Chapter 1325:


    Meeting his gaze, she offered him a truly perplexed expression.


    Finally, Ss broke the silence. “If I may ask, which of my films captivates you most?” His voice was velvety, his eyes brimming with hopeful anticipation.


    Alice instantly recognized the mistake—he had misconstrued her presence for fandom.


    “I apologize,” she stated, her tone direct and unadorned, “but my idol is Maia.”


    With that sharp distinction, Alice dismissed the now-somewhat-presumptuous man. She produced her phone and immediately immersed herself in scrolling through news and online updates concerning Maia.


    Ss’s expression stiffened.


    Alice’s abrupt behavior was a clear dismissal, signaling an end to the dialogue and leaving him feeling noticeably deted once more.


    What kind of day was this? How many times had he been shrugged off? Had his entire fanbase simply evaporated?


    A sharp spike of frustration rose in him. Ss shot a hard nce at the woman beside him. Whatever initial admiration her appearance had sparked was gone, reced by a corrosive dislike.


    A fan of Maia? A malicious idea took root. Perhaps he could leverage her presence to manufacture some trouble, therebypelling Maia to intervene. That path would guarantee the fulfillment of the task Raegan had assigned.


    If Maia, however, chose to ignore themotion, she would acquire the reputation of being indifferent to her own supporters.


    Either oue would serve his purpose.


    As he was lost in these cold calctions, Ss’s gaze turned cial.


    The woman sitting next to him had, in his eyes, utterly transformed into a convenient tool, and this was an opportunity delivered directly to hisp. He would, of course, seize it.


    Alice, oblivious to Ss’s unfriendly scrutiny, remained preupied. She was busyposing a message to Maia, informing her that she had rushed over and was now upying the very spot recently vacated by the ousted woman.


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    Following that, Alice published a post on social media: “What a thrill! My mentor is not only a fashion designer but also a jewelry designer. I feel incredibly fortunate to know her.”


    She thenvished sincere praise upon Maia within the rted trending topics.


    Throughout the venue, the murmur of the guests continued to revolve around Maia, her name the unavoidable nucleus of every discussion.


    Suddenly, a girlish voice sliced through the ambient noise nearby. “Dad! You have to move quickly. After the disy today, who knows how many new suitors Maia will attract?”


    The man beside her responded with a low, resonant tone. “Indeed. Maia is even more imposing than I had imagined. I once believed she carried the weight of some powerful backing, but today I realize she has never needed anyone or anything to lean on. She is a self-sustaining force.”


    Alice lifted her head. She observed the speaker—a girl—and another beside her, who was lounging, hands sped behind her head, a lollipop perpetually lodged in her mouth.


    Alice did not recognize them, but their animated discussion of Maia immediately captured her attention.


    “Tsk. Mnie, are you serious? If that were the case, Ethan would be relegated to the same status as your uncle,” Marisa snipped, arching a brow.


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