"Are you going to deny it now?" Esther said as she slowly straightened up, "Do you think I will believe you?"
"I don’t need any schemes to break your engagement," As she spoke, Ella turned her phone towards Esther.
A video started playing.
Esther squinted for a moment. And suddenly, her eyes widened. It was her and Ricky in the video. They were kissing each other right outside the university campus in the darkness.
"You..." Esther snatched Ella’s phone and deleted the video.
Ella clicked her tongue, "I have some copies if you need it. Don’t be so desperate," She elegantly reached out her hand and snatched her phone.
"Why do you have this...?" Esther’s fingers curled into a fist.
"That’s not important now, is it? If I wanted to, I would have shown the video to Mo Jun that day in the Yu Mansion."
Esther’s gaze flickered.
Ella smiled sweetly, "With this video, I had no reason to scheme against you so brutally that he would witness you cheating on him." That’s another thing that I cannot tame Mr. King’s brutality.
"Do you want me to thank you?" Esther narrowed her eyes, "In one way or another, this has to be related to you."
Ella sighed, "Esther, in the future, I will be unrelated to you."
Ella touched her short hair, "All the grudges of the past, let it be settled here. I will let you off this time for everything you have done. And this the last thing I will do for for our parents."
Once she finished speaking, Ella turned to leave.
She had barely taken a step when she stopped and looked over her shoulder, "But in the future, if you ever try to harm me or my loved ones, even our parents won’t be able to shield you," her voice turned cold.
Something in Ella’s gaze made Esther stagger a few steps back.
When Ella was gone from there, Esther snapped out of her daze.
She shakily reached out a hand to wipe the cold sweat on her forehead. A hint of hatred glinted in her eyes.
The photoshoot started well.
In no time, the entire place was decorated in sleek monotonous tones.
The male lead was a renowned actor in the industry. Once he arrived, the first session of the photoshoot started, sporting him and Ruby.
Ella stood at a little distance, watching the scene like a proud mommy hen. The more she watched Ruby, the further her chest swelled.
Then the second session of the photoshoot featured the male lead and the second female lead, Violet, who played the protagonist’s mistress.
And not so surprisingly, Violet also stole the show. The moment the flashes started, she had the sly appearance of a second woman.
Ella, with her meager acting skills, was blinded by all these talents.
Suddenly, a hush fell over the entire place.
Ella turned around, catching a few members whispering amongst each other regarding the ’new investor’ before they rushed over to the entrance.
"Please continue. You don’t have to halt the photoshoot for me."
This familiar voice. No way—
Ella’s eyes widened as she watched Max enter the place with a hand tucked inside his pocket.
Max was the new investor?
In her previous life, Dean Mo’s death happened way later and the Mo Family remained a major investor of this drama, retaining part of its creative control.
But this time, it changed...
While Ella was drowned in her thoughts, she realized that the crowd had parted to give way to Max.
But Max suddenly stopped and looked towards the center where the photoshoot was taking place.
He bypassed the crowd and walked straight towards Ruby.
Ruby had just shifted from her position when a hand clasped over her elbow.
When she looked up, she found Max standing in front of her.
The crowd gasped and broke out in whispers.
"So, the female lead actually knows the new investor?"
"Explains how she got the role."
"Shh, she was selected on the spot by the Director. Moreover, this new investor came into picture just now."
"But who knows what dirty games are involved..."
"Right, even the Director is not a saint, you know..."
Ruby swung Max’s hand away the moment they got away from the crowd.
Max sighed as he turned to her, "I heard about you getting this role a while ago. My parents were angry but I did not pursue it, thinking that you’d soon give up..."
"Why should I give up?" Ruby cut him off, an edge of ice in her gaze as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Used to her attitude, Max sighed, "Ruby, we are getting married soon. Your father wanted us to marry months ago. But my parents wanted you to graduate in peace so they have been patient."
Ruby nodded slowly, "So?"
"You know what I am trying to say," Max frowned, "As my future wife, you just need to stay home. Right now, you can take care of my parents. In the future, you will be taking care of our kids."
With a soft pause, he added, "Moreover, it doesn’t suit the reputation of the Hill Family if their mistress is out here, romancing other men..."
"Are you done?" Ruby narrowed her eyes.
"When Ella was in the peak of her modelling career, she was also willing to leave it all and be my wife. These are the conditions one must fulfill if they want to be Mrs. Hill."
As he spoke, Max looked at Ruby calmly, "I have said what needed to be said. If you want to marry me, then you will have to give up on this role right away."
"What if I don’t?" Ruby spoke, her voice soft.
Ruby’s gaze frosted over as she opened her mouth, "If being a part of your Hill family means I have to give up being myself then I do not—"
"Ruby!" Ella’s voice cut through the empty place.
Ruby stopped speaking as she turned, only to find Ella walking towards her.
When their gazes met, Ella slowly shook her head.