Chapter 1981
It was all about the outdoor photo shoot for the commercial. With a touch of excitement bubbling under her calm exterior, Ivy followed the crew to an open space not far from the office to get started.
Despite her lack of experience in front of the camera, the day was filled with still shots, which went off without a hitch, to everyone’s relief.
Meanwhile, Clara happened to be in the neighborhood too.
She couldn’t believe that a single sentence from Nolan had axed the job she had worked so hard to land. She was seething!
After stewing at home for hours and making futile calls to the Harris Group’s staff, only to be stonewalled and eventually blocked, Clara knew she had to act. Too long without exposure in the public, she would be forgotten by the audience.
So Clara decided to confront Nolan in person, to fight for one more chance at the Harris Group.
As she approached the company’s premises, Clara caught sight of a small crowd surrounding someone exiting the building. Her eyes narrowed, focusing on the center of attention. It was Ivy!
And Ivy was dressed to the nines with impeccable makeup and chic outfit.
What on earth was going on? What was that little sneak Ivy up to?
Full of suspicion, Clara followed.
When she saw the product in Ivy’s hands-the very product she was supposed to shoot, rage boiled inside her.
What? Ivy had stolen her gig!
Clara’s thoughts raced with anger. “That deceitful Ivy scratched my face on purpose that day so she could snatch my job!” she hissed through clenched teeth. “Ivy, your smug satisfaction won’t last long!”
During a break in the shoot, Nolan had been watching from the sidelines. He approached Ivy with a bottle of water, “Ivy, you’re too modest, you know. You say you’ve got no experience, but you’re a natural!”
Ivy blushed at the praise, bashfully accepting the water, “Oh, it’s nothing, really. I just didn’t want to slow anyone down: Glad that it all went smoothly.”
“Hold on.”
Just as Ivy was about to take a sip, Nolan’s voice stopped her. He leaned in close to her cheek, causing her to instinctively grab his hand. Her voice was laced with caution, “Wait, Nolan, what are you doing?”
Her defensive gesture sent a chill through Nolan’s heart. He hadn’t expected such a guarded reaction from her.
“There’s a bug in your hair. I’m just getting it out,” he explained.
Realizing her mistake, Ivy quickly let go with embarrassment, “I’m sorry, Nolan… I guess I was just a bit too jumpy.”
Nolan carefully removed the bug and stood back up, “Ivy, I would never do anything against your wishes. You can trust me completely.”
“Thank you, Nolan.”
Ivy felt a certain warmth towards Nolan, yet she couldn’t understand why she was so resistant to his proximity. But when Balfour got close, she never reacted this way.
What was wrong with her?
Little did Ivy know that their entire exchange had been covertly filmed by Clara, from whose angle it looked as though they were kissing
Looking at the misleading video on her phone, Clara’s lips curled into a sly grin, “Ivy, I’d like to see who can save you this time!”
