Twisted Ties of Love

Chapter 354

He fought his way up to where he is now, doing a lot of dirty stuff. He wasn't a good guy and was willing to do whatever it took to reach his goals. He was super petty and held grudges like crazy. If he decided to mess with someone, he'll go all out and never quit halfway. Even if his head was bleeding, he would make sure to take the other person down with him. He was full of bad vibes and wasn't scared of anything.

The saying that environment shaped a person's character really showed in Brett.

Born into the emotionless Windham family, Brett never knew love, let alone gave a damn about it. Over time, he sealed himself in darkness as a way to protect himself.

He was good at pretending and scheming. He always left himself an escape route and never let himself get trapped.

But in his calculated life, an unexpected thing happened – Izabella. She appeared in Brett's life like a beam of light shining into his dark world.

In the dark, even a faint ray of light can't be ignored, especially when Izabella was so dazzling.

A seed quietly fell into his heart, took root, and eventually grew into a towering tree.

Brett treated his employees well and paid them high salaries, and his company had all the advantages of other companies in the market plus some unique features that others don't have.

Take Liam for example. Although he worked hard, he was more than willing to do so for Brett.

Liam had been working for Brett for almost 13 years and knew him well. Brett was very competitive and good at pretending. He always gave off an invincible and superior vibe. After pretending for so long, even he forgot he had a vulnerable side, like his getting lung cancer now.

If Liam hadn't come to R City with him, Brett might have died here.

He would have died quietly, with no one knowing, because no one cared about his vulnerability or thought he could die.

No one would have expected Brett to have such a short life.

The only people who really cared about Brett and didn't want him to die were probably those related to his interests. But without considering interests, no one cared about Brett, which was really sad.

After leaving the cemetery, Izabella didn't know where to go. In such a big city, there was not a single place where she could feel at ease. Was she really this weak?

Izabella returned to the hotel, tidied up her makeup, and got out of the car.

The "Here Comes the Superstars" trending topic lasted all night before it started to slow down, but then the posts from Ariana and Harper took over.

Izabella didn't pay attention to the headlines. Instead, she looked through the car window and observed the surroundings. As expected, she spotted some paparazzi squatting in a corner.

Luckily, the hotel's security was excellent, and they didn't get in.

Izabella got out of the car, picked up her bag, and walked into the hotel. At the entrance, she handed her ID and room key to the security guard for inspection. After confirming her identity, they let her in.

Back in her hotel room, Izabella sent a message to Casey, telling him she was safe, and then started paying attention to the trending topics online.

It seemed like Ariana was well-prepared. All the paid trolls and haters started paying attention to this hot topic, digging up some of Izabella's "dark history."

Ariana posted her accusations against Izabella.

"I've been giving my all for this performance these days, but I didn't expect this outcome. I can only say you can't judge a book by its cover, and I should be more careful when accepting jobs in the future.

Also, I hope the production team can explain why they let a scandal-ridden actress join this show and tarnish our profession. Is it because you and Mr. York are friends, Mr. Kane?

I don't want to say much more. I'll save it for the press conference in two days."

The top comment was from Harper, who reposted the message with the caption "Keep it up!"

Harper and Ariana share some common fans, who saw the trending topic and reposted it to show their support.

"Harper really spoils Ariana."

"This couple is so real!"

"I'm already in contact with the press conference. Harper and Ariana will attend together. I'm so looking forward to their live stream."

"I feel bad for Ariana. I wonder when Izabella will be banned?"

"Why have all the directors I like been deceived by Izabella lately? Have Mr. Kane and Mr. York been bought off by her?"

"I'm a bit disappointed. I initially thought Izabella's performance was good and started to like her, but I didn't expect this outcome. She actually changed the script on her own."

"Is the person above an Izabella fan? It's ridiculous that she still has fans, but congrats on leaving the dark side and joining Izabella's hater group."

Ariana was watching the trending topic, not expecting her "victim" act to work so well. She's been trending for over 24 hours, and her popularity is still rising.

Using a burner account, Ariana discussed Izabella with other netizens. She's already liked many topics bashing Izabella and thought Izabella brought this on herself!

It's her fault for stealing her role. She said she'd make the production team regret it and make Brad York regret choosing Izabella.

She leaned back on the couch with a face mask on and snacks on the coffee table in front of her.

What did being the second female lead in "Blood Ties" count for? She's famous now, a big star, and can pick any script she wants.

Ariana's agent called her with good news. "Ariana, I've already received several lead actress scripts for you. You've really hit it big this time. Also, there's a popular reality dating show that invited you and Harper to participate."

Ariana's smile froze. "What? They want me to join a reality dating show with Harper?"

The agent explained, "It's just a showmance for the program; it won't affect anything in real life. Haven't you seen your CP ranking? You guys are in second place already! This is a good thing for you, so don't underestimate the power of your fans. They're willing to spend money on you guys. Why not take advantage of free resources?"

Ariana thought of Casey and clenched her phone.

The agent encouraged her, "You're on fire right now, so seize the opportunity. Besides, I think Harper is pretty good for you, both in terms of ability and looks."

"He's not worthy!" Ariana blurted out.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing." Ariana sulked, thinking to herself that Harper didn't deserve her. If it weren't for her, how could he have made a name for himself? He might still be a nobody.

Ariana felt he wasn't good enough when she thought of Harper's smug face and how he relied on a woman to get famous.

Ariana couldn't help but think of Casey; his handsome face, superb acting skills, and prominent family background made her heart flutter. Only a man like him deserved her. But why did he fall for Izabella? What's so great about Izabella?

Ariana was unwilling to accept this, but she couldn't deny that her agent had a point. Since she was popular, she needed to seize the opportunity.

Anyway, it's just for show; she wouldn't lose anything.

Seeing Ariana's silence, the agent carefully asked, "Isn't Harper yours?"

"Yeah, so what?"

Having been with her for so long, the agent knew what she was thinking, "You did a good job this time; Harper helped you; just think of it as returning a favor."

Ariana wasn't the pure and innocent type, so she wasn't worried that dating would drive fans away. Plus, this wasn't real love; it was just for show.

"Fine, I'll agree to join the dating show. But you have to arrange my schedule properly; I still want to take on acting projects; don't let the times conflict."

"Don't worry, I've already arranged the press conference; it's at 9 a.m. the day after tomorrow, and you'll be with Harper. Make sure you both have your stories straight; don't let anyone catch you off guard. And during the live broadcast, pretend to cry a little; don't wear too much makeup."

"I got it. Then find some hired guns to help promote my live broadcast."

"Alright, don't worry." The agent patiently instructed Ariana a few more times before hanging up.

At the hotel, Izabella had already seen the news. Ariana's article this morning was quickly reposted by the studio, announcing the live broadcast platform and press conference time at 9:20 a.m. the day after tomorrow.

As soon as she finished reading, someone called her urgently.

Izabella saw that it was Brad York calling. As expected, he asked right away, "Izabella, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Izabella said casually, grabbing a can of soda, putting her phone on speaker, and opening the can while listening. Brad could hear everything clearly on the other end.

If she still had the energy to eat and drink, the impact must not be that bad.

After a moment of silence, Brad asked, "Why couldn't I reach you on the phone yesterday?"

"I turned off my phone temporarily and didn't see it."

Brad was almost too anxious to bear it, while Izabella, the person involved, seemed calm as if it had nothing to do with her.

"Don't you get angry when you're being framed?"

"Nope." Besides, what's the point of getting angry? In her past life, she had experienced so much that her edges had been smoothed out, and getting angry over petty matters wasn't worth it.

"How come your company's PR team hasn't stepped in to resolve this? If it's not your fault, then sue them for defamation. If you keep silent like this, the rumors will turn into facts. With Ariana's crappy acting, do you really need to change the script halfway? Are the audience blind?" Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.

"Well, since you said it's the audience, they're just here to watch the show. The bigger the fuss, the happier they are. In this circle, right and wrong don't really matter. In a world of crows, swans can be guilty too, so just don't take it seriously." Izabella took a sip of the soda, leisurely speaking.