Chapter 141
This surely made others envious. This "boy toy" was extremely good-looking, with a sweet smile and dimples. He looked just like a male protagonist from a comic.
Sometimes he waited for Cynthia to finish her meetings or streams. He'd sit there seriously reading a book. Even when daydreaming, he exuded an elegant aura, like a distinguished young man from a wealthy family.
The boy was also very considerate, often bringing flowers and homemade meals, making everyone green with envy.
Of course, everyone could see that the boy was courting Cynthia, who seemed not to have agreed yet. Cynthia avoided him whenever he appeared.
Whenever he showed up, people teased him, saying, "Hey, Preston, did you win her over today?" The boy always beamed, showing off his pearly whites. "We're not there yet, but I'm still trying hard."
No one could resist someone so straightforward, sincere, sunny, and, most importantly, incredibly handsome. But Cynthia didn't like him. And it really bothered her.
Every time Cynthia saw Preston coming, it was like she'd seen a ghost—she couldn't avoid him fast enough. She couldn't understand why he liked her. From his perspective, she was older and divorced. Truly, he was a typical rich kid who didn't understand the world. Cynthia turned him down repeatedly. But this persistent young man kept returning.
Cynthia was getting annoyed. She had just finished streaming, only to see Preston waiting outside. Cynthia's fingers clenched. She was even considering punching him to make him leave her alone.
Preston spotted Cynthia and stood up to approach her. Just then, Freddie emerged from the office. "Cynthia, I have something urgent to discuss with you."
To avoid Preston, Cynthia grabbed Freddie and hurried away. Freddie was utterly puzzled. After much twisting and turning, Cynthia finally lost Preston by ducking into a stairwell.
"Cynthia, pulling me around in broad daylight like this, people might think we're secretly dating," Freddie joked. Cynthia let go of him, smiling brightly. "Are you flirting with me, Freddie?"
Freddie quickly waved his hands, smiling apologetically, his small mustache twitching upwards. "Just kidding, don't take it seriously. I actually need a favor." Cynthia was an important figure at their TV station.
RNN wasn't quite RNN anymore. Though not officially announced, it was almost certain that RNN would soon be acquired by Betrico Multimedia. Betrico Multimedia's sudden acquisition of RNN was possibly because of Cynthia. After Whitney agreed to the acquisition, she helped RNN go public and offered Freddie a substantial share. Freddie admired Whitney.
"What's the matter?" Cynthia frowned, sensing something was amiss.
Freddie looked hesitant. "The variety show you're working on lost a female guest due to scheduling issues. BCB suggested we send a replacement."
Freddie watched Cynthia's expression closely. "Alison and I decided you would be the best choice to replace the female guest for Mr. Lowe's new variety show." Cynthia frowned, deep in thought.
Freddie continued to persuade her. "Cynthia, I know you have concerns because you're not an artist and haven't participated in variety shows before. But you're a host, a public figure. Your popularity rivals that of minor celebrities. Plus, only four spots are confirmed. Mr. Lowe wants to invite some ordinary guests, and you could easily outshine them."
Cynthia thought the variety show seemed haphazard. The recording was about to start, and out of eight guest spots, only four were confirmed. She suspected the remaining four hadn't been confirmed, which is why they were frantically searching for substitutes. "It's just an island getaway show; you can treat it like a free vacation, relax and unwind." Seeing Cynthia's silence, Freddie felt uneasy.
His task was to persuade Cynthia. Knowing her, he understood she wasn't easily swayed. He cautiously asked, "Cynthia, are you worried about something?"
"I'm going. I'm going!" Cynthia suddenly said. Freddie was surprised. He thought, "Why is she so agreeable? I haven't even started using my persuasive skills yet."
Cynthia smiled. "Freddie, I'll go. The crew is starting filming tomorrow, right? I'll go home to pack my bags now." Freddie looked at Cynthia in surprise, speechless for a moment.
"Is there anything else, Freddie?" Freddie shook his head. "No, that's it." Cynthia patted Freddie on the shoulder. "Then I'll go get ready now."
Cynthia left first. Freddie was stunned before snapping back to reality, unable to hide his smile. He quickly called to report, "Ms. Bennett, it's settled. She agreed to participate."
After Freddie left, Preston appeared from upstairs. He was looking for Cynthia but she was gone. Knowing she was avoiding him made him feel down. He sat on the stairs, feeling sad. He then heard a fire door open below and overheard Cynthia and Freddie talking. He wondered if Freddie was suggesting a new reality show. He found the subsequent call Freddie made odd.
Preston suspected Cynthia was being set up. His handsome face turned serious as he considered Freddie's words. He thought, "Jason's new reality show? I know Jason." Two years ago, when Jason went to Friyx to shoot a commercial, a model threw a tantrum, and Preston stepped in to help. Thanks to Jason, Preston had a foot in the modeling industry. Jason had mentioned owing him a favor. Fortunately, Preston still had Jason's contact information.
Preston called Jason. Meanwhile, Jonathan was also on a call with Nina.
"Mr. Bennett, please don't be angry. I honestly didn't know this show was produced by Betrico Multimedia. When they invited me, they said they'd also ask you to participate, so I agreed," Nina asked carefully. "Did they really not invite you?"