The manager of Virtue Retreat is no ordinary person.
Strong-willed, with ruthless thods.
The female celebrity entered gloriously, but before she could fully flaunt her arrogance, she was "invited" out by Manager Loxley, looking quite disheveled with her assistants and a group of bodyguards.
As she passed by Nora Scott, her gaze was sharp as knives, wishing she could tear Nora into pieces.
Unfazed, Nora chuckled lightly, suddenly taking off her sunglasses to reveal her stunning and exquisite face, boldly eting the celebrity’s gaze.
The celebrity recognized Nora, leaving her speechless: "..."
Oh damn!
A Heavenly Immortal beauty dressed in this ghostly manner, could she at least behave like a top-tier star?!
The celebrity stord out of Virtue Retreat, feeling utterly defeated.
*
"Miss Scott, Miss Morton."
After handling the incident, Manager Loxley ca to greet the two.
Nora asked, "Who was that?"
The waiter was unsure, but Manager Loxley clearly knew. Not only did he know the celebrity, but he also knew her background.
Manager Loxley opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a voice beside him: "Annabelle Pinto. The other top-tier that has been overshadowed by you this year."
It was Pedro Langley, arriving fashionably late.
"..."
Nora blinked.
Although she had mingled in the entertainnt circle this year, she knew nothing about the insider news. — After all, gossip in wealthy circles is far juicier.
Annabelle Pinto, a na she had never heard of.
She asked, "From your company?"
"No."
Nora replied, "Oh, then it doesn’t matter."
Pedro chuckled.
"It seems relevant to you," Manager Loxley chid in, "She is, like you, part of the cast in ’Twelve’ and is the second female lead. She will be competing with you for the lead spot."
"I’m not competing for the lead."
Manager Loxley: "..."
Pedro: "..."
Fátima glanced at Nora, "Have so ambition."
"Oh," Nora instantly changed her tune, looking at Pedro, "Should we rig it and take the lead spot?"
"..."
At that mont, Pedro saw the words "giving up" hovering above Nora’s head.
She had no demands regarding her acting skills.
"No need to rig anything," another voice ca from Henry Chapman, who reminded Nora, "Just be proactive and rally votes for the lead spot."
"Would my fanbase count as cheating?" Nora mused, lacking any self-awareness.
"..." Henry looked at her speechless, "Do even one percent of your fans admire your acting skills?"
Nora: "..."
Even Fátima considered for a mont and said, "Forget it, just avoid being the last."
"..."
Despite it being her birthday, Nora felt quite attacked, so she strode further inside.
The group naturally followed.
They were assigned to the fourth floor, with the elevator taking them straight up.
Along the way, Manager Loxley shared so information about Annabelle Pinto with Nora.
Annabelle had been in the industry for years. With so good luck, she starred in a well-received web drama right after debut, gaining mild fa but not breaking out. Supported by a benefactor, she always had great resources and smoothly navigated her path.
This year, her luck skyrocketed; she exploded with two popular dramas, achieving high popularity and shooting up to the top-tier position.
Moreover, she successfully snagged the role of the second female lead in ’Twelve’.
Initially, just like Nora, Annabelle could have landed the lead female role. But she was fully aware that competing for the lead posed challenges against many who excel in acting, have great reputations, and high traffic—too much effort for little gain. So she opted for the second lead spot.
The goal was clear: to target the "Best Supporting Actress" award and its benefits.
Besides, she had big shots backing her.
This visit to Virtue Retreat was for a eting.
Unfortunately, she crossed paths with Fátima and Nora, offending them unwisely, thus had to leave in disgrace.
After hearing this, Nora wasn’t concerned; instead, her gossip interest was piqued, "Is the person backing her quite powerful?"
Manager Loxley was montarily at a loss.
Not knowing how to describe it.
Pedro: "Average."
Henry: "Nothing special."
The two young heirs gave a degree of recognition, but nonchalantly stated — she pales in comparison to them.
Nora grasped their aning.
Had no worry.
Fátima was quite uninterested, hardly listening to their conversation, and completely disregarded Annabelle and the big shot involved.
...
The guests arrived gradually, eventually forming two tables.
Everyone ca for the gathering, placing birthday gifts in front of Nora before breaking into their respective cliques for chats, leaving the birthday star hanging.
Nora didn’t mind, pulling so people to play gas, but after a few rounds, they ford their own teams, leaving only Pedro willing to play with her.
"I wasn’t bad at this, was I?" Nora knit her brows, confused.
"Not bad," Pedro replied, "They’re just all bonkers."
Nora Scott: "..."
She simply tossed her phone aside and actively sought out Hardy Rivers to study the blueprints and models of chanism City.
"It’s a large project, and it’ll take another month or two for the blueprints to take shape," Hardy Rivers analyzed.
"Aim for post-New Year," Nora tapped her fingers lightly on the table, "I’ll head to the northwest later, and if the remaining blueprints erge, I’ll find a way to get them."
"Hmm."
Hardy wasn’t worried at all about how she would get them.
He and Nora had clear division of labor, each responsible for their duties.
After discussing, they entered work mode; once the computer was on, they continued their tasks.
No one disturbed them.
...
After dark, around seven o’clock, all mbers were present.
Humphrey Jennings personally cooked, spending the whole day in the kitchen; every dish he served was ticulously prepared — it may not suit everyone’s tastes, but it surely suited Nora Scott’s.
The last dish was sweet tofu pudding, a culinary masterpiece; Nora, who was already full, finished the tofu pudding with nothing left.
Benjamin Durant frowned, muttering, "It’d be great to choose our family’s Humphrey, he can make whatever you want —" then he turned his head, only to be hit by Fátima.
"Do you have a say in this?" Fátima glanced at him.
"..." Young Master Durant pouted, facing the master’s daughter he t for the first ti, angry but unable to express it, feeling very wronged, "Uncle."
Fátima asked, "Where’s Boss Alex?"
She had been in Anchel for a year, t Boss Alex, but never Benjamin Durant or Humphrey Jennings.
"Haven’t seen him for a couple of years." Benjamin shook his head, "He’s always out running around."
"Oh. Not even for Nora’s birthday?"
Benjamin cast a sidelong glance at Pedro Langley, "Out of sight, out of mind."
Speaking sarcastically, he received another hit from Fátima.
"Uncle..."
Benjamin shrank his neck, feeling wronged.
In front of Nora, Benjamin could argue a little. But eting Fátima for the first ti, unfamiliar and considering that Fátima was pregnant...
There’s a baby in her belly!
Not pleasing her could affect the baby, right?
Luckily, Fátima didn’t probe further, and Benjamin didn’t seek trouble again; the al concluded peacefully.
...
They’re all wellness advocates, so the gathering did not include traditional entertainnt activities; at most, they added each other as friends, set the next al, played gas, and then dispersed.
The only surprise was Evelyn Winter seeking out Nora.
Nora signaled to Pedro Langley, asking him to keep Clent Winter, then left the private room with Evelyn Winter.
A window was open in the hallway, letting the wind blow in, clearing the murky air.
Though cold, it was refreshing.
"Senior Sister."
Nora stopped, leaning against the window, looking at Evelyn with a hint of curiosity.
Evelyn turned around, gazing calmly at Nora, saying, "Clent has been targeted by Robert Durant."
Nora was puzzled, "Wasn’t that already disclosed?"
Previously, Clent was targeted because Robert’s family suspected Evelyn was Master Sliver, wanting to use Clent to lure Evelyn out. Now that Nora had proved herself as "Master Sliver" in a national broadcast, why would Robert target Clent again?
Evelyn replied, "It’s another matter."
The wind was cold, and Evelyn spoke clearly, wrapped in the wind.
She shared a story with Nora.
Not long.
But, the person involved used brief words to mask the grandeur of the event’s twists.
Finished quietly, Evelyn said in a mild voice, "That’s about it."
Nora had heard many stories, so more grand than others, and was accustod to them. Evelyn’s story silenced her for three seconds before she said, "I’ll find soone to protect Clent. But are you planning not to let him know?"
"We’ll see." Evelyn considered.
Nora did not persuade.
*
After the chat, most of them had already left.
Nora had no intention to stay long; she spoke briefly with Pedro Langley, then left with Oliver Scott and Marcus Shaw to go ho.
This ti heading to Cloudwater Haven, Oliver and Marcus were in one group, while Nora and Pedro were in another; the four of them parted ways at two doors on the sa floor.
Once inside, Oliver sighed, "Finally, the day has co."
"What?" Marcus was baffled.
"A split family," Oliver replied, "I didn’t feel it before, but now seeing them together... it feels like sis really got married."
"..."
Marcus paused while entering the password, stiff for a second, then resud naturally.
Didn’t spend much ti with Nora.
But, upon returning from vacation and seeing Nora, cooking for her, supervising her snacks, subtle details felt like they rged into life.
Got used to having such an elder sister.
Though external praise placed her on a pedestal, in reality, she was just a spoiled ordinary person.
— Perhaps a little different.
When the door opened, he heard Oliver say, "I’m a bit reluctant."
Paused.
Marcus walked inside, softly responding to Oliver, "Oh."
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