Ch. 531..540

Chapter 531

Bruce pulled his mask down before replying, "That will be quite good. I will never have to worry about my livelihood again." There was another emotion contained within his hoarse and deep voice Joasli stared at Bruce in shock as though he could not believe what lie had just heard.

Once they entered the clevator, lie checkcellis phone regarding the latter's schedule for the afternoon. "Mr. Gable, we have to be at the shopping mall at two o'clock for the promotional event for TF Fragrances..."

All of a sudden, he recalled something and exclaimed, "Mr. Gable, I thought you have always kept your distance from women?"

Back in the parking lot, Joasli was preoccupied with greeting Genevieve. It was only then that he remembered Bruce hated women and would always stay far away from the opposite gender. If there were women in the elevator, he would rather step out and wait for the next one.

Bruce knew what Joash wanted to ask. With one hand in his pocket, he said nonchalantly, "She's my boss. Am I supposed to ask her to get out of the elevator? Or perhaps you dare to do that? "I wouldn't dare to..."

There was no way Joash would have the guts to offend Genevieve, the boss who paid his salary and was capable of dismissing him.

Meanwhile, Genevieve was busy with her work when a call came through.

It was Jan from Resonance Corporation.

Once she answered the call, he said, "My wife has made the arrangements with Mrs. Hossler. We'll be having dinner at Imperial Club tonight. Ms. Rachford, do remember to come over at seven o'clock." "Sure. Thank you."

Jan said with a smile, "I should be the one to thank you. Thank you for teaching my daughter how to play the violin when you're free. Nowadays, she has become more talkative and starts to cling to my wife." Even though he had sold part of his shares to Specter Corporation in order to save his wife, he managed to establish new contacts with Cooper's help.

Jan hall always been grateful to Cenevieve for helping out with his daughter. Because of her, his daughter had become more cheerful.

Thus, he would do everything in his power to help should Genevieve ask for his assistance.

After ending the call, Genevieve summoned Steven into the office through the landline. Then, she gave him an invoice and instructed him to head to a jeweler, where he would have to collect al set of jewelry that she had long set her eyes upon.

Around six in the evening, Genevieve drove to Imperial Club with the jewelry.

The weather was still pretty warm, and nightfall came later.

When Genevieve glanced out the window, she spotted a minivan parkeel at the side. The left rear tire seemed to le damaged as it was lellatcil. A slightly overweight man was standing next to the vchicle and making a phone call

She drove over, stopped her car and got out of it.

Genevieve recognized the man as Bruce's assistant. While approaching him, she asked, "Joash, are you calling the auto shop?"

Joasli was not expecting to bump into her when he was making a phone call after getting out of the car to check on its condition.

He was slightly taken aback but returned to his senses quickly. "Yes, I'm trying to get them to send a few guy's to change the tire," he replied and nodded.

Genevieve glanced at the minivan.

Coincidentally, the window had been wound down halfway, allowing her to see Bruce, who propped his chin in his hand. The man was also looking at her with those dark, mesmerizing eyes of his She retracted her gaze very quickly and said, "Does he have anything else going on for the rest of the day?"

"I was about to send Mr. Gable to Imperial Club to dine with a producer." Joash started to mumble to himself when the call could not get through. "What's wrong? The auto shop isn't answering their phone." *What a coincidence. I'm also heading to Imperial Club." Genevieve hesitated before continuing, *Let me send him there then."

The moment joash heard her suggestion, he was so panicked that he waved his hands hurriedly. "No, no. Ms. Rachford, there's no need to trouble you. I can call for a taxi for Mr. Gable. Why don't you go ahead first?"

Seeing his reaction, Genevieve could not help but laugh. "Why are you so frightened? I won't eat him up. I just think it's too troublesome to call for a taxi. If you don't want me to send him, it's fine." Just as she turned around to leave, Bruce opened the car door and got out. "Ilold on, Ms. Rachford. It's indeed troublesome for me to get a taxi. I'll hitcha ride from you."

He then turned to Joash and instructed, "Look for me at the club once you have the tire changed."

When Bruce got out of the car, Genevieve caught a whill of sandalwood scent from his body.

It was one of her favorite scents.

She could not help but look at him and say, "You have a very nice scent on you."

When Joash hcard her remark, he became even more alarıncd. "Mr. Gable went for a promotional event for TF Fragrances in the afternoon. They gave him a few bottles, and 'Mr. Gable tested on himself..." he explained with all his courage.

He then shot looks at Bruce and called out, "Mr. Gable, Ict mc call an cxccutive taxi for you. It's definitely safe!"

When we met Ms. Rachford carlier in the day, she complimented Mr. Gable on his slim waist and nice hands. Now that toe bumped into her again, she complimented his scent. No matter how I look at it. I still think Ms. Rachfond is interested in Mr. Gable.

Chapter 532

As if he did uot see the look Joash gave him, Bruce uttered in a low voice, "That's not necessary since Ms. Rachford's Picading to Imperial Club too."

Upon hearing that, Joash was rendered specchless. What happened to Mr. Gable? It's as though he's a completely different man!

Having noticed the assistant's stony face, Genevieve patled him assuringly on the shoulder before leaving. "Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything to the man." "Sorry for the trouble, Ms. Rachford," responded Joash with a forced smile. For some reason, her assurance only seemed to make him more concerned.

Genevieve was about to ask Bruce to take the backseat after getting to her car, but the man had already settled into the passenger seat.

Since it would be rude to ask at that point, she decided to let it be.

On the way to Imperial Club, Genevieve glanced at the man in the passenger seat, who had most of his face covered with a hat and a face mask.

With the top part of his shirt unbuttoned, Bruce revealed his collarbone and the black choker he had worn since that morning.

"Do you mind if I put on some music, Ms. Rachford?" inquired the man as he tapped on the display to play a piece of classical music titled: La Vie En Rose. Genevieve was slightly surprised since Bruce barely waited for her permission before doing as he pleased.

However, she was not annoyed by the man's behavior.

"I heard from some people in the company that you're misogynistic. Is that true?" asked Genevieve.

In response, Bruce nodded before leaning back.

With his slender neck and raised Adam's apple exposed, the man looked incredibly sexy.

"We met in the elevator this morning, and now you're in my car..." Genevieve glanced curiously at Bruce, "You don't seem misogynistic to me."

Then, she paused for a while before continuing, "Does that mean I'm not much of a woman?"

"Because you're my boss. To me, a superior isn't the same as other women," replied Bruce after gulping

"Is that so?" Genevieve chuckled in amusement,

When they reached a red light, Genevieve stopped the car and turned to Bruce. "My friend, Johanna, is a fan of yours. She heard your contract was about to end a month ago, so she came to

you."

"Yes. I remember her."

"I'd like to know. Besides the official business of signing you over to Genevieve Orsi, did she also come to you for personal reasons?" questioned Genevieve with one hand resting on the steering wheel. She did not think that Johanna woull spend so much time and effort on Bruce just because she was a fan.

"She did," answered the man honestly.

"What did she say to you?" Genevieve continued with her questioning.

Bruce then adjusted luis face mask before replying in a slightly hoarsc voicc, "Ms. Joulc knew I got physical with my ex-girlfriend, so she expected I'd have a hard time in the entertainment industry after my contract ended. The woman promised me a bright future and sixty million if I agreed to join Genevieve Orsi Productions. However, she had another condition. Ms. Joule wanted me to get close to Sylvie and have sex with her. She wanted it recorded. After signing a non-disclosure agreement, the woman suddenly said she didn't need me to do it anymore but gave me the sixty million anyway."

Genevieve was aware of why Johanna did not need Bruce's help anymore. It was because Sylvie had already made a deal with her ex-manager, Joyce,

Between Bruce and her ex-manager, it was only natural that Sylvie would choose Joyce.

What a silly girl...

Seeing how Genevieve's eyes suddenly turned red, Bruce lifted his hand. The man intended to touch Genevieve's check but changed his mind before he could do so. Coincidentally, his hand touched a jewelry bag on the center console.

"Ms. Rachford, did you buy new jewelry?" inquired Bruce after glancing at the logo on the bag.

"Yeah." As soon as the traflic light turned green, Genevieve quickly composed herself and shifted her attention to the road again.

Even though Genevieve had only met Bruce once before, and the two had barely exchanged more than ten sentences, she felt as though she could trust him for some reason.

The woman wondered if it was because of the pleasant sandalwood scent on Bruce that she unconsciously let her guard down.

"I'm going to Imperial Club to meet Mrs. Hossler of Exuberance Group. This piec meant for her because I need to ask her for a favor. I heard this is the brand she likes," explained Cenevieve.

Chapter 533

After listening to Genevieve, Bruce said nothing in response.

As the car drove on, the two uttered not notlicr word to cach other. All thicy could hear was Bruce singing along to the Frosan music in his sexy hoarse voice.

"When you press me to your heart, I'm in a world apart; a world where roses bloom. And when you speak, angels sing from above. Everyday words seem to turn into love songs."

Fifteen minutes later, they finally arrived at Imperial Club,

"Thank you. Ms. Rachford." Bruce unfastened his seat belt and got out of the vehicle.

Before closing the car door, the man lowered himself to speak to Genevieve inside. "Ms Rachford, Mrs. Hossler doesn't really like jewelry; slie likes oil paintings. The woman's even an oil-painting society member. It'd be great if you could get her David Rudd's work because she especially adores the artist. One more thing. If there are going to be others at the event besides you and Mrs. Hossler, I suggest you keep the jewelry to yourself."

Genevieve was stunned for a moment, and when she regained her senses, Bruce had already entered the club.

"Mrs. Hossler probably isn't someone an artist like Bruce would know personally, so how did he know she doesn't like jewelry?" muttered Genevieve with her eyebrows furrowed.

The woman could have ignored Bruce's advice, but for some reason, she was convinced that he was right.

After hesitating for a few minutes in the car, Genevieve pulled out her phone to make a call. "Coop. I remember you managed to get yourself one of David Rudd's works, right?"

"I did. You're interested in oil paintings?" inquired Cooper.

"No, but I'm about to meet Marlon's wife."

"She likes jewelry, especially diamonds. However, she doesn't like to receive them publicly as gifts. Why don't we get her a diamond necklace?" suggested Cooper after some thought.

No wonder Bruce advised me not to bring the piece of jewelry to the club. So that's why. Genevieve then replied, "Just get me David Rudd's oil painting, Coop. I'm outside Imperial Club now. Get someone to send it over."

Before hanging up, Genevieve promised, "Next time, I'll get you a more valuable painting."

Still scated in the car, the woman was killing time on her phone when she accidentally found a familiar name on WhatsApp.

Immediately, her heart ached as her breathing became difficult.

Genevieve did not think she loved Armand very much. Nonetheless, being suddenly reminded of their past caused her heart to hurt so much that she almost fainted. Chapter 533

8

+10 pearls

Even though the man was clead, he continued to allcct Genevievc.

Not long after the woman had ingested two pills poured out of a bottle she took from her bag, someone knocked on her car window.

Cooper had an event to attend that evening, so he had his assistant, Bertilla, pick up the painting from his house and send it to Imperial Club with basic.

After thanking Bertilla, Genevieve entered the private room Jan had reserved with the gift in her hand.

Jan was well aware of how much Paula liked playing poker, so he specifically asked his wife and two other people to join Paula for a few games in the card room. When Genevieve arrived at the scene, the game was already in full swing

Hence, she simply greeted Jan with a look before standing aside with a cup of coffee to watch the game in silence.

As expected, Paula won one game after another, and those at the table congratulated and praised her, telling her how brilliant she was.

In response, Paula waved her hand somewhat embarrassedly with a wide smile. "You guys are just going easy on me. How about this? Dinner's on me tonight."

"We can't have that," voiced Genevieve jokingly. "Mr. Wasco and I have already agreed to pay for dinner, so don't worry. We'll take care of it."

Jan then took the opportunity to introduce Genevieve. "Mrs. Hossler, this is Genevieve Rachford, the owner of Genevieve Orsi Productions. She's also Cooper's sister." Paula glanced at Genevieve before uttering, "I recognize you. You were Armand Faulkner's wife, right?"

"I see you have an excellent memory, Mrs. Hossler." Genevieve nodded in response.

As the other poker players left the room, Paula continued, "It's a shame that Mr. Faulkner left us so soon. It's not every day you see a businessman as impressive as him." Genevieve waited until Paula sat down before handing the woman the rectangular gift box in her hand. "I hope you like it, Mrs. Hossler."

Chapter 534

"Not only are you treating me to dinner, but you also got me a gift, huh?" Paula poked Genevieve playfully with her finger.

After opening the gift box, Paula took out an oil painting.

The woman immediately handled the piece of art with much care when she noticed who the artist was.

Seeing how Paula's eyes lit up, Genevieve could tell that the woman was pleased with the gift, even though Paula simply admired the painting in silence.

After she was done admiring the piece of art, Paula carefully kept it. "I love oil painting because it makes me feel calm whenever I do it. I also love David Rudd's work, so it's a shame I only have a few. Thank you for this lovely gift."

"I'm glad you like it. I only got you this gift because I knew you'd appreciate it," responded Genevieve with a smile.

"That's very thoughtful of you." Paula patted Genevieve gently on the hand.

Afterward, everyone chatted over dinner like close friends gathering after work.

When the evening was about to draw to a close, Genevieve leaned in to pour Paula some coffee. "Mrs. Hossler, I heard Warrick is getting ready to make The Twilight."

"Yes, indeed." Paula nodded in response.

"I'd like your help in the matter. Warrick can cast anyone as the female lead as long as it's not Sylvie," voiced Genevieve.

Upon hearing that, Paula tilted her head to look at Genevieve without saying anything.

Genevieve, too, remained silent until they were ready to leave.

Smiling gently, Paula held Genevieve's hand. "Ms. Rachford, I'm afraid you'll have to offer more than just the oil painting for that request. What do you say your company invests ten million in a film that a friend of mine is directing and has Bruce as the male lead?"

"Is it a romance film?" inquired Genevieve. "As you know, the man hasn't been the same after what happened with his ex-girlfriend."

Paula then leaned in to whisper something into Genevieve's ear.

The corner of Genevieve's lips twitched after listening to Paula, but knowing she had no other choice, she gritted her teeth while promising, "Okay. I'll talk to him at the office tomorrow."

After his wife walked Paula out, Jan asked Genevieve curiously, "Was it a done deal?"

To that, Genevieve nodded, "Yes. Thank you."

"AU I did was introduce you to Mrs. Hossler. You're the genius who figured out that she likes oil paintings." Jan waved his hand embarrassedly with a polite smile. "Do you need a ride, Ms. Rachford?" "No, thanks. I can hail a taxi later." Genevieve lurned down the offer. "You don't have to wait for me. I need to use the restroom."

"Okay."

On her way to the restroom, Genevieve recalled her conversation with Paula. There's no doubt that Mrs. Hossler is the wife of a bigwig: She drove quite a hard bargain. Fortunately, it was still a good deal for

me.

Even before returning to the country, Genevieve had started paying close attention to domestic developments. She had also looked into Exuberance Group, one of the largest companies in the entertainment industry.

Not only was its director, Marlon, a well-connected man in the industry, but he also knew the bigwigs in the fashion industry. On top of that, he and Warrick were cousins.

Because of how influential her granddad, Herbert, was, Sylvie could do whatever she wanted in the entertainment industry. None would dare defy her.

However, Marlon was not afraid of the Zeiglers since he was also quite well-established.

Knowing that and how much Sylvie wanted to win an international award as the female lead in Warrick's big-budget film, Genevieve contacted Jan to have him introduce her to Paula.

Whether in the entertainment or fashion industry, Genevieve was not about to let Sylvie get the resources the woman needed.

Genevieve left the restroom and was on her way to the elevator when somebody suddenly rushed out of the private room beside her.

Chapter 535

As Joash was on the phone, he failed to notice Genevieve and crashed into her.

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry..." While apologizing, he grabbed the phone that had fallen onto the ground

When he got up, he discovered Genevieve standing in front of him. "M-Ms. Rachford?"

Upon noticing his panicked expression, she asked curiously, "You're sweating. What happened?"

e more

Knowing that Genevieve was the boss of the company, Joash reckoned it would be more useful to find her instead of James.

He quickly explained to her, "Remember that I said a producer asked Mr. Gable out for dinner to introduce him to some jobs? However, while they were eating, the producer started acting weirdly... She insisted on sitting next to him and even touched his thigh. Amelia said that as long as Mr. Gable slept with her for a night and served her well, he could get whatever job he wanted..."

As he spoke, his anger and helplessness increased. "I want to bring Mr. Gable away, but I'm afraid that things will be messy if we offend Amelia...".

Without waiting for him to finish his sentence, Genevieve walked toward that private room.

Since Joash did not close the door properly when he left, they could hear a woman's angry voice. "You refuse to feed me even a glass of wine. Who do you think you are? Everyone knows that you're an abuser! You should be glad that I like you! I have a huge social network in the entertainment industry, and I know all the famous directors. If you offend me, I'll make sure that you won't be able to work in the entertainment industry anymore! Keep me company tonight. Are you down?"

Rage welled up in Genevieve when she heard the woman speak so domineeringly and even wanted to force herself upon Bruce. With a solemn face, she kicked the door open.

It was very dim in the room, so Genevieve felt for the switch on the wall and turned the lights on

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With the illumination, she soon realized that it was a karaoke room. It was pretty big, and there were around eight to nine people inside. However, they were mostly sitting at the side or in the corners.

A chubby woman, wearing a skirt and black stockings, was sitting on the black couch in the middle. Her aura was overbearing.

She was probably the producer mentioned by Joash.

Bruce/was standing beside the couch. His shirt was drenched in red wine, so it clung to his chest, outlining his firm, defined muscles.

The sudden brightness caused Amelia lo narrow her eyes and look at Genevieve, who was standing at the door, in annoyance. "Who are you?"

"I'm Genevieve Rachford, the CEO of Genevieve Orsi Productions."

When Genevieve's gaze swept across Bruce's wet shirt, she found it out of place. Turning her head around, she instructed Joash, "Take off your shirt and let him wear it."

Joash was stunned. "Ms. Rachford, I only have this shirt on..."

"Are you more important than your artist?" asked Genevieve. "Can't you ask the waiter for a shirt?"

Oh, she's right...

With that, Jack quickly took off his graffiti shirt and gave it to Bruce. Hugging his bare arms, he went out to look for another top.

The whole time, Amelia remained sitting on the couch with her arms crossed over her chest. Snorting coldly, she said, "Ms. Rachford, your company's artist has such a bad temper. When I spoke to him, he kept showing me a long face and refused to drink when I offered him one. And he's an abuser!"

As she spoke, she pointed at Bruce. "He beat her ex-girlfriend up until her bone was fractured. She was even hospitalized! Why would you still want an artist like him?"

"The authorities didn't blacklist him. Why can't I have him join my company?" asked Genevieve with a smile.

She walked to the table, grabbed a bottle of red wine, and scrutinized it. "On the other hand, even though you know that he's an abuser, you still want him to feed you wine. Aren't you afraid that he'll beat you up so harshly that you'll get paralyzed too?"

Amelia stood up from the couch abruptly. "Ms. Rachford, I've been speaking to you respectfully because we work in the same field."

"Am I not speaking to you respectfully?" Genevieve asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Fine! Fine!" Amelia was furious. "Your artist was rude to me, yet you are still defending him! Just wait... In the entertainment industry, 1-—".

"I know that you have a huge social network in the entertainment industry," Genevieve interrupted

Suddenly, she grabbed the wine bottle and smashed it against Amelia's head.

A loud crash was heard,

Gripping the broken boue, Cenevieve cast a cold look at Amelia, who was howling miserably. "But I'm the one who gets to decide whether or not my artist can continue working in the entertainment industry. Who do you think you are?"

Chapter 536

Genevieve casually tossed the broken wine bottle on the table and glanced at Bruce. "Let's go."

Joash had gone out to ask the waiter for a uniform. When he returned, the startling scene of Genevieve smashing Amelia's head with a wine bottle was what greeted him. He was stunned at first but later felt an urge to applaud.

After following the both of them out, Joash said to Genevieve, "You were so amazing just now, Ms. Rachford!"

She's just like a domineering CEO.

"No matter what, I'm his boss." Genevieve smiled. "I can't possibly watch my employee get bullied and stay out of it like a coward, right?"

"Yes!" Joash nodded and said to Bruce, "Mr. Gable, aren't you going to thank Ms. Rachford..."

Just when he was speaking, he suddenly saw Bruce frowning. His forehead was beaded with sweat, and his breathing was rapid.

"Call the ambulance." Bruce shoved Joash away and stumbled toward the restroom.

The latter staggered to his feet from being pushed aside. Soon, he realized what had happened to Bruce and cursed under his breath before quickly grabbing his phone to call the ambulance. Not understanding the situation, Genevieve asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"It's probably..." Joash did not know how to explain it. With an embarrassed and anxious expression, he said, "Mr. Gable's drink was probably spiked. This isn't the first time..."

Genevieve understood what he was trying to say. "Ask the receptionist if there's a doctor here."

"Okay." Joash rushed away with his phone to his ear.

Genevieve stood there for a while. Just as she hesitated about whether she should leave, she saw a waiter passing by.

She walked up to him and requested, "Please give me two buckets of ice water."

Minutes later, Genevieve carried two buckets of ice water to the men's restroom. Standing in front of the sink Bruce was splashing cold water on himself and into his mouth. His entire body was drenched,

ENTOS

Kicking the door shur, Genevieve placed the buckets of ice water on the sink. "I told your assistant to look for a doctor."

"Thanks." His voice was hoarse,

He hastily took some ice cubes from the bucket and shoved them inside his mouth. Then, he grabbed the other bucket of ice water and poured it down his head.

DE

Even though Genevieve was standing far away, she could feel the coldness of the droplets that had landed on her leg.

After drenching himself in ice water, Bruce felt like the unbearable heat had disappeared significantly. He brushed the hair away from his forchead with his palm.

The lights shone on his chiseled face. With his straight eyebrows, he gave off a very clean and aloof aura. A hint of elegance was hidden in his eyes as his lips were tightly pursed together.

He had already taken off Joash's shirt. His own shirt clung to his skin, and it tucked into his pants, outlining his sexy waist.

Genevieve's eyesight was very good.

When she saw that scene, three words appeared in her mind-ahot man.

She knew quite a lot of men. Cooper and Timothy were exceptionally handsome. In particular, Jack was even more outstanding than the rest because he was of

g than the rest because he was of mixed blood.

as

CIT IIIOI

as C

Yet, despite having interacted with him for more than four years, she remained unaffected by his handsomeness. In fact, she was averse to his intimate actions.

On the other hand, Bruce made her heart skip a beat.

The man looked up and met Genevieve's gaze briefly. However, a few seconds had barely passed before he frowned again. Grabbing the bucket of ice on the basin, he went into a cubicle. Genevieve only returned to her senses after a long while. She shouted at the cubicle, "Hang in there! I'll go out and look for your assistant-"

"Come here." Bruce's sexy and hoarse voice was filled with lust.

"I can't help you much even if I go there..." Furthermore, he was in such a bad state-even his eyes were red. She did not dare to go over.

Since she was already the mother of two kids, she had zero interest in anyone in the entertainment industry.

Bruce said hoarsely, "I've already locked the cubicle door. I'm afraid that the ice cubes won't help much. Come here and talk to me."

Genevieve frowned, finding it strange.

Didn't people súy that employees in the entertainment industry would speak to their bosses respectfully? He's talking to me as if we know each other very well!

Chapter 537

Despite the slight hesitation, Genevieve still walked toward the cubicle and tried to distract him with a conversation. "What do you have on tomorrow?"

"I don't have any work. I'm going to read the script at home."

Bruce's pants became heavier. "Ms. Rachford, sing a random song for me."

Why do you have so many requests? Genevieve could not help but lament inwardly.

After a while, she said resignedly, "I don't know how to sing. I'm tone-deaf."

"It's fine. Just sing along to the song."

Genevieve could tell that he was suppressing himself. A few seconds later, she took her phone out of her bag, clicked on the music app, and tried her best to sing along to the song.

"Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you...

After finishing a song with much difficulty, Genevieve felt like her voice was becoming hoarse. While massaging her neck, she suddenly realized she could not hear his voice. "Are you good?"

she asked as she leaned toward the door.

The door was suddenly pulled open. Bruce stood in front of him, his whole body chilly.

Although his eyes were still red, the lustful look in them was already disappearing slowly. When he heard her question, he quirked his lips. "I'm quite good."

Realizing what she had said, Genevieve quickly clarified, "I'm asking how you're doing."

That time around, she was not teasing him on purpose.

"Mr. Gable!"

Afraid that other men would enter the restroom and thus lead to trouble, Genevieve locked the door when she entered.

Since Joash could not come in, he knocked on the door. "The ambulance is already waiting outside."

Bruce pushed the locks of hair away from his forehead, walked over, and opened the restroom door Joash quickly rushed in. "Mr. Gable, change your clothes. Let's go to the hospital."

When he noticed Bruce's expression, he suddenly stopped mid-sentence. "Mr. Gable, you aren't panting anymore."

Previously, when Bruce was attending an event, a female director almost forced herself onto him. During the trip to the hospital, his eyes were bloodshot.

Afraid that Bruce would succumb to his sexual desire, Joash had tied him up with a rope at that time.

Why is he fine now when he hasn't even gone to the hospital?

Bruce grunted an acknowledgment and took the bag from him. "Pay the ambulance and tell them to go back."

"Wait. Shall we still go to the hospital? You're still young. What if you can't have any kids in the future because you suppressed yourself?" Joash nagged, then suddenly realized someone else was in the restroom.

When he saw that it was Genevieve, a look of terror flitted across his eyes. "What the f*ck?"

I thought she already left!

"Why are you so shocked every time you see me? Am I that scary?" Genevieve thought that Bruce's assistant was hilarious.

She walked out of the restroom with him, leaving Bruce alone to change.

Joash sneaked a glance at Genevieve. Looking at her expression and clothes, he could not resist the urge to ask the question. "Ms. Rachford, Mr. Gable didn't do anything to you, right?" "No." Genevieve shoved her phone into her bag. "I entered to give him two buckets of ice water."

"I see..." Joash heaved a sigh of relief.

After going downstairs together, he ran out of the door and paid the paramedics before asking them to leave in an apologetic tone. Meanwhile, Genevieve got into her car, ready to go. Bruce had changed into a black shirt and jeans. Upon exiting the club, he walked toward her car.

"Thank you for what you did for me today, Ms. Rachford." He wore a mask, concealing half of his face. Gazing at Genevieve in the car, he asked, "If you're not in a hurry to go back, why don't I treat you to supper?"

Chapter 538

At first, Genevieve wanted to reject him, but when she remembered she still had questions for him, she agreed. "Let's go for barbecue. How about that?"

The man responded with an affirmative grunt and walked around the car to get into the front passenger seat.

Joash had just arrived with the minivan when he saw Bruce getting into Genevieve's car. With hasty movements, he got out of the vehicle and asked, "Mr. Gable, why are you in Ms. Rachford's car?"

"I'm buying her supper to thank her for her help," Bruce replied. "The minivan will draw unnecessary attention. Just leave it here."

Joash touched the back of his head sheepishly. "You're right."

Who would've thought Amelia would be so despicable as to drug that glass of red wine? That woman would have had her way with Mr. Gable had I not bumped into Ms. Rachford. He should indeed take her out for supper.

With that, Joash went to look for the valet posted at the front of the club and passed him the minivan's key.

Turning around, he was about to get in Genevieve's car, only to find out they had left.

A few seconds later, he received a text message from Bruce: Take a taxi to Golden Restaurant.

"Oh, come on!" Joash felt sorry for himself.

Why did he do this to me? We could have gone there in one car!

At the same time, he felt there was something off with Bruce. Since recovering from his leg injury, the latter had been keeping a distance from all women.

Even when Bruce was on the set, he would pull himself away from all the female actresses every time a scene was completed.

Why did Mr. Gable interact with Ms. Rachford multiple times when he despises women so much? He even got into her car.

While Joash was hailing a taxi from the sidewalk, a thought popped up in his mind. Is he trying to live off Ms. Racord?

In the past, Cenevieve was a regular of Golden Restaurant, so the restaurant owner would always reserve a private room for her even if her presence was not expected.

* Me: Rachford," the restaurant owner greeted Genevieve with a smile, delighted to meet her after not seeing her for more than iwo months. He then brought them to their private room. Genevieve sal down and said to the owner, "We would like to have barbecue today. Could you make the necessary arrangement for us? We'll have the spicy and non-spicy ones,"

The owner nodded with a smile. "Sure. I'll get the kitchen to see to it."

Soon after, a few waiters came in with fruits and drinks.

When Genevieve was about to reach for the drinks, Bruce stood up and served her one instead, He then proceeded to pour himself a cup.

"Thank you."

Finding the drink a little too cold for her liking, Genevieve picked a slice of cantaloupe with a fork and ate it.

She tilted her head and gave the man a curious look. "When we were in the car, I told you that Mrs. Hossler liked jewelry, but I didn't mention who this Mrs. Hossler was. How did you know who I was referring to? And how did you know she hates others giving her jewelry in public?"

When Genevieve requested Jan's help to contact Paula, she also asked around to find out what the latter liked. Otherwise, she would not have prepared the jewelry piece for Paula.

How did a minor celebrity like him know about Mrs. Hossler's pet peeve when even I don't?

The man casually leaned against the chair after serving Genevieve the drink. "The one and only Mrs. Hossler in the entertainment industry is the wife of Exuberance Group's CEO, Marlon Hossler," he replied in a slightly hoarse voice.

"I attended Mr. Hossler's charity gala once and shared the same table with another male celebrity, who's the boyfriend of Mrs. Hossler's cousin," he added.

Genevieve could tell the relationship between Paula's cousin with the so-called boyfriend was unusual. "Well, I'm glad you told me about it, or I would have brought in the jewelry piece and given it to Mrs. Hossler. Not only will the business dealing fail, but she may even blacklist me for that."

"I'm just telling you what I know, Ms. Rachford." Bruce smiled faintly. "I should thank you instead. You saved me just now."

Genevieve waved her hands and said casually, "You're from my company. I can't just allow someone to bully my employee. Besides, that female producer is quite despicable for employing such a trick." Not only did she force him to obey her, but she also drugged his red wine. That woman is pushing him over the edge,

Bruce look asip of his drink and said, "That producer's husband was a renowned director in the country. He had a strong network in showbiz but was not close with Mrs. Hossler, After he passed away hall a year ago, she inherited all his assets and resources."

While speaking, the man looked at Genevieve, "Ms. Rachford, I don't think she'll let you go easily since you smashed the bottle on her head... Have I gotten you into trouble?"

Genevieve was unbothered by a person like Amelia, "She doesn't call the shots in showbiz, so don't worry"

Even if Amelia were that powerful, she would not be intimidated by her.

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Cooper had vast connections in the business world, so blacklisting a producer would be just a piece of cake. Besides, since Helt Corporation had Gencvicve Orsi Productions' back, no one would dare to step on their toes.

است

وارد کلانی داشته

The corner of the man's lips quirked upward when he heard her response. "Thank you, Ms. Rachford."

"Don't mention it," Genevieve said. At that point, she felt that something was amiss about their conversation but could not quite put her finger on it.

Chapter 539

Soon, the waiters entered the private room with all the ingredients.

Joash, who took a taxi to Golden Restaurant, had also arrived in time,

As he took his seat, he glanced through all the ingredients on the table. "Mr. Gable, you should cat more beef instead of potatoes and other fattening food."

Bruce shot him the side-eye, "Or maybe I should just drink water and watch the both of you eat?"

"That's not good either." Joash chuckled. "The other foods are high in calories. You must watch your weight since you'll have another shoot in Baykeep in the next few days. Oh, you need to stay away from sugary drinks too."

He then took away Bruce's cup and replaced it with a bottle of mineral water that he had bought. "Here. Drink this. It has zero calories and sugar!"

"And here's yours, Ms. Rachford." He took out another bottle from the bag and passed it to Genevieve.

"Thank you." Genevieve accepted it and remarked with a grin, "I've heard that celebrities need to watch their diet strictly because they have to maintain their weight. I couldn't quite believe this at first, but after seeing how you treat your artist, I guess everything I heard is true."

"I don't have a choice." Joash sighed. "Certain scripts have strict requirements on the actor's appearance. Having a puffy face during the shoot is a big no-no."

"You're a responsible one."

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"Of course. It's my responsibility," Joash responded with a smile. "Besides, Mr. Gable offers me high pay, so I must live up to his expectations."

During the conversation, Bruce gave Genevieve a slice of beef that had been barbecued. "Taste this."

Upon seeing that, Joash shuddered.

S-Something is wrong here!

Even Genevieve was stunned for a moment.

However, she did not think much about it since Bruce started barbecuing another piece of beef. It was as if he was merely being hospitable.

Though the private room was fully air-conditioned, droplets of sweat still beaded on her forehead

While listening to Joash's briefing on his schedule for the next few days, Bruce glimpsed that Genevieve's hair was almost brushing against the table when she lowered her head to eat, After summoning the waiter, he leaned over and whispered in his ear.

Toash did not pay attention to his surroundings as he was busy going through Bruce's schedule.

After a while, the waiter came back with a black hair lie.

Bruce leaned forward, hold her hair with his palm, and helped her tie a low ponytail adeptly.

Genevieve, who was munching on her food, wanted to stop him when she realized what he was doing, but it was too late.

The woody fragrance from his body and the way he tied her hair reminded her of a man who had done the same for her in the past.

That man was clumsy and did not know what to do with her hair when he tied it for her the first time. Genevieve even had to demonstrate for him.

Fortunately, he was intelligent, so he succeeded immediately.

Since then, she would always turn her back to him and have him tie her tousled hair whenever they were together.

Besides a ponytail, he could also braid Genevieve's hair. Even the challenging fishtail braid was a walk in the park to him.

Upon recalling those moments, Genevieve felt an excruciating pain in her heart, and she lost her grip on the fork, causing it to drop to the ground.

At the sight of her pallid complexion, a panicked expression crossed Bruce's face, and he opened his mouth and said, "Genev—"

However, he zipped his mouth in time. Then, the man stood up and nudged Joash's leg with his foot.

"What? What's wrong?" By the time Joash lifted his head, Bruce had left the room.

Meanwhile, Genevieve, who sat beside Bruce, was clutching her chest. Frightened by her pale face, Joash immediately asked, "Are you feeling unwell, Ms. Rachford?" "I'm all right." She took out the medication from her bag and popped two pills into her mouth.

The pain eventually subsided a few minutes later.

After taking several sips of warm water, Genevieve looked up and realized Bruce was not around anymore.

"Where's Bruce?"

"Al the restroom, I guess." Joash stroked his own head, his eyes remaining fixated on her. "Are you sure you're all right, Ms. Rachford? Do you want to go to the hospital?" Genevieve shook her head while smiling. "I'm fine; don't worry. Come on, let's eat."

A month ago, she experienced severe chest pain and fainted at home, Jack took her to the

hospital for a thorough body checkup, but the doctor could not find out what was wrong with her body:

Later, Jack went to the hospital to get medication for her. Whenever she was in pain, she would take two pills to relieve the discomfort.

Genevieve and Joash then continued with the supper in the absence of Bruce for quite some time

After giving Bruce a call, Joash informed Genevieve, "Ms. Rachford, Mr. Gable said he's resting in another room as he's feeling unwell. He told us to continue the supper without him." It was then that she recalled the man had poured a bucket of ice water onto himself earlier and ate a lot of ice cubes. Even the strongest of all men would not be able to endure it. Genevieve thought about it and said to Joash, "If you're done eating, take him to the hospital. I'll be heading back later."

"All right, Ms. Rachford. I'll make a move first, then." Joash did not reject her suggestion and got up to leave.

"Go on. Drive carefully."

After bidding Genevieve farewell, Joash went to the room where Bruce was taking a break. "Are you all right, Mr. Gable? Come, let's go to the hospital," he asked anxiously. "I'm fine. I'm just a little sleepy." Bruce adjusted his mask, left the room, and walked out of the restaurant first.

Upon exiting the restaurant, Joash took out his phone to call an executive taxi. Before he could do so, a Rolls-Royce Phantom rolled up in front of them.

Chapter 540

Joash glanced at the luxury car and felt the vehicle looked familiar even though there were not many of them in Jadeborough.

After seeing the driver in the car, he greeted, "Mr. Sullivan!"

Since Joash started working with Bruce, he met Steven several times at Genevieve Orsi Productions.

Steven was the one who sent Bruce to an event not long ago, driving the same Rolls-Royce Phantom. No wonder this car looks familiar!

Steven nodded and took a glance at the man beside him. "Didn't you drive?"

"I did. I parked the car at Imperial Club since we came here to have supper with Ms. Rachford," Joash said while scratching his head. "But Mr. Gable is exhausted, and it's too troublesome for us to retrieve the car from the club. I was thinking of getting him an executive taxi to send him back to his condominium first."

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"No need for that. I can send you guys home." Steven unlocked the car door. "I have nothing to do anyway."

"Okay! Thanks, Mr. Sullivan!" Joash expressed his gratitude.

He opened the door to the backseat for Bruce to get into the car before slipping to the front passenger seat. "Mr. Sullivan, please drive us to Regality Gardens."

"I know that place." Steven did not turn on the GPS navigator. "Where do you stay?" he then asked.

"Oh, I'm staying in Maple Garden."

"Regality Gardens is after Maple Garden," Steven said. "In that case, I'll drop you off first."

"Sure, thank you!"

Joash then turned around and saw Bruce leaning against the window. "Are you sure you're okay, Mr. Gable? Don't you want us to take you to the hospital?" he asked in concern when he noticed the latter did not look well.

"It's fine."

"Uh.." Joash stroked his cheek and said hesitantly, "Pardon me for saying this, but Mr. Gable-I know M. Rachford is a gorgeous woman, but she's married. Her husband is very famous too. You can search him up online, and you'll find a lot of news about him.”

Joast paused for a moment before conunuing with his advice. "You're still young, Mr. Gable. I believe you'll win at least a few international awards if you work harder. You're not cut out to depend on a woman for livelihood,"

The fact that they bumped into Genevieve a few times that day was enough to have Joash put his

ouard up. All this while, Mr. Gable has been avoiding women as if they're a plague, yet he keeps striking up a conversation with Ms. Rachford. He even barbecued food for her. There's just something odd about his behavior!

Steven laughed and snorted for a few seconds before putting on a straight face and focusing on the road.

Bruce hummed in response as he propped his chin in his hand and looked at the scenery outside the window. Huh? So did he heed my advice or not?

Joash wanted to advise him further, fearing that Bruce would go down the wrong path.

However, he knew he was in no position to voice his opinion about that matter, so he decided to keep quiet

Soon, they arrived at Maple Garden.

Joash put on his backpack and said, "Mr. Sullivan, please send Mr. Gable to Regality Gardens for me, okay? Mr. Gable, text me once you're home."

"Sure, no worries." Steven then drove off.

After driving far away from Maple Garden, Steven glanced at Bruce through the rear view mirror. "You should keep a distance from Ms. Rachford. Otherwise, the entire company will think you're trying to get in her good books so that you could live off her."

"That sounds like a good plan. I have no plans on working my fingers to the bone anyway," Bruce

d while reaching for the cigarette box and lighter.

After lighting and puffing at a cigarette, he wound down the window for ventilation and leaned against the seat lazily.

There was something different about the way he moved and the look in his eyes. It was as if he was not the man he was minutes ago.

The man appeared to be more mature and steady. Above all, he exuded a regal aura possessed only by those who were born into prestigious families.

His eyes were dark and unfathomable as he looked at the lit cigarette between his fingers. "When we were having supper just now, I noticed that she looked extremely unwell. She even dropped her fork"

At first, he was skeptical about Cenevieve's health condition, but after seeing how she suffered, he finally believed in

He had left the private room in haste because he dared not stay there any longer.

The man took another puff of the cigarette to soothe the dull pain in his heart before asking Steven, "Did you receive any updates?"