Ch. 431..440

My Husband Is a Gary Stu Chapter 431

Chapter 431 Mother Of Your Child "I bet the person you are waiting for won't show up for the time being, so it's probably fine for you to come backafter dropping Genev off," replied Johanna.

"Come on, Armand.

You and Timothy are such good friends, so I'm sure you won't abandon his wife's BFF, right?" Without saying another word, Armand got out of the car and waiteduntil Genevieve put all her bags into it.

He closed the door, circled around the car, and gave Steven some instructions.

"It's not safe for Johanna to hail a cab all on her own andget home like that.

Go with her." Steven understood that Armand wasn't actually worried about Johanna getting into trouble or anything, but he didn't say anything.

He simply got out of the car. After Armand and Genevieve left, Johanna received a phone call. "Steven, my friend is waitingfor me in the parking lot over there, so I'll be heading home in her car.

Bye," said Johanna who was actually giving a random excuse just to leave quickly.

She waited until Steven was no longer within earshot before she called the personback. "How did it go?" After a brief conversation, Johanna said, "Thank you for your hard work.

I will wire the money to you soon." She hung up the call and was in a daze for a moment, but she regained her footing quickly.

Hence, she looked like any regular pedestrian when she stepped on the zebra crossing.

The Maybach was driving downthe road.

No one spoke, so all anyone could hear was the wipers clearing the raindrops away.

Genevieve leaned against the window on the right side so she would see the guy sitting behind the wheels whenever she looked up.

She noticed how his enormous arm, which was resting on the steering wheel, was wearing a rather unique watch.

I think that is the watch I gave himall those years ago. Just as Genevieve was going to break the silence, Armand's phone, which he had left on the armrest box, rang. Armand picked the call up and put it on speaker. "Mr.

Faulkner, my event has just concluded," said a lady with a melodious voice from the other end ofthe line.

"My manager said that he saw your car parked outside when he came to the mall."

Armand murmured a reply before saying, "I was going to pick you up, but I have to drop a friend off now, so please take a minivan home." Sylvie didn't complain or throw a tantrum.

She didn't ask any other questions, either.

"Okay.

Drive safe." Genevieve recalled how things were when she was shopping earlier.

She overheard some of the customers say that a company hired a celebrity to promote its product in the mall that day.

Huh, who would've thought that the celebrityin question is Sylvie? It's even more surprising to know that the person Armand was picking up was actually her.

What an a*shole! A friend? Puh-lease! She is so much more than a simple friend! She'd be themother of your child if she could. Genevieve waited until Armand had ended the conversation before she leaned closer and rested her arm on the side of the car.

After that, she asked, "Why didn't you tell Ms.

Clasen who's in the car with you? Are you worried that she'd get jealous?"

"She's not that petty, so there is no need to share an insignificant detaillike this," replied Armand in a warm voice. He's right about that.

Sylvie didn't need to worry since I would not have bothered hanging out with this a*shole if Johanna hadn't pushed me earlier.

"Ms.

Clasen is so beautiful and understanding.

You must be very happy, Mr.

Faulkner," commented Genevieve through gritted teeth.

She was so angry that she leaned back and stared out the window.

It didn't take long before the car made its way into theunderground parking spot in Regality Gardens. I guess he is not completely heartless, after all.

He didn't drop me off at the entrance and make me run in the rain.

Genevieve didn't hurry out ofthe car.

Instead, she leaned closer to him and said, "I need a housekeeper to cook and keep the place clean.

Have the housekeeper from your place come work for me." "Just call an HR company.

They will get someone to work for you," replied Armand to implicitly turn her down.

"The people they send are not half asgood as the housekeeper working for you," said Genevieve.

She pouted and rested her chin on his shoulder after that.

"Come on, I am your ex-wife.

Won't you help me just this once? For old times' sake? I will be the one to pay the housekeeper'ssalary, so it won't have any financial burden on you, anyway." Armand's hand remained on the steering wheel when he asked, "What do I get out of this?" Genevieve stared at the side of Armand's stunning face.

She moved and draped her leg over to his side before she sat right on top of his lap.

Putting her hand onthe back of his seat, she leaned closer to him. By then, their breaths had already intertwined. Genevieve never said a word.

She never blinked, either.

She simply kept her gaze on his Adam's apple and watched as he swallowed hard.

Armand, on the other hand, sat there quietly.

Not a hint of emotion could be seen in those eyes.

Genevieve held his muscular hand and made his fingertips trace herlips before she suddenly leaned even closer, as though she wished to kiss him. Just before their lips touched, she mischievously pulled away. She giggled when she saw his Adam's apple moving the way it did. When she got close to him again, she whispered, "You have all the money in the world, Mr.

Faulkner, so tell me.

My Husband Is a Gary Stu Chapter 432

Chapter 432 I Can Give You Anything You Want The way she put her hands on the backof his neck, the tone she used...

Everything was seductive. When Genevieve caressed Armand, he felt himself burning up.

His breathing became uneven as well, but the glow in his eyes remained clear.

He put his hand on Genevieve's neck and pushed her away.

Unfortunately, she would not relent and crawled back onto himto kiss him. Without warning, she mercilessly bit his lower lip until he bled.

Only then did she leave him be. "You bit my lip last night and made it impossible for me to even put onlipstick today.

I have to get revenge for that now, don't I?" said Genevieve as she wiped his blood from her lips.

"Have your housekeeper come to me tomorrow.

Just tell me what you want in return, okay?" Armand pushed her wandering hands away and replied, "If youcan afford to give me what I want, then it's a deal." "Don't worry, Mr.

Faulkner.

I will pay whatever price you name," replied Genevieve as she grinned.

She opened the door andgot out of the car before retrieving everything she bought that day. When she saw the cologne she had with her, she handed it to Armand and said, "The tips I gave you this morning are lacking, so here.

This should make up for it." Armand was so irritated that he couldn't help chuckling a little in exasperation.

Hedidn't leave, even after she had entered the elevator.

He stood there and unboxed the cologne. It was the same brand he used.

Armand put the cologne on the armrest box.

Just as he was about to drive though, he felt something underneath the pedal.

That something turned out to be a pearl earring. He assumed that it was Genevieve's, and itfell off when she was messing with him. As he leaned back, he stared at that beautiful earring.

His eyes glowed with immense love, but that quickly dissipated. Genevieve made some sandwiches for breakfast thenext morning. She had just finished preparing everything when the doorbell rang. After putting everything aside, she jogged a little to answer the door. Standing behind her door were Steven and a middle-aged housekeeper. "This is Rosa.

She will be taking care of your meals and the house's cleanliness from now on," said Steven, introducing Genevieve to the lady besidehim. Rosa bowed and greeted, "Good morning, Ms.

Rachford." Genevieve didn't really want to have a sandwich for breakfast, so she had Rosa make her somepasta.

The ingredients were all in the refrigerator, anyway. Genevieve led Steven to the living room when she sensed that he had something to tell her.

She even made some tea and pouredhim a cup before serving it to him.

"The rain was heavy yesterday, so I didn't get the chance to catch up with you.

How have you been? Have you found your better half?" "No," replied Steven.

Genevieve knew that Steven was a few years older thanArmand, so she was surprised to learn that he was still single. It was Steven's personal matters, though, so Genevieve wasn't in a position to ask him anything. She picked up her cup and sipped some tea before asking, "So, what did you want to talk to me about, Steven?" "I thought your life in Dartan is great.

Why did you return?" asked Steven. "I need to deal with some stuff."

Steven kept quiet for a moment before he said, "Genevieve, I praythat you will let go of the past and live your own life.

Perhaps I am in no position to give you any advice, but please.

You see me as a friend, so will you do me a favor for old time's sake? Will youstay away from him and let him live his own life as well? Do it for him, too.

You loved Mr.

Faulkner, and that must still mean something, right?" Four years ago, Genevieve left without looking back and Jack announced her pregnancy in the loudest way.

Steven had to watch asArmand did everything he could to numb his pain.

The latter's situation worsened as time passed, and the former truly worried that Armand would die in his sleep.

Things didn't turn for the better until that very year.

Armand acted as though he had gotten better, and it seemed he had let go of the past.

That allowed Steven to sigh a breath of relief, but then Genevievereturned. Naturally, Genevieve knew what Steven was talking about, but she couldn't tell him the truth, so she ended up gripping her cup. "Jadeborough is a small place, so the two of US will inevitably run into one another," replied

Genevieve.

She bit her lip a little.

My Husband Is a Gary Stu Chapter 433

Chapter 433 Did I Say Something Wrong Steven stared for a long time before he put his cup down andgot off the couch.

"I pray that you will keep your word.

I should go now." Genevieve walked him out. After closing the door, her smile tumed upside down rightaway.

She sighed internally.

It's true that I won't butt in on Armand's love life or his marriage, but if he were to remarry, then he and I will have truly corne toan end... "Ms. Rachford," shouted Rosa who was in the dining room.

"Breakfast is ready.

I'll go clean the bedroom now." Genevieve came back around and hurried to the dining room.

"You don't need to work so hard.

Please sit.

I'd like to chat with you." Genevieve sat down at the dining table and picked up her fork to chow down on thepasta.

She complimented Rosa's cooking, then asked, "How long did you work at Swallow Garden?" "Three years," answered Rosahonestly. Before she even came, Armand made it clear to her that Genevieve would be the boss from now

on. Ail Rosa had to do was obey Genevieve's words. Genevieve murmured a reply before she nonchalantly asked, "So, uh, hâve you ever seen Mr.

Faulkner coming home with any women?" Rosa thought about it before replying, "No. He always cornes home alone.

He would be away from home for a few weeks when he was out on hisbusiness trip, though." "So Sylvie Clasen never stayed there, either?" "Oh, are you talking about that celebrity?" said Rosa.

"No, she never came either." The dark cloud looming over Genevieve's heart finally faded away. Genevieve's guess was that the womenfeatured in the gossip magazines were simply hired to put on a show with Armand. Unfortunately, her relief didn't last long.

Rosa continued by saying, "I hâve, however, heard Mr.Sullivan say that Mr.Faulkner often has dinner with Ms.Clasen.

He would stay out overnight if the dinner went on for too long..."

Genevieve suddenly found the food to be bland, so she put her fork down. The housekeepers at Swallow Garden enjoyed gossiping during their time off, so Rosa knew that Armand used to be married. Rumor had it that his ex-wife looked a lot like Sylvie.

When Rosa met Genevieve, she immediately put two and two together and realized thatGenevieve was Armand's ex. Rosa had more to share with Genevieve, but the sudden scowl and the way Genevieve slammed the fork on the table frightened Rosa. "Did I say something wrong, Ms.Rachford?"

"No, it's not that.

I simply feel unwell," replied Genevieve.

She waved her hand to dismiss Rosa and hâve her clean the place.

Genevieve suspected that Armand only saw Sylvie as a substitute when she first learned that Sylvie had beenstaying by Armand's side for the past four years.

That was a reasonable assumption since the two of them looked too similar.

However, spending the lasttwo days in the country and learning what Armand had been doing for Sylvie ail this time made Genevieve wonder. Is he really in love with Sylvie? Genevieve sat at the dining table for quite some time. Her pasta had turned cold when she finally returned to her room to change into a formai outfit.

She grabbed her car keys and left after that. Fifteen minutes later, she arrived at Twilight Tower. When Jack produced For Elise, he bought a domestic production company and renamed it.

He mightnot have been in the country ail these years, but his subordinates did a great job managing it. Genevieve Orsi had since signed many contracts and hired quite a few celebrities.

The superstar, Sylvie, was also one of the company's artists, so the company's growth had attracted many's attention.

Before Genevieve returned to the country, she asked Jack to sign the company over to him.

The paperwork was actually done on the plane. Genevieve Orsi Productions occupied floors thirty- one to thirty-six. When Genevievefirst entered the office, the receptionist responsible for greeting everyone was stunned for a few seconds.

She wondered why Sylvie, who never dropped by, would actually show up.

It didn't take her long before she realized that the woman standing before her was even more beautifulthan Sylvie.

My Husband Is a Gary Stu Chapter 434

Chapter 434 What If She Complains Genevieve wore a gray formai outfit that day, and the aura she exudedmade it clear that she was a powerful woman.

Her brows, despite being stunning, inspired admiration and fear. The receptionist quickly recognized Genevieve and realized that the latter was the newCEO. "Good morning, Ms. Rachford." Soon, a secretary came to greet Genevieve and take her to the conférence room.

Every employée had already been notified about the change of the CEO via e-mail. That was why the secretarial department was able to set up a meeting quickly. The secretary introduced the top managers to Genevieve after the latter entered the conférence room.

Everyone exchanged some simple pleasantries after that. The meeting started with Genevieve getting an update on the progressof ail ongoing projects. In order to fully utilize the resources they had with them, the company would produce two TV sériés and one movie every year. When the assistant manager responsible for production was giving an update, Genevieve read up on their previous projects. Understanding everything prompted herto ask.

"Why has Sylvie never been featured in any of the TV sériés?" Sylvie rose to famé after For Elise was produced.

She gained a lot of fans at the time, so if she were to get involved in a TV sériés, thesale for said TV sériés would be exponential.

There was even a chance that the project would garner fans and would be trending even before the sériés made it on screen.

It might also bring more viewership to the company's other projects.

"Uh, she is rather busy since she has to shoota movie every year," replied the assistant manager hesitantly. Genevieve scoffed the second she heard that excuse.

"She is featured in a single movie every year.

Even the most daunting movie won't keep her busy ail year long."

Genevieve sent her secretary to get Sylvie's schedule for the year after that.

Everyone quietly watched asshe did so. Sylvie used to play the supporting rôles for a TV sériés that the company made.

She attracted quite a few audiences for that sériés. Unfortunately, the rumor about her and Armand getting together was shared, andscripts for big-budgeted movies began making their way to her. In a way, the company had implicitly admitted that the rumor was true. The nightmare began when Sylvie spent less and less time at the company.

It got to the point where she didn't bother showing up anymore and would prétend to hâve neglected some of the more daunting tasks that the company assignedher. Her manager would always answer her phone for her and daim that she was busy with her boyfriend. Legally speaking, Sylvie was working for Genevieve Orsi, but Armand was the one who invested in most of the movies.

His powers and her association with him inspired so much fear that no one dared to cross Sylvie. Eventually, everyone stopped demanding thatshe clock in. It didn't take long before the secretary returned to the conférence room with Sylvie's schedule. Genevieve only needed three minutes to finish reading everything.

She slammed the document onto the desk and said, "Sylvie hadn't participated in any of the company's eventsor activities in the past two years! She didn't even train a single newbie.

My gosh, it's as if she was the boss instead." Annoyed, Genevieve stemly instructed, "Assign high-value projects that need a boost to her and hâve herparticipate in every single one of the company's events.

Call her manager as soon as this meeting is over and tell that manager to get the artist inline.

She is to do as the company demands.

If she refuses to comply and wishes to breach the contract, then hâve her pay the proper damage." "Understood," replied the assistant manager whilenodding. After the conférence concluded and Genevieve left, the top managers lingered in the conférence room. One of the managers shared his concern.

"What do we do if we assign that much work to Sylvie and she complains to Mr.Faulkner?"

"Let her.It's as Ms. Rachford had said.

If Sylvie refuses to work, she can pay the legal damages."

The assistant manager nodded and complained, "It's about time someone teaches Sylvie a lesson.

She has been behaving too arrogantly for too long because she had Mr.Faulkner on her side.

That woman might be legally bound to work for us, but she didn't do her job.

That is not right." "Hell yeah! She would never be able to stay by Mr.Faulkner's side if she didn't look similar to Mr.Rachford," said another top manager.

"In fact, I heard that the only reason she was featured in Mr.Valentine's movie was that she looked like Mr.Rachford as well."

"Oh well, Mr.Rachford is our boss, so we'll just do what she says."

Everyone felt more confident and at ease after they discussed the matter.

My Husband Is a Gary Stu Chapter 435

Chapter 435 Flood Genevieve With Insults After getting out of the conférence room, the vice president allocated some projects andactivities for Sylvie, then contacted Sylvie's manager, informing her that it would mean termination if Sylvie continued to disobey the company. Sylvie had signed an eight-year contract when she joined, with a contract termination fee of a hefty four-digit sum, something that she would not be able to fork out even if she lived a considerably good life. As such, she had no choice but to accept ail kinds of gigs the company arranged for her. Upon receiving the message sent by Sylvie's manager, the person in charge instantly heaved a breath of relief.

Well, Genevieve is still impressive after ail.

Only she can take down someone like Sylvie! But in no time, trouble approached.

The company was preparing for their self-produced drama and had chosen the male and female leads the former rôle given to a newbie with great potential, while the latter to Sylvie. However, just as the drama's official Twitter released the first set of characters' images, Sylvie's fans began making négative comments, including how the male lead was too ugly and was not a good fit for Sylvie.

AH in ail, they requested a change in the male lead.

It did not take those fans much difficulty to bring Genevieve Orsi Productions up on the trending list with their criticisms. On Thursday morning, Sylvie headed to Baykeep according to the company's arranged schedule for a ribbon- cutting ceremony. Because of unrigorous security, the ardent fans below the stage found an opportunity to rush up, pounce on and kiss Sylvie like a pack of hungry wolves.

That inadvertently caused her to fall to the ground, thus sustaining severe injuries to her legs.

The accident at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, coupled with the dissatisfaction towardthe company for ignoring their requests to make the male lead for the drama, led to the éruption of émotions in Sylvie's fans. A group of fans gathered outside the entrance of Twilight Tower, holding onto banners and chanting how Genevieve Orsi Productions was a terrible company that ill-treated their artists. Another group of people began to gossip on the internet. F*ck you, Genevieve Orsi Productions! Our beloved Sylvie is a movie actress.

Are you blind? Did you not see the awards and achievements she received?

If not for Sylvie accepting actinggigs and earning money for the company, how do your other artists make a living? Can the company possibly earn the recognition they hâve now? Forget the fact that you make Sylvie film a drama. But why the heck did you choose that guy as the male lead? Are there no other artists available? Why does thecompany always send Sylvie for schedules? It turned out that an employée from Genevieve Orsi Productions had secretly divulged to the fans that Genevieve was now the agency's CEO, and it was her decision for Sylvie to film the project and attend the event.

There were also several blurry screenshots of chatting records. Agitation and displeasure surged within the fans upon learning about the secret.

They immediately headed over to Genevieve's latest tweet and flooded her with criticisms and insults.

Meanwhile, Genevieve was settlingmatters at Baykeep. It was only after receiving a phone call from the agency's vice president did she found out that Sylvie was at the hospital after getting into an accident during the event. With that Genevieve conduded the call.

Concurrently, a creaking sound of wooden floors being stepped on resonated into the air.

A hunched-back old lady, roughlyeighty-odd years old, came down from upstairs with a métal box in her hand. Worried that she might fall, Genevieve hurried up to steady her. The old lady had a head full of gray hair, and her wrinkly face had a few faint scars, making her look extra elderly-looking. The old woman did not seem too agile as she placed the métal box on the table with her trembling hands. Noticing that she could not pry open the box after a long while, Genevieve took the box from her hand and opened it for her without much difficulty. Inside the box was a stack of photos, which had a slight yellowish tint, possibly due to âge. In the photos was a young-looking couple standing close to each other. The man had a refined and charming appearance and had a slight resemblance to Armand.

He must be César.

As for the woman, she had outstanding Visual and silky black hair.

This lady has an uncanny resemblance to the woman in the photo Cooper was holding.

The first fewphotos in the stack were them having fun outdoors, while those at the back were their wedding photos.

They wore a blissful look on their faces while dressed in wedding gowns and suits.

Apart from those photos, there was also adiamond ring in that rusty métal box. The diamond on it was still as shiny and sparkly even after several décades. When Genevieve pulled out that ring, exaspération filled that old lady's cloudy eyes.

"That was gifted to Ms. Valentine by that man.

She had thrown it away after their quarrel, but I went to retrieve it..." Genevieve gently probed, "Do you remember when Ms. Valentine left?"

The old lady shook her head.

Then, she pointed to the scar on her face.

"She didn't want to leave.

It was Old Mr.Faulkner..." She seemed to be overwhelmed with fear.

"Look at this scar on my face; I got hurt while trying to stop them back then.

Old Mr.Faulkner was livid when he found out that his son got together with Ms. Valentine.

To threaten Ms. Valentine, he sent someone to her house to wreak havoc.

And that was not ail.

Ms. Valentine's child was taken away from her when she had just given birth at the hospital." At the mention of the past, the old lady felt a pang of bitternesswithin her.

My Husband Is a Gary Stu Chapter 436

Chapter 436 Her Son Is Not Dead The old lady grabbed her sleeve to wipe her tears. "She went to look forCesar, but he's nothing but a useless and irresponsible brat.

He said he never thought about marrying her and broke up with her.

Ms. Valentine bawled her eyes out while standing by the door, reluctant to leave.

I had no choice but to drag her with me.

But on our way back, the car got stopped by someone..." During then, two black cars surrounded their vehicle.

Several men got out, broke their Windows to open the car door, and took Charice away by force. She couldnot muster an ounce of energy as she insisted on heading out to look for César even though she had just given birth. To protect her, the old lady fought persistently with those men.

Unfortunately, they pushed her to the ground, and as a resuit, her face pricked straight into the broken glass shards, leaving her unconsciousat once. Only after she regained consciousness did she learn about the news that a car explosion occurred by the hillside, and a female body was found near the venue.

It was reported that the female victim had just given birth not too long ago.

Convinced that the bodybelonged to Charice, the old lady broke into tears as she watched the news. After staying in the hospital for about six months, the wound on the old lady's face finally recovered.

At the same time, a man visited her at the hospital and ordered her to leave Xedells after handing her two cases ofmoney and a fake identity card. With the money in hand, she departed to Baykeep, which was not too far away from Xedells, and settled down to date. "Actually, Ms. Valentine didn't die back then," Genevieve revealed. If she's dead, she wouldn't hâve appeared at Dartan and even gotmarried with kids. The old lady was shocked by that piece of

news.

"W-What...

what did you say? Ms. Valentine isn't dead?" "That's right; she isn't dead." Genevieve bobbed her head.

"She went to Dartan and lived there for many years.

She only passed away unexpectedly later." "How is that possible?" Perplexity consumed the old lady.

"I saw Ms. Valentine's body with my own eyes..." "That's what you saw on the télévision.

You didn't identify at the scene, did you?" Genevieve muttered.

"That dead body could have been put at the scene purposely by somebody, in an attempt to confuse the public."

She still couldnot be sure if the culprit was César. Even though she had leamed from Jack and this old lady that César had let Charice down, she had no other leads, at least for now. "But her son is still alive." Genevieve clicked open the photo on her phone and passed it to the old lady.

"Ifs him." Bringing the device doser, the old lady carefully looked at the man in the photo.

"I saw him on the news previously.

I recognize this man!" she exdaimed nervously.

"Is he really the child Ms. Valentine gave birth to back then?" Genevieve nodded. "What about you?" Only then did it dawn on the old lady that she had yet asked for Genevieve's name.

"How did you know about my relationship with Ms.

Valentine? And how did you find your way here?" Genevieve responded, "There are things I wanted to sort out, so Igot someone to run a check for me.

That's how I found out that you're Charice's help." Holding the phone in her hand, the old lady stared atthe man in the photo for a long time.

Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. Since Genevieve had other matters to tend to, she bid her goodbye after chatting with the old lady. Before she left, she told the latter that she hoped to take the photos with her. Luckily, she was given the green light. The old lady personally saw Genevieve out and requested, "I don't have much time left.

Could I trouble you to bring him along to visit when you corne the next time?"

"Sure." Genevieve gave the old lady awarm hug and whispered, "I will also bring his kids along to visit you." Hearing that, the old lady seemed to figure out Genevieve's relationship with that man in the photo. Nodding her head, she smiled in relief.

"Great, great." With that, Genevieve took the flight at one in the afternoon and rushed back to Jadeborough without any rest.

Before boarding the plane, she called thecompany's vice president, instructing him there was no need to do any PR, and neither did he need to send security to chase the fans outside the building.

In fact, she wanted the crowd to blow up the matter.

After arriving at Jadeborough, she made a trip home and put her belongings away before heading tothe hospital where Sylvie was admitted. At the private ward, Genevieve saw a pale-faced Sylvie lying on the hospital bed, holding on to a script and reading it conscientiously. Genevieve knocked on the door to alert the patient inside the ward about her arrivai. Then, she stepped inside and placed a fruit basket on the table.

Chapter 437 Do Not Mess With Me

Sylvie's manager, Joyce, was also in the ward.

When she saw the resemblance between Genevieve and Sylvie, a look of surprise instantly crept over her face. She was always following Sylvie around, so she knew the resemblance wasn't obvious when the latter went makeup free. After the professional makeup artists had worked their magic on Sylvie, however, there was no doubt she'd bear a much more striking resemblance to Genevieve.

That said, even with a full face of makeup, Sylvie would still pale in comparison to Genevieve, especially now that the latter was both her boss and the CEO of Genevieve Orsi Productions. "Oh, it wasn't Sylvie's fault," Joyce hastily explained after catching the hint in Sylvie's glance.

"The event organizer didn't provide enough security guards, so they couldn't stop the fans from storming up the stage."

Thenext second, Joyce rolled up Sylvie's pant leg, revealing the big, nasty bruise on her fair skin.

"Look how badly she fell.

Her calf is all bruised.

The doctor said Sylvie will need to stay in the hospital for at least two weeks, which means we'll have toput her work on hold..." Genevieve winced at the gnarly leg bruise and said sympathetically, "Yes, the injury sure looks bad.

Have a good rest, then.

I'll let the assistant manager know about it." "By the way, Ms.

Rachford, I wanted to ask you something..." Joyce replied.

"As you know, Sylvie has been starring in movies since she joined the entertainment industry, and her latest works earned her critical acclaim.

You may not be aware of this, but there's a big difference between doing movies and TV dramas.

Don't you think letting her act in a drama would be belittling her?"

Genevieve turned to the woman on the hospital bedand smiled.

"Sylvie, can't you speak for yourself? Why must everything go through someone else?"

"But I'm her manager-"

Alas, before Joyce could finish her words, Genevieve interrupted coldly, "You're one of the managers working for our company.

She isn't the only artist you have, is she?" Terrified, Joyce ducked her head and said nothing more. With that, Genevieve turned her attention back to Sylvie.

"Are you unhappy with my arrangement? Do you not want to be in our company's TV drama? Is that it?" Sylvie pursed her lips and gently explained, "The pace of making a movie is faster than a TV drama, so I'm just worried I might not be used to the latter and mess things up.

Also, I received a new movie script a few days back.

Filming for it starts next week." Genevieve smiled and leaned over.

"In other words, you think shooting a TV series is far too tiring, and you don't want to take it up.

If that's the case, you can terminate your contract with us.

It's fine by me." Before anyone could reply, Genevieve leaned into Sylvie's ear and whispered, "Sylvie Clasen, you really are a brilliant actress.

Your acting chops are way better than the young lady I met a few days ago.

Next time, though, remember to fall even harder.

Better yet, injure your face, so it'd be easier to incite your fans."

Sylvie narrowed her eyes.

"Ms.

Rachford, I don't know what you're talking about." "That's okay," Genevieve replied with a smirk.

"All you need to know is that I'm your boss, and it won't be wise to mess with me.

You can either do as I say or terminate your contract and scram."

After saying that, Genevieve stood up to straighten her jacket and glanced at Joyce. "Report back to the office tomorrow morning.

There are other assignments for you.

As for Sylvie, we'll find another manager for her." Needless to say, Joyce was shocked.

"But I've been working with Sylvie for four years.

She won't be used to a new manager..." "Then we'll give her time to get used to it.

Likewise, if you're unhappy with the arrangement, you're free to quit anytime," Genevieve replied.

Chapter 438 Thank You For Your Suggestion

Genevieve strolled up to the man and scoffed, "Wow, Mr. Faulkner, you must really care a lot for your lover.

She just got hospitalized, yet you've already put your work aside to visit her."

"Like you said, she's my lover.

Shouldn't I show her some care and concern?" Armand replied in a deep voice.

A scowl instantly crept into Genevieve's face.

"Oh, yes! Of course, you should! It'd be even better if you brought her some supplements so her leg can heal faster!" "Okay," Armand answered with a gentle nod.

"Thank you for your suggestion, Ms. Rachford." Genevieve was still holding back her anger when her phone started ringing.

After seeing who the caller was, she broke into a smile and answered it while walking toward the elevator.

"Hello, who's that?" she piped up.

After a while, she added, "Of course, I've missed you! I miss you every second of every minute of every day.

Sorry, darling.

I've been so busy recently that I haven't had the time to call you."

Genevieve's voice was so saccharine-sweet that it was as though she was trying to soothe the caller and wishing she could be with him. It didn't take long for Armand to guess who the caller was, and his calm demeanor began to crack as he felt himself tensing up. A few seconds later, however, he regained his composure and strode into Sylvie's ward. "Mr.

Faulkner!" Joyce greeted, utterly shocked that Armand would even show up at the hospital.

She poured him a glass of water immediately, clearly treating him better than she did Genevieve. Armand merely waved it off and walked up to Sylvie's bedside.

"Where did you hurt yourself?" Before Sylvie could say anything, she felt Joyce lifting her pant leg to reveal the gnarly bruise.

"Take a look, Mr. Faulkner," Joyce said, her voice full of pity.

"Even when Sylvie was filming on set, she had never been injured this badly.

The doctor said she won't be able to get out of bed for the time being..."

"In that case, please stay here during this time and take care of her," Armand replied. Joyce sighed.

"I want to, but I'm afraid I can't.

Ms. Rachford dropped by earlier and said she'd find a new manager for Sylvie.

She also wants me to return to the office tomorrow so she can assign me new tasks.

The thing is, Ms.Rachford lacks the experience to run a production company.

She's adamant about Sylvie attending events and starring in the company's TV series..."

Armand said nothing as he listened intently, speaking up only when Joyce had finished grumbling. "Since she's under contract with Genevieve Orsi Productions, she has to follow the company's arrangements. I'm afraid I can't interfere in this matter." Joyce's expression darkened at that.

Sylvie pursed her lips and muttered, "Mr. Faulkner, the truth is that I prefer making movies.

TV dramas are out of my expertise, so I don't want to mess anything up.

But Ms. Rachford stated that if I didn't follow the company's orders, she'd terminate my contract.

As such, can I ask you for a favor? Can you please help me pay the early termination fee?" "How much is it?"

Sylvie rattled off a sum and added, "Once I've joined another production company and made money from the movies, I'll definitely pay you back with interest." "Hmm, the termination fee isn't a small amount," Armand mused.

"I'll need a few days to prepare it." Knowing that he had essentially agreed to help her, Sylvie beamed with joy.

"Thank you, Mr.Faulkner." I've long wanted to break my contract with the company, but the termination fee's way too high.

I suppose I have Genevieve to thank for this stroke of luck! Once I leave the company, I shall strike out on my own.

That way, I'll no longer be at the mercy of others!

Right then, Armand's phone rang.

When he realized it was a call from Cooper, he picked it up without hesitation.

"Hey. What's the matter?" "I called Steven, and he told me you weren't at the office.

Have you gone to visit Sylvie at the hospital?" Cooper asked candidly.

"Yes."

"Turn on your speakerphone," Cooper said, his tone darker than before.

"I have something to tell her." Instead of probing further, Armand did as instructed and turned to look atSylvie.

"It's Mr.Sutton from Specter Corporation.

He wants to speak with you." At the sound of that, Sylvie froze in her tracks.

Naturally, she knew who Cooper Sutton was.

Not only was he the current head of Specter Corporation, but he also used to be the Rachford family'sadopted son and Genevieve's ex-husband. On top of being a business genius, Sylvie had also heard that he was the one who brought down Wood Group in Xedells.

Everyone feared him because he was even more cunning and ruthless than Armand.

I don't think I've ever met him, though.

Chapter 439

Go Ahead And Try It Cooper's deep, booming voice suddenly rang out. "Ms. Clasen, you'd better remain in Genevieve Orsi Productions for the duration of your contract.

If you get Armand to pay your termination fee, I guarantee it'd spell the end of your acting career.

Not even Armand would be able to help you then! If you don't believe me, go ahead and try it!"

Sylvie wasso terrified by Cooper's threat that she began shaking uncontrollably. She looked up at Armand, hoping he'd put in a word for her, but unfortunately, he was indifferent about it. "I won't offend a business partner for a woman," he said calmly. After hearing Armand's promise, Cooper snorted and hung up the phone. "I want to help you terminate your contract, but you know the relationship between Mr.

Sutton and your company's new CEO," Armand explained.

"My company has a lot of projects with Specter Corporation.

I can't risk that." Then, in an attempt to appease Sylvie, he continued, "If there are any movies you're interested in taking on, I'll try my best to helpyou." Left with no other choice, Sylvie nodded and forced a smile out.

"Thank you, Mr.Faulkner." Since he still had work to do, Armand barely stayed in the ward for ten minutes before taking his leave.

After closing the door, Joyce promptlyreturned to the table and poured a glass of water for herself. "Genevieve sure has a way with men, hasn't she? The two wealthiest and most powerful men in Jadeborough are her ex-husbands, and she also has Mr.Valentine wrapped around her finger.

From what I've heard, Mr.Valentine has a lot of influence in Dartan and is the real decision-maker in Helt Corporation!" she said as she emptied almost half her glass and sighed.

"Not only does she have the looks, but she's also insanely lucky.

How does one get to be as blessed as her?" Joyce continued to ramble on, but when she turned around and saw Sylvie scowling away, she quickly stopped to pour a glass for the latter. "Cooper Sutton is the Rachford family's adopted son and has a very close relationship with Genevieve.

He has dealings with Mr.Faulkner daily, so I can understand why Mr.Faulkner doesn't want to offend him," Joyce coaxed.

"Don't break your contract with the company in a fit of anger, Sylvie.

Mr.Faulkner treats you very well.

I'm sure he will finance the movies you're interested in." "Will he?" Sylvie replied with a bitter smile.

"Don't you know how strict he is?" Of course, Joyce was aware of that.

As a manager, she had never once left Sylvie's side and handled everything from the latter's work schedule to her personal affairs. Sylvie had acted in many movies of various genres in the last four years, yet Armand would always insist on removing all her racy and kissing scenes from the scripts. Even when rumors spread that Armand was a womanizer, Sylvie continued to stick by him. However, no matter how nasty those rumors got, with some people even suggesting that the couple had a child together, only Joyce knew the truth.

Sylvie had occasional meals with Armand, but that was all.

She spent most of her time at home, and Armand hardly visited her.

There had even been endorsement deals and talk show opportunities for Sylvie, but Armand was adamant that she limit her public exposure.

In the end, Joyce had no choice but to turn down all the various deals.

Because of the high level of strictness, Sylvie had never gotten embroiled in scandals with any male artists since her debut.

Even when she went on her movie promotional tours, her image remained pure and pristine.

The more Joyce stared at Sylvie's expression, the more she began to make sense of the situation. I always thought Armand Faulkner was overly protective of Sylvie, and that's why he's so strict with her. But after meeting Genevieve today, I doubt the reason is that simple.

With that, Joyce felt achill run down her spine. "Sylvie, do you remember the charity event?" she asked gingerly.

"Didn't you say you'd stay at the hotel that night? Why did you still get the minivan to pick you up afterward?"

Upon hearing Joyce's words, Sylvie recalled the events of that fateful night and turned pale. She had tried throwing herself at Armand on many occasions but to no avail.

Despite that, she refused to give up. On the night of the charity event, Sylvie rounded up a few hotel staff and shared her plan with them. Unfortunately, they mistook Genevieve for her and dragged the former into Armand's room.

Chapter 440 Wasted Effort

When Armand didn't pop out of his room, Sylvie's heart sank. She knew there was no longer any point in waiting and decided right there and then to leave the hotel. She couldn't believe that after all the effort she had put in, Genevieve was the one to benefit from it. When Sylvie's gaze fell on the fruit basket on the table, her expression turned a shade darker. "It was nothing.

I didn't feel like staying in the hotel anymore." Thankfully, Joyce caught the drift and knew better than to probe further.

"All right.

I have to report back to the office tomorrow morning.

Once you've worked with your new manager for a few days, you can give an excuse about not being used to them.

I can then use that reason to be transferred back to you."

Sylvie's the biggest star in the company, and she has Armand backing her up too.

Why would I want to work with other newbies and tire myself out?

"Use this time to rest and recuperate," Joyce added as she placed Sylvie's glass on the table.

"Even if Genevieve is our boss and wants you to star in TV dramas, that'd all be at a later date.

Right now, she has enough fires to fight with the news making headlines."

The next second, Joyce leaned in closer and whispered, "Besides, you still have your fans.

They are the ones who decide what TV dramas you get to be in."

Upon hearing that, Sylvie's mood visibly improved.

"Hmph! If it weren't for Jack Valentine, I doubt she'd have gotten the management rights to the production company!" Much as I hate to admit it, Genevieve has Lady Luck shining on her.

I'm so jealous! With that, Sylvie waved Joyce over and uttered, "Once everything's settled, I'll have you transferred back as soon as possible."

Happy with the idea, Joyce nodded.

"Leave it to me." The news of Sylvie getting injured during the event had yet to subside, and it didn't take long before a blogger made another post on the fan forum. The blogger claimed he used to be classmates with a rich girl in Jade borough, whose parents later passed away in a car accident. The girl knew she was beautiful and decided to capitalize on that to make money.

She had been married three times and received a divorce settlement worth billions from each of her ex-husbands.

Once she had all the wealth and power in her hands, she'd secretly destroy anyone she didn't like. The blogger even leaked that his classmate was now part of the top management of a production company. One of her company's artists had gotten close to her ex-husband, so she lost her temper and went out of her way to make things difficult for the artist. To make matters worse, she even mentioned that with her there, the artist could forget about getting good projects in the future. As soon as the post went up, comments began flooding in.

People quickly connected the dots and figured out who the blogger's classmate was.

Unsurprisingly, the discussion spread like wildfire on the forum and gradually moved to Twitter, where it started trending.

Upset that their idol was getting bullied, Sylvie's fans went onto Genevieve's Twitter account and started leaving angry, nasty comments. They even went to the extent of sending funeral wreaths to Genevieve Orsi Productions and photoshopping Genevieve's obituary. The situation got out of hand fast, to the point where James didn't even dare to check Twitter.

Genevieve, however, seemed largely unfazed. Once she had settled other matters, she went onto Twitter personally and uploaded the contract that Sylvie had signed with the production company. Genevieve tweeted: Sylvie Clasen has an eight-year contract with Genevieve Orsi Productions, but as you can see, the terms and conditions stated are all in her favor.

We've even included the profits she can get from any movies or dramas that she does.

However, what has Sylvie done for the company? She's one of our artists, yet she never wants to attend our events, and neither does she help promote our work. Seconds later, Genevieve posted a screensho of a conversation between James and Joyce. Genevieve: If you're the boss and your employee refuses to do any work or answer calls, would you be angry? What's wrong with making her attend our company's event and doing her part? After sharing the evidence, Genevieve wrote another tweet: By the way, I've read the post on the forum.

Thank you to my former classmate for saying I'm beautiful, but I'm afraid I can't agree with everything else you said.

For starters, Specter Corporation belongs to my family.