Chapter 102

The tears in Ivana's eyes made Jayden even more restless. Lately, his agent had repeatedly mentioned the need to pick a new script, but none of the choices seemed promising. In the past, Isabella had always been the one to choose scripts for him. But now, things were different. Isabella simply wouldn't answer his calls.

Jayden's patience was running thin, and he frowned sternly, saying, “Stop crying.” The man had never behaved so poorly before. Though he wasn't shouting, his disgust was obvious. Ivana's tears still clung to her cheeks, her heart filled with panic as she stiffened again.

Ivana thought, “What happened to Jayden? He had never been like this before.” She quickly wiped her tears, got up from the bed, and politely apologized. “I'm sorry, Jayden. It's my fault, and I shouldn't have disturbed you.”

Annoying Jayden now wouldn't do her any good. Ivana dearly understood that Jayden's change was definitely because of Isabella and thought, "You bitch."

Jayden got dressed and didn't pay any attention to Ivana. He sat on the chair with a cold expression, but he was thinking about how to arrange a meeting with Isabella. The script issue could be postponed. The hit TV show from before was in the past now. If he couldn't find a good script soon, his popularity would drop quickly.

Ivana knew better than to stick around and risk annoying Jayden further. Once dressed, she stood before him with a sweet smile. “Jayden, I’ll get going now.” As she spoke, she leaned in to give Jayden a quick kiss on his cheek. Jayden turned his face away to avoid her touch and replied coldly, “Yeah, go ahead.”

A flicker of resentment crossed Ivana's eyes, followed by a faint sigh of disappointment that Jayden couldn't miss. Jayden paused for a moment, looking up to see her forcing a sad smile. “Goodbye, Jayden,” said Ivana. The moment she turned away, her stillness disappeared completely. She clenched her teeth, her eyes filled with anger as she struggled to control her explosive emotions.

Aria thought, Taabrilla, sooner or later. I’m going to settle this score with you.

The private room of Brilliance Restaurant was tastefully decorated with a hint of luxury, catering only to the wealthy. Samant's friends were sitting in the private room, waiting for him to arrive that evening.

Bus advers was grim, saying, “It’s not convenient for Mr. Howerton.”

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Chapter 102

Treat us to dinner, tonight. I’m gonna make him pay big time.

Charles thought, ‘Usually, it is impossible to get Samuel to come out, but now he’s inviting us to dinner himself.’ Charles’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Leaning back in his chair, Henry Ferdinand’s mischievous, charming eyes twinkled as he joked with a soft chuckle. “Do you think he’s afraid of spending money?” Even if Charles ate everything in the restaurant, Samuel wouldn’t blink an eye when paying the bill. The others laughed along. Charles was always the life of the party, constantly finding new ways to entertain everyone.

Charles waved his hand carelessly and said with a carefree laugh, “I’m just trying to liven things up. I have no idea why Mr. Howerton decided to treat us today.” The rest shrugged, indicating they had no idea.

At that moment, the door to the private room opened. Everyone turned their eyes to the entrance. In came Samuel in a sharp, dark gray suit exuding sophistication, with Isabella in a white dress by his side. Everyone’s eyes brightened as they quickly understood why Samuel was hosting tonight. They all stood up and greeted Isabella with smiles one by one. “Good evening, Isabella. Good evening, sis-in-law,” they said.

Isabella glanced around the room; it was the same group from the bar last time. It was clear that they were Samuel’s close friends. She stepped forward with a smile, saying, “Hello, everyone.”

Charles and the others were actually surprised. It was the first time Samuel had officially brought Isabella to eat with them. They thought it was just a marriage of convenience with no emotions involved. But now it was clear Samuel truly saw Isabella as his lifelong partner, welcoming her into their group and their lives. The way they looked at Isabella became even friendlier.

Samuel seated Isabella next to him, and Charles grinned mischievously at them, waggling his eyebrows. “Mr. Howerton, when’s the wedding? My gift money is practically jumping in my pocket.” Charles was genuinely happy for Samuel, for he had been single for so many years and had someone by his side now. The others joined in the teasing. “Charles, how much have you prepared in red envelopes?” “Yeah, you better be generous this time, or a small gift won’t cut it.”

Charles puffed out his chest and patted his pocket confidently. “It definitely has to be a big gift. Mr. Howerton is getting married—it’s a big deal.” Everyone burst into laughter and good-natured teasing.

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Chapter 102

Charles looked at Isabella with a smile, asking curiously again, “Isabella, when’s the big day?” Everyone was eagerly waiting for an answer. Isabella glanced at Samuel with a teasing smile. “That’s up to Samuel’s plan.” She spoke openly, without a hint of shyness. Samuel showed no extra emotion and just said calmly, “I’ll arrange it soon.” The group erupted into cheerful laughter.

Amidst the fun, all the food had been served. Everyone was chatting about their recent activities, eagerly sharing. Only Henry sat quietly, sipping his drink in silence.

Charles noticed Henry’s gloomy expression and nudged him with his elbow. “Why do you wear a long face? Did some girl dump you?” Everyone turned their eyes to Henry. Henry glanced at Charles with bright eyes and said irritably, “It should be me dumping the girls, not them dumping me.” Charles pretended not to believe him and waved his hand dismissively. “Tsk.” The people around him were all so unserious.

Henry wiped the smile off his face, a hint of worry crossing his eyes, and sighed, “It’s company issues. We need to choose a script for one of our female stars, and I’m unsure which one to pick.” Julia Williams was the top actress at Henry’s company, and this script wasn’t just about her career, but also the company’s profits for next year. That was why it was such a careful decision.

The others around were not in the entertainment business, so they didn’t understand and just shrugged, saying they couldn’t help. Charles slouched in his chair, clearly uninterested. “This is your issue to figure out. If you want me to rate the beauty of the women in your company, I’d be more helpful.” Henry chuckled softly; he hadn’t really expected any help from them anyway.

Just then, Isabella suddenly spoke up, curious, “Which actress is this script chosen for?” Henry’s eyes fell on Isabella. Thinking it was just a casual question, he didn’t hide anything and replied, “It’s for Julia.” Isabella nodded with understanding and looked at Henry, saying, “Maybe I can take a look for you.”

As soon as she said that, everyone’s attention turned to Isabella. Even Samuel was a bit surprised, raising an eyebrow as he asked quietly, “You know how to do that?” Isabella glanced at Samuel with a playful grin, “Oh, I know more than just this.” Samuel’s gaze rested on Isabella. Although she was joking, he saw a look of confidence and strategy in her eyes.

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Chapter 102

“Can you do this too?” Charles was taken aback for a moment. Isabella just gave a slight smile. “We can chat about it when you are free.” She looked up at Henry and was willing to help him as he was a buddy of Samuel’s.

15:27 Thu, Nov 14 OE.