Chapter 188 Kurt
"Did you hear? He was going around scamming people using Thalia's name a while back, and Thalia caught him red-handed."
"You talking about what happened last night?"
"Thalia exposed him first, then he went back and beat someone so badly she went into premature labor. You think he took his anger out on Aria because Thalia humiliated him?"
"That's definitely possible."
Thalia sat in her van, scrolling through Facebook on the way to the film studio. "Isla, send this video to the TV station. Find someone reliable and have them do a proper report on it."
John was driving. Hearing this, he glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "I went with Mrs. Smith to the company yesterday. People there were saying Wesley's had several projects fall through recently, and the Lewis family gave him a hefty sum to help him get through this rough patch."
"My mom went to the company?"
"Yes."
"Why? Wasn't she supposed to be finding me a stepdad?"
"Mrs. Smith was just talking. Between you and her, you hold over 50% of the shares. At a time like this, if you don't keep control of the company, who knows what trouble some people with bad intentions might stir up. Mrs. Smith thought it over and decided she needs to go back to the company."
Grace used to be a company executive. She joined right after college graduation. Hayden poached her from a rival company to work as an executive, and somehow they fell for each other and got married, after which she stopped working.
Though Grace had been a wealthy housewife for over ten years, it's not like she'd forgotten everything.
Thalia thought to herself—good that Grace has ambition. Then she won't have time to manage her.
.......
"Ms. Smith is so dedicated. Something happened and she didn't even rest—came straight to the film studio the next day?"
"I heard you rushed home yesterday to deal with your ex-boyfriend. You sure had a busy day!"
"Whose dog is running around off-leash this early in the morning?"
People passing by on set couldn't help but laugh at Thalia's comment.
Nora jumped up from her chair in anger. "Who are you calling a dog?"
"Whoever answers me."
"Sitting in my seat?" Thalia looked at the chair under Nora's butt, her brow furrowing. Everyone on set basically had their own resting spot, and occasionally if someone wasn't there or was filming, sitting in their spot was no big deal. But while others could sit in her spot, Nora couldn't. She found it disgusting.
"You weren't here. What's wrong with me sitting in your spot for a bit? It was empty anyway."
Thalia held her parasol and let out a short laugh. "The morgue is empty too. Want to move in there?"
"Sorry—" Luca was crouching next to Gregory talking to someone when their argument suddenly caught his attention.
Hearing Thalia's words, Luca couldn't help but laugh.
Once Luca laughed, everyone else couldn't hold it in either.
Thalia was in a hurry to get her makeup done and couldn't be bothered with Nora.
Thalia stayed on set until Friday. Because Aaron had to attend an awards ceremony over the weekend, they got two days off as an exception.
Early in the morning, when Thalia received this news, before she could even feel happy about it, Aaron grabbed her.
"Thalia, Saturday night is the Emerald City Film & Television Awards Ceremony. Come with me?"
"Do I have to go?"
As soon as Thalia asked this, Layla kicked her from the side, and she immediately changed her tune. "Yes, I'll go."
"Gregory's going too. You'll both come with me—perfect opportunity to promote the TV series."
As soon as Aaron left, Layla came over, tapping her forehead. "Are you really stupid or just pretending? You don't want such a good opportunity? Don't you want to make it in the entertainment industry?"
"Aaron taking you to this kind of event is giving you a chance, you know that?"
Thalia nodded repeatedly. "I know, I know. I won't go back to the apartment tonight. I'll head straight back to the city after work."
Evelyn had asked her out for drinks, saying the suburban factory building was completed.
She had originally wanted to invite Thalia to her opening ceremony, but thinking about her celebrity status, she worried that if people who hated Thalia showed up at her opening, that wouldn't be good.
"Did you hear? The Wood family took the baby away, and Aria was picked up by a servant. They don't treat Aria like a human being at all."
As soon as Thalia sat down, Evelyn started gossiping.
"If she hadn't gotten pregnant, do you think the Wood family would've let her through their door? Now that the baby's born, naturally she's useless to them."
"So disgusting! No wonder Walter's such a scumbag. Growing up in a family like that, how could he possibly be a good man?"
Thalia swirled the glass in her hand. "How's the Wood family doing now?"
"I heard your mom's been squeezing the Wood family hard. Back when you were dating Walter, your dad gave Wesley several projects. The first thing your mom did when she joined the company was cut off all the funding for those projects."
"If you ask me, this should've been done ages ago. The Wood family takes your family's benefits and still dares to show off in front of you—isn't that asking for death?"
They chatted casually. Midway through, Thalia got up to use the restroom. As she came out, she nearly bumped into someone.
"What are you doing here?"
When Nora saw Thalia, her face went pale. "None of your business."
Thalia immediately noticed the finger marks on her neck—she looked like she'd just been roughed up.
Someone like Nora couldn't get into a club like this on her own, and the second-floor private rooms were always reserved for the wealthy and powerful. A not-very-famous actress appearing in a place like this was either being used as a plaything by rich people or sent as a gift.
Thalia watched her hurried departure, her eyes narrowing slightly as her gaze shifted to the second-floor staircase.
Just as she turned around, she heard apologetic voices from upstairs. "Kurt, we're so sorry. We had no idea this accident would happen."
"Kurt, please give me another chance regarding today's incident. I promise I won't make this kind of mistake again, Kurt."
Kurt?
Thalia's mind flashed through the faces of Emerald City's elite, trying to remember who this Kurt was.
She moved into a corner and saw a middle-aged man walking down from the second floor with an elegant, composed manner, like a respected family elder.
Behind him followed a group of subordinates in suits, bowing and scraping.
"You should know what doing something like this means. No need to apologize. Let's just not see each other again."
Kurt's secretary blocked the man.
"Kurt, Kurt..."
Thalia was sizing up Kurt when, as her gaze wandered, Kurt seemed to notice her watching. His eyes locked onto hers, tightening sharply with unmistakable shock.