Natalie’s eyes scanned her from head to toe before she let out a mocking snort, theatrically covering her mouth.
“Look at you now. How the mighty have fallen. Did they kick you out?”
Bianca’s expression hardened, and her eyes turned cold. Running into Natalie now felt like adding insult to the injury.
“Oh, you’ve really outdone yourself this time. What happened?” Natalie asked mockingly, glancing around. “Where’s your boyfriend? Did he ditch you because you couldn’t stay loyal?”
She smirked, clearly enjoying herself, and added, “Or maybe you’re just brilliant at running your agency-using your talents to boost your own fame while sneaking around with your male stars? You certainly know how to make the most of every opportunity, don’t you, Bianca?”
Bianca had had enough. Her eyes narrowed, and her voice turned sharp as she replied, “Miss King, I appreciate your curiosity, but maybe you should focus on your own business. My relationships with my talents are none of your business. And while we’re on the topic of personal lives, I couldn’t help but notice you’re changing partners often. You might want to be careful…. you wouldn’t want to pick up anything unpleasant, right?”
She adjusted her hair with a calm smile, her words cutting like a knife.
Natalie was stunned. Bianca’s sharp retort hit a nerve, leaving her red-faced and furious. “Don’t talk nonsense,” she snapped.
“Whether it’s nonsense or not, you and I both know the rumors about your escapades,” Bianca said with a knowing smirk, watching as Natalie’s face turned pale.
Bianca had only made the comment offhandedly, but it hit a nerve. Rumors about Natalie’s messy personal life, frequent partner changes, and habit of chasing wealthy benefactors have been circulating for a while. When Natalie was with PhoenixEntertainment, these rumors were quickly silenced before they gained traction. But ever since she joined Orion Entertainment, Natalie had been a regular target for the tabloids. Unlike Vitality, Orion took a more aggressive public approach, dismissing the stories as baseless and even threatening legal action against the tabloids.
Still, seeing Natalie’s reaction now, Bianca couldn’t help but wonder if there was some truth to the gossip. Sometimes, rumors didn’t come from anywhere.
“What are you talking about? How would I even know anything about that?” Natalie snapped, her raised voice showing a hint of anxiety.
Bianca shot Natalie a quick, emotionless look and said firmly, “Miss King, let me give you some advice. Bad actions always come to light. What goes around comes around.”
Natalie, feeling trapped, clenched her fists in anger. “Don’t act all high and mighty, Bianca. Who knows what secrets you’re hiding, considering how many people were trying to take you down? You have no right to judge me when you can barely save yourself. You really seem to draw a lot of attention recently!”
Bianca’s expression grew more serious as she replied with intensity, “Are you saying someone is targeting me on purpose? Tell me what you know.”
Natalie quickly panicked, realizing she had said too much. “I based it on the rumors. Instead of worrying about that, you should focus on explaining your connection to that male artist to everyone.”
Bianca responded calmly, “My relationship with Blake is pure and honest. I’ll gather the proof and clear things up soon. Can you do the same?”
Bianca’s sharp reply left Natalie speechless. To Orion Entertainment, Natalie was nothing more than a disposable asset, protected for the sake of the company’s image on small matters. But when serious issues arose that could harm the company’s reputation, they wouldn’t hesitate to cast her aside. In the end, her future was out of her hands.
Natalie pursed her lips and glared at Bianca. “Don’t talk big. Let’s see how you pull yourself out from this scandal.”
With that, Natalie spun on her heels and stormed off.
Bianca’s confidence quickly faded, like a balloon popping, and she stumbled back a couple of steps.
Confused, she couldn’t understand why she always seemed to be trapped in these frustrating situations.
Her phone suddenly rang, catching her off guard. Recently, she had become more attuned to its sound. She answered the call when she saw Dave’s name on the screen.
“Dave, why are you calling so late? Are you done with work?”
“I just miss you,” Dave said, his voice soft and warm, like a calming melody.
Bianca leaned against the wall, her sad expression softening a little. She bit her lip before asking, “You didn’t come home last night. Were you working late again?”
Dave sighed quietly on the other end. “I was about to explain. There was an urgent project that needed the boss’s attention, so I had to fly out with him overnight. I didn’t get the chance to tell you. We just landed.”
Bianca felt disappointed.
With Dave being overseas, it meant they wouldn’t see each other for a few days. The thought of returning to an empty room every night made Bianca feel incredibly lonely.
“Okay,” Bianca replied, her voice barely hiding the sadness.
Dave noticed the change in her tone. He could tell something was wrong and asked, “Is everything okay, Bianc? Did something happen?”
After a brief silence, Bianca decided not to worry him. He had enough on his plate with work, and she didn’t want to add to his stress.
“It’s nothing serious, just a little issue at work. I’ll take care of it. You focus on your job. Don’t worry about me!” Bianca said, trying to sound more cheerful.
Knowing how strong and independent Bianca was, Dave decided not to push her further. “Okay, but let me know if you’re having any trouble. We can handle it together.”
Just then, Bianca heard the faint sound of a door opening on his end. “Bianc, I have a meeting with the boss. Wait for me at home. I’ll try to get back soon,” he said.
“Okay, but wait…. One more thing!” Bianca’s voice rose a little.
Dave asked softly, “What’s going on?”
Bianca thought about the rumors she had heard at the engagement party about the CEO of the Phoenix Alliance Group and Skylar. She was curious and wanted to ask Dave the real story. But she realized that it wasn’t something she could bring up quickly, especially with him being overseas. She decided to wait until he was home to talk about it.
“It’s nothing… I just wanted to remind you to take care of yourself with everything going on,” Bianca said gently, steering the conversation in a lighter direction.
Dave chuckled, clearly amused. “Got it.”