“How are you going to break your contract with Veridian?
You signed that ten-year deal without my permission.
You had a huge fight with your old company just to get out of that contract, and Veridian was the one who paid the termination fee.
Now you want to leave?
Who can possibly afford the penalty?”
‘What in the world has gotten into this girl?
Her behavior is becoming more and more impossible to understand.’
Stella Lockwood smiled and draped herself over her sister.
Knowing her shocking words had startled her, she chuckled softly and said, “Don’t worry, not right now.
This is a plan for the future.
Sis, you have to trust me.
As long as we seize the right opportunity, we can leave Veridian and make a name for ourselves somewhere else…”
Serena Lockwood decided to treat her sister’s behavior as a momentary lapse in sanity and asked with pent-up frustration, “Why are you so dead set on leaving Veridian?
What did Don Joyce do to you?
Why are you acting so strange?
Did he cheat on you?
Did you walk in on him?”
“Actually, the scariest thing about a man isn’t that he cheats, but that he…” ‘…wants you dead.’ But she couldn’t say that.
After a pause, she smiled and said, “It’s that he’s been using you all along, yet he has you so thoroughly convinced that even if he sold you out, you’d still think he was doing it for your own good…
Sis, as women, we can’t be foolish and just think about how to depend on men.
We should learn how to respect ourselves, be strong, and be independent, shouldn’t we?”
Serena Lockwood stared at her sister in astonishment.
‘Of course, I agree with that point of view, but since when did Stella have such rational thoughts?
This girl has always been a hopeless romantic, a completely naive little kid.’
“Sis, don’t look at me like that…
I’ve just grown up, that’s all…”
Stella Lockwood smiled and hugged her sister tightly.
‘From now on, I have to protect our family.
And to protect our family, I have to stay as far away from Don Joyce as humanly possible.’
*
Don Joyce walked out, put on a black mask, and took the stairs down to the underground parking garage.
After getting into his car, he replayed the day’s events in his mind.
‘The more I think about it, the weirder it gets.
How did that girl suddenly become a completely different person?
She used to be so obedient, so easy to manipulate.
Now she dares to defy me, even dares to offend me—isn’t she supposed to be completely infatuated with me?’
Just as he was lost in thought, his phone rang.
It was his mother.
He frowned but answered anyway.
“Mom, what’s up?”
“Who told you to go see that wretched girl?
Get back here right now!” Ms.
Audrey Osborne, the head of Veridian Media, commanded sternly.
“You’re the face of Veridian right now.
If you get caught up in some scandal with that girl, it’ll be a disaster!”
“Mom, I’ll be careful.”
“Come back right now.”
“I can’t.
I’m going to have dinner with Mr.
Morton…”
“Don’t you dare.
You’re just going to plead her case again.
Save your breath.
That girl doesn’t appreciate the chances I’ve given her one bit.
And you’re forbidden from managing her from now on.
If you want to get anything out of her, you have to back her into a corner.
Your soft approach is useless…”
Ms.
Audrey Osborne snorted.
“Mom, Stella is a talented artist.
Can’t you take a more long-term view?
If we develop her properly, she’s guaranteed to make a lot of money for Veridian in the future.
Think about it, our roster of female artists is a bit thin right now.
Those two you’ve been heavily promoting lately?
We’ve given them more than enough resources, but they just don’t have what it takes to make it big.
Stella Lockwood has the looks, and as long as her acting stays consistent, it’s only a matter of time before she blows up…”
Don Joyce saw great potential in Stella Lockwood.
His professional instincts told him that this girl was bound to be a star; she just needed the right break.
And he had to be the one to create that break for her, which would, in turn, usher in a new era for Veridian.
“Oh, please.
Don’t be fooled by that pretty little vixen’s face.
Someone like her is nowhere near good enough for you.
It’s fine if you want to fool around, but don’t get yourself dragged into it.
Just stay far away from her.”
With that, she hung up.
Don Joyce sighed in resignation.
‘I know Stella Lockwood isn’t good enough for me.
That’s why I want to make her a star; maybe then my family would accept her.
After so many years in the entertainment industry, I’ve seen every type of person imaginable, but this girl…
I genuinely like her.’
‘But today, she really pissed me off.
Fine.
I’ll give her the cold shoulder for a few days.’