The polite smile on Madeline''s face instantly froze, then seemed to crack.


    Genesis, standing beside her, didn''t look much better.


    "Mr. Summers, are you sure you''re not mistaken..."


    Mr. Summers informed them gravely, "While LAU has never publicly disclosed the identity of its owner, you would have found it with a proper background check. The owner of LAU is, in fact, Ms. ire Lockwood."


    Madeline and Genesis practically fled the office. Their faces were grim as they emerged from the LAU building.


    Madeline was furious. "What kind of background check did you do? Why didn''t you find out that ire was the owner of LAU? You made me look like aplete fool!"


    Genesis felt wronged. "A full check would have taken at least a month! You were the one who couldn''t wait and insisted oning today..."


    "Are you ming me now?" Madeline shot her a re.


    Genesis immediately fell silent. Besides, who would have thought ire was the owner of LAU? It was unbelievable.


    With no outlet for her rage, Madeline kicked the tire of their car. "How did she get so damn lucky? She started her ownpany? And it''s huge!"


    "She must have used Mr. Quigley," Genesis spected.


    Madeline thought the same, which only fueled her jealousy.


    Genesis saw her opening and tried to guide her. "You should get Mr. Quigley to help you out, too. Once you be a major yer yourself, even A-list celebrities will be nothing more than your puppets."


    Madeline was intrigued. On the ride back, she schemed, trying to figure out how to leverage Felix''s resources to elevate herself above everyone else.


    She was still lost in thought when Genesis, who was scrolling on her phone, let out a sudden shriek.


    Madeline frowned, annoyed. "What are you screaming about?"


    Genesis''s face was ashen. "We have a problem!"


    Genesis had been in this business for nearly twenty years and had seen it all. For


    her to lose herposure like this, the problem had to be serious.


    Madeline snatched the phone from her hands. Her expression froze instantly.


    "How could this be?"


    "Who posted this?"


    "Who secretly filmed these videos?"


    Furious and panicked, Madeline tried to call Dominic to demand why he hadn''t deleted the videos. He didn''t pick up. When she tried again, his phone was off.


    "Take them down! Get someone to


    take them down now! I don''t care what it costs!" Madeline was in a full-blown pante if these videos


    Spread, her life was over.


    Genesis made several frantic calls before turning back to Madeline, her face pale.


    "It''s toote. They''re already everywhere."


    Madeline buried her face in her hands. "It''s over."


    She deeply regretted agreeing to make those videos. At the time, she had been so desperate for the role that she had deliberately catered to Dominic''s predilections and filmed, thosepromising clips: Later after she''d gotten involved with Felix, she used his influence to threaten


    Dominic into deleting them all.


    Dominic had sworn he''d erased everything. He had lied to her.


    ...


    Portside City.


    After finishing the tart she''d been craving, ire sank into a beanbag chair with a contented sigh. Life was so much better without that jerk in it.


    Noreen, sitting nearby, had barely touched her food and kept ncing at her phone.


    ire tilted her head, looking at her curiously. "What''s up? Waiting for a call?" "No, of course not."


    ire narrowed her eyes. "It''s written all over your face. Don''t lie."


    Noreen felt a pang of guilt and subconsciously touched her face.


    ire clicked her tongue. "Don''t tell me you''re waiting for a call from that jerk Seth."


    Noreen sighed. "He''s been avoiding


    metely. He won''t answer my calls or reply to my texts. Even when he send a message through someone else, I hear nothing back."


    Now ire was really curious. "Why is he avoiding you? Did he do something he''s ashamed of?"