Sophie felt a headache just thinking about her imposing deanor at the birthday banquet.
"Sophie?"
Isabella’s inquiry over the phone pulled Sophie back from her drifting thoughts.
Coming to her senses, Sophie frowned slightly and spoke coldly, "I don’t know."
"How could it be..."
Isabella was clearly incredulous.
"To tell you the truth," Sophie didn’t want to continue talking about the comic circle, so she said bluntly, "Whether you believe it or not, the storyboard was originally from Nora. At the beginning, I didn’t know it was Zero’s work. You don’t have to suspect that Nora is Zero. If she had that identity, she would have revealed it by now. She’s currently submitting under the pen na ’Fans’ to CC Comics. You can see the quality for yourself."
For a mont, Sophie also suspected that Nora might be Zero.
But it was just a mont.
As soon as the thought occurred, she dismissed it.
Even though Zero, who posted twice, confird she was a girl, and netizens speculated she was under 30, and so minor features were similar to Nora, Sophie flatly refused to believe it.
What a joke!
Could Zero be soone like Nora?
"Nora knows Zero?!"
In utter shock, Isabella raised her voice.
"I don’t know." Sophie said indifferently, "Zero helped Laura. Nora has a good relationship with Laura, so there might be so connection."
Laura herself said she didn’t know Zero, but whether it’s true, only Laura would know.
"Alright, I understand."
Isabella’s voice was no longer the cheerful one it was at the beginning.
"Why are you asking?" Sophie asked suspiciously.
"Have you been online recently," Isabella asked, "so people are speculating that Nora plans to ride on Zero’s coattails for a coback. There are press releases online saying things like ’Nora’s silhouette and figure are very similar to Zero’s’. However, if Nora and Zero know each other and have so friendship..."
Pausing, Isabella said in a deliberately light tone, "Maybe Zero doesn’t care about Nora riding her coattails to make a coback."
"..."
Sophie was montarily stuck.
A few days ago, Zero posted a picture of the electronic music festival, which attracted the whole internet to dig into Zero’s identity.
But... Nora riding on Zero’s coattails?
"Nora wants a coback?" Sophie asked in astonishnt.
Suddenly, Sophie thought of the birthday banquet for Aaron... Pedro Langley! The president of Fernwood Entertainnt!
Nora seducing Pedro Langley, was she preparing for her coback in the entertainnt industry?
"Didn’t you know, I recently participated in the recording of ’Searching for the City’s Secret’ and chatted with so insiders, heard a lot of inside stories..."
ntioning the program recording, Isabella, whether in or out of words, was full of boasting.
But, besides showing off, she made it clear to Sophie about Nora’s attempts to ride on coattails everywhere.
"... Next, she plans to ride Zero’s wave, stir things up a bit, then co out and clarify that she’s just a fan. If she really knows Zero, she might even say she got guidance from Zero. The stars in the entertainnt circle, building a persona of a ’comic prodigy’, it’s innovative and pioneering. Following this path, she’ll definitely beco very popular."
Isabella intentionally wanted to provoke Sophie’s emotions.
Regarding the Virtue Retreat incident, Sophie must hate Nora to death.
Isabella intentionally projected a bright future for Nora, forming a stark contrast with Sophie’s current plight... Sophie would be infuriated.
Isabella maliciously thought.
However, having gone through so much, even if Sophie was indeed annoyed, she didn’t let Isabella have her way.
"I’m not in the entertainnt industry anymore, nor do I pay attention to the comic circle. These things have nothing to do with ." Sophie’s tone was calm and unruffled, "If she can be popular, then that’s her ability."
Seeing Sophie not rage with anger but instead hear her plainly distancing herself, this ti, it was Isabella who was displeased.
Moreover, having gotten the news from Sophie that "Nora is very likely to know Zero", the previously planned course of action might not proceed smoothly, leaving her even more dissatisfied.
After a few hasty words with Sophie, Isabella hung up the phone.
Initially, because of Nora’s long absence from ho, Sophie had gradually forgotten her. But now, having learned from Isabella’s call that Nora is doing well and possibly even thriving, she felt a wave of irritation, hanging up the phone seemingly calmly, but her mood was extrely poor.
For a long ti.
She gritted her teeth and fiercely threw her phone to the ground.
Instantly, the phone screen shattered.
*
On the other side.
As soon as Isabella hung up the phone, she heard the hotel room doorbell ringing.
"Isabella, are you ready? We’re about to leave."
A woman’s voice called from outside.
In a few days, CC Comics would be holding its annual eting, organizing comic creators with so achievents to gather in Anchel for a collective signing, a gala evening, and various activities.
Though not yet ti, Isabella had agreed with a few friends in the circle to co to Anchel first for a private few days of fun.
Isabella hurriedly said, "Give five minutes."
"Alright, we’ll wait for you downstairs."
"Okay."
The footsteps outside slowly faded away.
Isabella fell onto the bed, her mind in turmoil.
Everything had been planned, to confirm "Nora riding on Zero’s wave", so that when the ti ca, even if Nora wanted to clarify, she’d be speechless. Today, a big move was supposed to be made, but she unexpectedly found out from Sophie that "Nora might know Zero".
If Zero stands up for Nora, wouldn’t all this effort be in vain?
Sighing, Isabella temporarily set the matter aside and got up to leave.
What she didn’t know was that within two days, the deadlock situation would see a new turn of events...
Too many people were fanning the flas, and she was just one of them.
*
Three days later.
"What’s this?"
As soon as Nora finished tidying herself up and stepped out of the bedroom, Pedro shoved a pile of things into her hands.
"Sunglasses."
"..."
"Face mask."
"..."
"Baseball cap."
"..."
Pedro took out each item, introducing them as he put them on her.
In the blink of an eye, the stylish lady was forced to be fully ard, looking exactly like soone on guard against an all-city wanted order.
Nora yanked the mask down, looked at Pedro through the sunglasses, "Am I going to steal sothing?"
Holding her face, Pedro reassured her, "It’s your first ti eting insiders as Zero, better to be cautious."
Nora frowned, "It’s not the first ti."
"Those people don’t count."
Pedro didn’t care at all about those whom she had previously t in the circle.
After all—
Before, Zero was popular, but at least it wasn’t the "unveil online" grand scene within the circle.
Nora: "..." Ridiculous!
It’s only when she’s sneaking around that she’d be watched.
When she’s out in the open, even if she reveals her identity, no one would believe it.
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