Selena was caught between laughter and tears.
Claire Cameron gently rested Selena’s chin on her shoulder as they shared a hug.
“Claire, you busy bee.
You’re finally back.”
“Let me have a look.
Have you lost any weight?” Claire let her go and looked her up and down, as if Selena were a doll.
“Selena, it’s been so long, and you’re still as beautiful as ever.
It’s such a waste that a face like yours isn’t in show business.
You’re easily prettier than any of the actresses at the company.”
Selena didn’t pay much mind to her own appearance.
She had delicate features, a small, oval-shaped face, and fair skin.
The beauty mark under her right eye added a touch of mysterious charm.
She smiled and cupped her own face.
“Alright, alright, stop with the compliments.”
These past few days, because of Sylas Vaughn, she couldn’t eat or sleep well.
‘How could I possibly be in good shape?’
Her love for Sylas Vaughn had lasted for ten years.
That feeling was already deeply rooted in her heart; it wasn’t something she could simply sever on a whim.
“Ah, I’m exhausted.
After a few hours on the plane, I’m finally home.”
Claire stepped through the door, changed into a pair of comfortable slippers, and turned to Selena.
“Selena, go change your clothes, quick.
I’m taking you out for some good food first, and I’ll introduce you to Mr.
Hawthorne while we’re at it.
He’s full of praise for your work, always mentions you to me, and has been wanting to talk to you about a potential collaboration.
Selena, this is a huge opportunity.
You have to grab it.”
‘Mr.
Hawthorne?
Lucas Hawthorne?’
Selena knew that Claire worked for Vantage Company, which had emerged as a new entertainment giant in the country over the past two years.
Many of the hottest celebrities had come from this company.
They had a unique eye for picking scripts and actors, and nearly every TV series they produced became a massive hit.
That was precisely why Vantage was able to rise to the top of the entertainment industry in just two short years, standing in a league of its own.
Years ago, her maternal grandfather had gone to great lengths to groom her to inherit the Sinclair Family’s business.
If her father hadn’t forced her to give up control of the Sinclair Family after the old man passed away, how could she have spent those three years at the Vaughn residence, leisurely writing multiple scripts and becoming famous overnight?
Claire brought Selena to Vantage Company and introduced her to Zoe Zane and Lucas Hawthorne.
Zoe Zane, a director at Vantage Pictures, was one of the talents Lucas Hawthorne valued most.
He was also a renowned director in the industry, and Claire was the producer on his team.
On the surface, the two were work partners, but privately, their relationship was a tangled mess.
Lucas Hawthorne had spared no expense to hire Zoe Zane, which was how Vantage Pictures got on the right track.
Therefore, at Vantage, Zoe Zane’s words carried a lot of weight.
When Lucas Hawthorne met Selena, he enthusiastically shook her hand.
After all, Selena had written scripts for their company before, and they had been very well-received.
Plus, she was Claire’s best friend and had the endorsement of a major director like Zoe Zane, so joining Vantage was naturally smooth sailing.
Lucas Hawthorne didn’t mention what happened that day at all, perhaps not wanting to make her feel awkward.
Pretending they had never met was for the best.
“Instead of formal titles, I much prefer to call you Miss Camille.
We are thrilled to have you join us, Miss Camille,” Lucas Hawthorne said.
You see, Selena had an official online account under the name Camille.
Netizens held Camille in high regard, but she had never revealed her true identity on the account.
Therefore, unless you were an industry insider, few people on the outside knew what Camille really looked like.
“Thank you, Mr.
Hawthorne,” Selena replied politely, remaining quite calm and not showing any excessive excitement.
As she walked out of Lucas Hawthorne’s office, Claire was still in the lounge chatting with a few artists.
Seeing Selena come out, she called, “Selena!”
Selena turned at the sound of her name and saw Claire cheerfully introducing her to her friends.
“Listen up, everyone!
Selena is a treasure to me, so if you end up working together, you’d better not bully her.”
“A friend of the beautiful Miss Cameron is a friend of mine, of course!
Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take good care of her!”
A sunny and handsome young man stood up, patting his chest in a confident guarantee.
Then, he moved closer to Selena to hit on her.
“Hey, little miss, what’s your name?”
Selena looked at the boy before her, who seemed to be no more than seventeen or eighteen, and didn’t answer his question directly.
He had called her “little miss,” yet she was clearly several years older than him.
‘Isn’t he just asking me to take advantage of him?’
Just then, a slightly older boy nearby teased, “Oh my god, Jasper!
You little rascal, learning to hit on pretty girls now, are you?”
“What, can’t I?” the boy called Jasper shot back, tilting his head up with a defiant look.
“You can, you can.
It’s just that this pretty lady doesn’t seem to want to pay any attention to a little squirt like you.”
Claire chimed in, “Hey, you two, don’t be so classless.
If you scare my precious girl, I’ll have Mr.
Hawthorne teach you a lesson.”
Watching them banter and joke around, Selena felt an unprecedented warmth in her heart.
It was the first time in her life she had ever felt this way.
In the past, she had wasted too much of her life on Sylas Vaughn.
Now, she just wanted to enjoy life to the fullest.
She couldn’t care less about all that nonsense with marriage and love anymore.
Selena had her hands in her pockets when Claire came over and gently linked arms with her.
A moment later, they noticed a woman approaching in the distance.
Selena instinctively turned her head, using one hand to cover half her face, not wanting the woman to see her.
Claire noticed her strange reaction and followed her gaze.
“Well, speak of the devil.”
Selena gently tugged on Claire’s wrist, signaling for her not to do anything rash.
Hannah Hayes walked in, wearing a long white dress and high heels.
Her curly brown hair was draped over one shoulder, and she exuded a captivating charm.
She was accompanied by a man who looked like a bodyguard, and she flipped through a folder while discussing something with him.
Selena had spent three years with the Vaughn Family, but she never knew them to have any dealings with Vantage.
As far as she knew, Vantage Group was founded solely by Lucas Hawthorne and had no connection to the Vaughn Family.
‘But why would Hannah Hayes suddenly show up here?’
Coincidentally, she had just signed her contract and looked up to see Hannah Hayes.
From the looks of it, Hannah Hayes seemed very familiar with this place.
‘If she’s here, then what about Sylas Vaughn?’
“Selena, how can you just swallow your anger like that!
Are you a total pushover?”
Claire was about to explode with frustration at Selena’s tolerance.
Selena understood.
She and Claire had different perspectives, so of course they saw things differently.
“Claire, have you forgotten my plans?”
Those few words were enough to jolt Claire back to reality.
If it weren’t for someone in Brookfall she couldn’t let go of, she probably wouldn’t have wanted to stay at all.
And she certainly wouldn’t be putting up with people like Hannah Hayes.
All she wanted now was to earn more money, establish her own life in Brookfall, and finally, bring back the most important person to her.
Claire knew this very well, which was why after Selena left the Vaughn Family, Claire had made a special trip back to the Vaughn residence to retrieve the study abroad application that the old master had prepared for her.