"If there''s a line, Dn should be at the front. After all, he''s been waiting for eight


    years."


    ire conceded, "...Fair point."


    After talking about her own life, Noreen asked about ire''s.


    "Has work been going welltely?"


    "It''s been okay," ire said, her eyes flickering for a moment.


    Noreen didn''t miss the detail. She stopped toweling her hair. "What''s wrong? Is there a problem?"


    "Oh, it''s nothing major. It''s just that the third female lead, an actress shoehorned in by an investor, keeps adding scenes for herself. She even took my best scenes and adapted them for her character. I tried talking to the screenwriter, but he just shut me down."


    Noreen''s eyes grew cold. "I''ll talk to the head of production about it."


    So they wanted to y the connections game, did they?


    Did they really think ire had no one in her corner?


    She had worked this hard to get where she was. What was the point if not to back up her best friend?


    ire quickly stopped her. "It''s overkill. I can handle this myself. I haven''t been in this industry for years for nothing!"


    "Well, if you can''t handle it, you''d better tell me."


    "You got it!"


    ...


    Yvonne Laurent finished treating the swelling on Bianca''s face and then asked about what had happened that night.


    "I went to talk to Noreen behind Seth''s back, but I didn''t expect Lillian to blow my cover."


    "What did Seth say?"


    Bianca adjusted the ice pack on her cheek. "Seth told me not to go see her again."


    Yvonne frowned. "He didn''t say anything else?"


    "No."


    "He didn''t mention calling off the wedding?"


    "No, not that either."


    Yvonne felt a mixture of relief and unease.


    They couldn''t figure out what Seth was thinking, and their hearts were in constant suspense, a persistent feeling of anxiety hanging over them.


    Lillian Laurent whispered, "I actually think he was worried about you. He was afraid you''d be mistreated at Noreen''s, so he didn''t want you to be the one to face her."


    Bianca paused.


    She hadn''t considered that angle.


    Lillian continued, "And when I told him you went to find Noreen, he immediately left his dinner meeting toe find you. He must have been worried you''d get bullied over there!"


    "Now that you mention it, that does seem possible," Yvonne agreed.


    Bianca''s heart felt a little more settled.


    But the immediate problem she faced was still unresolved, so she couldn''tpletely rx.


    However, problems kepting one after another.


    The head of Aethelred Capital contacted Bianca, demanding early payment of the monthly installments and interest.


    "Mr. te, isn''t this a bit inappropriate?" Bianca hadn''t expected Aethelred Capital call her about this.


    Besides, where was she supposed to find that much money right now?


    Mr. te offered a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. "Ms. Lowell, I''m the one who tent you the money, so naturally, I''m the one who makes the rules it''s stated clearly in the loan, agreement that if the borrower presents a financial risk, we have the right to collect the funds early."


    "But I''m not a financial risk..."


    "Ms. Lowell, do you really think people in our line of work don''t keep their ears to the ground?" Mr. te rudely cut off Bianca''s defense hear Ascendancy Group is about to go bankrupt."


    Bianca''s face tightened.


    She hadn''t expected the news to spread so quickly.


    And Ascendancy Group''s bankruptcy was indeed an unforeseen event.


    When she took out the loan, she hadn''t factored in this possibility.


    So now, she had no way to argue with Mr. te.


    let


    "This Friday is the final repayment deadline. I hope, Ms. Lowell, you can transfer the money to Aethelred Capital''s ount as soon as possible. Otherwise... we''ll have to resort to our standard collection procedures, publicly."


    Mr. te didn''t specify what his collection methods were, but a terrible premonition


    washed over Bianca, a chill creeping up her spine.