Chapter 37

Lily Green's triumphant smile froze the moment she saw Lucy White and her team return with arms full of supplies. Suppressing the jealousy boiling inside her, she forced a casual tone as she stood up. "Mr. Smith, Ms. White, you've finished selling your items too?"

Ethan Smith didn’t even glance her way, walking straight to the sofa area and pouring himself a glass of water with deliberate elegance.

Lucy took the glass he handed her and replied nonchalantly, "Yeah."

Unwilling to let it go, Lily pressed further, "You bought so many ingredients—you must have earned a lot, right?"

The livestream chat exploded instantly:

[Ethan's ice-cold attitude is legendary]

[Why is Lily so annoying?]

Lucy swirled her glass, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Trade secret."

Lily's smile stiffened, her nails digging into her palms. Desperate to shift the conversation, she asked, "Are you two teams cooking together?"

"Yep." Lucy suddenly seemed amused, tilting her head. "And you're teaming up with Mr. Johnson?"

Lily immediately straightened, pride lacing her voice. "We helped Mr. Johnson sell his items before shopping together." She deliberately emphasized the words, stealing a glance at Lucy’s reaction.

Michael Johnson frowned slightly but stayed silent.

Lucy chuckled. "You two seem close. Old friends?"

Lily’s pulse spiked. The question was a trap—if she claimed familiarity, fans would accuse her of clinging to his fame; if she denied it, it would ruin her plans.

"We met on set," Michael interjected coolly.

Lily quickly added, "Mr. Johnson is very kind to all his co-stars."

Lucy toyed with her glass, feigning indifference. "I thought you'd known each other longer."

A cold sweat trickled down Lily’s back. She sensed the danger but had no choice. "You and Mr. Johnson go way back, don’t you?"

She smirked inwardly—if Lucy denied it, she could later paint her as a liar.

To her shock, Lucy nodded easily. "We grew up together. Our mothers are best friends."

The room erupted in murmurs. The livestream chat went wild:

[Bombshell revelation!]

[So the scandal was just childhood friends fighting?]

Lily paled. Everything was spiraling out of control.

"Is that so?" She forced a smile at Michael. "You never mentioned it before, Mr. Johnson."

Michael, unusually, smiled. "Lucy and I have twenty years of history."

"Pity," Lucy sighed dramatically. "One scandal was all it took to sink twenty years of friendship." Her gaze slid pointedly to Lily. "I still wonder who that mysterious informant was."

Michael’s expression darkened. He opened his mouth but faltered under Lucy’s icy stare.

Lily squirmed, nails biting deeper into her palms. She realized with dread that the trap she’d set was now snapping shut around her.