Vincent then turned his stern gaze to Natalie. “Natalie, you had so much potential when you started your career. I had high hopes for you. But instead of improving your acting skills, you chose to use dishonest methods. This is very disappointing.”
“Mr. Lopez, I had no clue about any of this. Zoey acted without my knowledge,” Natalie’s voice trembled, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Natalie, how could you say that? I did everything for you!” Zoey exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Tears streamed down Natalie’s face as she stared at Zoey, her eyes filled with emotion. “Zoey, everything you did was to advance your own career as a director. I was just a tool for your ambition! You’re not fit to be my agent. I’m firing you!”
“Natalie King, you’re really going to discard me after everything I’ve done for you? Your failure at the audition was due to your poor acting skills. I was foolish to invest so much effort in supporting you!” Zoey retorted, shaking with anger.
The two exchanged heated accusations, locked in a tense confrontation.
Bianca approached with a sly grin, her eyes narrowed. “Miss Carter looks like you’ve lost. A deal’s a deal. Remember what you promised me.”
Zoey glared at Bianca, her eyes burning with anger. She spoke through gritted teeth, “Bianca, do you think you’ve won? Just wait. I’m not giving up. This isn’t over!”
Bianca shrugged off Zoey’s words and walked away, leaving Zoey fuming and staring after her, fists clenched.
No one paid any more attention to Zoey or Natalie.
Vincent approached Sophia and Bianca with a warm smile. “Congratulations, Bianca and Sophia! One of you won the bet, and the other secured the lead role. Let’s celebrate. I’ll host a party today for everyone.”
He then turned to Nicolas, who had been quietly watching. “Join us, Nicolas.”
Nicolas glanced at Sophia before calmly responding, “Sure.”
Vincent planned to host a party at Champs Le Bar tonight for the celebration.
After their disappointing audition, Zoey, Natalie, and the three bribed judges left feeling disheartened, as they exited through a side door, they were met by a swarm of reporters and camera crews.
The crowd focused on Natalie, who was at the front, and quickly directed a microphone toward her.
“Miss King, could you give us a statement about losing to Sophia?”
“How do you feel about not getting the lead role? Do you think your acting abilities were the issue?”
Natalie, her face burning with anger, struggled to find words. Protected by security and her team, she eventually slipped into her car and drove away without speaking.
Zoey wasn’t as lucky. Left alone after Natalie’s departure, reporters swarmed around her. The flashing lights blinded her, and she shielded her eyes with her hand.
“Zoey, you lost the bet. When will you step down as director of the company?”
“Did you manipulate the audition? Were you connected to Sophia’s incident?”
“Why aren’t you with Natalie now? Is it because the audition didn’t go as planned?”
The press bombarded her with unfounded accusations and probing questions.
In a mix of frustration and humiliation, Zoey tried to push away the cameras. Her usual air of confidence had vanished, leaving her visibly embarrassed. “It’s all lies! Just stop! Enough! I’m leaving!”
The cameras captured Zoey at her most desperate and flustered, and the footage quickly spread online. That day, her name skyrocketed in search trends, and social media users relentlessly mocked her.
“Did you see Zoey’s reaction? Priceless…”
“Maybe it’s time for Zoey to step down as director. Bianca seems more capable.”
“People are starting to suspect Zoey had a role in Sophia’s accident!”
“They need to investigate this thoroughly and provide answers! If she’s guilty, she should face consequences!”
That afternoon, Nicolas had prior commitments. He bid farewell to Vincent and the others.
As he was leaving, Nicolas received a carefully prepared package from his assistant and handed it to Bianca. “Miss Scott, I noticed Sophia’s outfit was ruined in the crash, so my assistant picked out something new. I’m not sure if it’ll fit, but could you give it to her? If she likes it, it might work for now.”
Earlier, Bianca had found an outfit for Sophia, but it wasn’t suitable for going out.
“That’s very kind of you. Sophia will appreciate it,” Bianca said with a gracious smile, taking the package.
Nicolas smiled warmly and left.
Later, Bianca pulled Sophia aside with a mischievous grin. “Looks like you’re in luck.”
“What do you mean?” Sophia asked, looking surprised.
“Nicolas had someone get you new clothes,” Bianca explained, handing Sophia the package and leaning in to whisper. “I think Nicolas has a crush on you.”
Feeling her heart race, Sophia quickly covered Bianca’s mouth, warning her, “Bianca, don’t spread rumors. If this gets out, it could go viral!”
“Okay, I’ll keep it quiet. But you should consider moving forward, especially since your divorce from Gabriel,” Bianca advised, gently removing Sophia’s hand with a concerned expression.
Sophia looked away, absentmindedly twisting the string from the package around her finger. “I’m focused on my career right now. I’m not thinking about dating. And I need to be there for Elaine without any distractions.”
Bianca, still shaken from her argument with Dave, put her arm around Sophia and said, “Exactly. Our careers come first. Men should just step back and let us do our thing.”
As soon as Bianca finished speaking, her phone buzzed. It was Dave calling, almost as if he knew what she was thinking.
Bianca’s expression tightened with a blend of irritation and eagerness.
Seeing Bianca’s reaction, Sophia tilted her head and chuckled softly. “Is that your boyfriend calling?”
Aware of the need for privacy, Bianca quickly moved to a quieter spot, trying to manage her conflicted emotions, and answered the call.
“Bianca, well done. I never doubted your victory,” Dave’s deep, soothing voice made Bianca’s cheeks flush.
“Did you call just to tell me that?” Bianca asked with a slight pout.
After a brief pause, Dave continued, “I wanted to ask, are you free tonight? There’s a great place I know that serves your favorite caviar and French foie gras. After dinner, how about we go shopping at the mall? You can pick out anything you like. Consider it a celebration gift.”
Dave did not mention their previous disagreement. Was he trying to smooth things over with dinner and a gift?
No way!
Bianca replied with a hint of annoyance, “Sorry, I can’t. Mr. Lopez is hosting a party tonight that I need to attend.”
There was a pause from Dave.
“Okay then. Take care. If you need anything, just let me know. If it gets late, I can give you a ride.”