He had been sitting in his current position all along, involved in many dirty deeds. He was not kind, willing to do anything to achieve his goals, especially vengeful and petty, capable of tormenting others to the extreme. Once he set his sights on someone, he would never let go, like a honey badger, willing to fight tooth and nail, filled with hostility, fearing nothing.
Environment can determine a person’s character, and this statement perfectly exemplified itself in Hamish.
Hamish was born into the emotionless Burns family; he did not understand love and was utterly indifferent to it. Over time, he sealed himself within the darkness to protect himself.
He was adept at disguises, used to setting traps. While others moved step by step, he observed three steps ahead, always ensuring an absolute way out, never allowing himself to be trapped.
However, an exception appeared in the life he had arranged-Elisa unexpectedly entered his life, shining like a beam of light into his dark world. Even in the darkness, the faintest glimmer could not be ignored, let alone someone as dazzling as Elisa. A seed silently fell into his heart, took root, sprouted, and eventually became a towering tree.
Hamish treated his subordinates exceptionally well, paying high salaries and offering benefits that other companies did not provide. For example, Tobias, though a bit exhausted, was completely voluntary, willing to go all out for Hamish. He had been working for Hamish for almost thirteen years, understanding Hamish too well. He was too proud, too good at disguises, always presenting an image of invincibility, a lofty demeanor. Having disguised himself for so long, he had even forgotten his own vulnerability, such as this bout of lung cancer.
If Tobias hadn’t come to Bankshire this time, Hamish might have died here-quietly, with no one even aware, because nobody cared about his fragility, nor did anyone think he might die.
There’s a saying, how does it go? “Disaster befalls for a thousand years,” no one could have imagined that Hamish would be so short-lived.
In this world, perhaps the only ones who truly cared about Hamish, who didn’t want him to die, were probably those with vested interests in him. But without those interests, Hamish was nothing, truly a pitiable existence.
…
After leaving the cemetery, Elisa didn’t know where to go for a moment. Such a vast place, yet there was no place for her to find peace. Was it that she was too weak…
Elisa returned to the hotel, tidied up her makeup and got out of the car.
The “Weekend Show” trending topic fermented all night before gradually subsiding, but with it came the posts from Filippa and Sebastian.
Elisa didn’t check Twitter. Upon arriving at the hotel, she didn’t immediately get out of the car but instead observed outside through the car window. Sure enough, she saw paparazzi lurking in an inconspicuous corner.
Fortunately, the hotel’s security was good, and these people couldn’t get in.
Elisa got out of the car, carrying a bag, and entered the hotel. At the entrance, she handed her ID and room card to the security for inspection. After confirming everything was in order, they let her in.
Back in her hotel room, Elisa sent a text to Louis to let him know she was safe, then started checking the online trends.
Filippa seemed well-prepared; various marketing accounts piggybacked on the trending topic, digging up all the “scandals from her past.”
Filippa accused Elisa in a tweet.
– “I’ve put all my effort into this performance in the past few days, but I never expected this kind of result. I can only say that people are not what they seem. From now on, I’ll have to be more careful in choosing my work. Also, I hope the show’s team will come out and give an explanation. I used to have great respect for Mr. Usoro, I don’t understand why you would let a discredited artist like Elisa join this program and disgrace the ‘actor’ profession. Is it because of your friendship with director Asher? I don’t want to say more here, I’ll save it for the press conference in two days.”
The top comment was Sebastian’s repost, accompanied by the words “Keep it up!”
Sebastian and Filippa had a wave of fans shipping them, and upon seeing the trending topic, they reposted expressing their support.
“Sebastian spoils Shuxiu too much, doesn’t he?”
“The solo show is true!”
“The press conference has been arranged, Sebastian and Filippa will attend together, waiting for a live broadcast.”
“My heart aches for Shuxiu. Daily question: When will Elisa be blacklisted?”
“Why have thedirectors I admired recently been swayed by Elisa? Cheng and Wang, have they both fallen into Elisa’s trap?”
“A bit disappointed. I had a good impression of Elisa after her recent performance, but I never expected this kind of result, she even secretly changed the script.”
“Are you a fan of that despicable person upstairs? I didn’t expect her to have fans, it’s ridiculous. Congratulations on leaving the darkness and joining the Elisa anti-fan club.”
…
Filippa looked through the trending topics, not expecting the “playing the victim” act to be so effective. She had been trending for over twenty-four hours, and the heat was still rising, completely breaking into the mainstream.
Using a secondary account, Filippa joined other netizens in criticizing Elisa. On her Twitter, she had already liked hundreds of tweets related to bashing Elisa, her eyes filled with disdain: “Elisa, this is all your doing!”
Who made her steal her role? She had said she would make the production team regret, make Asher regret choosing Elisa.
She leaned back on the sofa, with a face mask on, a table of refreshments in front of her.
Playing the second female lead in “Revenge and Love,” what did that amount to? She was already breaking into the mainstream now, firmly establishing herself. She wouldn’t let the script dictate her choices.
Filippa’s agent called her with good news, “Shuxiu, I’ve already received several scripts for the lead actress role. This time, you’ve truly become popular. Also, there’s a highly popular romance reality show recently, and they want both you and Sebastian to join.”
Filippa’s smile froze, “What? You want me to join a romance reality show with Sebastian.”
The agent explained, “It’s just a showmance for the program, it won’t affect anything in real life. Haven’t you seen your ship ranking? You’re second. This is a good thing for you. Don’t underestimate the power of ship fans. They’re enthusiastic spenders. Why not take advantage of it?”
Louis’s figure flashed through Filippa’s mind, and she gripped her phone tightly, not saying a word.
The agent advised, “Seize the opportunity while the heat is on. Don’t let this chance slip away. Besides, I think Sebastian is a good match for you, in terms of both ability and looks.”
“He’s a match for me!” Filippa blurted out.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.” Filippa held her breath. Sebastian a match for her? If it wasn’t for her, Sebastian wouldn’t have been involved in any of this. He might still be a nobody hiding in some obscure corner.
Thinking about Sebastian’s pitiful appearance, relying on a woman to become famous, how could such a man be worthy of her?
Filippa couldn’t help but think of Louis. Her mind was filled with thoughts of this man-his handsome face, superb acting skills, and illustrious background. Only a man like him was worthy of her. So why did he have to choose Elisa? What did that worn-out woman have that was so good about her?
Filippa felt unwilling, but she had to admit that her agent had a point. She had to seize this opportunity while the heat was on.
It was just for the sake of publicity; she wouldn’t lose anything.
Seeing Filippa remain silent, her agent cautiously asked, “Sebastian is your senior, right?”
“Yes, what about it?”
After being with her for so long, how could the agent not know what she was thinking? “You did well by stepping on Elisa this time; Sebastian helped you. You should consider returning the favor.”
Filippa wasn’t trying to maintain a pure image. She wasn’t worried that dating might upset her fans, especially since it wasn’t a real relationship, just a publicity stunt for the show.
“Alright, I agree to participate in the romance variety show, but you need to manage my schedule. I still want to take on acting roles, so make sure they don’t clash,” she said.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already arranged the press conference. The day after tomorrow morning at nine o’clock. You and Sebastian need to go over your lines. Don’t let anyone catch you off guard. Shed a few tears during the live broadcast, but don’t wear heavy makeup,” her agent instructed patiently.
“I understand. Aster, could you get some internet boosters to promote the live stream for me?” Filippa asked.
“Don’t worry about that, it’s a small matter,” her agent assured her before the call was abruptly cut off.
……..
Meanwhile, in the hotel, Elisa had finished scrolling through the hot searches. Filippa’s lengthy tweet from this morning had been quickly reposted by the studio, tagging the live streaming platform and the press conference, confirming the time for the day after tomorrow at nine twenty in the morning.
Just as she finished reading, someone urgently called her. Elisa picked up the phone and saw that it was Asher calling, most likely about Filippa. And indeed, he began with that topic right away.
“Elisa, are you okay right now?” he asked.
“I’m doing fine,” Elisa replied in a relaxed tone. She got up, grabbed a bottle of soda from the cabinet, put her phone on speaker on the table, and opened the can. The sound was clear, Asher could hear it on the other end.
He seemed to have the energy to eat and drink, so it didn’t seem to have a big impact.
Asher paused for a moment and then asked, “Why couldn’t I reach you when I called you yesterday?”
“I had turned off my phone temporarily, so I didn’t see it,” Elisa replied.
Asher was the one in a panic, while Elisa, the one involved, seemed unaffected.
“I mean, aren’t you angry about being wrongly accused?” he asked.
“Not at all,” she replied. What use was there in getting angry? After experiencing so much in her previous life, she had long since smoothed out her rough edges. It wasn’t worth getting upset over this trash.
“Why hasn’t your company’s PR team come out to resolve this? If it’s something you didn’t do, sue them for defamation. If you keep being silent, it’ll almost become a fact. With Filippa’s acting skills, do you really need to change the script midway for the audience? Are they all blind in this generation?” Asher’s frustration was evident.
“Since you call them the audience, then the audience is just here for the show. The bigger the commotion, the happier they are. In this circle, right and wrong don’t really matter. In the world of crows, even a swan is guilty. It’s best not to take it seriously,” Elisa said calmly after taking a sip of water.