The atmosphere is oppressive, heavy.
The chauffeur drives silently, the air conditioning is clearly on warm, yet it’s cold all around.
He doesn’t dare make a sound.
Finally, the man sitting in the back speaks, "Check her out, what’s the situation."
His voice is rich, hoarse in texture, low.
Outside, the street speeds by, lights fall on him one by one, flickering, his expression inscrutable.
Butler Loxley nods in response.
Internally, he breathes a sigh of relief.
For so many years, Master Pedro has been a bystander to Miss Scott’s news, not interfering, letting her be, as if in a sulk. Now, as long as Master Pedro has spoken, the rest is easy to handle...
Snow is still falling on the overpass.
Nora Scott drinks her milk tea while it’s hot and casually throws it towards a trash can two meters away, forming a parabolic arc before it lands steadily with a ’clang’.
"...So how did you break up with him?"
Clearly discussing a grandfather’s illness, the young man switches the topic back abruptly.
After finishing this scene, the director suddenly announced the wrap, and Nora Scott picked up a stool from the ground and headed towards the center of the crowd.
Snowflakes fell onto her eyes, cool, quickly melting into icy water.
Nora Scott’s voice is tinged with a slight chill, "I forgot."
"You forgot! Forgot! How come you didn’t forget yourself!" The young man stomps his feet angrily.
Nora Scott sneers, asking, "How did you break up with your ex?"
"Couldn’t get along."
"So there you go, right?"
That makes sense, but such a response is really disappointing.
After a few seconds of dismay, the young man rekindles hope and eagerly continues gossiping: "So who initiated the breakup?"
As Nora Scott reaches for her car keys, she touches the hand warmer and the note in her pocket, briefly starts, her gaze growing deep and distant.
Thoughts long since assumed forgotten can be unearthed, memories like imprints, easily dusted off to reveal a clear presence.
After a moment, she says faintly, "Seems like it was me."
"Really, Nora, Sweet Beauty Scott, except for being pretty and strong, there’s not much worth flaunting. Tell me, what were you thinking. Moreover, he even has a butler, huh, must be rich—"
Through the bustling crowd, finding her employer, Nora Scott lazily speaks, "Dropped the call."
Headphones taken off, placed in her pocket.
Holding the stool, Nora Scott maneuvers through the crowd, walking to her employer shivering in a down jacket, Lily Turner.
"Done?" Nora Scott asks, her voice slightly cool.
Lily Turner just finished filming in thin clothes, her whole body frozen, even bundled up it can’t alleviate the cold, teeth chattering, her small face red.
Hearing the voice, she stiffens as she turns around, seeing Nora Scott, dressed warmly but without makeup, yet still striking, hesitates, then suddenly feels a surge of nameless anger.
Her expression changes slightly, Lily Turner rebukes coldly, "Nora Scott, where did you go? Haven’t seen you for ages!"
Nora Scott glances at her indifferently, holding car keys, says, "If you weren’t harmed here, it’s not my dereliction."
Lily Turner stifled, suddenly unsure what to say.
To be precise, Nora Scott isn’t her assistant, but a bodyguard she hired with significant money and favors.
Nora Scott is responsible for her safety.
Logically, Nora Scott, a blacklisted minor celebrity, shouldn’t pose any threat to her...
Yet, Nora Scott’s good looks are undeniable.
Every day with her on set, dressed unnoticeably, unkempt hair without makeup, not causing trouble, quietly staying aside, still undeniably striking.
Lily Turner often hears crew members privately discussing how beautiful Nora Scott is, effortlessly eclipsing others, even overshadowing herself in front of Nora Scott.
Despite Nora Scott’s presence saving her from crisis, narrowly escaping death several times. During this period, she’s had to rely on Nora Scott, though inwardly displeased by such remarks, she has to hold back.
Gritting her teeth, Lily Turner says unwillingly, "But technically you’re my assistant!"
"Then why don’t you have her do something?"
Nora Scott glances at the genuine assistant of Lily Turner, tidying things.
"I’m watching the car for you, to prevent tampering." Nora Scott says leisurely, pausing her words, then says lightly, "It’s quite cold, let’s go."
Having spoken, she turns to leave, glances at Lily Turner shivering from the cold, her miserable appearance, casually lifts Lily’s hood, directly putting it on her head.
Lily Turner bites her lip, suddenly losing her temper.
Soon, Nora Scott, Lily Turner, and assistant Isabel Lyle, smoothly leave the set, board the nanny car, and depart.
They don’t know, the director staring at the monitor, holding the phone, bewildered for a long time, murmuring: "Mr. Langley personally called, who was it really for, insists on wrapping early..."
Inside a detached villa, third-floor study.
Pedro Langley sits in the office chair, flipping through documents, his brows pressed with coldness, clearly absent-minded.
His gaze falls beyond the window; the floor heating separating two worlds with a wall, indoor temperature just right, outdoor snow falling heavily, within a mere couple of hours, snow accumulates thickly on treetops.
The study door is knocked.
"Master Pedro." It’s Butler Loxley’s voice.
Pedro Langley speaks, his tone slightly cold.
Butler Loxley enters, holding an envelope, respectfully handing it to Pedro Langley.
"Miss Scott is currently serving Lily Turner under Fernwood Entertainment as an assistant. However, on the surface she’s an assistant, in reality she should be a bodyguard. Recently Lily Turner has encountered some troubles, Miss Scott has secretly helped a lot."
Butler Loxley adds, "Two years ago, Bruno from Everlasting World attempted to proposition Miss Scott and was injured. Subsequently, Miss Scott was blacklisted, hence she didn’t continue to act."
Upon hearing this, Pedro Langley’s eyes chill, his fingers opening the envelope.
A pile of photos spill out, the subject being the so-called Bruno from Everlasting World, the captured frames revealing all his ugliness.
He looks at Butler Loxley.
Butler Loxley maintains a serious demeanor.
"Aside from these, there’s evidence of him embezzling public funds."
Throwing the envelope onto the desk, Pedro Langley’s voice dips slightly, wrapped in fierce intensity, "Hand it over to Nathan Salt."
Butler Loxley lowers his head slightly, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
Still enraged, Pedro Langley’s gaze falls again outside the window, staring at the feather-like snow, frowns, "Wrapped up?"
Butler Loxley responds quickly, "Yes, they should have returned by now."
After a moment, Pedro Langley’s brows relax slightly, then tighten again.
This time, do as you will.