Chapter 208 Mr. Brown in the Kitchen
"Some people really change once they get rich."
"Having a good family makes you think you're better than everyone else."
Nora spoke up coldly, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Thalia took a sip of her iced coffee and said casually, "Yeah! Jealous much?"
"Why don't you go home and tell your dad to work harder so you can become a rich kid sooner? I don't get why some people have nothing better to do than hate on the wealthy. Does my money bother you?"
"I've been hearing you say you'd watch me fail for half a year now, but nothing's happened. Why aren't you backing off? Instead, you're getting worse."
"You..."
Thalia said impatiently, "Enough. Want everyone to know you're jealous?"
"Nora, I suggest you wise up. I'm the biggest investor in this show. Not replacing you is already me being nice. Don't push your luck."
"Thalia, that's going too far."
Isla had been quietly watching from the side, but when she heard Nora's assistant speak up, she burst out laughing. "Nora comes here acting all high and mighty, and people can't even talk back? That's going too far? Then what do you call someone getting involved with someone else's family?"
"Why don't you take some time to explain that to us?"
"It's just gossip, you believe it?" Nora's assistant's face turned red as she shot back.
"So you're saying it's fake! If it's fake, why don't you clear it up? Mr. Brown, Emerald City's business hotshot - you think you can get with him? Is dignity expensive? Can't afford it? Want me to give you some?"
"That's enough," Nora said, stopping her. Only then did Isla stop her sharp tongue. After spending so much time with Thalia, she hadn't learned much else, but she'd picked up that proud attitude.
"Nora, someone's here for you."
Just as the drama was settling down, someone called from the entrance.
Nora was surprised. Who would come looking for her at a time like this?
"Who is it?"
"Not sure, they're in a Bentley. Go see for yourself."
A Bentley?
Kurt?
Nora's heart jumped. Had he come in person because of the gossip?
She felt a bit panicked. In the past, if someone came for her in a luxury car, she would have proudly strutted out like a peacock showing off its tail. But today she didn't dare. She knew Kurt wasn't a good person, and if he was looking for her, it must be important.
"Nora, Mr. Lowe is in the car."
"Does Mr. Lowe need something from me?"
Isia shook her head. "Not sure."
When Nora opened the door, she saw Isia pull out a cigarette from her pocket and walk over to the shade of a nearby tree.
"Mr. Lowe."
"Have you contacted Mr. Brown?" Kurt got straight to the point. He couldn't reach William and couldn't find him at his company, so he had to take the roundabout way of finding Nora.
"No... I haven't."
Kurt held out a business card between his fingers. "Call him."
Nora looked down at the gold-embossed card with William's name on it. No company name, no address, just his bare name - showing that William himself didn't need any title to back him up.
Nora didn't dare make this call. She was afraid that once she did, she'd be exposed and Kurt would grab her by the throat and throw her out like he did that night.
But right now, with so many people around at the film studio, she couldn't take that risk.
Nora shakily dialed William's number.
On the other end, it rang for a while before someone picked up.
"Mr. Brown."
William seemed a bit surprised to receive Nora's call. "Ms. Adams?"
Nora breathed a huge sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly. "It's me, Mr. Brown. About the Facebook news..."
"How much did Ms. Adams profit from this?" William's tone was measured, deliberately carrying some ambiguity that most people couldn't quite read. If Nora heard it, she'd probably take it as an accusation, but Kurt heard it differently. Someone of William's wealth and status wouldn't need to question Nora directly - if he wanted to, he could send any security guard to ruin her reputation. Kurt pulled out his phone and typed a few words. Nora glanced at them, and though she was nervous, she was an actress after all.
"Mr. Brown, could we meet?"
"Does Ms. Adams want to see me, or does Kurt want to see me?"
Kurt's face flashed with discomfort at being called out.
Just as he was about to take the phone, William's voice came through with a hint of dismissal. "The biggest taboo in business is setting traps. Kurt and Ms. Adams setting up this scheme with me caught between you two - that's really something."
Nora panicked, not daring to take the blame. She'd heard about William's reputation. "Mr. Brown..."
All she got in response was a disconnected call.
Before Kurt could get angry, Isia came over with her phone and knocked on the car window. "Kurt, Ms. Jolie brought people to the company. She says she wants to see you."
"Angelina?"
"Yes."
"Head back to the company first." Kurt gave Nora a long look. She wisely opened the car door and got out, not daring to hesitate for a second.
Thalia had just gotten up to head to the set when she saw Nora come in, looking drained, her whole person seeming dejected.
On Friday, Thalia had promotional work. The director required them to attend an event. When it ended around nine, she leaned back in her chair rubbing her legs, complaining that being a star wasn't easy - filming during the day, attending events at night.
"We're at Mr. Brown's company."
Thalia turned to look at the surrounding skyscrapers. "Pull over for a second."
John parked the car.
Thalia took out her phone and called William.
No one answered.
So she called Brian instead.
"Brian, where's your boss?"
"The boss left work and went home! Ever since he got married, William doesn't work late anymore. He's practically working Angelina to death."
Thalia hung up and told them to go to Maple Grove Villas.
In the yard at Maple Grove Villas, eerie green lights glowed. Thalia had complained multiple times that the lighting looked like something from a horror movie. William got so annoyed he called in a landscaper to give her a lesson, cramming some gardening knowledge into her head - basically, it was for killing mosquitoes.
Thalia thought, well, if that's the case, she could live with it.
She pushed open the door. Fallon bent down to place slippers by her feet.
"Where's your Mr. Brown?"
"Mr. Brown is in the kitchen."
"Doing what?" Maple Grove Villas had so many servants she couldn't even keep track of them all. What would require him to do it himself?
Fallon wanted to say but seemed hesitant. "You'll know when you see."