Chapter 20
The car zoomed away from the Worry-Free Studio like a bat out of hell. In the end, the necklace wasn't thrown away; it was just carelessly tossed aside.Arthur shut his eyes, trying to rest, but his mind was a mess, full of restless thoughts that wouldn't go away.
Back at the office, he made a beeline for his private elevator. Just as he turned a corner, he heard a familiar voice and stopped dead in his tracks,looking towards the sound.
There, in the corner, stood Ava, her back to him, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
"Stop pressuring me! I know making it in the entertainment industry is tough, and breaking into fashion is even harder, especially for someone like me with no connections. But I don't want anything to mess up my relationship with Arthur."
Ava's voice was thick with emotion, tears streaming down her face as she spoke.
"Are you nuts? There are tons of pretty girls like you in the entertainment industry. This opportunity was yours, but they took your job because of their connections," Donny Dickson said, noticing a figure nearby and speaking even more harshly on purpose. "I don't care!" Ava cried harder, her voice breaking. "I'd rather be jobless than ask for his help!""No way, if you lose this job. I'll terminate your contract and blacklist you in the industry. You'll never get a chance to become famous!"Donny stepped forward to grab Ava's arm, and they started to struggle. "Stop!" A cold voice cut through the air.
Arthur stepped forward, pushing Donny away and standing protectively in front of Ava. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, you should go back. I was just passing by your company,"Ava said quickly,waving her hand.
Arthur's eyes narrowed as he grabbed her wrist. "What happened to your hand?"
He glared at Donny. "I know you. Did you hurt her hand?"
"So what if I did!"
Donny looked defiant. "I had no choice.I told her to ask you for help, but she refused, so I had to drag her here!"
Arthur's face darkened. "How dare you!"
Donny swallowed hard. "The entertainment industry is just that realistic.No connections,no resources..."
"Enough, I'll terminate the contract. You can blacklist me if you want!"
Ava was shaking with anger, tears streaming down her face."Fin e, but there will be a penalty! It's a significant amount!" ′′Getlogt′′Arthur kicked Donny to the ground.Hearing the commotion, security guards rushed in and dragged Donny out,covering his mouth. Ava hung her head, looking pitiful. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble!""It doesn't matter!" Arthur handed her a tissue. "Leave the contract to me. I'll handle it for you!"
"No need! Maybe I'm just not cut out for the entertainment industry."
"Leave it to me!"
Arthur's phone rang, and he frowned. "You should go back. Don't worry,the job is yours!"
Watching him walk away, Ava wiped her tears, shook her hair, and left the company.
In the limousine, Donny gave a thumbs up. "Great acting! With your skills and resources, it's hard not to become a top actress!"
"Thanks for the compliment!" Ava took out a mirror to touch up her makeup.
Ten minutes later,Donny got a call and laughed happily. "It's done. This competition involves a collaboration between artists and designers; you're destined to become an overnight sensation!" After work, Ella went home as usual, opened the door, and found the place empty.She was worried. "Where are Sofia and Arthur?"
She quickly ran to the bedroom and found the luggage there,but Sofia was gone. She pulled out her phone and made several calls, but no one picked up.She found Arthur's number and dialed, but it was the same story-no answer. Ella was freaking out, dropped her bag, and rushed out the door.
Where could Sofia be?
She didn't know the area well and had no friends around here!
A million bad thoughts raced through her mind.
Her legs felt like jelly as she hurried through the neighborhood. After a short distance,she heard a familiar laugh.
"Grandma!"
In the park, Sofia was playing cards with some other elderly folks, while Arthur sat nearby, looking like a dutiful grandson.
Hearing her voice, both turned to look.
Sofia waved, showing off her cards. "You're back? Arthur was worried I'd be bored, so he brought me here to play! I ran into these folks playing cards and joined in!"
Ella sighed, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. "You should have called me!" "I didn't bring my phone!" Sofia laughed heartily. Ella shot a look at Arthur. "What about your phone?" "Left it at home." Arthur replied nonchalantly.Ten minutes later. Sofia was holding a bunch of money. "Look,I won all this! We can come back tomorrow!"
"As long as you're happy," Ella said, shaking her head.
As it got dark, cooking at home seemed like a hassle,so the three of them went to a restaurant.
After playing cards and enjoying a good meal, Sofia couldn't stop smiling.
Back home, Sofia pulled Ella aside. "Arthur seems great. You need to hold on to him. How's it been these past few days? That bracelet is very effective; I bet you'll have a baby next year!"
"Okay! You should rest now," Ella said, trying to hide her discomfort.
It was clear Sofia genuinely liked Arthur.
Today, as the two played cards in the park, they looked like a loving grandma and grandson.
But Ella still wanted a divorce. Her heart felt heavy with sorrow.
Back in the room, she saw Arthur in a video conference and didn't want to disturb him, so she sat quietly.
When the meeting ended, Arthur's indifferent gaze fel on her."Thanks for these past few days," Ella said, lowering her eyes, her lashes trembling. She clasped her hands tightly, feeling very nervous. Arthur closed his laptop without a word. just staring at her.
The room was eerily silent.Ella looked up. "Actually, you don't have to come back every day.You can go be with..."
Ava's name was on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't say it.
Arthur squinted, a smirk playing on his lips. "Are you kicking me out?"
Ella stood her ground,refusing to say more.
"Good job." Arthur muttered through gritted teeth and walked straight into the bathroom.
The night passed in silence.
In the morning, Ella found the other side of the bed already empty.
The door opened, and Sofia's kind voice called out, "You woke up late.Hurry and have breakfast. Before Arthur left, he reminded me to tell you to eat!"
On the dining table was a lavish breakfast spread.
Ella's eyes grew warm. In all their years together, she had never been treated like this.
"See, how thoughtful!" Sofia said, pulling Ella to sit down. "You need to hurry and have a baby!" "Okay," Ella mumbled, her mind buzzing, mechanically shoveling breakfast into her mouth. Sofia didn't notice anything unusual, continuing to praise Arthur like a broken record. making Ella's head ache. Ella quickly finished breakfast. "Grandma. I'm going to work! If you leave the house, make sure to bring your phone." Leaving that sentence, Ella fled in a hurry.
"You need to hurry and have a baby!"
Even through the door, Sofia's voice was still clearly heard.