This day, the Hayes family remained silent. Charlotte returned to the villa, feeling uneasy, and was scolded by Mrs. Ada. Unfortunately, Isabella slept too soundly. Lily tried to wake her up twice but failed.
Isabella slept until evening. As she put on her coat to go home, she received a call from Olivia, asking her to come over immediately for an urgent matter. She sighed with a hint of resentment as she drove; her car was about to reach the apartment. She parked by the roadside, picked up her phone, and dialed Andrew’s number.
When he answered, she asked with a hint of complaint, “Andrew, where are you?”
“I’m in Rochester town and will be staying here for about a week,” he replied.
“Why did you go to Rochester town? I’ve come back for a rare visit, and I can’t even see you,” she couldn’t help but complain.
Soon after, Andrew’s warm, deep laughter came through the phone. His voice was magnetic and charming, “Did you miss me?”
“Yes,” she nodded, subconsciously covering her face, feeling her cheeks warm up. “Olivia suddenly invited me to a Christmas party. I’ll be staying in Ithaca town for a week. Can you come back?”
“I’ll try,” he replied with a smile. Given his visit to Rochester town, returning within a week might not be guaranteed.
They exchanged a few more words before hanging up. The next few days, they were both busy.
Until the day before Christmas, Andrew hadn’t returned.
Isabella sat in the dressing room, waiting for the final rehearsal.
She was on the phone, looking a bit unhappy. “Andrew, when are you coming back? After tomorrow’s performance, I have to fly to Germany for an advertisement.”
“I’m on the highway, my princess,” he replied with a hint of helplessness and a warm smile.
“Anyway, if I can’t see you after the rehearsal, you can find somewhere cool to hang out,” she complained softly. After hanging up, her delicate face brightened.
At that moment, Olivia walked in and handed Isabella the program schedule. Her performance was in the middle.
She quickly scanned the schedule and saw Elysia’s name. Elysia had a strong animosity towards Isabella, seeing her as a competitor and often causing trouble for her.
She frowned subconsciously, thinking that the entertainment industry was indeed small. Fortunately, she could leave after her performance, and Elysia’s act was the finale, so they would have minimal interaction.
Meanwhile, in another dressing room,
Elysia sat in front of the makeup table, Victoria not far behind her, holding a slim cigarette elegantly between her fingers.
“You’re so busy; how come you have time to watch my rehearsal?” Elysia’s tone was indifferent.
Victoria exhaled a thin mist, turned her head slightly, and looked at Elysia, speaking slowly and calmly, “I happened to be staying in Ithaca town for a few days. I heard you’re performing for Christmas, so I came to see you.”
Elysia snorted lightly, not paying much attention to her.
Unfazed by Elysia’s coldness, Victoria continued, “Have you seen the program schedule? Isabella was also invited to perform. Dad asked me to come and keep an eye on her. At the Halloween banquet, she publicly proposed to Mr. Andrew. Thankfully, Mr. Andrew didn’t mind and let her sit at the main table.”
After Victoria finished speaking, Elysia remained silent, but her hand hidden in her sleeve was clenched tightly into a fist.
Elysia had heard about the Halloween banquet incident, even though she wasn’t there. Andrew, always aloof and cold, had treated everyone with indifference. She didn’t know what charm Isabella had used, but she had managed to catch his attention.
The cigarette in Victoria’s fingers burned out as she swayed her hips and left.
Elysia, with a pale face, beckoned her assistant over and whispered a few words into her ear.
“This isn’t a good idea! What if something goes wrong?” The assistant’s face showed concern and unease after hearing Elysia’s instructions.
“I’ll take responsibility for anything that happens. Just do as I say,” Elysia said irritably.
The assistant nodded and left cautiously.
Soon after, the rehearsal officially began.
Isabella stood at the front of the stage singing and didn’t notice the performance of the stage crew behind her. She didn’t know who bumped into her from behind with force. Wearing high heels, she stumbled forward and fell off the edge of the stage.
The stage wasn’t very high, less than three meters, so it wasn’t life-threatening, but breaking an arm or leg was highly likely.
As she fell, all she heard was the rushing wind and her own frantic heartbeat. Perhaps because of her previous experience falling from the stage, she was filled with fear.
After the accident, chaos ensued at the rehearsal venue, with everyone shouting and panicking.
However, the expected pain didn’t come. Isabella unexpectedly fell into a warm and solid chest. Between breaths, she felt a familiar scent.
Isabella slowly opened her tightly closed eyes and saw Andrew’s handsome face up close, his deep blue eyes enlarged.
From this close distance, she could see the bulging veins on his neck, indicating he had just used his werewolf abilities.
Isabella’s mind went blank for a moment. When she came to her senses, she reached out and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice trembling, “Andrew!”
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here,” he reassured her.
After Andrew rescued Isabella, the scene fell into a stunned silence. The staff and actors present were all watching and speculating.
The director of the Christmas party had the privilege of meeting Andrew before and hurried over without delay.
As the director, he had to take responsibility for such an accident. Moreover, the incident was sudden, and the cause needed investigation. All he could do now was to awkwardly say, “I apologize, Mr. Andrew, our stage design might not have been appropriate.”
Andrew still held Isabella in his arms, his gaze coldly scanning the scene. His voice was clear and icy, “Due to it’s not appropriate, there’s no need for its existence.”
After he finished speaking, over a dozen men in black suddenly appeared, each holding an iron rod, rushing toward the stage.
The scene descended into complete chaos, everything on stage was smashed to pieces, glass shards flying everywhere, the sound of destruction and screams from the actors on stage echoed continuously.
Then, the venue plunged into darkness, with only occasional sparking sounds from short-circuited light bulbs.
Amidst the chaos, Andrew, with steady steps, carried Isabella away.