<h4>Chapter 335: Using a Hidden Hand</h4>


    Leah’s face turned ice-cold, her voice equally frigid. "What did you say? You really heard that?"


    "I really did!"


    "And did you record it?"


    "No... Do you think I’m as scheming as E? Hmph. I just wanted to let you know, so you’d understand exactly how you got knocked out of thepetition. There are plenty of girls with better family backgrounds and advantages than yours lined up for a date with Director Taylor!"


    Be spoke icily from the other end, "Besides, with E badmouthing you, calling you arrogant and ruthless, if I were a guy, I wouldn’t want you either!"


    Leah gripped her phone tightly. "I understand."


    Furious, she threw her phone onto the floor.


    The line went dead, filling the silence with the dial tone.


    Tears brimming, Leah stomped on the phone, finally turning it off.


    Little did she know, Be was smirking on the other end, satisfied with her scheming.


    Leah had been through highs and lows in her life, and Be had just struck another match, one that was sure to reach E soon. Be didn’t even need to lift a finger; a few words were all it took to fan the mes. It felt good.


    Leah sat silently in her room, tears streaming down her face.


    Even though she still lived in a luxury house, Leah now worked for apany as a model—a seemingly morous but tough job. Since the Carter Group had fallen, people had subtly, and not so subtly, started to bully her, giving her the hardest work, the longest hours, and the least pay.


    She couldn’t ept it! She couldn’t stand that her once-beautiful life had been wrecked by E!


    Seeds of resentment nted themselves one after another in Leah’s heart, growing, taking root, and rising into a towering tree of vengeance.


    ...


    An hour earlier.


    E, unaware of Leah’s simmering resentment, was happily chatting and dining with friends.


    "E, you’re finally in the clear! Sean’s whole train wreck of a family is finally getting what they deserve!" Amelia chuckled. "No more dealing with that n of phony saints and jerks."


    E smiled faintly, ncing at Eric, whose refined profile and elegance were captivating as he meticulously picked out fish bones.


    "Not so fast—bad people have a way of sticking around." E thought of Rachel, whose case had just been heard; she’d been sentenced to three years for assault.


    Three years might not be long, but E knew that a woman would change after time in prison. By the time she was released, she’d be incapable of causing any trouble.


    "Wasn’t there talk that Henry was disfigured? What’s his situation now?" Richard asked with curiosity.


    Eric shot him a chilly look—way to spoil the mood.


    "The professor I hired had a scheduling conflict, so he’ll have to wait two more months before going to Country W."


    Brian chuckled. "Eric, so you don’t hate him anymore?"


    Eric ced a perfectly de-boned piece of fish in E’s bowl, a cool smile on his face. "We need to handle things appropriately. He was injured because of E, so I have to take some responsibility."


    Eric’s response left everyone feeling a bit odd.


    Amelia leaned close to E, whispering, "E, if he protected you enough to risk his face, do you think... he might like you?"


    E shot her a look, unwilling to engage with the question.


    Whether he did or not, she and he could never end up together.


    But Amelia, always meddlesome, added quietly with a trace of worry, "It doesn’t feel right. I think it’s best if you stop seeing him."


    E paused, nodded, and signaled that she understood.


    She had already been keeping her distance. She understood Henry’s feelings, and if she encouraged him, he would only fall deeper.


    Eric and Richard were deep in conversation about LXL’stest project. Stars groomed by LXL and their web dramas were extremely popr, drawing audiences with adaptations of trending online novels, especially epic fantasy series.


    "Fantasy films are costly. If we don’t produce them well, it will only damage LXL’s reputation. To make it high-quality, we’d need significant investments in money and resources. Let’s wait a few years until LXL has more funding; then we can hire a top Hollywood team to take it on," Eric stated, declining Richard’s suggestion to produce arge-scale fantasy film.


    "Exactly! The cost is too high, and LXL hasn’t been around long enough to pull it off. Let’s stick to fresh romantic stories for now!" Amelia chimed in,ughing.


    Richard grinned suggestively, "Or we could do romantic action films!"


    "Get lost!" Eric shot him an annoyed look.


    Richard chuckled sheepishly. "Hey, making a good romantic action movie isn’t easy either..."


    As LXL’s prized director, Richard’s expertise was in acquiring hot-selling web novel rights and bringing out the most impactful elements in each adaptation.


    E, however, had a different perspective.


    "Eric, while big films do need arge investment, if we make one remarkable hit, our reputation will skyrocket quickly."


    Eric gave E a thoughtful look. "Alright, let’s n for next year. This year, the budget is just too high."


    Now that Eric had acquired Carter Group and rebranded it as LR, he needed to pour time and resources into stabilizing and growing it. His hope was to restore LR’s former glory from Ava’s era within a few short years.


    They continued their meal, the conversation flowing easily, with a light and cheerful atmosphere.


    With Carter Group’s fall, E’s worries had mostly lifted. However, Amelia suddenly mentioned Hannah, reminding E of someone else thriving far from sight.


    "E, when I visited Country W recently, I think I saw Hannah," Amelia said, ncing at E. "She looked like she was living it up."


    E’s heart skipped a beat, and Eric’s expression darkened. "Our team should have her information soon."


    Hannah’s background information! E took a deep breath.


    "That woman is bound toe back, E. She’s probably ingratiating herself with a powerful family by now, so be careful!" Amelia warned.


    Richard gave Amelia a look. "Eric will know how to handle her. Why are you so anxious?"


    Amelia huffed, "I’m just concerned about E, that’s all!"


    E’s lips curved into a slight smile, her eyes sparkling. "I know; someone warned me, so I’ll be ready."


    If Hannah had indeed caught the attention of an influential family, E knew she’d likely make aeback. E intended to be fully prepared before Hannah reappeared.


    After dinner, they lingered for another half-hour before parting ways.


    Eric, arm around E, strolled down a charming, picturesque street nearby.


    "Well, Mr. Nelson and Miss Davis, what a coincidence!" A woman’s voice rang out, cheerful and warm.


    It was Mason and Be, standing in front of them. Mason’s expression turned stormy as he red at Eric. Eric’s recent moves had cost him hundreds of millions.