[HOSPITAL]
The steady beep of the machine and the soft hiss of the oxygen tank filled the ward as a young nurse jotted down the condition of the woman lying on the bed.
The machine monitored every heartbeat and breath of the woman as her chest heaved slowly.
The nurse sighed and paused for a moment to stare at the woman. The doctor had said she would be waking up soon, but it had already been a month. She slowly turned to leave but halted when she heard a soft moan.
With wide eyes, her head snapped back to the woman.
The woman’s eyelids fluttered and slowly opened. The nurse gasped; the book in her hand fell. She dashed out of the ward to inform the doctor.
After more than six years, she finally woke up.
“Cassius,” the woman mumbled.
—
Daniel weakened on his knees. Sweat cascaded down his face as he watched Cassius stand before him.
Cassius faced the audience, and shocking news left his lips.
“Tatiana Karen is signed with the King Company.”
What the heck!…
Did I just hear the Kings?!…
Gosh! I’m about to faint. Someone hold me!…
Damn! This is a huge shock! How did she do it?!…
The media exploded with the news. Murmurs filled the air.
Signed with the King Company?! Jemima felt the world around her crashing down. Here she was thinking she could make many companies refuse to allow Tatiana in using her connections.
But Tatiana was already signed with a company far superior to hers.
Daniel broke into a cold sweat. He had just made a fool of himself. Mr. King wouldn’t go easy on him.
“This is a misunderstanding… Mr. King… This is-”
“A misunderstanding?” Cassius raised an eyebrow. His voice was laced with anger and power that made Daniel shrink further.
Jemima looked around and saw no one watching. Now was the best time to run, but his assistant muttered.
“His voice,” Wiley’s eyes remained fixed on Cassius.
Jemima frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Mr. King has the same voice as the man in Tatiana’s room,” Wiley’s eyes widened further as he trembled uncontrollably.
“Stop speaking nonsense,” Jemima said, shocked but reluctant to believe it. Mr. King couldn’t be Tatiana’s secret lover, could he?
Wait! Their dress and rings looked familiar. Could Wiley be right? She definitely needed to leave.
Jemima hadn’t taken a step when Cassius’s voice rang out.
“And where do you think you’re going, Jemima Robert? Aren’t you going to hear your fate? Or do you prefer to find out later on the street?”
Fate?
Jemima’s eyes filled with tears. She quickly rushed before Cassius and knelt.
“They are all lying against me. The video was fake. I didn’t-”
“Ciara has already submitted evidence of you bullying other artists even before this program started. Tatiana helped you in the past, and yet you schemed against her,” Cassius sighed. There was no need to waste any more energy on these bastards.
“Here’s my decision. Fools like you two don’t deserve a bit of fame. Daniel will no longer be the CEO of Crystal Company. If he does, I will withdraw my support from the company. For attempting to abduct an artist… You should be punished by the law.”
Several cops in disguise stepped forward and handcuffed Daniel.
“What the-”
“You’re under arrest, Mr. Daniel,” they said, dragging him away.
Jemima’s lips parted; sweat covered her body as she trembled. Jail… oh no. She quickly faced Tatiana.
“Tatiana, please. I’m sorry, alright? Please just forgive me and help me beg him. Help me! I promise to do good, help,” she begged on her knees.
Tatiana didn’t reply.
“You want me to apologize to your assistant. I’ll do it!” Jemima turned to Jolene, adjusting her position to face her properly.
“Jolene, I’m sorry for hitting you. I’m sorry for scheming against you. I’m really sorry. Please talk to Tatiana… I don’t want to end up in jail! You’re a good person,” Jemima shook her head and tried to touch Jolene’s shoes, but Jolene shifted back before she could reach her.
“If those bloody situations weren’t made up and were real, you wouldn’t have cared, Jemima. Deep down, you wanted me dead. Even if I wanted to save you, I don’t… It’s out of my reach.”
Jemima clenched her jaw. “You are insane! Do you know how hard it is to kneel before you!”
“You tried to bribe the judge just because of this award,” Tatiana cut in. “Judge Alex revealed everything. You’re screwed, Jemima.”
Jemima swallowed hard, and her eyes went to Cassius. She was so screwed. There was no way out.
Cassius’s voice resonated across the hall. “Your actions, Jemima, have shown a blatant disregard for the law and the well-being of others. You have attempted to bribe a judge, schemed against fellow artists, and physically harmed others. I hereby strip you of your nomination and ban you from participating in any future events affiliated with Crystal Company and every other company. You will face the full force of the law for your crimes.”
Cassius’s words echoed through the hall, leaving no doubt about Jemima’s fate. The room fell silent, with all eyes on Jemima as she slumped to the ground, defeated.
Cassius continued. “Jemima Robert’s name is now tarnished in the entire entertainment industry. Anyone who chooses to work with her in the future will be daring me.”
Her name was tarnished. All her efforts were wasted.
Tatiana had a satisfied look as she watched Jemima trembling on the floor. She knew what would come next. Jemima was about to show her true colors.
Just as Tatiana had thought, Jemima swiftly grabbed the knife on the table and charged toward Tatiana.
“You bitch!!!” She exclaimed, aiming to stab Tatiana, but a kick landed on her stomach. A strong arm pulled her up, and she was handcuffed.
“This isn’t over, Tatiana! I’ll come for you!” Jemima roared and cried as they dragged her out.
Tatiana saw the untamed anger in Cassius’s eyes as he gave the host a small nod to continue with the program.
Tatiana and Jolene were led back to their seats. The tension in the room was evident. Jemima and Daniel’s issues were trending online.
Ciara planned to release more information after the event.
With Jemima gone, Tatiana’s nerves eased a bit.
The host cleared her throat. Her hand was a bit shaky, but she smiled and composed herself.
“That was a bit intense. Well, congratulations, Tatiana,” the host greeted her, and Tatiana smiled in return.
“Moving on to the Best Acting Award. I know most of you have been anticipating this moment. I must say, this year was really competitive. The nominees are incredible; however, we only have one winner… Which is…”
The hall turned silent; everyone held their breath. Many had been anticipating this award the most because there were so many competitors!
Tatiana wasn’t really bothered. A lot of movies had been hits this year. Even though she didn’t doubt her talent, getting this award might feel like running faster than her shadow.
She expected disappointment.
But still, her heart raced to know who it was. Her eyes met Cassius’s, and the man gave her an assuring smile.
The host’s voice echoed through the hall.
“Tatiana Karen!”
Like lightning, Tatiana froze like a statue. Did she just hear her name?
“Yesss!!!!” Jolene jumped from her seat. Her eyes widened as if they might pop out of their sockets.
Indigo stood and began to clap. “You did it, Tatiana!”
Tatiana felt her eyes welling up. She won the Best Acting Award?! How?!
“Tatiana Karen received the highest number of votes this year. Her movie ‘Rise of Ruby’ has surprisingly hit a crazy record.”
Felix’s voice erupted from behind.
“Oh, oh, oh! Yes, Tatiana! I’m proud of you, friend!”
Cassius joined the crowd to clap, a small smile on his face.
Tatiana slowly stood and claimed the stage. Her gaze met the people in the hall. It felt like a dream. She had achieved this in just a few months.
She let out a short laugh when the host congratulated her. It was overwhelming.
“I… uhmm,” Tatiana cleared her throat when her voice sounded croaky. “I never expected this, and I just want to say…”
Tatiana paused when a thought hit her.
Issabella.
The same entertainment world that had torn her sister down without knowing what really happened to her. She was about to say “Thank you,” but the words didn’t come out. She didn’t know why the thought of her sister surged in, and her heart clenched.
“I’ll always do my best,” she nodded, and they all clapped again.
Tatiana bowed to the host and stepped down with the award to her seat.
“Dylan would be thrilled to see this,” Jolene said, taking the award and staring at it in awe.
Tatiana looked back at Cassius but didn’t find him in his seat.
She looked around but saw no sign of him. Her phone suddenly beeped. It was a message from him.
~My mother is awake~
Tatiana gasped.