡¯t owed a big favor to a sponsor, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to let Joana participate in this season¡¯s


    filming.


    Joana insisted, ¡°Mr. Maddox, I¡¯m really okay, really¡­¡±


    Maddox said, ¡°Bernice will be here first thing in the morning to take over your filming. You just rest up.¡±


    With that, Joana was whisked away.


    She was crying and making a fuss, even taking it out on the medical staff.


    But none of that worked. She was sent onto the boat in the end.


    Back in the cave, Astrid and the others were happily eating the snake meat after handling everything.


    Parrish was staring at Astrid with his bowl, for quite a while.


    Until Elio sat down between them with his own bowl, Elio turned to Astrid, a hint of jealousy in his voice,


    ¡°Are you and that guy named Keen close?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Astrid nodded. We were medical school buddies.¡±


    ¡°Just buddies?¡± Elic asked again.


    Astrid said, ¡°Maybe a little more than that.¡±


    When she finished, Astrid clearly felt the temperature drop a bit.


    The viewers watching Elio¡¯s slightly jealous and unhappy expression wereughing their heads off.


    Comment: ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect Elio to be so cute when he¡¯s jealous!!! LOL!*


    ¡°But it¡¯s normal for Astrid to have admirers since she¡¯s so awesome!¡±


    ¡°Elio is definitely jealous of Keen! It¡¯s so obvious!¡±


    1


    ¡°I bet Elio¡¯s thinking: I¡¯m mad and only a kiss from my wife will make it better! If he said that out loud,


    Astrid would probably just coldly reply: keep being mad then.¡± ¡°Elio is so different when he¡¯s with Astrid!


    He¡¯s always ready to blow his top with others, but when he¡¯s with Astrid, his eyes are full of


    tendemess!¡±


    ¡°I just looked up that Keen guy, wow, he¡¯s a famous doctor! I suddenly suspect Astrid might be that


    legendary Aster.¡±


    ¡°Stop spreading rumors, didn¡¯t someone rify that they¡¯ve seen Aster and he¡¯s a man?¡±


    The guests on the show couldn¡¯t bring their phones, so Astrid and the rest had no idea what was


    happening outside.


    With snake meat, they wouldn¡¯t go hungry today.


    But they had used up all the filtered water to wash herbs and make medicine for Joana, so not having


    water to drink was a problem.


    It was easy to get dehydrated in the heat, so as soon as it got dark, the group went out to look for


    drinkable water.


    Parrish followed Astrid, whispering, ¡°Astrid, do you have any thoughts about who the show might invite


    as a special guest?¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter who they invite.¡± Astrid yawned, ¡°Things can¡¯t get any worse, right?¡±


    Hearing this, Parrish couldn¡¯t helpughing. Yeah, you probably couldn¡¯t find anyone as clueless as


    Joana in the entertainment industry anymore.


    After searching and still not finding a water source, Astrid told everyone, ¡°This forest isn¡¯t safe. We


    should cut down on moving around at night. Let¡¯s head back.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Everyone agreed with her, but on


    the way back, they heard a rustling sound.


    Clyde was startled, ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡±


    Odell said, ¡°I have a feeling it¡¯s a bunch of snakes moving towards us.¡±


    Astrid didn¡¯t say anything, just furrowed her brows. Then she felt a warmth on her hand, and the next


    second, her hand was being held.

 Chapter 395

    Chapter 395


    ¡°Nobody move,¡± Astrid said, taking out a spray can from her bag and started spraying some sort of


    solution around. The air was filled with a faint medicinal smell.


    In the dim light, Astrid saw snakesing at them from all directions.


    Parrish saw all kinds of snakes and was terrified, but he knew he couldn¡¯t scream out loud. Even


    though he was shaking with fear, he had to keep his mouth shut to avoid rming the snakes. This


    ind had been previously inspected by Naylor and Maddox. Although there were snakes, there


    weren¡¯t many, and they hadn¡¯t found any venomous ones.


    But this time, so many poisonous snakes suddenly appeared. It seemed like this was a human act.


    Maddox sat in the control room, his heart racing


    Netizens were also freaked out. ¡®Oh my God, why are there so many snakes all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Did Ramsey release these snakes on purpose for revenge?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t watch, I¡¯m so scared of snakes!¡±


    ¡°What now? Where are the people from the production team? It¡¯s time to step in and save them!¡±


    This is bad, really bad!¡±


    Astrid looked around at the snakes and whispered to everyone, ¡°The solution in my spray can is


    specially made. They won¡¯t dare toe close. But be careful where you step, don¡¯t step on any.


    ¡°What a pity¡­¡±


    What? Pity?


    Everyone looked at her, puzzled.


    Then they heard Astrid mumbling to herself, ¡°Such a pity these are all venomous snakes. Otherwise,


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    we could have a feast tomorrow. I know so many ways to cook snake meat¡­¡±


    Everyone looked at Astrid seriously discussing various ways to cook snake meat, feeling both helpless


    and amused. Was this really the time to be discussing this? They were surrounded by snakes!


    Parrish saw Astrid take out her sleeve arrows and felt a chill. ¡°Astrid, what are you nning to do this


    time?¡±


    ¡°What can I do? I¡¯ll catch a few snakes to y with, of course!¡± As she spoke, one of her arrows shot


    out, hitting a snake urately, pinning it to a tree trunk.


    The next second, Astrid took out another spray can and started spraying wildly. ¡°Let me see which


    snake is the most fun to y with!¡±


    A pungent smell spread instantly, and the snakes began to flee in all directions. In no time, except for


    the snake pinned to the tree, all the other snakes had scurried away.


    Theizens were stunned by Astrid¡¯s series of bold moves.


    ¡°Hahahahaha, were we overthinking? Astrid doesn¡¯t give a damn about these snakes!¡±


    ¡°Snake: Sorry for disturbing you! I was wrong, please spare me! I don¡¯t want to be pinned to death!¡°.


    ¡°Hahahahaha, oh my god, this woman is amazing!¡±


    While theizens wereughing out loud, viewers watching other routes noticed something odd. ¡®It


    seems like there are people nearby!¡±


    ¡°When did those sneaky guys get there?¡±


    ¡°Damn, I could see it just now, but then the camera angle was blocked,¡±


    ¡°It looks like someone got bitten by a snake!¡±


    Astrid and the others were just about to return when they heard noises behind them.


    At first, they only heard some noises, but then they heard a faint cry for help. ¡°Help! I¡¯ve been bitten by


    a poisonous snake!¡±

 Chapter 396

    Chapter 396


    ¡°Help! I¡¯m dying over here!¡±


    ¡°Astrid, please, we need you!¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    The voice was very faint due to the distance, so faint that the cameras hanging in the trees might not


    pick it up.


    No one said anything, but they all knew exactly what was going on.


    The show had rules, except for the guests and the film crew, no one was supposed to be on the ind


    unless it was an emergency.


    The appearance of these people and these snakes seemed eerily synchronized, making it easy to


    guess what was happening.


    Astrid had known there were people in the woods. She had other ways of escaping, but she


    deliberately used the sulfur to scare off the snakes, intending to let the ones who meant her harm get a


    taste of their own medicine.


    Saving them? No way in hell!


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡± Elio turned and started walking. He took the lead, and Clyde naturally fell to the back


    of the group.


    Everyone silently moved forward, no one even thinking of turning back.


    As if they hadn¡¯t heard themotion behind them.


    Comments: ¡°Why aren¡¯t Astrid and the others helping?!¡±


    ¡°They just keep moving forward, they probably didn¡¯t hear it, the distance is pretty far after all.¡±


    ¡°I was just looking at the night view of the ind and noticed that a lot of cameras along the way are


    broken. Looks like it¡¯s their doing!¡±


    ¡°Huh? They¡¯re not part of the crew?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, did they release those snakes?¡±


    ¡°Jeez, this is scary as hell! I¡¯m getting chills! Someone¡¯s actually trying to harm these celebrities?¡±


    Astrid and the others made their way back to the cave. Maddox and the others noticed the unusual


    reactions and questions from the viewers in thements, and immediately sent a fully¨Cequipped


    medical team to rescue those people.


    No matter who they were, they couldn¡¯t let them die on their show.


    Otherwise that would be the end of it!


    Those people couldn¡¯t admit that they brought the snakes to harm Astrid, so after being bitten they kept


    quiet, iming they didn¡¯t know there were people filming on the ind and that they were bitten by the


    snakes by ident.


    Due to the difficult terrain, the rescue was dyed and the snakebite victims were severely infected.


    Two of them lost the use of their legs, and another lost the use of a hand.


    Maddox wasn¡¯t going to take their word for it so easily. Although he epted their story on the surface,


    he immediately sent people to investigate behind the


    scenes.


    Before Maddox could uncover the truth, Chad had already found all the information about the culprits.


    Robb seemed to have some kind of sixth sense. Before Chad could arrange for revenge, Robb had


    already sent a message, ¡°Give me the name. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Chad sent the information to Robb.


    Five hourster, the headlines on all major news outlets and social media tforms changed to:


    ¡°Famous businessman Hackett Gil of the Gil Group exposed for leaking national secrets.¡±


    ¡°Gil Group¡¯s funds run dry, facing bankruptcy.¡±


    ¡°Gil Group under investigation for illegal transactions.¡±


    ¡°Heir to the Gil Group, Ramsey Gil, infected with a strange disease, critically ill.¡±


    The Gil Group had a strong base in the capital, which was why Ramsey had dared to be so arrogant in


    front of Astrid.


    But who could¡¯ve imagined, overnight, the Gil Group¡¯s scandals were exposed.


    The sudden copse of the Gil Group, the father and son duo were about to face criminal charges for


    their illegal activities.


    That night, the whole city was restless.


    But Astrid and the others, without their phones, slept like babies.


    Early next morning, the official tweet from the show announced that due to unforeseen circumstances,


    Joana would no longer be able to continue participating in -the ind adventure show. Bernice would


    be joining the show as a special guest.


    This tweet immediately caused a huge stir.

 Chapter 397

    Chapter 397


    Since Bernice is an icon of her time, many people see her retirement from the entertainment industry


    as a big loss.


    Not long ago, her cameo in a TV drama was already a surprise, but no one expected her to participate


    in such a wilderness survival reality show.


    Most of thements expressed anticipation for her participation, but some were worried about


    whether she could handle the challenges of such an adventure program.


    ¡°Bernice feels like a fairy who hase to experience life on earth, can she really join such a tough


    adventure?¡±


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t have food to eat, I¡¯ll feel bad.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s truly gorgeous, I saw a picture of her at the airport the other day, she really has the aura of a


    goddess.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so well preserved, if I could look that good when I get to her age, I¡¯d wake upughing in my


    dreams.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s worked with Astrid before, right? They should be quite familiar with each other, right?¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy Joana left, and now that Bernice is here, I can watch beautiful women again, two


    beauties, I can¡¯t wait!¡± ¡°This is great, when will Bernice arrive on the ind?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t anyone going to pick her up?¡±


    ¡°Look, Astrid and the others are still sleeping, they probably don¡¯t know Bernice is joining, do they?¡±


    §Ú


    The discussions online were heated, and the people in the cave were also waking up one after


    another¡­


    Naylor was the first to wake up. Since it had rainedst night, they put anything that could hold water


    outside to collect it.


    Seeing the umted rainwater outside, he carefully collected and filtered the water. Then, Mr.


    Maddox quietly reminded him, ¡°Naylor, because Joana can¡¯t continue with the adventure, we¡¯ve invited


    a new female guest.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Naylor continued to filter water with a nk expression. He wasn¡¯t interested in who the new


    guest was.


    This made the director feel a bit awkward. Just then, Astrid woke up. The director went over and told


    her, ¡°Astrid, do you want to know who the new guest is today?¡±


    ¡°Anyone will do.¡± Astrid stretched, ¡°Has the new guest arrived?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and you know her.¡± The director said.


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, ¡°I know her? Who is it?¡±


    Director said, ¡°Bernice.¡±


    Hearing this name, a flicker of surprise crossed Astrid¡¯s eyes.


    Seeing her silence, the director asked again, ¡°You¡¯ve worked with Bernice, are you happy she¡¯s here?¡±


    ¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Astrid smiled faintly, ¡°I¡¯m going to freshen up first.¡±


    Out of the camera¡¯s view, Astrid¡¯s eyes turned cold.


    Bernice has a high status in the entertainment industry. Maddox certainly doesn¡¯t have enough


    resources to invite her, so it must be Bernice who chose to join.


    Thinking of Bernice¡¯s past actions.


    Astrid felt annoyed. She wanted to take back what she said to Parrish yesterday.


    Bernice was more difficult to deal with than Joana.


    Joana¡¯s silliness was obvious.


    But Bernice¡¯s scheming was unfathomable.


    When she came back from freshening up, only Elio and Naylor were there. The others were gone. So


    she casually asked, ¡°Where did they go?¡±


    Naylor said, ¡°They heard Bernice wasing, so they went to pick her up. They¡¯re all fans of Bernice,


    aren¡¯t you going?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Astrid shook her head, ¡°I¡¯d better not, they should be back soon.¡±


    Even Odell, a top¨Ctier actor, was a die¨Chard fan of Bernice. This showed how much people loved


    Bernice.


    Seeing Astrid sitting on a rock outside the cave in a daze, Elio walked over and sat down next to her.


    Neither of them spoke, they just sat there enjoying the breeze.


    If it weren¡¯t for the incident on set, she would have been happy to run over as soon as she heard


    Bernice wasing.


    But now, a misunderstanding had arisen between them.


    She was not looking forward to Bernice¡¯s arrival, nor would she pretend to be happy to wee her.


    Netizenments: [Does Astrid have a problem with Ms. Bernice? She didn¡¯t even go to meet her!]

 Chapter 398

    Chapter 398


    [Bernice was a queen of the silver screen even before Astrid was born! And Astrid didn¡¯t even bother to


    wee her? How rude!] [Of course Astrid didn¡¯t want Bernice around, she¡¯s outshined by her


    poprity! As soon as Bernice arrived, all eyes were on her!]


    [Would you quit talking nonsense? Not greeting someone means they¡¯re unwee? Mr. Lampard and


    Naylor didn¡¯t greet her either, are you going to say they didn¡¯t wee her?]


    [Some people should quit guessing. Whether it¡¯s a wee or a cold shoulder, we¡¯ll see when they


    meet.]


    [Everyone, pay attention! Bernice is here and she looks stunning!]


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Everyone turned their cameras to the dock. Bernice arrived in casual attire, wearing white sneakers.


    Upon seeing Odell, she smiled, ¡°Odell, I really enjoy your performances!¡±


    ¡°Clyde, you¡¯re both handsome and talented!¡±


    ¡°Parrish, right? An Olympic champion, you have a bright future!¡±


    Bernice started off by giving everyone apliment, her soft voice and warm smile made her seem


    like a friendly girl¨Cnext¨Cdoor.


    Odell, being a die¨Chard fan of Bernice, was somewhat flustered by her praise, acting like a starstruck


    kid, ¡°Ms. Bernice, I really admire you, I¡¯m so lucky to meet you today!¡±


    Bernice chuckled, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so formal, just call me Bernice.¡±


    Looking around, she noticed that Astrid was absent, so she asked with a smile, ¡°Where¡¯s Astrid? Why


    didn¡¯t shee?¡±


    ¡°She was freshening up when we left, so we didn¡¯t wait for her.¡± Parrishughed, ¡°Ms. Bernice, let me


    carry your bag.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you very much.¡± Bernice¡¯s voice was gentle, her expression radiating a sense of


    vulnerability.


    Netizens: [Oh my god, she¡¯s still so gorgeous in her forties!]


    [And she¡¯s so gentle, it¡¯s like she¡¯s born with this gentleness.]


    [Her voice is so pleasant to listen to, it¡¯s like chalk and cheesepared to Astrid!]


    [I suddenly feel it¡¯s a pity for such a beauty to be adventuring in such a ce, she shouldn¡¯t have


    The group kept chatting as they walked. From a distance, Parrish spotted Astrid sitting on a rock and


    waved at her, ¡°Astrid, we¡¯ve brought Bernice back!¡±


    ¡°Good job!¡± Astrid smiled and hopped off the rock.


    Before she could say anything, Bernice had already walked over and hugged her, ¡°Astrid, you¡¯re


    amazing! I watch the live stream every day at home, my assistant says I¡¯m obsessed with you, I even


    skip meals!¡±


    ¡°Do you have any snake meat left? I¡¯m hungry after such a long walk.¡±


    Astrid gently pushed her away without a trace, ¡°Sure, I can heat it up for you if you want.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, howe I never noticed your talents before? You¡¯re so versatile.¡± Bernice continued to walk


    forward, warmly greeting Elio and Naylor, ¡°Hi guys, I¡¯m not very good at survival in the wild, so I might


    need your help.in theing days.¡±


    As she spoke, she bent down and started washing her hands in a basin.


    Everyone watched her wash her hands, speechless.


    Netizens were also taken aback, [Wow, the weather is clear for the next few days! She used the


    rainwater we spent so much effort collecting and filteringst night- to wash her hands?]

 Chapter 399

    Chapter 399


    [She probably didn¡¯t do it on purpose, she¡¯s always said she¡¯s got zero experience with this wilderness


    survival stuff.]


    [But she also mentioned that she¡¯s been following this live show all along, so she should know the


    importance of drinking water. After all, they¡¯ve been using this basin to filter water all along, if she really


    watched the show, she should know.]


    [I still think she did it on purpose.]


    [Oh, my, are we now even nitpicking at a goddess like Bernice? I swear she didn¡¯t do it on purpose.]


    On the screen, everyone¡¯s defending Bernice, who just finished washing her hands and finally noticed


    something was off.


    She looked at everyone staring at her and kept waving her hands in apology, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, it¡¯s a habit


    to wash my hands every time I get home. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Since Bernice said so, Naylor and the


    others didn¡¯t find it appropriate to say more, and simply said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Astrid, you should have reminded me.¡± Bernice nced at Astrid and shyly fixed her hair.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Astrid shrugged, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve been watching this show? I thought you knew that we use this


    basin to filter water. It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll find more water when it¡¯s gone.¡±


    ?


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Ms. Bernice, don¡¯t me yourself. We¡¯ll just look for more water.¡± Clyde chuckled and


    enthusiastically handed her some snake meat, ¡°Ms. Bernice, you must be hungry, right? Astrid¡¯s


    cooking skills are top¨Cnotch, the taste is absolutely first¨Css.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve known that she¡¯s a great cook for a while. Before¡­¡± Bernice nced at Astrid, smiled


    mysteriously, and then stopped talking.


    At that moment, Astrid understood Bernice¡¯s real intention foring here.


    She had previously made a bet with her father and brothers: if she didn¡¯t win the Best Actress award,


    she would have to go home and inherit the family business, and she could never enter the


    entertainment industry again.


    When she had made the bet, Bernice had known about it.


    Hawthorne Cliff had been scheming behind her back, hoping to force her to leave the entertainment


    industry and inherit the family business. Bernice had always spoiled Hawthorne, so she must have


    The bet clearly stated that she had to win the Best Actress award without revealing her identity.


    Bernice knew her bet, that this woman was like a bomb that could go off at any moment.


    ¡°Astrid, you look unhappy. Are you mad at me? You always seemed happy when I watched the live


    stream before, did I make you upset bying?¡± Bernice¡¯s words pulled Astrid out of her thoughts and


    also made the audience a bit disgruntled with Astrid through her question.


    Comments: [I noticed too, Astrid seems to dislike Ms. Bernice!]


    [She didn¡¯t even bother to greet her, she¡¯s a renowned senior in the acting industry, yet she¡¯s been


    showing her discontent and ignoring her, why?]


    [Are you blind? Astrid is not upset, she was just daydreaming. Stop making assumptions about others.


    Bernice is your goddess, but Astrid is our darling too!] [Indeed, they¡¯re all on the same show, should


    everyone around her cater to Bernice?]


    [Am I the only one who finds Bernice a bit weird?]


    [I think Astrid is a bit arrogant, getting a bit of attention has made her big¨Cheaded. Compared to


    Bernice, a legend in the film and TV industry, what is Astrid?]


    [Astrid¡¯s fans, let¡¯s be rational. Don¡¯t argue with those malicious fans, we can¡¯t let Astrid¡¯s public image


    be damaged!]

 Chapter 400

    Chapter 400


    Even though Bernice had been out of the entertainment industry for years, she still had a huge fan


    base.


    Many people thought that after Joana left, the show would lose its spark. But, much to their surprise,


    when Bernice arrived, the fans¡® discussion lit up instantly. Bernice¡¯s demeanor didn¡¯t seem to be


    targeting anyone, but every word she said subtly guided everyone¡¯s opinions.


    In the cave, Astrid nced at Bernice and gently smiled, ¡°Ms. Bernice, I¡¯m not upset. I was just spacing


    out. We often run low on food during our adventures, I hope you can hold on.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so formal with me, right? Astrid, I prefer you calling me auntie.¡± Bernice chuckled


    and lightly tugged Astrid¡¯s arm, appearing very friendly.


    Astrid nced at her and smirked, ¡°If I call you Auntie Bernice, wouldn¡¯t that make Parrish and Clyde¡¯s


    day? They treat you like a sister, but if I call you aunt, wouldn¡¯t that make them my uncles?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, what you say seems to make sense. If that¡¯s the case, things would get messy. Bernice, just


    let her call you like that.¡± Parrishughed out loud, ¡°Besides, I wouldn¡¯t mind being Astrid¡¯s uncle, but I


    dare not be Elio¡¯s uncle!¡±


    Hearing this, Elio said coldly, ¡°You are very sensible.¡± Clyde chimed in, ¡°We¡¯ve been together for quite


    some time, we know our boundaries, I wouldn¡¯t dare to be your uncle either.¡±


    Bernice didn¡¯t expect Elio to get along so well with Clyde. Since everyone agreed, she justughed and


    said, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    clyde


    Not knowing if it was her illusion, but she felt that Astrid was looking at her differently this time.


    She had indeed gone too farst time, but she had already apologized to Astrid.


    She didn¡¯t expect her to still hold a grudge.


    ¡°Astrid, I know you¡¯re very professional when ites to adventuring, could you teach me more?¡±


    Bernice held onto Astrid¡¯s arm, smiling sweetly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a burden, could you tell me what I


    should be aware of?¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°If it¡¯s about being professional, Mr. Naylor is the expert. I only know some basic stuff.¡±


    Before Astrid could finish, Naylor suddenly cut in, ¡°Don¡¯t touch what you shouldn¡¯t, don¡¯t eat what you


    shouldn¡¯t, there¡¯s not much else to be aware of.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Bernice smiled at Naylor, but he remained expressionless.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Feeling a bit bored, she decided to take a walk with Astrid, ¡°Astrid, let¡¯s go for a walk. The scenery is


    beautiful and the air is so fresh.¡±


    Astrid nced at her, whispering, ¡°Eat something first, then we¡¯ll all set off together.¡±


    Netizens: [Why do I feel the atmosphere has gotten weird since Bernice arrived? Even with Joana


    around, it wasn¡¯t this eerie.]


    [I feel like Naylor is hostile towards Bernice too! Our goddess smiled at him, but he stayed


    expressionless. That¡¯s pretty embarrassing!]


    [Wow, someone¡¯s criticizing Naylor? I thought his cold demeanor was something everyone was used


    to:]


    [Bernice just arrived and is not quite familiar with everyone yet. It¡¯s normal for the atmosphere to be a


    bit awkward, let¡¯s not specte too much.]


    Soon, the snake soup began to boil.


    Bernice couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°This smells incredible, Astrid, you¡¯re amazing. I¡¯ll definitely have a


    lotter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± Astrid smiled, picking up her bowl to eat.


    Elio naturally walked over, took her bowl, and served her some soup, ¡°It¡¯s hot. Wait a bit before you


    eat.¡±

 Chapter 401

    Chapter 401


    At first,izens were blown away by Elio¡¯s thoughtfulness, but now they¡¯re used to it.


    But when Bernice saw this, she felt it was unfair for Hawthorne.


    After all, Hawthorne was head over heels for Astrid, he was even willing to give up everything for her.


    Yet, Astrid was not only indifferent to him, but she also openly unted her love with Elio on the show.


    Thank heavens Hawthorne didn¡¯t watch the live broadcast abroad, otherwise, he would¡¯ve been so


    mad he could spit blood.


    Thinking of her pitiful nephew, Hawthorne gave Elio a slight smile, ¡°Mr. Lampard, why would you give


    up yourpany to participate in this reality show? Besides, it seems that Astrid doesn¡¯t ept your


    feelings. What¡¯s the point of persisting like this?¡±


    Elio¡¯s gaze immediately turned cold, ¡°None of your business.¡±


    Bernice was left speechless by his response.


    She shut her mouth.


    Her expression was one of profound disappointment.


    In the past, Elio had some respect for Bernice, but after he found out that Bernice wanted to ruin his


    rtionship with Astrid, all he felt for this woman was disgust.


    Fans were heartbroken seeing Bernice¡¯s sad face and even started attacking Elio: [Elio is so rude!]


    [Is Mr. Lampard rude? Is Bernice polite then? What¡¯s it to her if Mr. Lampard participates in the reality


    show! I bet she¡¯s just trying to stop Mr. Lampard from pursuing Astrid!]


    [I also think Bernice is here to stop Mr. Lampard from pursuing Astrid.]


    [Are you guys crazy?! Bernice always avoids conflicts with others, she wouldn¡¯t intervene in other


    people¡¯s rtionships!]


    [I¡¯ll bet a bag of chips, this woman is definitely not simple!]


    Bernice said she wanted to eat more meat before the meal, but when it came to eating, she didn¡¯t eat


    any snake meat at all. She just had some soup, ate some wild vegetables and then left.


    Parrish thought Bernice really liked snake meat and had specially prepared some for her. Now seeing


    the uneaten snake meat, he felt it was a total waste.


    After dinner, the group went out to find food.


    The daytime temperature was quite high, and everyone felt thirsty after walking for a short while. But


    without clean drinking water, they could only endure.


    The tropical rainforest may seem abundant in resources, but finding food was no less difficult than in


    the snowy mountains.


    In the snowy mountains, you can hunt rabbits and pheasants, but there is not much food in the


    rainforest. If they couldn¡¯t find food, they might go hungry today.


    You definitely can¡¯t run around in this forest at night.


    ¡°Look, bananas!¡± Astrid shouted excitedly, then quickly ran ahead.


    Following her gaze, everyone saw several bunches of bananas hanging on the trees.


    Bananas aremon fruits in tropical rainforests and are ripe year¨Cround. Although these bananas


    were not fully ripe, they could already be eaten.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick the bananas!¡± Parrish, with his impressive jumping ability, quickly picked a lot of bananas.


    Parrish and Clyde didn¡¯t start eating right away after getting the bananas. They looked at Astrid and


    Naylor, then asked quietly, ¡°Can we eat these directly?¡±


    Seeing their somewhat confused expressions, Astrid couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Yes, you can eat them


    directly.¡±


    After saying that, Astrid also peeled a banana and took a bite. It tasted sweet and sour and the texture


    was pretty good.


    This trip out was finally not in vain.


    ¡°Although bananas are tasty, they can¡¯t fill you up, and the more you eat, the thirstier you get. It would


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    be nice if we had water.¡± Parrishined a bit, but seeing Bernice¡¯s changing expression, he


    quickly exined, ¡°Ms. Bernice, I didn¡¯t mean to me you, I¡¯m just habituallyining.¡±

 Chapter 402

    Chapter 402


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault we don¡¯t have any water, Bernice muttered, and Odell immediately rushed tofort her.


    ¡°No, none of us me you.¡±


    Bernice said, ¡°But Astrid¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t drag Astrid into this unnecessarily, she never med you,¡± Elio chimed in.


    Feeling the icy atmosphereing from Elio, Bernice fell silent.


    Astrid nced at her, then looked away. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, you can head back the way we came. I¡¯ve


    marked the trees along the path. Mr. Naylor, Elio, and I will go find some food.¡±


    Bernice, having grown up infort and never experiencing hardship, was indeed struggling. The heat


    was unbearable and she was considering turning back. The cave was boring, but at least it was cool.


    Seeing Astrid leaving, Parrish said to Clyde, ¡°Clyde, you and Odell escort Ms. Bernice back. I¡¯ll protect


    Astrid.¡±


    ¡°Wait, she doesn¡¯t need your protection! You just want to hang out with her!¡± Clyde grumbled, but he


    didn¡¯t follow. He was worried about Odell and Bernice encountering danger on their own.


    On the way back, Bernice noticed Clyde¡¯s low spirits and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t Naylor the leader of your group?


    Why does it seem like you all follow Astrid¡¯s orders?¡±


    Clyde was taken aback by the question.


    Before he could respond, Bernice admitted she had lied about watching their live stream. If she had


    watched it, she would have known why they all listened to Astrid.


    But he didn¡¯t call Bernice out on her lie. Instead, he replied, ¡°Astrid knows a lot of useful stuff. She


    caught a shark when we first arrived on the ind, then a snake. If it weren¡¯t for her, we wouldn¡¯t have


    any meat to eat. It¡¯s only natural we listen to her.¡±


    Catch a shark? A snake?


    Bernice was surprised when she heard about the shark and the snake, but she quickly masked her


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    surprise. ¡°I¡¯ve always known she¡¯s capable. But do you think she¡¯s a good match for Mr. Lampard?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Clyde was bewildered by her question and frowned a little. ¡°Whatever is happening between


    Astrid and Mr. Lampard is their private business. It¡¯s better for us outsiders not to pry.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but if Mr. Lampard knew about Astrid¡¯s past¡­¡± Bernice trailed off, then gave an awkwardugh.


    ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s head back.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say all she should supposed to say.


    But her words left room for imagination among theizens.


    Comment: [What does Bernice mean by that? Did Astrid have any dark secret?]


    [What? Did Astrid have a rtionship with a rich guy in the past that Mr Lampard doesn¡¯t know about?]


    [Astrid has always had great resources ever since she debuted, it¡¯s almost like she¡¯s cheating. And it¡¯s


    strange, that Dale, a top manager in the country,¡± would abandon his previous clients to manage a


    neer like her!]


    [Bernice has a widework in the industry, she must know something!]


    [Bernice only worked with Astrid once, and she was only a guest role. Everyone has their secrets, but


    she¡¯s spreading vague rumors. It¡¯s too much. If you have something to say, just spill it!]


    [Why is Astrid always the target of bad press?¡°]


    It was getting dark.


    Clyde sat on a rock in the cave, staring at the front, and his stomach was growling.


    ¡°Clyde! Come help!¡± Parrish¡¯s voice echoed from the forest, and Clyde immediately jumped off the rock


    and ran towards him.


    Seeing everyone carrying loads of stuff, Clyde couldn¡¯t hide his joy. ¡°Although there¡¯s no meat, at least


    we won¡¯t starve.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to make do tonight.¡± Astrid handed over the items to Clyde, then rubbed her sore arm. ¡°I


    found some rainwater in a rock pit and collected it. It¡¯s not much, but if we ration it, it should be enough


    for tonight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Astrid!¡± Clyde said, grinning as he carried the food off. Astrid, exhausted, sat down on


    a rock by the cave entrance to rest.


    After a few minutes, she noticed someone sit down beside her. It was Bernice.


    Bernice looked at the sky and asked nonchntly, ¡°Astrid, have you made up your mind?¡±


    The viewers didn¡¯t understand what Bernice meant.


    But Astrid did. She knew Bernice was referring to the situation with Elio.


    Astrid nced at Bernice, then turned back to the night sky. ¡°Auntie Bernice, you should mind your own


    business.¡±


    Bernice was taken aback.


    She didn¡¯t expect Astrid to answer like that. She turned to look at Astrid¡¯s beautiful profile and burst out


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll end up walking the same path as her.¡±

 Chapter 403

    Chapter 403


    Bernice¡¯s words hadyers of meaning, how could Astrid not get it?


    She picked up two pebbles and began to fiddle with them, as if she didn¡¯t hear what Bernice said.


    The night was very quiet.


    Bernice knew that Astrid always disliked when people brought up her mother, so she didn¡¯t expect


    Astrid to be so cool about it.


    Astrid was so calm that it was getting confusing.


    After a while, Astrid slowly said, ¡°I do look a lot like my mom, she was gentle and kind. My mom was


    too trusting and got tricked by some two¨Cfaced people.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m different, I¡¯m cunning and not easily fooled. If someone messes with me once, I¡¯ll get back at


    them a hundred times!¡±


    ¡°If anyone I care about gets hurt, I won¡¯t let the culprit,off, no matter who they are.¡±


    In the darkness, Astrid¡¯s voice was chillingly cold.


    Bernice felt a coldness emanating from Astrid and was at a loss for words.


    Even though Astrid didn¡¯t say it outright, she knew the message behind her words.


    Astrid was warning her.


    ¡°Star, you¡­ Bernice wanted to say something, but Astrid had already stood up.


    Bernice looked up at Astrid, who stretchedzily, smiled, and said casually, ¡°I¡¯ll go make dinner.¡±


    Watching Astrid cheerfully enter the cave, Bernice stared at the cave entrance, it took her a long time


    to snap back to reality.


    The past should have ended with that woman¡¯s death, but what Astrid said had her worried.


    Was her mom tricked by a two¨Cfaced person?


    Was Astrid implying that she was the two¨Cfaced person?


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ms. Bernice, it¡¯s windy outside. Come in.¡± Parrish called from inside. Bernice nodded and walked in.


    Astrid and the others wereughing heartily. Even the usually aloof Naylor seemed to have softened a


    bit.


    Bernice sat th¨¨re, unable to join in, feeling a bit awkward.


    After dinner, Astrid and Clyde gathered to y poker.


    Elio sat next to her as her adviser.


    Seeing Bernice alone and bored, Odell said, ¡°Ms. Bernice,e and y with us. It¡¯s boring to be


    alone.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks, you guys y. I¡¯m used to going to bed early.¡± Saying this, Bernice took out a small


    nket from her bag, spread it out next to her, and used her bag as a pillow to sleep.


    Everyone heard her and left her alone.


    It was nothing really.


    But to the inte, it looked like a big deal.


    It looked as if Bernice was being isted.


    Comments: [I feel like Astrid is purposefully isting Bernice!]


    [Definitely, Bernice stole Astrid¡¯s thunder as soon as she arrived. Astrid must be upset, Bernice is too


    gentle and kind, she¡¯s no match for Astrid!]


    [Seeing Bernice¡¯s back, I can¡¯t help but feel bad.]


    [I really can¡¯t understand Bernice¡¯s fans. Bernice chose not to y and go to sleep, how did this


    be Astrid isting her?]


    [Would it kill you to go a day without saying something mean about Astar?]


    [I just got some inside scoop, Astrid has a fiance!]


    It was now past ten o¡¯clock at night, a lot of people were watching the live stream. This piece of news


    was like a bomb,pletely wiping out everyone¡¯s sleepiness.


    Comments: [Stop talking nonsense, are we just making up rumors now?]


    [Don¡¯t try to manipte the conversation, Astrid said she was single!]

 Chapter 404

    Chapter 404


    [Fianc¨¦? Woah, that¡¯s some shocking news!]


    [So, is this the thing Bernice didn¡¯t finish talking about before?]


    [Some people are talking as if they¡¯ve heard it all under the bed¡®]


    I have a friend in the entertainment industry who told me personally that Astrid has a fianc¨¦, and he¡¯s a


    hot mixed¨Crace hunk. Now that Astrid is famous, she wants to back out!)


    [Is that true? She¡¯s going back on her word because of her fame? That¡¯s too bad!]


    [There¡¯s no fianc¨¦ for Astar, stop spreading rumors. Anything not officially announced can¡¯t be trusted!]


    [She ims to be single while having a fianc¨¦, and openly epting Mr. Lampard¡¯s pursuit. This


    woman is too much!]


    Thements were chaotic, and Astrid, who was busy ying poker, kept sneezing, feeling very


    ufortable. She rubbed her nose and passed the cards to Elio, ¡°Help me out, I need a drink.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Elio took the cards curiously. As Astrid got up, she saw a faint light at Bernice¡¯s ce.


    It was a light she was all too familiar with, the light from a phone screen.


    So Bernice was still hiding her phone.


    Astrid didn¡¯t want to meddle, but just as she was about to walk away, she heard Parrish shouting, ¡°Ms.


    Bernice, this is dishonest! How could you sneak a phone in?¡±


    Parrish¡¯s voice was loud and clear, startling Bernice rigid.


    ¡°Ms. Bernice, guests are not allowed to bring phones, hand it over now.¡± Parrish added, and all eyes


    turned to Bernice.


    Bernice had to awkwardly smile and hand over her phone, ¡°Parrish, you have good eyes. I didn¡¯t


    expect you to find out so quickly.¡±


    Although Bernice said this with a smile, she had already cursed Parrish a thousand times in her heart.


    Theizens were surprised that Bernice still had a phone, but thements on her hiding the phone


    were mixed.


    Comments: [What¡¯s wrong with her hiding a phone? It¡¯s not a big deal, she handed it over, didn¡¯t she?]


    [I think an artist of Bernice¡¯s status should be allowed some privileges, like keeping a phone! Parrish is


    making a mountain out of a molehill!]


    [If you¡¯re on the show, you should follow the rules, she shouldn¡¯t be the exception!]


    [What happened to the guy who said Astrid had a fianc¨¦? Why isn¡¯t he talking?]


    [Yeah, I noticed that too, that person isn¡¯t saying anything!].


    [Probably got scolded for spreading rumors and left.]


    [Everything happens for a reason, I still think what that person said might be true.]


    Seeing thements, Chad immediately tracked down the person¡¯s information.


    In less than five minutes, Chad hadpletely cracked the ount.


    ¡°Who is it? Did you find out?¡± Hank leaned over and saw a name: Bernice.


    Hank said, ¡°Wow? Bernice? So she was sneaking a phone to spread rumors about the Chief? Why


    would she do that? I thought she was on good terms with the Chief?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?¡± Chad was genuinely puzzled. If it were anyone else,


    he would have dealt with them.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    But Bernice, they couldn¡¯t just do anything to her.


    Because she¡¯s not just anyone.


    ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s find Robb. The Cliff family and the Brooke family are close, let him decide what to


    do.¡± Chad said, picking up his phone to call Robb.


    Before he could dial, Hank stopped him, ¡°Wait, look at this trending topic!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± Chad clicked to look, and was immediately so angry he almost passed out.

 Chapter 405

    Chapter 405


    A user named ¡°Peace&Love¡± tweeted, ¡°You all praise Bernice as a representative of the era, saying


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    she avoids conflicts and doesn¡¯t quarrel with people in society. You say her life is easygoing! That¡¯s just


    her hypocritical side. She brought a phone to a show, fine, but she also spread rumors that Astrid has a


    fianc¨¦? How could Astrid possibly have a fianc¨¦. Astrid is as pure as theye, she hasn¡¯t even held a


    man¡¯s hand!¡±


    The tweet appeared to be an usation against Bernice, but it was actually an usation against Astr


    but now that it¡¯s suddenly exposed, everyone¡¯s attention is drawn to it.


    Nobody took thements seriously at first,


    This blogger appeared to be defending Astrid, but it was actually a malicious attack! No one could


    confirm that the person who made thement was Bernice, and even if the ount info was


    released, people would suspect it¡¯s forged.


    After all, Bernice was seen as nothing but good in the public¡¯s eye, no one wanted to believe she would


    do such a thing!


    ¡°Who the hell is this?!¡± Chad was so mad he had a headache, ¡°Find who¡¯s behind this ount now, I


    swear I¡¯ll get my revenge today!¡±


    In a few hours, the news made it to the trending list.


    Chad controlled a big chunk of public opinion, but there¡¯s a part that¡¯s not under his control, so he


    couldn¡¯tpletely control the narrative.


    At this point, Chad started missing Elio.


    If Elio hadn¡¯t gone to the show, he would¡¯ve handled this situation much easier.


    Things got out of hand, and some people started criticizing Astrid after seeing the tweet. Astrid¡¯s good


    reputation from the show started to crumble.


    Upon realizing the situation, Dale immediately issued a statement.


    But theizens didn¡¯t ept it and criticized Astrid even more.


    [Astrid is trying to elevate her status by defaming her seniors!]


    [She said Bernice is ndering her? That Bernice is makingments to smear her? Who¡¯s gonna


    believe that? Would someone like Bernice stoop to that level?]/


    [Astrid¡¯s fans are as disgusting as she is!]


    [The manager messed up this time too, huh? Regret signing Astrid now?]


    [Once Astrid¡¯s image copses, all the movies and TV shows that haven¡¯t aired yet will be affected. I


    feel sorry for the actors working with her!]


    [Don¡¯t let that person mislead you! They¡¯re clearly attacking maliciously. They¡¯re not Astrid¡¯s fans!]


    [We respect Bernice too, that person is clearly just trying to stir up trouble. Can¡¯t you all see that?]


    [That person must¡¯ve taken advantage of Elio not being able to use his phone on the show, that¡¯s why


    they¡¯re so brazen.]


    Robb was watching the live stream, looking very upset.


    This was the first time Dale had seen Robb look like that. Not a few minutester, the phone calls from


    Jon Brooke and others started pouring in.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna call Maddox and tell him to inform Astrid about this news. She needs to handle this herself, I


    believe she wants to handle this herself too.¡± After Dale said this, Robb nodded.


    Just as Dale was about to step out, Robb¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°Do you know why our whole


    family decided to sign that agreement with Star?¡± ¡°What?¡± Dale was puzzled, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because none of


    you wanted to inherit the family wealth, so you decided to leave it to her?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Robb shook his head, ¡°Our real concern was that we were afraid something like this would


    happen.¡±

 Chapter 406

    Chapter 406


    ¡°Even though we, the Brooke family, have some pull, we can¡¯t control the power of public opinion. We


    didn¡¯t want her to get hurt, that¡¯s why we had her sign that bet agreement. We hoped she¡¯d choose to


    step away from the entertainment industry on her own.¡±


    ¡°But I had no idea she was so determined. She has zero intention of leaving the entertainment


    industry.¡±


    ¡°Over the past 18 years, she¡¯s gone through too much suffering. All we wanted was for her to have a


    happy life, but some things are ultimately out of our control¡®


    ¡°We¡¯re torn, really. On one hand, we hope she¡¯d lose the bet ande back home. On the other, we


    hate seeing her suffer when she can¡¯t chase her dreams¡±


    It was rare for Robb to say so much. Dale, listening next to him, was taken aback.


    He had noticed a long time ago that the Brooke men weren¡¯t indifferent to Astrid Irvine.


    While they say they hope Astrid would lose the bet soon, whenever she¡¯s in a pickle, they¡¯re always


    ready to lend a hand.


    ¡°Astrid will understand your dilemma. We all know how messy the showbiz is, but don¡¯t underestimate


    her. Your sister isn¡¯t ordinary person. Give her some time, she¡¯ll shine like a star.¡±


    ¡°Besides, don¡¯t you know your own sister? Who can hurt her without getting a scratch themselves?


    Anyone who messes with her will have hell to pay.¡±


    With that said, Dale picked up his phone to call Maddox.


    On the ind.


    Maddox, neck¨Cdeep in the escting public opinion, picked up Dale¡¯s call immediately.


    He asked anxiously, ¡°Dale, what do we do? We can¡¯t suppress the public opinion anymore.¡±


    Dale: ¡°Actually, it¡¯s simple. Just tell her what¡¯s happening online and let her handle it. This way, the


    issue gets resolved, and your show will be the talk of the town.¡±


    ¡°Let her handle it? On live broadcast?¡± Maddox almost reached his breaking point, ¡°Are you joking?


    You know Astrid doesn¡¯t y by the book, What if she makes a mess we can¡¯t clean up?¡±


    Dale: ¡°While Astrid can be unpredictable at times, she knows what to do and when. If this isn¡¯t handled,


    your show¡¯s reputation will suffer.¡±


    ¡°Many have started to rate your show poorly. Once the ratings are refreshed tomorrow, they¡¯ll hit an all¨C


    time low.¡±


    Trust me on this. Agree to whatever she asks. Any additional costs won¡¯t have to be borne by your


    show.¡±


    Maddox said, ¡°If our show doesn¡¯t have to bear the responsibility, then who will?¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Hearing this, Dale nced at Robb, ¡°Someone will always bear it. But if you don¡¯t handle this, and


    someone gets angry, your show¡¯s biggest investor might pull out. And then, you won¡¯t be able to


    continue filming the next phase.¡±


    ¡°Alright, got it.¡± Maddox hung up, and headed towards where Astrid and the rest were resting.


    Everyone in the cave was sound asleep. Hearing themotion, Astrid sat up abruptly.


    Seeing Maddox and the cameramen at the cave entrance, Astrid rubbed her eyes, ¡°Director, what¡¯s


    going on? Do we have a special mission?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s something urgent I need to tell you.¡± Maddox walked in, and Elio and others started to


    wake up.


    Bernice, seeing this, had a bad feeling.


    ¡°Astrid, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. Take a look at the current hot topic.¡± Maddox handed his phone to Astrid.


    Astrid nced at it and sneered, then extended her hand towards Maddox.


    Maddox was confused, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°The staff just took Bernice¡¯s phone. I bet she¡¯s the one behind thosements belittling


    me. Just check her phone and we¡¯ll know.¡±


    Hearing this, Bernice was on edge,


    Previously, Parrish was watching her closely, and she didn¡¯t have time to delete the records before


    handing in her phone!


    If the posts from this ount were seen, she¡¯d done for!

 Chapter 407

    Chapter 407


    Mainly, she didn¡¯t expect it to go this far, nor did she expect Astrid demand to check her phone!


    ¡°Astrid, what are you talking about? How could I possibly spread rumors about you? I¡¯ve always wanted


    you to shine.¡± Bernice walked over with a smile, her face wless. ¡°Mr. Maddox, you know how it is.


    There are always those who like to spread rumors and always want to stir up public sentiment online¡±


    Bernice was very experienced, and of course she couldn¡¯t get Astrid to actually look at her phone. She


    continued, ¡°Let¡¯s just drop it. We¡¯ve both cleared things up here, those rumor mongers should back off


    now¡±


    Astrid¡¯s psychoanalytic skills were strong, and she could tell that Bernice was upset.


    Instead of pulling away this time, Astrid leaned into Bernice, ¡°Auntie Bernice, they¡¯re saying you¡¯re


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    spreading rumors about me online. I just want to check your phone to prove your innocence, so they¡¯ll


    stop their attacks.¡±


    Hearing this, Bernice seemed somewhat flustered, ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, Astrid I really don¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    Astrid was suddenly so chummy, calling her Auntie Bernice. Something was definitely gone wrong.


    ¡°No way, we¡¯re so close. I can¡¯t let people use you like this!¡± Astrid furrowed her brows, urgency in


    her voice. ¡°You¡¯re a role model to so many. We can¡¯t let those nastyments online tarnish your


    image!


    Bernice was momentarily lost for words at Astrid¡¯s statement. She was making perfect sense and


    Bernice couldn¡¯t refute it!


    Theizens were just as confused.


    Ever since Bernice joined the show, Astrid had been pretty cold to her. This sudden shift in attitude had


    everyone scratching their heads.


    Comments: [If Bernice has nothing to hide why won¡¯t she let us see her phone?] [Exactly, checking her


    phone would clear everything up. Why all this drama?] [Did we misunderstand Astrid? Maybe she¡¯s


    actually looking out for Bernice.] [Astrid is fair, she¡¯s not afraid of confrontation, but some people might


    not be.] [What is Bernice hesitating for? It couldn¡¯t really be her, could it?]


    [There¡¯s no way it¡¯s Bernice, someone with her ss wouldn¡¯t stoop so low!]


    Even though it waste at night, many people were still up.


    Thement section was buzzing.


    Bernice had never taken the crew seriously, so she had no idea who took her phone. She didn¡¯t even


    have a target to signal to now.


    ¡°Sir, do you have the phone? Hand it over.¡± Astrid reached out to Maddox.


    Bernice felt her heart leap into her throat. Why did she personally post thosements?


    Because she thought no one would believe she would do it!


    Given her social standing, no one would believe she was capable of such actions. Doing it herself was


    the safest bet.


    But who knew, Astrid had to be different! The first thing she wanted to do was check the phone!


    ¡°Mr. Maddox, I don¡¯t need to prove my innocence. I don¡¯t need to resort to this.¡± Bernice kept her cool,


    but she was so nervous that her nails were practically digging into the phone. ¡°Mr. Maddox, I joined this


    show to experience life. I don¡¯t want to get involved in anything else.¡±


    ¡°Put simply, the content on my phone is my personal business. I have the right to keep it private.¡±


    This put Maddox in a tough spot. After all, Dale made it clear that if he didn¡¯t cooperate with Astrid, the


    investors might pull out, which would affect the entire crew.

 Chapter 408

    Chapter 408


    He really didn¡¯t dare to cross Bernice.,


    More than two decades ago, many influential peopleunched a passionate pursuit of her, just to win


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    her favor. Even now, the influential figures backing Bernice were not to be underestimated.


    Dale sat in front of the TV and watched Maddox skip his phone for a while, jumping up in anger,


    ¡°Maddox, you shameless bastard, why hesitate? Can¡¯t you see that this Bernice is a cunning, deceitful


    creature?¡±


    Robb, chilling on the couch, coffee in hand, and a very calm expression on his face, ¡°Bernice¡¯s


    background was not simple. Over two decades ago, guys were falling over themselves to impress her.


    One even gifted her an ind. Another crossed half the world to gift her a luxury car worth tens of


    millions.¡± ¡°Even though she¡¯s been out of the entertainment industry for years, there¡¯s still hardly


    anyone in showbiz who¡¯d dare to cross her.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is she that formidable?¡± Dale squinted at Bernice¡¯s face on the TV screen, the more he


    looked, the more annoyed he got, ¡°Are these people blind or just in stupid? She¡¯s clearly a cunning


    one, yet they treat her like a harmless bunny?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anyone in showbiz who can put her in her ce?¡±


    Robb replied, ¡°there is.¡±


    Dale started and rolled over the sofa to Robb¡¯s side, his face full of gossip. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Her.¡± Robb nced at the TV screen.


    Dale was a tad suspicious, ¡°She does look tough, and she¡¯s got a lot of hats, but Bernice has deep


    roots in showbiz. Won¡¯t be easy to deal with.¡± ¡°Silly.¡± Robb gave Dale a condescending tap on the


    head, To deal with Bernice, one identity is enough.¡±


    One identity?


    Dale mulled over this, but couldn¡¯t make sense of it. Just then, Bernice on the TV suddenly spoke up, ¡°I


    agree, I agree to have my phone checked!¡± This sudden turn of events left Dale taken aback, ¡°Didn¡¯t


    she just say no? How did she agree in a blink of an eye?¡±


    Dale was stunned for a moment, then sprang up with a start, ¡°Hypnosis!¡±


    ¡°My God, how could I forget about that!¡±


    Under the gaze of countless viewers, Astrid had subtly hypnotized Bernice.


    Maddox was also slightly taken aback, but since Bernice had agreed, he didn¡¯t have much to say.


    He took out his phone, handed it to Bernice, ¡°Bernice, please unlock it.¡±


    The first time he asked, Bernice didn¡¯t react.


    Maddox raised his voice, ¡°Bernice, please unlock your phone.¡±


    Bernice, as if waking from a dream, looked at Maddox handing her the phone, confused, ¡°What are you


    doing? Didn¡¯t I say I won¡¯t have my phone checked?¡±


    Everyone on set was confused.


    Comments: [Did Bernice have a split personality?]


    [She just agreed to it, no one forced her! Why did she change her mind in just a few seconds?]


    [This woman is weird!]


    [Something must be wrong!]


    Maddox, phone in hand, looked puzzled, ¡°Ms. Bernice, you just clearly agreed to have your phone


    checked. Everyone here heard it, as did the viewers watching the live stream.¡±


    Bernice was dumbstruck because she knew Maddox wouldn¡¯t lie to her.


    But she never said that!


    What on earth was going on?


    Bernice bit her lip slightly, scheming in her heart, ¡°I haven¡¯t been sleeping well recently, my mind¡¯s a bit


    muddled, you can check if you want.¡± With that, she reached out to input the password, but deliberately


    put in the wrong one when logging into her ount, ¡°I remember this being the password, I haven¡¯t


    logged into this ount for ages, I¡¯ve forgotten the password.¡±

 Chapter 409

    Chapter 409


    Hearing this, Astrid immediately understood Bernice¡¯s true intentions.


    She was nning to lock herself out of her ount by pretending to forget her password and entering


    the wrong one a few times!


    ¡°Bernice, you can just log in with a verification code sent to your phone. Just click here.¡± As soon as


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Astrid finished her sentence, Bernice stiffened up.


    The hand holding her phone began to tremble!


    Seeing this, Astrid kindly sent her a verification code.


    Bernice went silent.


    She felt hopeless.


    She was at her wit¡¯s end with no way out.


    She clicked on log in.


    Before Bernice could even open the chat history, Astrid touched her screen, and¡­ all thosements


    were fully disyed for the world to see!


    The inte was immediately in an uproar.


    [Oh my god, is this for real?]


    [Holy cow!! My admiration for her is shattered! What did Astar ever do to deserve this from Bernice?]


    [She¡¯s so disgusting, always pretending to be friends with Astar but actually badmouthing him?]


    [I feel so sorry for Astar.]


    [Hold on, something¡¯s fishy! Bernice has no reason to do this!]


    [Why would she risk her reputation when there are so many willing to do this for her? And on a live


    show? Do you think that makes sense?]


    Just then, Bernice suddenly blurted out, ¡°My ount has been hacked! Someone must be trying to


    create tension between Astrid and me. They hacked my ount to stir up trouble. Why on earth would


    I make thesements? I¡¯ve barely even begun to express how much I admire Astrid. People who


    know me are aware that I rarely even log into Twitter. I mostly just y mobile games to kill time.


    Besides, do you really think I would be stupid enough to badmouth Astrid while sitting right next to


    her?¡±


    After hearing her exnation, the inte users suddenly thought she made sense.


    After all, ount hacking was not an umon urrence in the entertainment industry.


    And someone like Bernice wouldn¡¯t stoop so low.


    Comments:[I believe in Bernice no matter what.]


    [Those who badmouth Astar are too much!]


    [Nowadays, celebrities im their ounts have been hacked whenever they like orment on


    something inappropriate. While it¡¯s true for some, but for others, who knows?]


    [Hacker: I¡¯m not taking the fall for her!]


    [If I recall correctly, as soon as Bernice¡¯s phone was taken away, the negativements about Astar


    stopped. Think about it.]


    Bernice was crafty. Her words convinced some people.


    However, others began to have doubts. She didn¡¯t seem as innocent as she appeared.


    Bernice thought she had the situation under control and rxed slightly.


    Just a few secondster, Astrid said, ¡°Director, do we have a high¨Cperformanceputer?¡±


    Maddox asked, ¡°What do you need it for?¡±


    Astrid continued, ¡°Do we have one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do. If you need to use it, we can go to the control room.¡± After Maddox¡¯s response, Astrid


    nodded in approval.


    She took a couple of steps forward, then turned back to grab Bernice, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Bernice felt a pang of unease, ¡°It¡¯s too far, I¡¯m already tired today.¡±

 Chapter 410

    Chapter 410


    ¡°Bernice, you gottae with us this time. I¡¯m getting theputer for you,¡± Astrid winked, dragging


    Bernice along with her.


    Clyde and the rest wanted in on the action, so they followed suit.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Elio knew what Astrid was up to the moment she mentioned getting aputer.


    Bernice wasn¡¯t anywhere near Astrid¡¯s league, even if she practiced for decades more.


    The group arrived at the control room, Astrid swiftly took a seat in front of theputer, her fingers


    dancing across the keyboard.


    Soon, streams of code began to appear on the screen.


    Viewers were taken aback, ¡°God! Is this some sort of hacker stuff from the movies?¡±


    ¡°Wait, is Astar a hacker?¡±


    ¡°I have no clue what¡¯s going on, but it looks damn impressive!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it up for Astar!¡±


    ¡°Mind¨Cblowing! I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing this in real life, not a movie!¡±


    ¡°New skill unlocked, is there anything Astar can¡¯t do?¡±


    ¡°Guys, check out Bernice¡¯s face.¡±


    With thesements, everyone in the live stream started paying attention to Bernice.


    They noticed Bernice¡¯s face was pale, her fists tightly clenched, she looked nervous.-


    It was a tricky situation.


    Parrish, impressed by what he saw on the screen, couldn¡¯t help but express his admiration, ¡°Astrid, is


    there anything you can¡¯t do? Need any help? Think I could be your assistant?¡±


    Clyde said, ¡°Astrid, do you need any students? I can doundry, cook, make coffee!¡±


    Clyde¡¯s fans burst intoughter at his eager expression, [Please restrain yourself!]


    [We know you¡¯re into hackers, but don¡¯t forget you¡¯re an idol! Watch your image!]


    [Clyde, don¡¯t be like this. Being Astar¡¯s student isn¡¯t a piece of cake!]


    [Astar has high standards for her students, Parrish isn¡¯t even officially her student yet.]


    [I¡¯m a girl and I¡¯m swooning over Astar¡¯s cool aura. I¡¯m going crazy, I love tech geeks! Sorry, Clyde, I¡¯m


    switching my favorite, I love Astar!]


    Just then, Bernice started to chuckle, ¡°Astrid, what are you up to?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Astrid turned around with a smirk, ¡°I know a thing or two about hacking. I thought about it, and I


    can¡¯t stand the person who stole the ount. So, I¡¯m going to find them!¡±


    Everyone went silent.


    Bernice said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit much? It might cause you a lot of trouble.¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°No trouble at all. We can¡¯t let this person off the hook.¡±


    Parrish said, ¡°Exactly, we need to deal with such disgraceful, sneaky, and deceitful characters! Let me


    give them a piece of my mind!¡±


    Elio said, ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Clyde said, ¡°Sign me up for this righteous revenge mission!¡±


    Naylor said, ¡°I could use a good workout, sounds like the perfect target.¡±


    Odell said, ¡°I know punching someone might ruin my image, but this lowlife barely qualifies as human.


    My fans won¡¯t me me, right?¡±


    Viewers: [No me! Take us with you!]


    [I agree]


    [Me too.]


    [I wanna join.]


    Just then, Astrid lightly pressed the enter key.


    The screen disyed thest login location of the ount named Bernice.


    Parrish craned his neck, ¡°Is this troll on our ind?¡±


    ¡°Is this person really that close to us?¡±


    Astrid zoomed in on the location, again and again.


    Seeing the pinpointed location on the screen, Bernice began to tremble.


    Clyde said, ¡°This person really is near us, is it a staff member?¡±


    Elio replied, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s close. It¡¯s our cave.¡±


    There was only one truth.


    The viewers gazed at Bernice¡¯s pale face and were left in shock.

 Chapter 411

    Chapter 411


    Comments: [Sure enough, it¡¯s the location of that cave. This proves that Bernice posted those


    [Really? I find it hard to believe though!]


    [Good Lord, why would she do such a thing? Was she enchanted?]


    [Come on! Just look at her face, it¡¯s obvious she posted it herself. Can her fans stop defending her


    now?]


    [But why would she do it? She has no conflict with Astrid, then what¡¯s the point?]


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    [My worldview has just copsed. Is it really her?]


    [Why?]


    Netizens were all venting their anger.


    But no one could understand why Bernice did it.


    And Bernice, standing there biting her lip and hanging her head, remained silent.


    She thought she had diffused the crisis, but never expected Astrid to be a hacker whiz!


    She easily traced the log¨Cin location of the ount.


    At this point, any further denial would be futile.


    Clyde and the others felt awkward. They had just been threatening the person behind the ount,


    without realizing it was Bernice.


    Odell was a loyal fan of Bernice. But now, faced with the truth, he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    He just felt disappointed, very disappointed.


    Everyone was staring at Bernice, but she remained silent.


    The room was eerily quiet.


    The atmosphere was incredibly tense.


    After a long while, a faint cry echoed in the room.


    Maddox turned his head and saw Bernice¡¯s shoulders slightly shaking.


    A few secondster, she slowly lifted her head, her eyes red and puffy. She looked very wronged and


    was crying bitterly, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. I posted thatment. I just wanted to interact with theizens. I did


    say that Astrid has a fianc¨¦, but I was telling the truth. I had no intention of smearing her. I was just


    having a normal discussion with theizens. After all, if she has a fianc¨¦ and still openly epts Mr.


    Lampard¡¯s pursuit, it¡¯s not right.¡±


    Discussion?


    She called it a discussion?


    Astrid had underestimated Bernice¡¯s shamelessness. But with her crying, some of her diehard fans


    started to feel sorry for her and expressed their forgiveness, [It¡¯s not a big deal. She only posted a few


    [Yeah, she just wanted to interact with theizens. Plus, she didn¡¯t post that smear tweet about


    Astrid.]


    [Oh my God. I can¡¯t believe some people are defending her to this extent. You guys were bashing Astar


    like crazy before, but now that Bernice is crying, you¡¯re not mad anymore? She clearly started this


    whole mess!]


    [The key point is: she has a fianc¨¦ but still openly epts Mr. Lampard¡¯s pursuit? So Astrid really has a


    fianc¨¦?]


    [Her attitude is ambiguous. If she really has a fianc¨¦, she could just say his name. She¡¯s being so


    evasive, who knows if she made up a fianc¨¦?]


    [I think Mr. Lampard isn¡¯t stupid. He would know about Astar¡¯s situation, right?]


    [Bernice¡¯s true colors are revealed. Fans, stop defending her. It¡¯s really embarrassing.]

 Chapter 412

    Chapter 412


    Bernice over there was sobbing her heart out, looking as if she¡¯d been dealt a raw deal.


    Astrid¡¯s face was expressionless, but her heart was full of sneers. She got up from her chair and slowly


    approached Bernice, ¡°Auntie Bernice, I didn¡¯t see Iting that you¡¯d stab me in the back like this!


    You¡¯ve been in showbiz for years, not a rookie, you do realize how much that would affect me, don¡¯t


    you? But you, you yed the victim first. Shouldn¡¯t I be the real one feeling screwed over? The fake


    fianc¨¦ you made up could ruin my career, yet I haven¡¯t shed a tear, and here you are crying your eyes


    out. Do you think a good cry can fix everything?¡±


    Bernice was taken aback that Astrid called her out in front of everyone, she was speechless for a


    moment, ¡°Astrid, we can talk this out in private. There are so many people watching live, we¡¯ll be the


    ¡°Laughingstock? Weren¡¯t you trying to make a joke out of me when you posted thatment?¡± Astrid


    smirked, ¡°I¡¯m gonna settle this once and for all right here, so no one can use this against me in the


    future. Since you im I have a fianc¨¦, spit out his name now and call him on the spot. Let him rify


    our rtionship in front of the audience.¡±


    As Astrid finished, Bernice¡¯s heart suddenly raced.


    Ever since thest incident, Hawthorne Cliff had shut himself off and hadn¡¯t shown his face for a while.


    Whether she could get through to him was one thing, what he would say was another.


    ¡°Er¡­¡± Hawthorne bit her lip, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t admit it for the sake of your career, even if we get through,


    what would that prove? Besides, he¡¯s overseas, the call might not even go through.¡±


    Bernice¡¯s evasion only made the audience more suspicious.


    Comments: [What¡¯s Bernice doing? Just try making the call.]


    [The overseas live streaming is currently off, if the guy she¡¯s talking about is overseas, he wouldn¡¯t be


    watching the live and wouldn¡¯t know what¡¯s happening on the show, so making a call now would


    definitely uncover the truth!]


    [I¡¯m on team Astar, she must be innocent,It¡¯s Bernice who¡¯s beating around the bush, something¡¯s


    fishy.]


    [What¡¯s the deal between Bernice and this so¨Ccalled fianc¨¦? She¡¯s targeting Astar for him, all to make


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Mr. Lampard back off so Astar might end up with him. So sneaky!]


    Anyone who¡¯s in good terms with a scheming woman like Bernice can¡¯t be a good person. Astar


    wouldn¡¯t fall for it.]


    [I just can¡¯t understand, is Bernice exposing herself? She started all those negativements to frame


    Astrid, but who knew it¡¯d backfire on her?] [Why aren¡¯t any of Bernice¡¯s fans defending her? Your sweet


    and gentle goddess has shown her true colors!]


    [She¡¯s such a liar!]


    The two were at a standstill for a while, with Bernice refusing to make the call.


    Seeing this, Elio said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re afraid to make the call, because this so¨Ccalled fianc¨¦ is just


    something you made up to smear Astrid, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bernice said, ¡°I didn¡¯t make anything up, Hawthorne


    was originally Astrid¡¯s fianc¨¦!¡±

 Chapter 413

    Chapter 413


    The moment Bernice mentioned Hawthorne unintentionally, she realized that she had fallen into Elio''s


    trap.


    Maddox understood that this situation couldn''t continue, so he said, "Ms. Bernice, your performance


    tonight has indeed been confusing. To prove that you''re not lying and to clear Astrid''s name, we must


    make this phone call."


    Astrid said, "The international live broadcasting line for our show was closed yesterday, so there''s no


    way he could know what''s happening right now. We can have someone from the production team call


    him, pretending to be a stranger and asking him. That way, we can get the most genuine answer."


    Upon hearing this, Parrish immediately apuded, appreciating the idea, "Great! This method is


    excellent. Let me handle it. Give me the number, and I''ll make the call."


    All eyes were fixed on Bernice because she had identally mentioned Hawthorne''s name. If she


    didn''t provide the number now or gave a random one, it wouldn''t make sense.


    Bernice hesitated for a moment but eventually handed over her phone. Deep inside, she prayed that


    Hawthorne wouldn''t answer the call.


    Maddox found Hawthorne''s number in the contacts, and Parrish borrowed a phone from one of the staff


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    members. He then dialed the number. He deliberately cleared his throat.


    The phone was on speaker mode, and at the moment the other side''s phone started ringing, Bernice''s


    heart leaped. She clenched her fist nervously, praying deep inside.


    Seconds ticked by, and Hawthorne didn''t answer the call. Bernice let out a sigh of relief, but the next


    moment, Parrish dialed the number again. A few secondster, a deep and hoarse voice came from


    the other end, "Who are you looking for?"


    Bernice instinctively tried to speak, but Astrid immediately raised her hand and covered her mouth. She


    even used a considerable amount of force. Bernice couldn''t give Hawthorne any warning at all.


    Parrish said, "Hello, Mr. Cliff, I am a staff member from a bridal boutique. Your fianc¨¦e made an


    appointment with us today at 3 p.m. to choose a wedding gown. I wanted to ask if something has


    dyed your arrival? Why haven''t youe yet?"


    Hawthorne said, "You''ve got the wrong person."


    Parrish replied, "I haven''t made a mistake; it really was your fianc¨¦e who made the appointment. You''re


    Hawthorne, right?"


    Hawthorne said, "I am Hawthorne, but I don''t have a fianc¨¦e. Please don''t call again in the future."


    Hawthorne''s words felt like a p in the face to Bernice. She lowered her head and her face was pale.


    She looked lifeless and kept stepping backward. The image that she spent years to build had copsed


    in a second.


    Thements immediately exploded.


    "Parrish is amazing! His excuse is really creative!"


    "Wow, Bernice must be so embarrassed, right? That man said he doesn''t have a fianc¨¦e."


    "So, what''s the rtionship between Hawthorne and Bernice? Is he her long-lost, never-seen-before


    illegitimate child?"


    "Oh! The truth is finally revealed!"


    "Bernice was once worshiped by numerous celebrities, and I never thought she would do something


    like this."


    "The speed at which her image copsed was as fast as a tornado!"


    ¡°I used to think Bernice was excellent. Every time I saw her photos, I was amazed by her beauty. I


    really didn''t expect her to be so hypocritical, doing something like this just to break up Mr. Lampard and


    Astrid. I guess she must have thought no one would suspect her, which is why she came forward


    herself.¡±


    "I used to feel sorry for Bernice when I saw her crying. But this time, I just feel disgusted. This woman''s


    scheming is too deep!"


    "Please, Bernice, leave this show. Don''t pollute the atmosphere of this show or my eyes!"


    "At this moment, I suddenly miss Joana. Although Joana was a bit self-conceited, her actions were


    straightforward and seemed a bit foolish. Compared to seeing this crafty Bernice, I prefer Joana!"

 Chapter 414

    Chapter 414


    In a live stream, Bernice caused quite a stir, and everyone was calling her out and telling her to leave


    the show. She couldn''t handle the pressure from all the public bacsh, and ended up leaving that very


    night. She even left all her stuff behind in the grotto.


    #BernicePersonalityCrumbles# quickly became a trending topic on social media. Many people from all


    over were throwing money to keep the topic down.


    However, Chad and Hank wouldn''t back down. If others were willing to pay for public opinion, they''d


    outbid them. After all, their Chief was loaded.


    So, the Bernice incident was all over social media, buzzing like a beehive. Until the next evening when


    a new guest joined Adventures in the Abyss, the buzz started to die down.


    But why was this new guest so popr? Because it was Palmer, the male lead from Endless Longing


    and a TV drama starring Astrid. Palmer was already a well-known celebrity, and this was his first time


    on a reality show. Plus, he and Astrid had just finished working on a drama together, so his addition to


    the show instantly drew more attention than Bernice.


    But Palmer wasn''t one for gossip. On the show, he and Astrid kept it strictly professional, disappointing


    the fans of their drama.


    Palmer didn''t exactly shine on the variety show. He barely spoke, and seemed like he could be easily


    reced. This had fans all worked up.


    Comments read:


    "Is Palmer serious? He''s been on the ind since yesterday and he hasn¡¯t said more than ten


    sentences!"


    "He really doesn''t fit in."


    "Maybe he''s intimidated by Elio''s strong presence, so he doesn''t dare to get close to Astar?"


    "I noticed that too, feels like Palmer is scared of Elio!"


    "Also, Palmer''s reactions are really slow, so are his movements. He¡¯s like a sloth!"


    Thements section was filled withughter, while Bernice, off-screen, looked cold as ice. She had


    hoped to use this show to make aeback in the entertainment industry and expand her fan base.


    But instead, Astrid turned her into aughingstock.


    Now, the projects she had lined up were mostly cancelled, and many investors had started to distance


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    themselves from her.


    Bernice was in a bathrobe. Holding a ss of wine, her lips were stained with the red drink. She looked


    sultry.


    She was totally a stark contrast to her public image.


    Then, the doorbell rang.


    Bernice put down her ss and went to answer the door.


    She was surprised to see Hawthorne standing there, "Hawthorne, what are you doing here?"


    It was snowing outside, and Hawthorne came in with a cold aura, looking displeased, "Why did you


    make a decision on your own?"


    "Hawthorne, don''t be so angry. I did it for your own good." Bernice closed the door, brushed the snow


    off Hawthorne, and looked worried, "Why didn''t you rest at home if you''re sick? Why did youe


    here? I know what I''m doing. I won''t let Star and Elio be together!"


    Hawthorne shook off Bernice''s hand with a disgusted look, "There''s no chance for me and Star


    anymore. I''ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I''ve made many mistakes. Now, I just hope me and her


    can go back to being friends."


    "Friends?" Berniceughed sarcastically, "Hawthorne, you''re a grown man. Don''t be so naive. You love


    her, so you must have her."


    "That''s enough!" Hawthorne retorted angrily, "It''s because you''ve been feeding me this wrong idea


    since I was young, so I ended up like this with Star! You also had the one you love, but look how that


    turned out."

 Chapter 415

    Chapter 415


    Hearing Hawthorne''s words, Bernice gripped her wine ss tightly. As if recalling something, Bernice''s


    lips trembled slightly. She stared at Hawthorne, staying silent for a while before saying, "Hawthorne, do


    you think I''m hurting you?"


    "Aren''t you always hurting me?" Overwhelmed by emotions, Hawthorne started to cough violently, but


    he insisted, "Isn''t the conflict between Star and I partly because of you?"


    "Because of me?" Bernice smirked, "You chose this path. If you had been more ruthless, as I told you,


    she wouldn''t have been able to stay in showbiz and wouldn''t have so many fans backing her up!"


    "Enough, you just don''t want to face the reality!" Hawthorne looked at the almost insane woman in front


    of him, feeling colder, "I get it. I like Star, so I should let her do what she likes, not tie her down for my


    own purposes!"


    "I and Hal spent the most time with her. But why does she despise us, not Elio? It''s because Elio


    always puts her first!" Bernice said.


    "But sadly, it was toote by the time I understood this." Hawthorne said, "Even if Star hasn''t gotten


    together with Elio, it''s obvious from the show, she''s already taken a liking to him. With her personality, if


    she didn''t have feelings for Elio, why would she let him stay by her side? Even though she always


    verbally expresses her disdain for Elio, she is quite natural when directing him."


    Bernice looked at the dispirited Hawthorne, a hint of displeasure shing in her eyes, "Are you really


    willing to give up? She''s your fianc¨¦e. Are you really willing to let someone else have her?"


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Love can''t be forced." Hawthorne stood up, walked slowly to the window. Looking at the snow outside,


    he softly said, "Everyone thought you quit showbiz because you were fed up, but don''t you know why


    you quit? You resorted to dirty tricks to get pregnant with the child of the man you loved, and in the end,


    you were still abandoned."


    "Enough!!!" Hawthorne''s words hit Bernice''s sore spot, she smashed her wine ss onto the TV. The


    ss shattered and wine sshed everywhere.


    Bernice''s elegant image was gone. She fiercely rubbed her hair, and tears welled up in her eyes, "Get


    out! Now!"


    "Even if you didn''t kick me out, I would leave. But from now on, if you do anything to hurt Star, don''t


    me me for not considering our past friendship." Hawthorne mmed the door shut and left.


    Stepping out of the hotel, the cold wind mixed with snow hit his face. He felt sober for the first time in


    his twenty-eight years.


    He was wrong. He loved her. But he used the wrong method from the start.The situation now couldn''t


    be changed, and everything was set in stone.


    Bernice watched Hawthorne''s figure disappear in the snow from the hotel window. She leaned against


    the window and slowly sat on the floor, with tears streaming down her face, "No one can understand


    my feelings, no one. It''s not my fault. He betrayed me.¡±

 Chapter 416

    Chapter 416


    Bernice''s debut on her variety show turned into aughing stock, so she went missing for a while.


    Adventures in the Abyss''s ind survival journey went smoothly, ranking first in views across all


    tforms and breaking daily online viewing records. The poprity of the participants kept rising,


    especially Astrid. She was flooded with work opportunities and had resources aplenty, making other


    rising stars green with envy.


    As soon as Astrid got home and opened the door, a little boy rushed over and hugged her leg,


    "Mommy!"


    "Roman, I missed you so much!" Astrid, missing the little guy dearly, hugged him tightly, "Who brought


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    you here?"


    "Gracie picked me up." Roman didn''t let go of Astrid, instead he snuggled his face against hers and


    hoped to stay as close to her as possible.


    Gracie brought out the food, frowning at the sight, "Roman, your mom hasn''t eaten properly in days on


    that ind. Get down now, and don''t tire her out!"


    Seeing the oxtail in red wine that Gracie brought out, Astrid couldn''t help but swallow, "Gracie, you''re


    amazing, cooking such delicious food for me."


    "Of course, not everyone gets to enjoy my culinary delights. Go wash your hands. Let''s start eating."


    Gracie swaggered back to get the food.


    Roman obediently went to wash his hands with Astrid. Standing on a stool, he whispered to Astrid,


    "Mommy, I think Gracie is in love."


    "What?" Astrid raised an eyebrow, "How do you know?"


    Roman said, "Jon said when someone''s in love they can''t help but smile at their phone. Gracie always


    smiles at her phone. She looks really silly."


    "Jon might be pulling your leg. She might just be looking at something funny on her phone!" Astrid


    dismissed it, washing her hands and drying Roman''s with a towel.


    Roman''s chubby little arms were adorable. He shook his head and said, "No, Gracie is definitely in


    love. She even has a boyfriend in the game!"


    "A boyfriend?" Astrid''s mouth twitched, "Roman, how do you even know about this?"


    Roman said, "Lucas always asks if any girls are looking for a boyfriend when he ys games with me,


    so I know what it means! Mommy, I heard that people get scammed by their online lovers. Gracie is a


    bit gullible, you need to check out this boyfriend of hers. What if she''s being scammed?"


    "Roman, you''re the gullible one!" Gracie, hearing the little guy''s words, said somewhat angrily, "A


    boyfriend in the game is just a gaming partner. I didn''t take it seriously. Astrid, don''t listen to his


    nonsense. Let''s eat!"


    "Alright, thank you, I won''t hold back then!" Astrid said. It was hard not having proper meals while on


    the ind.


    She really couldn''t imagine how female celebrities who barely eat to keep their figures cope. Just ten


    days and she felt like she couldn''t bear it.


    Seeing Astrid wolfing down her food, Roman thoughtfully poured her a ss of water and checked the


    temperature, "Mommy, don¡¯t eat so fast. I''ll give you my food too, no one''s going topete with you


    for it."


    Looking at the thoughtful little guy in front of her, Astrid felt warm. She reached out and gently stroked


    his head, "Thank you, Roman. I love you, my little darling."

 Chapter 417

    Chapter 417


    "I love mom the most too. Dig in!" Roman said happily, looking at Astrid, "Mom, you''re so pretty, even


    eating looks good on you!"


    Gracie, watching the mother and son in front of her, suddenly remembered someone, "Oh yeah, Astrid,


    why isn''t Mr. Lampard here?"


    "He went straight to an emergency meeting at hispany after getting off the ne. Seems like


    there''s some trouble at thepany." Astrid replied, taking another two bites of her meal, "Plus, why


    would I bring him home for dinner?"


    "Astrid, haven''t you noticed?" Gracie asked.


    "Noticed what?" Astrid paused, her hand was in mid-air.


    "Didn''t you see Elio''s overflowing love for you?" Gracie finished, as Astrid made a face of discontent.


    "It''s not just me saying it,izens are saying it too. They even say that the show''s name, ''Adventures


    in the Abyss'', isn''t urate enough because a lot of the content is about Elio chasing after his beloved


    wife!" Gracie added, leaving Astrid speechless.


    "You know, seeing all these things that this high and mighty CEO is doing to win you over, it''s actually


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    quite amusing! So there are women that even he can''t get, ha-ha." Gracieughed uproariously, turning


    on the TV to watch the show''s rey while eating.


    It was only after watching the show that Astrid realized, Elio''s gaze seemed to be glued to her. Every


    time the camera panned to him, he was looking at her. It was impossible to ignore.


    After dinner, Gracie started ying video games on the couch. Roman was lying in Astrid''sp


    watching cartoons. The two of them wereughing and chatting, when suddenly there was a shout, "I


    want to use this character. Help me win."


    "Don''t worry, I believe in you. You can definitely win!"


    If she hadn''t heard it with her own ears, Astrid wouldn''t have believed that such a gentle voice could


    love interest, but now she did!


    In just ten days, her Gracie had beenpletely smitten by someone. To make a rough woman so


    gentle, it must be true love! Despite her curiosity, Astrid didn''t ask any more questions.


    Just as a game ended, Gracie suddenly asked, "Astrid, do you guys want to y together?"


    Astrid and Roman said in unison, "Sure!"


    Astrid immediately logged in, curious to see the person who had Gracie so enchanted.


    But before they could form a team, Elio called. Before her finger could even touch the answer button,


    Roman''s little finger had already done it for her.


    Elio asked, "Astrid, have you had dinner yet?"


    Astrid said, "Yes, what''s up?"


    Elio said, "Nothing, just missing you."


    Hearing his words, Astrid felt a chill run down her spine. She said, "If there''s nothing else, I''m hanging


    up. I have to watch TV with Roman."


    After hanging up, Astrid turned to see Gracie had already started a new game. She hadn''t really had a


    chance to rest properly while on the ind, so she started feeling sleepy after a while of watching TV.


    Before long, she fell asleep.


    Roman fetched a small nket and covered Astrid with it, then turned the TV volume down with the


    remote.


    Worried that the noise from Gracie''s game would wake Astrid, he led Gracie into the guest room and


    closed the door.


    After doing all this, Roman returned to the couch, slid under the nket beside Astrid, and quietly


    resumed watching TV.

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    Chapter 418


    Eleven fifty-nine in the evening.


    Astrid was jolted awake by the ring of her phone. She answered in a groggy state, and was


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    immediately met with Elio''s passionate voice, "Astrid, look out the window."


    She stumbled to the window, and within seconds, a distant blue light in the dark night sky began to


    approach.


    Midnight.


    Numerous drones in the sky spelled out: Happy Birthday, Astrid.


    Birthday. Today was her birthday.


    Elio said, "Look at the TV."


    Astrid turned her head, only to find the TV screen had gone ck. The next second, Elio appeared on


    the screen, with guitar in hand. He was dressed in a hoodie and jeans, and there was a slight smile


    ying on his lips. He said,eHe said, "Happy Birthday, Astrid. Don''t say anything, just listen to me sing


    this song."


    The moment the intro started, she recognized it as one of her favorite songs, All of Me.


    Astrid hadn''t expected Elio to "jump" into her TV to celebrate her birthday using technology. Moreover,


    he sang so well and yed the guitar just as skillfully. His singing made her heart race.


    "''Cause all of me


    Loves all of you


    Love your curves and all your edges


    All your perfect imperfections."


    "Mom, mom!" Roman noticed Astrid was in a daze and tried to get her attention, but she didn''t respond.


    Unhappy, he pouted and couldn''t understand why Elio was showing up on the TV like this.


    Before the song was over, Astrid''s phone started vibrating. She nced down and was immediately


    shocked.


    Numerous news headlines were pushing hot topics:


    #Tycoon Elio deres love for Astrid live#


    #Elio''s online live broadcast for his wife#


    #Shock! Dominant CEO actually does this to win over his wife#


    #Morgenster Corporation''s CEO live broadcasts for love, causing the server to crash multiple times#


    ¡­


    Astrid was dumbstruck. She thought Elio had simply cast the video onto the TV, but he was actually live


    streaming on the inte! She opened Twitter, and her fingers were trembling with anxiety.


    #Elio: I want the whole world to know I love you#


    She clicked on the topic and the first post was from Elio''s official ount, saying: I''m Elio, and I want


    everyone in the world to know I love Astrid.


    There were already tens of thousands ofments. Her inbox was also full.


    "Wow, Elio''s so cool! This way of celebrating a birthday is super fresh!"


    "Wow! Other people''s boyfriends are so good! Jealous!"


    "To love someone is to let the world know he loves her, seems like Mr. Lampard really loves Astrid."


    "But is it really appropriate for Elio to be dating now that he''s in the prime of his career?"


    "Regardless, the two of them are really a good match!"


    "Astrid, say yes to such a great guy!"


    "I saw with my own eyes the confession Elio made using drones in the sky, I''m so jealous!!!"


    "Elio looked especially handsome in today''s live stream, even the hoodie he wore had a picture of


    Astrid on it."


    "Wow, Elio''s really good at chasing girls! I''m falling for him!" Gracie rushed out of her room with her


    phone just as the doorbell rang.


    "Who could it be at this hour?" She went to open the door, only to find eight handsome guys standing


    neatly at the door.


    In just an instant, Gracie was smitten.

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    Chapter 419


    Eight handsome guys of different styles stood at the doorway. That was a sight for sore eyes!


    "Hey." Gracie waved at the men at the door with a goofy smile. Astrid turned her gaze from Elio on the


    TV to the men, then promptly stood up to unplug the TV.


    "Why are you guys sote?" Astrid looked at the eight handsome men at the door and said to Gracie,


    "Gracie, these are all my brothers. Why are you all standing at the door? Come in!"


    As soon as she finished speaking, the guys came in with various parcels. They filled the not-so-big


    living room to the brim.


    "Wow, Astrid, you''re so lucky! Such handsome brothers, I''d be satisfied with just one! You actually have


    eight!!" Gracie immediately got excited. Her gaze swept over all the guys and finallynded on Rickon.


    She chuckled, pulled out her phone and asked Rickon, "Um, I''m Astrid''s good friend. Can I add you on


    WhatsApp?"


    Rickon looked down at the woman in front of him and shook his head, "No."


    Seeing Gracie''s disappointment, Astrid walked over, pulled out Rickon''s phone from his pocket and


    said, "Don''t be such a party pooper. Gracie is hot and pretty. It''s your lucky day she''s into you!"


    Rickon''s phone password was six ones. Astrid directly unlocked it, opened WhatsApp and added the


    contact.


    Gracie was so thrilled that she hugged Astrid and gave her a big kiss.


    And Rickon, still without any expression.


    "Star,e here, see what good stuff I brought for you." Robb waved at Astrid, and his gesture was


    like calling a puppy. Every time Robb called her, he would use this gesture. Astrid protested many


    times but to no avail, in the end, she just had to go over obediently. Once Astrid came over, he handed


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    her a ck box and motioned for her to open it.


    Roman leaned in, eager to see what was in the box. Astrid opened it and saw a very unique watch. The


    design was innovative and the feel and material were just her style, "Wow! This is so cool!"


    Brandon couldn''t help but exim, "Robb, isn''t this the supreme version of the watch yourpany


    has been researching for five years? I begged you for it on my birthday and you wouldn''t give it to me,


    now it''s Star''s birthday and you immediately take it out!"


    Supreme version?


    Gracie didn''t expect this somewhat expensive-looking watch to be a product of five years of research! It


    sounded so cool and expensive!


    Robb nced at Brandon indifferently, "Can youpare to Star? Besides, didn''t I give you a watch


    for your birthday too?"


    "Come on, Robb, you have the audacity to bring that up? You give Star a limited edition watch for her


    birthday, but you only gave me a children''s phone watch for mine. Isn''t that a huge disparity?" After


    Brandon said this, Gracie burst intoughter.


    "Ha-ha, children''s phone watch, that''s hrious!" Gracieughed so hard she was practically doubling


    over. Jon Brooke and the others were infected by herughter and joined in.


    Everyone began to tease Brandon in turn. Jon said, "Robb giving you a children''s watch is very fitting.


    After all, you always act like a kid, so it''s very suitable for you to use that kind of watch."

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    Chapter 420


    Edgar said, "You should be grateful for gifts, don¡¯t be picky."


    Edwin chimed in, "Yeah, one should learn to be content."


    Adjusting his sses, Nash said, "Considering all the crazy stuff you''ve done, you should be grateful


    that Robb didn''t kick you out of the house."


    Listening to everyone, Brandon felt so pitiful. He immediately squatted down, seekingfort from


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    Roman, "Roman, they are all bullying me, I''m the poorest guy ever."


    Seeing this, Roman immediately lifted his chubby little hand to hug Brandon''s head and gently patted,


    "You gotta face reality, dude!"


    Brandon was left speechless again.


    "Star, ignore him. Look at the cool stuff I brought you!" Jon presented his gift as if it was a prized


    possession, "You''re gonna freak out!"


    Robb scoffed, "Heh, Star''s definitely gonna love my gift the most today."


    Rickon said, "We''ll see about that."


    Edgar and Edwin disagreed, "We haven''t shown our gifts yet."


    Nash and Nathan also stepped forward, not wanting to be outdone. The atmosphere immediately


    became tense.


    Astrid felt a headacheing on. Every year since she returned to the Brooke family, her birthdays


    were always like this. These guys weren''t young anymore, but sometimes they acted like children,


    Gracie was jealous, "Astrid, you''re so damn lucky. You have so many handsome and doting brothers!"


    "Do you like this? Here, take him." Saying this, Astrid pushed Rickon towards Gracie.


    Looking up at the tall man in front of her, Gracie''s face showed a rare blush, "Astrid, there are so many


    people here. I do like him, but I''m still shy because of the crowd!"


    Rickon was speechless.


    In the midst of the conversation, Astrid opened Jon''s gift box. Seeing what was inside, she twitched


    slightly. It was a shaver.


    Astrid looked puzzled, "Um? What are you trying to say? You think I have hairy legs?"


    "Don''t female celebrities often use hair removal cream? Let me tell you, you can¡¯t use that stuff. Your


    hair will grow back darker. My shaver is high tech! It won''t hurt your skin or make your hair grow back


    thicker!" Before Jon could finish speaking, Robb extended a hand and covered his mouth.


    He meant for Jon to shut up.


    Jon felt wronged, but no one dared to question Robb''s authority. So, he reluctantly closed his mouth.


    "Look at mine." Rickon dragged a huge suitcase from behind him and opened it. The contents


    immediately dazzled Gracie. Because it was a case full of money.


    Astrid couldn''t help butugh. Well, that was very straightforward. It was just Rickon''s style, no need to


    be shocked. Because Rickon always thought she was short of money.


    Gracie''s eyes almost popped out of her head looking at the case full of cash. It was truly shocking. She


    had never seen so much cash in her life!


    "Rickon, you''re so predictable." Nathan took out his guitar, sat down on a chair, and began to sing.


    The song was full of emotions, titled ''Our Baby''.


    Although the title suggested it was a song for a girlfriend, it was actually a song Nathan wrote for her.

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    Chapter 421


    This was a song he wrote for his beloved baby sister.


    Astrid was stunned to find out that not only Nathan could sing this song, but all the other brothers could


    too. Listening to their singing and looking at their faces, Astrid''s eyes became moist. This must be what


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    being spoiled felt like.


    "Star, check this out." Nash stepped forward, carefully pulling out a small bottle from his bag.


    He then picked up a pot of roses from the windowsill and gently poured the clear liquid from the bottle


    onto the petals. The petals visibly changed color once soaked in the liquid, and soon, the pink rose


    turned blue. But the flower was still as vibrant as ever, with no signs of damage or wilting.


    "Holy cow, that''s insane! Is it dyed?" Gracie quickly reached out to touch the liquid, then eximed in


    surprise, "Oh my god, it''s not dye!"


    Nash gave a slight smile, "This is a drug that can change the gic makeup of nts. Even though


    the color changes, it won''t affect the life of the flower. With this, Star can have blue roses anytime she


    wants."


    "Thank you, I love it!" Astrid''s fondness for blue roses was well-known. Hawthorne even set up a base


    to breed blue roses for her, and Elio went as far as buying several farms overseas to growrge fields


    of blue roses.


    Not to be outdone, Edgar and Edwin gave her an entire property.


    All the brothers watched Astrid, eager to know whose gift she liked the most. Just then, Roman, who


    had been watching from the side, gently asked, "Mom, the uncles'' gifts are all so great, will you still like


    the gift I give you?"


    Upon hearing this, Astrid gently picked up Roman, "No matter what you give me, I''ll love it."


    "Really?" Roman smiled, his face pressed against Astrid''s, and said, "Mom, then let me down, I''ll get


    the gift. You have to close your eyes, no peeking!"


    "Alright." Astrid closed her eyes as asked, and Roman quickly dashed into the room, soon returning


    with a small cake in hand. The cake looked a bit rough around the edges, with a slightly crooked Snow


    White on top that looked like it might fall over any second.


    Everyone watched Roman''s careful demeanor and couldn''t help but smile.


    "Mom, you can open your eyes now." Once Roman finished speaking, Astrid opened her eyes.


    Seeing the cake in front of her, Astrid''s eyes teared up again, "Baby, did you make this cake for me?"


    Roman bashfully nodded, "Grandma taught me, but I didn''t do a very good job. Mom, do you like it?"


    "I love it, I really do." Astrid held Roman close, whispering, "This is the most beautiful cake I''ve ever


    seen."


    "Really?" Roman beamed, "I''m going to grow up strong. I will protect you and make my mom the


    happiest princess."


    Gracie wasn''t easily moved, but she felt a little touched seeing this scene. Back then, despite the tough


    circumstances, they managed to keep the child. Otherwise, this warm little angel wouldn''t be here now.


    Everyone enjoyed the little cake that Roman made. The house didn''t have enough beds, so Robb took


    the others to stay at a hotel.


    Gracie originally wanted to stay, but she thought that if Elio came, she would just be in the way.

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    Thinking about it, Gracie took off quietly.


    The night fell silent again. Roman had already snoozed off, and Astrid carried him to the bedroom.


    Then, she picked up her phone and scrolled through some tweets.


    Hashtags rted to Elio''s confession were still trending. Surprisingly, no one seemed to have an


    opinion on Elio''s matter tonight. She was a bit confused about what they were thinking.


    Christmas wasing soon.


    Dale had helped her to turn down work for the near future, so she had a good, long sleep at home.


    When she woke up the next day, Roman was still sound asleep. She tiptoed out of bed and looked at


    the foggy window.


    The temperature was even lower than yesterday. She turned the heater up a bit, walked out of the


    room, and from the living room window, she saw the blue roses on the opposite building.


    She walked a few steps forward and saw that the square was full of blue roses. There were a few


    words in between: Happy Birthday, Astrid.


    There was a figure standing among the flowers. She couldn''t see his face, but from his silhouette, she


    knew it was Elio.


    Neighbors from the adjacent buildings were taking pictures from their windows, and there was a buzz


    of discussion upstairs and downstairs. Some girls even started arguing with their boyfriends.


    "Wow, who''s the big shot confessing his love with these expensive flowers?"


    "Definitely not cheap. I''ve only ever seen dyed blue roses, never pure ones!"


    "That''s not the point, the point is that guy is so handsome!"


    "Look at other people''s boyfriends, and look at you. Oh man, I chose the wrong one!"


    "Where''s the girl? Why is there only a guy?"


    "This must be a not-so-simple woman, look how infatuated this handsome guy is."


    "Oh my gosh, I only found out today that I live in the sameplex as Astrid, oh my gosh!"


    They had already celebrated her birthdayst night. So Astrid didn''t understand what the heck Elio was


    up to so early in the morning.


    Wasn''t he just revealing her own address?


    However, before Astrid could call to question him, Elio had already called her.


    "Hello." Astrid answered the phone grumpily.


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    Elio said, "Astrid,e down."


    Astrid said, "I''m noting down."


    If she went down, she''d have to face the whirl of discussion again.


    "If you don''te down, then I..." As Elio was speaking, a sound of testing a microphone came from


    outside, "Hello, , can you hear me?"


    "Elio! I''m warning you not to y tricks!" Astrid gritted her teeth and yelled his name, then hung up the


    phone in anger.


    If she didn''t hurry down, who knew what shocking things this guy would say in public.


    But if she let him get away with it this time, he''ll definitely push his luck!


    After thinking about it, Astrid texted Elio: [I''m not going down, youe up.]


    Elio: [If I coulde up to you, I would have done so long ago.]


    Seeing this message, Astrid raised an eyebrow. She walked to the door, gently pulled it open, only to


    find it unusually quiet outside.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like anything¡¯s wrong?¡± She murmured to herself. Just as she was about to go back, she


    realized the elevator wouldn¡¯t stop at her floor. She walked to the elevator and pressed the button, but


    neither the up nor down button responded.


    Just then, she heard a faint noise from the safety passageway.


    Astrid furrowed her brows, walked over, and forcefully pulled open the door. A bearded, round-faced


    man appeared before her, "Star, I''ve got a surprise for you! Happy Birthday! I''m here! Are you happy?"

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    Chapter 423


    "Gotcha." Astrid knew why Elio didn''t daree up the moment she saw the excited Magee. After all,


    her dad was scarier than anyone else.


    "Dad, I''m so touched! You actually gave up something as important as fishing toe see me!" Astrid


    tightly hugged Magee''s arm as they walked into the house.


    Magee nced at her room and startedining right away, "Look at this dump! How can anyone


    live here? Why don''t you stay in that big vi? Our bathroom is bigger than this room!"


    "It''s smaller and easier to handle, also very cozy." Astrid led Magee to the couch, whispering, "Roman


    is still asleep. Let''s keep it down."


    Magee said, "Thatzybones, still not up at this hour! I was thinking of taking him fishing!"


    Astrid gave a wry smile. Sure enough, no matter where Dad went, he never forgot about fishing.


    As soon as Magee sat down on the sofa, he saw Elio outside the window and was immediately


    displeased. He got up and walked over to the window, pulling the curtains closed before settling back


    down on the sofa, satisfied. "Star, what''s going on with you and that guy now?" Magee asked.


    "Nothing really." Astrid yawned, "He''s just one of many suitors."


    Magee looked at his beloved daughter and sighed deeply, "Star, there are plenty of good men in the


    world, why did you have to have a kid with that Elio guy!"


    Astrid was speechless. After a moment, she finally regained herposure and said helplessly, "Dad, I


    didn''t have a choice back then."


    Magee remained silent for a while and said, "Star, I just want you to be safe and happy. The Lampard


    family is not easy to deal with. Elio might truly care for you, but unless he can fully protect you and


    Roman, I won''t let you have any further contact with him or anyone from the Lampard family."


    Magee rarely held his ground like this, usually going along with her ideas. It seemed the person behind


    the Lampard family was scarier than she thought.


    Astrid, not wanting Magee to worry, hugged his arm and grinned, "Dad, don''t worry. I''ll take care of


    myself, and Roman too. I''m not just a pretty little actress, I''m a genius! Nothing can stump me!"


    "Hmph, nothing can stump you?" Magee raised an eyebrow, "How about singing a song for me?"


    "Grandpa!" Roman''s soft and sweet voice came from behind them. Magee turned and saw the cute


    little boy in his pajamas, rubbing his eyes.


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    "Oh my little darling,e give grandpa a hug!" Magee enthusiastically hugged and kissed Roman,


    who didn''t resist.


    Around noon, there was a knock at the door. Astrid thought it was Elio. When she opened the door, it


    was Yates.


    Magee asked, "Star, is someone here? It''s not that Lampard family punk again, is it?"


    "No." Astrid had barely answered when Magee already rushed over with a broom.


    Seeing Magee, Yates'' eyes widened, "Mr. Brooke, hello!"


    "You?! You little punk, I haven''t settled the score with you for breaking my favorite fishing rodst time!


    You dare to show up in front of me?" Magee started scolding as soon as he opened his mouth, leaving


    Yates with no choice but to silently endure.

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    "Mr. Brooke, can you quit hitting me? Didn''t I alreadypensate you with a new one?" Yates pleaded,


    dodging punches, "Can''t you let me off the hook for Astrid''s sake?"


    "Why should I stop punching you for Astrid?" Magee just keptnding his punches harder, especially on


    the parts Yates couldn''t dodge, "Listen here, you worthless, aimless dude. You''re way out of Astrid''s


    league!"


    Themotion in the hallway had the neighbors peeking out, suspecting some trouble. Feeling


    embarrassed, Yates dumped the gift on the floor and dashed off through the fire escape, "Happy


    birthday, Astrid! I''lle see you again!"


    "Again? If you dare, I''ll break your legs!" Magee hollered after him at the stairwell, then turned to find


    the neighbors staring with wide eyes.


    He straightened his cor awkwardly, exining, "That punk, he was bothering my daughter. A good


    beating will do. Can''t go easy on such people. Better watch out if you have a daughter!"


    Neighbors and Astrid were all rolling their eyes.


    Magee spent the entire day at Astrid''s.


    Elio had nned an entire birthday process for Astrid, but it didn''t go smoothly. Yet, he had no


    loss.


    Christmas Eve was also Roman''s birthday. It was the happiest birthday he''d ever had, with his mother


    by his side and a ton of gifts from his grandpa and eight uncles. He was over the moon.


    During the Christmas break, Astrid received a message from Dale: [Astrid, how''s your holiday? Time to


    get back to work.]


    Astrid: [No problem. Send me my schedule.]


    Dale: [I''ve already sent it to Gracie. I have several good projects lined up. Check them out and let me


    know which ones you like. I''ll reserve them for you.]


    Astrid: [Okay.]


    Early that day, Astrid dropped Roman off at the Lampard family''s mansion, then headed to the TV


    station with Gracie. On the way, she received a text from an unknown number: [If you won''t heed my


    warning and still want to be with Elio, those around you will be in danger.]


    Even though she''d changed her number, Astrid knew it was the same person who had warned her not


    to be with Elio. The person always used disposable cards, discarding them after sending the message.


    So, there was no way to trace it.


    "Astrid, we''re here. What''s on your mind?" Gracie''s voice snapped Astrid back to reality. She stepped


    out of the car with a smile.


    A few fans were waiting at the TV station entrance. She greeted them warmly, and handed the


    prepared New Year gifts to Gracie to distribute.


    The fans who received the gifts were ecstatic, jumping up and down, "Wow! Astrid''s signed postcard!"


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "Astrid is so nice, giving us gifts!"


    "I love it!"


    "Astrid is so thoughtful! Did she prepare this in advance?"


    "Astrid''s so sweet!"


    "Happy New Year, Astrid!"


    Astrid waved to the crowd, "Happy New Year, everyone! It''s cold outside, go home!"


    Once she entered the TV station, Selena ran up, beaming, "Boss, long time no see, Happy New Year!"

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    Chapter 425


    Astrid handed her a neatly wrapped gift box. "Happy New Year."


    "Wow, what a beautiful gift! Thanks boss!" Selena held the package in delight. "Oh, Astrid, guess who I


    saw just now? Fannie Santos!"


    Astrid hadn''t heard that name in a long time. Fannie had disappeared ever since that incident. "Really?


    Is she nning aeback?"


    "You''re kidding! Someone''s actually willing to have her on their show?" Gracie looked incredulous.


    "Money really makes the world go round, huh? Can''t believe she''s making aeback!"


    "I''m not sure if she''s here for a show, but I saw her and the TV station''s boss talking, they were even


    holding hands. They looked pretty close." Selena lowered her voice as someone walked by, "I heard


    the boss is getting a divorce because of Fannie!"


    "Really?" Astrid was a sucker for gossip. Hearing this, she perked up immediately.


    Just then, a tall girl approached them and greeted, "Ms. Irvine, hi. I''m L. Sorry I''mte."


    "It''s all good." Astrid smiled at her. "Let''s walk and talk."


    "Sure, sure." L agreed.


    In reality, L was assigned to be Astrid''s assistant and she was somewhat nervous. Everyone knew


    that Astrid was the apple of the famous Elio''s eye thanks to his public confession. She was worried that


    if she didn''t do a good job, it might upset Mr. Lampard.


    Throughout, L was on edge. "Ms. Irvine, anything you need in the lounge? Just tell me."


    "This is fine, you go do your thing. I''ll head over when it''s time for my rehearsal." Astrid responded.


    L immediately waved her off, "No, no, no. My job today is to apany you. If there''s anything I''m


    not doing right, please let me know."


    "It''s okay, don''t be so anxious. I''m just an ordinary artist, no need for special treatment." After saying


    this, Astrid sat down to check the schedule.


    L didn''t leave and just stood quietly on one side. She looked rather ufortable.


    Someone was knocking on the door. Hearing a knock on the door, L quickly got up to answer it. She


    was surprised to see the person at the door, "Ms. Mandy, hello. This is Ms. Irvine''s lounge, did you


    Without responding, Mandy just walked past L into the room. "I like this room. Any problem?"


    "No problem." L stood at the door, not daring to move.


    To save L from the awkwardness, Astrid asked her to leave.


    Astrid knew this woman was here to cause trouble but out of politeness, she greeted her, "Ms. Mandy,


    hello. I''m Astrid."


    "Astrid? Never heard of you. Are you an actress? Or a singer?" Mandy looked Astrid up and down with


    a sarcastic smile, "Any notable works?"


    Gracie had seen many of Mandy''s performances before. Mandy was seen as a rational and gentle


    woman.


    Gracie''s mom loved her. Gracie even nned to ask her for an autograph.


    But seeing Mandy''s attitude now, she felt repulsed.


    Having been in the entertainment industry with Astrid for a while, she was used to celebrities being


    different from their on-screen personas. But Mandy''s arrogance was particrly irritating.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

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    Chapter 426


    Astrid wasn''t ticked off at all. Instead, she shrugged and said, "I''m a newbie. Don''t have any signature


    roles yet. So, it''s totally okay that you don''t recognize me."


    Mandy had thought Astrid would throw a fit. But her chill attitude caught her off guard.


    As Selena started to do Astrid''s makeup, Mandy just sat there, not making a move to leave.


    After a while, she popped another question. "So, what''s the deal with you and Elio?"


    Astrid had anticipated a lot of things, but Mandy mentioning Elio was not one of them.


    First, she said she didn''t know her, and now she was asking her about Elio. It was all a bit too much to


    process.


    Astrid nced at Mandy and nonchntly said, "He''s trying to ask me out."


    At that response, Mandy''s face dropped. She pulled out a check from her bag and pped it on the


    table. "My daughter likes Elio. If you back off, this million-dor check is yours. Also, I can hook you up


    with a lead role in a show."


    "For a small actress like you, these resources are a big deal. Plus, dating could screw up your career.


    I''m just looking out for you."


    "And, you and Elio... you''re not a match."


    The room fell silent at her words.


    Did Mandy just try to use money to control Astrid?


    Gracie couldn''t help but retort, "Everyone knows how well Astrid and Elio match. How can you say they


    don''t?"


    Mandy turned to look at Gracie, "My daughter is the most elegantdy in our circle, pure and worthy of


    Elio. Unlike some people..."


    She didn''t finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.


    Astrid signaled Selena to stop, then slowly turned around. There was no anger on her face, only a


    smirk. "A million? Don''t you think that''s a bit low?"


    Mandy was speechless.


    "Don''t be ungrateful! It could take you years to earn that much as a newbie actress!"


    "You need to learn to be content."


    "I..."


    Before Mandy could finish her sentence, Astrid pulled out a ck card from her bag and ced it on


    the table.


    And that shut Mandy up.


    A ck card!!! Astrid actually had a ck card!


    How''s that even possible?!


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Anyone who had a ck card wouldn''t even blink at a million.


    But how could someone like Astrid have a ck card? It must''ve been from Elio!


    Just then, an assistant called from outside the door, "Ms. Mandy, it''s time for your rehearsal." Mandy


    had to leave.


    As soon as she left, Gracie snatched the ck card. "Oh my god, this is the first time I''ve seen a


    mythical ck card! Astrid, is this real? It''s not a fake, is it?"


    Astrid said, "Of course it''s real."


    Gracie shouted, "Wow, that''s so extravagant!"


    "Ms. Irvine, get ready for your rehearsal!" L''s voice came from the door. Gracie immediately


    responded, "Okay, we''reing."


    As they left the makeup room and headed towards the studio, they bumped into many celebrities.


    Astrid didn''t know many of them, but because of Elio, they all greeted her.


    She smiled and responded to each one of them.


    Just as they were about to reach the studio, a person with a hat obscuring their face walked past her


    and whispered, "Watch your back."


    She immediately turned around, but the person had already quickened their pace and disappeared


    around the corner.

 Chapter 427

    Chapter 427


    "Astrid, Astrid, you''re on!" Gracie gave Astrid a tug, "Everyone''s waiting for you."


    "Got it." Astrid nodded and went over.


    This time, Astrid was performing a magic trick, so it was just a quick walk-on for her.


    "Good, keep an eye on the lighting..." the director on the set was constantlymanding through his


    microphone, everything was in good order.


    Suddenly, a spotlight from above the stage fell!


    Gracie immediately rushed towards the stage, but it was too far, she couldn''t make it in time, she could


    only shout, "Astrid, watch out, move!"


    Astrid noticed the anomaly and quickly dodged to the side.


    Meanwhile, the stage light smashed directly onto the spot where she had just been standing, the light


    was shattered, ss shards scattered everywhere.


    A few staff members were scratched by the shards, and a faint smell of blood permeated the air.


    The studio was in chaos!


    "Astrid, are you okay?"


    "Astrid, Astrid!" Gracie, pale-faced, rushed over to Astrid, only letting out a sigh of relief when she


    confirmed that Astrid wasn''t injured.


    Astrid grabbed Gracie''s hand, her hand was ice-cold, "Gracie, don''t be scared."


    "Director, what was that about? If it wasn''t for Astrid''s quick reaction and dodging, the consequences


    would have been unthinkable!" Gracie usually watches her words and actions, afraid of affecting


    Astrid''s image.


    But she couldn''t hold it back this time.


    If it were an ordinary person, they would have been hit directly!


    The light must have been at least a dozen pounds, something that big falling on your head could be


    lethal!


    The director was also sweating bullets, after all, if something happened to Astrid on his watch, Elio


    would never let him off the hook.


    "I''m sorry, Ms. Irvine, I''m truly sorry!" His apology seemed rather shallow at this time, but apart from


    apologizing, he could do nothing else, "It was an ident, we checked all the props and set design


    before the rehearsal, someone must have been cking off. Ms. Irvine, rest assured, I will find out who


    it was, I owe you an exnation!"


    Astrid looked at the director who was sweating profusely, and gently curled her lips, "It''s okay, director. I


    have to go, see youter."


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    The director didn''t expect Astrid to not hold a grudge, so he quickly said, "Okay, see you..."


    Just out of the studio, Gracie couldn''t hold it in, "Astrid, someone must be trying to harm you! Why else


    would the light not fall during others'' rehearsal, but fall during yours?"


    "And it fell exactly where you were standing!"


    "Aren''t you afraid of more dangersing during the actual recording if you don''t find out who it is?"


    Astrid nced at Gracie and said quietly, "Gracie, I understand what you''re saying, and I have no


    intention of letting that person off the hook."


    "Then..." Gracie paused for a moment, then leaned in whispering, "The person who dared to hurt you in


    the TV station must have a strong background. We''re only two people now, should we go back and get


    more people before we deal with him?"


    "No need." Astrid extended her finger and lightly touched Gracie''s chin, "I alone am enough to deal with


    them."


    "Did I scare you just now?"

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    Chapter 428


    Gracie nodded, "I was scared. d you''re okay. My palms were full of sweat when I rushed up there."


    "Do you think it could be Mandy?"


    "Mandy?" Astrid shook her head, "No way. She doesn''t have the guts. Besides, our petty quarrels


    aren''t enough to make her want to off me. She''s been in the biz for so many years, she''d never risk her


    career just to frame me."


    Gracie frowned, "If it''s not her, then who could it be? You don''t have any enemies, do you?"


    "Don''t worry, I have a solution. Go find Selena." Astrid pushed Gracie into the elevator, watched the


    doors close, then turned and walked down the hallway.


    Not long after, Chad texted her, "Chief, I''ve been getting a bad vibe recently. How about Hank and I


    Astrid replied, "I can handle it. I''m fine."


    Chad continued, "Chief, no matter how tough you are, you''re still a girl. There are some things that men


    are just better equipped to handle."


    Astrid said, "You just focus on running thepany and taking care of Roman."


    Chad looked at the message, his unease deepening.


    These days he''d been digging into the Lampard family for Astrid, but there was very little he could find.


    And many members of the Lampard family had close ties with some shadowy international


    organizations.


    He had a gut feeling, something bad was about to happen.


    "Dang, it''s cold!" Hank walked in with a barbecue and a beer, noticed Chad packing up, and asked,


    "Where are you going?"


    Chad replied, "Chief just had a rehearsal at the TV station. A stage light fell from above. If she hadn''t


    dodged in time, she might''ve been..."


    "What?! Who dares to harm our Chief!" Hank''s smile instantly disappeared, reced by anger, "Let''s


    go. We need to protect the Chief and show those people that our chief has backers."


    The two quickly agreed and left the building after locking up the office.


    The rehearsal ident was well handled by the TV station, but Elio had nted a mole there, so he


    found out about the news quickly.


    Meanwhile, Astrid arrived at a closed door.


    She knocked three times, but there was no answer.


    She knocked a few more times.


    It was dead silent inside.


    Astrid didn''t leave, instead she leaned against the door and casually said, "Fannie Santos, why are you


    hiding? Are you that afraid of me?"


    As soon as she finished speaking, she heard the sound of heelsing from inside.


    Then, the door opened.


    Fannie stood at the door, barefaced, with a calm expression, "Long time no see, Astrid."Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The Fannie in front of her seemed like a different person, with apletely different aura.


    In the past, Fannie would have been furious to see her and might have even wanted to attack her. But


    now, she could greet her so calmly, even with a smile on her face.


    They were just like two old friends meeting after a long time.


    But Astrid knew, all of this, wasn''t real.


    It was all a facade by Fannie.


    Astrid looked at Fannie and smiled, "Fannie, I''ve received your wee gift. I''ll give you a big gift in


    return. I''m sure you''ll love it."


    Fannie closed her lips gently, remaining silent.

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    Chapter 429


    "No matter how hard you try to hide it, the hatred in your eyes is still in as day," Astrid said. "It''s not


    because you suck at hiding it, it''s because I''m too smart."


    Hearing this, Fannie''s hand clenched into a fist inside her sleeve.


    She lifted her gaze to Astrid, wanting to say something but then held back.


    Astrid crossed her arms, leaning against the wall, grinning with satisfaction. "Ever since I found out you


    had a thing going on with the station''s director, I''ve had my guys keeping tabs on you at the station. I


    knew you had tampered with the lights. But I thought, you sucking up to that old man just to have a


    shot at me, if I didn''t y along, I''d just be a total heartless bitch. So I went along with your little act.


    How was my performance? Not too shabby, huh?"


    Fannie stumbled, and her mind went nk!


    Acted?


    Astrid knew all along?


    No way in hell!


    Recalling the scene she had just witnessed on the surveince footage, Fannie couldn''t stop trembling!


    When the light fell, everyone in the studio was in a panic, but Astrid was calm andposed, not a


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ripple on her face.


    "I''m off, see youter," Astrid left, her smile radiant, but it sent chills down Fannie''s spine.


    Why, after all she had given, was she still the butt of the joke?


    When Fannie''s new assistant, Sallie, arrived, she found Fannie sitting on the floor, pale-faced. She


    hurried over to help her up. "Ms. Santos, we need to get you to makeup. We''re due to start recording


    soon."


    "Alright." Fannie got up, trying to control her emotions. "Sallie, is Pa here yet?"


    "No, I can''t reach him by phone. I heard that Pa might have gone to mentor the new talent show


    winner." Sallie bit her lip lightly, "Ms. Santos, with Mr. Lampard backing Astrid now, you really shouldn''t


    do anything rash."


    Hearing this, Fannie stiffened, her gaze instantly turning cold. "What the hell are you talking about?


    Why would I do anything to Astrid?"


    "Oh." Sallie responded timidly, deciding to drop the subject.


    The audience had arrived, and the recording had begun.


    Astrid, now dressed for the performance, waited in the dressing room.


    Gracie sat next to her, looking very tense. "Astrid, did you find out who that person was? Are you sure


    you''re safe?"


    "You''ve asked this a million times. I swear, I''m fine," Astrid replied, pinching Gracie''s cheek. "Eat more.


    My brother likes chubby girls."


    "Huh?" Gracie was taken aback. "I''m not meaty enough?"


    "You''re meaty, just not in the right ces," Astrid said, causing Selena to burst outughing.


    Immediately, Gracie was annoyed. "Astrid! I thought we promised to be each other''s protectors? Why


    are you making fun of me?"


    The recording of the show was very long, and Astrid''s segment was scheduled for thetter half.


    By the time she was about to go on, the audience was already exhausted.


    Astrid was resting in the dressing room when the door was suddenly pushed open. "This is outrageous,


    Astrid!" Gracie eximed angrily. "The directors had the nerve to schedule your and Fannie''s segments


    back to back. As soon as Fannie finishes her song, you''re on! And there''s an interview segment after


    that! Aren''t they just asking for trouble?"

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    Chapter 430


    Hearing this, Selena was also pretty worked up. "Everyone knows there has been beef between you


    two. It''s obvious the show''s trying to stir up drama by putting you guys together!"


    "That''s too much, exploiting Astrid like that!" Gracie, looking at the schedule, was clearly pissed off.


    "The showrunners have no respect, man. They didn''t even mention Fannie when they announced the


    guests. Now they suddenly throw Fannie in, it''s definitely gonna stir up a storm of discussion!"


    Selena noted, "Fannie used to be a celebrity. Although she lost a lot of fans, there are still some die-


    hards sticking by her. So she''s a real pot-stirrer. All the media outlets are fighting for ratings for this kind


    of event, so the showrunners clearly know what they''re doing."


    "Right," Astrid nodded. "We just need to focus on ourselves.As long as I don''t feel awkward, the


    awkward ones will be the others."


    Hearing this, Gracie felt somewhat relieved, as if that''s exactly the way it was.


    By the time Fannie stepped on stage, it''s already past ten at night.


    Many in the audience were already dozing off when the host announced, "Our next guest is a real


    legend. She has countless works, and every TV show she''s been in has topped the ratings. She''s also


    a singer and has sung many ssic songs that everyone loves. Let''s wee Fannie, performing


    ''Forever Here With You!''"


    As soon as the host finished, there was a sparse smattering of apuse.


    When Fannie walked out, she nailed her performance.


    Afterwards, there was barely any apuse from the audience. The atmosphere was super awkward.


    Fannie grasped the microphone with both hands and bit her lip, but kept a graceful smile on her face.


    The audience looked at Fannie on stage, their expressionsplex.


    "Fannie? The Fannie who''s used of criminal activities?"


    "Seriously? She''s allowed back on TV?"


    "How much did the show pay Fannie?"


    "If I were Fannie, I wouldn''t dare to show my face! But she''s acting like it''s no big deal. Shameless!"


    "Go on!!! Keep going, Fannie!"


    "Cheer up Fannie, we''re always here!"


    Fannie, dressed in a beautiful gown, stepped onto the stage, elegantly waving at everyone. "Hello, I''m


    Fannie."


    The host said, "You look beautiful today. It''s been a while since west saw you. What have you been


    up to recently?"


    Fannie replied, "I''ve been studying, trying to better myself."


    Her answer left the host a bit awkward, not knowing how to follow up. So he said, "We need two guests


    for the lottery segment. Would you like to draw it with another guest?"


    Fannie said, "Sure."


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    The host then said, "Great, our other guest is also our next performer, actress Astrid!"


    Hearing this name, Fannie stiffened.


    The audience screamed, "Ah!!! Astrid!!!!!!"


    "I love you, Astar, look at me, look at me!"


    The intense cheers, apuse, and screams almost made Fannie lose her footing.


    Once, all those apuse were hers!


    But how did she end up like this?


    When Astrid stepped onto the stage, everyone stared at her robe, totally dumbfounded.


    The host asked, "Astrid, what are you wearing?"


    Astrid smiled, "Actually, before I perform my magic show, I n to do a bit of stand-upedy for


    everyone!"


    There was an exmation of surprise. Stand-upedy?


    Fannie was stunned.


    She suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

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    Chapter 431


    Astrid had mentioned before that she''s nning a surprise for Fannie. Hearing this, Fannie''s hand


    gripping the microphone suddenly tightened.


    Astrid was allughs and full of youthful energy. Just standing there, she made the hosts and Fannie


    look pale inparison.


    When the audience heard Astrid was going to do stand-up, they were thrilled.


    Fans were cheering left and right.


    Even the spectators who were feeling a bit drowsy suddenly woke up, looking towards the stage, "Why


    the sudden hustle and bustle? Who''s here?"


    "Isn''t that Astrid?! She looks even prettier in person than on TV!"


    "Don''t you know her? She''s the actress who catches snakes and sharks on the show!"


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Astrid, I love you!"


    "Wow, it''s so worthing today, Astrid is doing stand-upedy!!!"


    "Today''s ticket was money well spent!"


    "Astrid is so amazing, I feel like I need to learn more skills just to be worthy of being her fan!"


    The host asked, "Stand-upedy?"


    Astrid shook her head, "I''m teaming up with a mystery guest. Stay tuned, you''ll find out soon."


    "Alright, please stand over here." The host stepped aside, and Astrid moved to the designated spot.


    But Fannie, she was still standing there, dazed.


    The host called again, "Fannie, over here."


    "Oh, okay." Fannie snapped out of it, only to find herself breaking out in a cold sweat.


    She had worked so hard for thiseback opportunity. If something went wrong, there would be no


    second chance.


    What to do?


    Fannie was distracted and didn''t hear the host calling her several times. The director had no choice but


    to call a pause, asking, "What''s the matter with Fannie? She seems to be sleepwalking."


    Fannie apologized to the director repeatedly, "I''m sorry, I''m not feeling well. Why don''t we let Astrid do


    the reveal by herself."


    With that, Fannie stumbled off the stage.


    The audience was dumbfounded, not knowing what had happened.


    Fannie sensed trouble and wanted to find the station manager, but before she could leave the studio, a


    tall figure blocked her way.


    "Move!" Fannie said, but the figure didn''t budge.


    She looked up to see Elio''s icy face.


    Elio, "Where are you going?"


    "I, I..." Fannie stuttered. Once upon a time, she dreamed of seeing the man before her eyes. But now,


    he was thest person she wanted to see.


    Fannie, "Mr. Lampard, please make way, I need to leave."


    "Leave?" Elio signaled to a bodyguard, who grabbed Fannie''s arm and shoved her into the nearest


    seat.


    The bodyguard was rough, and Fannie''s arm hurt from the grip. She frowned and asked, "Mr. Lampard,


    what is the meaning of this?"


    Elio said, "I''ve prepared a special gift for you, and you should ept it graciously."


    A special gift?


    Chills ran down Fannie''s spine. She bit her lip, her eyes cold, "Mr. Lampard, you have no right to


    restrict my freedom!"


    Just as she finished, Carson threw a stack of photos in front of Fannie.


    Picking them up, Fannie found that all the photos were of her secret meetings with the station


    manager!

 Chapter 432

    Chapter 432


    Carson said, "If you don''t want these photos to be all over the ce in the next second, then stop


    scheming against Astrid."


    Fannie held the photos in her hand, her body shaking uncontrobly.


    She didn''t expect Elio to go this far for Astrid!


    What''s so great about Astrid?


    Was it just because she''s pretty?


    "Thanks to Astrid for drawing the lucky prize for our audience. Now let''s enjoy a performance by Astrid


    and a mystery guest!"


    As the words left the host''s mouth, a slightly chubby figure walked out from behind the curtains.


    As he came closer, the audience gasped in surprise, "Oh my God, isn''t that Hanson?"


    "No one said Hanson wasing! The show''s team really kept this one under wraps!"


    "Good Lord, Hanson is a big name in the talk show world, and he hasn''t been on a show in years. He''s


    actually teamed up with Astrid this time!"


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "He must havee for the performance because of Elio!"


    "This is crazy, what kind of talk show performance can a young girl like Astrid pull off? She''s definitely


    going to ruin Hanson''s reputation!"


    "Astrid is just trying to attract attention, she won''t be able to do a talk show. Our Hanson must have


    been tricked by Elio!"


    Many audience members were skeptical about the unlikely duo, but Astrid seemed at ease.


    She quickly walked over to greet Hanson, then cleared her throat and began, "Thanks for the apuse,


    I''m very excited and nervous to be on this stage."


    Hanson asked, "You get nervous?"


    Astrid replied, "Of course, I''m working with a veteran like you, I''m afraid I might drag you down."


    Hanson said, "At least you''re aware of that."


    The atmosphere lightened a bit after a few words.


    Astrid said, "Hi everyone, I''m Astrid, a newbie in the talk show world. I guess this guy next to me


    doesn''t need an introduction, right?"


    Hanson looked at the audience, "Do you know me?"


    Audience shouted, "We do!!!"


    Hanson proudly said, "See, that''s poprity."


    Astrid said, "You definitely beat me in terms of poprity, but there''s one thing you can''t beat me at."


    Hanson said, "Hey, you''re pretty confident, what''s that?"


    Astrid said, "Friends!"


    Hanson pped the table, "Who is it?"


    "This friend of mine is not just anyone!" As soon as Astrid said this, Fannie stiffened.


    She knew Astrid was going to retaliate, but she didn''t expect Astrid to hint at it in a talk show!


    Hanson said, "Hey, I''m interested to see who this impressive friend is!"


    Astrid raised her eyebrows slightly, "Actually, my sess today is all thanks to this friend. The more


    outrageous things she does, the more popr I be. At first, I was quite upset, but then I realized


    that she was sacrificing herself to boost my poprity! I felt sorry for misunderstanding her. I became


    more and more popr, and then she disappeared."


    Fannie was instantly shocked.


    Hanson said, "Hey, do you have more friends like that? People say I''m not popr anymore, I want to


    be famous again."


    Astrid said, "Sorry, this friend is very biased towards me. Just like during rehearsal earlier, she gave me


    a big gift that forced me to give it my all."

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    Chapter 433


    "If it wasn''t for her, I wouldn''t even know I had such nimble moves!"


    The audience looked puzzled.


    Astrid said, "You guys don''t believe me?"


    Audience shouted, "No way!!!"


    Hanson shrugged and said, "The public has a keen eye!"


    Astrid said, "Well, then I guess I''ll have to prove it!"


    As her words fell, footage from the rehearsal appeared on the big screen behind her.


    Astrid''s graceful cartwheel right there on the spot took everyone by surprise.


    Audience replied, "Oh my god! Was that for the show, or was it an actual ident?"


    "Wow, was that cartwheel for real? It looked like she''s got some skill!"


    "With everyone backstage looking so panicked, it must be real, right?"


    "Was it an ident or was it nned?"


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Did Astrid just turn a real-life event into a stand-up routine? I think she''s talking about Fannie!"


    "I think so too. It''s about Fannie."


    "No wonder Fannie looked so upset earlier, she must have known Astrid wasing to reveal the


    truth."


    "Damn, we should have recorded this, it might get cut from the official broadcast!"


    "I got it on tape!"


    Fannie was trembling as she watched the big screen, gripping the back of the chair in front of her


    tightly.


    Since Astrid dared to expose this to the public, it meant she had enough evidence to prove herself as


    the mastermind behind the scenes!


    Quite a few people around her were looking her way.


    Fannie hung her head low, wishing she could find a ce to hide.


    Oh no!


    Her chances of turning the situation around were gone.


    Astrid nced at the crowd and said casually, "So, did I lie? Am I not nimble?"


    But Hanson said, "We need more evidence to believe you."


    Astrid hadn''t been doing stand-up for long, but she had a good handle on the timing, and she and


    Hanson were in perfect sync. It didn''t seem like this was their first time performing together at all.


    Even though the video in the middle was quite shocking, the atmosphere in the studio was enlivened


    again with the interaction between Astrid and Hanson.


    Astrid''s debut stand-up performance was a hit, and her magic show brought the whole evening to a


    climax.


    After the performance, as soon as Astrid returned backstage, Hanson walked over with a smile, "Astrid,


    are you sure you don''t want to seriously learn stand-upedy with me?"


    "Thank you so much for performing with me today. I really love stand-upedy, but I''m too busy right


    now. I''ll definitelye to you when I have time." Astrid bowed to Hanson with a smile, "I have to go


    now. Goodbye."


    Before Astrid could leave, Hanson called out to her, "Astrid, take care of yourself."


    "I will, you go get some rest." Astrid left with a smile and headed straight for the dressing room.


    Along the way, many staff asked for autographs and photos, and she obliged each one of them.


    Just as she entered the dressing room, she pushed the door open to an unexpected visitor, "Oh, what


    brings you here?"


    Pa said, "Astrid, could you consider our previous rtionship and ask the production team to cut out


    your performance just now?"


    "Hmph." Astrid scoffed, "What gives you the right to ask me to do that?"


    "Fannie indeed did something wrong to you, but she''s already like this. You''re very popr now and


    she''s hit rock bottom. She''s already received her punishment. Can''t you just forgive her?"

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    Chapter 434


    Astrid scoffed, popping a grape into her mouth. "This is hrious, you''re asking me to let her off the


    hook? Why didn''t she let me off then? You saw the video, if I hadn''t reacted fast enough, that thing


    would''ve hit my head!"


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Pa replied, "But you''re fine now, aren''t you?"


    Gracie said, "It''s annoying, if you don''t know what to say, then don''t say anything! I can''t stand listening


    to you lot spouting this nonsense. If Fannie gets herself into any trouble in the future, it''s her own fault!


    Pa, you''re no longer her manager, but the moment you hear she''s in trouble, you''re there faster than


    anyone else! Mark my words, in the end, she''ll choose someone else over you and you''ll be left with


    nothing! I hated you before, and I hate you even more now. Astrid''s been more than lenient. If it wasn''t


    for her, Fannie would probably be hauled off by the cops again, you get that? If you''re not happy with


    that, then get lost!"


    Gracie''s fiery words left Pa shaking in her boots. "Gracie, how can you talk like that?"


    Gracie, said "I like talking like this. Listen up, I''m giving you three seconds to get out, or I''ll throw you


    out! I used to fight all the time in high school, I can easily take on someone like you!"


    Pa was petrified by Gracie''s aura and looked at Astrid in fear. "Astrid..."


    Astrid shouted, "Get out!!!"


    Unable to reach an agreement, Pa had no choice but to leave. As he opened the door, he saw Elio


    standing there.


    He quickly stepped aside to let Elio in, then hurriedly left.


    Elio said, "I''ve dealt with the people responsible for the rehearsal ident. You handle that woman."


    "Sure." Astrid yawned. "It''s gettingte, I need to pick up Roman."


    "Come home with me tonight." As soon as Elio finished speaking, Gracie and Selena exchanged


    nces and quietly left the room.


    Astrid looked at Elio and shook her head. "No."


    "Astrid, what''s going on in your head? I don''t expect you to ept me right away, but haven''t I touched


    your heart at all?" There was a hint of defeat in Elio''s voice. "This is my first time pursuing a girl. If I''ve


    done something wrong, I hope you can tell me. I want to give you the best in my own way, but I don''t


    know if what I''m giving is what you like."


    "Is Mr. Lampard in there?" Mandy''s voice came from outside, followed by increasing noise.


    Carson said, "You really can''t go in, Mr. Lampard has urgent matters to deal with!"


    Gracie and Selena also quickly moved to block the entrance.


    After all, the two people inside finally had a moment alone, they didn''t want this woman toe in and


    ruin it.


    Mandy said, "What urgent matters? Is he romancing that Astrid?"


    "Mr. Lampard used to be very satisfied with my daughter. If he hadn''t given her the opportunity, how


    could my daughter be like this now? He must take responsibility!"


    Hearing Mandy''s words, Astrid raised an eyebrow, her tone turning serious. "Oh, Mr. Lampard, could


    you exin what you did to her daughter?"

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    Chapter 435


    Speaking of this, Elio felt a bit peeved as well.


    To clear up Astrid''s misunderstanding, he quickly exined, "My mom used to always bring pictures of


    girls, saying she wanted to set me up. I swear I didn''t even look at them."


    "You didn''t look at them?" Astrid shot him a cold nce, "If you didn''t look at them, why are you


    responsible for her daughter?"


    Elio said, "Because when my mom brought the pictures, I was working. She said she had something


    important, and I didn''t know it was pictures, so I let her leave them outside there. Then, Mandy thought


    that I was really satisfied with the girl in the picture after seeing it, so she misunderstood. At that time,


    the girl went around saying I was interested in her, and I had to go out of my way to exin. But,


    Mandy and my mom are close, and I couldn''t be too harsh, so she always gets overly friendly with me."


    Astrid was speechless.


    Just because Elio epted the picture, she thought he was into her?


    Is there really such a thing?


    Astrid sneered, "I don''t believe a single picture could get you so entangled!"


    Elio said, "Babe, I''m so wronged. You can ask Carson, I''m telling the truth."


    "Carson?" Astrid rolled her eyes, "Carson has always been your man, he''d definitely side with you."


    With that, Astrid picked up her stuff, opened the door, and said to Gracie, "Gracie, let''s go, time to head


    home."


    Gracie was stunned, "Okay."


    As soon as Mandy saw Elio, she put on a smile and said, "Mr. Lampard, Ynde learned a new dance


    recently, when will youe to my house? Ynde said she wants to dance for you!"


    Looking at Mandy''s face, Gracie felt irritated but managed to hold it in.


    Hearing this, Astrid immediately elbowed Elio, "Hey, a beauty offering to dance for you, that''s quite a


    treat, nice. Better agree quickly, or the beauty might get sad."


    Gracie and Selena couldn''t help but want tough when they heard Astrid''s words.


    Elio said, "Sweetheart, I only want to see you dance, as for other unimportant people, I couldn''t care


    less."


    "I''m not your sweetheart!" Astrid red at Elio and stormed off.


    Mandy was shocked. Sweetheart?


    Elio actually called Astrid sweetheart?


    And the Elio in front of her was a bit too gentle, was this really the Elio she knew?


    She often yed poker with Elio''s mom and had seen Elio many times, each time feeling a strong cold


    air from him.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    But the him right now, was he actually trying to please Astrid?


    Mandy wanted to say something, but Elio had already run after Astrid. She stomped her foot in anger


    and grumbled all the way back to her dressing room.


    When they got to the underground parking lot, Astrid was about to get in the car to go home when


    Amanda called.


    She quickly picked up the phone, "Hello, what''s up?"


    Amanda said, "Astrid, Roman is sick, he''s had some fever medicine, but the fever hasn''t gone down,


    he keeps calling for ''mommy'', when are youing back?"


    Astrid replied, "I''m on my way now!"


    "Gracie, you and Selena take a taxi home, and I''ll cover the fare. I need to go to Lampard Manor now."


    After saying this, Astrid got in the car and sped away.

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    Chapter 436


    When Astrid arrived at Lampard Manor, it was already prettyte, but the manor was all lit up.


    As soon as Amanda saw Astrid, she rushed over with a guilty expression, "Astrid, I had no idea how


    Roman suddenly got a fever. I guess I didn''t take good care of him."


    "Don''t me yourself, kiddos can easily catch a cold and get a fever in winter. Let me take a look at


    him." Astrid hurried in, noticing the little guy''s flushed cheeks and sweaty forehead.


    "Mama...mama..."


    Roman Lampard, delirious with fever, kept calling for his mama.


    Those repeated calls for mama really tugged at Astrid''s heartstrings, "Roman, sweetie, mama''s here."


    "Are you really mama?" Roman opened his little eyes, nced at Astrid, then cupped her face with his


    chubby hands, "Mama, I missed you."


    Astrid said, "Mama missed you too, Roman. Now rest, mama''s here with you."


    Roman continued, "Okay mama, can you sleep with me tonight?"


    Astrid replied, "Of course."


    Upon hearing this, Roman smiled sweetly. He was such a darling!


    Roman began to sweat, which was a sign his fever was breaking. Astrid fetched a towel and water,


    gently wiping his face and hands.


    When Elio got home, he saw Astrid sitting next to Roman, chatting with him.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Sensing someone at the door, Roman opened his eyes, nced at the entrance, then whispered, "Elio,


    mama hasn''t had dinner yet. Get cooking, will you?"


    Astrid was taken aback, "How do you know mama hasn''t eaten?"


    "Mama, your tummy''s been growling for a while now." Roman''s voice was soft, "let Elio show off a bit,


    he learned how to make pasta."


    Astrid, seeing the earnest look on the little guy''s face, nodded, "Alright."


    Upon hearing this, Elio immediately took off his coat and headed for the kitchen.


    Amanda followed right after, when she saw Elio donning an apron and getting ready to cook, her eyes


    sparkled, "Well, isn''t this a rare sight? You, in the kitchen?"


    Matthew said, "Just don''t burn down my kitchen. Let the maid do the cooking."


    Elio replied, "No need, I want to cook for Astrid myself."


    Hearing this, the two didn''t object him anymore.


    They figured it was high time Elio showed off a bit, or when would they get to hold their little


    granddaughter?


    Elio skillfully prepared the ingredients, then remembering the incident at the TV station earlier, he


    turned to Amanda who was watching from the doorway, "Mom, Mandy caused a scene at the TV


    station again today. If you don''t want Astrid to get the wrong idea, get her out of here."


    "Huh?" Amanda was startled, "I''ve made it clear to her! You have a girlfriend, and that you never had


    eyes for her daughter!"


    "I didn''t tell Mandy that Roman is Astrid''s biological son for the sake of Astrid''s career, but I''ve told her


    everything else she needs to know, including that you two are living together!"


    Elio said, "This problem started with you. You need to fix it."


    "Alright, no problem." Amanda turned around and quickly went upstairs.


    Upon reaching the door, she saw that Roman was already holding Astrid''s hand, fast asleep. The little


    guy had rosy cheeks and a small smile on his lips, he seemed to be in a good mood.

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    Chapter 437


    Amanda was worried that she might wake up Roman with her noise. So she stood by the door,


    whispering, "Astrid, Astrid."


    Astrid turned around to see Amanda behind her, looking like she had something secretive to share.


    She tiptoed to tuck Roman in and walked out of the room quietly, turning to Amanda and asking,


    "What''s up?"


    Amanda said, "Astrid, about the TV station incident today, I know all about it. Mandy is my friend, and I


    didn''t know about you before, so I thought of getting a girlfriend for Elio."


    Hearing this, Astrid knew that Elio must haveined to Amanda first.


    She looked at Amanda andughed, "It''s cool, I''m not mad."


    Amanda ignored Astrid''s response and kept talking, "Over the years, I might have introduced many


    girls to Elio, but he hasn''t even looked at a single photo! The thing about Ynde was just a


    misunderstanding. I left her photo at Elio''s ce, and his family thought he was into Ynde, so they


    kept the photo, and it turned into a big misunderstanding.


    Ynde really likes Elio! After several years, she still couldn''t find a boyfriend, so she kept waiting for


    Elio. Her mother is really worried, saying that Ynde has be a spinster because of Elio, and


    keeps talking about making Elio take responsibility. In reality, they have nothing to do with each other,


    don''t be upset."


    Astrid could tell that Amanda was truly worried, so sheforted her, "I believe what you''re saying,


    don''t worry too much."


    "Astrid, how can I not worry! Elio isn''t quick-witted, and he''s not articte, I worry for him watching your


    show." Speaking of the show, Amanda suddenly changed the subject, "By the way Astrid, you''re so


    incredible, you can catch sharks!"


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "Is snake meat tasty?"


    "Is it really hot on the ind?"


    The conversation went off on a tangent, and Astrid could onlyugh and keep chatting with Amanda.


    Soon, Elio had cooked spaghetti.


    Astrid was really hungry, so she didn''t hesitate to eat a big teful.


    Elio sat across from her, quietly watching her eat. The two elders had somehow gone upstairs, leaving


    the space to them.


    After Astrid finished washing up, it was alreadyte. She had been at the TV station for more than ten


    hours, from rehearsal to the end of recording. She was really tired.


    After washing up, she went back to Roman''s side and fell asleep hugging the little guy.


    When she woke up the next day, Astrid received a text from Sandra, "Astrid, can you lend me three


    hundred thousand dors? I need to tide over."


    If it wasn''t for this text, Astrid would have almost forgotten about this person.


    She deleted the text, and not long after, Sandra sent another one, "This money isn''t for gambling, it''s


    for your sister''s medical bills. Even though you guys have conflicts, you are sisters after all, can you


    help her?"


    Astrid smirked and replied, "When did she consider me her sister? I have nothing to do with your family


    anymore. Don''t treat me like an ATM, and stay away from me."


    After sending the text, Astrid immediately blocked her number.


    Astrid went about her work as usual in the following days, while Fannie was on tenterhooks every day.


    After that night, she thought Astrid woulde back and hit her with all the evidence.


    However, days passed, and the inte was surprisingly quiet, as if nothing had happened that night.

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    Chapter 438


    But because of this, her fear became even more intense.


    If the show aired as scheduled, the impact would be much bigger.


    She''d rather have problems crop up and get the show cut before airing, that''s way better than being


    mocked by everyone after it''s aired.


    "Ding dong, ding dong," the doorbell rang, startling Fannie.


    She got up to open the door, and saw Pa and Lucinda Irvine standing there.


    "Pa, why''d you bring her?" Fannie had hated Lucinda since school and still did.


    Seeing Fannie''s expression, Lucinda got irritated. "Fannie, I''m here to help you. Do you still think you''re


    still some big shot celebrity? Giving people attitude left and right!"


    "Help me? What can you help me with?" Fannie looked at Lucinda with disdain, not hiding her disgust.


    "You''re just a news anchor who''d sleep with anyone for money. What can you do for me?"


    "Fannie!!!" Lucinda was furious and pped Fannie!


    Fannie was stunned by the p. Pa didn''t expect Lucinda to actually hit someone and quickly


    intervened. "Ladies, stop fighting! The enemy of my enemy is my friend. You both want to take down


    Astrid, so you should be joining forces, not fighting each other!"


    The two women, who were about to have a catfight, finally calmed down after hearing this.


    They both despised each other, but they had amon enemy.


    After Pa yed peacemaker, they finally entered the house.


    At night, Astrid and Gracie just finished their work. Once they got in the car, Gracie started toin,


    "Astrid, why didn''t you make it public? You''re just gonna let that woman off the hook?"


    Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like I''m that nice?"


    Gracie shook her head, "Nope."


    "These past few days Fannie must have been eating and sleeping terribly. If I had made it public then, I


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    wouldn''t get the best result." Astrid said while munching on a chicken wing, enjoying herself.


    After hearing this, Gracie excitedly pped her thigh, "I get it!"


    "Fannie was doing really well that day. You''re waiting for the show to air to give her a fatal blow and


    "Yup, Fannie would do anything to achieve her goals. If she''s notpletely taken down, she''ll bounce


    back like grass in spring after a cold winter. So this time, I have topletely defeat her." Astrid


    finished and turned to see Gracie touching up her makeup.


    She asked curiously, "Gracie, where are you off to? Got a date?"


    Gracie said, "Not a date. I''m meeting a friend! You know my gaming buddy, right? He''s in Sunhaven,


    I''m going to see him!"


    "Meeting an online friend? That sounds exciting," Astrid asked nosily, "Gracie, don''t get fooled."


    Gracie waved her off, "I''m always the one fooling others, how could I get fooled?"


    "Hold on, I''m still a bit worried." Astrid put down what she was holding and busied herself in the back of


    the car.


    Gracie looked confused, asking, "What are you doing, Astrid?"


    "Look, this is for you!" Astrid handed over a bunch of self-defense tools, "My brothers gave me these,


    I''ve never used them. Here, take these, put them in your bag. If he tries anything funny, fight back!"


    Gracieughed out loud, "Your wish is mymand, I''ll take them all!"

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    Chapter 439


    Despite multiple reassurances, Astrid still seemed a bit worried, so she offered, "Gracie, how about I go


    with you? I''ve had some training, I can protect you."


    Upon hearing this, Gracie shook her head vehemently, "No way, you''re so gorgeous, standing next to


    me, I''ll look in. Please don''t steal my thunder. Don''t worry, it''s no biggie."


    Gracie was adamant about going alone, so Astrid had toply.


    After dropping Gracie off at the restaurant, Astrid went back home.


    The party was just starting to be broadcasted at 8 o''clock.


    Astrid was ying mobile games while watching TV. While gaming, her phone received several


    messages that covered her game screen.


    She was busy ying the game and didn''t really look at the messages.


    After the game was over, shezily opened the messages.


    As she had expected, it was a message from Fannie.


    In the message, Fannie said, "Astrid, I think there are many misunderstandings between us, we need


    to talk."


    Astrid said, "I don''t think there''s anything to talk about between us."


    Secondster, another message appeared on the screen.


    "Indeed, there''s nothing to chat about between us. But have you forgotten that you once had a child?


    This could be a major scandal in your star career. If I expose this to the public, do you think you


    can still stay in the entertainment industry smoothly?"


    You indeed have some dirt on me, but I''m not afraid to get my reputation even dirtier at this point. If you


    don''t agree to my terms, I''ll drag you down with me, even if I die, I''ll take you down with me."


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Looking at Fannie''s threatening message, a sneer appeared at the corner of Astrid''s mouth.


    Shezily leaned back on the sofa and replied, "Fannie, you said I had a child, what evidence do you


    have? Just your word? Would anyone believe the words of a notorious liar like you?"


    Fannie was eating when the message arrived. Looking at Astrid''s message, she was so angry that she


    threw her phone to the ground.


    Pa looked at her and quickly said, "Don''t panic, Fannie."


    "How can I not be anxious? Pa, everything was ruined by Astrid!" Fannie was almost hoarse, "If it


    weren''t for Astrid, I would still be a beloved top actress!"


    "You''re so ipetent. If you were a top manager like Dale, would I be in this situation?"


    These words hit Pa like a dagger.


    Pa looked at Fannie with a pale face. She had never imagined that Fannie would say such hurtful


    words.


    He was a well-known overachiever in school, rmended to Riverbank College without even taking


    the college entrance exam. He could have had a brighter future, but for Fannie, he went against his


    family''s wishes and chose to be a manager.


    He gave up everything for her, only to be called ''ipetent''?


    The silence in the room was chilling, and Fannie realized she might have said something wrong. She


    turned to look at Pa, bit her lip lightly, and said, "Pa, I was just too angry, I didn''t mean that."


    She reached out to touch Pa, but he stepped back.


    His eyes were filled with loneliness and pain, something Fannie had never seen before.


    "Pa..."

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    Chapter 440


    Pa left angrily.


    Suddenly, he remembered something Gracie once said.


    He chased her like apdog, only to end up with nothing.


    Gracie was right. He was just too stubborn, thinking Fannie would eventually see his good side.


    His phone started to buzz. Pa looked down and saw a message from Lucinda, "Just got word that


    Astrid will be at the Adventures in the Abyss celebration tomorrow night. The whole thing will be live


    streamed. Follow the n I gave you. See you then."


    Pa looked at his phone, typing, "I don''t want to be involved with Fannie anymore."


    But his finger hovered over the send button, and in the end, he didn''t press it.


    He deleted what he had typed and replied to Lucinda, "Okay."


    The party went on as nned. Fannie''s segment wasn''t cut, and Astrid''s stand-upedy was fully


    aired.


    The stand-upedy set was a hit, and the clip''s poprity was sky-rocketing.


    #AstridAndHansonStandUpComedy#


    #AstridSubtlyCriticizesFannie#


    #FannieComeback#


    #PartyRehearsalLightFall#


    ...


    One show sparked several trending topics.


    Fannie was mentally prepared, but reading thements still made her tremble with rage.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    [The show is obviously trying to stir up controversy. Everyone knows about the feud between Astar and


    Fannie, and they still put them on stage together! They''d dare to do anything for the buzz!]


    [What''s wrong with being on the same stage? Astar did nothing wrong, she''s all cool andposed,


    unlike some people looking nervous as hell, probably wanted to hide somewhere.]


    [After watching Astar''s stand-upedy, I just want to say she nailed it!]


    [Astrid is so petty. That stuff happened ages ago, and she''s still holding grudges, even mocking Fannie


    in her stand-upedy. Why bother?]


    [I feel like that light falling thing was staged by Astrid!]


    [Those saying it was staged are blind. That''s clearly a surveince camera! And look at the time


    passed since the incident, has your idol Fannie said a word? If it was fake, she would''ve rified it!]


    [A female star like Fannie trying to make aeback? Last time she hired a thug, this time she''s up to


    her old tricks again, shameless! Ban her forever!]


    [Support Astar, her stand-upedy is pretty professional!]


    [Astrid, stop mocking Fannie. If you have the guts, show us proof!]


    A lot of Fannie''s die-hard fans started to send private messages to Astrid, using her of framing


    Fannie.


    Astrid didn''t respond immediately, letting things simmer.


    Those who weren''t aware of the truth began toment under Astrid''s posts, making things quite ugly.


    Astrid was about to tweet something when Dale called.


    She picked up, "What''s up?"


    Dale said, "Honey, you told me not to interfere with this, that you''d handle it. But things don''t look good


    now. This could really hurt your image, and those uninformed are starting to criticize you."


    Astrid said, "That''s exactly what I want. The more fierce their criticism, the more attention this will draw,


    and the harder it will be for Fannie to escape. Once everyone knows, she''ll have no way out."

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    Chapter 441


    "Don''t sweat it, I know what I''m doing."


    After hanging up the phone, Astrid casually logged into Twitter.


    Then, sheposed a tweet and posted it.


    Astrids said, "Fannie, I was going to give you some ck, but it looks like your fans aren''t nning to


    let you off the hook. I wasn''t hinting, I was talking about you, Fannie! I''m straight to the point, that''s my


    style. I was ready to keep my distance, but you hurt me first. I''ve reported it to the police. If your fans


    want the truth, just wait for the police to announce the case! @SunhavenPolice."


    Reading the tweet, Dale, who had been anxious, burst intoughter, "Brilliant, that''s a brilliant move! If


    she revealed the evidence herself, fans would suspect she faked it, so she leaves it to the police,


    leaving those unreasonable fans speechless.


    And choosing to speak up at this moment, it looks like she''s been pushed to the limit by the fans,


    avoiding more controversy. Smart move. ssic Astrid."


    Robb nced at Dale, a bit annoyed, "Isn''t there one more stage of the adventure show to be filmed?"


    Caught off guard by Robb''s question, Dale hesitated before replying, "Yeah, what about it?"


    "Nothing, just some people rub me the wrong way." Robb put down the magazine in his hand and


    turned to look out the window, "Did you find out who that guy in the baseball cap is?"


    "Yep, found him. He''s from Yates Hamilton." Dale was a bit puzzled when he mentioned this, "Robb,


    Astrid told me that the guy warned her to be careful of the people around her. Could it be someone


    close to her is trying to harm her?"


    Robb gave Dale a deep look, "I''ve looked into Gracie and Selena, they''re clean."


    "They''re clean, you don''t think Elio is the one, do you?" As soon as the words were out, Dale felt the


    temperature in the room drop. He coughed awkwardly, then added, "That''s unlikely. Not Elio, but


    maybe someone else from the Lampard family."


    Dale nced at Robb, who was silent with a stern look on his face.


    Just as he was about to say something, Robb beat him to it, "Go to bed, it''s gettingte. We have to get


    up early tomorrow."


    "Okay, I call dibs on the spot by the window tonight!" With that, Dale darted off, leaving his shoes


    behind.


    Robb''s eyes flickered, muttering under his breath, "Dumbass."


    Half an hourter, Sunhaven Police released all the details of the day''s rehearsal light fall on their


    official ount.


    The police had already investigated and gathered evidence, all surveince footage was made public.


    Pictures could be faked, but the security footage from the corridors and elevators were real.


    And they also took the opportunity to reveal that Fannie had an illicit rtionship with a senior staff


    member at the TV station.


    Fannie, sitting at home, was nearly scared into a heart attack!


    Fannie thought she had been careful enough, knowing that Astrid was a hacker, so she didn''t use her


    phone to contact the lighting engineer, instead having him pose as a crew member and meet her under


    the pretext of delivering something.


    However, she didn''t expect that the lighting engineer''s gait was very unique, easily giving away that he


    had once sneaked into her dressing room.


    Faced with all the evidence, thoseizens who had been ndering Astrid and attacking Fannie had


    nowhere to hide!Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 442

    Chapter 442


    Fannie was at home, throwing things around in a fit of rage.


    It took her a while to realize that she needed to bail, she couldn''t stay at home!


    Although the stage light didn''t hit Astrid, the lighting technician had fessed up in the video that she was


    the puppet master behind the scenes. The cops would definitely being for her!


    She couldn''t get arrested, she had to stick around to see Astrid fail at the victory party tomorrow!


    With that, Fannie hurriedly packed all her precious diamonds and a bunch of clothes into her suitcase,


    then dragged it out of the house.


    She was anxiously waiting for the elevator, but when the doors opened, it was packed with cops!


    The video of Fannie getting arrested spread widely on the inte.


    People could only shake their heads,st year Fannie was all the rage, this year she shot herself in the


    foot.


    This time, she was really toast.


    As for Fannie''s arrest, Astrid wasn''t surprised at all, because it was all part of her n.


    It waste at night, Astrid turned off the lights and went back to her bedroom to sleep.


    Just as she closed her eyes, her phone rang. It was Gracie!


    Calling at this time, something must''ve happened, right?


    Astrid quickly answered the phone, "Gracie, what''s up?"


    "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Astrid, you''ll never guess who I ran into?" There was excitement in Gracie''s voice,


    "Guess, guess!"


    Astrid had a hunch, but to y along with Gracie''s performance, she said, "How could I possibly guess,


    just tell me!"


    Gracie said, "It''s Rickon Brooke! I was gobsmacked! When I saw him walking towards me, I thought he


    was here to eat, I asked him if he was meeting someone. Then he said, ''Yep, you.'' I was floored, if I


    hadn''t kept my wits about me, I might''ve jumped him right there!"


    Gracie chattered excitedly on the other end of the phone, Astrid couldn''t help but crack a smile.


    As for why she guessed it was Rickon.


    Because in the afternoon, Jon mentioned in the group chat that Rickon had sneaked into Sunhaven to


    meet someone mysterious.


    Combining all his previous experiences, Astrid quickly figured it out.


    But Rickon did a good job of ying it cool, she didn''t see iting at all.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Gracie and Rickon make a nice pair.


    The next evening, Astrid and Elio went to the victory party.


    As soon as Maddox saw them, his eyes lit up, "Astrid, we owe you big time, if it weren''t for your talents


    showcased on the show, it wouldn''t have been such a hit!


    And Mr. Lampard, we''re really, really grateful, you two are the heroes of our show!"


    As soon as the live audience saw Astrid and Elio, they went nuts, [Ahhh! Astar!]


    [Wow, just get married on the spot, we''re tired of waiting.]


    [These two are a match made in heaven! A handsome man and a beautiful woman! Their kids will be


    super cute!]


    [Mr. Lampard can''t take his eyes off Astar, it''s hrious!]


    Listening to Maddox, Astrid couldn''t help butugh, "Mr. Maddox, you''re too kind. The sess of the


    show is due to the hard work of the staff and all the guests, it''s not just me."


    Elio said, "Astrid is right."


    The chat room erupted.


    [Haha, Mr. Lampard is such a yes-man!]


    [Feels like Mr. Lampard is about to pop the question!]


    [Haha, did you see Astar roll her eyes?]


    Whileizens were excitedlymenting, a woman in a mboyant red dress appeared at the victory


    party.


    [Who''s that?]


    [OMG, I want to start a fundraiser for her to buy some clothes, half of her boobs are out!]


    [I feel like I''ve seen her somewhere.]


    [Ah!! I recognize her, it''s Astrid''s sister Lucinda!]

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    Chapter 443


    [Holy smokes, what''s this woman doing here? Is she here to hype herself or something?]


    [That''s a bit harsh, don''t you think? Can''t she just be here because she cares about her sister?]


    [I thought her livestream channel was dead? She''s always name-dropping Astar during her broadcasts


    to gain attention! She''s probably here tonight to do the same.]


    [Seriously, Lucinda may not be the prettiest, but man, she''s got curves! Though, they''re starting to sag


    a bit.]


    [I''ve got a bad feeling about this.]


    [Who cares who she is, as long as she doesn''t interrupt my viewing of Mr. Lampard and Astar''s sweet


    moments!]


    Parrish also noticed Lucinda''s entrance and couldn''t help but ask, "Who the hell is this woman? What''s


    she doing dressed like that in a ce like this?"


    "Talk about over the top."


    Hearing Parrish''smentary, Astrid followed his gaze to the entrance, spotting Lucinda chatting with


    the staff as if she knew everyone there.


    Astridzily shifted her gaze back to the camera, announcing, "I''ve got some great news to share with


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    you all soon."


    Comments flooded in: [What? Great news? Are Astar and Mr. Lampard officially announcing


    something?]


    [Oh my god! Is it what I think it is?]


    [Holy crap, I''m dead! Look, Astar and Mr. Lampard are matching! Secret sweet moments are the


    sweetest!]


    [Is it really an official announcement? Damn, Astar''s smile is so sweet, it has to be love!]


    [Why does Astar have to be in a rtionship? Can''t the great news just be about her?]


    While the viewers were getting excited, Astrid just gave a mysterious smile and raised her ss, "To


    the director, cheers."


    Maddox said, "I''ll drink to that, you do you."


    Maddox didn''t intend to push Astrid to drink, but she boldly downed arge ss of wine.


    "Astrid has a strong tolerance!" Parrishughed and turned to the camera, "Who do you think can drink


    more, me or Astrid?"


    Thements all echoed: Astar!!! Astar!!!


    Parrish squinted at the screen for a while, catching his own name among the barrage of ''Astar'', and


    burst into a grin, "At least some of you have foresight. How could a brawny man like me be outdrunk by


    a young woman?"


    "Sissyyyy-" Lucinda''s fake voice rang out, nearly causing Parrish to spit out his just-swallowed drink.


    He turned to see Lucinda sashaying towards them, her chest bouncing with each step, giving off a not-


    so-child-friendly vibe, "Astrid, this woman is your sister? Are you okay, Astrid? How do you have a


    sister like this?"


    Astrid gave Parrish a speechless look, "I didn''t have much of a choice, okay? You think I wanted her as


    a sister? Besides, we''re not rted by blood. Her mother is my foster mother."


    Hearing this, Parrish breathed a sigh of relief. This woman didn''t look like good news. If they weren''t


    blood-rted, at least Astrid wouldn''t have to deal with her for life!


    Noticing Astrid''s indifference, Lucinda pouted, "Sis, why are you ignoring me? I came here especially to


    celebrate your sess today!"


    Lucinda''s behavior disgusted the viewers, who expressed their difort: [Oh my god, I''m about to


    throw up my dinner!]


    [She''s not here to celebrate Astar''s sess, she''s here to fish for a sugar daddy!]

 Chapter 444

    Chapter 444


    [Man, she''s a piece of work, ying cute and acting all high and mighty. I almost had a heart attack


    right there on the spot!]


    [Damn, Astar, get out of there! You don¡¯t want to be seen with that fool!]


    [I always knew Astar had adoptive parents and a sister, but her sister... words fail me!]


    Parrish felt a wave of difort wash over him. If it wasn''t for the audience watching, he would have


    lost his temper right then and there. He despised women of such pretence!


    To ease the tension, Astrid calmly spoke, ¡°Lucinda, say what you have to say. We''re all busy here. I


    have an interactive session with the viewers soon, I don¡¯t have time to waste with you.¡±


    Astrid being so direct caught Lucinda off guard.


    However, she came with the intention of stirring the pot, so naturally, she didn''t want to waste time with


    Astrid either.


    After ncing at Elio and the directors and investors on the scene, Lucinda smirked and said in an


    insinuating tone, ¡°Sis, I¡¯m really here to congratte you. After all, you''re in the limelight now, our


    family can bask in your glory.¡±


    Astrid chuckled lightly, "My glory? You have the protection of the Chairman of Rising Summit Media.


    You still need my glory?¡±


    As soon as she spoke, Lucinda¡¯s face changed.


    The chat room exploded, [Damn, Lucinda is involved with Jeff, the Chairman of Rising Summit Media?]


    Someone asked, [Does anyone know how old the Chairman of Rising Summit Media is? Sixty, right?


    Damn!]


    [Gross!]


    [I can''t even look at her anymore!]


    [Rumours have been going around about Jeff¡¯s wife catching him with some inte celebrity. Guess


    it''s Lucinda. Shameless.]


    Lucinda''s face turned a shade of crimson. How did Astrid know about her secret affair with Jeff?


    She hade to sabotage Astrid, but Astrid had beaten her to the punch.


    ¡°What are you talking about, sis? I am just a contracted host with Rising Summit Media, I have nothing


    to do with Jeff!¡± Lucinda¡¯s facial expression betrayed her words, making her denial seem incredibly


    feeble.


    The everyone in the banquet hall gave her suspicious looks.


    Feeling the heat on her face, Lucinda felt like she was the animal in a zoo, ¡°Sis, you can use me of


    anything, after all, you are my sister. I am here today to congratte you on behalf of our parents and


    your baby, I don''t want to say anything else, I¡¯ll leave now!¡±


    The phrase "your baby" hit like a bomb, leaving everyone stunned.


    As Lucinda saw the surprise on everyone¡¯s face, she quickly covered her mouth, feigning surprise, ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, sis! I identally spilled the beans, my bad, my bad! I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned¡­Oh, sorry, the


    more I say, the worse it gets. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Lucinda¡¯s words left everyone in shock!


    Just as Maddox was about to end the stream, Astrid stopped him.


    Viewers: [What does this mean? Astar has a child?]


    [Damn, is this for real? My idol already has a child? Who¡¯s the father?]


    [Astrid is already married and has a child? I remember her saying she was single!]


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    [Deceiving fans, deceiving the public! Damn!]


    [Astar, Astar, exin quickly!]


    [Elio must be heartbroken knowing this, right?]

 Chapter 445

    Chapter 445


    [The birth is definitely real. After all, so many people watched the live stream. If it were fake, Lucinda


    wouldn''t dare to show up here to stir the pot!]


    [Why do I feel like it''s a conspiracy? Her acting is so bad, so fake.]


    [I think she''s deliberately trying to mess with Astrid?]


    [Holy crap, has Astrid really married in secret? Then why are we still shipping her with Mr. Lampard?]


    [I''ve had my doubts when they said she had a fiance before, see?]


    [I¡¯m enjoying the show until it hits home? My god...]


    Lucinda thought that Astrid would definitely exin, so she brought a lot of evidence with her.


    The photos that Sandra previously used to ckmail Astrid were destroyed, but she actually had


    backups here.


    Why didn''t they expose Astrid before? They just wanted to use those things to extort more money from


    Astrid time and time again.


    Seeing Astrid bing more popr, they wanted to take the opportunity to extort some money. But


    who would have thought that she wouldn''t even give a few hundreds of thousands.


    She was told to get lost. So she decided to join forces with Fannie to make public the fact that Astrid


    had a child! If they can''t benefit, then they might as well destroy her. She absolutely won''t let Astrid rise


    to fame!


    Astrid squinted her eyes, before she could speak, Elio''s steady voice came from beside her, "We were


    nning to announce this today anyway, Astrid does have a child. To be precise, we both have a child."


    Astrid was shocked, "You..."


    Elio said, "This is the best solution, isn''t it?"


    Astrid went silent. Indeed, this was the best solution.


    Elio''s few wordspletely stunned everyone!Even Maddox didn''t know how to respond.


    Comments: [WHAT? Is this real?]


    [So they got a child before getting married?]


    [Why do I feel like Mr. Lampard is taking the me to save Astrid''s image?]


    [I don''t believe it, that child is theirs! How could it be such a coincidence?]


    [Holy crap, if this is true, I won''t have coffee for three years!]


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    [I swear, if this is true, I''ll study two SAT prep books!]


    [If that child really is theirs, I''ll work hard every day from now on!]


    [If they really had a child, I''ll stop staying upte and eating midnight snacks from today!]


    The discussion went off track.


    Some doubted, but more of their fans hoped it was true!


    Astrid didn''t expect Elio to directly mention this, but Lucinda came prepared today, so she was also


    ready to admit it. After all, she never thought that having a child was a stain.


    Lucinda was stunned for a moment, then directly said, "Mr. Lampard, stop joking around, how could


    that child be yours and my sister''s? You didn''t even know each other a few years ago. I understand that


    you love my sister, so you would admit to the child. But this would upset the child''s biological father."


    Elio didn''t even look at Lucinda, he just gently held Astrid''s hand, "Then you tell me, when did Astrid


    have her child?"


    Lucinda didn''t realize that Elio was setting a trap for her, she directly said, "She had the child on New


    Year''s Eve four years ago. It''s a boy, and he just turned four."


    Four years old?


    A boy?


    Clyde, who had been silent all along, chimed in, "If I remember correctly, the young master of the


    Lampard Group, Roman Lampard, was born on New Year''s Eve and he''s just turned four."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lucinda was stunned.


    Roman is four years old? Roman was born on New Year''s Eve? How could it be such a


    coincidence???


    Comments: [Holy crap, it matches, it matches!!!]


    [So my Astrid had a baby when she was neen]

 Chapter 446

    Chapter 446


    [Holy cow, they''ve actually got a kid together, I''m done!]


    [Holy moly! It might actually be true!]


    [Damn, I''ve been rooting for some sort of heavenly couple, who skipped right over the dating and


    marriage part and went straight to having a kid?]


    [Mr. Lampard, spill the beans on your past with Astar!]


    [Ah!!! Roman has a mom now! Damn, I''m in tears!]


    Parrish, staring at Astrid and Elio, took a while to snap out of it, "Bloody hell, Astar! You and Mr.


    Lampard actually have a kid together!"


    Lucinda said, "I don''t believe it, it must be fake, you guys didn''t even know each other before!"


    Elio said, "I messed up five years ago which led to our separation, and I''ve been trying to make up for it


    ever since. I don''t want to hear any negativements about Astrid, because in our rtionship, she


    was never in the wrong. I was the one who separated her from our son Roman, and I was the one who


    put her through some tough times. I won''t allow anyone to hurt the person I hold dear. If I see any


    irresponsible media outlets spreading lies, I won''t let it slide."


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Comments: [Ah!!! It''s true! It''s true!]


    [Mr. Lampard is so damn cool!]


    [Mr. Lampard is definitely boyfriend goals, stepping up and protecting Astar at the first sign of trouble.


    He really doesn''t want her to get hurt!]


    [Although I''m curious about their past, if Chief says it was a tough time, let''s let bygones be bygones.]


    [So, should we thank Lucinda? Without her, this bombshell wouldn''t have dropped!]


    [Yes, thank you, Lucinda!!!]


    [Pfft, so, Lucinda is actually a major assist in Mr. Lampard''s quest to win his wife back?]


    [Without Lucinda, when would humble Mr. Lampard dare spill the beans?]


    [No matter what, it''s not right for Astrid to hide the fact that she has a child!]


    [But Astar is in the prime of her career, suddenly having a child seems a bit inconvenient."


    [People who are meant to be famous can get married and have kids and still be popr. Those who


    aren''t, can stay single till they''re forty and still not make it!]


    [Astrid has always said she''s single and unmarried in public, but she never said she didn''t have a child,


    and no one ever asked her that question...]


    [I really want to know why Astar still looks so good after having a child, I''m already over 150 pounds


    and I haven''t even given birth yet, life is so hard.]


    Lucinda waspletely dumbfounded. She was here to harm Astrid, but she never expected Elio to be


    that man from the past!!


    She became an idental assist?


    "Congrats! Congrats, Mr. Lampard!" Parrishughed, "Mr. Lampard, honestly, you should be thanking


    Lucinda. If she hadn''t let slip about the child, when would you have gotten my master''s approval to


    reveal this?"


    Elio found Parrish''s words quite reasonable and said to Lucinda, "Indeed, we owe it all to you."


    Lucinda wanted to die!!


    She wasn''t trying to help them!


    But with so many eyes on her, she couldn''t say anything and forced a smile, "You''re too kind, Mr.


    Lampard."


    Seeing Lucinda wanted to leave, Astrid quickly grabbed her hand, "Don''t go, there''s something else I


    want to say to you."


    Lucinda was already mentally drained. Seeing the smile on Astrid''s face now, she felt a chill down her


    spine.

 Chapter 447

    Chapter 447


    "Alright, sis, I better be going. You two seem to have a busy day ahead, don''t you? I''ll see myself out."


    Lucinda hoped to avoid any confrontation with Astrid, so she began to back away, but Astrid wasn''t


    about to let her off that easily!


    With a firm grip on Lucinda''s arm and a smile that seemed amiable, Astrid said, "Now that you''re here,


    don''t rush off."


    "Many of our followers know we''re not exactly chummy. Let alone sisterly love. Your acting earlier was


    pretty poor. Did you really think everyone would buy your ''slip of the tongue''?"


    Lucinda was taken aback by Astrid''s blunt attack, as the rtionship between them clearly meant


    nothing to Astrid now.


    The viewers were thrilled beyond words, as if they had just chugged an energy drink. "Holy smokes,


    watching Astrid tear into her sister is even better than watching Mr. Lampard defending his wife!"


    [Astrid is so bad, no beating around the bush, she goes straight for the jugr!]


    [Formidable Astrid, as strong as Hades!]


    [Astrid: Watch me rip apart this innocent act of yours.]


    [LOL, loving it! Tear apart the innocent and the maniptive, Astrid is a pro.]


    [Knew it! Knew this girl was faking it, stirring up drama. This is way better than anyme soap opera.]


    [Is Astrid going too far? It''s her sister after all. Is she really being fairing at her like this? Isn''t there


    a saying, ''To err is human, to forgive divine''?]


    Lucinda went pale, "What are you talking about, sis? I just misspoke, how could you use me like


    this?"


    With effort, Lucinda managed to squeeze out a few tears, looking like she was greatly wronged.


    Astrid, who knew Lucinda inside out, was disgusted by her act. "Lucinda, stop your drama, I''m not


    buying it. Let me just cut to the chase: you''re not here to celebrate my sess. You''re here because I


    refused to give you money a few days ago, and you''re here to stir up trouble!"


    The room fell silent, shocked by Astrid''s revtion. So this was about money?


    Lucinda turned deathly pale, nervously waving her hands and avoiding the camera, "That''s not true, not


    true at all. We just asked to borrow money from you, not to take it for free. We lived together for


    eighteen years, sis, let''s not air our dirtyundry in public."


    Astrid, as if not hearing her, continued, "Firstly, I apologise for not being upfront about having a child. It


    was my mistake. Elio and I have aplicated rtionship, and I didn''t want to expose our child to


    unnecessary harm. All I wanted was to give him a happy childhood.


    I did mention earlier that I had some good news to share with you all, and it''s about me and my little


    angel. I just didn''t expect Lucinda to spill the beans. She imed it was an ident, but it was


    intentional. I''m grateful to my foster mother Sandra Irvine for adopting me from the orphanage. But


    when my biological father took me back, hepensated Sandra and her family.


    My ties with the Irvine family were severed long ago, but Sandra and Lucinda have been trying to


    ckmail me for money. Lucinda''s so-called idental slip today was because they asked for money a


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    few days ago and I refused. They''re trying to ruin me. I have evidence to prove it."

 Chapter 448

    Chapter 448


    Astrid spoke as she pulled out her iPhone, showing her text conversation with Sandra to the camera.


    Then she turned to Lucinda, "Lucinda, get your phone out. Let''spare and confirm this is Sandra''s


    number."


    "Really, Astrid? You''re exposing mom''s number to your followers? You want them to bombard her with


    calls? She raised you for eighteen years, don''t you think you''re being a bit harsh?" Lucinda was on the


    verge of losing her temper if not for the live stream.


    But, Sandra had advised her before that always y the victim to gain sympathy from the public.


    So she forced herself to hold back her rage.


    However, her words had indirectly confirmed that it was indeed Sandra''s number.


    "She might''ve raised you for eighteen years, but she''s also beaten you for those same eighteen years,


    right?" The icy voice of a man echoed through the room. Everyone turned to see Yates, who had


    rushed over after receiving a call from Dale. He ran so fast that beads of sweat were visible on his


    forehead.


    He took a deep breath, walked briskly towards the camera, and gave it a wave, "Hey there, cuties


    watching at home. I''m Yates, Astrid''s childhood friend. We''ve known each other since preschool. I can


    attest that Astrid often had bruises from the beatings she endured from her foster mother, Sandra. I''m


    sure there''re people watching right now who went to school with Astrid and can confirm she''d often


    That''s when we found out it was Sandra who was abusing her.


    Astrid''s biological father was grateful to Sandra for adopting Astrid from the orphanage and saving her


    from a deadly fire. But Sandra has abused Astrid for so many years, I can''t believe she has the


    audacity to even ask for money!"


    Lucinda was stunned. She hadn''t expected Yates to show up, let alone reveal Sandra''s abusive


    behavior. Everything was deviating from her n.


    Meanwhile, the chat was popping off, [Yates is telling the truth. I was in middle school with Astrid. She''d


    oftene to ss with a ck eye or busted lip. Back then, I didn''t know Lucinda and Astrid were


    sisters. Lucinda was always dressed in luxury while Astrid looked like she''d stepped out of a Dickens


    novel.]


    [I was in elementary school with Astrid. Because she was so pretty, I always noticed her. It''s true she


    was frequently beaten. One memory sticks out; it was pouring rain and Lucinda''s parents came to pick


    her up, leaving Astrid to walk home alone in the rain. I thought they just shared ast name and weren''t


    rted. Poor Astrid!]


    [Wow, I had no idea Astrid had it so rough.]


    [Sandra is shameless!]


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    [Are all of you just spreading rumors? Is Astrid trying to y the sympathy card to gain poprity?]


    [To the person above, get your facts right! Does our Astrid need to use cheap tricks?]


    [Follow my Twitter @WandererKid. Everything I say is the truth, I''ll even post our graduation photo with


    Astrid!]


    [Astrid is so strong, she never needed to y the victim for attention!]


    The turn of events was too fast for Lucinda to cope with.


    Just then, Gracie stepped forward, saying, "Lucinda, you remember me, right? I know exactly how hard


    Astrid had it back then! How can you call her full name one day and then sister the next? Doesn''t it feel


    odd?"


    Lucinda pursed her lips, "You all... you all... are overstepping."

 Chapter 449

    Chapter 449


    "Overstepping?" Astrid scoffed, "Don''t you realize the gravity of the situation? What''s the purpose of


    you being here today? Have you forgotten?"


    Lucinda whirled around to face Astrid, who smiled and showed her cell phone screen. "What''s your


    purpose here today?"


    Upon seeing the screen the cell phone, Lucinda¡¯s mind went nk momentarily. In a daze, she


    mumbled, "Today... today''s goal was to ruin that little bitch, Astrid, for not paying me. Fannie Santos


    promised me five million after the job was done. Because I know Astrid''s secret, and Fannie wants to


    bring Astrid down by revealing her pregnancy. So, we coborated."


    Everyone was shocked.


    Pa, watching the live stream, nearly choked on her coffee!


    Fannie was already in deep water. Even at this point, Lucinda didn''t forget to drag Fannie further in?


    Lucinda, now under hypnosis, was spilling her innermost thoughts. The room fell silent as a tomb until


    Lucinda continued, "Astrid doesn''t deserve to be my sister. She''s like a dog we''ve kept for eighteen


    years. How can we let her go that easily? We want Astrid to be under our control forever!"


    "p!" A sharp pnded on Lucinda''s face, the searing pain snapping her back to reality.


    She covered her face and looked at the furious Yates with tear-filled eyes. "Yates! Why did you hit me?


    Look everyone, he''s hitting a woman! He''s hitting a woman!"


    Parrish retorted, "If he hadn''t beaten, I''d do it myself. Are you even human? Still ying the victim,


    huh? Who doesn''t know you''re a wolf in sheep''s clothing?"


    Lucinda looked at their using eyes, panic rising rapidly.


    She hadn''t said anything wrong, but why were they reacting this way?


    The spectators also wished they could reach through their screens and tear Lucinda apart. [Damn, this


    woman has no shame!]


    [But I didn''t expect all this was nned by her and Fannie. Fannie is disgusting!]


    [Fannie really won''t rest until she''s dug her own grave.]


    [Lucinda has no proof, why is she dragging Fannie into this?]


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    [How can Fannie still have fans? I''m shocked.]


    [Lucinda, where''s your proof? Don''t just sling mud at Fannie because she''s messed up!]


    Astrid nced at thements, a smile on her lips. She turned to Lucinda, "Lucinda, the viewers all


    believe that this was your n, and you''re trying to make Fannie your scapegoat. I also think that this


    is all your doing! I can easily sue you for this."


    Provocation. A low-level provocation. But Astrid knew it was enough to deal with Lucinda.


    Sure enough, as soon as Astrid finished her sentence, Lucinda became flustered, "Nonsense! I have


    proof. I was afraid Fannie would back out and not pay me, so I secretly recorded our conversation!"


    Saying this, Lucinda quickly pulled out her cell phone and yed the recording of her conversation with


    Fannie.


    [Recording] Fannie said, "I know you have something that can bring Astrid down and you need money.


    If you can make Astrid lose face at the celebration live stream tomorrow, I''ll give you five million."


    Lucinda said, "Let''s put it in writing."


    Fannie said, "No, we can''t leave any evidence. Don''t worry, I''m a public figure. I won''t cheat you out of


    your money."

 Chapter 450

    Chapter 450


    Lucinda continued, "Astrid and I have never gotten along, and I didn''t have the chance to expose this."


    Fannie replied, "Don''t worry, my agent Pa will help you out. All you have to do is let everyone know


    that Astrid has a child out of wedlock. Elio will be furious, because Astrid has deceived his feelings. He


    will surely cklist Astrid, and we will achieve our goal."


    Fannie said, "Bring all the evidence you have. When you go there, act your part well. Don''t let anyone


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    see through your act."


    Lucinda replied, "I''ll do my best. By the way, Fannie, you were the one who nned everything back


    then, weren''t you?"


    Fannie said "Don''t ask questions you shouldn''t!"


    ...


    The recording stopped abruptly at this point, but those who knew Fannie well could recognize her


    voice. Moreover, Lucinda had called Fannie''s name during the recording.


    Lucinda shouted, "You heard it, right? Fannie is the real culprit, I''m just an aplice at most! If she


    hadn''te to me, I wouldn''t be here today!"


    Comments: [cklist Fannie!]


    [Fannie, get out of the entertainment industry!]


    [Did her agent Pa also get involved? Pa should leave too!]


    [Fannie and Pa, leave the entertainment industry!]


    [I was so blind before, I actually liked someone like Fannie!]


    [Lucinda needs to get out of the streaming industry. This woman is disgusting, all she does is act coy


    and flirty!]


    After this incident, there was no way for Fannie to make aeback, and Lucinda waspletely


    ruined.


    "All right, it''s over, you can go now." Having achieved her goal, Astrid let go of Lucinda''s hand.


    Stumbling towards the exit, Lucinda was beginning to question everything. She came to harm Astrid,


    but ended up harming herself! What''s worse, Astrid was not affected at all, as shippers of Astrid and


    Elio were even starting to celebrate!


    Astrid didn''t have any fans that imagined her as girlfriend, so the fact that she had a child out of


    wedlock didn''t seem to matter.


    But Lucinda was first exposed for having an affair with the CEO, then she was called out by the


    "Lucinda, you little slut! You''re still messing with my husband, I''m going to tear your clothes off today!"


    A woman, along with a group of people, stormed in, blocking Lucinda who was about to leave at the


    entrance.


    It was none other than the wife of the CEO of Rising Summit Media.


    She had brought her girl gang to catch the culprit.


    "Ladies, help me strip this little skank!"


    "You like to seduce men without clothes on, don''t you? There''s plenty of men here, I''ll let you get your


    fill!"


    "Take pictures!"


    "She got caught once before and she still hasn''t learned her lesson. If we don''t teach her a lesson


    today, who knows whose husband she''ll go after tomorrow!"


    The noise at the entrance attracted the security guard, the woman''s curses and Lucinda''s cries grew


    louder and louder.


    Parrish couldn''t help but whistle, "Damn, Astrid, this is the first time I''ve seen something like this. Isn''t


    this something that only happens in inte memes?"


    Astrid shrugged, saying, "Well, those video memese from real life, don''t they?"


    "True." Parrish turned to Elio, "Mr. Lampard, congrattions, you''ve finally seen the light!"


    Elio raised an eyebrow, today''s chase to win his wife back had indeed taken a big step forward, it was


    cause for celebration.


    At this moment, Yates approached with a grin, "Astrid, did Ie at the right time today? Shouldn''t you


    reward me with a kiss?"


    Want her to kiss him? Elio''s face darkened, he said icily, "I''ll reward you with a kiss, how about that?"

 Chapter 451

    Chapter 451


    Commenter Were excited.


    Yates rolled his eyes, "You''re insane! What I want is Astrid''s kiss! Who the hell wants yours!"


    Elio said, "Mine belongs to Astrid, so my kiss is hers too. The same applies to her kiss. If you''re so bent


    on a kiss as a reward, I''m the only one who can stand in for her."


    Saying so, Elio lightly curled his lip corner and positioned himself between Yates and Astrid.


    Comments: [OMG, am I crazy for actually wanting him to do it?"


    [I''m dying, so much jealousy! Mr. Lampard must''ve fallen into a jealousy vat, I can even smell it through


    the screen.]


    [Forget everything else, this guy is so handsome, like he walked straight out of aic book. And he


    and Astrid are childhood friends, the best kind of rtionship!]


    [Although Yates is also great, Mr. Lampard and Astrid make a better match. I love seeing them team up


    and take down bad guys ~ Mr. Lampard is stronger, and he can protect our Astrid better!]


    [Go for it, Mr. Lampard, kiss him, LOL!]


    [What kind of diamond guys surround our Astrid? Either one of them would be a phenomenal choice,


    truly great people attract others like them!]


    [I actually love Astrid''s older brother the most. I was totally smitten by that picturest time!]


    Sensing Elio''s approach, Yates silently took a step back. "Elio, I won''t argue with you today. I don''t want


    to ruin Astrid''s celebration, but I need to clear up some things in front of everyone."


    "Even if you two already have a child, the fact that you haven''t confirmed your rtionship even after


    four years says something. I won''t force Astrid to do anything she doesn''t want to, but if you hurt her


    again, I don''t care how powerful you are, I''ll take you down.


    Goodbye, my lovely fans. Remember me, I''m Astrid''s number one fan, Yates! We''ll meet again!"


    After speaking, Yates winked at the camera, hitting tens of thousands of fan girl hearts.


    Comments: [Yates, if Astrid doesn''t want you, I do!!!]


    [Notice me, I am both decent and considerate!]


    [I''m dead!!! His smile just killed me!]


    [Oh, Mr. Lampard''s number one rival. But he seems a bit immature due to his age, more suitable for


    dating, not marriage.]


    Astrid massaged her aching temples, exasperated. This guy never thought about the consequences of


    his words.


    He just wanted to express his opinion, no matter how much trouble his words could cause.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    There were already plenty of people jealous of her, and his words would surely stir up more rumors.


    "Astrid,e interact with your fans." Maddox called, and Astrid walked toward the camera.


    Elio promptly followed, taking a seat next to Astrid.


    The audienceughed at his actions, "Did I see that right? Did Mr. Lampard just pick up his pace to


    im that seat next to Astrid? He''s so transparent, it''s hrious!"


    "LOL, I''m dying, he just doesn''t want anyone else sitting next to Astrid."


    "I never thought I''d find Mr. Lampard... cute?"

 Chapter 452

    Chapter 452


    [Astar: Oh my goodness, I can''t bear to look!]


    [Mr. Lampard: I don¡¯t care, I want to be next to my wife. No one should approach my wife.]


    [Ha-ha-ha-ha... His subtle actions are hrious, especially when his expression remains as cold as


    ever!]


    Elio had no idea that his online persona as a cold character had been shattered.


    His face still wore its usual cold mask.


    Roman , who was watching the live stream, was overjoyed. He clutched his tablet and bolted towards


    the poker room, "Granny!"


    Amanda turned her head, "What''s wrong, my dear grandson?"


    Roman replied, "During the live stream, mom told everyone that I''m her little treasure. I can tell


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    everyone at school that my mom is Astar now!"


    As he spoke, Roman''s eyes shone brightly.


    Although he had previously told people that he had a mom, he had been obediently keeping his mom''s


    secret for the sake of her career.


    Now, he didn''t need to hide it anymore!


    Roman said, "I''m going to tell everyone that my mom is Astrid, a fairy!"


    Thedies ying poker looked bewildered, "Who? Astrid?"


    Roman proudly lifted his chin, "Yes, that''s right!"


    "Oh my, Astar? I really like her! I even wanted my son to pursue her, thank goodness he didn''t. That


    would''ve been stealing Mr. Lampard''s wife. That was a close call." Latonia, who rarely joined the poker


    games and was unaware of Elio and Astrid''s rtionship, said.


    Thinking about it now, she was d her son hadn''t pursued Astrid. That would''ve been a disaster!


    Roman said, "My mom already has a husband, and she wouldn''t be interested in anyone else. Mrs.


    Latonia, you should give up!"


    At his words, Latonia chuckled, "Oh my, now that I know about Astar and Mr. Lampard, even if you


    gave me a hundred guts, our family wouldn''t dare to steal Mr. Lampard''s wife!"


    "I always knew Roman was smart, it''s all in the genes! Star is so outstanding, many of us want our


    sons to pursue her!"


    Amanda said, "Oh dear, after all, Astrid is a celebrity, so this matter couldn''t be disclosed directly. Now


    that it''s out, it seems like I''ll be holding a little granddaughter soon. Oh ho ho ho~"


    Roman unhappily watched his grannyughing with her eyes squinted and walked out.


    After watching the live stream for half an hour, Roman felt hot and went out to sit on the small steps in


    front of the vi with his tablet.


    Just as he stepped out, he saw a figure at the gate waving at him. He stood up and took a closer look,


    then eximed in a small voice, "Lucas, why are you here?"


    As he approached, Roman noticed that Lucas''s face was covered in blood, and he screamed,


    "Grandpa! Grandma! Lucas is hurt!"


    Amanda, who was ying poker, didn''t hear him.


    His grandpa, Matthew, who was trimming flowers in the yard, immediately ran over. Seeing Lucas''s


    bloody state, he was frightened and hurriedly opened the door, "What happened, Lucas?"


    "I... I..." Before he could finish his sentence, Lucas copsed on the ground.


    Matthew quickly dialed the emergency number.


    Roman kept shouting, "Granny, Granny!!!"


    After a while, Amanda finally arrived. Seeing Lucas on the ground, she turned pale, "Matt, what


    happened?"

 Chapter 453

    Chapter 453


    "Oh dear, what on earth happened, Amanda?" Latonia and the others were so frightened they could


    barely speak, retreating in rm.


    Seeing this, Matthew calmly said, "This kid is always getting into fights at school, and look, he''s gotten


    himself cut again. It looks bad, but it''s nothing serious. Please, everyone, go home for today,e


    again some other day."


    "Alright, alright, goodbye..." Thedies left one by one.


    Roman stared at the injured Lucas Lampard on the ground, looking serious, "Grandpa, why did you


    lie?"


    Matthew stiffened, "I didn''t lie, Roman. It''s gettingte, go get some sleep. Your grandma and I will take


    Lucas to the hospital."


    Roman bit his lip, hesitating for a long time before finally returning to the house.


    Seeing Roman leave, Matthew Lampard sighed deeply, "Poor Lucas, he seems to be a carefree kid,


    but he has a kind heart. He must have gotten injured trying to stop someone''s wicked plot."


    "Hmm." Amanda nodded, "Let''s have Lucas stay with us from now on. If we send him back, he might


    not survive."


    "Alright." Matthew nodded, looking grave.


    Half an hourter, an ambnce took Lucas away.


    Roman watched the ambnce leave from a second-floor window, then took out his phone to call


    Astrid.


    At the same time, Astrid was interacting with her online friends, ying a game.


    Her phone was in Gracie''s hands.


    Seeing that it was Roman calling, Gracie answered, "Sweetie, what''s up? Your mom is busy right now."


    Roman said, " Gracie, could you tell Elio and mom that Lucas was seriously injured and lying at our


    doorstep covered in blood? Tell them to be careful on their way home."


    Covered in blood?


    Gracie''s smile disappeared in an instant, "Alright, I got it. Are you safe?"


    Roman said, "Don''t worry, Aunt Gracie, we have plenty of bodyguards, I''m safe at home."


    Gracie replied, "Good, I''ll let your parents know."


    Roman said, "Thanks, Gracie, goodbye."


    "Goodbye." The room was warm, but Gracie felt cold. She was astounded by Roman''s calmness and


    intelligence. If it were her, she would have panicked in such a situation.


    Roman was only four years old, yet he could calmly call to warn Astrid to be careful, his maturity


    beyond his years.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Thinking about Lucas covered in blood, Gracie became even more rmed.


    A few minutes ago, Astrid and Roman had just publicly acknowledged Roman as their son, and now


    Lucas was injured. This was no coincidence.


    During their interactive session, Astrid came over.


    Seeing Gracie''s expression, she asked softly, "What''s wrong, Gracie?"


    Gracie grabbed Astrid''s arm, whispering in her ear, "Roman just called, said Lucas was lying at the


    doorstep covered in blood. He said to be careful when you and Mr. Lamparde home."


    Astrid''s eyes turned cold, "Alright, I got it."


    "Astrid, they say being in a wealthy family is dangerous and lonely, but this is too damn scary. They just


    cut people like it''s nothing?" Gracie was frantic, "Maybe we should dump Mr. Lampard. Raising a kid on


    your own is feasible, and I can help you. To hell with the Lampard family!"

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    Chapter 454


    Astrid was warmed by Gracie''s words, reaching out to gently pinch Gracie''s cheek, "Gracie, I''m so d


    to have you."


    "Hell, I know I''m great, but you''re in deep trouble right now! Someone''s trying to hurt you!" Gracie was


    impatient and didn''t know what to do, pacing anxiously.


    "Gracie, do you think I''m an ordinary person?" Astrid suddenly asked.


    Gracie shook her head, replying, "Definitely not!"


    Astrid continued, "And do you think my brothers are ordinary people?"


    Gracie said, "Absolutely not!"


    Astrid said, "That''s right, my brothers will protect me, and I also have the ability to protect myself."


    She had always wanted to know who in the Lampard family was stirring the pot, and now that these


    people were taking action, it gave her the opportunity to trace the problem to its source.


    Only bypletely eliminating those people could Roman grow up happy and safe.


    Listening to Astrid''s words, Gracie knew that Astrid was determined.


    She was worried but didn''t say much.


    Seeing Elio approaching, she straightened her face, "Mr. Lampard, Astrid has cried too much for you. If


    you let her get hurt again, I don''t care if you''re a big boss or not, I''ll tear you apart!"


    Elio was grateful to Gracie.


    If it weren''t for Gracie''s help years ago, Astrid might not have had the chance to have a baby.


    So, even though Gracie was shouting at him, he could only listen patiently, "Don''t worry, I will protect


    her."


    Gracie said, "Promises worth nothing, I need actual action!"


    Elio said, "Unless I fall, I won''t let anyone hurt her."


    "You''d better keep your promise," Gracie felt bad. It was the kind of badness thates from knowing


    Astrid is in danger but being powerless to help.


    Astrid knew she was ufortable, but there were things she had to face, "Come on, sweetie, give


    me a smile!"


    Gracie swatted away Astrid''s hand that was reaching to pinch her chin, "Go away, sweetie doesn''t want


    to smile right now, you''re always making trouble!"


    The celebration dinner ended at eleven o''clock in the evening.


    Gracie took Selena and drove off in her yellow pickup truck.


    Astrid and Elio went to the hospital to see Lucas.


    Elio drove himself, and there were only the two of them in the car.


    The car was very quiet.


    After a long time, Elio finally spoke: "Astrid, have I told you about Lucas?"


    Astrid lifted her eyes, and the face of the redhead boy quickly shed in front of her.


    A few secondster, Elio continued: "The Lampard Group is a family business with many family


    members holding shares. I''m thergest shareholder, and many people are watching me like hungry


    wolves, others are banding together to try and bring me down."


    "Lucas, is the only one who truly cares for Roman besides our family."


    "Lucas is an illegitimate child, who was almost killed by his brother years ago. I saved him."


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    "Many times, when those uncles wanted to harm me, it was Lucas who warned my parents in


    advance."


    "So this time Lucas was injured, it was definitely because he was found out."


    Astrid didn''t expect the carefree boy to bear so much, she couldn''t help but sigh, "Don''t worry, as long


    as he''s still breathing, I can save him."


    Elio said, "Astrid, I''m sorry. I originally wanted to clear all obstacles and take you home, but I didn''t


    expect to have you face these troubles with me."


    Hearing this, Astrid''s heart skipped a beat.


    She turned to look at the man next to her, gently pursing her lips. Before she could speak, a strong light


    shed in front of them, blinding both of them!

 Chapter 455

    Chapter 455


    Carson and his crew trailed behind Elio''s vehicle, they turning nervous when they saw an oing car


    barreling towards them, headlights blindingly bright.


    "Boss!" Carson yelled, his foot mming down on the elerator as he veered his car towards the


    iing one, trying to throw it off its deadly course.


    As a well-known street racer, Elio''s driving skills were not to be underestimated.


    The man in the other car, thinking he could easily smash into them, was taken aback when Elio''s car


    executed a slick turn, swiftly skimming past him.


    There was a deafening crash, and the ck SUV smashed into a wall, bing total wreckage.


    Elio''s car, however, pulled off a stylish drift and came to a smooth halt at an intersection.


    Carson''s heart was in his throat until he saw Elio and Astrid emerge unscathed from their car, a sigh of


    relief escaping him. "Boss, you guys scared the daylights out of me!"


    "Boom!!!" Another loud explosion rang out, the SUV was now a ball of fire.


    Watching the mes shoot towards the sky, Elio and Astrid remained eerily calm. Carson, however,


    was muttering under his breath, "The guy''s toast, we won''t be able to get any information now!"


    "Boss, maybe you should stay at the office for a while. It''s too dangerous out here. These guys must be


    nuts, trying to ram us like that."


    Elio nced at the distant fire, then at Astrid, asking softly, "Are you scared, Astrid?"


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, "Scared? Not a chance."


    "Let''s go. Lucas is waiting for us at the hospital." Elio opened the car door for Astrid, turning to Carson,


    "Handle things here when the cops arrive."


    "Got it, boss."


    As Elio and Astrid''s car vanished into the night, Carson couldn''t help but feel a sense of dread.


    Not long ago, they had noticed something odd about this stretch of road and the SUV. Elio had wanted


    to capture the driver alive, but who would have expected the car to explode into mes upon impact


    with the wall?


    One problem solved, but how many more were lurking in the shadows? Being the boss was tough.


    Before Elio and Astrid could reach the hospital, they received numerous calls from Amanda.


    Lucas was in bad situation, his health failing fast.


    Upon reaching the hospital, they sprinted towards the emergency room, only to be stopped by a doctor,


    "Family members are not allowed in, the patient is in a critical condition!"


    Astrid, desperate to help, blurted out, "Doctor, I am a doctor too. Please let me in."


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The doctor looked Astrid up and down, "Aren''t you an actress? What kind of doctor are you? This is a


    hospital, not a movie theatre! Please leave!"


    "I''m sorry, doctor!" Astrid pushed past him and rushed into the room, quickly donning a whiteb coat


    and preparing for surgery, "I am a specialist hired by the Lampard family. You will follow my


    instructions."


    The other doctors and nurses in the room exchanged baffled nces as the primary doctor, trembling,


    reentered the room, "Do as she says."


    Who was he to argue? The man standing outside was Mr. Lampard!


    As the surgery resumed, Amanda and Matthew paced anxiously outside the room, their hearts heavy


    with worry.

 Chapter 456

    Chapter 456


    "God bless Lucas," Amanda murmured, her voice thick with worry. "That boy has done so much for us


    over the years."


    "Son, there''s something I forgot to tell you," she continued. "While you were away, Lucas has been


    picking up Roman from school every day. He must''ve sensed something was wrong and was trying to


    protect Roman. But now he''s severely injured," she said, her voice trembling. "He came to our house


    first. He must''ve wanted to tell us something. Poor boy, he''s so young. If he... If he..."


    "Mom..." Elio interrupted gently, "Astrid is with him. Lucas will be okay."


    "I know Astrid is a brilliant doctor," Amanda replied, her voice filled with doubt. "But the specialists at


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    the hospital said his wounds are fatal. When I think about the way he looked... I bandaged him up as


    best I could, but there was so much blood..."


    "Mom, trust in Astrid," Elio said soothingly, patting her shoulder. "He''ll be fine. You should go home. I


    don''t like the idea of Roman being alone. We''ll stay here."


    After some hesitation, Matthew chimed in, "He''s right, dear. We can''t do anything here. We should go


    home and wait for news. Remember that interview we watched? Astrid is more than capable. Lucas will


    be fine."


    Reassured, Amanda left, reminding them to inform her as soon as there was any news.


    The surgery took six hours. When Astrid finally emerged, dawn was breaking.


    "You look exhausted," Elio said, rushing over to steady her.


    "Aren''t you going to ask about him?" she asked softly.


    "I trust you," Elio replied simply.


    Astrid went on to exin that Lucas was out of immediate danger, but he couldn''t stay at this hospital


    for long. Once his condition stabilised, they would move him to a safer location.


    The doctors, initially skeptical of Astrid''s abilities, now approached her with a newfound respect.


    "Ms. Irvine, could you exin some of the techniques you used during the surgery?" one of them


    asked.


    "I''m too tired today. Can we discuss this another time?" Astrid replied. ¡°And one more thing, please


    keep my identity under wraps,¡± she added.


    After ensuring the doctors would respect her privacy, Astrid and Elio left, leaving a team of bodyguards


    to protect Lucas.


    Noticing Astrid''s face getting fatigue, Elio suggested, "Why don''t you go home and rest? We can deal


    with everything elseter."


    "It''s almost seven in the morning. I have an interview at ten. Just drop me off at the office. I can nap in


    the car," Astrid said, already closing her eyes.


    Elio was conflicted. He wanted to take her home, but he also didn''t want to go against her wishes. As


    he started the car, Astrid''s voice rang out, cold and clear.


    "If you dare take me home, I guarantee you won''t be weed at my house for a year."


    Elio paused, then asked, "And if I do as you say and take you to the office, can Ie over to your


    house tonight?"

 Chapter 457

    Chapter 457


    The chilly voice of Elio echoed in her ear. The moment Astrid opened her eyes, she met Elio''s smiling


    gaze. Their distance was so close, his breath lightly brushing her ear, making her feel... somewhat shy.


    The atmosphere in the car subtly shifted.


    After what felt like an eternity, Astrid softly said, "You haven''t brushed your teeth yet, stay away from


    me."


    Elio was speechless.


    "Alright," he then said.


    Feeling rejected, Mr. Lampard straightened up and started the car.


    At the office, seeing Astrid''s state, Gracie immediately started to tease, "Jeez, Astrid, are you alright?


    Did you go robbing housesst night?"


    "I didn''t sleep well," Astrid yawned and copsed on the couch,cking any grace.


    Gracie said, "But you texted mest night saying you were safe, why didn''t you sleep?"


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Is it because Lucas didn''t get cured? Or did you have a hot night with Mr. Lampard?"


    "Shush," Astrid red at Gracie, "What''s going on in your head? Hot night? Why don''t you go have one


    with my brother?"


    "That''s different! You and Elio have a kid together, so a hot night for you guys is rekindling, but your


    brother and I are still in the early stages. We haven''t even held hands!"


    Astrid was speechless.


    "Sorry I''mte, Astrid, get up, let''s do your makeup!" Selena entered carrying a makeup box, noticing


    Astrid''s pale face she worriedlymented, "You don''t look good, what happened?"


    Astrid shook her head and replied, "Nothing."


    "Oh, have you seen the news? There was a major car ident near Lake Drive yesterday, the driver


    burned to ashes when the car hit the wall!" Selena spoke with increasing enthusiasm, "I heard the


    driver was drunk, and he almost hit a passing luxury car. But the surveince footage is bizarre, just as


    the SUV was about to hit the luxury car, it swerved and avoided the collision! Netizens are saying that''s


    not humanly possible!"


    Gracie joined the discussion, "I saw that too, honestly, that luxury car''s driver isn''t human, if it were me,


    the one turned to ashes would be me and my car."


    As the two of them passionately discussed, Astrid remembered how Elio was drifting the carst night.


    She had to admit, the guy did have his moments.


    Gracie continued, "By the way, Astrid, the news of you and Mr. Lampard having a baby has been


    trending for a while. Aren''t you two going toment?"


    "Comment?" Astrid yawned again, "We''ve said what we had to say during the live stream, there''s


    nothing toment."


    "But you losing a few endorsements because of your baby is quite a pity, especially since two of them


    were international brands." Gracie pouted, "You should make Eliopensate you."


    Astrid said, "I can get the endorsements I want. I don''t need hispensation."


    "Well, you might not have a say in this." Gracie stared at her phone, then theatrically cleared her throat,


    "Ahem, breaking news, Morgenster Corporation''s CEO Elio, in order topensate for his beloved


    Astrid, purchased a billion-dor property in Crescent Bay, nning to build a water park named


    ''Beloved Astrid."


    "Morgenster Corporation''s new project, a high-end dessert chain store, officially opens, named


    [Beloved Astrid]".

 Chapter 458

    Chapter 458


    "Bwahaha, seriously?" Gracie wasughing so hard she could barely breathe, "Could Mr. Lampard get


    any cornier?"


    "Hmm?" A chilly voice drifted in from the doorway, instantly silencing Gracie''sughter.


    She turned her head towards Elio with a forced smile, "Actually, it''s not that bad. Not too corny, just a


    little bit, a teeny tiny bit."


    Elio simply looked at her, saying nothing.


    Astrid chimed in, "Don''t be scared of him, Gracie. If he''s corny, he''s corny. Have you ever heard of a


    water park named after a person?"


    Ignoring Astrid''s remarks, Elio settled down on a chair, murmuring, "All of my projects will be named


    ''Beloved Astrid'', I want to make it a brand."


    Astrid and Gracie both fell silent.


    "Elio, could you maybe act normal for once?" Astrid groaned, "I just want to keep a low profile!"


    Eliozily raised an eyebrow, "And you thought you could do that after marrying the CEO of the


    Lampard Group?"


    "Who the hell said I''m your wife?" Astrid snapped, "Get lost, Elio. Just get out."


    Just then, a staff member called from the doorway, "Ms. Irvine, the interview crew is here. Could you


    pleasee over?"


    "Thank you, darling. We''ll be right there," Gracie called back before turning to Astrid, "Celebrity circle is


    such a harsh ce. I remember when we first started here, no one would give us the time of day. Now


    they''re all over us, calling us ''ma''am''."


    With that, Astrid and Gracie made their way to the interview, Elio trailing behind.


    Upon seeing Elio, Astrid asked, "Why are youing along?"


    "I''m a member of the ''Adventures in the Abyss'' team too," Elio replied, "Is that a problem?"


    At the interview location, they greeted the crew. The interviewer began, "Ms. Irvine, there were rumors


    about you using a ''nerd persona'' for publicity. What''s yourment?"


    "I never intended to use anything for publicity," Astrid said, "I just want to keep a low profile and focus


    on my acting."


    The interviewer then turned to Elio, "Mr. Lampard, some people say you''re too humble in love, do you


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    agree?"


    "I don¡¯t think I¡¯m humble. I just want to give her the best I can offer. Girls should be pampered and


    cherished. I don¡¯t see my actions as being humble, but as expressions of my love."


    The interviewer was left speechless, "So, what''s your current rtionship status?"


    Elio shrugged, "Ask her."


    The question was ignored. The interviewer tried again, "Mr. Lampard, will you control Ms. Irvine''s


    career?"


    Without missing a beat, Elio replied, "I wouldn''t dare."


    The interviewer was left feeling like a third wheel. What had she done to deserve interviewing these


    two?

 Chapter 459

    Chapter 459


    Astrid sat nearby, the incredulity of the situation growing within her. Unable to control herself, she burst


    out, "Hey, stop making it seem like I''m always bullying you."


    Elio responded, "No, no, I''m always a willing victim."


    The reporter was taken aback, and Astrid gritted her teeth, "Elio Lampard!"


    Elio immediately straightened up, "Alright, I''m done."


    The reporter attempted to steer the conversation, "Well... Astrid, your performance in ''Adventures in the


    Abyss'' was quite impressive. I''ve seen many directors and producers offering jobs to you. Are you


    nning on focusing more on acting or film making in the future?"


    Astrid: "My goal is to win an Oscar, so I''m definitely focusing on the film industry. I appreciate the


    attention I''ve received from directors and producers, and I hope to have the opportunity to work with


    them in the future."


    Reporter asked, "There have been rumors that some fans have stopped following you since you''ve had


    a child. What are your thoughts on this?"


    Astrid replied, "It''s their choice, and I can''t interfere. But I don''t see anything wrong with having a child


    at a young age, nor do I think my child will impact my career."


    Reporter continued, "Family reality shows are very popr these days. Do you have any ns to join


    one with your husband and baby?"


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Husband? I don''t have a husband." Astrid nced at Elio with a look of distaste, "If there''s a show


    about mothers and babies, I might consider it. As for anything else, I''m not interested."


    Elio was upset, but he kept a cool facade.


    Gracie was outside, waiting for Astrid while ying a game. As soon as she finished, she saw the door


    open. She quickly walked over, but before she could enter the room, the reporter and staff hurriedly left


    as if something serious had happened.


    Gracie was puzzled and asked, "What happened? What did you guys do to the reporter?"


    Astrid shrugged, "Nothing really."


    "But her face looked really off!" Gracie shook her head and added, "We have another appointment


    tonight. We should head there now."


    Elio said, "Astrid, I have a meeting at thepany. I won''t be able to apany you to the show. I''ll


    pick you up when it''s over."


    "There''s no need for you to pick me up. We can drive ourselves home." Astrid said, and then left arm in


    arm with Gracie.


    Elio watched them leave. Shortly after, Carson approached him, "Boss, we''ve looked into that guy from


    yesterday. As you suspected, he was hired by Lucas'' father. But he wasn''t acting alone."


    "They''re closely tied to an international assassination organization. You and the young master should


    stay home as much as possible for now."


    "Stay home? Huh." Elio''sugh was cold, sending a shiver down Carson''s spine.


    A few secondster, Elio straightened his sleeves and said in an icy tone, "It''s time they learn who


    really runs the Lampard Group."


    Carson replied, "Yes, Boss."


    At 10 PM that night, during a break from recording the show, Astrid was napping in the dressing room


    when she heard amotion outside.


    She sat up suddenly and heard someone exim, "My God, what a gruesome death! He was burned


    to ashes!"


    "I remember Morgenster Corporation owns this entertainmentpany, we''ve had their CEO on our


    station a few times. Can''t believe he''s just gone like that."

 Chapter 460

    Chapter 460


    "I heard it was a drunk driving ident, but something about it felt skeptical, you know? Just like the


    ident yesterday, the car rammed into a wall and spontaneouslybusted, leaving nothing but


    ashes."


    "I agree, something''s fishy. And it''s the Lampard family we''re talking about here. Who knows what goes


    on behind the doors of those high-profile families?"


    "You guys have no idea. My friend used to be Newell''s mistress, and she told me that he nearly killed


    his own son."


    "Are you sure about that? You''ve got to be careful spreading such rumors!"


    "Well, these elite families are all glitter and gold on the outside. But who knows what kind of shady


    business they''re up to under the surface?"


    "Shush, keep your voices down. Astrid''s here!"


    "What does she care? She''s been around for four years and the Lampards still haven''t allowed her into


    the family. Obviously, they don''t want her. You guys believe everything that Mr. Lampard says? Pfft!"


    "Well, there''s no rich guy who doesn''t have a mistress. And Mr. Lampard is the kind who knows how to


    y the game."


    "Wow, you make it sound like you have some insider info!"


    The group continued to chatter, but all Astrid could remember was their im about Mr. Lampard


    wanting to kill his own son.


    That meant the car ident today was no coincidence. It was too simr to the one yesterday. Clearly,


    it was Elio''s way of sending a message to Newell.


    Since Elio had made a move, she couldn''t just sit back and do nothing. She decided to start with Lucas''


    elder brother, Johnnie Lampard.


    After today''s incident, the Lampards had suddenly be quite subdued. When Astrid returned home,


    it was already past midnight.


    She opened herptop and began to search for information on Johnnie. He was a well-known


    songwriter in the industry, always appearing refined and courteous. He had written songs for many


    popr artists, all of which had be hits.


    However, Elio had mentioned that Johnnie had wanted to kill Lucas since they were children. Could


    such a man really be as polite and refined as he appeared?


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    After some thought, Astrid pulled out her phone and sent a text to Dale - [Dale, can you get me in touch


    with Johnnie? I want him to write me a new song.]


    As soon as she sent the message, a new message popped up in the family group chat.


    Robb asked, [Star, did something happen to you?]


    Astrid replied, [Nothing, I''m fine.]


    Robb continued, [Then why on earth do you want to sing? Are you trying to torture our ears?]


    Brandon said, [Holy cow, Star, if you''re upset, I can beat someone up for you. Please, just don''t sing.]


    Jon, [I''d rather be hit by a bus than hear you sing.]


    Astrid said, [Am I still your beloved little sister?]


    Rickon replied, [Star, does releasing an album cost money? How much? I''ll cover it.]


    Astrid smiled, [Rickon is the only one who truly loves me!]


    Rickon then typed, [As long as you don''t sing in front of me, we''re good.]


    Astrid was speechless.


    There was no doubt about it; Dale must have spilled the beans - her brother found out far too quickly.


    Oh, that big-mouthed gossip! He''s really going downhill, always tattling to her brother about the


    smallest things!

 Chapter 461

    Chapter 461


    ncing at the rabble in the group chat, Astrid sent out a emoji - an arrow pointing towards the blocked


    list, with a word [a second chance for you guys to rephrase]


    Robb said, [Star, I would do anything for you, but releasing a new song is out of the question.]


    Astrid continued, [Although my singing might not be the best, it''s not that terrible, right? I think I''m


    decent!]


    Everyone else went silent for a moment.


    Even behind the screen, Astrid could sense their despair, and couldn''t help but chuckle. She quickly


    typed, [Alright, I won''t tease you guys anymore. I actually need something from that guy, I''m not really


    nning on releasing an album.]


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    Robb, [Oh, alright. Everyone can disperse now.]


    Then, the chatroom went silent within a second, everyone stopped talking.


    Astrid was rendered speechless. She sent a message to Dale - [Dale, you big mouth, I just told you


    about it a second ago and you''ve already bbed to my brother. Can''t you keep a secret?]


    Dale replied, [He was in the shower, I was helping him level up in his game, Star. Are you upset?]


    Astrid: [Come on, you''ve also looked into the Lampard family, you know Johnnie is trouble too, you


    won''t object to me getting in touch with him, right?]


    Dale replied, [No, to put it simply, among the second generation of the Lampard family, Johnnie and


    Kermit Lampard are the ones most likely to challenge Elio for the position of CEO at Morgenster


    Corporation. He has done a lot of bad deeds over the years, I recently found out that he''s been


    frequently spotted by Roman''s kindergarten.] [But at that time, my people, your people, and Elio''s


    people were all undercover, so he didn''t make a move. This guy has bad records, I''ll secretly have


    someone help you. You can go ahead without worries.]


    Astrid replied, [Thanks, bro! Love you!]


    Frequently showing up near Roman''s kindergarten, he must be nning something against Roman. If


    he dares to mess with her son, he''s really asking for trouble.


    The next day at noon, in a suburban vi.


    A thin man was painting in the courtyard when a maid walked in and gently knocked on the door,


    "Master, your assistant is here."


    "Let him in." The man Johnnie replied, not pausing in his painting.


    A whileter, a man walked in. He nced at the dark and gruesome painting on the easel, quickly


    moving his gaze, "Sir, I received an e-mail from Astrid''s agent at Starlight Entertainment today, saying


    that Astrid wants to pay a high price for you to write a song for her. I thought it was suspicious, so I


    came to you right away."


    "Astrid?" Johnnie muttered the name, slowly putting down his paintbrush, "This woman is interesting.


    Elio orchestrated the car ident that killed one of our main members, meaning he already knew


    about the assassin we sent that night. And this woman dares to contact me? Is she seeking death?"


    Johnnie looked harmless with his schrly demeanor, but his assistant, Larry, had been too scared to


    look up since he entered, "Larry."


    "Sir, I''m here." Larry responded, bending over, sweat dripping from his forehead.


    Johnnie walked to the window, whispering, "Elio''s woman, she''s indeed a beauty, I''d like to meet her."


    Larry replied, "Sir, Astrid is not an ordinary woman. She''s fierce and has martial arts training, this..."


    "Heh, do you think I can''t handle a woman?" Johnnie''s voice raised a bit, he picked up a pencil


    sharpener, approached Larry, and ced it against his cheek, "Hm? Answer my question."

 Chapter 462

    Chapter 462


    Larry''s knees nearly buckled, his voice shaking as he stuttered, "Sir, I... I didn''t mean that... I''ll deliver


    your message to Dale at once."


    "Good, I wish to see Astrid in person." After Johnnie finished, Larry stumbled out of the room in a hurry.


    Johnnie sauntered over to his easel, sshing water on a nk canvas.


    Secondster, a face slowly began to appear. It was Astrid.


    Johnnie reached out, gently tracing the woman''s face on the canvas, and chuckled, "Elio, Elio, it''s not


    just your CEO position I want, but your woman too."


    He then pressed down harder, his fingernail tearing through the damp canvas, and the portrait was


    ruined.


    Astrid was spending the day at home with her son, Roman. They had just finished lunch when Elio


    arrived, armsden with shopping bags.


    Curious, Roman rummaged through the bags and eximed, "Elio, why did you buy so many clothes?"


    Elio replied, "They''re not for you, they''re for your mother."


    Roman looked annoyed which made Astrid ruffle his hair, "Don''t be mad, Roman. Elio''s taste is awful


    anyway. I''ll take you shopping for matching outfits, just the two of us, without him."


    Roman immediately brightened up, "Yes!!!"


    Elio was left speechless.


    After they had put the clothes away and Roman had gone for his nap, Elio turned to Astrid, "You''re


    meeting with Johnnie?"


    "Yep." Astrid bit into an apple, munching contentedly.


    Elio said, "I can handle him. You don''t need to get involved."


    Astrid retorted, "You deal with your problems, I''ll deal with mine. If you want to help, I''m all for it. If you


    want to interfere, there''s the door."


    Elio was taken aback, "Johnnie is quite cunning. I''m not worried about you not being able to handle


    him, but I''m worried he might disgust you."


    Astridughed, "Disgust me? Who does he think he is?"


    Elio nodded, "Just be prepared."


    Astrid scoffed, "Who am I? I''m Astar! Who can disgust me?"


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Seeing her confident smirk, Elio ruffled her hair, "Don''t me me for not warning you."


    Astrid pped his hand away, "Off with your paws! We have a meeting with Lucas tomorrow. Let''s see


    if we can arrange a transfer for him today, to avoid any unnecessaryplications."


    "Alright, Carson is waiting in the car. I''ll call him up to look after Roman." Once Carson was upstairs


    with Roman, they left the house.


    To avoid attracting attention, they both wore hats and masks.


    As they stood outside the ICU, Astrid peered through the ss door at Lucas lying on the bed.


    Lucas was lying there,pletely unharmed. He nced at her once before closing his eyes.


    Just as she was about to step inside, she noticed Lucas''s fingers were twitching, tapping out


    something.


    She held up a hand to stop Elio, while she focused on Lucas''s hand. After a few seconds, she realized


    what was happening! It was Morse code!! Lucas was warning - Leave now, it''s dangerous!

 Chapter 463

    Chapter 463


    Astrid quickly turned back to warn Elio, but found him already signaling her to be silent.


    She was taken aback. Could Elio understand Morse code as well?


    They carefully retreated, and before she could ask, Elio quietly exined, ¡°I taught Lucas Morse code.


    He used tomunicate with me using it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°Who do you think is hiding in the room?¡±


    Elio said, ¡°Jay Lampard¡¯s people. He must have guessed that I woulde back to rescue Lucas, so


    Lucas won¡¯t be in danger as long as I don¡¯t show up.¡±


    ¡°You wait here. I¡¯ll go find a nurse¡¯s uniform and check out the situation.¡± Astrid barely finished speaking


    when Elio grabbed her hand.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Astrid turned her head, her brows furrowing. ¡°We are running out of time. Stop


    dawdling.¡±


    Elio said, ¡°We don¡¯t know what the situation is inside. I won¡¯t let you go in and take the risk. I¡¯ll go, and


    you wait here.¡±


    Astrid was hesitating, ¡°I¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, Elio suddenly leaned down, and through


    the maskid a gentle kiss on her lips. ¡°Trust me, Astrid.¡±


    ¡°This is a hospital, not a love nest!¡± A passing nurse grumbled. Astrid snapped back to reality, feeling


    her ears heat up. Damn it, it was embarrassing!


    ¡°You¡¯re nuts!¡± Astrid grabbed Elio¡¯s arm. ¡°Jay knows you too well. Even if you disguise yourself in


    scrubs and a mask, he¡¯d recognize your figure. He has never seen me, I should be the one to go!¡±


    ¡°Ding¡­¡± The elevator dinged once, the doors opened, and Amanda and Matthew walked out.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Amanda was still muttering and carrying a thermos food container, ¡°You dawdle every day, look at the


    time. You must have starved Lucas!¡±


    Matthew scoffed, ¡°Me, dawdle? Who needs an hour to get ready just to step outside, and at your age,


    still dressing up like a young girl, who¡¯s taking longer?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you just wait, Matt! Say one more word, I dare you!¡± Amanda instantly red up.


    Seeing the situation quickly spiralling, Matthew quickly backed down, ¡°Alright, alright, I was wrong. We


    need to be quiet in the hospital, don¡¯t make a scene, darling.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll deal with you when we get home.¡± The bickering couple walked past Astrid and Elio,


    Astrid burst intoughter, ¡°Are you even their biological child? I get that they didn¡¯t recognize me, but


    they didn¡¯t even recognize you, their own son?¡±


    Elio said, ¡°I¡¯m starting to doubt that myself.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait them to go in and then we¡¯ll follow. Even though Jay is ruthless, his target is me. He won¡¯t


    harm our parents.¡±


    ¡°Hold up, they¡¯re your parents, not our parents. We are not that close.¡± Astrid shot him a disdainful


    nce before quickly walking ahead.


    Elio watched her slender figure, a warmth spreading in his eyes.


    Meanwhile, Lucasy in a hospital bed, tormented beyond belief. His biological father was trying to kill


    him just to inherit the Lampard Group. The irony was unbearable.


    ¡°Lucas, stop pretending to sleep!¡± A cold hand mped onto Lucas'' jaw, tearing open his recently


    healed wound. Blood seeped out from the bandage.


    The wound hurt, but he felt numb.

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    Chapter 464


    Lucas closed his eyes, not wanting to look at Jay¡¯s nauseating face. This man was a saint in public and


    a devil in private, just like his son. Like father, like son, because Lucas could never be as vile as they


    were, he was destined to be cast aside.


    Jay looked at Lucas'' furrowed brows, a trace of annoyance shing across his face. "Lucas, I am your


    father. Why are you acting as Elio''spdog? What can he offer you?"


    Lucas clenched his teeth and remained silent, which only seemed to annoy Jay more. He increased his


    grip, "If it wasn''t for the fact that you can be used as bait to trap Elio, you would be long gone."


    "Matt, hurry up!" Amanda''s voice echoed from outside the door, causing Jay to immediately straighten


    up.


    He put his blood-stained hand in his pocket and instantly wore a hearty smile, greeting the two who just


    walked in, "Oh, my dear, howe you are here? I told you not to bother, I could take care of Lucas


    myself."


    "Good heavens! Matt! Get the doctor, Lucas is bleeding!" Amanda seemed to ignore Jay''s words,


    shouting directly, "Doctor! We have an emergency here,e quick!"


    The doctor who was checking a patient in the next room rushed over. Seeing Lucas¡¯ blood-soaked


    wound, he turned to Jay, "I told you to take care of your son and keep him from moving around. What is


    this?"


    Jay humbly apologized, "I''m sorry, I didn''t take good care of him."


    Lucas squinted and looked at Amanda, his eyes stinging, tears falling down the next second, "Granny, I


    missed you so much!"


    Seeing him cry, Amanda''s eyes also reddened, "Don''t cry, dear, I made you some chicken soup."


    "Lucas, how are you feeling?" Astrid''s voice came. Jay''s voice faltered, but quickly returned to normal.


    The doctor came in to re-dress Lucas''s wound. Seeing this, Astrid seized the opportunity and asked,


    "Doctor, can we transfer the patient to another hospital?"


    The doctor was taken aback, "Why would you want to transfer him?"


    Jay chimed in, "Yeah, this hospital is good enough, there''s no need for a transfer."


    Astrid continued, "The thing is, doctor, as you know, Lucas¡¯ condition is very serious. It seems like he''s


    out of danger, but in reality, he could still pass away at any moment. This hospital, although top-notch


    in the state, still doesn''tpare to the medical team at the Military General Hospital, which is


    internationally renowned. If we transfer him there, Lucas¡¯ chances of recovery would increase."


    Lucas thought to himself, ¡°women are deceitful. Astrid had texted me in the morning saying that I was


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    fine and now she was saying I¡¯m on the brink of death.¡±


    But he knew Astrid was trying to save him, so he kept quiet.


    Hearing that the Military General Hospital was willing to take in Lucas, the doctor''s eyes lit up, "The


    expert team at the Military General Hospital is willing to take him? That''s excellent, he''s still a child, he


    has a long life ahead of him."


    "At our hospital even if he could be discharged, he would still be left with physical disabilities in several


    ces, but if he goes there, the situation would be different!"


    "What are you waiting for? Hurry up ande with me to handle the transfer procedures!" The doctor


    thought Jay was a slow person, and couldn''t stop muttering, "Howe you don''t seem happy at all?


    Your son has a real chance of full recovery, how can you not be excited?"

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    Chapter 465


    Jay said, "I was just...too overwhelmed to process it at first. Thank you, Ms. Irvine."


    With so many witnesses present, Jay had no choice but to follow the doctor and get the paperwork


    done.


    Amanda, seeing Jay''s reluctance, decided to apany him. "I''ll go with you. Look at you, moving at


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    a snail''s pace!"


    As Jay left, his subordinates remained in the room.


    Elio nced at the remaining crowd,manding, "Get out!"


    Without a moment''s hesitation, the bodyguards swiftly exited the room.


    With only his closepanions left, Lucas finally let out a sigh of relief: "Thank God you are here, Aunt


    Astrid, otherwise, I''d be dead meat."


    Aunt Astrid?


    The corners of Astrid''s mouth twitched slightly, "I''m not your aunt, Lucas. Call me that one more time


    and I might stop saving your ass."


    Lucas: "You''re too beautiful to be an aunt, but if we call you sister, it messes up the family tree, given


    that Roman and I are tight!"


    This reasoning was so solid that Astrid couldn''t argue.


    Elio: "Stop talking so much, rest up. I''ll take care of your enemies."


    Lucas pressed his lips together, "That day...never mind. It''s all in the past. As long as you''re all safe.


    But I bet I scared Roman when I showed up like that, huh?"


    "Not at all, Roman''s braver than you might think." Astridforted him with a smile, "You just focus on


    getting better. This is my territory, and no one can hurt you here."


    Lucas said "Damn! Feels good to have a powerful friend!"


    Matthew, overhearing Lucas'' cursing, pped his leg, "You need to watch yournguage, young man.


    Every time I hear a swear word, you''re getting a smack!"


    Lucas didn¡¯t dare to say anything.


    Before long, Jay returned with the transfer paperwork, smiling, "All done, Astrid. Thank you for all your


    help."


    "It''s no problem, don''t mention it. Let''s get going." After Astrid''s words, Jay visibly paused.


    Then he forced a smile, "Alright, it''s just that we didn''t bring any change of clothes for Lucas."


    Astrid: "That''s fine, patients usually wear hospital gowns. And don''t worry about hiring a caregiver, I''ve


    got it all covered. I promise, you''ll get your son back in good health."


    Jay was seething on the inside, but kept up the polite smile. He despised Astrid but had to thank her, "I


    appreciate it very much, Astrid. Thank you."


    Once Lucas was admitted to the military hospital, Jay would lose his chance to strike.


    Lucas was taken to the hospital by Robb''s people, and Jay''s smile slowly hardened. Back home, Jay


    took out his frustration on an expensive antique vase.


    Johnnie stepped out of his study, casually asking, "What''s wrong? Who''s upset you now?"


    "I failed at fishing and even lost the bait!" Jay was so angry he felt sick, "Astrid looks as harmless, but


    actually she''s cunning! She suggested transferring Lucas to the military hospital in front of the Lampard


    elders and the hospital staff. As his father, I couldn''t refuse. I had to watch helplessly as Lucas was


    taken away."


    "Oh?" A hint of amusement crossed Johnnie''s face, "She''s quite an interesting girl."


    "I''m looking forward to our meeting tomorrow even more now."

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    Chapter 466


    The moment Jay heard that Johnnie was going to meet Astrid the next day, he immediately advised, ¡°I


    suggest you don¡¯t go near that woman. Who knows what kind of trap she¡¯s set for you?¡±


    "Dad, you''re underestimating me. Do you think I''m like that waste, Lucas?" Johnnie''s voice was filled


    with disdain when he mentioned Lucas. "You have one son like me, isn''t that enough? I can''t believe


    you brought that brat home all those years ago."


    Jay looked at Johnnie, wanted to say something, but then held back. Finally, he stormed upstairs.


    After settling Lucas, Astrid and her crew returned to the Lampard''s residence.


    Roman was sitting on the porch steps, and the moment he saw Astrid get out of the car, he bolted


    towards her, ¡°Mommy!!¡±


    Astrid looked at the chubby little figure running towards her and immediately squatted down to hug him


    and showered him with kisses, ¡°Did you miss Mommy, Roman?¡±


    "I did, I missed Mommy the most!" Roman hugged Astrid''s neck, his little legs happily kicking in the air.


    "Mommy, how''s Lucas? When can he leave the hospital?"


    Astrid replied, ¡°Well¡­ he might have to stay in the hospital a bit longer, but he''ll live with you once he''s


    discharged.¡±


    Roman was thrilled, ¡°That¡¯s awesome! We can y video games together again! By the way, Mommy, I


    received a strange parcel today."


    "A parcel?" Astrid raised an eyebrow, "Where is it?"


    Roman answered, ¡°It''s in the house. I didn''t open it.¡±


    Amanda and Matthew exchanged worried nces, fearing someone sent something dangerous. They


    suggested, ¡°Roman, didn''t you learn how to bake cakes? Why don''t you go prepare some for your


    mom? Grandma can help you.¡±


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    Roman pouted, ¡°I know you''re trying to distract me, I''m not a three-year-old anymore!¡±


    Everyone fell silent.


    "That''s okay, I''ll open it." Elio entered the room and walked towards the parcel on the table. Everyone


    held their breath as he unwrapped it.


    But when he opened it, all he saw was an old, damaged photograph.


    Elio picked it up. The photo was so damaged that the faces were unrecognizable.


    On the back of the photo was a sentence-¡°I''ming to im what''s rightfully mine.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Amanda snatched the photo, ¡°Matt, isn¡¯t this from one of your old mes? Nice going,


    Matt. You said you only had eyes for me. So, who''s this woman? This photo looks so old. It''s definitely


    not from Elio''s romantic past. It must be yours!¡±


    Matthew looked baffled, ¡°Nonsense, I don''t have any old me.¡±


    Astrid took the photo and studied the person in it. She felt a strange sense of familiarity from those


    eyes. Because of this photo, Amanda and Matthew had a fight. Frustrated, Amanda went back to her


    parents'' house.


    Early next morning, Elio drove Astrid to meet Johnnie, they were meeting at a chic coffee house.


    Johnnie had reserved the entire ce. Astrid went upstairs to see Johnnie standing in front of a


    canvas, painting with intense concentration.


    From the outside, he didn¡¯t seem anything like the dreadful person Elio had described.


    Astrid didn¡¯t disturb him and sat down at a distance. She didn¡¯t touch anything on the table.


    After a while, Johnnie spoke, ¡°Why are you sitting so far away? Are you scared of me?¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°Why should I be scared? You''re not a monster.¡±


    Johnnie smirked, ¡°I might not eat others, but as for you, who knows?¡±


    Astrid was puzzled, hat a weird thing to say at their first meeting.


    Truly disgusting.

 Chapter 467

    Chapter 467


    "Care for some coffee?" Johnnie washed his hands, sauntered over to Astrid and poured her a cup of


    coffee, gently pushing the mug towards her. "You''re even more beautiful in person than on TV. Truly


    breathtaking."


    Astrid¡¯s mouth twitched into a smirk, ¡°Thank you for thepliment, but you, Mr. Lampard, seem quite


    different from the rumors.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Johnnie, Mr. Lampard seems too formal. Besides, it¡¯s only you and me here, no need for


    pretenses.¡± As he spoke, he boldly reached out to grasp Astrid''s hand.


    Sensing his intention, Astrid¡¯s eyes darkened. She swiftly picked up her piping hot coffee and sshed


    it onto his hand!


    Caught off guard, Johnnie recoiled, a sh of fury briefly crossing his eyes, but was swiftly concealed.


    ¡°Oh, so you like ying hard to get? I¡¯ve seen plenty of women like you, acting all high and mighty, but


    deep down you¡¯re no different! If you leave Elio for me, I promise you¡¯ll be a big star within a year. All


    the top resources in the entertainment industry will be at your disposal!¡± His words were obnoxious.


    Astrid couldn''t stand it for a second and stood up immediately!


    Seeing her rise, a glimpse of disdain shed in Johnnie''s eyes. He had thought of Astrid as a unique


    woman, but the moment she heard about the resources he could provide, she was ready to fall into his


    arms?


    Johnnie chuckled lightly, also standing up and opening his arms towards Astrid.


    Astrid slowly approached him, a radiant smile on her face. But in the next second, she suddenly kicked


    him between his legs!


    Johnnie couldn¡¯t dodge in time and was directly kicked by Astrid, wincing in pain and copsing to the


    floor, stuttering, ¡°You, you, you...you...¡±


    ¡°I have all the resources I need. I can be a big star without you! What the hell are you? Lurking


    outside my son¡¯s kindergarten? What were you nning?¡± Astrid spoke, lifting her foot to give Johnnie


    another kick! Johnnie was utterly stunned. He never expected Astrid to be so bold, daring to attack him


    on his own turf!


    ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t push your luck!¡± Johnnie, being frail since childhood, had little strength. The kick to his


    privates had taken him off guard, and another kick from Astrid made him feel as if he was falling apart.


    ¡°You''re the one pushing your luck, aren''t you?¡± Astrid grabbed Johnnie''s hair and pped him twice,


    ¡°This is for Lucas. You and your father are so alike, always presenting one face to the world and


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    another behind closed doors. No wonder Elio finds you disgusting. Let me tell you, if my son so much


    as loses a hair, I¡¯ll take one of Jay''s arms! If my son gets hurt, I¡¯ll drain Jay''s blood!¡±


    Johnnie struggled violently, causing Astrid to let go of his hair.


    She looked at her hands that had just grabbed Johnnie''s hair, grimaced and sat on the coffee table with


    her legs crossed, her gaze cool and intimidating.


    The thought of his recent ordeal made Johnnie tremble with rage, ¡°Astrid, you¡¯ll regret everything you


    did today!¡±


    ¡°No, you will regret it. Regret that you met me today.¡± Astrid finished her sentence and walked out


    without haste, even leisurely washing her hands in the restroom, never showing a hint of panic.

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    Chapter 468


    Astrid descended the staircase, greeting the people below with a warm smile, as if she hadn''t just given


    Johnnie a beating upstairs.


    Why was Astrid so calm? She knew Johnnie wouldn''t call for help. She had done her homework on him


    before arriving; he was a man who valued his dignity above all.


    To call for help now would mean admitting to everyone that he''d been beaten by a woman. He would


    never do that.


    Whistling, Astrid walked down the stairs and climbed into Elio''s car.


    Johnnie was seething, his entire body shaking with suppressed rage. Heposed himself, tidied up


    his appearance, and only then descended the staircase.


    Larry, always sharp-eyed, spotted the bruise on Johnnie''s face and quickly ordered everyone to lower


    their heads. Johnnie walked downstairs as if nothing happened, but the more he thought about the


    incident, the more upset he became. He had never been so humiliated.


    Just as he stepped outside the restaurant and was about to reach his car, Johnnie felt a sharp pain in


    his chest. His vision blurred, and he copsed onto the ground.


    "Sir!" Larry eximed, rushing to help him up. But Johnnie''s face was ashen, an rming sight.


    "What are you standing around for? Call an ambnce!" Larry barked.


    The bodyguard quickly called an ambnce and then called Jay, his heart pounding with anxiety.


    Astrid and Elio hadn''t reached home when the news of Johnnie''s hospitalization reached them. Elio


    nced at Astrid, who was fast asleep beside him, and smirked. Astrid had been sleeping poorly these


    past few days, and the fatigue was catching up with her. She fell into a deep sleep the moment they


    arrived home and didn''t wake until it was dark outside.


    Yawning, she got up and opened the bedroom door to see Elio watching a football game on TV. "Elio,


    why haven''t you left yet?" Astrid asked.


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    "I wanted to keep youpany," Elio replied.


    "Hmph," Astrid rolled her eyes at him. She pulled out her phone from her bag and turned it on to see a


    message from Dale.


    [Astrid, what did you do to Johnnie?] Dale texted, [Johnnie''s critical condition is all over the news! You


    didn''t poison him, did you?]


    Astrid yawned and flopped onto the couch, replying, [Yeah, I did poison him. He had iting for trying


    to harm my son.]


    A few secondster, Dale responded, [Damn, he targeted Roman? Then he deserved it, but be careful


    not to leave any traces.]


    [Don''t worry, I''m always discreet. But you need to handle the PR side of things. Even though the police


    won''t find any evidence, it''s a fact that I met him today. I''m worried someone might spin the story.]


    Astrid replied.


    [Don''t worry about my PR skills. Oh, there''s a historical show in the works, and they want you. The


    script and the team look very promising. I''ll send you the details. If you''re interested, we can meet with


    the director tomorrow.]


    [Sounds good.]


    Just as Astrid and Dale were wrapping up their chat, she caught a whiff of something delicious.


    Looking up, she saw Elio carrying a bowl of chicken noodle soup. "Eat something," he said.


    "Okay," Astrid picked up her fork and was about to dig in when amotion erupted outside.


    She put down her fork and was about to open the door when Elio stopped her and opened it himself.


    Outside, it was pure chaos. Jay''s bodyguards were brawling with the bodyguards guarding outside,


    creating quite the spectacle.

 Chapter 469

    Chapter 469


    At that moment, Jay and Astrid found themselves facing a man in the hospital who seemed a world


    apart from the one they knew. His eyes radiated a piercing light, and a palpable aura of ruthlessness


    surrounded him.


    Of course, Jay was only masquerading in front of the old folks. In front of her and Elio, he was too


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    disdainful to bother with pretenses.


    Jay said, "Astrid, what have you done to my son?"


    Astrid shrugged her slender shoulders, "What could a weak woman like me possibly do to your son?"


    "Tell your men to back off. There are more people living here than just me. Don''t disrupt the peace."


    The brawl finally came to a halt, and Jay looked at the icy glint in Elio''s eyes, "Elio, you''re willing to risk


    the corporation just for a woman. Are you fit to be the CEO of Morgenster Corporation? The sooner you


    step down, the fewer unnecessary sacrifices there will be."


    His words were rather unpleasant to the ear.


    Before Elio could respond, Astrid simplyughed, "Jay, I¡¯ve been reading the stars, and they tell me


    you¡¯re heading for some serious trouble!"


    Jay said, "Astrid, don''t push your luck! Do you really believe I wouldn''t take you out right now?"


    "Oh? Take me out? I''d love to see what you can do," Astrid retorted, swiftly pulling a heavy machine


    gun from the doorway!


    With a swift pull, the gun was loaded! The crowd in the hallway gasped in horror, and even Jay''s


    "A prop? Sir, that''s definitely not a prop. I''ve served in the military, I know a real gun when I see one.


    And her grip is professional," someone whispered into Jay''s ear.


    A real gun? Jay was slightly shaken.


    Astrid whistled, "Jay, what was that you were saying? You''re going to take me out?"


    Jay said, "I don''t believe you''d dare to fire in a residential building. As soon as that gun goes off, you


    won''t be able to escape the consequences!"


    "Gun noise?" Astrid paused for a moment, then turned to Jay, "Thanks for the reminder!"


    With that, Astrid turned and went back into her apartment.


    When she re-emerged, she was holding an AK, thoughtfully equipped with a silencer, "That''s better, no


    noise now."


    "I could take you all out, and with Elio''s connections, it wouldn''t be hard to make you disappear


    The crowd were stunned.


    Jay stared at Astrid for a few seconds, then suddenly shoved the people in front of him towards her and


    bolted for the emergency exit.


    Hearing the sound of his frantic footsteps fading into the distance, Astrid''s lips twitched.


    Damn. Was the guy really that cowardly?


    Astrid said, "Hey, Jay, don''t run! Weren''t youing to challenge me? Don''t you care about your son?"


    Watching Astrid strutting around the hallway with her gun, Jay''s men were sweating bullets. They


    worried that her gun might identally go off and get them all in trouble.


    "Get out of here, what are you standing around for?" Elio yelled. The men scattered as if they had


    received a pardon, fleeing the scene.


    Once they were gone, Elio asked, "Did Rickon give you those guns?"


    "Yeah, he did. But they''re replicas, made by a master though, they look just like the real thing, right? I


    can''t believe even you didn''t realize it!" Astrid, holding the gun confidently, walked back into her


    apartment. Before she closed the door, she turned and told the bodyguards in the hallway, "I''m fine


    here. You guys should head to the hospital and get those wounds treated. I''ll cover the medical bills."

 Chapter 470

    Chapter 470


    Bodyguards said, ¡°Thank you, miss.¡±


    Astrid returned to find her meal grown cold, she muttered under her breath, ¡°Such a nuisance,


    interrupting my dinner.¡±


    Elio was like, ¡°I can reheat it for you if you''d like.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s still a bit warm.¡± Astrid sat down to eat, but before she could finish, Roman sent a video


    call. She answered and was immediately met with Roman¡¯s sobs, ¡°Mom!!! Mom!!!¡±


    ¡°Mom, help me!!!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Roman?¡± Astrid was taken aback, ¡°Sweetie, what happened?¡±


    Elio instantly became tense as well. But then he realized that if something truly bad had happened,


    Roman probably wouldn''t be able to make a video call.


    Roman said, ¡°Grandma¡¯s not home, the cook is on leave, and the food grandpa cooked is killing me!¡±


    ¡°Grandpa is so scary. He made a dish with a whole bottle of soy sauce and vinegar, and he forced me


    to eat it, he said vinegar is good for health!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Astrid and Elio couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud.


    On the other end of the video, Roman was crying so hard he was gasping for breath, ¡°Mom, am I still


    your favorite? I¡¯m so pitiful, and you, you, you areughing...¡±


    Roman looked so adorable that Astrid couldn''t resist. But to avoid making the little guy feel worse, she


    controlled herself, ¡°You''re my favorite, mom didn''tugh just now, it was Elio. Should mom hit him for


    you?¡±


    Roman cleaned his tears and replied, ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Then Astrid turned around and pped Elio''s thigh, making Elio speechless.


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    Seeing Elio getting hit, Roman cheered up and immediately marched toward the dinner table with his


    phone, ¡°Mom, wait till you see what I had to eat tonight!¡±


    The camera shook violently as Roman climbed onto a chair and pointed it at a ckened pile of


    something.


    Astrid asked, ¡°Roman, what is this?¡±


    Seeing the dish, Roman burst into tears again, ¡°Scrambled eggs.¡±


    Astrid burst outughing.


    Roman pouted, ¡°Mom, youughed again!¡±


    Astrid denied, ¡°I didn''t, it was Elio!¡±


    Elio, helplessly, ¡°Yes, it was me. Roman, you¡¯re a big boy, even if grandpa¡¯s cooking isn¡¯t great, you


    shouldn¡¯t cry.¡±


    Roman said,¡°Elio, don''t talk about me. Grandma once said you cried too when you ate grandpa¡¯s


    cooking! I cried because it was too spicy. Look at this dish, it¡¯s full of jpeno peppers and I¡¯m just a


    kid, sobbing...¡±


    As the pepper-filled dish appeared on the screen, Matthew''s voice could be heard from upstairs,


    ¡°Roman, what are you doing?¡±


    Roman pouted, ¡°I want my mom. Grandpa, you¡¯re so scary.¡±


    Before Roman could finish, the phone was snatched away by Matthew.


    Matthew¡¯s kindly smile appeared on the screen, ¡°Astrid, rest assured, I''ll take good care of Roman. You


    two just enjoy your time together, good night.¡±


    The video call ended.


    Astrid turned around to find Elio looking at her tenderly. She leaned back, ¡°What?¡±


    Elio said, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s time to enjoy our time together.¡±


    Astrid gave Elio a disdainful nce and got up to leave, but Elio suddenly stood up and wrapped his


    arms tightly around her from behind.

 Chapter 471

    Chapter 471


    "Astrid... Astrid..." His voice was a soft whisper in her ear, over and over again, "Astrid, can you forgive


    me?"


    His breath tickled her ear, making her shiver slightly.


    "Let me go first," she suggested.


    Elio simply responded, "I won''t."


    Astrid remained silent. Initially, Elio was apprehensive, worried that Astrid would push him away as she


    usually did. However, her reaction was unexpected. Could this be a sign of some sort?


    The hope ignited a spark of excitement in Elio, prompting him to scoop her up in his arms.


    Astrid didn''t resist or push him away, instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, which caught


    him off guard.


    Astrid looked at him with a twinkle in her eye, "Shall we shower first?"


    "Sure." Elioplied, gently setting her down. However, he couldn''t shake off a nagging feeling that


    something was off.


    They had two bathrooms in their home. Elio had just finished his bath when Astrid walked in.


    The moment she entered, she turned off the bedroom lights and said, "Lie down and don''t move."


    Elio wasn''t sure what Astrid was up to, but he decided to y along.


    In the darkness, he could feel her getting onto the bed and slowly moving closer to him. His heart


    began to race, every second was torturous.


    Her hand gently rested on his chest, causing him to shudder.


    His body was burning with desire, his voice hoarse, "Astrid..."


    "Elio, would you like an orange?" Astrid asked, holding up a slice of orange towards Elio.


    Elio was suspicious, but his desire for her overpowered his judgement, and he leaned in to kiss her.


    The moment their lips met, Eliopletely lost control.


    In that instant, Astrid pushed him away andughed, "Elio, do you want it?"


    Elio replied, "Astrid, stop teasing..." He tried to pull her back into his arms, but his body suddenly


    became weak and he slumped onto the bed.


    He should have been wiser! She had tricked him! Her odd behavior had been a red g, yet he


    ultimately walked right into her snare.


    Astrid exited the room humming a tune, her steps light and her face beaming.


    How could she let him have his way with her just like that? Normal couples start with holding hands,


    hugging, watching movies, kissing. But him? He was already trying to sleep with her just because she


    was being nice to him?!


    Damn men! Ugh.


    Elio, lying on the bed, was filled with regret. He should have known that the orange was a trap, but he


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    was too smitten to suspect anything.


    Only she could make him act so foolishly.


    Elio wanted to sleep, but he was wide awake. He couldn''t move or even turn over.


    He didn''t know what kind of drug Astrid had given him, but it was making him more and more awake.


    He didn''t know what time it was, only that it was veryte, but he was not sleepy at all.


    "Your eyes are as wide as saucers!" Astrid sang leisurely as she walked into the room. She slipped into


    the bed next to him, stretched out her leg, and casually draped it over his.


    She then rubbed her foot against his leg.


    The desire that Elio had barely managed to suppress red up again, "Astrid, stop teasing."


    "Elio, do you know what you did wrong today?" Astrid propped her chin on her hand and looked at him


    seriously.

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    Chapter 472


    "Well, if you''re upset, it''s my fault."


    Astrid was speechless at his answer.


    "You should reflect. I''m going to sleep." Astrid pulled Elio''s arm over her as a pillow, turned over, and


    fell asleep.


    Before long, Elio could hear Astrid''s steady breathing. And he was wide awake until dawn.


    Lately, he had noticed that his rtionship with Astrid had grown closer, making him more bold.


    But something felt off.


    Astrid and Dale had gone to meet with the director, and it was past nine before Elio felt like he could


    move.


    He shifted his body, feeling sore all over. Sleeping in the same position all night was truly


    ufortable.


    After some thought, Elio decided to try and get some insight from Gracie.


    He looked for his phone as he stretched, opened WhatsApp, found Gracie, and transferred two


    thousand dors.


    Gracie, who was scrolling TikTok in the studio lounge, saw the transfer and her eyes lit up. She


    immediately replied, [What''s up? Don''t think you can bribe me! I will never betray Astrid!]


    No sooner had she sent the message, Elio transferred another two thousand dors.


    Gracie¡¯s fingers hovered over the screen, excited. But then, she paused.


    Something was off. Why would he try to bribe her first thing in the morning? Had he messed up?


    She quickly typed,[Elio, did you cheat on Astrid and now you want me to plead your case? Let me tell


    you, if that''s the case, I''lle over with a cleaver and castrate you!]


    Elio, on the other side of the screen, felt a headacheing on. But he couldn''t exactly admit that he


    had tried to get intimate with Astridst night and she had drugged him.


    That would be too embarrassing.


    After some thought, Elio asked from a different angle - [I have a question, as Astrid''s best friend, you


    must know her best. Has she ever told you what she expects from her romantic rtionships? Or what


    she expects from her partner?]


    Minutes ticked by. Seeing Gracie¡¯s silence, Elio thought it was about the money and transferred


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    another two thousand dors.


    After a few seconds, Gracie finally replied, [She doesn¡¯t have any specific expectations. In high school,


    she just mentioned wanting to experience a serendipitous love, to enjoy the beauty of a rtionship,


    and then get married and have kids.]


    Gracie continued, [You clearly don''t fit the bill because you two had a kid before you even properly


    knew each other!]


    Elio fell silent.


    A serendipitous love, and enjoy the beauty of a rtionship...Suddenly, Elio understood why Astrid was


    upset!


    He was stunned, then ecstatic.


    So, Astrid had epted their rtionship? She was just upset that he wanted to rush things?


    Thinking about this, Elio felt some regret. In front of her, his self-control was alwayscking.


    He hadn''t thought things through.


    Before Gracie could finish her message, Astrid and Dale were alreadying out of the room.


    She hadn¡¯t expected them so soon and quickly put her phone away.


    "How did it go, Astrid?" Gracie walked over and linked arms with Astrid. "You two are all smiles, it must


    have gone well, right?"

 Chapter 473

    Chapter 473


    Astrid nodded, "Yeah, we signed the contract."


    Gracie replied, "Wow, that was fast!"


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    After some thought, Gracie decided not to tell Astrid about Elio''s proposition. After all, she didn''t take


    his money - although she was tempted to.


    Her phone buzzed and she quickly grabbed it. Her mouth dropped open in surprise. "Astrid, it''s Rickon!


    He wants to take me out for dinner!"


    Astrid chuckled at Gracie''s excitement. "Go ahead, Selena can apany me for the afternoon


    briefing. We don''t have much going on anyway."


    "But seriously, what kind of rtionship are you guys in? You hardly ever see each other!"


    Gracie hugged her phone, grinning from ear to ear. "You don''t understand - absence makes the heart


    grow fonder!"


    "I have so many ws. If I''m always around him, he''ll surely get tired of me. So, I decided to keep my


    distance. It''s perfect."


    "Perfect?" Astrid smirked. "Aren''t you nning to marry Rickon someday? Are you going to keep your


    distance then too? You''ll live in separate rooms like roommates?"


    Gracie said, "That... sounds fine to me! We''ll do our marital duties, and then sleep separately. Perfect!"


    Gracie''s twisted logic made Dale choke on his coke.


    Dale looked at Gracie, speechless. "From what I see, you and Rickon are not even in a rtionship. If


    you truly like someone, you''d want to see them often. Yet, you two barely even keep in touch."


    Gracie said, "He''s just really busy."


    Dale continued, "No matter how busy you are, there''s always time to send a message. Never believe a


    guy who says he''s too busy to reply. It only takes a few seconds!"


    Gracie didn¡¯t know what to say


    Seeing Gracie silent, Astrid immediately pped Dale''s arm andforted Gracie. "Don''t listen to


    Dale''s nonsense. You know Rickon, he''s not much of a talker and rarely uses social media. Don''t back


    down now! Rickon has never asked me out for a meal all these years. You know how special that


    makes you, right?"


    Upon hearing it, Gracie instantly brightened up, "Don''t worry, I won''t back down. If he doesn''t ask me


    out, I''ll ask him. I''ll annoy the hell out of him! I have to leave now. I need to get dressed."


    Astrid said, "Take the car. Dale can drop me off."


    Gracie blew them a kiss as she left, "Okay, love you!"


    Dale watched Gracie''s cheerful figure disappear, puzzled. "I really don''t understand the world anymore.


    Even Rickon has a girlfriend now. Do you think Gracie and that introverted Rickon make a good pair?"


    "Why can''t a great guy like Rickon have a girlfriend? If you can find a boyfriend, why can''t Rickon find a


    girlfriend?" Astrid red at Dale, "Stop babbling. Let''s go, we can''t bete for the briefing."


    Dale was silenced by Astrid''s re and obediently went to start the car.


    No sooner had Dale left than she was stopped by someone.


    "Astrid, it really is you!"


    Astrid turned around to see Bernice, chatting andughing with the producer.


    Upon seeing Astrid, Fraser introduced her to Bernice with a smile, "Astrid, although you and Bernice


    had some disagreements previously, it''s really not a big deal. With both of you in our show, it''s bound to


    be a hit."

 Chapter 474

    Chapter 474


    Bernice swiftly approached Astrid, attempting to grasp her hand. However, Astrid quickly dodged her


    touch.


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    Caught off-guard, Bernice chuckled awkwardly, "Oh dear, Fraser, it seems Astrid still hasn''t forgiven


    me. We''re ying mother and daughter in this drama, how are we going to pull this off if things


    continue this way?"


    Astrid genuinely loathed Bernice''s affected demeanor. She couldn''t believe that, despite everything that


    happenedst time, Bernice could stillnd a significant role in a major production.


    She had underestimated Bernice''s influence in the entertainment industry. Even after so many years


    away from the showbiz, Bernice still had countless tycoons willing to throw their fortunes just for her


    sweet smile.


    Astrid responded, "A professional actress doesn''t mix reality with the roles they y. Even if I detest


    you in real life, I''ll still y my part in the drama."


    Bernice was taken aback, not expecting Astrid to bluntly express her dislike in front of the producer.


    She was at a loss for words.


    Fraser was equally surprised. He didn¡¯t expect the rtionship between the two could be so strained.


    The atmosphere became awkward.


    Meanwhile, Astrid looked unperturbed, "I gotta go. See you at the set in two weeks."


    Just then, Dale drove up, and Astrid got in the car.


    Slowly, the warmth in Bernice''s eyes faded.


    Inside the car, upon hearing about Bernice''s involvement, Dale couldn''t help but curse, "What the hell


    was the director thinking? Don''t they know about your conflict with Bernice?"


    "Aren¡¯t they worried you two will start a brawl on set?"


    Astrid simply raised an eyebrow, "If she dares to provoke me, it would serve her right."


    Dale grimaced, "Anyway, you''re about to film the final stage of ''Adventures in the Abyss.'' I''ve noticed


    Robb seems to have a deep grudge against Elio. Just the mention of Elio''s name darkens his mood."


    Astrid remained silent.


    "The day of the special interview, I wasn''t even done watching when Robb dragged me off to a boxing


    session, he nearly killed me!" Dale rambled on. Realizing Astrid wasn''t responding, he added,


    "Honestly, even though Elio might not be the best, he''s among the best of your suitors."


    "Without the incident from the past, who knows, you two might have found happiness together."


    Astrid simply pressed her lips together, choosing not to respond. Because in this world, there are no


    what-ifs.


    That night, the ''Adventures in the Abyss'' crew officially announced the location of the final adventure:


    Serenity Peaks.


    Moreover, the show was to be broadcast live.


    Thanks to the sess of the previous live broadcast, the funding for this broadcast was covered by


    new investors, so Astrid didn''t have to worry about it.


    The announcement of the live broadcast at Serenity Peaks sent the inte into a frenzy.


    [Holy cow, Mr. Maddox sure knows how to make a statement. There¡¯ll a live broadcast at Serenity


    Peaks?]


    [That''s even more exciting than the ind, because you can experience all four seasons in a day at


    Serenity Peaks.]


    [But didn''t I read somewhere that weird things have happened there?]


    [Yeah, people have died there!]


    [I can''t wait to see my cool and beautiful Astar again. Seems like something''s brewing between her and


    Elio. I can never get enough of them together!]


    Astrid was scrolling through social media out of boredom when she noticed a trending hashtag.


    #Elio''sUsername#


    Curious, she clicked on it and saw that someone had changed his name to ¡®Astrid''s Husband¡¯.


    His profile picture read - My wife is a fairy.

 Chapter 475

    Chapter 475


    This guy never catches a break, does he? When did she ever admit to him being her husband?


    Such a shameless man.


    Just thinking about Serenity Peaks, Astrid got a tad bit excited.


    She took her phone and started searching for information on Serenity Peaks, but most of what she


    found were negative reports about adventurers who had gone there and never returned.


    Many of her fans were concerned about her choice of location.


    After all, no one wanted to see their idol in danger.


    Astrid had noticed, too. Many of her fans had sent her DMs urging her to be careful, some even asking


    her not to go at all.


    After a long period of contemtion, Astrid posted a tweet - "Fes, Serenity Peaks is an adventurer''s


    paradise, even drawing thrill-seekers from across the globe. If the production team chose this ce,


    they must have done their research. Mr. Naylor will lead us safely through this adventure. So rx, you


    guys!"


    The moment the tweet was posted, her fans stormed the battlefield.


    [Holy cow, I thought I''d die before seeing Astrid tweet again!]


    [Astrid, looks like you do remember you have a Twitter ount.]


    [I think we''re about to lose her affection. We used to be her darlings, now we''re just ''fes''. What''s


    next, no more nicknames at all? Heartbroken.]


    [Hey, girl! You finally remembered you have fans. How about a selfie for old times'' sake?]


    Dale said, "We''re here. I''ve done my research on Serenity Peaks. It''s quite thrilling, I must say. I kind of


    wish I could go with you."


    "You?" Astrid stepped out of the car, her face full of disdain. "Forget it. Every time we travel, aren''t you


    justzing around in the hotel? You, adventuring? What, in the hotel room?"


    She closed the car door and marched into the building without looking back.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The big-budget movie she filmedst year, Mystic Mysteries, was finally about to get a release date.


    She was here for the press conference that afternoon.


    Movies of this genre usually have a long post-production period, so Astrid was surprised that they


    managed to set a date so soon.


    The official announcement about the live-streamed press conference had fans in a frenzy.


    The live stream hadn''t even started, but already had a million viewers waiting.


    Astrid''s worth had skyrocketed, and she was now much more valuable than when she had just started


    acting.


    As soon as she walked in, the director, Carlos, approached her with a smile. "Astrid, you''re finally here.


    These big shots here all say I hit the jackpot, hiring a superstar like you for such a bargain."


    Astrid chuckled at his words. "Don''t tease me, Carlos. I''m no superstar. I just happen to know a few


    more people thanst year."


    Carlosughed heartily. "Astrid, you''re too modest. If anyone''s every move can make headlines, it''s


    you. Just now your tweet was trending! If I''d known you would be so popr this year, I would have


    signed you for two more moviesst year. I missed out."


    Everyoneughed along with Carlos.


    Just then, a cold yet familiar voice chimed in. "If you want to sign her for two more movies, you can. But


    that''s a different price."


    Everyone turned to see Elio.


    They hadn''t expected him to show up, and his presence made everyone a bit tense.


    Among the investors and producers present, some were from the Lampard family.


    Seeing Elio, their expressions were a little bit odd.

 Chapter 476

    Chapter 476


    Johnniey in a hospital bed, barely clinging to life, the victim of a mysterious poisoning. The whispers


    around town were unanimous: it was Elio Lambert''s doing.


    Now, whenever Elio entered a room, a hush would fall, and eyes would dart nervously, as if fearing


    they might be the next to find themselves hooked up to a drip.


    Astrid raised an eyebrow as Elio approached, "What brings you here?"


    Elio shrugged, "Gracie''s out on a date, so I''m stepping in as her recement for the day."


    The crowd exchanged uneasy nces.


    Her assistant? Elio was acting as Astrid''s assistant? Love really is blind!


    While everyone else was visibly shocked, Astrid looked anything but impressed. "Oh, please. You, my


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    assistant? I can''t afford that luxury. The moment we step out, how many girls would throw themselves


    at you? That''s thest thing I need ¨C more chaos."


    Elio smirked, "Oh? And which of these girls would dare, I wonder?"


    With that, he reached out and casually wrapped an arm around Astrid''s waist.


    Astrid stiffened, ufortably aware of the many eyes on them. She pushed Elio away and turned to


    Carlos, the director, "I''ll head over now, if that''s okay with you?"


    Carlos nodded eagerly, "Yes, yes, of course..."


    As Astrid walked away, Elio''s face reverted back to its usual cool indifference.


    Though Elio hade to the movie premiere, he didn''t join the cast on stage for the live interaction.


    Instead, he chose a seat in the audience, his gaze fixed on Astrid.


    It was a film about magic, and naturally, live tricks were part of the show.


    Astrid pulled off several illusions in a row, leaving the online audience awestruck. [My god, I can''t find a


    single w in Astar''s performance!]


    [Astar''s fingers are just so elegant.]


    [I heard Mr. Lambert is at the premiere too, why isn''t he on stage?]


    [I bet Mr. Lambert''s here to keep an eye on the romantic games they y, making sure nobody gets too


    close to his girl. Too bad the lead actor fell sick and didn''t show. He probably feared getting hammered


    by Mr. Lambert!]


    [Pfft, haha, sick or scared of a little intimacy ¨C hammered either way!]


    [You know too much, my friend, haha!]


    [Can''t wait for ''Adventures in the Abyss'' to start streaming again. Feels like I''ve aged a decade waiting!]


    [All those reality dating shows are scripted. At least Astar and Mr. Lambert are the real deal!]


    The magic act had ended, and the host turned to Astrid with a smile, "Astrid, take a look at the big


    screen behind you. It''s filled with real-timements from our viewers. The next segment, we''ll have


    you answer their questions."


    "When I say ''go,'' viewers will start posting their questions in thements. You''ll call ''stop,'' and


    whatever question the cursornds on, you''ll answer. Ready?"


    Astrid nodded, "Let''s do this."


    She stood to the side, squinting at the barrage ofments flooding the screen.


    "Go!!!" the host announced. Thements took off, the screen a blur of flying text.


    Astrid called out, "3, 2, 1, stop!"


    Thements froze, and everyone leaned in to see the pointed-out question.


    The host nced at Elio sitting quietly below the stage before reading the question aloud with a touch


    of hesitance, "Alright, here''s one - Astar, you''ve consistently turned down Mr. Lambert''s advances. Do


    you feel he''s not good enough for you?"

 Chapter 477

    Chapter 477


    The chatroom went dead silent.


    They was thinking, ¡°Holy smokes, who''s got the guts? That''s some risky talk! Aren''t they scared that


    Mr. Lampard would kill them?"


    The online crowd was stunned, but the fear was palpable among the live audience and the production


    crew.


    They were terrified of Elio''s wrath - That would spell disaster for them.


    A trembling crew member, microphone in hand, didn¡¯t dare to approach Elio.


    Even the director was meek, too timid to switch the camera angle to Elio.


    At that moment, Elio stood up, gesturing to the crew member with the mic.


    The guy bolted over and handed the microphone to Elio.


    Elio gently lifted the mic, looked into the camera, and said, "I''ve always felt unworthy of my wife. After


    all, she''s outstanding. But if I''m not worthy, no one else is worthy."


    The crowd went silent.


    The room was awkward for a moment. Astrid, slightly exasperated, nced at him, "The question was


    for me, not you."


    Elio replied,, "Of course, my love. My bad."


    Astrid retorted, "Get out of here, who''s your love? Stop iming wives and making a mess. Sit down."


    Elio still said, "Yes, my love."


    Astrid''s grip on the microphone tightened, veins nearly popping. If it weren¡¯t for the crowd and the live


    broadcast, she would''ve loved to clock him one.


    The guy had a hide thicker than a rhino''s!


    Executives from Lampard Group exchanged nces, thinking they must be hallucinating.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Taking orders from a woman!


    How could such a man be fit for the CEO of Morgenster Corporation?


    But the old timers only dared to think this privately. Elio now wielded considerable power, and they


    knew they could be toast if they stepped out of line.


    Astrid shot Elio a look, and he raised an eyebrow at her, a smirk of triumph on his face.


    The camera caught that smirk, and the online crowd cracked up.


    [LOL! Look at Mr. Lampard''s sly grin!]


    [Dude, HAHAHAHA, he¡¯s just trying to unt his love life and make us jealous! LOL]


    [Mr. Lampard, you''re done for, you''ve angered Astrid, you''re gonna be sleeping alone tonight!]


    [That¡¯s right! More like he won''t even be allowed through the door, look at Astrid¡¯s grip on the mic, veins


    all popping, like she''s about to throttle Mr. Lampard, HAHAHA]


    "[t¡¯s clear who''s wearing the pants in Mr. Lampard''s family, tragic, so tragic, and yet I''m here for it!]


    [They are seriously a match made in heaven!]


    Elio''s smug eyebrow raise at Astrid even made it to the trending searches, and suddenly, social media


    was flooded with ''Jealousy'' emojis.


    The livestream of the press conference was a hit, and the crew was ecstatic, nning to celebrate with


    a dinner and karaoke.


    As the lead actress, Astrid was expected to join.


    But Elio''s presence would stiffen the atmosphere, so he left early to work on hisptop in the car until


    she was done.


    After what felt like ages, Astrid called him. He answered softly, "Astrid, are you wrapping up there?"


    "No, not yet. Come up, room V8788."


    "Alright." Elio hung up, grabbed her jacket from the back seat, and headed up.


    Reaching the private room''s door, he was about to knock when it swung open.


    And then Astrid yanked him inside!

 Chapter 478

    Chapter 478


    The tension in the room was palpable, actors and directors exchanging nces that were just off. It left


    Elio with an odd feeling in his gut, but Astrid was the picture of poise, not a trace of intoxication on her.


    Puzzled, Elio asked, "What''s up?"


    Astrid locked eyes with him for several long seconds, then, with a yful smirk, she looped an arm


    around his neck and nted a quick kiss on his lips.


    Elio''s brain short-circuited, and the room exploded into chaos! It was like the ball dropped on New


    Year''s Eve all over again.


    [Holy cow, Astrid''s got game!]


    [I must be seeing things!]


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    [So, are they actually dating???]


    [It''s gotta be!]


    [Elio finally won over the heartthrob, talk about abor of love!]


    Astrid nced at him, ruffling her hair awkwardly, and began in a soft voice, "Elio, the thing is..."


    "No need to exin," he gently cut her off, "whatever the reason, you kissed me. We should head out;


    it''s gettingte."


    "Right." Astrid bid farewell to the crowd and followed Elio out.


    The night air was cool, but Astrid''s cheeks betrayed her with their warmth.


    Elio, catching her profile, chuckled softly, "Ohe on, our Astrid shy? It''s not our first kiss. What''s


    there to blush about?"


    As he spoke, Elio spun around, pulling Astrid into an embrace and pinning her gently against the wall.


    "I was ying Truth or Dare with them, lost, and chose a dare. They dared me to kiss you," Astrid


    confessed in a hushed tone, though her voicecked confidence.


    Truth be told, she could have refused, but whether it was the alcohol or some inexplicable impulse, she


    had agreed!


    Their child was already four; what''s a kiss in the grand scheme of things?


    Elio grinned, "Who thought of that dare? They''re going ces, because who knows when you''d have


    kissed me on your own initiative."


    At this, Astrid pushed him away, amused and mock-annoyed, "Get off me! Who even does that outside


    of TV dramas anymore? Are you stuck in the past? We have a kid, and I kissed you, so what?"


    Elio started to reply when a voice interrupted, "Quite the scene you two are making."


    Elio turned to see a group of masked men in ck approaching, steel pipes in hand.


    Astrid shoved Elio aside, scanning the parking garage exits now blocked by the thugs.


    Caught off guard.


    She hadn''t expected them to make a move in public.


    But Astrid was always one step ahead, never without a n.


    Elio moved to shield her, "Astrid, stay back. My guys are nearby."


    "Tell your guys to hold off. I want to handle this. We''re a society ofw and order, right? Time to show


    some civility!" Astrid pushed Elio away again, popped a piece of gum into her mouth, and with a defiant


    stance faced the goons, "Got insurance, boys?"


    The thugs were baffled.


    Astrid sneered, "Jay Lampard, that lowlife, can''t face me himself, so he sends you to do his dirty work?


    You think you can take me down, a bunch of misfits? I was taking on ten at a time while you were still in


    diapers!"


    The leader felt insulted and barked, "Say that again?"


    Astrid mocked, "Wow, first time I''ve seen someone beg to be insulted twice. I''m in a good mood today;


    I''ll indulge you, you trash!"


    As she spoke, a hidden de shot from her sleeve, striking the man square in the chest!


    In the next instant, the once-cocky thug hit the concrete, his legs twitching before going still.


    Astrid stepped forward and kicked him disdainfully, "Useless."

 Chapter 479

    Chapter 479


    The goons were momentarily stunned, but then they snapped into action, hoisting their steel pipes and


    charging straight toward Astrid!


    As they ran, they bellowed, "Boys, let''s do this! Take her down!"


    "Come on, let''s avenge our boss! There''s just two of them; we''re a crowd ¨C no way we''re scared!"


    "Let''s catch this bitch and her man, strip ''em down and parade them in the town square for a show!"


    Astrid, hearing their taunts, let a dark energy flicker across her face. She bent down to pick up a steel


    pipe that had fallen next to one of the thugs, slinging it over her shoulder and, instead of retreating, she


    charged headlong into the fray!


    Elio, seeing things go south, immediately dashed to join her.


    With his long legs giving him an edge, Elio reached the mob at the same time as Astrid. He spun


    around with a roundhouse kick that struck a charging thug squarely in the shoulder!


    Astrid heard the crisp snap, and the man went down, clutching his shoulder and crashing into his buddy


    behind him!


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    And the steel pipe? It was now firmly in Elio''s grip!


    With one arm around Astrid, Elio swung the pipe with his free hand, and in a sh, another thug''s head


    blossomed with a gory flower.


    The scent of blood filled the air, and Elio stood there like a warrior from hell, his formidable presence


    instilling a flicker of fear in the goons.


    Astrid, stunned by Elio''s ferocity, paused for a second before whistling, "Not too shabby, boy!"


    Elio looked down, "Boy? It''s ''hubby,'' if you please."


    "Ha! In your dreams!" Astrid shot back, then, using his shoulder for leverage, she spun around and


    brought the pipe down on the head of a thug trying to blindside Elio!


    Their moves were ruthless, precise, and deadly, their momentum instantly overpowering the thugs.


    Carson Fisher and his men, waiting in the wings to back them up, felt a chill down their spine as they


    watched the thugs drop one by one.


    One of the bodyguards muttered in awe, "Holy cow, is our boss''s wife really that badass?"


    Carson simply replied, "She''s always been a force to reckon with."


    Before long, Elio and Astrid had knocked out the whole gang, some incapacitated by Astrid''s swift and


    toxic maneuvers.


    In short, not a single one was left standing.


    The bodyguards, surveying the scene of the fallen, felt a sudden sense of job insecurity.


    Carson was still in a daze when his phone vibrated.


    Looking down, he saw a message from Elio - [Take care of it]


    By the time he snapped back to reality, Elio and Astrid were already driving out of the parking garage.


    After fighting alongside Astrid, Elio could tell she was looking at him differently. If he had known that a


    brawl would earn him such regard, he would have thrown down more often.


    With the uing adventure in Serenity Peaks, he was determined to shine and hopefully, by the end


    of the recording, secure his ce for good.


    ...


    With the destination being more dangerous than ever, Astrid spent the night prepping all sorts of gear.


    Her brothers called one after another, issuing warnings and advice, even typically silent Rickon spent


    over five minutes on the phone with her.


    The crew had briefed everyone with precautions due to the special nature of the location, and the


    backpacks for this adventure were noticeablyrger than before.


    Even though the show hadn''t officially started, fans were already flooding all the channels.


    Chat was wild, [Damn, when''s it going to start?]


    [Where''s my Astar? I need my Astar!]

 Chapter 480

    Chapter 480


    [Ever since that witchy Bernice came into the picture, I gotta admit, Joana''s starting to grow on me.]


    [Ha! So, should Joana be thanking Bernice for making her look good?]


    [Still not a fan of Bernice, but man, I''m actually missing Parrish and Larry.]


    [More PDA, please!]


    [Mr. Maddox, Mr. Maddox, cameras rolling, we''re live!]


    [Coming,ing, I''m here!]


    [Matching outfits! Mr. Lampard and Astar are rocking their couple''s tees without a care!]


    [Their shirts are way too cute.]


    [I got curious and snapped a pic to look up the shirts online. Seeing the price tag, I realized I''m not


    worthy!]


    [Is it a partner to wear matching outfits with that I¡¯mcking? No, it''s the dough to buy them!]


    When the live stream suddenly turned on, revealing Astrid andpany on screen, the viewers went


    wild with excitement.


    The couple''s attire was quite the spectacle. Astrid was in her usual garb, but someone had gone out of


    their way to copy her look into a men''s version just to match her. Voil¨¤, couple''s wear.


    Joana hadn''t gone far, backpack slung over her shoulders, before she startedining, "Geez,


    what did the production team pack in here? Why is it so heavy? Do I, a girl, have to lug around this


    much weight? Don''t they have a shred of chivalry?"


    Maddox just gave her a look.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The production team was silent, leaving Joana red-faced and wishing she could sink into the ground.


    Back at the screens, viewers were cracking up, [LMAO, I knew she''d pull some drama, but I didn''t


    expect her to start just five minutes in!]


    [I just bet a buddy a pack of hot fries that Joana would start her antics within an hour. Guess I lost that


    bet.]


    [Here she goes again, same old shtick, same old Joana.]


    [Actually, I''m not that annoyed by Joana anymore. That''s just who she is, right? I mean, if the world''s


    got cool and stunning Astar, there''s bound to be a drama queen like Joana... She''s been like this since


    the show started, probably that''s just her real self.]


    [Serenity Peaks can be pretty dangerous. Fans just hope Joana doesn''t bite off more than she can


    chew.]


    Thements were flying fast and furious.


    Meanwhile, Astrid and the others were in good spirits, chatting andughing.


    The group trekked deeper into the woods, where ancient trees soared to the heavens.


    It was early spring, and the forest still held a chill, the air crisp and fresh after recent rains.


    The loudest of the bunch, Parrish, was curious, "Astrid, I heard this mountain''s got some bad juju. Did


    you check it out?"


    "Of course," Astrid replied, tapping around with a stick. "This ce is even more treacherous than the


    shouldn''t, don''t eat what you shouldn''t."


    Joana felt like Astrid''s words were aimed at her.


    But, considering she got herself into troublest time for not heeding advice, she didn''t dare retort.


    Parrish asked, "So, is there anything edible around here?"


    "You might find some wild mushrooms in these parts, but many of them are toxic. You can''t just eat any


    mushroom you find," Astrid exined, prodding a cluster of vibrant red mushrooms at the base of a


    eat."

 Chapter 481

    Chapter 481


    "Check out this weed, it looks like that herb we tried before, but while that one had medicinal uses, this


    one is a slow poison."


    "Whoa, slow poison?" Parrish yanked his hand back like he''d touched a hot stove and wrapped his


    arms around himself. "Astar, you''re not saying there''s some kind of instant-death poison lurking around


    here, are you? I''m too young to die!"


    Astrid rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "You''ve been watching too many of those period dramas.


    Sure, there are deadly nts out here, but rx, with me around, you won''t bite the dust."


    Parrish breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that''s a relief. I''m sticking to you like glue, Astar!"


    Clyde chimed in, "Glue-sticking, count me in."


    No sooner had they finished their exchange that they felt a piercing re from the side.


    Without turning, they knew it was Elio, burning with jealousy. Sharing a knowing nce, they quickly


    caught up with Odell and walked ahead together.


    As night fell, the group found a spot that was barely sheltered from the elements and started a fire.


    Joana plopped down on the ground and looked up, "Director, where are the tents? I''m ready to hit the


    hay."


    Maddox replied with a calm that belied the bomb he was about to drop, "Before you came out here, I


    had your agents brief you on the survival situation. No tents, no food¡ªyou have to fend for yourselves.


    The onlyforts we''re providing are two chances to freshen up with a makeshift shower."


    "Two showers in ten days? Director, aren''t you pushing it a bit too far?" Joana''s patience was wearing


    thin; she had kept a tight lid on her temper, but this was too much.


    "The real survivalists don''t get shower luxuries," Maddox retorted. "I added the shower service


    considering the fact that you''re all celebrities and might struggle with the concept of not bathing for long


    stretches. If you can''t handle it, you''re wee to drop out."


    Joana fell silent. The others seemed unfazed, leaving Joana alone in her squabble with the crew.


    When she finally snapped out of it, she realized everyone had vanished! Panic set in instantly.


    Rushing to Maddox, she demanded, "Director, where did everyone go?"


    "It''s dinner time; they''ve gone foraging," Maddox exined simply.


    Joana was speechless. The audience thought Joana would go looking for Astrid and the others, but


    instead, she just huddled closer to the fire, not showing the slightest interest in venturing out.


    Time ticked away, and there was still no sign of Astrid''s return.


    Starting to worry, Joana finally decided to grab a shlight and go look for them.


    The forest was eerily silent, and even with the camera crew beside her, she felt a shiver of fear. She


    began to chat with her online followers, "My agent told me I''ve been getting roasted online. Told me to


    put on a better show."


    "But I can''t keep faking who I am. This is me, and I just want to be real with everyone¡­"


    As Joana rambled on, she suddenly heard a faint rustling nearby.


    Startled, she clicked off her shlight and ducked behind arge tree, signaling for the cameraman to


    stay quiet.


    With memories of a snakebite incident on thest trip, she was on high alert.


    If it was Astrid and the crew, there would be lights, but the noise she heard came from pitch darkness.


    Now genuinely frightened, Joana whispered into her mic, "Director, I think I''m in danger. Send someone


    to save me, please!"Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 482

    Chapter 482


    As Maddox switched gears to locate Joana''s position, he circled around her but found nothing out of


    the ordinary.


    Meanwhile, Joana heard another strange noise.


    She remembered the online reports of fatalities in these mountains, and her eyes welled up with tears,


    on the verge of crying.


    The cameraman quicklyforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m right here with you. Plus, the production team


    has arranged for a bunch of folks to look out for us nearby. We¡¯ll be just fine.¡±


    Joana sniffled, ¡°Last time Mr. Maddox had people on that ind to protect the guests, but someone still


    managed to sneak poisonous snakes onto the ind!¡±


    The cameraman was at a loss for words. While he was about to speak, a bizarre sound came from not


    too far away.


    Braver than most, he snatched the shlight from Joana''s hand, flicked it on, and shone it into the


    distance, only to see a shadowy figure dart past.


    Online viewers were freaking out-


    [Dude!!! Someone''s there!!!]


    [Holy cow, was that even human? Did you see how fast it moved? Could it be something supernatural?]


    [Why am I watching this alone at home? Scared the hell out of me. That didn''t look human... right?]


    [I thought my eyes were ying tricks on me, but it seems I''m not the only one.]


    [Am I crazy, or did it look like it was floating?]


    [Chicken nuggets! This is getting too weird for me. Where¡¯s Astrid? I won¡¯t calm down until I see her.]


    [People said this ce was haunted, with all those unsolved mysteries. I don''t get it. How can Mr.


    Maddox be so chill about choosing this spot for an adventure?]


    [I''m so freaked out, damn it!]


    [There''s the light, it''s Astrid!!!]


    [Believe in Astrid for eternal life, I beg you Joana, stick with Astrid from now on!]


    [Damn it, Astrid, save the kid, I was scared to death just now!]


    [Chills! Ahhh!]


    This was the first time Joana had ever been so relieved to see Astrid. She jogged over and clutched at


    Astrid''s sleeve, "I''m so d you''re here."


    Astrid was taken aback by her clinginess and gently tried to pry Joana''s hand away, "Joana, what''s with


    the waterworks?"


    But Joana clung on, "There''s something really weird in these woods. Just now, both the cameraman


    and I saw and heard it. That sound... it was like something gnawing on bones, and it came from the


    direction you all disappeared to. Didn''t you see anything?"


    "Gnawing on bones?" Parrish''s mouth twitched slightly, "Who''s out here munching on bones in the


    middle of the night? Are you sure you''re not just hearing things because you''re scared?"


    Clyde nodded in agreement, "We didn''t see anyone or even any animals on our way here, and we


    didn''t hear anything odd either."Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing them say this only convinced Joana further that she had encountered something unholy. She


    started praying to the surroundings, "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to offend anyone. Please, I didn''t mean to


    disturb you. I''ll light candles and offer prayers for you when I get back, just please don''te after me."


    The more she apologized, the more the online viewers were convinced something eerie was going on.


    Astrid frowned slightly and touched Joana''s forehead, "You''re not feverish. You''re an educated person,


    let''s not get carried away with superstitions, okay?"


    Joana retorted, "Easy for you to say with Mr. Lampard protecting you. With his strong presence, you


    have nothing to fear, but I do!"


    Astrid was taken aback. How did the conversation turn to Elio Lampard? And what about having a


    strong presence?


    Suddenly, a chilling cry came from above, as if something swooshed over their heads like a gust of


    wind from behind!


    Then, Joana''s scream pierced the night sky.

 Chapter 483

    Chapter 483


    Parrish nearly jumped out of his skin at Joana''s scream. "What, just a few crows? Haven''t you ever


    seen a crow before?"


    Joana watched the birds pping their wings and flying away, her eyes brimming with tears. "So what if


    I haven''t seen crows? Not everyone is as fearless as Astrid. So what if I''m a scaredy-cat, is that a


    crime?"


    "I... uh," Parrish was at a loss for words, "I didn''t say there''s anything wrong with being scared. Let''s


    just drop it, okay? Let''s head back."


    Astrid chimed in, "Yeah, let''s go, Joana. If you''re scared, you can walk in the middle and try not to look


    around too much."


    Joana pursed her lips and obediently took her ce in the middle of the group. But deep down, she


    was convinced that the shadow she saw wasn''t a crow. It might not have been very clear, but it


    definitely looked like a person''s silhouette!


    The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. Joana lifted her head, ncing around


    nervously as if even the tree shadows were morphing into ghouls and goblins.


    Suddenly, a pair of glowing eyes appeared out of nowhere in the air. Joana leaped up, clinging onto


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Clyde who was walking ahead and screamed with her eyes squeezed shut, "Aaah! Ghost! Look, look at


    that tree!"


    The cameraman turned the lens in the direction she was pointing, and abruptly, two eerie golden eyes


    appeared on the screen.


    The online audience freaked out!


    The chat was going wild with messages- [Dude!!!!]


    [Now I feel like I''ve got a pair of eyes staring at me from outside my window too.]


    [Holy smokes, what on earth is that thing?!]


    [Aaah! I was so scared I dropped my phone, but my affection for Astar had me scooping it right back


    up.]


    [I''m just a small and helpless child, why do I have to watch this? So scary!]


    [Are those really ghost eyes? They''re floating in the air! And the color, so weird! They glow in the dark!]


    A chorus of cries filled the chat, and then everyone heard Astrid''s voice, filled with excitement, "Wow!


    An owl!"


    Everyone was like, "WTF?!"


    Not wanting to frighten the owl, Astrid dimmed the shlight and shone it up at the tree.


    Then, the audience saw the round, plump owl perched on the tree trunk.


    The chat reacted-


    [LMAO, it''s just an owl. Scared me half to death.]


    [Though I gotta say, that chubby little thing is kinda adorable.]


    [Phew, I can sleep alone again tonight.]


    [Right! Owl eyes do glow at night. Astrid''s got nerves of steel.]


    It was at that moment when an eagle-eyed viewer noticed Joana clinging onto Clyde like a ko.


    Clyde''s fans instantly went on the offensive, [Get the hell off my man, Joana!]


    [Don''t touch my Clyde!]


    [For goodness'' sake, Joana, get off him now!!!]


    [Seriously, what the heck, Joana? Ady kept by a sugar daddy, don''t touch my man, okay?]


    [The owl''s been identified, so why the heck is she still hanging on him???]


    [I was just about to stop disliking Joana, and now this makes me hate her again, damn.]


    Clyde''s expression soured, but with an audience watching, he couldn''t lose his cool. He whispered,


    "Joana, let go of me. The owl won''t hurt us."


    Hearing Clyde''s words, Joana awkwardly let go and faced the camera immediately, "I''m so sorry,


    Clyde''s fans. I apologize to you all. I was really scared and just instinctively grabbed whoever was in


    front. Don''t worry, I''ll keep my distance from your idol in the future."

 Chapter 484

    Chapter 484


    The fans were still fuming, but Joana had publicly apologized. If they kept harping on it, they''d just


    seem petty.


    The group trekked back, finally making it to the safety of the campsite.


    Parrish and Clyde got busy washing vegetables, while Astrid, knife in hand, scouted the surrounding


    area for trees with broad leaves.


    She was about to get started, gloved hands ready, when Elio stepped in front of her, chopping down


    branches. "Let me handle the heavy lifting. You take a break."


    "I''m not tired. A little work will warm me up." Astrid wasn''t one for affectations; she dived right into the


    task.


    Odell came over to help them gather the leaves, seeing the two engrossed in their work.


    Joana, sitting by the campfire, looked puzzled. "Why are you cutting down those leaves? Isn''t that kind


    of destructive to the environment?"


    The onlinements were like- [I was ready to hang up my hat as a keyboard warrior, but Joana


    keeps drawing me back into the fray!]


    [They''re just leaves from trees that are all over the ce here. It''s hardly destruction.]


    [Odell''s sick and still not cking off, while Joana just throws shade from the sidelines. So annoying.]


    [Everyone, chill. Joana''s not causing trouble, which is a win for us. She''s getting better.]


    [These trees are practically an invasive species here. Astrid''s not cutting down the whole tree, just


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    some leaves. Let''s not nitpick.]


    Joana had no idea her casual remark would stir up such ire online and continued to mutter, "Mr. Odell,


    aren''t you going to say something? You''re an environmental ambassador, aren''t you?"


    Odell, setting aside what he was carrying, nced at Joana and patiently exined, "We''re making a


    shelter because even though we''re out of the rain here, we''ll still get soaked if ites down hard.


    These trees are overrunning the forest; cutting a few leaves doesn''t harm the ecosystem."


    "Oh," Joana mumbled, tossing a couple of logs into the fire. Naylor brought back logs as thick as his


    arms, perfect for propping up the shelter.


    Astrid returned and started expertly constructing the shelter. She worked with the ease of someone


    who did this daily.


    Elio stood by helpfully, a far cry from the icy CEO stered across the news. Here, he was just a man


    heart set on pleasing his wife.


    Thements kepting - [Damn, I''m falling harder for Astrid. She makes even building a shelter


    look good!]


    [I want to marry Astrid, but I can''t best Elio. (Heartbroken)]


    [Did anyone else notice Astrid warming up a tad to Mr. Lampard this episode?]


    As the online chat buzzed with excitement, some viewers, idly browsing other video feeds, noticed


    something peculiar.


    Many of the trees had cameras installed, and one viewer spotted a strange urrence.


    The chat lit up - [Guys, I think Joana might be right, I just saw something spooky.]


    The onlinemunity tensed up, [Dude, don''t just blurt out stuff like that. My heart can''t take it.]


    [I was watching the night view on another feed, and I saw something sh by in the woods, like a


    person, but not quite clear. It didn''t seem real.]

 Chapter 485

    Chapter 485


    The casual onlookers, who had been cheerfully watching Astrid set up her tent, suddenly couldn''t sit


    still any longer.


    [Dude, don''t freak me out, I''m a scaredy-cat!] one of them wailed.


    [Come on, we''re all educated folks here, let''s keep our cool!]


    [Holy smokes, I see it too! Check out the 34-minute mark, there''s definitely something there!]


    As the chat lit up with thesements, everyone leaned in closer to their screens.


    Maddox and his crew, afraid something serious might be going down, quickly switched the camera


    angle to take a look.


    The woods were dead quiet, save for the soft rustling of leaves in the wind.


    Maddox peered into the monitor for a while but didn''t notice anything out of the ordinary.


    Just as he was about to switch back, he saw something sh across the screen!


    The crew stiffened up, "Boss, there''s definitely something out there!"


    Maddox tried to keep the mood light, "Rx, guys. What century are we in to still believe in ghosts? It''s


    got to be someone messing with us. Let''s go check it out."


    The team agreed, "Alright."


    The online viewers were shivering in their seats, so Maddox turned on his mic and said, "Don''t be


    scared, folks. I''m gonna go find this ''ghost'' and give it a piece of my mind."


    The audience chimed in, [Be careful, Mr. Maddox!]


    [Why don''t you bring Astrid along? We want to see her kick some ghost butt!]


    [Pfft, you think Astrid can do anything?]


    [Hey, my Astrid can definitely do anything. Even a ghost would take a detour around her!]


    [LOL, please don''t put Astrid on such a high pedestal.]


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    [Blood oath here for Mr. Maddox to bring Astrid!]


    [Seconding that blood oath, Mr. Maddox, bring Astrid along!]


    The screen was soon flooded with hundreds of these ''blood oaths,'' and Maddox felt cornered.


    He had no choice but to go fetch Astrid.


    When he found her, she was in the middle of dinner. She looked up at Maddox with a smile, "Hey,


    Director, have you had dinner yet?"


    "Nope." Maddox didn''t beat around the bush andid it out, "We saw something weird on the feed, and


    I''m taking a team to check it out. But the audience has created a petition for you to join us and ''rip apart


    a ghost with your bare hands.''"


    Astrid choked on herughter, "Director, you believe that stuff too?"


    Maddox grinned, "So, want to join us for a ghost hunt?"


    "Of course! Let me at it. I''ll catch that ghost and grill it for dinner; I''ve never tasted ghost before."


    Parrish burst outughing, "Astar, you really will eat anything, huh? Wait up, I''ming too!" He


    downed his soup in one gulp, stood up, and grabbed Clyde, "Let''s go, we''re going to see the world with


    the Astar."


    Clyde nodded, "Sure."


    Naylor and Odell stood up too, and Joana started panicking, "You''re all going? And leave me here


    alone? What if the ghostes after me?"


    Everyone exchanged nces.


    The chat went wild, [I can''t take it, I want to throttle Joana!]


    [We''re here to see Astrid catch and eat a ghost, not listen to her dilly-dally. Where''s the sergeant with


    my cannon?]


    [Does she really think there are ghosts?]


    Astrid didn''t want to waste time with Joana so she simply said, "If you''re scared,e with us."


    "Okay." Joana was terrified at the thought of ghost hunting, but the idea of being alone was even


    worse.


    Astrid bent down, rummaged through her bag, armed herself with various tools and what looked like


    pepper spray, grabbed a shlight, and said, "Let''s go, Mr. Maddox. Lead the way."

 Chapter 486

    Chapter 486


    "Alright," Maddox said, striding forward with Astrid and the others trailing behind.


    Elio lowered his voice, "Legends of spirits haunting this hill have been around forever. Someone''s


    probably just using it as an excuse to stir up trouble."


    "Mmhmm, figured as much. So, I''ve prepared a little surprise for them," Astrid chuckled mischievously,


    turning to boast to Elio about her homemade concoction, "You see¡ª" But as she turned, her lips


    brushed against his cheek in an unexpected kiss!


    Online Chatroom-


    [OMG!!! My ship just sailed, they KISSED!]


    [Mr. Lampard is such a tease, he totally knew Astrid would turn and just waited for it!]


    [Props to the cameraperson for catching that moment!]


    [Dude, Mr. Lampard is shameless, stealing a kiss in front of everyone!]


    [This is it, he''s gonna get smacked by Astrid!]


    Just as the chat predicted, Astrid''s footshed out, nailing Elio with a solid kick.


    The chat erupted - [LOL, who would''ve thought!]


    Astrid truly hadn''t expected Elio to pull something like that. One kick didn''t satisfy her anger, so she


    delivered another, "Elio, are you asking for it?"


    It was just a brush of the lips, but in Elio''s mind, it was close enough to a kiss, and he was in high


    spirits, "Maybe a little. Why don''t you help me loosen up, darling?"


    Astrid was speechless.


    The chat was loving the drama, [Astrid, hit him!]


    [What to do with a man who won''t listen? Easy, just beat some sense into him, LOL]


    [I can''t even watch soap operas anymore, they just don''t cut it. They''re all ''you''re ying with fire,dy!''


    Nothing beats the raw entertainment of Mr. Lampard and Astrid!]


    [I thought all these TV tycoons were untouchable, but Mr. Lampard''s got to be the most unfortunate


    one yet, haha. But our Astrid is so fierce, she doesn''t even take him seriously.]


    "We''re here," Maddox''s voice suddenly calmed the excited online viewers as everyone focused on the


    dark screen.


    A sense of tension crept in.


    Astrid stepped forward, sweeping the area with her shlight. She then crouched down, searching the


    ground.


    Joana muttered under her breath, "All for show."


    Parrish overheard and was immediately annoyed, "Why don''t you say that a little louder, huh?


    Whispering behind people''s backs? All for show? Why don''t you try doing better? And what''s with you,


    Joana? Can''t you ever just chill out?"


    When Parrish confronted her, Joana immediately yed the victim, "I was justining a little. Did


    you have to yell at me?"


    "Yell?" Parrish was taken aback, "This is yelling? You haven''t seen yelling. I¡ª"


    A faint, whimpering cry drifted from the nearby woods, sending a chill down Parrish''s spine.


    It was the sound of a woman crying.


    The sound was soft and brief.


    Thinking he might be imagining things since no one else seemed to react, Parrish was about to


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    continue his quarrel with Joana when she suddenly rushed forward and clung to him, crying out, "You


    hear that? It''s the ghost! She''s crying! She''s crying! I told you all not to mess with these things,


    sometimes superstitions are worth believing in. I saw posts online about this ce, warning us of things


    here we should respect, but you just had toe!"

 Chapter 487

    Chapter 487


    "Back off, back off! Let go of me!" Parrish yanked Joana away with force, cursing under his breath,


    "Joana, what the hell is wrong with you, girl? Why do you always jump on guys like that? There are so


    many people around, it''s not like the boogeyman''s going to eat you alive!"


    Joana hadn''t expected Parrish to react so harshly. Biting her lip, tears welled up in her eyes. "That''s so


    mean of you. I was scared, that''s the only reason I held onto you. You think I wanted to?"


    "What? So you''re saying hugging me is some kind of hardship for you?" If they weren''t live on air,


    Parrish would have really let loose with some choice words from his neck of the woods.


    He wasn''t the kind of guy who didn''t care for women; it''s just that Joana was exactly the type he


    couldn''t stand, and he had zero patience for her drama.


    While the two were bickering, Astrid and Elio had already found the source of the crying sound amid a


    pile of leaves¡ªa small tape recorder.


    Astrid held up the device and said to Maddox, "Director, it was this thing making the noise."


    Maddox took a look and his expression darkened, "This is clearly someone messing with us. We''ve


    been filming here without stepping on anyone''s toes or, you know, stealing their thunder."


    "That''s debatable," Astrid said with a raised eyebrow. "Our show''s hot stuff now; wouldn''t be surprised


    if someone''s green with envy over your sess, Director."


    The mention of this sparked an idea in Maddox''s mind¡ªhe immediately thought of Vince, a rival reality


    show producer who always seemed to bepeting with him.


    Seeing Maddox''s program getting rave reviews, Vince had tried to replicate its sess but ended up


    with a flop. Vince had been taking subtle digs at him on air, leading Maddox to suspect Vince was


    behind this stunt.


    However, airing such usations live wasn''t a good move, so he simply said, "Let''s all look around for


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    anything out of the ordinary, and Joana, stop your sniveling. There''s no ghost."


    Joana dabbed at her tears, head bowed, ignoring Mr. Maddox.


    The viewers were getting irritated with her antics. [Joana really knows how to be a pain.]


    [But who''s behind this? I''m betting on Vince. The feud between him and Mr. Maddox is legendary. He


    must want to see Maddox''s show tank live!]


    [It could also be Astar''s rivals stirring trouble. After all, Astar''snded a ton of gigs thanks to this show.


    Her calendar''s booked till the end of next year, and she''s got some top-tier productions. Lots of up-and-


    [Or maybe it''s Mr. Lampard''s love rivals. They don''t want to see Astar and Mr. Lampard live happily


    ever after!]


    [It''s tough for Astar and Mr. Lampard to even date, let alone bring little Roman Lampard on a family


    show. Fingers crossed I''ll live to see that day!]


    [Wait... ah!! What''s that?]


    [Look at camera 36, check out camera 36!!]


    The production team noticed something strange and immediately informed Maddox, "Director, bottom


    left, camera 36, there''s something up! We advise the faint-hearted to look away!"


    Maddox''s heart skipped a beat at the warning.


    He nced at the people around him, then said to Naylor, "Mr. Naylor, would you minding with me


    to check it out?"


    "Sure," Naylor nodded and moved ahead. Astrid noticed Maddox''s concern and decided to follow them,


    sensing something was amiss.

 Chapter 488

    Chapter 488


    As soon as she stepped out, Elio sidled up, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. "Astrid, you should head


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    back. I''ll tag along with them; it''s cool."


    "Not a chance," Astrid shot back with a wink. "Some things might stump these guys, but not me. Just


    don''t go screaming like a little kid when things get spooky, okay?"


    Elio grinned. "With my wife¡¯s protection, scared is thest thing I''d be."


    "Get outta here! Since when am I your wife?" Astrid rolled her eyes in mock disgust, then something


    caught her eye in the distance¡ªa shape fluttering in the branches of a tree.


    It was like the silhouette of a person, floating among the leaves, but it had no legs.


    Even Elio, as macho as he tried to be, felt a chill creep up his spine. Fearing Astrid might freak, he


    reached out and covered her eyes.


    But Astrid wasn''t having any of it. She was too intrigued to appreciate the blindfold treatment. She


    swatted his hand away. "What are you doing? Oh my god, who''s still using the old dy in white with


    long hair'' gig? It''s so cliche! That''s a lousy prop, right there. It looks so fake! The eyes are bulging, but


    it''s more funny than scary. And is that ketchup for blood? Seriously, this is amateur hour. And look, you


    can see right through that hole in the belly¡ªclear to the tree behind!"


    Maddox was speechless. To avoid frightening the viewers at home, the crew swiftly cut the feed from


    the camera pointed at the eerie figure.


    Hearing Astrid''smentary, everyone started to visualize the scene, and the more timid among them


    were on the verge of tears. [This is the first time I wish Astar would just zip it.]


    [Same here. I usually love her banter, but right now, I''d pay her to shut up. Her descriptions are way too


    vivid; I''m crying here.]


    [Dang, those visuals are too strong. I muted it because I got scared!]


    [LOL! So I''m not the only chicken here. But it does suggest that someone staged this ''ghost'' to scare


    us. Whoever did this is seriously twisted.]


    [Yeah, what if someone on the crew had a heart condition or something? What if they got a heart attack


    from the fright?]


    The chat was buzzing with excitement when suddenly, Astrid whipped out a miniature crossbow and


    fired a bolt into the distance. A high-pitched scream echoed through the woods.


    The chat exploded - [OMG, so the ''ghost'' isn''t a prop but a real person? Astar made her cry, LOL!]


    Those who had muted the stream quickly turned the volume back up, only to hear someone sobbing.


    But this time, the cries weren''t scary; they were the unmistakable sounds of someone in pain. "It hurts


    so much, my stomach... I think I''m dying. Please, someone help me!"


    Astrid looked at the woman tied to the tree, iling about, and couldn''t help butugh. "Oops, I thought I


    could shoot right through that hole in your belly!"


    The woman was at a loss for words for a while ,then she begged, "Astar, I''m sorry! I was just paid to


    y a ghost, please let me go. Mr. Maddox, Mr. Maddox, I''ve been an extra in your shows before. Can''t


    you cut me some ck? I was just trying to earn a few extra bucks, nothing personal! I can barely feel


    my stomach anymore. If I don''t get to a hospital soon, I''m a goner."


    The crowd didn''t know whether to be horrified or amused.


    Astrid surveyed the terrified woman, her lips twitching into a half-smile. She had known all along it was


    a person, which is why she had used the barest force necessary on her crossbow, just enough to


    deliver a dose of the sedative on its tip.

 Chapter 489

    Chapter 489


    So it made sense that she was out cold.


    Maddox''s voice cut through the tension, "You said someone paid you toe here and y spook.


    Spill the beans on who it is, and we''ll get you to a hospital."


    The woman hesitated, "Mr. Maddox, you''re asking me to bite the hand that feeds. I''ve already cashed


    the check. If I rat them out and they''re watching this live, I''m toast!"


    "Fine, we''ll leave it," Maddox relented, then turned to his crew, "Keep a couple of guys on her. If


    anyone shows up to fetch her, nab them too."


    "Got it, Mr. Maddox," one of the crew affirmed.


    Seeing that Maddox and his team were about to leave, panic seized the woman, and she burst into


    tears. "Mr. Maddox, please don''t go. I got the gig online. The client paid me through an anonymous


    ount. I swear I don''t know who hired me. They just said to haunt around this forest. The pay was so


    good, I took the bait! I really don''t know anything else. Help me, Astar! Please!"


    When the woman called out to her, Astrid turned around and looked at her. "Don''t worry, you''re not


    gonna die."


    Maddox had seen Astrid''s hacking prowess before, and the mention of an online transaction had his


    eyes lighting up with an idea. "Astrid, can you do us a solid and trace who it was?"


    Astrid was already curious, so she nodded, "Sure, but what''s in it for me?"


    She eyed Maddox up and down, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. She then addressed


    the camera, "Our dear director Maddox always hides behind a mask. I remember the fans once


    petitioned en masse for you to show your face. How about this¡ªif I find out who''s behind this, you drop


    the mask for the camera?"


    Maddox felt his whole body protest at the suggestion. "Isn''t that a bit much?"


    The online crowd went wild.


    [Only Astar knows us! I''ve seen so many shows produced by Mr. Maddox, always wondered what he


    looks like. Finally, a chance!]


    [Love you Astar! I''m dying to see Mr. Maddox''s face!]


    [Mr. Maddox looks so vulnerable, he wouldn''t dare refuse, would he? Especially with Mr. Lampard


    watching. If he says no, half the show''s funding will be pulled!]


    After much hesitation, Maddox gave in, "Alright, deal. If you can trace it, the maskes off."


    The live stream viewers erupted in excitement. Maddox''s face was one of the entertainment industry''s


    top unsolved mysteries.


    With the news out, the show''s poprity soared even higher.


    Word spread like wildfire, and soon the number of viewers spiked.


    Compared to thevish control room Astrid had built on the indst time, Maddox''s makeshift trailer


    looked rather shabby.


    As Astrid stepped into the trailer, the crew immediately cleared aputer for her. The tech


    enthusiasts'' eyes shone like they were in the presence of a deity.


    The crew ryed the ghostly woman''s personal information to Astrid. Starting with her social media


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ount, Astrid quickly hacked into it. The employer, probably watching the live stream, had already


    blocked the woman''s ount. Still, it was child''s y for Astrid to recover the data and pinpoint the


    sender''s location.


    It seemed like an easy victory, but as Astrid breached the firewall, something interesting happened¡ª


    the other party attempted to hack back into Astrid''sputer.

 Chapter 490

    Chapter 490


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, her fingers rapidly dancing across the keyboard.


    To the untrained eye, the code on her screen seemed like an intricate spell of digital wizardry.


    Suddenly, a message popped up on herputer screen, ¡°Stop digging, or you''ll regret it.¡±


    With a smirk ying on her lips, Astrid shot back a reply, ¡°Acting like trash? That''s no way to talk to


    your old man, kiddo.¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The audience watching her live stream burst intoughter. [Astrid''s badassery is breaking through the


    screen!]


    [Dude, I''m falling for Astrid hard. What color bup sack do you fancy?]


    [Are you crazy, trying to bag Astrid like she''s some kind of prize? Can I, uh, join you?]


    [Marry me! Marry me! Marry me! Got to say it thrice for emphasis!]


    [Someone pinch the dreamer above, will ya? Diabetics, stay clear!]


    The chat was in hysterics when the challenger responded to Astrid, "Don''t think your little hacking tricks


    are anything special. I''ll teach you a lesson today. Crack my firewall in one hour, and I''ll introduce you


    to the hacking legend Aster. But if you fail, I''m leaking your dirty secrets."


    Introduce her to Aster? She was Aster! Did she really need an introduction to herself?


    But this person''s words suggested a familiar connection.


    Astrid typed, "Who are you to know Aster?"


    The challenger replied, "My name is not for you to know yet."


    "Please." Astrid scoffed and got to work.


    The live chat grew even more boisterous. [Who dares to challenge our Astrid?]


    [But who is this Aster? Sounds as mysterious as Astrid herself. Could they be the same?]


    [Let me enlighten some of you. Aster wasst year''s international hackingpetition co-champion.]


    [Wait, if that''s the case, Astrid can''t lose this one, right?]


    [Don''t jinx it! Astrid can''t lose!]


    [An hour? It''s barely been three minutes...]


    As thestment floated by, Astrid''s fingers mmed down on the Enter key, activating the


    challenger''s webcam.


    On screen appeared a guy in bright red boxers, sporting a bedhead, slurping ramen and humming,


    "Live it up, we''ve got all the time in the world!"


    Everyone was like, "My eyes!"


    Astrid studied the man on screen, who bore a resemnce to a certain Chad.


    The guy, blissfully unaware his webcam was on, kept on enjoying his noodles.


    After a few bites, he noticed something was off ¡ª his webcam light was on.


    The noodle, hanging from his mouth, dropped back into the bowl.


    He then yelled, "Dude, your firewall''s been breached! In just three minutes!"


    "You swindler, you charged me a grand for this firewall, iming it was unbreakable for an hour, and it''s


    gone in three minutes!"


    "Who can break my firewall in three minutes?" a familiar voice called out, followed by another man in


    matching red boxers.


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, a chill in her voice as she turned on her mic: "Aaron, got a death wish?"


    At the sound of her voice, Chad froze, his knees turning to jelly, "BOSS!!"


    His clueless brother had bragged aboutnding a big deal on a firewall sale that day, not mentioning its


    purpose. Chad had been busy gaming with Hank all evening and missed the live stream. Little did he


    know, his brother had used the firewall to go after his boss, Astrid.


    Now, they were in a world of trouble.

 Chapter 491

    Chapter 491


    The title "Boss" threw everyone for a loop.


    Viewers in front of their screens were utterly baffled. [What''s going on? Boss?]


    [Is this dude part of our Astar crew? Man, this is a total disgrace. Just look at him, it''s like our stock


    plummeted! Especially with those red undies!]


    [Hold up, are these two clowns throwing shade at Astar? That can''t be right, it''s crystal clear Astar


    knows this Aaron or whatever!]


    [Just look at that guy''s face! He looks like he''s about to burst into tears, LOL, I can''t even!]


    [What the heck happened here? We''re all on pins and needles!]


    [Seeing these two looking all shabby, they don''t seem like they''d know a cyber legend like Aster. I


    mean, Aster''s a god among hackers back home!]


    [It''s like Astar wants to smack that guy.]


    The online crowd was having a st, but Chad was wishing he could vanish.


    He had wondered who could crack his firewall so swiftly. If it was Boss, then it all made sense.


    Just a regr operation.


    Chad was still clueless about what had gone down, but he knew speed was of the essence in owning


    up to his mistakes. That way, Astrid might just go easy on him.


    With the live-streaming audience watching, Chad grabbed some eye drops, turned away to squeeze


    out a few tears, then spun back and hoisted up his little brother,unching into a sob act, "Boss, it''s all


    this little guy''s fault, messing around online and dragging you into it. My bad for not keeping a tighter


    leash. If I''d known he was gunning for you, I''d never have handed over that firewall!"


    "What are you waiting for? Apologize, man! Say you''re sorry!"


    Chad pped Wade across the face.


    Snapped out of his daze by the p, Wade suddenly blurted, "Bro, bro! Isn¡¯t your Boss... Mmph mmph


    mmph..."


    Before Wade could spill the beans, Chad mped his hand over his mouth. Quick reflexes saved the


    day; otherwise, Wade would''ve stripped Boss of his disguise right there and then!


    And that would''ve been game over for Chad.


    "Apologize now, and zip it about everything else, or I swear I''m smashing your junkputer today!"


    Chad roared, and Wade, who was frightened, straightened up quickly, bowing deeply to the camera,


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    saying, "I''m sorry, Astar, my bad!"


    Astrid was fuming at the sight of Chad. "I''m asking you, what in the world is this mess? Who told you to


    get in touch with this person to y the ghost?"


    By this point, Wade didn''t dare hide anything. His brother''s re was lethal. If he didn''t spill the truth,


    he was in for a public thrashing.


    Swallowing hard, Wade confessed, "There''s this dark web market that specializes in doing things for


    people. I picked up gigs there all the time. My client found me and asked me to get someone inside


    Serenity Peaks to spook the ce. Said I''d get a cool ten grand if it worked out, seventy percent for


    me, thirty for the ghost."


    "I thought it was easy money, so I agreed. Then, to avoid being tracked, I bought a firewall from my


    hacker bro. I thought it was foolproof, but who knew... it''d all blow up in my face..."


    Wade''s voice trailed off, and Chad was itching to throttle him.


    Boss''s punishments were notoriously brutal; Chad couldn''t bear to go through that again.


    Holding back tears, Chad pleaded, "Boss, I didn''t mean for any of this to happen. Please let me off the


    hook this time. Just give me five minutes, and I''ll track down the person behind this for you, okay?"

 Chapter 492

    Chapter 492


    Astrid red at Chad, her patience thinner than the crust on a frozen pizza. Maddox''sputer was


    about as useful as a chocte teapot¡ªunderpowered and always freezing up.


    After a tense moment of silence, Astrid said, ¡°Fine, dig up what you can. If the results satisfy me, I''ll let


    you off the hook... for now.¡±


    She''d deal with Chadter. There were scores to settle once this mess was sorted out.


    With her final word hanging in the air, Chad booted his brother from the room with a swift kick and


    hunkered down in front of theputer.


    The others didn¡¯t know Chad, but Maddox did. In matters rted to the gamingpany, Chad usually


    took charge, but Maddox had dealings with Chad during a business coboration once. Chad was a


    shark in the boardroom, a wizard in business and tech circles, but in front of Astrid, his usual bravado


    was nowhere to be seen. Astrid was someone nobody dared to mess with.


    As Astrid watched the clock on theputer screen, Chad was sweating bullets.


    Wade, the cheeky younger brother, taunted, ¡°Big bro, can you even handle this? I thought you were


    really good at this. Need me to step in? I bet I could run circles around you.¡±


    Chad snapped, ¡°Zip it, Wade!¡±


    After shushing his brother, Chad dove back into the digital fray. Seconds ticked by until, finally, he


    unearthed the opposing side''s information and exhaled a sigh of relief, sending everything he¡¯d found


    to Astrid.


    Astrid and Elio showed no surprise at the name and evidence before them. Maddox, however, was


    taken aback¡ªit wasn''t his nemesis they¡¯d uncovered but Jay Lampard.


    Jay, the General Manager of International Trade at the Morgenster Corporation.


    Once the evidence hit the public domain, there was no way for Jay to wiggle out of it.


    The chat went wild.


    [Who the heck is Jay? Can anyone give us the lowdown?]


    [I know him¡ªthat''s Johnnie Lampard''s old man!]


    [Just Googled him. Jay''s the cousin of the big cheese, Chief Lampard! What''s he plotting?]


    [Guys, the depths of the elite are beyond our wildest. Rumor has it Jay''s gunning for Mr. Lampard''s


    chair, and then...you know, stirring up trouble.]


    [He always looked like such a gentle giant. Goes to show, can''t judge a book by its cover.]


    Watching the live stream, Jay¡¯s face became gloomy with each passingment. In a fit of rage, he


    hurled his coffee mug at the TV, roaring, "Can''t you do anything right? What am I paying you for?"


    The sound of shattering porcin sent his henchmen to their knees.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The lead man whispered, "Sir, we never anticipated their hacker skills. They broke through our


    defenses in minutes. We even hired a top international hacker, but he couldn''t hold a candle to their


    guy."


    Jay¡¯s thoughts turned to his son, lying in the ICU with an uncertain fate, and his rage trembled through


    him. "What about the dirt on Astrid? How''s thating along?"


    The man stammered, "We¡¯ve hit... a dead end."


    "A dead end?" Jay stood, kicking the man over, "Karl, you spent a big sum of money for a hacker and


    you''re telling me you''ve got nothing? Astrid couldn''t have vanished into thin air after high school. It''s


    impossible there''s no trace! You said we had the best hacker in the business, no?"


    Karl scrambled up from the floor, continuing, "Sir, as you saw today, that man works for Astrid. If he''s


    that good, he''s surely covered her tracks. To find anything about Astrid''s missing years... unless..."

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    Chapter 493


    Jay frowned, his patience running thin. "Unless what? Spit it out, Karl!"


    Karl hesitated and then said, "Unless we track down those two top guns fromst year''s CyberCon. But


    good luck with that¡ªone''s off the grid, and the other, well, goes by the handle ''Aster.'' She doesn''t


    "And get this, some folks mix her up with Astrid, the actress. I''m worried they might be the same


    person," Karl added with a note of concern in his voice.


    Jay burst intoughter. "Come on, you think Astrid is Aster? Why in the world would she bother acting


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    when hacking''s like printing money?"


    "Boss, you got a point, but Astrid''s a genius. Anything could be true with her," Karl replied, only to


    notice Jay had gone quiet, engrossed in his phone.


    Karl waited, a knot of anxiety tightening in his stomach. After a tense few seconds, Jay let out a


    mocking chuckle. "Look at this¡ªfound a CyberCon video right here. This Aster? She''s nothing like


    Astrid. Taller, darker skin... You''re telling me they''re the same person?"


    Karl was at a loss for words. He had scrutinized those videos himself, where most hackers, including


    Aster, were masked. There was no resemnce.


    But with the two names just one letter apart, he couldn''t help but worry.


    "Get in touch with Aster," Jaymanded, a new resolve in his voice. "If she can dig up what Astrid''s


    been up to all these years, I''m willing to up the price to one and a half million dors."


    Karl dared not argue and quickly left.


    Meanwhile, the online world was abuzz.


    The real culprit was exposed, and it was time for Maddox to unmask.


    Hiding behind the crew, Maddox prayed Astrid would forget him.


    However, the chat was relentless. [Unmask! Unmask! Mr. Maddox, no hiding!]


    [Astar, drag him out!]


    [A man''s gotta honor his bets, Maddox. Show yourself!]


    Astrid tilted her head, spotting Maddox huddled in the crowd, and her lips curled into a smirk. "Mr.


    Maddox, why the hide and seek? You made a promise, and breaking it wouldn''t look good, would it?"


    Elio chimed in, "Mr. Maddox, a man''s only as good as his word."


    Maddox shivered at Elio''s tone.


    There was no escaping it.


    Elio might seem amiable on the show, but few knew the extent of his influence.


    The Elio standing before Astrid was not the same man known to the industry elites.


    With a heavy sigh, Maddox trudged forward.


    All cameras in the room swung towards him, and the online audience widened their eyes in


    anticipation.


    Under the collective gaze, Maddox lifted his hand and slowly took off his mask. The chat exploded with


    a flood of [OMG!!! So hot!]


    [Damn, I used to be all about Mr. Maddox''s talent, but now I''m head over heels for this man¡ªback off,


    he''s mine!]


    [Deadly handsome! He could''ve just coasted on his looks, but no, he''s all about the talent!]


    [Is it just me, or does he kinda look like Dale?]


    [Ladies, I didn''t see it before, but now that you mention it... Aren''t they buddies?]


    [Is this that ''couple''s face'' thing? Sorry, I don''t know what I''m saying!]


    [From today on, I''m a hardcore Maddox face fan!]

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    Chapter 494


    Fans were frantically snapping screenshots, but Maddox quickly pulled on his mask. ¡°Alright, alright,


    the mask''s off, screenshots are taken, now scatter, will ya?¡±


    Maddox wasn¡¯t one for the limelight, always feeling awkward in front of the camera. He returned to his


    His lips twitched involuntarily, and he couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Cut it out. That mutt isn¡¯t in my league,


    and besides, he¡¯s a married man.¡±


    The chat exploded with excitement. Chatments started rolling in.


    [Are you implying Dale¡¯s got married secretly?]


    [There goes another dream hubby.]


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    [Holy smokes, I always thought Dale would be a bachelor for life!]


    Maddox hadn¡¯t meant to spill the beans on Dale, so he mmed up and stopped responding.


    On the way back, Astrid was lost in thought.


    Elio noticed her daydreaming and reached out to take her hand.


    The warmth of his touch jolted her back to reality, and her instinct was to pull away, but Elio¡¯s grip


    tightened.


    Astrid said, ¡°Let go, stop fooling around.¡±


    Elio responded, ¡°I¡¯m not fooling around. I want to hold your hand, for eternity.¡±


    This unexpected disy of affection left the viewers dazed, [Damn, I did not see thating. A simple


    walk and here we are, fed with PDA.]


    [Mom won''t worry about me being bored!]


    [If I¡¯m depressed, me it on these two and their lovey-dovey antics.]


    [Life''s tough for us singles, avoiding couple shows, reality dating, picking the least likely PDA adventure


    show, and still, BAM, face-pped with affection! Where¡¯s the justice?]


    [Mr. Lampard¡¯s stepping up his game, from the first episode to now, bravo!]


    [¡­And now he¡¯s gone and muted the mics?]


    [They wanna whisper sweet nothings and don¡¯t wanna rub it in our faces.]


    [I¡¯m not afraid of a little PDA, so bring it on!]


    Elio wanted to discuss something with Astrid without the audience eavesdropping, so he muted the


    mics, hers included.


    The camera zoomed out, giving them space.


    Elio whispered, ¡°Astrid, the ghost prank is just the start. Jay will definitely make more moves.¡±


    ¡°I know, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Astrid assured him, then turned back with a yful smile. ¡°And I won¡¯t


    let anything happen to you either.¡±


    Elio felt a warmth in his heart, which was quickly doused with her next quip, ¡°I don¡¯t want the hassle of


    finding a new stepdad for Roman if something happened to you.¡±


    Elio was speechless. Life was never easy for him.


    Because of the incident, Jay was sted by fans online, and the image of Morgenster Corporation took


    a hit.


    But Jay never responded publicly. Although everyone knew he was behind the Serenity Peaks ghost


    prank, since it caused no real harm, the online outrage eventually subsided.


    Since the incident, Chad was on edge, gued by nightmares of Astriding back from the show to


    haunt him.


    One night, as he drifted off, a distinctive notification from hisputer stirred him awake.


    He sat up, clicked open the message, and there it was, an email. ¡°We¡¯d like to hire Aster to investigate


    something. The fee is 1.5 million dors.¡±

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    Chapter 495


    Yawning, Chadzily typed out a reply to the email, ¡°Spell it out, buddy. If you don¡¯t make things crystal


    clear, there¡¯s no point in us continuing this conversation.¡±


    After hitting send, Chad stretched leisurely, figuring he had a few minutes to hit the restroom before


    getting a response.


    But no sooner had his butt left the chair than a new email popped in.


    Just three words, ¡°Look up Astrid.¡±


    Chad couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He quickly ran a search on the ount ID and, to his amusement,


    found it was one of Jay¡¯sckeys, and the guy¡¯s name was Karl.


    A sly grin crept over Chad¡¯s face.


    Poor Jay must be feeling the burn to be shelling out big bucks for some dirt on his boss!


    Had Jay lost his mind?


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Paying the boss to investigate herself?


    But with his boss tied up filming a show and phone-free, this little issue would have to wait.


    Thinking it over, Chad replied to Karl, ¡°My boss¡¯ got his hands full with a tricky situation right now and


    can¡¯t be reached. I¡¯ll touch base with you once he¡¯s back.¡±


    As Hank walked in, he caught Chad grinning at his screen and couldn''t help but rib him, ¡°You¡¯re smiling


    now, but you¡¯re gonna be skinned alive when the Chief gets back!¡±


    ¡°Hank, you won¡¯t believe this¡ªJay¡¯s goon actually reached out to our boss¡¯ work ount to hire her for


    some digging, offering a cool 1.5 mil!¡±


    ¡°No way! Has the guy got a screw loose? Don¡¯t turn him down just yet. Let¡¯s wait for the Chief to handle


    it. That¡¯s easy money on the table, man!¡± Hank said, dumping a pile of files on Chad¡¯s desk. ¡°By the


    way, your brother¡¯s chances of joining ourpany are pretty much toast after he managed to tick off


    the boss before even starting.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, better off without him if he¡¯s unreliable,¡± Chad muttered as he flipped through the files,


    feeling overwhelmed. ¡°When will these endless overtime days ever end?¡±


    ¡°Just think about that year-end bonus, and you¡¯ll forget all about being tired. Is there a boss more


    generous than our boss? Bonuses turn into houses or cars¡ªI¡¯ve racked up five properties already.


    Pretty soon, I''ll be living off rent!¡±


    The mention of houses reminded Chad of something critical, and his expression darkened. ¡°Speaking


    of houses, there¡¯s a new tenant in the building across from the Chief¡¯s, and there¡¯s something off about


    her.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal? Is Hal here again?¡± Hank asked, puzzled.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s Bernice. When I found out, I knew it wasn¡¯t good news.¡±


    Bernice was no small fry in their book. Everyone knew she had a son, but no one could pin down who


    he was. Her sudden move across from Astrid was no coincidence.


    With Astrid away, Chad and Hank didn¡¯t dare make a move; they just doubled down on security for


    Roman and Lucas who was, still in the hospital, ensuring that no harm came to those Astrid cared


    about.


    The live broadcast went on as nned. ording to the itinerary, the next day the adventure team


    would cross the mountain ahead to reach their next destination.


    Before setting off, Naylor reminded everyone to bundle up, and the crew obediently followed suit.


    But Joana was nonchnt, convinced that a few hours¡¯ trek under the sunny sky wouldn¡¯t be so cold.


    As the group made their way up, Astrid noticed several cameras in the woods had been vandalized,


    and there were odd markings on many of the tree trunks.

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    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¡ªit 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¡ªssic!]

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    Chapter 497


    [I never really thought much of Clyde until I saw him on this show. Man, he used to have a celebrity


    image as heavy as a ton of bricks, but now he''s just one of us¡ªno pretense, no fuss.]


    [To be honest,st night the camera caught a glimpse of Joana''s bag. If it weren''t for her stash of


    makeup, that thing would have been light as a feather.]


    [Even though Joana gets under my skin, when Clyde shouted out a "Keep it up!", I actually felt a twinge


    of sympathy for her. I mean, I couldn''t help butugh...]


    ...


    Joana was on the verge of tears, but she clenched her jaw tight and didn''t let them fall.


    She looked, well, a little pitiful, truth be told.


    After a while, Naylor came back and took some of Joana''s stuff, putting it into his own pack. "We''re


    here for an adventure, not a vacation," he said with an icy edge.


    Joana just stood there, silent.


    The group kept moving, but Joana couldn''t keep up. In the end, she reluctantly discarded her skincare


    products but chose to hold onto her makeup. She didn''t have the guts to gopletely bare-faced like


    Astrid.


    No one knew how long they''d been walking when they suddenly saw a red tree in the distance. Joana


    blurted out, "Can we take a detour? Can we not go through the front?"


    Parrish frowned. "What''s the deal? Why can''t we go down that path?"


    Joana pursed her lips and said meekly, "I did my homework beforeing here. This mountain is


    notorious, and many adventurers have met their end here. Without fail, theirst steps were near that


    mountain range ahead, where the tree with red leaves stands. The inte is clear on that. Better safe


    than sorry, Mr. Naylor. Let''s take the long way around¡ªI don''t want to die here!"


    Naylor looked at Joana and replied coolly, "Don''t scare yourself with online tales. Some of that stuff is


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    just fiction. Mr. Maddox, the crew, and I have already scouted this route. See? I''m standing here in one


    piece, aren''t I?"


    With nothing more to say, Joana quietly followed, all the while clutching at Parrish''s backpack.


    He was annoyed by her but seeing her genuine fear, he let her hang on without a word.


    Astrid nced at the tree and then at the mountain shrouded in mist, whispering to Elio, "This must be


    the ce."


    Elio nodded in agreement.


    Parrish, curious and irritated, asked, "What''s all this ''ce'' talk? Can you two stop speaking in riddles?


    You know curiosity killed the cat, right?"


    "Are you sure you want to know? Maybe you''re better off in the dark. Otherwise, you''ll use me of


    unting my rtionship again," Elio teased, leaving Parrish pretending to be hurt.


    Shaking his head in mock despair, Parrish said, "Mr. Lampard, you''ve changed. You''ve started to throw


    shade at me now. You''re not the Mr. Lampard I used to know!"


    Turning to face the camera, Parrish addressed the audience, "Viewers at home, I need your support


    here! My fans have been saying I''ve put on weight. Do you know why? It''s because I''m constantly


    being force-fed this lovey-dovey stuff. Using this tform, I, Parrish, am officially putting out a call for a


    sugar mama. I''m tired of trying, and I''m sick of living off love scraps. All I want is someone who can see


    through my bravado and cherish my vulnerability. That''s all I ask."


    ...

 Chapter 498

    Chapter 498


    Astrid and Elio stood silently, not knowing how to react.


    Meanwhile, the online chat was alive with banter and jests.


    [LOL, is Parrish seriously acting like a third wheel here?]


    [Parrish, for the love of all that''s holy, move your giant mug off the screen. It''s killing my appetite.]


    [Guess I''ll shoot my shot in this chat, too. Any takers for a date?]


    [Hey, bro, looking for an online fling? I''ve got a gallery of options right here!]


    [Parrish, you''re one of a kind!]


    [Yo, everyone, can we stick to the topic? Isn''t there a sugar mama out there for Parrish?]


    The live stream''s chat had suddenly been hijacked by those seekingpanionship.


    Maddox was at a loss. "Why are they looking for dates in a live stream?"


    Jack shrugged, "Guess they''re looking for someone to ''share the lovey-dovey stuff with.'' It''s less


    overwhelming when you''re not the only one forcing to watch that."


    Maddox was utterly perplexed. After a moment, he gave his assistant a thumbs up. "You''re a piece of


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    work, you know that? By the way, have we heard from the safety patrol we sent up the mountain?"


    "Nope, we should have heard something by now. Hang on, let me make a call," Jack said, pulling out


    his phone and stepping outside.


    Maddox watched the screen intently but couldn''t shake off a creeping sense of foreboding.


    Minutester, Jack returned, his face etched with worry, "Boss, I can''t reach anyone."


    Maddox''s brow furrowed. "No one at all?"


    "No. I called the patrol leader''s number, tried them all, but no dice. We''ve got a cell tower up there; they


    should have a signal," Jack''s voice trailed off, a chill running down his spine as he remembered the


    rumors online, "You don''t think it could be..."


    "No way," Maddox cut him off, "Send another team, and make sure they''re armed. Just in case."


    "Got it," Jack nodded and left to make arrangements.


    As dusk fell, the temperature plummeted.


    d in their coats, they shivered in the chill. The dampness of the ce made even their clothes feel


    soaked in no time.


    Luck wasn''t on their side today; no shelter from the wind was to be found, so they lit a fire in a clearing.


    The wet wood smoked heavily, and it took an age to get a decent me for warmth.


    Astrid and the others busied themselves with dinner preparations. Joana, after sitting for a bit, stood up


    and approached, "Um, can I help with something?"


    They were taken aback by Joana''s sudden offer to help.


    Astrid handed her a bunch of wild greens, "Can you sort these? Remove the roots and the old leaves."


    Joana nodded, "Sure, I can do that."


    The online audience didn''t expect much from Joana, but she proved to be quite adept.


    Turns out, she wasn''t useless after all.


    After dinner, they gathered around the fire, chatting away.


    Ever since they''d found Roman, Astrid had been tending to her c-section scar with medicinal


    ointments. It didn¡¯t hurt that much on the rainy day, but the damp mountain air still made it


    ufortably evident.


    Around ten o''clock, Joana said she''d take a walk around the area.


    Half an hour passed, and she hadn''t returned, her camera crew missing as well...

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    Chapter 499


    Maddox took security seriously, so on the surface, it was just Joana and the cameraman strolling


    together, but he had also arranged for bodyguards to follow them.


    Joana was such a scaredy-cat, she probably wouldn''t wander too far, but the fact that she hadn''t


    returned for so long was quite suspicious.


    The production team noticed Joana''s disappearance and had already sent out a search party, but there


    was no trace of her to be found.


    No one dared to make a fuss, but inside, they were freaking out. In these thick woods, a disappearance


    was definitely not a good sign.


    The bodyguards and the cameraman were hulking brutes; it was impossible for them to vanish without


    a trace.


    The walkie-talkie crackled to life, and after a few bursts of static, the voice of the patrol team came


    through. "This is Patrol Team Three. We haven''t found Joana or the bodyguards and cameraman that


    were with her, but we found her watch dropped near their campsite."


    Maddox''s heart sank. Joana''s watch was worth a small fortune, and she never took it off. "Keep


    looking," he instructed tersely.


    Turning off the walkie-talkie, Maddox grabbed a stun baton and a shlight and said to the bodyguards


    outside, "Everyone, follow me."


    Jack panicked, "Boss, you can''t go out there yourself!"


    "If our guests are in trouble, how can I not go look for them?" Maddox''s palms were sweaty. If anything


    happened to Joana, he''d never forgive himself.


    The atmosphere had clearly taken a grim turn, and the online viewers noticed something was off.


    [Where''s Joana?] they typed.


    [Yeah, didn''t she just go out to clear her head? Why hasn''t shee back?]


    [Did something happen?]


    [Look, Astar and the others must be out looking for her.]


    [Guys, I read in the news once about an adventure team that went into these woods. Three out of five


    died, and the other two went insane.]


    [Holy cow, don''t scare me like that!]


    [Otherwise, exin this. There are so many cameras in these woods, so how could Joana and her


    cameraman just disappear into thin air? Her fans must''ve seen her leave, right? Does anyone know


    where she went?]


    [Now that you mention it, I''m getting scared too. Look at Astar''s expression, something serious must''ve


    gone down.]


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    [Dang, I''m freaking out. I mean, I''m not a fan of Joana, but I don''t want anything bad to happen to her


    either.]


    [This better not be some publicity stunt by the production, right? Anyway, I don''t believe in ghosts or


    anything.]


    [Some people need to stop being so sarcastic. Don''t you know how popr Mr. Maddox''s show is? It''s


    been number one for weeks; does he really need to pull stunts like this for attention?]


    The tension in the chat got a little heavier, and meanwhile, Astar and the rest had been shouting for


    Joana as they searched, to no avail.


    Naylor surveyed the area and said gravely, "She had four bodyguards and a cameraman with her. How


    could she just vanish?"


    "Exactly," agreed Parrish. "We''ve been yelling her name till our throats are hoarse. Even if she got lost,


    she couldn''t have gone too far." He muttered, then added, "Even if she didn''t have her phone, those


    bodyguards and the cameraman do. How can they all just disappear? Hey, Chubby, are you sure you


    can''t reach your colleague?"


    Chubby, lugging his camera, shook his head in dismay.


    Parrish couldn''t help but grumble, "This is getting weird. What, did they evaporate or something?"


    Astrid and Elio had been silent the whole time, prompting some viewers to start throwing shade at


    Astrid. [Astrid and Joana never got along. If Joana''s in trouble, Astrid''s probably celebrating on the


    inside, right?]

 Chapter 500

    Chapter 500


    [Hey, you got a problem? Sure, they don''t exactly click, but when has Astrid ever given Joana a hard


    time on the show?]


    [Exactly, Joana''s just being petty. Astrid is way above all that.]


    [Astrid''s so tough, right? So howe she''s not pulling out all the stops to find Joana? You just know


    she''s hoping something bad happened to her!]


    [I''m so over this. Scaredy-cat Joana runs off by herself and somehow it''s Astrid''s fault? As if my girl


    Astrid doesn''t have enough fans to stand up to this nonsense!]


    ...


    Some rival fans were chomping at the bit to stir up trouble, and they seized this chance to fan the


    mes.


    The fans and haters quickly got into a spat, and that''s when Astrid, who had been silent, suddenly


    spoke up, "Joana''s not in trouble. She left with someone on her own. Look at this ce, it''s crafty.


    There are cameras everywhere except this one path because it''s too rugged for cameras. The crew


    said none of the cameras caught her, which means she deliberately avoided them and left this way."


    Astrid''s words clicked for Clyde.


    Joana was a master at drumming up publicity. She was probably faking her disappearance to get some


    buzz.


    The other guests exchanged knowing looks.


    The online crowd, oblivious to the truth, erupted in chaos. [Listen to what Astrid''s saying. Is that


    something a kind person would say? Joana''s missing and she ims Joana just left herself? How is


    that even possible?]


    [Why isn''t it possible? If someone had taken her, wouldn''t there be some kind of noise?]


    [Joana''s disappearance in the woods is trending. I think I''m starting to get it.]


    Ament floated by and Jack had a lightbulb moment. He immediately called Maddox.


    When Maddox saw Jack''s call, he thought they had found her. "What''s up? Did you find her?"


    "Boss, I''ve been reading thements, and I have a bold theory. Could Joana be hiding on purpose


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    for a publicity stunt?" Jack swallowed nervously after saying this. "Astrid pointed out how Joana


    avoided all the cameras. It''s obviously premeditated. If it was just a casual stroll, she would''ve been


    caught on camera."


    "If Joana was really in trouble, the news of her disappearance would''ve reached her agent by now, and


    they wouldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing, so the agent must be in the loop."


    Maddox frowned at the revtion. "Got it."


    He didn''t return to the set but went to join Astrid and the others.


    He knew that no matter who among them spoke, it would invite criticism. But it was different if he said


    it.


    Astrid had likely seen through it all but chose to keep quiet.


    "Astrid, you guys head back. I know where Joana is." Maddox''s admission baffled the online crowd.


    To prevent further spection, Maddox was blunt. "Folks, this whole situation is a farce directed and


    performed by Joana herself. I respect every actor, but I can''t tolerate someone using my show as a


    tform for personal PR stunts."


    "Joana hasn''t disappeared. She''s right down here!"


    After his deration, Maddox carried a camera and headed down the concealed path. It wasn''t long


    before he spotted a faint light ahead.


    The people over there noticed someone approaching and quickly snuffed out the light.

 Chapter 501

    Chapter 501


    Maddox''s irritation was boiling over, because he knew Joana had only seeded with her little stunt


    because she had the backing of the production crew.


    In a swift motion, Maddox flicked on his shlight and beamed it towards themotion, revealing


    Joana gnawing on a chicken drumstick right in the line of sight of everyone.


    Online viewers stared at the screen, watching the woman scarf down her food like there was no


    tomorrow, and were at a loss for words.


    [Holy smokes, this chick!"


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    [Screenshot this, man! Let''s show her what goes aroundes around.]


    [Where are all those who were bashing me for backing Astar? Don''t you y dead nowe out and


    apologize!]


    [I was just starting to like her a bit.]


    [Maddox is legit mad, huh? Joana''s toast now, no one''s saving her.]


    Joana was dumbstruck; she never thought Maddox would actually track her down here.


    By the time she realized something was off, Maddox was already storming up to her, fury written all


    over his face.


    "Mr. Maddox," Joana quivered, attempting to bluff her way out, "I was just so hungry, I thought I''d sneak


    away for a quick bite, that''s all. I didn''t mean to cause any trouble, I''m sorry, Mr. Maddox, I was just


    trying to have a little snack in secret."


    Maddox retorted, "Have a little snack in secret? Joana, take a good look at me. Do I look like a fool to


    you?"


    Joana was at a loss for words, her mouth greasy and chicken-vored, making for an awkward sight.


    Maddox said, "Joana, my show isn''t satisfying for you, as it''s not fit for a socialite like you. You''re free to


    leave now. I''ll make sure to pay you every bit of the agreed price. Please leave our program."


    At hearing this, Joana''s eyes immediately welled up with tears. "Maddox, I''m sorry, truly. Please, let me


    stay."


    "Joana, your attempt to manipte my team and me for publicity through the show is rather low. Not


    only will you leave, but your bodyguards and cameramen will leave as well. My tform isn''t vast


    enough to amodate all of you. Don''t act like you were wronged. It would be a cinch to dig up the


    evidence. I just didn''t want to humiliate you in front of all your fans. You should leave tonight."


    With those final words, Maddox turned and walked away.


    Joana felt her world implode. Why did it have to turn out this way?


    Whoever advised her surely said that if she got caught, all she had to do was cry and tell Maddox she


    just wanted something to eat, and she wouldn''t be in trouble, right?


    Why didn''t Maddox ask for her side of the story, and just kicked her out on the spot? What went wrong?


    As Joana tried to reach for Maddox, her eyes caught Astrid yawning casually nearby.


    Suddenly, it dawned on her¡ªAstrid was a hacker. It must have been her who dug up everything,


    leading Maddox to be so steadfast in kicking her out!


    Her carefully crafted n to clean up her image had crashed and burned before it even took flight!


    It was all Astrid''s fault!


    "Astrid, what did I ever do to you?" Joana blurted out, causing the online crowd to erupt.


    Comments started rolling.


    [OMG, Joana''s trying to pick a fight with Astar? How dare she!]


    [This woman''s ssic¡ª''I''m not wrong, you''re wrong for exposing the truth!'']


    [Boycott any show with Joana in it from now on!]


    [Maddox must have spoken the truth, or Joana would have defended herself.]

 Chapter 502

    Chapter 502


    [I feel sorry for my Astar. What''s this got to do with her, anyway?]


    [Hey, anyone fancy the meme I made of Joana chowing down on a drumstick? Who wants in?]


    [LOL, kindred spirits unite. Share away.]


    Because of tonight''s fiasco, Joana was booted out, her personal bodyguards and cameraman reced


    on the spot.


    Worried about potential trouble, Maddox hired a new team of bodyguards.


    These new guys showed up, and Astrid immediately sensed something was off. A few of them had an


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    air that set them apart from the rest.


    The other guards seemed pretty standard, but these newbies had a look in their eyes, a subtle hint of


    menace that one couldn''t just ignore.


    She''d felt something was weird about Joana''s situationst night¡ªit didn''t seem like her style. Now,


    seeing these new guards, it clicked.


    Someone was using this chaos as a cover to sneak their own yers into the game.


    Joana was just a pawn being sacrificed, and the real show was just getting started.


    Clearly, Elio had noticed the weird vibe too. Since the crack of dawn, he''d been glued to Astrid,


    practically wanting to be with her 24/7.


    Astrid was getting fed up. "Elio, can''t you stop following me around? Aren''t you worried about being the


    Elio said, "Nope, I want to stick by you."


    "Huh..." Astrid rolled her eyes in disdain. "Can''t you stop being so clingy? With my skills, if something


    goes down, I''d worry about you tripping me up and cramping my style."


    Elio didn¡¯t know what to say. Was that another jab at him?


    They were set to trek through a bramble-filled forest today. As Astrid was strapping up her boots,


    Naylor approached. "We''re crossing a ravine today, everyone. Be careful."


    The group nodded in agreement.


    With Joana gone, the team''s dynamic was surprisingly harmonious.


    About an hour into their hike, they could see the ravine Naylor mentioned in the distance.


    It looked daunting from afar, but less terrifying up close. Still, everyone proceeded with caution.


    Midway, Elio noticed the suspicious guards closing in on them. He took a big step forward, grabbed


    Astrid''s hand, and his aura turned icy. "Astrid, do you think a fall from here would be fatal?"


    Astrid''s mouth twitched into a sly grin. "If not deadly, definitely crippling."


    As she said this, Astrid nced back sharply at the guards trailing not too far behind. Her gaze was


    piercing and cold, causing one of the guards to instinctively look away, and in that moment of panic, he


    nearly slipped off the edge!


    Seeing this, Astrid snickered internally, thinking about their pathetic tolerance for pressure. They


    wanted to y hitman butcked the nerve.


    Complete amateurs.


    The hidden killers, now aware that Astrid was onto them, decided to make their move that night.


    Under the cover of darkness, with everyone else asleep and the guards knocked out by the drugged


    wine they''d brought, the n was set in motion.


    Around 3:30 AM, with the control room staff drowsy, the cameras around Astrid''s camp started to


    malfunction, cutting off the live feed.


    Thinking they were in the clear, the killers made their move. With daggers drawn, one of them crept


    toward Astrid''s sleeping form, aiming straight for her heart!

 Chapter 503

    Chapter 503


    The killer was naively optimistic, believing he could easily take down Astrid.


    But in a sh, Elio, who had been lying next to her, bolted upright!


    He kicked out, his foot crashing down on the killer''s wrist. Before the killer could even process what


    was happening, his dagger was snatched away by Elio, and the next second, it was buried in his chest.


    Astrid sprang to her feet and with a swift kick, sent the killer tumbling to the ground.


    Themotion roused the others, and Naylor woke up with a start!


    Taking in the scene, Naylor quickly grasped the situation and picked up a baseball bat from beside his


    bed. He strode over to stand in front of Elio and Astrid. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Realizing the gig was up, the killers dropped all pretense.


    It would take time for the production crew to notice something was amiss, and they had already taken


    out the surrounding bodyguards.


    ¡°Back off if you know what¡¯s good for you,¡± one of the killers snarled, ¡°We¡¯re only after these two. Turn


    a blind eye, and we''ll let you walk away!¡±


    ¡°You think I''m going to let you mess with my friends and just y dumb?¡± Naylor stepped in front of


    Astrid, shielding her. ¡°Fighting is a man''s game. You better step back, sweetheart, wouldn''t want you


    getting dirty with all the blood that''s about to fly.¡±


    Astrid paused, slightly taken aback.


    Naylor was usually indifferent to everyone, and she hadn¡¯t expected him to stand up for her and Elio


    without a second thought.


    ¡°Are we fighting?¡± Parrish suddenly sat up, rubbing his eyes, ¡°Damn, haven¡¯t been in a fight since high


    school! What¡¯s wrong with you, Astrid? A fight breaks out and you don¡¯t call me? What''s the point of


    having me if not to shield you in crucial moments?¡±


    Grumbling, Parrish scrambled to his feet. Failing to find a suitable weapon, he settled for a hefty rock


    from the ground and positioned himself in front of Astrid, ¡°Step back, Astrid. Let me handle this small


    fry.¡±


    The killers had hoped for a silent takedown of Astrid, but now Naylor had intervened, and Parrish had


    joined the fray.


    Their orders were to deal with Astrid, not to make enemies of everyone else!


    Clyde and Odell remained silent, but they positioned themselves by Astrid, clearly not nning to stand


    idly by.


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    This was beyond what the killers had anticipated. One of the killers turned to Clyde and said with


    disbelief, ¡°Clyde, you make a living off your looks, and you''re joining this mess? Do you know who our


    boss is? Cross us, and you can kiss your career goodbye.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who your boss is. Astrid is my friend, and I can¡¯t just stand by,¡± Clyde replied, his voice


    steady though Parrish noticed his hands were shaking.


    ¡°Hah, Clyde, you''re scared out of your wits and you still step up, huh?¡± Parrish chuckled, reaching out


    to pat Clyde on the arm.


    The rock slipped from Clyde¡¯s grip and nearly crushed his own foot!


    Astrid rolled her eyes in disdain at the clumsy disy.


    As the killers turned to flee, they came face-to-face with a line of masked figures in ck, standing


    ominously behind them. They wore uniform attire, and their imposing presence immediately unnerved


    the killers.

 Chapter 504

    Chapter 504


    ¡°You got any clue who our boss is? Scoot over, or you''re gonna bite off more than you can chew! Don''t


    think we''re scared just because you get numbers. We get backup around the corner!¡±


    The threatsing out of these killers lost all their bite, sounding almostical instead.


    Astrid gave a yful p on the backs of Parrish and Naylor, who were shielding her. ¡°Heh, step aside


    boys, let me handle this.¡±


    Parrish and Naylor shuffled to the side, and Astrid strutted forward two paces.


    But then, the thugs in ck suddenly bent over, straightening up to shout, "Mrs. CEO, good evening!"


    Everyone was dumbfounded.


    Astrid was at a loss for words.


    The words were crisp and forceful, startling the evening birds perched in the trees into flight.


    The killers were shaking in their boots.


    Parrish cocked his head, ¡°Astar, you¡¯ve got some serious clout. Where did Mr. Lampard pick up these


    skills? Care to give me a few pointers?"¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense,¡± Astrid chuckled as she nced at the cowering killers and sauntered over,


    extending her hand to one of them, ¡°Hand it over.¡±


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    The killers, already cowed by the imposing bodyguards, whimpered, ¡°Hand over... what?¡±


    Astrid replied, ¡°Your phone.¡±


    The killers hesitated.


    The bodyguards roared in unison, ¡°The phone!¡±


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s the phone,¡± the killers muttered, despairing. They had scoped the ce earlier, and


    Astrid and Elio had no bodyguards with them, which allowed them to blend in easily.


    But how did so many bodyguards appear silently in one night?


    There had to be a couple hundred of them. If it came to blows, they were dead meat.


    A killer fumbled out his phone, trembling so much that it ttered to the ground. He quickly scooped it


    up and handed it over to Astrid with both hands, ¡°Here, for you.¡±


    Astrid said, ¡°Call Jay.¡±


    The killer was shocked.


    Bodyguards shouted an order, ¡°Call Jay!¡±


    With his heart pounding at the bodyguards'' shouts, the killer, eager to save his skin, dialed Jay¡¯s


    number.


    Meanwhile, in the Lampard family mansion...


    Jay paced the room, anxious for news. Just as his patience wore thin and he was about to check in, the


    killer''s call came through. He snatched up the phone, ¡°Well? Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, it''s been done!¡± Astrid¡¯s voice,ced with mirth, came over the line.


    A chill shot up Jay''s spine.


    His whole body went cold. As he was about to hang up, Astrid said, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so quick to hang up!¡±


    ¡°You''ve gone to a lot of trouble to take me out. But honestly, you''re not cut out to be the viin with that


    brain of yours. I don''t get why the Lampard family follows you. Is it just for money?¡±


    Jay darkened his face, seething his voice, ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t get too smug. You won¡¯t beughing for long!


    You think you and Elio will end up together? Let me tell you, it''s doomed! Do you even know the truth


    behind your mother''s death? Do you think the Lampard family and the Brooke family are just


    strangers? When the whole truthes out, you¡¯re going to loathe the man beside you!¡±


    Listening to the tirade, Astrid turned to nce at the man by her side.


    Elio looked down at her, his eyes warm and reassuring.

 Chapter 505

    Chapter 505


    Astrid had her suspicions for quite some time, and the breadcrumbs of evidence were slowlying


    together.


    Yet, she wouldn''t just lump everything into one messy pile.


    With a casual lowering of her eyelids, she drawled a response, "I don''t need anyone dictating my life.


    Whom I choose to spend my time with is my business. The older generation''s affairs are theirs to deal


    with, not mine. I have no interest in it.


    And why on earth should I believe a word you say, you deceitful snake? You''re trash. I wouldn''t trust


    you as far as I could throw you! Let me make this crystal clear. If I want Johnnie gone by midnight,


    there isn''t a force on this that can keep him safe until dawn. Your scheming will only hasten your


    son''s end. The more you try toe at me, the quicker he''ll fall!


    If someone I care about is harmed, I''lle after your son. Don''t believe me? Just try me!"


    With that, Astrid ended the call.


    She turned around to see Parrish and the others staring at her, dumbfounded.


    Parrish snapped out of it after a few seconds, "Holy smokes, Astar, you were freaking awesome. Jay


    from Morgenster Corporation is a top dog, and you just chewed him out like he was nothing. What an


    epic!"


    Elio chimed in, "What''s Morgenster Corporation to her? If she wants, she could own the whole damn


    thing and get a bonus of a handsome devil to boot."


    Elio''s words sent the bodyguards into disarray.


    Could this brazen flirt really be their notoriously ruthless and cold-hearted boss?


    Was he calling himself handsome?


    Sure, he had good looks, but it was weird hearing it from his mouth!


    Love didn¡¯t just corrupt but also blind!


    Gifting the entire Morgenster Corporation? Parrish was starstruck, but Astrid was unimpressed, giving


    him an eye roll, "As if I''m interested in your little empire. It''s not like I don¡¯t have my own."


    Elio was at a loss for words.


    The bodyguards escorted the killers away. By the time Maddox arrived with backup, all they found were


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    traces of blood on the ground.


    Feuds and assassinations weremon in the world of the elite. The Lampard Group, a powerhouse


    at home, was no stranger to such conflicts. Maddox asked no questions wisely, simply instructing the


    staff to get the live stream back up and running.


    Shortly after, the show''s official announcement came through. "Due to uncontroble factors like the


    weather, our live stream was interrupted for forty-five minutes. We are now back live. Thank you for


    your concern."


    With a week to go for the live stream, the production team promoted the silhouette of a new guest.


    It was just a shadow, but the outline of that guitar-carrying figure stirred up a storm of guesses.


    [Wow, just from the silhouette, you can tell he''s a heartthrob! I''m smitten!]


    [Who could that be? Isn''t that Nathan Brooke? My lead singer! If so, I''m losing it!]


    [Holy cow, is this our idol''s variety show debut?]


    [Didn''t he just support Astar on social media? Is he going star chasing?]


    [Ah, I can''t wait! What kind of sparks will fly between him and Astar?]


    [Uh oh, Mr. Lampard, the jealous king, is probably stewing. Nathan is handsome, amiable, and


    talented, a formidable rival for sure!]


    The discussion on this mysterious guest was heated.


    Whileizens were abuzz with spection, the production team dropped another bombshell, a female


    guest silhouette.


    But the hype was noticeably dimmer.


    Minutes passed with only a smattering ofments, mostly asking, [Who is she?]

 Chapter 506

    Chapter 506


    The new guests hadn''t arrived yet, so it was just Astrid and her friends, foraging for wild vegetables


    and picking berries. Aside from the absence of meat, life was good.


    During the interview segment, Astrid had barely sat down when Maddox asked, ¡°Astrid, who do you


    hope will be our new guest?¡±


    Astrid replied nonchntly, ¡°Anyone¡¯s fine by me.¡±


    Maddox continued, ¡°I heard you once set up a songwriting session with the famous Johnnie. nning


    on releasing a new hit?¡±


    Astrid sighed, ¡°I wish. But even a talent like Johnnie is too scared to write for me. Guess I might never


    get to sing my song.¡±


    Maddox was speechless.


    Astrid then tossed a question back at him, ¡°You mentioned once that you liked the lead singer of a


    band, Nathan, right?¡±


    The mention of Nathan instantly perked up Elio as he waited his turn for the interview.


    Astrid was taken aback, ¡°So you got Nathan? Isn¡¯t he known for avoiding variety shows?¡±


    Maddox grinned, ¡°He ims he¡¯s a fan of yours.¡±


    Astrid was suspicious and speechless.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel that Nathan had an ulterior motive for joining the show.


    She hadn¡¯t seen him in a while and admittedly missed the guy.


    But she figured Nathan probably didn¡¯te to his volition. It was likely that her older brother Robb had


    sent him as a spy to keep an eye on Elio.


    Astrid was spot on.


    Meanwhile, in the Brooke household, the brothers were gathered for a meeting, with Dale sneakily


    recording a video from behind the curtains.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t every day that the power yers were all in one room.


    Jonined bitterly, ¡°Robb, why did you send Nathan to the show? Am I not famous enough? I¡¯m


    the ¡®Prince of eSports¡¯ after all!¡±


    Robb shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re not cut out for it, too close to Star. She could easily turn you.¡±


    ¡°Even though Nathan is close to her too, he has more willpower and won¡¯t betray us.¡±


    Jon fumed silently.


    Brandon interjected, ¡°Elio is getting too bold, kissing Star on live stream. Every time I watch I grind my


    teeth in anger, wishing I could jump through the screen and give him a piece of my mind!¡±


    The conversation was flowing until Robb suddenly turned to Dale, ¡°Idiot, I asked you to look into why


    the live stream cut out yesterday. Got any leads?¡±


    Dale nodded, ¡°It was Jay¡¯s doing, but Elio was prepared. He caught them red-handed, and our guys


    didn¡¯t even have to step in.¡±


    ¡°Dale, I think your resolve is weakening. We need to protect Star from Elio. As her agent, you''ve got a


    hefty responsibility,¡± Jon said, patting Dale on the shoulder.


    Dale quickly hid his phone and assured, ¡°I know. I won¡¯t betray her, you can count on that.¡±


    He then asked, ¡°Oh, Jon, what about Colton Fortner? I haven¡¯t seen you guys togethertely.¡±


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    At the mention of the name, all eyes turned to Jon.


    Jon smiled, ¡°He is recovered and doesn¡¯t need my protection anymore. Let¡¯s focus on Elio, shall we?¡±


    Rickon chimed in, ¡°Jay failed once, he¡¯ll try again. To prevent any danger to Star, I¡¯ve decided to bring


    in Nash and handle him personally.¡±


    Nash, who had been quiet, suddenly unzipped his backpack, revealing its contents, ¡°I¡¯m all set. Just tell


    me how do you want him gone?¡±

 Chapter 507

    Chapter 507


    The group cast wary nces at Nash''s collection of assorted vials and jars, furrowing their brows with


    concern.


    Jon backed away, throwing his hands up, "Dude, keep your distance. I swear you''re a walking hazard.


    One wrong move, and you''ll blow us both to kingdome."


    With a dismissive snort, Nash replied, "The vtile stuff is in a special container, man. Chill, no need to


    worry."


    Robb, who had been silently following the conversation, finally spoke up. "We can''t off Jay just yet.


    We''re digging up some dirt on the Lampard family. It is all connected to Jay and gets ties to the Brooke


    family too. Let¡¯s keep him breathing a little longer."


    After that, Nash reluctantly zipped up his backpack, clearly disappointed.


    It was lucky for Jay to stay alive for more days.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After a beat, Nash unzipped his pack again, "Hey, if we can''t finish him off yet, can we at least collect


    some... interest?"


    Robb, who was nursing a cup of coffee, paused mid-sip and nced at Rickon. Then he nodded, back


    at Nash''s determined face, "Go for it."


    Without another word, the two aplices stood up and left, not even bothering to look back.


    At three in the afternoon, the new guests for the reality show arrived.


    The online audience was glued to their screens. They had their guesses about the male guest, but the


    female''s identity remained a mystery.


    The bulletments were overwhelming.


    [Where''s Nathan? Why isn''t he here yet?]


    [I didn''t know who this guy was, but after seeing the chat go wild, I checked him out. Total eye candy!]


    [Can''t wait to see Nathan and Astar hit it off!]


    [Here we go, look! Someone''s stepping out of the car!]


    [Holy smokes, he¡¯s so sexy!]


    [Oh my god, I''m swooning over here! That rugged charm is just my type!]


    [I just noticed he''s wearing Astar''s favorite brand. Coincidence?]


    [Wait, there''s a woman with him. Who''s that?]


    [No freaking way, that''s Karin! This is gonna stir up some drama!]


    [Who''s Karin? Someone fill me in!]


    [Don''t you know Karin? She''s the youngest ever to win a Gold Record and happens to be the


    goddaughter of Amanda Lampard.]


    [Mr. Lampard''s sister in name? Never heard of her, but she''s got a serene elegance.]


    As the chat buzzed about Karin, Nathan was already making his way into the woods.


    Being considerate, Nathan slowed his pace for Karin, who was not used to such rigorous activity. She


    was sweating profusely but didn''tin, determined to keep up with him.


    After an hour of walking in silence, Karin could barely take another step and whispered, "Mr. Brooke,


    can we take a break? I''m exhausted."


    "Sure," Nathan said, stopping to sit on a nearby rock.


    He took a swig of water, and Karin couldn''t help but stare at his profile, racing her heart.


    Blushing, she looked down and murmured, "Mr. Brooke, I''m a big fan of your songs. We''ve shared the


    stage a few times."


    Nathan turned to look at her sweat-drenched figure and asked in a deep voice, "Why did you sign up


    for this show?"


    Caught off guard by the question, Karin stammered for a moment before replying, "My agent thought it


    would be a good opportunity, but honestly, I''ve always liked a bit of adventure. I just never had the


    chance."

 Chapter 508

    Chapter 508


    "Feeling rested? Let''s hit the road, we need to meet up with them before nightfall." Nathan stood up,


    grabbing Karin''s backpack in one swift motion. "Here, let me."


    "Oh, thanks," Karin stuttered, handing over the bag and her heart skipped a beat as she watched


    Nathan''s towering figure stride ahead.


    They had paused their journey today to wait for a new guest to join their little troupe at the nearest base


    of the mountains.


    After a couple of hours on the road, Nathan finally caught sight of Astrid''s campsite.


    From a distance, he could see Elio clinging to Star like a shadow. It was annoying enough watching it


    on the live stream, but up close, it was downright irritating.


    Astrid, pulling up a bunch of wildflowers, spotted Nathan and waved enthusiastically. "Bro Nathan, over


    here!"


    Onlinements erupted, [Bro Nathan? Does Astar know him?]


    [Check out Mr. Lampard''s death re, LOL.]


    [Get your popcorn ready!]


    Nathan approached with long strides, handing back Karin''s backpack and bending over to take the


    wildflowers from Astrid. "Look at your hands, all dirty. I''ll take care of the messy work. Go wash up."


    Thements went wild at Nathan''s uncharacteristically tender tone, [Damn, I''m all for soft-boy


    Nathan.]


    [I wish I could be those wildflowers in his hands right now!]


    [His voice is pure gold.]


    [LOL, no doubt, Astar is still his number one.]


    Karin greeted Astrid and Elio warmly, "Hi Astrid, I''m Karin. Mr. Lampard, long time no see."


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Astrid smiled back, "Hello."


    Noticing that Elio hadn''t greeted her and seemed off-color, she nudged him with her elbow. "What''s up?


    She''s greeting you."


    Elio grumbled, "Let''s get going, Astrid."


    Astrid sensed something was amiss with Elio but didn''t press it.


    Nathan nced from the departing Elio to Karin and asked directly, "What''s the deal with you and


    Elio?"


    "Uh?" Karin was caught off guard by Nathan''s blunt question on the show and fumbled for an answer,


    "It''s... not what you think. There''s a misunderstanding between Mr. Lampard and me."


    Her hesitation made Nathan suspect there was something secretive between her and Elio.


    Despite Nathan''s fame in the industry, few had the chance to meet him in person. When Parrish


    spotted him, he bounded over excitedly, "Oh my god, I can''t believe I''m on the same show as Nathan! I


    didn''t bring anything for an autograph, but man, your songs got me through my toughest training days!"


    Nathan smiled, "The pleasure is all mine. I''m a big fan of your work."


    After the pleasantries, Clyde finally noticed Karin.


    She stood quietly behind Nathan, as unassuming as the girl next door.


    Feeling eyes on her, Karin blushed, "Hi everyone, I''m Karin."


    Clyde nodded, "Nice to meet you."


    Then he asked, "Do you guys think Karin looks a bit like someone we know?"

 Chapter 509

    Chapter 509


    Parrish rolled his eyes and said, "What do you want to say, man?"


    Listening to Clyde, Astrid took a more careful look at Karin and then spotted a familiar trait on her face.


    It was the spitting image of Bernice.


    Karin wasn''t like Bernice in any other way, but those eyes were a dead ringer for hers.


    Some of the looks she gave and the little quirks in her movements were just like Bernice.


    If the inte hadn''t been abuzz with rumors of Bernice having a son, Astrid would have started to


    suspect she had a daughter instead.


    Karin stood out from the other female guests. She was quiet, but notzy, ready to roll up her sleeves


    and pitch in where needed.


    And she didn''t stir up drama. Her presence was so subtle that you could easily overlook her.


    As night fell, Nathan saw Elio getting ready to bunk down next to Astrid and immediately stood up to sit


    between them, shooting Elio a fierce look. "Ever heard of keeping a proper distance from women?


    What about avoiding gossip?"


    Elio retorted, "Nathan, Astrid and I have a kid together. What gossip should I be avoiding?"


    Nathan squinted his eyes. "Have you made it official? Proposed to her? Held a wedding? No! You


    haven''t received her family''s blessing yet, so you should be keeping a respectful distance from her."


    Elio was at a loss for words.


    Online audiences were excited. [Holy smokes, the tension is real! I live for this drama. Let them fight!]


    [I swear this dude is more like Astrid''s brother. The way he''s acting doesn''t seem romantic...]


    [What brotherly affection? That''s baloney. He''s totally into Astrid!]


    [I think the dude is just being overprotective! Since Astrid calls him ''Bro Nathan'', their vibe is so in sync.


    Could Nathan actually be her brother?]


    [I was a huge fan of Astrid''s older brother. If Nathan''s her brother too, then she''s seriously blessed with


    two such handsome protectors!]


    [LOL, if he''s her brother, Mr. Lampard is in for a rough time. I''m looking forward to what happens next!]


    With Nathan''s interference, Elio ended up moving to sleep alone, looking pitiful.


    The night was chilly, and Nathan draped his jacket over Astrid.


    After a while, he worried she might still be cold, so he dug out another piece of clothing from his


    backpack andyered it over Astrid.


    Leaning against a tree, he tried to catch some sleep.


    Minutester, he suddenly opened his eyes and added one more piece of clothing to the pile covering


    Astrid.


    Audiences were losing it. [OMG, LOL, this guy is hrious. Is he trying to smother my girl Astrid?]


    [There''s a kind of cold only Nathan thinks you''re feeling. If he had more clothes, he''d probably bury


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Astrid under them.]


    [Haha, so sweet. Damn, he''s covering her with another shirt.]


    [Dude, I''mughing so hard I''m crying.]


    The audience was in stitches as Nathan pulled out a T-shirt from his bag and put it on Astrid.


    By now, Astrid was buried under no less than sixyers.


    Yet Nathan seemed unsure and eyed his clothes, contemting stripping off his shirt for Astrid''s


    warmth.


    The audience were pping their desks inughter at his antics.


    Just then, Astrid, feeling ufortable under the weight of the clothes, turned over and mumbled with


    her eyes closed, "Elio, I had a dream... I¡¯m trapped under a mountain, and nearly got squashed to


    death."

 Chapter 510

    Chapter 510


    Laughter erupted across the bulletments, with endless LOL emojis scrolling up the screen.


    Astrid groggily opened her eyes to find a curious weight upon her body. With a sudden jolt, she sat up


    and discovered a mountain of clothes piled atop her.


    ncing over the garments, then at Nathan, who was sitting nearby, holding a pair of jeans and about


    to drape them over her, Astrid couldn''t help but let out a bemused chuckle. "Nathan, what on earth are


    you doing?"


    "Uh, trying to keep you warm?" Nathan sheepishly withdrew the jeans. "Lie back down, will you? It''s


    chilly at night and I''m blocking the wind for you."


    Astrid waved him off. "No need. This nket might look thin, but it''s from my brother''s techpany


    like a little furnace. Look, you''ve already made me sweat."


    Nathan noticed for the first time that Astrid''s cheeks were flushed pink and her forehead dotted with


    perspiration.


    "Alright, my bad. Get some sleep then."


    Watching Astrid settle back down, Nathan reluctantly gathered the pile of clothes he''d heaped on her.


    Doubting the effectiveness of her ''nket'', he couldn''t resist draping his thick jacket over her for good


    measure.


    The online crowd lost their collective minds withughter.


    The next morning, everyone got up early to pack up and set out on the day''s adventure.


    It wasn''t long before they heard Karin coughing persistently during breakfast. Clyde noticed her pale


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    you have a fever."


    "I''m fine, just didn''t expect the mountains to be so cool," Karin replied with a shy smile, taking the


    thermometer in her hand. "Thanks, though."


    "Never mind. Let me carry your bag for you," Clyde said, picking up Karin''s backpack. "Let''s get


    moving."


    "Sure," they all chimed and continued on their way.


    After Nathan''s endearing blunder the previous night, his poprity inexplicably soared.


    Thements were shouting his name even more than before.


    Robb and the others had turned in early and missed Nathan''s nket antics.


    Seeing the unusual buzz in today''sments, Dale went back to watch the previous night''s video. The


    sight of Nathan''s earnest face as he covered Astrid with clothes sent Dale into fits ofughter. "Hahaha,


    Robb, you''ve gotta see Nathan. I''m dying here!"


    "I''ve seen it already," Robb said, strolling over and giving Dale, who was lounging on the window seat,


    a yful kick. He then took a seat opposite him and asked, "Got everything packed?"


    Dale blinked. "Packed for what?"


    "Aren''t we heading to Irnd?" Robb jolted Dale into action.


    "What are you waiting for, you daft sod? Get moving!" Robb shot a nce at Dale and let out a sigh.


    "I''ll indulge your need for ceremony, but you''ve got one minute to pack, or I''m changing my mind."


    Dale snapped out of his daze and dashed into the bedroom at lightning speed.


    Robb allowed himself a small smile and he was equally excited.


    He too had been waiting for this day.


    When Matt received Robb''s message about going to Irnd, he was out fishing.


    ncing at the text, he casually tossed his phone aside.


    His fishing buddy Healey, curious, asked, "Something from the kids?"


    "Yeah, something about heading to Irnd," Matt replied nonchntly.


    "To Irnd? For a wedding, maybe?" Healey ventured, his interest piqued.


    Matt twitched his mustache. "Who knows? When does going to Irnd mean getting married? Is that a


    thing?"


    "If your son''s going with his partner, it''s quite possible they''re tying the knot." Healey had the look of a


    man who loved a good piece of gossip. "You know, even though somews have been abolished, a lot


    of couples still flock to Irnd for their weddings. It''s got that old-school romantic charm since it was


    once a country where divorce wasn''t an option."

 Chapter 511

    Chapter 511


    Listening to Healey, Matt couldn''t help but tease him, "Oh man, you''re telling me you''re still up on all


    this hip stuff at your age?"


    Healey replied, "My boy just got hitchedst month. He and his missus went all the way to Irnd to tie


    the knot. I mean what''s wrong with a good old-fashioned wedding back home? These kids nowadays


    make everything soplicated. The paperwork alone took an age. It''s not like they couldn''t get


    married right here."


    "Well, they couldn''t get married back home," Matt said, leaving Healey momentarily speechless.


    After a few seconds, Healey gave Matt a solemn p on the shoulder. "Look, buddy, you''ve got plenty


    of kids. Odds are one of them will make you a grandpa. Speaking of which, check out my grandson.


    Isn''t he just the cutest? And, you know, my second son just had a little granddaughter. You should see


    her picture. She''s absolutely adorable¡­"


    The more Matt heard, the hotter under the cor he got. He nced at Healey with annoyance and


    kicked his fishing rod in frustration. "Big deal, you''ve got grandkids? You don''t have a daughter! I do


    have a daughter, and what''s more, I''ve got a grandkid from her, too! Let me tell you, my granddaughter


    is so cute, a chubby little thing, and sharp as a tack! I..."


    Before Matt could finish his sentence, his phone rang. It was a video call from Roman, and Matt


    immediately lit up his face. "Look at that, my dear grandson Roman''s calling me. Does your grandson


    video-call you? I didn''t think so. Hmph."


    After a brief boast, Matt turned his attention to the video call.


    Roman was sprawled out on the bed, looking pitiful. "Grandpa, I''m having a rough time."


    "Poor thing? Who''s messing with my favorite grandson?" Matt asked with concern.


    "Who else but Elio," Roman pouted, hugging his phone close. "Elio''s being a pest and got to go on a


    TV show with mom. He gets to spend all this time with her. Uncle Nathan gets to hang around her, too.


    But I only get to see mom during her breaks, and she''s always so busy¡­"


    At the sight of Roman''s woebegone expression, Matt melted his heart. "Roman, my boy, one of these


    days your mom will take you on a family show, and then you can be with her every day."


    A family show?


    Roman twinkled his eyes and smacked a big kiss on the screen. "You''re the best, Grandpa! I love you!"


    "I..." Matt was beaming with joy, but before he could finish his thought, Roman had already ended the


    call.


    Matt curled his mustache and grumbled as he tossed his phone aside. "Ungrateful little tyke, just like


    his mother."


    Meanwhile, Astrid and her knitting circle of adventurers were still braving their journey.


    Because of Nathan''s arrival, Elio was getting less alone time with Astrid, and he wasn''t happy about it.


    It was around this time that the onlinemunity noticed something even more intriguing.


    Comments started popping up. [Guys, have you noticed the way Karin looks at Nathan? It seems a bit


    off.]


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    [I saw that. I think Clyde''s got a thing for Karin, too.]


    [But it''s all one-way street!]


    [Can you all wake up, please? This is a wilderness survival show, not a dating reality show. What''s with


    all the love matters?]


    [Don''t you think Mr. Lampard is the real victim here, LOL. He acts all tough with everyone, but he


    seems pretty civil with Nathan.]

 Chapter 512

    Chapter 512


    [I know what you mean," said one audience. "It''s more like... I can''t quite put my finger on it!]


    [Do you reckon Nathan could be Astrid''s brother?]


    [Pfft, Nathan with a sister? His profile says he''s an only child. Astrid sure knows how to stir the pot.


    She''s calling him ''Bro Nathan'' like they''re best buds.]


    [You got something to say? Have you ever seen how Nathan treats Astrid? Is it our Astrid who''s


    seeking the limelight?]


    [I swear some people just can''t stand to see Astrid do well. They''ve got toe with their snide


    remarks. Our Astrid gets fans because of her talent, not about throwing shade like some folks I know!]


    There was tension in somements.


    The debate between Astrid''s fans and haters was heating up in thements. Suddenly, in the middle


    of the group, Karin stumbled and nearly fell forward.


    Naylor, quick as lightning, caught her in the nick of time.


    Karin was flushed and wasn''t feeling well. "Why didn''t you say you were sick?" Naylor scolded.


    Biting her lip, Karin murmured, "I didn''t want to slow everyone down. Besides, the cold weather makes


    the fever feel better, you know?"


    Watching Karin''s frail figure, a wave of sympathy rose among some of the online crowd. [Now that''s


    what I calldylike. Unlike Astrid, who''s practically Superman in disguise, making the men feel


    emascted.]


    [Karin''s so sweet and considerate. A real team yer, way better than Joana ever was.]


    [She''s sweating buckets, poor thing, without a singleint.]


    [Astrid was major in medicines, right? Didn''t she notice Karin''s condition?]


    [One nation can¡¯t have two queens. Before Karin showed up, Astrid was the darling of this team. But


    now that Karin''s stealing her thunder, you think she''d care if Karin''s sick?]


    [Seriously, what''s wrong with you? Why is it on Astrid to notice Karin''s illness? She''s been leading from


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    the front. If Karin doesn''t speak up, how the heck is Astrid supposed to know?]


    [I''m at my wit''s end here. My girl Astrid''s be the scapegoat for everything. Anything goes wrong,


    and it''s her fault!]


    While the fans were still arguing, Karin insisted, "I''m fine, really. Let''s keep moving."


    "We better find some shelter before this rain gets any worse," someone pointed out as they looked up


    at the darkening sky.


    Astrid nced back and ced her hand on Karin''s forehead. "Check your temperature. Here''s some


    emergency fever reducer. But remember, only take it if your temperature exceeds 101.3 degrees


    Fahrenheit. Otherwise, it could make things worse."


    "Thanks," Karin smiled gratefully at Astrid. "Let''s go. I can keep up."


    Karin was adamant about continuing, so the group moved on, slowing their pace to amodate her.


    But before they could find shelter, the rain began to sprinkle down, rapidly cooling the mountain air.


    Nathan quickly shed his jacket and offered it to Astrid. "Check this out, it''s waterproof. Pretty cool,


    huh?"


    "Very cool, but so is mine," Astrid replied, handing the jacket back at faster pace. "Mr. Naylor, there''s a


    rundown shack up ahead. Let''s check it out."

 Chapter 513

    Chapter 513


    "Sure thing," Naylor led the way, his strides confident despite the rain. After a short trek, he gestured to


    the group, "This spot''s good for taking cover."


    The ce wasn''t exactly roomy, but it was enough to dodge the downpour for a while.


    The rain was relentless, hammering down so hard that the live stream was glitching, the audio cutting


    in and out.


    Everyone scattered to gather firewood, and Elio was the first to return.


    Karin caught sight of him and couldn''t help but call out, "Leo, do you despise me that much?"


    "I wouldn''t call it despise. I''d just rather not see you, that''s all." Elio turned to face her, his words


    deliberate, "What are you doing here?"


    Karin''s lips pressed together under his gaze, "My agent booked this gig for me. It wasn''t my choice.


    Leo, I didn''t mean for things to go down the way they did back then. After all these years, can''t you find


    it in you to forgive me?"


    "Don''t bring up the past, and don''t call me Leo. The only reason I''m even speaking to you calmly is to


    avoid screwing up this show. Step out of line, or I''ll make sure you''re out of the entertainment industry


    within a week." Elio said coldly.


    Karin tightened her grip involuntarily and was about to speak, but no words came out.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    The audience couldn''t hear what was being said, but they watched the exchange with rapt attention.


    Based on Karin''s expression, the fans'' imaginations ran wild. [Holy smokes, did Karin and Mr. Lampard


    have a fling back in the day? Wasn''t she supposed to be like his sister in name?]


    [She seemed to be about to cry.]


    [There''s no blood rtion between them. A youthful fling is totally normal, right?]


    [Pfft, Mr. Lampard is my Astar''s. She better stay away from him!]


    [Listen, women have a sixth sense about these things. She''s got the same vibe as Bernice. I''ve got a


    bad feeling about this.]


    [But don''t just assume Karin is bad because she reminds you of someone else. That''s not fair.]


    [Are Astrid''s fans a cult or something? So quick tobel someone else, as if Astrid''s the only decent


    woman out there.]


    [I can''t even with you people. Astar gets dragged through the mud by these toxic trolls, and when we


    defend her, we''re the cult?]


    The fans were seething, and just then, Astrid returned.


    As the signal stabilized, bits and pieces of the conversation became audible, though it was still patchy.


    Astrid sensed the tension between Elio and Karin and asked, "What''s going on here?"


    "It''s nothing, Astrid. I just brought up some stuff about Leo''s childhood, and he got a bit upset," Karin


    said with a gentle smile, her lips tight. "Thanks for the medicine, by the way. I took my temperature, and


    the fever''s broken."


    "d you''re feeling better." Astrid ced the wood she''d gathered to the side, her face unreadable.


    Elio, concerned that Astrid might get the wrong idea, crouched beside her and whispered, "Astrid,


    about her and me..."


    "I know she''s your sister in name," Astrid cut in, leaving both Elio and Karin stunned.


    Karin looked at Astrid in surprise, "How did you know that? I''ve never mentioned my connection to the


    Lampard family. Hardly anyone knows."


    Astrid was cool and collected to reply, "It''s not a state secret. If someone wants to find out, they can."

 Chapter 514

    Chapter 514


    Karin noticed a certain frostiness in Astrid''s demeanor and decided to keep silent.


    Astrid was about to light the campfire with her lighter when Elio swiftly reached over and snatched it


    from her hands, "The smoke''s a real beast, honey. Why don''t you scoot over there a bit?"


    "Elio, are you trying to kill me? I''m already freezing my butt off, and now you want to turn me into an ice


    cube?" Astrid grumbled under her breath but obediently moved aside.


    When she turned around, she found Karin''s gaze fixed on her.


    Karin hadn''t expected Astrid to look back so suddenly, and their eyes shed in an instant.


    They were close. As Astrid stared at Karin, her eyes seemed to meld with those from an old


    photograph.


    Bernice! The woman in the photograph had to be Bernice!


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Considering the age of the photo and Karin''s youth at the time, it could only be Bernice in that image.


    But why would Bernice send a picture to the Lampard family?


    With those cryptic words... could it be that Bernice and Matthew had some sort of past together?


    It didn''t add up.


    A burst of coughing was heard. A waft of smoke drifted over, and Astrid was seized by a fit of coughing.


    The rain had eased off, and she stepped outside to get some fresh air. Karin followed and asked,


    "Astrid, why were you staring at me like that?"


    Astrid offered a lightugh, "You''ve got beautiful eyes. I just got a little lost in them, that''s all."


    "You''re the beautiful one. People online say you''ve got the face of an angel. I''m quite envious of your


    pretty face," Karin responded with a smile. At the sight of Clyde and the others returning, she jogged


    over to help. "I''m so sorry for imposing again for dinner."


    Clyde softened his tone upon seeing Karin''s paleplexion, "You''re sick and need to rest. Don''t stay


    out in the cold."


    Karin gave a small smile, "Okay, thanks, Clyde."


    Astrid watched Karin from afar, her gaze growing more intense.


    Karin''s participation in the show was no coincidence.


    The next morning, Astrid woke up feeling off. She stretched out her arm, which seemed normal, but


    was unbearably itchy.


    Elio approached her as she scratched incessantly, "What''s up? Something bothering you?"


    "It''s just my arm. It''s itchy, but there''s nothing there," Astrid said. She took a silver needle and pricked


    her arm to draw blood. Upon smelling the bead of blood that formed, her expression turned to stone.


    She nced at the others who appeared unaffected and asked softly, "Anyone else''s arm itchy?"


    Parrish shook his head, "Nope. Why? What''s wrong?"


    "Astrid, are you feeling alright?" Naylor approached with concern.


    "There''s a problem." Pulling Elio''s hand toward her, Astrid rolled up his sleeve and pricked him too,


    whispering, "Aren''t you itchy?"


    "Yeah, a bit, but it''s bearable. Maybe we brushed up against some poisonous nts in the woodsst


    night?" Elio murmured back.


    Astrid was silent for a few seconds, then covered the mic and whispered to Elio, "We''ve been


    poisoned."


    Elio darkened his eyes with realization.


    Astrid was a master of poisons. Someone who used poison under her watchful eyes and struck their


    target without causing coteral damage was no small feat.


    Parrish, at the sight of Astrid''s grave expression, pressed anxiously, "What''s going on, Astar? Speak


    up, you''re freaking us out."

 Chapter 515

    Chapter 515


    "Not a big deal. I must''ve been bitten by some bug in my sleepst night. I''ll look around the woods


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    today to find some herbs to take the edge off the poison," Astrid said with a nonchnt expression. But


    Elio knew all too well that this poison was not going to be so easily remedied.


    She was holding back the truth to avoid panic.


    The cameraman, overhearing the conversation, chimed in, "Ms. Irvine, what kind of herbs do you


    need? I can ask the crew to prepare them. We don''t want the poison to get worse and affect your


    health."


    Astrid shook her head, "I''m fine for now. I know my limits, but thanks for the offer."


    She grabbed her toiletries and headed to the nearby stream to freshen up. Recalling the events of the


    Normally, the cameras would give guests their privacy during such times. But today, the cameraman


    followed, concerned for Astrid''s well-being.


    The camera inadvertently captured Astrid washing her face, and the fans were stunned. [Holy cow, this


    is the first time I''ve seen a female star wash her face like that.]


    [I''ve only ever seen male actors do that on TV!]


    [Astrid''s the real deal, a true goddess, not afraid of the HD lens.]


    [Hold up, did you see Astrid''s arm? What''s that about?]


    [Whoa, I didn''t catch it before. What''s up with her hand? That''s a long red mark!]


    [Could it be from the bug bite?]


    Astrid finished up and stood, ncing at the wound with a slight smirk. She turned to the camera and


    said, "Don''t worry, folks. It''s nothing serious. That bug''s bite isn''t all that powerful. Once I catch that


    little critter, I''ll turn it to ash."


    Her fans joked, [Cool with the burning, just don''t end up eating it, okay?]


    Astrid didn''t head straight back, but searched the woods for some medicinal nts that could


    counteract the poison. Unfortunately, while there were some useful herbs around, the key ingredients


    were missing. Yet, she wasn''t worried.


    She had her ways to make the real culprit hand over the antidote.


    "Astar, we''re about to head out. I saved some grub for you!" Parrish jogged over, shoving the food into


    Astrid''s hands. Then, eager for thetest gossip, he asked, "Astar, does Nathan have a thing for you?


    He seems so nice to you! Oh, how''s the hunt for the herbs going? Need my help?"


    Astrid shook her head, replying, "No need, I''ve got it covered."


    "Astar, I''ve got a weird feeling about Karin," Parrish suddenly said.


    "How so?" Astrid raised an eyebrow, "Did you notice something?"


    Parrish replied, "She seems to have a thing for your man, but she''s also stringing along Clyde and


    trying to get on my good side. Isn''t that strange?"


    Astrid was at a loss for words, then she replied, "She''s Elio''s sister."


    "But not by blood!¡± Parrish retorted, ¡°Let me tell you. Mr. Lampard, impressive and assertive, is not just


    someonedies who can''t resist him. Lots of guys can''t either! Karin has been Mr. Lampard¡¯s sister in


    name and she''s only a few months older than Mr. Lampard. It¡¯s said that she has stayed in the


    Lampard family for sixteen years and something happened when she was sixteen, so she moved out of


    the Lampard family home for good, cut all ties. Maybe that''s when their rtionship took a dive!"


    Astrid twitched her mouth slightly, "Enough with the wild guesses. Let''s head back before we fall


    behind."

 Chapter 516

    Chapter 516


    "Alright, Astar," Parrish grumbled, not caring that they were in the middle of a live show. He voiced what


    was nagging at him, "Having someone like Karin on our show is odd enough, but I can¡¯t quite put my


    finger on what''s off about her. This whole vibe is just awful. Annoying, so annoying."


    Silence fell.


    As Parrish muttered to himself on his way back, everyone was gearing up to leave.


    Clyde was carrying Karin''s backpack, and she stood next to him with a smile, the two of them sharing a


    joke.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Astrid approached, Karin greeted her with a cheer, "Astrid, we''ve been waiting for you for ages."


    "Sorry to keep everyone waiting. Let''s hit the road," Astrid said, reaching for her backpack. But Elio and


    Nathan each grabbed a strap.


    Nathan said, "Let go, she''s my responsibility."


    Elio retorted, "No need to trouble yourself, Nathan. This is my job."


    Nathan snapped, "What job? No one acknowledges you. Let go!"


    Karin suddenly covered her mouth with a giggle, "Astrid, you''re quite popr, aren''t you? Two


    handsome guys ready to throw down for you. I''ve never seen Leo act so juvenile."


    The nickname ''Leo'' made Elio''s skin crawl and his expression darken, "Karin, this is thest time I''m


    warning you. Don''t call me Leo."


    "If you don''t like it, I''ll stop," Karin replied, her eyes downcast, lips pursed in a feigned pout.


    Clyde, seeing her upset, turned to Elio, "Mr. Lampard, whatever happened between you two is none of


    my business, but she''s still ady. You could be a bit more polite."


    Astrid curled her lips into a cold smile at Clyde as she said, "Clyde, you can''t judge a book by its cover.


    You might regret it."


    With that, Elio and Astrid led the way out.


    Karin and Clydegged at the back. Suddenly, she began to cry, "Clyde, am I really that hard to like?"


    Clyde was flustered by her tears, "No, don''t cry, Karin. It''s just that Mr. Lampard only has eyes for


    Astrid. He''s cold to everyone else. You''re doing fine. It''s not your fault."


    "Thanks forforting me," Karin sniffled, wiping away her tears. "When I get back, I''ll write a song for


    you."


    Clyde was visibly moved by the offer, knowing full well how coveted a song from Karin could be, "That''d


    be an honor."


    At noon, the sun broke through, and the group sat on some boulders to soak it up.


    Astrid was whittling away at a piece of wood with a pocket knife.


    Parrish, curious, leaned in to see that Astrid was carving something that was taking shape. It was a


    woman with a hairstyle much like Karin''s.


    "Astar, who are you carving? The hair looks a lot like Karin''s!"


    At the mention of her name, Karin scampered over and gazed at the wooden figure in Astrid''s hands, a


    spark of joy in her eyes, "It does resemble me! Can I have it?"


    Astrid didn''t look up, her voice soft, "If you like it, it''s yours once I''m finished. Just know I don''t have the


    right tools here, so it might be a bit rough."


    Karin beamed, "Not at all, I love it. This is the most unique gift I''ve ever received."

 Chapter 517

    Chapter 517


    Karin cradled her face in her hands and watched intently as Astrid sat beside her, whittling away at a


    piece of wood. In just a short while, Astrid had transformed the raw material into a beautiful little


    figurine.


    Lacking proper sanding tools, the miniature was riddled with splinters, and Astrid''s hands were marked


    with tiny cuts, a smattering of blood marring the otherwise smooth surface of the wood.


    But the carving was stunning, so much so that it could put some professional craftsmen to shame.


    Parrish couldn''t contain his excitement. "Astar, this is a masterpiece! Carve a few more of these, and I''ll


    sell them for you. We''ll make a fortune!"


    "No way! You think she doesn''t get tired to make so many?" Nathan red at Parrish, who quickly


    shrank away, knowing when to pick his battles.


    In the past, Mr. Lampard had been Astrid¡¯s protector. Now with Nathan in the picture, both men were


    forces to be reckoned with.


    Astrid nced at the blood-stained carving and suggested to Karin, "It''s dirty now. Maybe I''ll make you


    another er."


    "No need, it''s just a little blood. I love it just the way it is," Karin replied, clutching the tiny sculpture as if


    it were a precious treasure, while Parrish wondered why Astrid would give a gift to Karin.


    He wasn''t the only one puzzled. Audiences online were also asking, [Why is Astrid giving Karin


    something?]


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    [Karin asked Astrid for it. Astrid couldn''t just say no.]


    [But it''s clear Astrid doesn''t like her. Why give her a gift?]


    [Yeah, and that woman flirted with Mr. Lampard one minute, cozied up to Clyde the next, and now in an


    attempt to charm Parrish. She can''t be trusted, and yet Astrid gives her a gift? It makes no sense!]


    [Let''s not jump to conclusions. Maybe Astrid''s rtionship with her isn''t as bad as we think. Let''s not


    stir the pot.]


    ying with the little sculpture, Karin identally pricked her finger on a splinter, but she didn''t pay it


    much mind.


    The next morning, as dawn barely broke the night''s hold, Karin felt a sharp pain running through her


    left arm. Sitting up, she rolled up her sleeve to investigate, but there was nothing visibly wrong.


    Remembering the prick from Astrid''s gift the night before, a cold sweat broke out across her skin.


    This was all Astrid''s cunning n!


    Astrid knew of her love for wood carvings and had deliberately crafted the sculpture to catch her eye.


    The blood on her hands wasn''t an ident. Astrid had purposely contaminated the carving!


    Her blood must be poisonous, and now the toxin would be coursing through her veins from the


    puncture wound!


    Astrid was devious beyond belief.


    If not for the antidote, she might have met her demise at Astrid''s hands!


    Peering at the others in the group, all seemingly deep in slumber.


    Karin stealthily reached into her bag and pulled out the antidote disguised in a soda bottle. If the live-


    stream audiences caught a glimpse, they''d think she was sneaking a drink, nothing more.


    Just as Karin was about to open the bottle, Astrid''s voice pierced the silence, "Hey, Karin, what''s with


    the secret stash of soda?"


    Caught off guard by Astrid, Karin faltered herposure. "Oh, I just hid a little bit away."


    "I''m quite fond of that brand too. Mind if I have a sip? I''ve been craving a good soda ever since we hit


    the trails," Astrid said, batting her eyshes innocently, leaving Karin flustered and at a loss under her


    seemingly mocking gaze.

 Chapter 518

    Chapter 518


    "Whoa, I''ve already had my fill of this. Doesn''t seem right to have more," Karin said, gripping the soda


    bottle with both hands, her expression awkward.


    It was early still, barely past six in the morning. Only a few night owls were tuned into the live stream.


    Yet Karin''s odd behavior didn''t escape the notice of those who were watching.


    She knew very well that Astrid would be hell-bent on finding an antidote, convinced that Karin had been


    poisoned. So Astrid wouldn''t have slept a wink, watching Karin''s every move all night long!


    Astrid chuckled, "Hey, just pour a bit into my cup, no need to hog it all!"


    With those words, Astrid swiftly produced her little cup and began to gently tap the edge with a


    teaspoon.


    Karin''s gaze was fixed on Astrid''s cup as she heard Astrid whisper, "Come on, hand over the drink."


    Obediently, Karin passed the bottle to Astrid.


    Astrid twisted the cap off, poured a bit into her cup, and then handed the bottle back to Karin with a


    polite "Thanks."


    She walked forward with her drink. As she passed Karin, she lowered her voice and said, "Dump it."


    In the next moment, Karin poured out the entire contents of the bottle.


    Time seemed to drag on until Karin came to her senses. She stared at the empty bottle in her hands


    and her face turned ghostly pale.


    Where had the antidote gone? What had just happened?


    In a panic, she turned her head to look at Astrid.


    Astrid was smiling serenely, raising her cup towards Karin, "Thanks, Karin. The soda was delicious.


    Have to admit, enjoying a cold one out here in the wilderness is a slice of heaven."


    Karin reeled her mind.


    Astrid and Elio had their antidotes, but Karin had left without hers! If she didn''t get the antidote within


    seven days, she was a goner!


    Beforeing here, someone had warned her that she was no match for Astrid, but she didn''t believe


    it. Now, she did.


    But Karin couldn''t let on that anything was wrong, because the medical team apanying the show


    could detect that the poison wasn''t from an insect bite or infection, but a lethal toxin developed in a


    medical facility.


    Her n had been to have Elio and Astrid die off quietly during the show, but now they were fine, and


    Karin was done for!


    "Soda? Karin, that''s not cool, hogging it all to yourself," Parrish teased upon noticing Karin''s empty


    bottle, "You hiding any other goodies?"


    "No, nothing!" Karin clutched her backpack defensively, fearing Parrish might rummage through it, "I


    just sneakily kept this one bottle, that''s all."


    "If you''ve got nothing, then why the secrecy?" Parrish sensed something was off and pressed further,


    "If it''s nothing, then show us."


    Karin pursed her lips, "There are some personal items in there, definitely not suitable for the camera.


    Please just let it go, Parrish."


    With that, Karin turned pleading eyes towards Clyde.


    Clyde immediately patted Parrish on the shoulder, "Come on, little buddy, don''t you know better than to


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    go through ady''s bag? Cut it out."


    "I was just joking. Why are you taking her side!" Parrish muttered, then suddenly pointed to the ground


    and shouted, "Snake!"


    Karin looked down just in time to see the snake approaching her. In her terror, her backpack slipped


    from her grasp!


    Out tumbled an assortment of bizarre bottles and a group photo.


    The sight of that photo caused a collective gasp among the onlookers.

 Chapter 519

    Chapter 519


    Karin''s heart skipped a beat as she snatched the photograph from her bag and shoved it into her


    pocket.


    But the camera had already captured the image.


    Screenshots were flying across social media like wildfire.


    [Whoa, what''s that? What''s she hiding in her bag?]


    [It''s a photo I couldn''t see clearly, but it''s her with another woman.]


    [Why''s she so freaked out over a picture with ady?]


    [Holy smokes, I wish I could upload pictures in thements. Guys, it''s a snap of Karin and Bernice!]


    [If they''re not mother and daughter, I swear I''ll jump off the 30th floor of my building!]


    [What''s wrong with you all? Does a photo make them family?]


    [But legend has it Bernice only had a son, where did this mystery daughter pop out from?]


    [Thank the heavens for my quick reflexes. Let me tell you, that''s an old photo of Bernice and Karin in


    matching outfits, probably from Karin''s birthday. Why else wear matching outfits if they aren''t rted?]


    Just like that, the gossip spread like wildfire, and soon the scandal of Karin being Bernice''s secret


    daughter was trending.


    Bernice pulled every string she could to bury the story, but Robb and Chad had dug deep into their


    pockets, ensuring the rumor not only stuck around but also flourished.


    Bernice was livid.


    Trembling, with tears welling up in her eyes, Karin red at Parrish and yelled, "What have you done?"


    Parrish, taken aback by her outburst, replied defensively, "What did I do? I just warned you about the


    snake. Chill out, will you? Besides, it''s just a picture. I didn''t even get a good look at it. Why the


    meltdown?"


    With her lips quivering, Karin could no longer hold back the tears.


    Upon her arrival, Bernice had promised that if Karin pulled off this gig, she would acknowledge her as


    her daughter and go public with their rtionship.


    But now, not only had Karin botched the job, but she had also inadvertently exposed their secret.


    Having been in showbiz for so long, Karin knew all too well the power of the inte mob. By now, the


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    photo was probably viral.


    That picture was from her eighteenth birthday, the only birthday Bernice had ever celebrated with her.


    She had secretly recorded it at home and taken snapshots from the footage.


    It was after all these years that Bernice had finally offered recognition. But now...


    Watching Karin cry, Parrish was perplexed, unable to see where he had gone wrong.


    If he hadn''t warned her about the snake, she would have been bitten for sure. He had saved her, and


    yet she was the one feeling wronged?


    The production team noticed the photo scandal trending and soon received a call from Karin''s agent,


    Baily.


    The assistant Jack, holding his phone, approached Maddox, "Mr. Maddox, it''s Karin''s agent."


    "Hand it over," Maddox said, taking the phone. "Hello?"


    Baily sounded desperate, "Mr. Maddox, this situation with Karin is unexpected. The inte is buzzing


    with stories about her parentage, and she has a heart condition. I''m worried about the stress on her. I''d


    like her to withdraw from the show."


    Maddox let out a derisive chuckle, "Baily, are you kidding me? You begged to sign the contract, and


    now, after a day or two, you want to pull out?"


    Baily could sense Maddox''s irritation and was even more submissive, "Mr. Maddox, under the


    circumstances, Karin isn''t fit for a live show like this. We''re willing to pay the penalty use. Can you


    please let her leave the show?"

 Chapter 520

    Chapter 520


    "All our guests undergo a thorough medical checkup to ensure they''re fit to participate in the show,"


    Maddox reassured Baily, trying to dispel any concerns about Karin''s health. "So, let''s not start any


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    rumors about her having a heart condition. I''ve seen her medical report myself. Or are you suggesting


    that you''ve fooled me with a fake report?" came the retort, leaving Baily momentarily at a loss for words


    on the other end of the line.


    Deep down, Baily knew why Maddox was ying hardball. Karin was the season''s rating goldmine,


    and her departure would be a significant blow to the show.


    But Baily was worried. If things continued to deteriorate, Karin''s carefully crafted public image could


    shatterpletely.


    For years, Karin had been perceived as a non-confrontational and artsy talent. If it weren''t for the


    identity issue, Baily wouldn''t hesitate to have her on this reality show.


    However, the moment Bernice got involved, the situation gotplicated.


    After a long pause, Baily spoke softly, "Mr. Maddox, would it suffice if we offered to pay double the


    penalty for breach of contract?"


    "Double? You should read the contract again. Do you think that''s going to solve anything?" Maddox


    hung up, handing his phone to Jack, "If he calls again, don''t answer."


    Jack nodded, "Understood."


    "Oh", someone asked Maddox curiously, "is Karin really Bernice''s secret daughter?"


    Maddox replied without looking up, "Focus on your work. Don''t ask questions you shouldn''t."


    The live stream went on as scheduled.


    The guests were oblivious to the storm brewing on social media, as they were cut off from their phones.


    Karin was on edge, too frazzled to continue. She sat down at a corner, "Go on without me. I need a


    moment alone."


    She had spent years fantasizing about reuniting with her biological mother. Now, it all seemed like a


    pipe dream.


    At that moment, she wasn''t even scared of the poison that was supposed to be in her system.


    If it came down to it, death didn''t scare her. She was tired of the struggles she had faced over the


    years.


    Everyone saw her current mour, but no one knew what she had endured in the past.


    Astrid had sailed smoothly into the entertainment industry,nding top-tier opportunities simply because


    of her powerful background.


    Karin could have had it all too. But because of one decision by the Brooke family, she was left an


    orphan.


    She wanted to expose Astrid''s true identity countless times, but Bernice forbade it, arguing that it would


    only inte Astrid''s value and make it harder to take her down.


    The Brooke familymanded vast resources and connections. With Elio''s protection, it was indeed


    tough to touch Astrid.


    But the live stream was a different arena.


    This time, Karin was determined to bring Astrid down and out of the spotlight for good.


    Clyde approached her, noticing her tears, and said gently, "Don''t be like this. We''re a team, and we


    won''t abandon you."


    "Clyde, I''ve asked for some peace," Karin said coldly, her gaze chilling Clyde into silence.


    "Astrid, you''ve taken everything from me," Karin dered, leaving not only Astrid but also the audience


    in shock.


    Thements exploded with confusion.


    [What''s going on? What does this have to do with Astar?]


    [What did Astar do? Steal her drink?]


    [So her drink is everything to her? She''s the one who poured the rest of it anyway, not Astar!]


    [My Astar is just on a reality show. Why can''t these guests chill out and let Astar have her adventure


    and love life in peace?]


    [If anyone is to me, isn''t it Parrish who startled her with the snake and caused her to drop the


    photo?]

 Chapter 521

    Chapter 521


    [I can''t stand people who beat around the bush like this. Spit it out, will you? I''m not about to let Astar


    get smeared with mud for no good reason, and then have to deal with the bacsh from people who


    don''t know jack!]


    Astrid had originally intended to ignore Karin, but at those words, her temper red. "Karin, make


    yourself clear. What does this have to do with me? I am not about to take the fall for something I didn''t


    do!"


    Karin retorted with a sneer, "Does ying with people''s feelings much give you a sense of


    aplishment?"


    Thements overwhelmed, [OMG, this is gonna be juicy!]


    [Fight,e on!]


    [I bet Astar''s gonna crush it!]


    [Go Astar!]


    [This chick''s looking for trouble!]


    Nathan was about to lose his patience listening to Karin, but before he could interject, Astrid grabbed


    him by the arm, "Men should stay out of women''s business."


    With that, she shot Elio a warning look, "Don''t you move either."


    "Sure, babe," Elio responded, only to receive a stealthy stomp on the foot from Nathan.


    It hurt, but he had to grit his teeth and bear it. He couldn''t even stomp back.


    Astrid approached Karin, confronting her directly, "You''re the one who came to the show and aired your


    dirtyundry. What''s that got to do with me?"


    Karin wiped away a tear and used, "Astrid, did you already dig into my past? You knew about my


    history with Mr. Lampard and my weaknesses, so that little wood carving wasn''t something you made


    on the spot, was it? You prepared it beforehand! Because you knew I was obsessed with wood


    carvings, you used that to set me up!"


    Astrid was bbergasted, "Karin, what kind of twisted logic is that? I carved that piece during the show.


    Everyone saw me chopping wood and carving it, didn''t they? Besides, you were a surprise guest. I


    didn''t have my phone and had no clue who''d be joining. Am I some psychic to carry around a wood


    carving for days just to... frame you?"


    "Oh, cut the act," Karin scoffed, pulling out the wooden figurine, "You were facing away from the


    camera when you were carving. It wasn''t until it was nearly done that Parrish noticed and the camera


    panned to you. I adore wood carvings and I''ve even studied them. Ordinary carvings don''t impress me,


    but the one you gave me was so detailed. It was professional. You can''t achieve that in a short time!


    If you had studied carving, your hands would show the calluses from the tools, but your hands are soft,


    which means you don''t use carving tools regrly. That carving was prepared long ago, and you just


    scraped off the topyer with your knife to make it look freshly done."


    Karin paused, then added, "Thepany leaked news not long ago that I might rece Joana for this


    show. So isn''t it normal that you knew I wasing?"


    At this point, Astrid felt like apuding Karin for her wild imagination, "So why would I want to harm


    you?"


    Karin stated, "Because Mr. Lampard and I grew up together. You feel threatened."This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Astrid was dumbfounded.


    Seriously? Karin''s ego was off the charts!


    Astrid almostughed but held it back, asking nonchntly, "So why do you think I''ve been carrying


    around this wood carving all this time?"

 Chapter 522

    Chapter 522


    "It must be your jinx! In the entertainment industry, such stuff is nearlymonce. A little voodoo


    doll mischief is hardly earth-shattering," snorted Karin, "And the fans all rave about Astar being so cool


    and gorgeous. Who would have guessed that you''re just a green-eyed monster behind it all?"


    A green-eyed monster? Her, Astrid?


    "Bwahaha!" Astrid couldn''t contain herughter. "Sorry, I didn''t expect you toe up with such a far-


    fetched story, Karin. Aren''t you embarrassed?"


    "You''re wasting your talent in the music industry. You should be writing scripts, seriously."


    Karin couldn''t fathom why Astrid was stillughing and retorted with a stern face, "You obviously have it


    out for me. Why else would you give me that wooden sculpture? It''s because you''ve been bitten by a


    venomous snake, and you''re trying to pass the poison on to me!"


    The online crowd gasped at Karin''s words. [Damn, that kinda makes sense. No one saw Astrid carving


    that sculpture from start to finish!]


    [That carving was too professional-looking. It couldn''t have been done with just a switchde. I raised


    a question about it before and got hounded by her fans!]


    [Jeez, I''m getting chills! Astrid smeared her blood,ced with poison, onto the sculpture, and now


    Karin''s been poisoned by a splinter! What a diabolical n!]


    [Let''s not jump to conclusions and spread rumors, folks!]


    [So Karin''s poisoned now?]


    [We stand with Astar. We''ve been watching her streams forever, and she never starts anything with


    anyone. If she''s targeting someone, it must be because they provoked her first!]


    [There''s always a reason to dislike someone. I''ve been saying from the start that something''s off with


    Karin. Some called me a hater, but I stick to there''s definitely something fishy about her!]


    While the inte was aze with spection, Astrid just smiled.


    Karin was clever, alright. She poisoned discretely, leaving no trace, so no one would believe Astrid if


    she pointed fingers.


    So instead, she spun a tale that it was jealousy over Karin''s rtionship with Elio that drove Astrid to


    spread the poison.


    A clever diversion, indeed.


    At first, Astrid didn''t know how Karin had managed to poison them, but then one little slip-up from Karin


    gave it all away.


    Astrid looked at Karin with a smirk curling her lips, "My sculpture was hand-carved by me, and you''re


    right about one thing. I gave it to you to pass on the poison. But why would I do that? It''s because you


    poisoned me and Elio first. If we wanted the antidote, we''d have to make sure you were in the same


    boat."


    The online spectators were stunned. [Karin poisoned Astar and Elio?]


    [Astrid''s gotta be talking nonsense. I''ve been watching the stream non-stop. When did Karin ever


    poison them?]


    [Poison? No way. I was up all night on shift, bored out of my mind, watching the live stream on my


    phone. I didn''t see any poisoning happening!]


    [But Karin''s excuse is so oundish it hurts. Even a random onlooker like me finds this spielpletely


    ludicrous!]


    [This is freaking me out, so when did Karin poison them?]


    Confident in her covert methods, Karin challenged Astrid with a prideful sneer, "Stop slinging mud.


    When did I ever poison you? We''ve hardly been in close contact from the get-go. If you''re going to


    frame me, at leaste up with a believable story, will you?"


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Astrid watched Karin''s self-assured demeanor and raised an eyebrow slightly, "Someone else might


    not have caught on to your little poison ploy, but you''re dealing with me. Against me, you''re just another


    tragedy in the making."

 Chapter 523

    Chapter 523


    Karin''s gaze was fixed on Astrid''s smile-tinged eyes. Karin was crashed by a wave of anxiety,


    tightening the grip of the hand hidden in her sleeve.


    Struggling to maintain a calm exterior, she said, "Astrid, I joined the show based on my agency''s


    decision. I never intended topete with you for anything. You were the one who poisoned me first,


    so how can you now im that I was the one who tried to poison you?


    I''ve been in the music industry for years, quietly writing and singing songs, never stirring up trouble with


    anyone. You use me of poisoning you, but why don''t you tell me why would I do that? What would


    be my motive?"


    "Motive?" Astrid let out a scornfulugh, "Let''s set aside the motive for a moment, shall we? You want


    proof? Fine, I''ll give you proof."


    Karin felt a growing fear inside her, biting her lip without uttering a word.


    Astrid nced at her and leisurely turned to the camera, "I''m sure everyone is curious to know how


    Karin supposedly poisoned me. Well, now I''ll clear up the mystery. The night Karin came to the show


    can be reyed. If you go back and watch, you''ll notice a detail. After everyone went to bed that night,


    Karin got up. I was half-asleep at the time and didn''t open my eyes, but her perfume was quite distinct.


    I didn''t look, but I sensed she paused near me."


    At this point, Karin was visibly shaken, quickly interjecting, "Even if I stopped near you, what does that


    prove? That standing close to you means I poisoned you? That''s quite a stretch for an usation."


    "I didn''t see what you did because I didn''t open my eyes, but do you think the cameras wouldn''t


    capture it? Any audience could easily find out what you were up to. You don''t seriously think the


    cameras were off at night, do you?" As Astrid''s words hung in the air, Karin stiffened noticeably.


    Karin remained silent, but her difort was evident to all.


    Eagle-eyed audiences had already spotted something amiss in the reyed footage, [Did you all see


    that? Karin raised her hand twice as she passed by Astar and Mr. Lampard. She seemingly fixed her


    hair, but it looked like she sprinkled something.]


    [Holy cow, I zoomed in. It seems like something did fall. In the dead of night, you wouldn''t see it unless


    you were carefully looking.]


    [You guys are overreacting. I didn''t see anything. But she doesn''t fix her hair anywhere else, just near


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Astar and Mr. Lampard, which does seem rather suspicious. She seemed to cover something up.]


    [It''s strange indeed, but that can''t count as evidence, right? The incident is in the past, and who can


    confirm that what she sprinkled was poison?]


    [Damn, Karin has been out to get my Astar from the start! And to think I once praised her, considering


    her a gentle and quietdy!]


    [This is so frustrating, knowing she''s the one but having no evidence!]


    [This evidence is a bit far-fetched. I don''t think Karin is that kind of person. She''s not the biggest name


    in the music scene, but she''s aplished. Why would she jeopardize her career by poisoning Astrid


    on a live show?]


    [You''re wrong there. If it weren''t for Astar''s medical expertise, Astar and Mr. Lampard could have died


    mysteriously. Everyone would think it was some insect or poisonous nt in the woods. The show''s


    crew would be med, while Karin could walk away scot-free.]

 Chapter 524

    Chapter 524


    [Bernice must have it out for Astrid, no doubt about it. It''s gotta be Bernice pulling the strings behind


    Karin''s back, trying to take down Astrid and Mr. Lampard.]


    [But seriously, I can''t imagine the beef between Bernice and Astrid being so bad that it''de to


    murder...]


    [Dude, watching this adventure reality show seems to dive into a brain-busting thriller. I¡¯ve gotta be on


    my A-game to keep up, no joke!]


    Thements were all over the ce, and the plot was thickening by the minute.


    Karin was on edge, but she had already ditched the poison powder she brought. The online audiences


    might suspect her, but without hard evidence, nobody could pin anything on her.


    With that in mind, she slowly lifted her head, eyes brimming with tears, "Astrid, enough already. Quit


    dragging my name through the mud. I won''t admit to something I didn''t do. On the contrary, the fact


    that you used that wood carving to poison me is undeniable, and you''ve already confessed to it. Just


    wait for the hammer of thew toe down on you."


    Astrid looked at Karin''s performance and couldn''t help but think of Bernice.


    Like mother, like daughter. Their talent for deception was top-tier.


    When Astrid fell silent, some started to throw shade, [Well, Astrid seems to be done for. She admitted


    to the poisoning herself.]


    [Don''t even try to defend Astrid this time. Too many witnesses online. No matter how you spin it, she


    deliberately transferred the poison from that carving to Karin. That''s just malicious premeditated


    murder!]


    [She got poisoned and decided to take someone else down with her. Gross!]


    [Anybody with half a brain can see that Karin is up to no good. She''s trying to drag Astrid down. There


    are plenty of blind spots in the mountains without cameras, and Karin wasn''t on screen the whole time.


    She probably got rid of the evidence ages ago.]


    [Don''t worry about it. If Astrid can''t handle this chick, I''ll eat my hat!]


    [With Astrid''s smarts, I''m not concerned one bit. What I want to know is when''s the showdown?]


    [Astrid''s image is crumbling. Live streaming your downfall is brutal!]


    The trolls watching the live stream were having a field day, practically ready to set off fireworks to


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    celebrate.


    Just when everyone thought Astrid was a goner, she casually raised her hand, slowly pulling up her


    sleeve to reveal a watch.


    To the average Joe, the watch looked fancy but unrecognizable.


    Yet, several guests on-site nearly popped their eyeballs out, especially Parrish.


    If he wasn''t afraid of getting punted off the cliff by Nathan and Elio, he would be on his knees


    worshiping that watch.


    Then ament floated by, [Holy smokes, Astrid is wearing the ''Leader Series'' supreme watch. That''s


    reserved for world leaders, and some of them don''t even qualify to apply!]


    [I know that watch, which made waves at itsunch, rocking the whole globe. The features are freaking


    insane. Those curious can just Google it!]


    [No way, it''s a fake, right?]


    [A fake? Are you saying Astrid rocks knockoffs?]


    [I just screenshotted the watch and looked it up. The price tag''s more than I''ll earn in a lifetime...]


    [That watch has gotta be real. There''s no knockoff because thest factory that tried got sued into


    oblivion.]


    [Is Astrid just here to unt her wealth or what? Ha.]


    [Could it be a gift from Mr. Lampard? But even he doesn''t own one!]

 Chapter 525

    Chapter 525


    [It¡¯s absolutely a gift from Mr. Lampard,] aizen scoffed, [all this talk about making it on her own in


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    showbiz, but it''s all about who''s got her back.]


    While her followers were buzzing with curiosity about whether Astrid''s watch was the real deal or a


    fake, she nonchntly tapped the screen and said, "Show''s over, folks. Bring me the goods."


    Thements exploded with question marks.


    Karin felt a sudden tremor of fear.


    Then, several burly bodyguards, their faces hidden behind masks, emerged from the woods, carrying


    objects with reverence.


    Approaching Astrid, they handed over what they were carrying.


    All the evidence was neatly packed in transparent stic bags, which were piles of paper documents


    and a small vial, the one Karin had thrown off the cliff.


    Karin shook uncontrobly at the sight of that vial.


    She had tossed it over the edge. How in the world had it turned up here?


    Astrid looked at Karin, then turned to the camera to show off the evidence. "The moment I realized I


    was poisoned, I suspected the culprit would try to cover their tracks. So I discreetly used the call


    function on my watch to alert my team. The reason I didn''t immediately call out the poisoner but


    imed I was bitten by an insect was to buy time for my team to gather all the evidence."


    Then she turned to Karin and said, "Karin, this vial has your fingerprints on it with poison residue


    inside. Why would your prints be on it if you didn''t bring it here?"


    Caught off guard by Astrid''s early suspicions, Karin froze.


    It took her several seconds to regain herposure. "I don''t know. I''ve never seen this vial before. I


    don''t know why my fingerprints would be on it!"


    Her exnations seemed feeble against the evidence. "I''ve never seen these things before."


    "Karin, you''re not giving up, are you?" With a mocking tone, Astrid reached out to one of the


    bodyguards, who handed her aptop.


    She opened it up and found a video file, turning the screen to face the camera.


    The footage showed Karin in the dead of night at the cliff''s edge, tossing the vial down, then washing


    her hands at a nearby spring before heading back to the Adventure Minis'' resting area.


    Karin couldn''tprehend why such a video existed, especially since the angle suggested it was


    filmed from above.


    Looking skyward, she saw drones zooming toward her!


    In that moment, Karin''s barriers crumbled and she fell to the ground in despair.


    Astrid watched her, pale and defeated, and said lightly, "My brother was worried about me being in


    these woods, so he sent drones to patrol. This footage was captured by them. Now what do you have


    to say, Karin? You can''t possibly im I hired a lookalike to frame you in this video, can you?"


    Karin was speechless.


    Clyde watched Karin, his expression aplex mix of emotions, but predominantly disappointment.


    As the truth dawned on the shocked online audience,ments started flooding in again. [Damn,


    Astrid is too freaking smart. She suspected Karin from the start and yed for time just to gather


    evidence!]


    [Look at Karin who obviously didn''t expect the vial to be found, let alone that her act of disposing it


    would be caught on a drone camera.]

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    Chapter 526


    [Damn, Astar''s brother is seriously spoiling her rotten, isn''t he? Worried about his little sister getting into


    trouble on a reality show, he sent a drone to follow her around! The universe owes me a hunk like Mr.


    Lampard and an awesome brother!]


    [I''m dying to know why Karin''s got it in for Astar and Mr. Lampard. Did Bernice put her up to it, or did


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    she go all fatal attraction because of a busted romance?]


    [Astar''s got to be the sharpest tool in the shed. Next to her, I feel like a total dunce!]


    [Once the king, always the king. Astar never disappoints us!]


    [Where are all the haters now? The truth''s out and they''re suddenly blind? Not manning up to apologize


    to Astar?]


    [I can''t even dream of snagging a Mr. Lampard, but is Astar¡¯s brother single by any chance?]


    Dale saw thisment and instantly replied, [Astar''s big brother is taken!]


    Netizens were all dumbfounded.


    [What? You''re pulling my leg, right? Who are you and how do you know he''s married?]


    [He''s married? Who''s the missus? Is she prettier than me?]


    [Marriage doesn¡¯t matter! Ever heard of divorce? I''m not fazed by a second round at the altar!]


    Reading thesements, Dale was about to throw his tablet across the room. "Robb, can you believe


    these kids today? They''ve got no sense of decency! Didn''t they learn anything about honor and


    integrity? Eyeing someone else''s turf for shame! It''s downright scandalous, the shamelessness!"


    Dale was ranting when he noticed Robb was unfazed and was typing away. Soon ament popped


    up, [I''m Astrid''s big brother and happily married. So don''t bother trying anything.]


    At the sight of this, Dale felt utterly fulfilled. "Robb, that''s some solid moral fiber you''ve got there,


    respect..."


    He was about toy on the ttery thick when a woman''s sobbing came from the screen. Looking


    down, he saw Karin sitting on the floor, crying her eyes out.


    Parrish couldn''t help butment, "Lady, you''re the one who tried to take down Astrid. If she hadn''t


    found the evidence, her career would''ve been toast. You''re the viin, she''s the victim. Here are you


    crying a river? Truth be told, without the drone''s footage, you''d deny everything. You poisoned first, and


    Astrid only poisoned you to get the antidote...Antidote?" Parrish lit up his eyes. "Astrid, that drink was


    the antidote?"


    Astrid nodded. "Yeah, why else would I ask her for a drink?"


    Parrish eximed, "Holy smokes, Karin! Are you still ying innocent? You came with poison and an


    antidote. You were out for blood, weren''t you? Who put you up to it?"


    Bernice, who was watching the live stream, felt her heart in her throat, praying Karin wouldn''t drop her


    name.


    As seconds ticked by, Karin gave a bitter smile, "It was me, all on my own. I''ve been crazy about Elio


    since I was little, but he couldn''t stand me. I couldn''t bear to watch him and Astrid all lovey-dovey on


    the show, so I begged the producers to let me join, hoping to sabotage them."


    As Karin confessed, Bernice breathed a sigh of relief. But before she could rx, Astrid spoke again,


    "Karin, she doesn''t even acknowledge you and treat you like a disposable pawn. Why take the fall for


    her? Who''s going to buy that story?"


    In that instant, Bernice felt her heart clench tighter again.

 Chapter 527

    Chapter 527


    Karin had a bit of cunning to her, but it paled inparison to Astrid''s savvy.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    If Astrid kept pressing, Karin was bound to blurt out something that would do her no favors.


    "What a waste of space!" Bernice grumbled to herself, utterly fed up with Karin. As far as she was


    concerned, Karin was a stain on her life, a chapter she''d rather forget.


    Hertest scheme had been meticulous, yet she hadn''t counted on Robb''s thorough protection of


    Astrid. The fact that they had drones covering every angle was something she had not anticipated.


    Had she known about the drones, she would''ve never sent Karin on such a risky endeavor.


    Now, it was toote for regrets. The only thing left to do was to shut down the live stream immediately


    and prevent any more of Astrid''s interrogation of Karin from being shown.


    Pacing back and forth in front of the window, Bernice suddenly thought of someone. She scrolled


    through her contacts, found a number she had never dialed before, and called it.


    The phone was ringing, but the person on the other end didn''t seem to be in any hurry to pick up.


    As the ringtone yed, Bernice''s heart fluttered with anxiety.


    "Hello," a deep and steady voice answered. Bernice''s face lit up with relief. "Mr. Flint? It''s me, Bernice.


    Do you remember what you promised me?"


    Flint was caught off guard by Bernice''s call, joy rising to his brows, "Of course."


    Bernice got straight to the point, "I''ve got myself into a bit of a pickle and could use your help. If you


    could do this for me... How about we have dinner tonight?"


    Flint, a big fish in the local scene, had an inkling of what Bernice might be referring to.


    Under normal circumstances, he''d have agreed in a heartbeat. After all, to him, Bernice was the queen


    of his heart.


    But this situation was sticky because everyone knew Astrid was Elio''s girl.


    Crossing Elio was akin to signing a death warrant in these parts. Flint didn''t fancy tangling with the


    devil himself at this juncture.


    Bernice, impatient with Flint''s silence, urged in a softer tone, "Why have you stopped talking?"


    Flint finally spoke, "Miss Bernice, I can guess what you''re asking of me. Although I have some sway


    here, I''m not about to cross Mr. Lampard. Your daughter''s attempt to poison Ms. Irvine and Mr.


    Lampard has been confirmed. Mr. Lampard won''t let this slide, and I don''t want to get involved at this


    stage. The Lampard family rules these parts, and I can''t assist you this time. Goodbye."


    Before Bernice could respond, Flint hung up.


    Frustrated, Bernice tried to redial, but couldn''t get through. She realized she''d been blocked!


    She tried other contacts, but nobody was willing to help. They all rejected her with various excuses.


    She remembered a time when these same people would do anything just for a glimpse of her, bringing


    expensive gifts, willing to smooth over any issue for her!


    And now, they were all cowering in fear of Elio!


    Just a multinational CEO, what kind of power did Elio possess to instill such fear?


    Before she could find an ally, amotion erupted from the live stream.


    Bernice turned to look and saw Karin had fainted.


    As Kariny crumpled among the rocks, Bernice knew she wouldn''t rat her out.


    The guests and crew were in disarray, but Astrid remained as cool as a cucumber.

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    Chapter 528


    Comments flooded the screen.


    [LOL, Karin seems to be backed into a corner by Astrid with much pressure!]


    [You should always leave some wiggle room for the future, but Astrid''s taking it too far. Karin''s literally


    fainted from anger, right?]


    [Did she faint from anger or was it the poison kicking in?]


    [You all got it twisted. Astrid''s just shedding light on the truth. Should she have silently taken the me


    instead of calling out the real culprit?]


    [Do some people even have brains? Sure, Karin got poisoned, but she brought the poison herself. And


    she had the antidote, which she then spilled by herself. Even if she did die from the poison, it''s on her!]


    [What a hell! Who''s still hating on Astrid? What''s wrong with defending yourself when someone tries to


    poison you? Should she be chummy with her would-be murderer?]


    [Do you want to make friends with someone who poisons you when you''re not looking?]


    [Will you get along well with someone that poisons you and then bites back?]


    [Astrid just wanted to have a low-key adventure and shoot a reality show, but it''s like everyone''s lining


    up to be the next one out the door. Unbelievable.]


    [I think Karin is kinda pitiful. She''s an orphan in Google, but her mom''s a big-time celebrity who refuses


    to acknowledge her. Whatever she did was probably because someone pulled her strings.]


    [Manipted or not, she''s an adult and needs to face the music for her actions. If Astrid wasn''t skilled


    in first aid, we might''ve found Karin dead without a clue to what happened. Karin did poison someone


    and ditch the evidence. Just time for thew to step in.]


    [It''s sad, really. So many of Karin''s tracks are in my ylist, and now it''s over just like that.]


    Paramedics carried Karin away on a stretcher.


    Astrid knew Karin was faking the faint, but she chose not to reveal that Bernice was the one pulling the


    strings.


    The truth was that Bernice never saw Karin as her daughter. Yet, deep down, Karin yearned for


    Bernice''s love so desperately that she''d rather shoulder the me herself than expose Bernice''s


    machinations.


    She would rather sacrifice her future to protect someone who didn''t care for her at all.


    It was truly tragic.


    After Karin''s exit, the show didn''t bring in any recement guests. The remaining guests just continued


    filming.


    Karin''s actions constituted premeditated attempted murder. Though she hadn''t seeded, it was still a


    crime.


    Her singing career was over, and a dark, prison life awaited her.


    Despite it all, Bernice never reached out, let alone visited her.


    The reality show had its ups and downs but eventually wrapped up sessfully.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Exhausted from the long shoot, Astrid took a rxing bath at the hotel. When she woke up, her phone


    was blowing up with messages.


    Yawning, she opened her messaging app and saw a text from Jon, [Star, did you hear? Robb and Dale


    eloped to Irnd and got married!]


    Astrid sat bolt upright, instantly wide awake, [Damn, Robb could''ve at least given us a heads-up. How


    do you keep a wedding a secret from your friends?]


    Jon replied, [He only told Matt, and even then, he just mentioned a trip to Irnd with Dale. Who


    would''ve thought they''d sneak off and tie the knot?]

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    Chapter 529


    Astrid continued, [Robb doesn''t care much about that stuff, but Dale is all about the pomp and


    circumstance. A few days back would''ve been Dale''s birthday.]


    Jon eximed, [Damn, I wouldn''t have guessed. Robb''s got a soft spot, huh?]


    Astrid added, [There''s a lot you don''t see, Jon.]


    Jon said, [Oh, right, when you get back, let''s meet up. I''ve got something I wanna talk to you about.]


    Astrid sent aughing emoji his way, then scrolled through other messages on her phone before setting


    it aside, nning to snooze a bit longer. But the screen lit up again.


    She picked it up and saw a message from Elio, [Let''s grab some brunch when you wake up, then we''ll


    head back together. Roman''s gonna pick us up at the airport.]


    Astrid wasn''t in the mood to chat, but the thought of Romaning to pick them up made her reply


    with a simple, [Okay.]


    Thinking of Roman, she opened the chat and video-called him.


    The little guy answered immediately, a huge grin on his face, "Mom! What time is your flight?"


    Astrid answered, "We won''tnd until five in the afternoon. What are you up to, Roman?"


    Roman exined, "Just missing you, Mom! Apart from eating and sleeping, that''s all I''m doing!"


    Astrid''s heart melted at his sweet little voice, and she blew a big kiss to the camera, "Mom misses you


    too!"


    Before she could finish, a teasing voice cut in from off-camera, "Roman, you shameless little man!


    What''s this about missing mom all the time? You''ve been on my case non-stop to y video games!


    Your head''s filled with nothing but games!"


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Astrid recognized that as Lucas'' voice. She had been meaning to ask about his recovery, but hearing


    how strong he sounded, she felt reassured.


    Caught by Lucas, Roman pouted, "Mom, look at Lucas, always picking on kids!"


    Lucas retorted, "Oh, please. Roman, you''re such a drama queen. You act like a tough dog with others,


    but turn into a puppy with your mom!"


    Watching the two bicker, Astrid couldn''t help butugh, "Don''t worry, Roman. Mom will take care of him


    when she gets back."


    Roman pinched his chubby cheeks, "Mom, I''ve been bullied so much by Lucas that I''m getting skinny,


    look! I''m almost down to a chiseled jawline."


    Astrid struggled to hold back herughter at the sight of Roman''s pudgy cheeks and double chin.


    But Lucas burst outughing, "Pfft, wasn''t it you who gained two pounds on the scale this morning?"


    Roman, fuming, snapped back, "Lucas, I curse you to be forever single!"


    After his outburst, Roman suddenly remembered something and whispered to Astrid with a twinkle in


    his eye, "Mom, I''ve got a surprise for you. You''re gonna love it."


    Astrid raised an eyebrow, "Have you got a present for me?"


    Roman nodded eagerly, "Yep. It''s super awesome. You''re gonna fall in love with it."


    Astrid said, "Alright then, be good and y with Lucas. I''ll see you in the afternoon."


    Roman replied, "Okay, Mom, see youter, love you!" He sent a blowing kiss to Astrid.


    After Roman ended the call, Lucas lounged on the couch and teased mercilessly, "Roman, what if your


    mom found out you cheated her, do you think she''d disown you?"

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    Chapter 530


    Roman huffed with a hint of defiance, "Mom loves me so much, she won''t get mad."


    With that, he hummed a tune and trotted upstairs.


    Lucas rolled overzily and asked, "You''re not ying video games anymore?"


    Roman replied, "I''ve got to pick Mom up this afternoon, need to choose some clothes now."


    Choose clothes? A slight twitch touched the corner of Lucas Lampard''s lips.


    Sometimes Roman really didn''t seem like a typical four-year-old.


    At five o''clock in the afternoon, the ne touched down right on schedule.


    For safety reasons, Matthew and Amanda were waiting in the car with Roman, not bothering to step


    out.


    Matthew remarked, "Astrid''s getting popr, just look at all those fans at the airport."


    Amanda lifted her chin with pride, "Well, of course. Did you forget whose daughter-inw she is?"


    Roman and Matthew exchanged nces, not daring to disagree. After all, Amanda had stormed back


    to her family home in a huff not too long ago, and it had taken some sweet talking to coax her back.


    Best to keep on her good side for now.


    Roman said, "Grandma, you look really beautiful today."


    At those words, Amanda beamed, "My Roman always knows just what to say. Not like some old coots


    who only know how to make my life difficult."


    Matthew protested, "Roman, what are you saying? When does your grandma not look beautiful?"This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Roman almost rolled his eyes. His grandpa really had no shame sometimes.


    "Here shees!" Amanda announced, spotting Astrid from the car window and flinging the door


    open, "Astrid, Astrid, over here!"


    Astrid walked over with a smile, and Roman immediately burrowed into her embrace, "Mom, I missed


    you so much."


    Matthew said, "Was the show tough? Look at you, you''ve lost weight! We''ve got a bunch of nutritious


    goodies at home. We''ll fatten you up, don''t worry about gaining a few - girls look better with a bit of


    curve!"


    "Absolutely," Amanda chimed in, bustling over, "I''ve made nourishing soup for you. And are you


    "And look at those dark circles under your eyes. My poor Astrid, you''ve suffered. Let''s not do that show


    again. We don''t need the appearance fee that badly. If money''s tight, I''ll provide!"


    Amanda and Matthew showered Astrid with care and concern, only then realizing that Elio hadn''t


    gotten into the car yet.


    Elio, who''d been feeling a bit ignored, gave Grandpa a look of mild exasperation, "Finally noticed me,


    have you?"


    Grandpa cast a disparaging nce at Elio, "You were right there, and you let her poison Astrid. How


    useless are you?"


    "Exactly! I saw through that clumsy trick right away. How could you sleep so soundly at night? Lucky for


    us, Astrid managed to get the antidote. Otherwise, you''d be the one crying."


    Roman, ever the instigator, added, "Yeah, you''d be the one crying."


    Amanda snapped, "What are you standing around for? Go start the car!"


    Elio protested, "Don''t we have a driver?"


    Amanda retorted, "The driver just had an emergency and took off. Stop your yapping and drive, don''t


    let my Astrid go hungry!"


    Elio thought to himself must be adopted. Being ignored was one thing, but now he was the chauffeur


    too. But he was used to it.


    As the car engine started, Astrid remembered Roman''s mention of a surprise and asked with a smile,


    "Roman, what''s the surprise you prepared for Mom?"


    Hearing this, Roman grinned wide, "You''ll find out when we get home!"

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    Chapter 531


    Watching Roman''s smile, Astrid''s unease deepened.


    A surprise? She just hoped it wouldn''t turn out to be a fright.


    Throughout the ride, Matthew and Amanda had showered Astrid with concern, conspicuously avoiding


    any questions directed at Elio.


    They even took turns chiding him for not taking proper care of Astrid.


    Focused on driving, Elio kept silent, though he agreed with Matthew''s words. He wasn¡¯t careful


    enough. If it weren''t for Robb''s drone footage, they would still be wrangling with the situation.


    No sooner had they pulled up in front of the Lampard family estate than Lucas Lampard burst out the


    door. "Astar, I''ve be a die-hard fan after watching the show! How do you manage to be so


    awesome?"


    "Next to your formidable presence, Uncle Elio just seems so...me."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Hmm?" A cold snort from Elio made Lucas shrink back.


    Amanda tapped Lucas on the forehead with disdain. "What are you doing out here in the cold? Get


    back inside this instant!"


    "And mind how you address people. ''Astar''? She''s your aunt!"


    "Granny, ''aunt'' sounds so old-fashioned. All her fans are calling her Astar. There''s nothing wrong with


    me doing the same!" Lucas knew where his bread was buttered; cozying up to Astrid was essential for


    afortable life in the Lampard household. Astrid was the real deal!


    Astrid couldn''t help but smile at Lucas'' sycophantic disy. "Make sure I get to see all the paperwork


    you''ve checked. And I need to run another check-up on you to ensure there are no lingering effects


    from the injury."


    "There''s nothing wrong with me. Look, I''m as lively as ever!" Lucas intended to refuse, but then he


    thought of something he wanted to discuss privately with Astrid and quickly changed his tune. "But, a


    check-up wouldn''t hurt. I can''t risk any ws tarnishing my pretty face."


    "Vain as ever," Amanda scoffed at Lucas, then turned to Astrid. "Dear,e and have some nourishing


    soup after you''re done. I''ll keep it warm for you."


    "Sure thing," Astrid replied, following Lucas upstairs.


    Lucas'' wound hadn''t fully healed, and as Astrid was about to examine it, she noticed the bandage


    around his waist beginning to soak with blood, staining his shirt crimson.


    She frowned and asked quietly, "What happened? Didn''t you rest properly at the hospital?"


    Lucas, usually carefree to a fault, found himself oddly nervous in front of Astrid. He confessed, "I did


    rest, but I received an anonymous message threatening to bomb the hospital if I stayed. I was worried


    others might be harmed, I took the chance to escape."


    Before he could finish, Astrid pped him on the back of the head. "Are you insane? That''s a military


    hospital. Do you think Jay Lampard would dare to target it?"


    "Astar, you don''t know Jay. He''d stop at nothing to get what he wants. I was genuinely afraid he''d do


    something drastic in desperation," Lucas said, pausing before adding, "It was your people who got me


    out. I wasn''t really in bad shape, and with the Lampard family doctors here, I''m in good hands."


    "But there''s something I need to tell you in advance, to prepare you."


    Astrid grabbed the first aid kit and started changing Lucas'' dressing. As she worked, she prompted,


    "Go on, tell me."

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    Chapter 532


    Lucas Lampard, "I caught Jay with some shadowy figure once when I skipped ss and headed back


    home. Just happened to see him usher this person out, and he was all, like, submissive and stuff. That


    guy''s entourage? Man, they had a fleet of ck SUVs lined up, must''ve been seven or eight."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "And I caught a glimpse of this weird tattoo on one of the bodyguard''s hands. It was a coiled-up


    serpent, pitch ck, right here."


    A ck serpent? A chill crept up Astrid''s spine, "You sure about that?"


    "Dead sure. I hid behind some bushes ''cause something felt way off. Those goons drove off, and I got


    a clear view of his hand on the steering wheel, no mistaking it."


    A ck, coiled serpent on the back of his left hand, that was the mark of an enigmatic international


    syndicate known as Viper Mirage.


    If the price was right, they''d take any gig. They were behind a bunch of high-profile incidents globally,


    yet they''d managed to stay out of the crosshairs.


    Astrid couldn''t fathom why Jay would be mingling with the likes of Viper Mirage. Was he hiring them for


    some sort of job?


    Who was the target? Her? Elio? Or could it be Roman?


    After pondering for a while, Astrid lifted her gaze to Lucas, "Whye to me with this? Why not go


    straight to Elio?"


    Lucas pursed his lips, "I saw your live stream. I get the feeling you''ve got some heavy hitters backing


    you. I''m not sure if my uncle''s got what it takes to stand up to those creeps, but I''m convinced you''ve


    got the muscle."


    Astrid''s mouth twitched, "Kid, you''re putting me on a pedestal here."


    Lucas shook his head, "No, it''s a man''s intuition, call it the sixteenth sense."


    "Astrid, you gotta dig up the dirt on these guys. Keep Roman safe, keep this family safe."


    "If it weren''t for my uncle, I would''ve been history as a kid. In Jay and Johnnie Lampard''s eyes, I was


    less than nothing, but here, with grandma and grandpa, with my uncle, they''ve always been the real


    deal. If there''s ever anything I can do for you, just say the word. I''dy it all on the line."


    Seeing the resolve in the young man''s eyes, Astrid was momentarily taken aback.


    Secondster, she cracked a smile and gave his shoulder a reassuring pat, "Buddy, you didn''t back the


    wrong horse."


    Lucas'' tension eased at the sight of her amused smirk.


    After re-dressing Lucas'' wounds and giving them a once-over¡ªthankfully, the Lampard family''s doc


    had done a fine job and there were no seriousplications¡ªAstrid headed downstairs.


    As soon as she did, Roman rushed over and clung to her legs, a pout forming on his face, "Mom, why''d


    you and Lucas have to whisper for so long? Roman wants to whisper with Mom too."


    Astrid bent down, ruffled his hair, and hoisted him up, "Mom wasn''t whispering with Lucas. He''s just got


    some nasty scrapes, and I was patching him up."


    "Try to go easy on him for a bit, let him heal up, okay?"


    Roman pouted, "Okay, Mommy, I''ll do whatever you say."


    "By the way, Mommy, wash up for dinner, and afterward, I''ve got something super cool to show you."


    "Alright." Astrid looked at Roman''s excited little face, nted a kiss on his cheek, and began her meal.


    No sooner had she finished and was cleaning her mouth with a napkin, Roman stood in front of her, his


    voice soft, "Mommy, do you love Roman?"


    Astrid nodded, "Of course, Roman is Mommy''s favorite."


    Roman leaned in closer, "More than you love Elio, right?"

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    Chapter 533


    Without even the slightest hesitation, Astrid blurted out, "Absolutely."


    Elio was speechless listening to this.


    Roman, tantly ignoring the darkening scowl on his dad''s face, went on, "Since Mom loves Roman


    the most, does that mean after spending ten days alone with Elio, you owe Roman some just the-two-


    of-us time too?"


    At this, Astrid began to sense that there might be trouble brewing. And in that very second, Roman


    hoisted the item he had been hiding behind his back over his head, "Look, Mom!"


    It was the pitch document for the hit reality TV show "Beastmasters at Home!"


    Astrid stiffened at the sight, "Roman, where did you get this?"


    "But Mom, you just said you love Roman the most. You did a show with Elio, you can''t say no to doing


    a show with Roman, right?" Roman''s lip quivered, and he looked on the verge of tears, "Roman missed


    so much time with Mommy, and after we got to know each other, you were always working and hardly


    came home. I just want to be with Mommy all the time."


    The sight tugged at Astrid''s heartstrings, and she wrapped him up in a hug, "Don''t cry, Roman.


    Mommy''s not saying no, but Mommy''s schedule is packed tight through the end of the year. There''s no


    time for a reality TV show for me."


    Roman persisted, "Just say if you want to do the show with Roman or not."


    Astrid relented, "Yes, of course I want to. I want to be with Roman all the time too. No tears, okay?"


    "That''s all I needed to hear!" Roman''s mood flipped instantly, his energy soaring.


    He scampered into the study and came back momentster with a stack of papers, cing them before


    Astrid and handing her a pen with a thoughtful touch, "Mommy, here''s the contract from the show''s


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    producers. The director has already signed and stamped everything that''s needed from their side. You


    just need to sign your name."


    "If you''re not happy with the pay, they said it''s negotiable, no problems at all."


    "After you sign, yourpany needs to stamp it too before sending a copy back to the producers.


    Don''t mix them up, okay? Sign here, quick, right here."


    Everyone was speechless. So Roman had everything prepared from the get-go?


    The kid was pulling the old sympathy card on her!


    Look at him now, beaming with triumph, his eyes squinted with joy!


    Lucas Lampard burst outughing, "Hahaha, holy smokes, Astar, the apple doesn''t fall far from the


    tree, does it? He''s definitely your son!"


    Astrid''s mouth twitched as she took the pen and resigned herself to signing her name.


    How could she say no when the little boy had been looking forward to it so much?


    "Yay! Awesome!" Roman danced around the house clutching the contract, and Astrid, watching his little


    antics, slowly smiled.


    At bedtime, Astrid read Roman a fairy tale.


    But before the story was even finished, the little boy had already fallen asleep.


    She took out her phone, opened WhatsApp, and messaged Healey, "Master, I need your help with


    something urgent."


    It had been nearly a year since herst contact with Old Man Healey. He had said no contact, and they


    had truly kept it that way, but this time she really needed his help.


    It waste, but with Healey overseas, it was daytime there.


    After a while, Healey replied, "What''s up? Dear Astrid, missing your master?"

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    Chapter 534


    Astrid hadn''t seen Healey in ages, it was almost nostalgic. "Of course I do!¡±


    Healey, with his usual gruff charm, retorted, "Oh, cut it out. You never reach out unless you need


    something, and here I am, swamped with work!"


    "So, you know about the Brookes and the Lampards, right? Or should I say, did you know Elio before


    all this?"


    "In the upper echelons of this city, there''s hardly a soul I don''t know," Healey boasted.


    "Whatever you need to tell me, you will, I trust that. And if you don''t, I figure it''s for my own good."


    Astrid''s voice turned grave, "Jay''s after my son, and he''s got ties with those Viper Mirage goons."


    Healey scoffed, "Viper Mirage? They''re small fries to me. I handed over the reins to you two years ago.


    Do what you must, and don''t bother me with this. I''ve got better things to do!"


    Better things to do? This old man!


    Astrid tried to turn over, but Roman clung to her arm like a ko bear. She didn''t have the heart to


    wake him, so she set her phone down. Whether it''s a snake or a worm, it''s got to be dealt with.


    The next morning, Astrid went home. As she reached her doorstep, she found Chad, sheepish and


    apologetic, along with Hank, who hade to make amends.


    "Boss, I messed up. Please, spare me the African project. I can''t face nting trees in the desert! I''d


    rather give up my bonus, even go without pay!"


    "Get out of the way with that pathetic look," Astrid said, disgust clear in her tone as she shooed Chad


    aside to unlock her door. Chad quickly stepped aside, mumbling, "Oh, and Boss, your Astar ount


    received a job offer. We didn''t act on it since you weren''t around."


    Astrid, slipping off her shoes inside the doorway, replied nonchntly, "Handle those jobs yourselves.


    I''m notcking a few bucks."


    A few bucks? Did their boss have any idea what their services were worth?


    Chad hesitated before saying, "It''s Jay. He''s willing to pay ten million for you to dig up dirt on Astrid."


    "What?" Astrid thought she must be hallucinating. "He wants to pay me to investigate... myself?"


    "Exactly," Hank confirmed. "We weren''t sure what to do, so we told him you were away and to check


    backter."


    Chad piped up, "Boss, are we taking this job?"


    "Of course we are. I''ll handle it personally," Astrid replied with a chuckle, then turned to Chad, her tone


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    shifting to a scolding one. "Are you that hard up for cash? Is the sry I''m paying you too low that


    you''re peddling firewalls on the side?"


    "No, no, not at all. I''m good," Chad quickly reassured her.


    Seeing Astrid was about to settle scores, Hank discreetly withdrew to the sidelines, keen to avoid


    coteral damage.


    After giving Chad an earful, Astrid powered up herputer and logged into her email to reply to Jay,


    "This is Aster. I''m currently in Europe. The records of Astrid''s past few years have been hidden by a


    top-notch expert. It''s tough to investigate, and fifteen million is a price I can''t ept."


    Chad and Hank were stunned at her response. Fifteen million and she wasn''t even interested?


    Minutester, another email came in, "As long as you can uncover what Astrid has been up to these


    past years, we can negotiate the price further. I need damning evidence, something that will ruin her in


    showbiz."


    Astrid''s lip curled into a cold smile, but before she could reply, another email arrived, "If you can find


    out how many men Astrid slept with to climb her way up in the showbiz, the price could double. I want


    proof."


    Chad exploded with anger, "To hell with this! Don''t hold me back, I''m about to crawl through the inte


    and knock some sense into that bastard!"

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    Chapter 535


    Hank cast a disdainful nce at Chad''s blustering entrance, "Cool it, man. Take a seat. The Boss


    hasn''t even spoken yet. Can you stop iling around like a damn fool?"


    "Come on, Hank, you''re missing the point here. Look at the crap that joker''s spitting. Does that sound


    like something a decent person would say?" Chad tried to retort, but Hank grabbed him before he could


    continue.


    Astrid rolled her eyes at Chad, "Can we cut the chatter and actually get something done for once?"


    At Astrid''s words, Hank and Chad knew it was game time.


    It had been ages since they''d been in the field doing the Boss'' dirty work, and the adrenaline was


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    kicking in hard.


    Astrid nced at Chad and drawled, "Fetch my gear from thepany''s safe room. I''m gonna need it."


    "No way, Boss, are you stepping in?" Chad was practically bouncing with excitement. "Seriously, Boss,


    for a guy like Jay? You really need to get involved personally?"


    Astrid exined, "If Jay''s managed to stay off Elio''s hit list this long, it means he''s either got something


    up his sleeve or someone''s got his back."


    "Do you think a slick operator like him is just gonna wire the cash because we asked nicely in an


    email?"


    "Would you bet he''s gonna want a meet-up?"


    No sooner had she finished her prediction than the ping of an email alert sounded.


    Astrid clicked on the new message, and sure enough, it was from Jay requesting a meeting.


    Chad''s mouth twitched, "Boss, were you a fortune teller secretly? How are you always spot on? Hey,


    can you predict when I''ll finally get a date?"


    "Focus on the job, or I''ll have you nting cacti in the desert¡ªwith a quota of a thousand before you


    cane back," Astrid shot back, and just like that, Chad was out the door like a shot.


    Hank closed the door behind Chad and turned to Astrid, "Boss, there''s something else. An international


    hit squad''s been making waves, giving us a hard time."


    "And we''ve got some internal issues too. Not everyone was thrilled when Healey handed the reins over


    to you, and since taking over, you haven''t been back. I got a message from the informant, saying the


    second-inmand''s been getting too bold."


    Astrid raised her hand slightly, "No worries. I''ll handle it after this business is sorted. They''re just


    grasshoppers. They can''t cause a storm."


    Hank had full confidence in Astrid''s abilities. Buttely, she''d been dealing with a lot, and her identity


    was special. The organization didn''t know her true identity, only that Healey had passed the leadership


    to someone named Aster.


    If her identity was exposed, it would cause a tsunami in showbiz. At least until Astar achieved her goal


    of winning the best actress award, her identity had to remain a secret.


    "Hank," Astrid tapped on the mouse, and the photo of a middle-aged man appeared on the screen.


    Hank barely nced at the image before he said, "Boss, I''ve checked this guy out already. He''s Jay''s


    head of security, an ex-mercenary. Just another gun for hire. Easy to handle."


    Astrid nodded, "Keep an eye on Chad; he''s impulsive. We can''t afford slip-ups."


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got him covered. You''re meeting Jay alone? That''s risky. Let mee with you. I''ve


    had some training; I can protect you, or at the very least, be your human shield."

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    Chapter 536


    Hank spoke with earnestness, not a hint of exaggeration tainting his words.


    After all, a ruthless character like Jay was capable of anything.


    "No worries, Jay''s counting on me to handle his business. Why would he harm me? Don''t you trust my


    skills?" Astrid stretchednguidly. "You and Chad have been slogging away too. Once we''re over this


    hump, I''ll give you guys a decent break. Right now, there are things only you two can manage. I


    wouldn''t trust anyone else with them."


    Hank chuckled, "We''re not tired, boss. You just take care of yourself."


    "Alright, I''ve got some more stuff to sort out. You two can go catch a break," Astrid yawned, her


    attention returning to theputer screen.


    As Hank observed her frail shoulders, a wave of concern washed over him. "Boss, you''ve lost lots of


    weight. You gotta eat some more, it''s tough to see you like this."


    Astrid nced at Chad with a teasing smirk. "Yeah, yeah, got it. Have you been hanging out with Chad


    so much that you''re starting to sound like him?"


    "Damn right not! I don''t want to be anything like that goofball!" Hank grumbled and strolled out, pausing


    at the living room doorway to cast a lingering nce at Astrid''s retreating figure, his eyes softening.


    As a friend, he often wished to share her burdens, but there were things beyond his help.


    Everyone saw her brilliance, believing she could do anything, yet no one knew the effort she had put in


    to learn all those skills. Online, she was known as the multi-talented Astar, but few could guess the true


    extent of her powerful identity.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At nine in the evening, Jay received an email. Aster agreed to meet, leaving the choice of venue to him.


    Jay was somewhat wary of Aster. Fifteen million wasn''t chump change, so he decided to meet in


    person. After setting a time, Jay responded to the email.


    He had found many pictures of Aster online, studying them over and over, a sense of unease growing


    within him.


    The next evening, Jay arrived early at the arranged location.


    He sat in the private room, anxiously waiting. Over half an hour past the agreed time, and yet Aster


    was nowhere to be seen.


    Another half-hour slipped by, and Jay''s patience wore thin. As he stood to leave, a knock came at the


    door.


    Then, the door opened from the outside.


    A tall, lean man appeared before him, his face masked, his mid-length hair tied back into a small


    ponytail. His skin was tanned, and his thin frame gave him a somewhat sickly appearance.


    Despite that, the aura he exuded was undeniable.


    Before Jay was Astrid, masterfully disguised. Jay had nned to lose his temper from the wait, but


    upon seeing the man before him, he held back. "You''re Aster?"


    "Mhm, that''s me." The man''s voice was raspy and somewhat effeminate, unsettling to the ear.


    Before arriving, Jay had entertained the possibility that Aster could be Astrid. But now, seeing this


    person in the flesh, he dismissed the thoughtpletely.


    The man standing before him had a stark Adam''s apple, and everything about his persona radiated


    masculinity. Furthermore, he towered over Astrid considerably.


    "Here''s the thing, Mr. Aster, it''s not that I doubt your capabilities. I''ve just heard so much about you and


    wanted to meet you," Jay offered a smile, attempting to appear genial. "I hope you don''t mind my


    asking, but could you remove your mask? No offense, it''s just that I''ve prepared all this good food


    especially for you."

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    Chapter 537


    "Oh, of course." Astrid wasn''t the least bit worried Jay would recognize her. After all, when she first


    appeared at home with her new look, not even her brothers or Matthew could tell it was her.


    Jay studied the person before him for a moment, then shifted his gaze elsewhere.


    Now, he waspletely without reservations. He said, "Mr. Aster, let''s cut to the chase. I need to


    investigate everything about Astrid''s disappearance these past years. How confident are you in getting


    me that information?"


    Astrid''s gaze darkened as she crossed her legs with a flick, looking at Jay with displeasure. "Are you


    questioning my abilities?"


    Jay hurriedly replied, "No, no, it''s just that Astrid''s connections are solid, and someone has managed to


    wipe all her information. I''ve hired several investigators, but none could dig up anything about her."


    "Heh, the people you''ve hired are just trash. If you don''t trust me, then we''re just wasting each other''s


    time," Astrid said, standing up as if she was about to leave.


    Jay panicked, standing up quickly, "Mr. Aster, I didn''t mean it like that. I misspoke. Let''s do this, a t


    fee of thirty million. I want the dirt on Astrid''s past few years and who she''s had to schmooze with to get


    ahead in showbiz."


    At the mention of ''schmoozing,'' Astrid almostunched the chair at Jay''s head.


    But remembering her purpose, she held back. "Fine, cash on delivery. I''ll have the files ready for you by


    tomorrow night. You''ll get the password once I confirm the payment. Deal?"


    Jay, "No problem at all."


    Astrid got up to leave, but at the door, she suddenly turned around, "By the way, I heard your son''s


    up?"


    He might as well earn some extra cash while she''s here! At this, Jay was ecstatic. "What? You know


    Aster?"


    Astrid nodded, "Yeah, Aster and I are like brothers in arms. Just so you know, her medical expertise


    doesn''te cheap."


    "Money''s no object. If she can cure my boy, I''d spend myst dime!" Jay was beyond excited. "Mr.


    Aster, where is she? Please take me to her now!"


    "That might not be possible right now. My friend''s got quite the temper, and I need to get her consent


    first. Once I have it, I''ll bring you over," Astrid said before heading out.


    Jay might be ruthless in business, but when it came to his son Johnnie, there was genuine affection.


    The mere possibility of contacting Aster had him too excited to sleep.


    Hank waited outside in the car. Seeing Astrid emerge safely, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    Astrid slid into the car, and Hank immediately started the engine. "Chief, how''d it go?"


    "Jay''s got no suspicions about me, but there are quite a few Viper Mirage goons among his


    bodyguards," Astrid said. She hade to probe Jay''s defenses.


    Still, the man was a master of disguise, always ying the affable fool in public.


    "Yes sir, no sir," he''d say, as obsequious as theye.


    Hank asked, "So, how did the negotiations on the price go?"


    Astrid replied, "Thirty million."


    Hank was silent.


    "I also drummed up some more business for Aster."


    Another pause from Hank.


    Astrid added, "Oh, and Hank, shoot an email to HQ. We''re changing our name."

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    Chapter 538


    "What the heck?" Hank was baffled. "Change our name? Wasn''t our old name pretty darn cool?"


    Astrid rolled her eyes in disgust. "Are you for real? Your sense of style is as bad as Healey''s. All the


    other secret organizations have these grand, prestigious names. What did Healeye up with?


    Tiger''s Den!"


    "It''s not that bad... justcks a bit of pizzazz without the actual tigers."


    "So, what do you n to change it to?"


    With a slight arch of her brow, Astrid replied, "The Serpent Wranglers."


    Hank was speechless. Seems like that''s not much of an improvement.


    After a second of stunned silence, Hank realized something. "Boss, are you nning to go head-to-


    head with them? If Jay''s going after them, it''s to take down Roman or Elio, right? So why wait for them


    toe knocking? We should take them out first."


    "Exactly," Astrid affirmed. "You''re on board then? But I''m telling you, the second hall might not agree,


    and we''ll be in for a bloody battle." Hank heaved a sigh. "Boss, you shouldn''t have agreed to take over


    for Healey. He''s off enjoying the high life, and here you are, burdened with responsibilities you''re too


    young for."


    "Don''t worry, Hank. If those second hall folks cause trouble, I''ll just have to clean house. I may have


    never been back to headquarters, but Healey left me in charge. As the Boss, my word isw."


    Hank nodded silently, epting Astrid''s resolve.


    Rain started to drizzle outside as Astrid made her way home, taking ages to scrub off her makeup.


    Dale had helped her schedule a TV appearance, and in three months, she was ted to be on a


    parent-child show with Roman.


    She was on the verge of rmencing her filming schedule - demanding, but rewarding. After a


    restless night on set, Astrid slept like a log.


    The next morning, she was jolted awake by noise in the house. Her first thought was a burr, but


    sitting up, she saw Gracie tugging at her nket.


    Gracie, exasperated at Astrid''s confused face, eximed, "My dear Astrid, do you even know what


    time it is? I told youst night we have a shoot today, and you''re still asleep! There''s barely time to get


    ready!"


    "You even put your phone on silent. Are you trying to miss it on purpose?"


    Astrid offered a sheepish grin, scratching her head. "My bad, my bad. I''ll get ready now. Chill, Gracie!"


    Just hearing herzy tone took the edge off her anger. "Hurry up, we can''t bete."


    "Got it," Astrid said, darting into the bathroom.


    Leaning against the doorframe, Gracie teased, "Seems like that TV show''s bringing you and Roman


    closer, huh?"


    Astrid stayed silent.


    "You know what I think? He''s not that bad," Gracie stretchedzily. "By the way, what''s your take on


    that parent-child show? Do you even know who else is on it? It''s like a battle of the gods!"


    "The moment the show was announced, the critics couldn''t sit still. Saying you''re piggybacking on


    Roman''s fame, that you''re so desperate you''re using your newly acknowledged son to make a buck."


    Astrid, who was brushing her teeth, couldn''t help but roll her eyes. After rinsing her mouth, she stood


    up and said, "It wasn''t my idea to do the parent-child show. I got yed by Roman, I''m the victim here."


    Gracie scoffed, "Roman''s only four, and he yed you? Saying that, Astrid, don''t you feel a twinge of


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    guilt for smearing the kid?"


    Astrid was even more speechless.

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    Chapter 539


    ¡°Gracie, do you really think I''m the kind of person who would bad-mouth my own son?¡± Astrid was at


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    her wit''s end. It seemed the truth no longer held any weight these days.


    Gracie nodded and then shook her head. ¡°You''re not one to nder your son, but our little Roman isn''t


    the type to y games with his dear mom either. Besides, he''s just a kid. What could he possibly do?¡±


    Astrid was momentarily speechless, recalling the cunning look on Roman''s face when he had tricked


    her, and it gave her a headache. ¡°Let me tell you, you can''t let that kid''s cute faces fool you.¡±


    Gracie rolled her eyes, clearly showing her bias towards Roman.


    Knowing further exnation was futile, Astrid changed the subject and hurriedly changed clothes to


    head to the set of the show she was recording.


    Astrid and Gracie arrived at the studio to find the other guests had already gotten there.


    They weren''tte, but there was no time left for makeup.


    They were immediately called on stage for the rehearsal.


    Her new movie was about to premiere, and the press tour was hectic, but it was all part of the


    promotion routine.


    At the event, Astrid was bound to run into a bevy of rising starlets, and there was an unspoken


    The other actresses were all dolled up, aiming to outshine the rest. Astrid, on the other hand, had


    quickly applied some basic makeup at home and thrown on an outfit before heading out.


    Yet, standing amongst a sea of heavily made-up starlets, she stood out with her effortless chic.


    The crew members couldn''t help but gossip among themselves as they watched the young actresses


    waiting their turn. ¡°Astrid''s got such an incredible presence. She just stands out without even trying!¡±


    ¡°Did you see thatment online? They said Bernice turned heads in showbiz thirty years ago, but if


    she and Astrid had started at the same time, Bernice might not have be the nation''s sweetheart.¡±


    ¡°I''m totally obsessed with Astrid''s look; her skin is wless. I was up close when I gave her the


    schedule, not a single blemish in sight, and her voice is so captivating!¡±


    ¡°Astrid''s riding high now because Mr. Lampard''s got her back, but if they ever split, one word from him


    and she''d be cklisted, no doubt. She wouldn''t have a leg to stand on in this industry then!¡±


    Overhearing this, an intern piped up, curious. ¡°Mr. Lampard adores Astrid. He''d do anything for her.


    You''re telling me they might split up?¡±


    ¡°You don''t know the half of it. High society is a tangled web. Trust me, it''s only a matter of time before


    Elio and Astrid break up. And don''t be fooled by Astrid''s clean image; there''s more to her than meets


    the eye. Johnnie''s been a wreck ever since their encounter.¡±


    ¡°To say Johnnie''s downfall has nothing to do with her? That I don''t buy!¡±


    ¡°Shut it! Who allowed this idle gossip?¡± The executive producer''s icy voice cut through the chatter,


    silencing the group of women, who dared not speak another word.


    During the show, everyone kept to themselves. When it came time to shoot the promotional poster, the


    starlets huddled together, conspicuously excluding Astrid.


    The photographer, noticing the gap between Astrid and actress Linda, instructed, ¡°Ms. Linda, could you


    move a little closer to Ms. Irvine, please?¡±


    Linda replied with a hint of sarcasm, ¡°Oh, I couldn''t possibly. She''s thedy of Morgenster Corporation,


    after all. We''re hardly worthy to stand beside her.¡±

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    Chapter 540


    The studio was nearly empty, with only a few scattered crew members milling about. Linda, who came


    from a privileged background and was used to getting her way,cked any sort of filter. "Why don''t you


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    just take her pictures separately and then Photoshop her in next to us?" she said with a dismissive


    wave of her hand.


    The photographer broke out in a cold sweat. He had been in showbiz for over a decade and had seen it


    all, but never had he witnessed such brazen ostracism by an actress.


    Sure, there were always those who didn''t get along, usually settling for cold shoulders or silent


    treatments. But Linda was really crossing the line.


    Astrid didn''t want to make things awkward for the photographer and smiled, "Actually, my promo poster


    is supposed to be solo. My agent didn''t mention anything about a group photo shoot."


    The photographer, caught off guard, quickly agreed, "Right, right, that''s my mistake. Let''s do Ms.


    Irvine''s shoot first." After all, his job was to take the photos. How the posters turned out was the


    production team''s business. With that, he ushered Astrid to one side of the studio.


    Linda, arms crossed, fumed silently. "A solo poster? Why does she get to shoot a solo poster?"


    "Oh, you''re out of the loop," sneered Mamie, another actress. "Sure, Astrid isn''t on many shows right


    now, but her big movie is about to hit the theaters, and she''s got a ton of major projects in the pipeline.


    Plus, with her status as a magician, lots of industry bigwigs are rallying behind her."


    Linda, tugging at her dress in irritation, had intended only to embarrass Astrid. She hadn''t anticipated


    the solo poster situation. "She must''ve had some scandalous trick up her sleeve to have a child with


    Mr. Lampard. If it wasn''t for the baby, there''s no way he would''ve fallen for someone like her."


    "I¡ª" Before Linda could finish, the room''s attention shifted as several award-winning actors and


    actresses walked in, led by the venerable Odell. Though older now, Odell had been the heartthrob of


    his generation.


    The staff nearby couldn''t contain their excitement. "It''s Mr. Odell! Can''t believe he''s still got that charm


    at his age. He''s aged like fine wine!"


    "Mr. Odell and the others aren''t supposed to shoot their promo posters on this floor. What''s he doing


    here? And he''s with none other than the Grand m Actress, Shirley!"


    "I heard he''s looking to mentor a neer."


    Mamie, green with envy, chimed in, "Oh my god, to be personally supported by Mr. Odell... Who could


    be so lucky? Shirley''s connections and resources in the industry are terrifying. Whoever gets on her


    good side is set for life!"


    Upon hearing this, Linda perked up, her voice dripping with haughty pride, "Mr. Odell is here to


    introduce me!"


    Her co-stars exchanged skeptical nces.


    Mamie, somewhat exasperatedly, said, "Linda, no offense, but if we''re talking introductions, Mr. Odell


    might be here for Astrid. They seemed pretty close on that reality show, and he''s always vocal about


    his admiration for her."


    "That''s all just polite chitchat, nothing special!" Linda huffed, "Mr. Odell and my father are like brothers.


    Dad said he''d asked him to look out for me in the biz, and he agreed. Even promised to show me the


    ropes!"


    "So obviously, he''s brought Ms. Shirley along to introduce me to her."

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    Chapter 541


    "Let me tell you guys, in showbiz, while hard work is crucial, connections are just as important. Once I


    get to know Ms. Shirley, do you really think I won''t be able to snatch opportunities from Astrid?"


    Linda sported an air of confidence, shing a victorious smile before striding toward where Odell was


    standing. "Hey, Mr. Odell, Ms. Shirley, how''s it going?"


    Shirley, ever the polite one, offered Linda a brief smile in return.


    Odell, spotting Linda, gave a friendly nod. "Hey Linda, are you working?"


    "Yep, yep!" Linda nodded eagerly, her eyes full of anticipation as she waited for Odell to make the


    introductions with Shirley.


    "Great, keep up the good work," Odell said cordially, then continued to chat andugh with Shirley as


    they walked away.


    Linda was bbergasted.


    Keep up the good work? Wasn''t Odell supposed to introduce her to Shirley?


    Mamie and the others watched Linda being left in the dust, and their faces couldn''t hide the smirks.


    Linda felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment, wishing she could just disappear.


    Undeterred, she followed them again, only to hear Odell say, "Ms. Shirley, the actress I want you to


    meet is inside. She''s one of the most talented actresses I''ve evere across¡ªinsightful and


    incredibly dedicated. I''m sure you''ll take a liking to her."


    Shirley responded with a gentle smile, "This is the first time I''ve ever heard you praise someone like


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    this. I''m quite intrigued by this youngdy. I hope she doesn''t disappoint."


    "She won''t let you down," Odell assured her, then waved over to Astrid, who was taking a break from


    filming. "Astrid, over here!"


    Astrid, hearing Odell''s call, shed a charming smile and said to the cameraman, "Could you hold on


    just a sec for me?"


    "No problem," the cameraman replied.


    "Mr. Odell, what brings you here?" Astrid approached with a smile, noticing Shirley by his side. She


    immediately bowed politely, "Ms. Shirley, hi, I''m Astrid. It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Shirley''s face lit up with recognition. "Odell, I thought you were talking about someone else! I know her


    ¡ªAstrid, I''m a fan!"


    "And I''ve professed my admiration for you on Twitter, but you never responded, which was a bit


    embarrassing for me!"


    Astrid and the rest were utterly baffled. Was this some kind of joke? The famous Shirley, a fan of


    Astrid''s, and she tweeted about it too?


    Linda stood frozen, feeling a chill running down her spine.


    Astrid was somewhat confused, "Ms. Shirley, are you sure you contacted me on Twitter?"


    "Of course," Shirley said, pulling out her phone to show the tweet in question.


    Astrid couldn''t help butugh¡ªit turned out Shirley had followed a parody ount!


    "Ms. Shirley, you''ve followed the wrong person; that''s not me..."


    "What? But her handle is ''Astrid'', and she''s using your photo. How did I get it wrong?" Shirley, who


    wasn''t a frequent social media user, seemed genuinely perplexed. "Well, you better follow me back


    soon."


    "Sure, sure, right away," Astrid agreed quickly.


    "How about we take a selfie and post it? I need to tell my fans my fangirling has paid off!"


    "Could you turn up the beauty filter before we post it? Maybe even photoshop it a bit?"


    "Let''s exchange numbers, I''ll add you on WhatsApp, no worries."


    "You know, I really adore you. I''ve been wanting to meet you for ages; I was just abroad recently."

 Chapter 542

    Chapter 542


    Odell stood awkwardly to the side, feeling like a third wheel.


    The rest of the crew in the studio shared his look of utter confusion. To them, Shirley had always been


    the epitome of grace and intelligence, but the Shirley before them now... she was a spitting image of a


    fangirl in full swoon.


    Linda bit her lip and turned to leave, only to catch Mamie and others snickering at her expense.


    Recalling the words she''d just exchanged with them, Linda''s embarrassment deepened. She hadn''t


    even stayed for the photo shoot; she just walked out.


    That afternoon, Shirley tweeted, "Fangirl dream achieved with Astar," tagging Astrid, and sharing a


    selfie with the two of them.


    Astrid tweeted back, also sharing the photo.


    In no time at all, Twitter was aze, andments flooded in,


    "Nobody can resist Astar''s charm, not even the venerable Shirley!"


    "Thank you for your support, ma''am!"


    "Astrid''s just a newbie, grateful for the guidance!"


    "Big thanks for letting us see Astar''s selfie in our lifetime."


    "Great minds flock together, it seems."


    "Can''t wait to see these two coborate."


    Bernice was sitting on her balcony, feeling a breeze, when the buzz hit social media. Her hand


    trembled as she gripped her phone, barely able to contain her emotions.


    She thought she''d have an easy time taking Astrid down, but instead, Astrid''s poprity was


    skyrocketing.


    Shirley was a respected actress, with a good eighty percent of the industry referring to her as the


    mentor. Her public disy of affection for Astrid was a bad sign for Bernice.


    Her phone vibrated with an unknown number. She hesitated before answering, "Hello?"


    "Ms. Bernice, I''ve made contact with Aster," Jay''s voice came through.


    Bernice asked, "Are you sure? There''s no issue with Aster''s identity?"


    Jay assured her, "No, ma¡¯am. He''s definitely male¡ªvoice, looks, gestures, all check out. He even


    removed his mask in front of me, nothing strange."


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    Bernice pressed, "So, you''ve settled your business?"


    Jay replied, "Yes, its all set. Plus, he sent me an email today iming he''s dug up some dirt on Astrid.


    Should we start prepping?"


    Bernice, eyes glinting with ruthlessness, drained her ss of red wine and responded, "Don''t


    disappoint me this time."


    Jay promised, "There won''t be any surprises."


    An hourter, a notorious gossip blogger teased, "Hot reality TV starlet, bombshell scoop in hand, tune


    in at 9 PM."


    This blogger had exposed numerous celebrity scandals before, only making a peep when there was


    something substantial.


    The teaser set the inte on fire, "Astrid?"


    "No way, just as she''s rising, she gets mmed?"


    "My Astar, what could possibly be the scoop?"


    "Given the clue, it''s gotta be Astrid, right? Oh, the thrill!"


    "Astar can''t catch a break from these trolls, can she?"


    Normally, Chad and his crew would be all over this, suppressing the gossip. But at the moment, they


    were all loungingfortably at Astrid''s ce, engrossed in poker hands.


    "Full house!" Chad triumphantlyid down his cards, sure no one could beat it, when Astrid casually


    dropped a bomb.


    Chad''s face fell, "C''mon, Chief, you''re not ying fair! Where''s the fun if you keep cheating?"


    Astrid, with azy nce, retorted, "Pay up!"


    Reluctantly, Chad and Hank handed over the cash, and Hank asked, "Chief, did you get Jay''s thing


    ready?"


    Astrid arched an eyebrow, "Of course. To show my sincerity, I even recorded a little video."


    Chad and Hank exchanged knowing looks, already mourning for Jay.

 Chapter 543

    Chapter 543


    Hank leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking under his weight. "Boss, the inte is buzzing over


    the news. A bunch of your rivals'' fans are stirring the pot. Could this bad-mouthin'' hurt your rep with the


    regr audiences?"


    Astrid''s grin was sly as a fox. "Not at all. It''s just pumping up my visibility. After this circus, even more


    folks are gonna know my name." She seemed to muse for a moment, then said, "Doesn''t seem like the


    buzz is big enough, though. Go buy us another spot on the trending list, will ya?"


    Chad raised his eyebrows but didn''t say a word.


    "Got it," Hank replied, already on it.


    Astrid had everything nned out in advance, like a master chess yer thinking several moves


    ahead.


    She had only one TV series airing at the moment, and even though her movie had a release date set, it


    hadn''t hit the theaters yet.


    Sure, reality TV had pulled in a hefty fan base, but she knew it was talent that kept you in the limelight.


    Without it, you''d just be a shooting star, zing bright before fading fast.


    She''d known Jay would pull a stunt, so to milk the situation for all it was worth, she''d given him a full


    day''s lead time instead of confronting him immediately.


    Her aim was to use Jay as a stepping stone, to get her name out there even more.


    Exposure was gold in the showbiz, and she wasn''t about to let such a golden opportunity slip through


    her fingers.


    Jay had no clue he was dancing to Astrid''s tune, still living in his little fantasy world. He''d fired his old


    assistant for not cutting the mustard and now had a new one who was sharp as a tack.


    "Julie," Jay called out, his voice echoing through the plush office. A man walked in, exuding a schrly


    vibe.


    The man nced at Jay and nodded slightly. "Everything''s set for tonight."


    "Any word from Aster?" Jay inquired further.


    Julie shook his head. "Not yet, but it''s still early. Don''t you have a business summit to attend? It''s about


    time."


    "Right." Jay stood, and Julie was at his side in a sh, helping him into his jacket.


    Jay looked at the man with approval. "Keep up the good work, and you will be rewarded."


    "Thank you, sir," Julie replied, nodding. Then he added, "I''ve picked up your prescription. It''s ready; do


    you want it now?"


    Jay hadn''t been keen on taking his medicine, but remembering he had an important meetingter, he


    relented. "Bring it here."


    "Right away." Julie fetched the medicine, and Jay downed it without hesitation before striding out.


    As soon as Jay left, a sinister smile crept over Julie''s face.


    Meanwhile, everyone was on the edge of their seats for the big reveal from a celebrity gossip


    influencer, with only five minutes until the nine o''clock bombshell.


    Astrid was sprawled on her couch, gaming away as if she hadn''t a care in the world. Her headset on,


    she was ribbing Jon, "Jon, how can you suck this much? Calling yourself a pro gamer? Do us all a


    favor and retire before you tank your team!"


    Jon''s voice crackled through the headset. "Star, you''re getting cocky, trash-talking me now?"


    "Oh, did I tell you about that thing with Nash Brooke and your brother taking care of Jay?"


    Astrid''s interest was piqued immediately. "When did this go down? Howe I didn''t hear about it?"


    "You remember when Jay tried to mess with your show? My brother got wind and called a family


    meeting. After that, those two went to deal with Jay."


    "I heard Nash gave Jay a special concoction. They say he made a spectacle of himself at the club, got


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    way too crazy with a handful of girls, almost partied himself to death."


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!