Chapter 616
Violet felt increasingly uncomfortable as she watched Shelia and Melody interact so intimately. After exchanging pleasantries, Melody glanced at her and asked, “Why are you still standing there?” “I…” Violet felt humiliated, unsure how to respond.
Melody waved her hand dismissively. “You can go now. I need to have a private conversation with Jade.” “But…” Violet wanted to protest, but Melody’s tone left no room for negotiation.
Sensing the shift in the room, Shelia smiled and said, “It seems Mrs. Sosa has something important to discuss with you. Maybe I should come back another time?”
Melody didn’t answer. Violet, catching the unspoken cue, quickly interjected, “It’s nothing important. I’ve got something at home. I’ll leave now.”
Before leaving, she sneaked one more glance at the ring on Shelia’s finger. If her memory served her right, the ring was the Nichols family heirloom. She couldn’t help but wonder if Melody wanted Juan and Shelia to get married again. That meant one more person to get a share of the Nichols family’s fortune. The thought gnawed at Violet as she made her exit.
“Sophie, bring some tea for Miss Blair,” Melody ordered.
“Will do,” Sophie replied, finally snapping out of her daze. She hurried off to prepare the tea but couldn’t help but steal glances at them. The sudden change in Melody’s attitude toward Shelia was odd. As she brewed the tea, Sophie discreetly pulled out her phone and sent a quick message to Debra, relaying everything that had just transpired.
The next morning, Marion’s car pulled up outside the villa where Debra was set to resume filming for the show. The previous day’s mess had already been tidied up, and the place was now spotless.
The director came downstairs to greet her. “Ms. Frazier, we’ve discussed a new plan for the show. Instead of pre-recording the episodes, we’ll switch to live-streaming. You’ll have more freedom to improvise, but please be mindful of the language since we’ll be streaming live to a large audience.”
“I understand,” Debra replied. She glanced back to see Marion’s car pulling away before taking a seat in the living room to review the script.
The director explained, “It’s going to be pretty straightforward. The other three groups of guests will also be participating, so it shouldn’t be too dull. And I’m sure you and Mr. Nichols will have plenty to talk about.”
“We’ll see,” Debra said, eyeing Juan, who had just come downstairs wearing a simple navy loungewear set. Their eyes met, but neither of them spoke.
The following morning, Debra and Juan left the house with the production crew. They were headed to meet the other guests at a large estate rented by the show, where they would all be staying during the live-stream.
“You’re so pretty, Ms. Frazier,” remarked one of the female guests. The woman was pretty and in her mid-twenties. Debra remembered her as Megan Brown, an artist from the Potter Group. Megan’s ex-husband, Edward Wolf, was a moderately famous second-tier actor. Rumor had it that the two had been in love since they were seventeen and married four years later. But for some reason, they had announced their divorce, citing irreconcilable differences and the strain of long-distance work.