“Your popularity is soaring right now, so I’ve made a plan to report to the upper management of the company. I intend to arrange several solo concerts for you in New York. As long as the concerts go smoothly, it will mark your successful transition. Robert is your stepmother’s man, and I thought there would be some resistance, but surprisingly, he readily approved it and instructed all departments of the company to fully cooperate.
It seems like he’s eager for your successful transition. I’m a bit puzzled by his enthusiasm. I even suspect he might be a mole of your stepmother,” Olivia speculated.
Isabella couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “You’re overthinking it.”
“Really?” Olivia said with a hint of confusion. “I just feel like he doesn’t harbor any ill intentions toward you.”
“Robert is a person who’s hard to understand,” Isabella lightly pursed her lips, shrugging as she reminisced.
“In the past, Charlotte raised me like a fool, creating an imaginary scenario of a loving family. I foolishly regarded Robert as family too. Back then, he was just a college student who got into trouble with some thugs and ended up beaten badly. Emily and I took him to the hospital together.
Later, he would occasionally visit our home. Once, he even warned me not to trust everyone, suggesting that Charlotte might not have good intentions toward me. At the time, I found it absurd.
Then, he became the CEO of Moonlit Art Inc., controlling what should have been mine and becoming a staunch supporter of Charlotte and her daughters. His well-intentioned warning back then was nothing but goodwill anymore.”
“Everyone has their own perspective,” Olivia remarked after listening, feeling thoughtful.
She shrugged, not wanting to waste too much energy trying to figure out Robert.
“Here’s the detailed plan for the concert. Take a look at it when you get back. Tomorrow, accompany me to meet with investors. After this suspense drama is finished, I won’t help you take on other projects for now. We’ll focus on preparing for the concert,” Olivia handed her a proposal.
Isabella glanced through it briefly before putting it into her bag. She would go over the specifics later when she got home.
“Oh, by the way, Elysia is in trouble,” Olivia finished discussing work and moved on to gossip.
“In trouble?” Isabella looked bewildered.
“The word is already out in the industry. She was being kept by a wealthy businessman, but then his legitimate wife showed up at her door, and things quickly spiraled out of control.
The entertainment industry now has the strictest moral standards for artists, and the public is very averse to scandals like extramarital affairs and mistresses. Anyone involved in a scandal almost disappears from the screens.
In my opinion, Elysia’s career is over,” Olivia said.
“Elysia being kept?” Isabella still found it hard to believe. “Elysia is already a top female star. She doesn’t lack money or fame. There’s no need for her to depend on a man.”
Olivia hmphed, thinking Isabella was still too naive. Women in the entertainment industry all have ambitions. If they were content with what they had, they would just stay home and raise children.
“Over the years, Elysia has practically dominated the industry under Andrew’s protection. Now, without him as her umbrella, if she wants to continue being arrogant, she’ll have to find a new sugar daddy.
Unfortunately, Elysia has poor judgment. She found a married man who is unfaithful and selfish. He just saw her as a fresh female star to play with. Once trouble arises, he’ll only look out for himself. With her reputation plummeting, she won’t get any work, and her future will be bleak.”
Isabella didn’t care about Elysia at all; her life choices were none of her concern. As long as Elysia didn’t harass her man, it was all good. After hearing Olivia’s words, Isabella could only sigh and say, “Elysia became like this because she was too ambitious. If she weren’t so greedy, relying on her brother’s connections, she could have stayed a top female star under Andrew’s protection.”
Isabella finished speaking and stood up from the couch. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head home to be with my son.”
“In a rush to go home to your son or your man?” Olivia teased with a smile.
“Of course, my son,” Isabella replied with a grin.
However, just as she finished speaking, she received a call from Andrew. His business engagement was almost over, and he asked her to return to the mansion to wait for him.
Isabella: “…”
Indeed, words shouldn’t be spoken too confidently, should they?
She drove back to the coastal mansion. The sky was gradually darkening, and the streetlights on both sides of the road had already lit up. Her red Maserati slowly entered the villa area. There was still some distance to the mansion, and she vaguely saw a woman with long hair crouching in front of the black wrought-iron gate.
As her car headlights swept over, she caught sight of the woman’s face, and to her surprise, it was Elysia.
She looked extremely disheveled, wrapped in a thick coat, her hair messy, no makeup on, not even wearing a mask, seemingly unafraid of being recognized.
Isabella stopped the car and quietly watched her from a distance, hesitating whether to get out of the car. At that moment, a black Bentley Mulsanne drove by and stopped steadily in front of Elysia.
Then, the car door opened, and a pair of long legs stepped out from inside.
Elysia lifted her face and saw Andrew getting out of the car. She stood up excitedly from the ground, devoid of any dignity, and rushed over to him.
“Andrew, you’re finally back. I’ve been waiting for you for so long,” Elysia’s eyes were red, her trembling lips already purple from the cold, indicating she had indeed been waiting here for a long time.
But he looked at her coldly and asked, “Is there something wrong?”
Tears immediately welled up in Elysia’s eyes, and she choked out, “Andrew, you must have heard about my situation. Please help me, or my reputation will be ruined.”
“If you knew it would ruin your reputation, why did you do it in the first place?” His blue eyes narrowed slightly, his voice low and indifferent.
Elysia’s body visibly stiffened, then she hung her head in shame. Being kept by someone was never a glamorous affair. She couldn’t lift her head in front of him.
“I know I was wrong, Andrew. I won’t do it again,” she said, her voice quivering with remorse.
“You’re an adult now, you know right from wrong, and you have the ability to act independently. I have no obligation to control you, nor can I help you,” he said, walking past her, but Elysia kept blocking his way, refusing to leave.
“Andrew, I know you can help me. As long as you’re willing, there’s nothing you can’t do,” Elysia said as if it were her due.
He stared coldly at her. “I can do many things, but why should I help you? Elysia, you’re not my responsibility.”
After hearing this, Elysia’s face turned pale. “Andrew, please consider my brother’s sake and help me one more time. I promise this will be the last time.”
“What guarantee do you have?” he asked icily.
Elysia was stunned by his question.