Chapter 214 Everyone Is Starting to Sever Emotions and Abandon Love?
In the afternoon, Thalia went to the studio and saw Layla lecturing a newly signed artist. Thalia walked past her office and headed straight to the break room.
"Thalia," an employee who came to make coffee was startled to see her.
"What's wrong?" Thalia ground some coffee and was stirring it with a spoon, glancing toward Layla's office.
"The new girl we recruited from film school told Layla everything was fine when she came in - clean background, no complicated stuff. But today, an ex-boyfriend showed up saying she scammed him for money and love."
"Layla is furious."
Thalia raised an eyebrow and walked toward the door with her coffee cup. From a distance, she could hear Layla's roaring voice.
"Layla actually really liked this girl - smart, pretty, perceptive, and willing to learn."
Just as Thalia pushed open the break room door, before she could say anything, she heard the newly signed artist sobbing: "He was the one who scammed my friend first. I couldn't stand it, so I did the right thing and treated him the way he treated my friend. The only reason he came here today is because he heard at school that I signed with a company. He's jealous and wants to ruin me."
Thalia: ……….
"Consider this a lesson. Remember this clearly - as long as you want to be a star, you need to be extremely careful about everything you say and do. And most importantly, cut off all those messy relationships around you."
"Get out!"
Layla was so angry she paced around the room with her hands on her hips, trying to calm down.
A cup of coffee appeared beside her: "Calm down."
"You've already been through my hands, how can these girls still get to you?"
Layla shot her a look: "You know how difficult you were?"
"I've always known. If I were easy to handle, would I be called the princess of Emerald City?"
"Want to go out for afternoon tea?"
Emerald City had no shortage of places for wealthy people to spend their time. Thalia took Layla to a famous rooftop golf café.
Manager Rhett greeted them with a beaming smile as soon as he saw her.
Rhett practically wanted to bring out their entire menu for Thalia to choose from.
"Ms. Smith, do you need company today?"
"No need. Arrange afternoon tea for us and give us a relatively quiet spot."
"Understood."
"You can play golf?" Layla looked at Thalia with surprise.
"It's a required course for wealthy kids. I won a national youth award back in the day."
Soon, Rhett brought up the afternoon tea. Thalia picked up a club and tested it in the open space, not even bothering to change her clothes.
She walked to the artificial turf, took a swing, and the ball went straight in.
"Believe me now?"
"I do."
Golf was a pastime for the wealthy. Without proper systematic training, you probably couldn't even hold the club steady.
"Do you think Gregory is interested in you?" Layla had been thinking about this question lately. Gregory didn't seem any different toward Thalia in his words and actions, but if you looked closely, you could see something different.
He was creating opportunities to spend time with Thalia.
According to his previous style in the capital, if a live broadcast couldn't be done, he would either do a recorded broadcast or not broadcast at all. But today, he chose to do another live broadcast next time. In today's broadcast, no one had more status than him. If Gregory didn't agree, wouldn't the production team have to obediently prepare a recorded version?
"Even if he's interested in me, there's nothing I can do. I'm not single right now."
"You'll be single eventually anyway. If Gregory is a decent person and can bring you benefits, even if you don't get married, dating and creating some gossip would work too."
Thalia watched the ball go in the hole: "I'm not interested in any of that."
"You're in the entertainment industry - you need to understand the unspoken rules. If you don't play the game with others, they'll play it with you. Instead of waiting for others to come after you, you might as well find someone at your level to create some gossip with."
Layla earnestly advised Thalia.
"Just dating, no physical harm, just to stir up some buzz."
"Not interested. I won't have any emotional connection with any man during my marriage, neither soul nor body."
Layla: Is this still Thalia? Has she forgotten how wild she used to be?
"What's William's deal? He can control you?"
"You've only been married for how long and you're already cutting off all feelings?"
"This is a belief I've held firm in my heart since childhood."
"I grew up watching my dad mess around with shady women, leaving my mom alone at home. As his child, even though I enjoyed the benefits of a privileged family, I also bore things I shouldn't have had to at that age. I never believed in love from a young age, and I hated those unfaithful men. How could I follow in their footsteps when I grew up and become like them?"
"Even if I don't love William, even if we don't have emotional connection, as long as he doesn't do anything to wrong me in this marriage, I won't dirty myself."
"But you used to………"
"Marriage is marriage, dating is dating. They're different."
Layla understood this feeling, so she stopped trying to persuade her.
She was just joking anyway.
"I'm going to the restroom."
Layla got up, pulled a sanitary pad from her bag, held it in her hand, and went to the restroom. As soon as she left, she heard Rhett apologizing.
"Ms. Lewis, I'm truly sorry. This was our mistake. I guarantee it won't happen again."
Scarlett was a regular at this place, but regulars also had ranks. Scarlett was at most a VIP, and everything had to come after VVIP customers.
As Scarlett argued with Rhett, she saw Layla coming out of the restroom: "You didn't give my reserved spot to Thalia, did you?"
Layla: …………
"Is this how your establishment treats customers? I reserved this spot a week in advance and you gave it to someone else?"
Layla couldn't be bothered with Scarlett's shouting. She went to the restroom, and when she came out, she saw Scarlett rush into their private room.
She pushed the door open forcefully, and the glass door made a loud bang.
Thalia's movement of raising her coffee cup stopped right there.
"Do you know I reserved this room a week in advance?"
"So what?" Thalia asked back.
"Get out."
Thalia couldn't be bothered with her and glanced at Rhett.
Rhett was so scared he trembled, bowing and asking Scarlett to leave.
Scarlett shook off Rhett's hand and walked up to Thalia, trying to grab the coffee from her hand to splash her. But she didn't expect that Thalia held the coffee cup tightly with no intention of letting go.
"Want to splash me? Is that it?"
Then, a cup of coffee was splashed onto Scarlett's face.