Chapter 294 Don’t Force It, I Don’t Want To

Chapter 294 Don’t Force It, I Don’t Want To

Caspian's heart tightened when he heard the panic in Gloria's voice. "What happened? Don't be scared, I'm coming right now!"

As he spoke, Caspian had already grabbed his car keys and shot Joseph a look.

He needed to figure out what was wrong on Gloria's end so he could respond quickly.

"I saw him."

"Who?"

Gloria's lips trembled. "Milo Knight."

The man who had once offered eighty million dollars to keep her.

Gloria had heard this name before—he was the big shot behind Stellar Entertainment.

He kept a low profile and rarely showed his face in public. The actresses who caught his eye and got involved with him had their pick of premium roles and projects.

Back then, Gloria had just gained some recognition from a show, but she was nowhere near the level that would interest him.

It was an ordinary afternoon. There was no night shoot that day, and she couldn't wait to see James.

After two weeks of non-stop work, she missed his embrace, his scent, his voice.

On her way to see her lover, her face was full of smiles, her steps light.

She saw an old woman selling handmade gardenia flower bracelets by the roadside and bought a few.

While waiting for a taxi at the intersection, head down smelling the flowers, a man in a suit appeared. "Ms. Mitchell, where are you headed? My boss can give you a ride."

She looked up at this clearly well-trained man, feeling cautious. "Who's your boss?"

"Mr. Knight."

This surname was too rare in the entertainment industry. Everyone in the business called him "Mr. Knight."

So many women wanted to climb into his favor. They worked hard fighting for resources, but none of that compared to a single word from Milo.

The last woman who was with him had good acting skills but lacked fashion resources. After being with him for less than three months, she landed several global luxury brand endorsements and tons of fashion opportunities.

Gloria often heard gossip about Milo. She never expected their paths would cross.

Not far away sat a black sedan with its window rolled down.

The man's body was hidden in the car's interior. All she could see was his hand casually resting on the window ledge, holding a cigarette, the signet ring on his pinky finger gleaming in the sunset.

The difference between the rich and ordinary people was that even with just one hand visible, you could feel the superiority, sense that they lived in a different world.

Give her a ride home? There was no such thing as a free lunch.

By getting in that car, she was accepting the casting couch culture of the industry.

If she went with him, she wouldn't have to struggle anymore. She wouldn't have to shamelessly follow directors around every day begging for roles.

She understood all of this.

Milo wasn't just some director.

If she was smart, she'd know that even being with Milo for just one month would get her more than years of grinding in the entertainment industry.

But she wasn't smart. She was foolish.

So Gloria smiled sweetly. "Please thank Mr. Knight for his kind offer, but my ride is already here, so I won't trouble him."

A car happened to pull up beside her, and Gloria got in without thinking.

The driver was actually Milo's bodyguard.

The bodyguard and she stared at each other. She had no idea that his entourage included other cars.

She looked back. "Do me a favor. Some creep is bothering me. Can you give me a ride? I'll pay you."

The bodyguard glanced at the sedan in the rearview mirror.

Creep?

Was she talking about who he thought she was?

The car behind honked. The bodyguard started the engine.

Gloria breathed a sigh of relief. Good, she'd escaped.

"Just drop me off at the next intersection."

The bodyguard did as asked. Gloria pulled out a hundred dollars.

The bodyguard didn't take it. "No need. Happy to help."

Gloria thought for a moment, then left the gardenia bracelet in the car. "Thank you."

She opened the door and left with light steps, hailing a taxi.

She didn't notice the bodyguard holding the gardenia bracelet, standing by the car. The man had finished his cigarette and was playing with the ring on his finger.

Milo's voice was low. "What did she say?"

The bodyguard reluctantly repeated their conversation. When he got to the word "creep," he felt guilty. Milo actually laughed softly.

"This is what the lady left behind." The bodyguard handed over the gardenia bracelet.

His slender fingers took it, held it under his nose and inhaled deeply, murmuring, "What an interesting girl."

Gloria was actually a bit scared. Last time she rejected a director, he took revenge and had her slapped dozens of times.

This time she'd offended a big shot. Would she be drugged and sent to his room, then dumped in the wilderness after he got tired of her, where James wouldn't even find her body?

It wasn't an exaggeration. The entertainment industry looked glamorous on the surface, but it was equally dark and bloody underneath.

Some blacklisted actresses who went crazy were the lucky ones. Some disappeared without a trace and nobody knew.

She hadn't thought much when refusing him, but now she felt she'd been too direct, should have been more tactful.

The last rays of sunset withdrew, leaving darkness. She stood in the dark. It was clearly summer, but she felt cold all over.

She'd always known this path wouldn't be easy, but she naively thought that as long as she worked hard, studied more, practiced more, she'd definitely become famous.

But she didn't know that people's intentions were the hardest thing in the world to predict.

While she was lost in thought, familiar arms embraced her. "What's wrong? Are you still in character and can't get out?"

Smelling the familiar scent, Gloria clung to him like a wronged child. "James, what should I do? I don't think I can act well."

"Then don't act. Find another job."

"But you need money urgently."

"There's always a way. I'll sell my patent to a company and get a patent fee. Then we can..."

Gloria covered his mouth. "No, you can't. You worked so hard for so long to succeed. How can you just hand it over?"

With startup capital, James's career could develop well. But selling the patent would give them a small amount of money now while setting back his development by three to five years.

People without background or connections had to use all their strength just to survive in this city.

Gloria forced back her sadness and smiled. "It's okay, I can do it. You know me—I love acting most of all."

James touched her head. "Gloria, don't force yourself. I don't want..."

He didn't want her in such a complicated place.

Gloria was his treasure. Right now, he didn't have the ability to protect her.

Their relationship had hit a rough patch.

Gloria prepared for the worst. She didn't expect the second encounter to come so quickly.

She became famous from her last show and went to a fashion awards gala, where someone targeted her and ruined her dress.

She was about to go on stage. Staff led her to a room where they redid her makeup and gave her a new dress.

It was so rushed that Gloria, who had never borrowed haute couture before, didn't recognize it. She thought it was like the clothes she wore—high-quality knockoffs of luxury brands.

She didn't expect that not only would she win Best Newcomer that night, but she'd also go viral because of the three-million-dollar dress she was wearing.

Under the spotlight, she panicked.

She barely made it through the gala before rushing to take off the dress.

Staff directed her to return the clothes.

She stood in the elevator. The staff swiped a card for her. It was her first time going to the top floor, seeing such luxury.

Milo sat behind a screen, leisurely drinking coffee.

"Mr. Knight, thank you for the dress."

The assistant spoke. "Ms. Mitchell, please keep this dress as Mr. Knight's congratulations on your award. Mr. Knight really enjoyed your show and hopes to see Ms. Mitchell create more classic characters on screen in the future."

The more polite they were, the more nervous Gloria felt.

"Ms. Mitchell, this contract is specially designed for you by Mr. Knight. Please take a look."

What contract?

Gloria's face changed when she saw the contents. She'd told herself to be tactful, but her temper flared and she couldn't control it.

"Thank you for Mr. Knight's affection, but I already have a boyfriend."

"Ms. Mitchell, the contract is for three years. You're still young, it won't affect anything. If you truly love each other, you can marry after three years. And you'll have both fame and fortune, plus a happy marriage. Isn't that good?" the assistant persuaded.

Gloria's expression turned cold. "I'm sorry, but to me, feelings aren't something you can buy and sell. My relationship with him is good. Even if I leave this industry, I won't give him up."

She put down the dress. "Mr. Knight, thank you, but I can't accept unearned gifts."

As she left, she heard an amused chuckle. "Ms. Mitchell, I hope you won't regret this."

Her steps paused. "I'll never regret it."

She strode away, but when she left the building, her face was pale, her whole body shaking. She didn't even notice when she bumped into someone.

At the intersection, James stood in the dim lights, pulling her into his embrace. "Gloria."

As arms wrapped around her, she looked up. James's face had become Caspian's.

"Gloria..."