Ch. 3361..3370
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3361
Herman And Mia
Herman’s lips parted in shock. How did Megan find out about this? Was she right behind me when I made that phone call?
No wonder she seemed distracted when we had that meal together. Turns out she knew about us.
As Herman recalled what happened back then, he was certain Megan was at the restaurant before he arrived. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to overhear his phone conversation without alerting him.
She had her guard up from the very beginning.
“Y-You know about Mia and me from the very beginning?” Herman recollected himself and frowned calmly. He’s right. She is no ordinary woman.
Megan glanced at him indifferently. “What do you think? I know everything about you and Mia. As for how… Remember how I took your phone when I helped you to borrow some money? I went through your call records back then.”
She scoffed. “You were so engrossed in losing and didn’t even realize what I was doing. When you returned to the country and came to me, I deliberately directed you to Mia because I knew about your relationship. Alas, you foolishly thought I was concerned about you.”
Without giving a damn about Herman’s feelings, Megan revealed the truth harshly. It was extremely satisfying to see the color draining out of Herman’s face as he gazed at her in disbelief with his shoulders slumped in defeat.
In her past life, Herman was the winner, so she was determined to make him lose in this lifetime.
Megan’s hostile gaze shocked Herman into silence. He couldn’t understand why Megan resented him the very first time they met.
Perhaps they were meant to be rivals.
Herman composed himself as his gaze darkened. He knitted his brows and scanned Megan carefully before clenching his fists.
“Looks like you’re pretty full of yourself. Alright, since you admitted it without hesitation, I’ll admit defeat. I need you to come with me for another matter, though.”
With that, Herman took two steps forward as his expression turned grim.
Megan’s heart skipped a beat as she stepped back nervously. Her instincts told her that something bad was about to happen.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed.
We are right in front of Sky Entertainment. Isn’t Herman afraid of Jake?
Megan’s mind was abuzz with thoughts. Suddenly, Herman stretched a hand out to grab Megan’s arm. At once, Megan snapped back to reality as fear crept up her face. She tried hard to tamp down her horror and glared at the man.
“Let go! Are you going to kidnap me? Don’t forget where we are now!”
In usual circumstances, she would try her best to avoid mentioning her relationship with Jake. However, right now, she couldn’t care less as she wanted to scare Herman away.
Herman ignored her reminder and snickered smugly. He dragged her toward the direction of his car.
“Even if Hades comes after me, you still need to come with me!”
“Let me go!”
Alas, Megan was no match for the man. No matter how much she struggled, Herman’s grip on her arm didn’t budge an inch.
What should I do? That was the only thought in Megan’s mind.
They were beside a bustling street, but the passers-by ignored them and didn’t even spare them a glance. Megan slowly lost the energy to resist. Her heart sank into despair.
Still, she wasn’t one who’d give up easily. The despair in her heart was swiftly replaced by determination.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3362
Refuse To Give Up
I will win, so I won’t give up now.
A determined look appeared in Megan’s gaze as she suddenly stopped in her tracks with a strength that she didn’t even know she had. Her eyes reddened from the force she exerted.
“Let go!”
Megan flung Herman’s arm away forcefully and gave him a kick before she turned to escape.
Gasping in pain, Herman released his grip on Megan’s hand. He hastily avoided Megan’s kick to see her running away.
He immediately realized what was going on and took a few strides to grab her again.
“You little b*tch! Where are you going?”
Megan had hardly taken a few steps on her heels before Herman managed to capture her again. Her heart sank as she realized she would most probably be abducted by Herman.
Refusing to cave in, she racked her brains for a solution to her predicament. She wanted to escape from his clutches as soon as possible. The longer it dragged on, the more unfavorable the situation would be for her.
Suddenly, an idea popped into Megan’s mind. She calmed herself down and allowed Herman to drag her along quietly. Her free hand clasped her chest as she came to a squat on the ground.
“It hurts…” Megan moaned, her expression contorted in agony. She started heaving as her face turned ghastly white.
Herman turned at his shoulder. He noticed how uncomfortable she was, but clearly, her condition didn’t matter to him.
He gave her a kick, but she showed no signs of moving and remained squatted on the ground.
Does her stomach hurt?
Herman grew suspicious, but he couldn’t bring himself to holler at her in this situation. He got down on one knee and lowered his head to see if Megan was indeed in pain.
The moment he lowered his dead, Megan prepared to attack him.
As her gaze narrowed viciously like a wolf going after its prey, she banged her head against Herman’s with all her might.
“Ah!”
Herman let out a scream. He knew she would try to retaliate, but her forceful attack still took him by surprise.
He toppled backward like an iron ball being flung out. The pain shooting up his spine caused him to grimace. As he landed on the ground, his mind spun and he got dizzy at once.
Megan’s temples were throbbing, but she dared not stay and dashed toward the corner of the street.
Wait. If I run now, Herman might catch up to me in no time. I should knock him out now.
She came to a stop and shot an icy glare at the man who was trying to get up from the ground.
Is he still trying to abduct me? She scoffed and dashed to Herman deftly before giving him another kick. As he collapsed onto the ground, she kicked his groin without hesitation.
“Wait… Ah!”
Herman’s brain was still fuzzy as he stood up to try to go after her. He didn’t even realize she was standing beside him. Before he could finish his sentence, a forceful kick landed on his groin.
Letting out an agonizing shriek, the remaining energy in him faded away.
“This is a warning not to offend women!”
Megan was pleased to see Herman rolling on the ground in pain. She wanted to continue kicking him, but his accomplice might be somewhere near.
There is no hurry. I can take revenge on Herman anytime.
At that thought, Megan spun on her heels and left. She had just advanced a few steps when a few coughs sounded from the car Herman alighted from earlier.
Is someone inside?
Megan shuddered involuntarily and scurried away as Herman’s accomplice might come after her anytime.
Two blocks away, she came to a stop and entered a bookstore. Carefully, she peeked out of the bookstore and made sure the car didn’t come after her before heaving a sigh of relief.
Her heart was still pounding from the near-death experience. Who is that person in Herman’s car? The weak coughs seemed to have come from a woman.
Jake told me Herman is working for a friend of his. The person in the car is most probably Herman’s new employer, then.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3363
Chance Encounter
Megan heaved a sigh of relief upon that thought. At least it had been proven that Herman wouldn’t be taking her out under Jake’s instructions for now, but no one knows what the future holds.
In any case, the most crucial matter for her right now was to find out who that person was.
Megan was lost in thought as she held onto a book and leaned against the wall. She jumped in fright, dropping the book when someone suddenly patted her shoulder.
“Megan?”
Only then did Megan realize she was merely wearing a cap for disguise when she heard her name being called. She would have been spotted easily if anyone took a closer look.
Megan hurriedly pulled her cap down, picked up her book, waved to indicate that she wasn’t Megan, and tried to escape for fear of making a scene.
“You didn’t even bother to wear a mask. Do you really think I wouldn’t be able to recognize you?”
However, the man wasn’t planning on letting her off as he tugged the corner of her blouse. Megan finally pulled herself together after being startled by the man.
Megan pulled back the corner of her blouse; she was about to head to the counter to pay for the book when the man behind rushed up to her.
Megan raised her head in puzzlement when she saw a pair of leather shoes. Countless possibilities flashed through her mind, but she never expected for it to be Pierce.
“Mr. Hughes, what are you doing here?” Megan asked in bewilderment.
Pierce waved the book in front of her face and gave her the once over. “Why do you look like you’re hiding from something or someone?”
Megan grinned, avoided his gaze, and scratched her head awkwardly in response. “No, I’m not. I must’ve looked a little sluggish because I haven’t had lunch yet.”
Pierce wasn’t buying her excuse. Nevertheless, he didn’t probe any further.
They walked over to the cashier together as Pierce placed the book on the counter. He suddenly turned to Megan as a thought occurred to him. “I’m saying this in advance, no matter what happened, it mustn’t affect you when you’re filming.”
Megan was stunned by his words. She quickly came back to her senses and nodded. “Of course, I won’t give you any trouble if you’re willing to work with me.”
Pierce was well aware of the hidden meaning in her words even though she appeared nonchalant. He paid for the book and swept a glance at Megan. “It’s not up to me to decide. Your acting is good, but there are lots of actresses who are better than you. We would need to screen through them first.”
Megan had nothing else to say as Pierce cleverly ended the topic.
She knew he still wasn’t willing to tell her the results of the casting. If so, she wasn’t going to force him to talk.
Megan was planning to take a cab back as the two of them approached the exit. However, Pierce called out to her once again.
“What’s the matter?”
Megan turned around in confusion. She wondered why Pierce was calling out to her.
Pierce tucked the book under his arms as he stood before Megan in all seriousness.
“I was wondering if you want to have lunch with me since you’re on your own?”
Megan was stunned at the sudden invitation. She wasn’t in the position to refuse his lunch date, especially when she hadn’t sealed the deal for The Royal Wife yet.
Megan regained her composure, smiled, and nodded upon that thought. “Sure. I have time for a lunch date with you.”
Even though she was running out of money, Megan knew there were lots of delicious foods nearby. Just as she was wondering if she had enough money to buy Pierce lunch, he walked into an ordinary restaurant.
She did a double-take when she raised her head to check the shop’s sign.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3364
Beef Noodles
Who would have thought that Mr. Hughes, one of the top directors in the entertainment industry, would choose to have lunch in such an ordinary restaurant?
However, Megan realized she had the wrong idea after stepping foot into the restaurant. It looked like everyone in the entertainment industry knew that this is Pierce’s usual lunch spot.
This is because every single diner had on a mask and a cap. Megan noticed a woman, who was eating noodles with her mask down, was one of the four rising female stars in the industry.
She stared at Pierce’s figure helplessly but realized he was staring back at her sarcastically.
She raised her brow in surprise. Pierce looked like he was used to it by now. It must have been the norm for him to be surrounded by people as one of the leading figures in showbiz.
“Two bowls of beef noodles please.”
“Coming right up, Mr. Hughes!”
Pierce ordered beef noodles to eat in calmly even after noticing the situation in the shop.
Megan felt a little embarrassed after seeing how cool Pierce was about the situation. She ordered a bowl of beef noodles as well after looking through the menu.
The two of them were about to pay for their meal when the shop owner waved them away. He cooked the noodles and said, “Someone would come along just to pay for your lunch every day. I still owe you a few thousand, so you don’t need to pay for this.”
The shop owner looked like an honest man. Megan was shocked to learn that someone would actually come all the way just to pay for Pierce’s lunch.
However, she knew that Pierce was so arrogant that he would never let anyone make him feel like he owes them anything.
Sure enough, Pierce wrinkled his nose in disgust when he heard the shop owner’s words.
His annoyed voice reverberated throughout the room. “As I said, their money have nothing to do with me. I’m buying lunch for this girl as well. Here’s a total of twenty.”
With that, Pierce picked up his bowl of beef noodles and sat down.
Megan dared not interrupt their conversation throughout. She simply picked up her bowl of beef noodles and sat herself down beside him.
After settling down, Megan breathed a sigh of relief and checked the restaurant out.
It wasn’t nearly as clean nor beautifully furnished as the other restaurants with only five or six dining tables scattered around. The brightly lit room was the only indication that it was a modern restaurant.
“Why aren’t you digging in? Do you not like it?” Pierce couldn’t help but ask. He thought Megan didn’t like the food since she was staring blankly into space.
Megan returned to her senses, shook her head, and was about to dig in when she felt all eyes on her.
She checked out the people around her out of the corner of her eye as she ate lunch. Some of them looked like they were ready to pounce, whereas others were gritting their teeth; Pierce was their prey.
Megan took a bite as she wondered who will be the first to strike. Just then, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heels.
“Mr. Hughes, I see you’re having lunch here today as well.”
Only one person came to Megan’s mind as she heard the voice, Jacinta.
Sure enough, she turned around and saw that it was Jacinta.
Pierce totally ignored Jacinta as he only had eyes for his beef noodles. Megan turned around and quickly took a few bites. She had a feeling they were going to have a fight in a short while. Hence, it was important for her to fill herself up first.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3365
Foolish Jacinta
“Mr. Hughes, do pay me some attention.”
Megan finished off her meal by gulping down a mouthful of soup as Jacinta stopped in front of their table. She wiped her mouth with a piece of tissue, feeling content.
Pierce didn’t plan on paying Jacinta any attention as he turned to look at Megan, then at his own bowl of beef noodles. He couldn’t help but laugh. “Looks like I’m getting old. I would have been able to eat as fast as you if I was your age.”
“Of course, you must have been very energetic during your younger days.”
Megan smiled and echoed his sentiment, totally ignoring Jacinta.
Jacinta widened her eyes in disbelief when she heard Megan’s voice. She had never taken her eyes off of Pierce the moment she stepped foot into the restaurant. Hence, she didn’t realize her rival was sitting right in front of Pierce.
“Megan, w-why are you here?” Jacinta wanted to curse but stopped herself when she realize most of her acquaintances were also in the restaurant.
Megan and Pierce gave her a look of disgust upon hearing her words. The atmosphere between them grew tense.
Megan knew they were going to have a fight the moment Jacinta stepped foot into the restaurant. Sure enough, Jacinta was already picking on her after a brief exchange.
Anyways, Megan had prepared herself for this.
She glared at Jacinta, lifted her chin and stood up, exuding a dogged air of confidence even though she was slightly shorter than Jacinta.
“Why? Do you want to sit here? You can have my place if you want.”
Pierce watched on in silence as tension in the air grew thick. He would have left under normal circumstances, but stayed to watch since it was Megan.
He had nothing better to do than talk crap to photos anyways.
Jacinta’s blood boiled upon hearing Megan’s words. She stomped her foot as storms brewed in her eyes.
She hated people who look down on her most. Jacinta couldn’t help but raise her hand as Megan mocked her.
“Are you going to hit me?” Megan wasn’t about to get bullied. She sneered coldly and caught Jacinta’s wrist.
Jacinta couldn’t suppress her anger any longer after being picked on repeatedly by Megan. If not for Pierce and her fellow colleagues in the restaurant, she would have beaten Megan till she begged for mercy.
Jacinta closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself down, shoved Megan’s hand away, and turned her attention back to Pierce.
She shut Megan out, stared at Pierce, and pursed her lips. “Mr. Hughes, I shan’t beat around the bush. You must give me the role of Katherine in The Royal Wife.”
Jacinta was probably the one and only actress who dared ask the director for a role in such a straightforward manner.
She had yet to wake up to the reality that she wasn’t as popular as she used to be anymore.
It was Mia’s world now.
Megan chuckled and shook her head at Jacinta’s ignorance, while Pierce gave her a look and snorted.
“Why do you think you’re worthy of the role?”
“I…”
Jacinta was so used to having her way that she could only bite her lip in response.
Megan raised her brow, puzzled as to why Jacinta was so keen on taking on Katherine’s role. Based on what she recalled from her past life memories, Katherine was an arrogant but pitiful bully.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3366
Exposed
It was hard to believe Jacinta would want to play the bad guy’s role when she used to insist on playing the role of teenage girls in the past.
However, on second thought, Megan figured her previous success might have inspired Jacinta to take on the role. After all, Katherine’s character seemed like a good choice for Jacinta who was eager to make a turnaround in her acting career.
Jacinta stood by their table, looking distressed, after Pierce’s sharp retort.
Megan watched on as she wondered what kind of response Jacinta would come up with.
After a long while, Jacinta finally responded.
“Mr. Hughes, at least I’m better than the woman sitting in front of you in terms of acting and experience. I heard that she’s already been chosen as one of the candidates for the female lead role. Am I not competent enough to play Katherine, who’s just a mere supporting character?”
Pierce’s face clouded over upon her words. He sneered and gave Jacinta a stern look.
“Where did you hear that from? What rights do you have to intervene in casting? Moreover, you’re so annoying. What do you mean by a mere supporting character? Talk to me again after reading the novel, okay?”
Jacinta was utterly humiliated by Pierce’s questions. She gritted her teeth, confused as to why Pierce wouldn’t give her leeway.
He merely used those pretentious and grandiose words as an excuse to reject her. She thought she already had a good grasp of the character before this.
Jacinta couldn’t suppress her anger any longer upon that thought. She turned around, gave Megan a menacing look, and pointed at her calm and collected face.
“Mr. Hughes, admit it. You were lying to yourself just now, aren’t you? Do you really think this woman has a firm grasp on Elizabeth’s character? She simply became a candidate for the female lead role because she has the President of Sky Entertainment to back her up.”
Jacinta backed Megan into a corner with a determined look in her eyes. Everyone else gasped in surprise when they heard the news.
If this was true, it would mean that there was no longer any director who would cast roles based on the actor’s or actress’s acting skills in showbiz.
Pierce felt embarrassed as the crowd begin to murmur, while Megan felt that Jacinta just made a stupid move.
Is she dumb? How dare she talk shit in public?
The worst thing was, Jacinta had exposed her relationship with Jake.
Megan finally decided to speak up after seeing Pierce lapse into silence.
“Well then, would you like to role play right here, right now? Your capabilities must be out of this world for calling me out like that.”
Megan arched her brows, folded her arms, and brushed off Jacinta’s claims about her relationship with Jake.
She did it for herself, not for Pierce. For she didn’t want to be considered useless.
Jacinta was about to step up to the challenge when she realized how relaxed Megan’s answer was. She couldn’t help but feel suspicious about their motives.
Looks like Pierce will be backing Megan up no matter what. She would be losing more than she bargained for if the both of them team up to humiliate her.
She wanted to reject Megan’s proposal after thinking it through. However, she would be utterly humiliated if she backs out now since she said she was better than Megan.
Megan’s patience had waned thin as Jacinta struggled to make a decision. “Are you up to the challenge or not? We’ll see who will have the last laugh.”
After a long silence, Jacinta sneered at the look of confidence on Megan’s face. She’s merely a country bumpkin when I embark on my acting career. What a cow.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3367
The Showdown
Jacinta threw caution to the wind as she flipped her hair and stepped up to the challenge.
Not only would she act, but also record it to prove the netizens who said she was losing her touch wrong.
Jacinta paid the restaurant owner enough money to close down for the rest of the day, while the crowd stayed as witnesses to see who the better actress was.
Pierce, on the other hand, was delighted with how things turned out. Megan had been a big help since he wasn’t good at handling women like Jacinta.
“I’m surprised you agreed to it. Ok, let’s set the theme for each other and have a five minute impromptu play, what do you think?”
It sounded more like a statement than a question in Jacinta’s ears, making her upset.
She badly wanted to say no if possible.
“Up to you.” Jacinta couldn’t be bothered to be polite as she cursed Megan silently.
The both of them could never be friends in this lifetime. Megan turned around and gave the question some thought. In the end, she decided on a simple scene.
“You first. The scene will be having a fight with your boyfriend in college.” Megan purposely gave her an easier topic so that Jacinta wouldn’t be able to deny the results later on because of a difficult topic.
After all, she’s most certainly going to give me a hard one. My acting skills are way better than hers anyway.
Jacinta was stunned when she heard the topic. She never expected Megan to go so easy on her.
“Are you looking down on me?” Jacinta met Megan’s crystal clear gaze.
Megan was getting annoyed with Jacinta’s attitude. Her face darkened and glared at Jacinta, displeased. “If you’re ready, start acting. Or else you automatically lose.”
Jacinta felt like she had been stabbed in the heart when she heard the word ‘lose’. Her expression turned serious almost immediately after giving Megan a look.
I mustn’t lose out to this country bumpkin no matter what!
After having thought out how she would go about it, Jacinta said, “Ok, I’m ready. Let’s start.”
Megan was looking forward to her performance.
She leaned against the table with her arms folded and stared at Jacinta.
Jacinta barely made it through the first part as a college student. She was about to start acting after preparing herself for the emotionally intense scene.
Megan and Pierce kept their eyes peeled on the subtle change in expressions on Jacinta’s face. Her impromptu lines were still okay, but it was a pity she acted like a shrew rather than a college student who was quarreling with her lover. She didn’t showcase any emotions of pretending not to care when she really did deep down for her boyfriend.
“Why did you hold her hand? You’re despicable for going behind my back.”
The awkward lines paired with her acting made the audience feel like they were watching a shrew rather than the everyday life of a bickering couple.
It looked like Jacinta was getting old, for she couldn’t even handle her award-winning roles anymore. In other words, she had lost her touch. It was also why her popularity fell so much over the years.
“Ok. Stop.” Pierce felt disgusted by her acting. He glared at Jacinta as if blaming her for ruining his appetite.
However, Jacinta merely felt like her time wasn’t up yet. She collected herself and started to argue with Pierce. “I still have two minutes left, Mr. Hughes. Let me finish.”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3368
Mourn
A few more minutes wouldn’t help with that acting skills of yours. Megan thought to herself.
She couldn’t help but speak up. “I’ll only act for three minutes as well. That way, it’ll be fair game.”
Jacinta subconsciously wanted to refuse. However, she couldn’t bring herself to do it after seeing how the audience was displeased with her.
Am I really that bad?
Megan and Pierce urged Jacinta to come up with a topic for Megan before she could even make heads or tails of the situation. She gathered her thoughts and stared at Megan. I’m not going to give her an easy topic no matter what.
A scene popped into her head after giving it some thought. She lifted the corner of her mouth in excitement.
She swept a glance at Megan and said, “Pretend that you are mourning for your dead lover in ancient times.”
The crowd was stunned when they heard the note of confidence in Jacinta’s voice, for her topic sounded like a curse to Megan. They thought she should tone it down a little since this was just a friendly match.
Megan was going all out as she heard the murmurs around her. She wasn’t about to let Jacinta embarrass her in public.
She was going to prove that she was better than Jacinta in terms of acting and have the last laugh.
Megan could be stubborn as a mule at times. Mourning. Right. I’ll mourn for you, Jacinta.
Upon that thought, Megan imagined herself to be a man who just lost his beloved wife. Her eyes brimmed with tears and her lips quivered in an attempt to suppress her emotions.
“Ja, how could you leave me? Is the road to heaven okay?”
Megan played her character well. Her emotions reached its peak as she imagined Jacinta to be a gravestone.
She rushed up to hug Jacinta who was still in a trance, hiding the deep and sorrowful emotions below her lashes.
Nobody asked Megan to stop after three minutes. She took a deep breath, collected herself, and stared at Jacinta in disdain.
“How was it, Jacinta? How was your road to heaven?”
Pierce suddenly noticed something different about Megan as she mocked Jacinta.
Jacinta’s face turned an unbecoming shade of red in anger. She was about to retort when Pierce cut in.
“Megan, what made you decide to do a reverse role play?”
Megan gave it some thought and smiled. “Nothing much. I just thought it was easier to express a man’s sorrows as compared to a woman’s.”
It was easier? Pierce didn’t think so. However, it was entirely up to the actress to bring the character to life. It looked like Megan’s acting style resembles a man more than a woman.
He suddenly looked forward to how Megan would bring Elizabeth to life in The Royal Wife when she was naïve and full of love. After all, Megan would only need the gentleness of a lady during that part.
Pierce nodded his head as if he agreed with Megan’s statement. He gave the audience a look and said, “Ok, it’s time to vote.”
The crowd exchanged looks. They felt like there wasn’t a need to vote anymore since the winner was clearly Megan.
“Vote? What for? Megan misinterpreted the topic on purpose. It doesn’t count!”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3369
A Rare Showdown
Jacinta gnashed her teeth together, and her blood boiled with anger when she witnessed Megan receiving Pierce’s recognition.
How can Megan be better than me? She deliberately twisted my words and even called out my name. Damn her! That arrogant and conniving b*tch should just die!
Pierce had long since grown irritated with the way Jacinta kept prattling non-stop, and the impatience lining his features became all the more prominent.
He lifted his gaze and looked across the distance. To him, although Jacinta looked exquisite with her flawless makeup, she was nothing but a rabid dog out to bite anyone who passed by. It seemed like she wouldn’t rest until she bit Megan to death.
“Jacinta, you need to know when to quit. If you don’t even know something so basic, the connections you’ve accumulated in the entertainment industry over the years might very well be destroyed one day.”
This was Pierce’s heartfelt advice to her, but to Jacinta, it sounded more like he was deliberately humiliating her.
She balled her fists by her sides, then pointed a finger at Megan and turned to look at Pierce. With a sneer, she said, “Mr. Hughes, you don’t need to worry about me, but I must tell you. It won’t be easy for The Royal Wife to become a hit with this woman onboard your team!”
After spitting out these harsh words, Jacinta swiveled on her heels to leave, but Megan would never let her off so easily. No matter what, she was going to announce the final results of the competition to her.
Hence, she called out, “Ms. Twinkle, don’t you want to know the competition’s final results? This is a rare showdown between the two of us after all.”
Jacinta wasn’t the slightest bit inclined to know the results because she knew full well who the people seated here were going to choose. In spite of that, there was no way she would admit that fact out loud. Hence, she simply decided to leave to avoid hearing the results.
“You violated the rules first. There’s no way I’ll acknowledge the results of this competition.”
Megan studied her determined attitude and mentally scoffed. Wasn’t she oh-so eloquent earlier? Why does she look completely defeated now?
With a disdainful sneer, she ignored Jacinta and turned to declare in a loud voice, “Regardless of whether or not Ms. Twinkle acknowledges it, the show must go on. Not to mention,” Turning back to Jacinta, she continued, “Except for you, no one else here has expressed their objection, so I think the results of this competition should be announced no matter what. What do you all think?”
Judging from Jacinta’s reaction, everyone knew the reason she strongly refused to acknowledge the results. They also knew that Megan was borrowing their support to knock Jacinta down a peg or two.
Some of them were reluctant to be brandished like a weapon by Megan, but with Pierce openly protecting her, they were aware that one wrong word from them could mean the end of their careers.
Everyone lamented silently. It seemed like the two sisters were going to dominate half of the entertainment industry from then on.
They were caught between a rock and a hard place, but they would rather get on Jacinta’s bad side than Pierce’s. Hence, everyone played along with Megan even though they felt aggrieved.
Seeing everyone nodding their heads, a content smile formed on Megan’s lips and she said, “Alright, then. Let’s vote by a show of hands. Please raise your hand if you think Jacinta’s acting was good.”
Suddenly, the place plunged into pin-drop silence. Everyone exchanged glances, but no one felt that Jacinta’s acting skills were better than Megan’s.
“Wow, no one?” Megan emphasized on purpose.
With her back facing everyone, Jacinta’s face instantly turned ashen.
The reason she hadn’t left yet was because she still harbored a sliver of hope. If the difference was only a couple of votes, she could still stand tall before Megan and admonish her for disrespecting a senior in the entertainment industry. After all, it was a man she portrayed. Hence, it was a trickier character to play.
However, no one in the audience raised their hands to vote for her. In a state of complete disbelief, Jacinta whirled around to glare at everyone. The resentment in her eyes could almost burn a hole through them.
Everyone was so startled by her gaze that they looked down and nursed their respective drinks, not daring to meet her eyes at all.
Those present were all famous actors. Although it was almost the end of Jacinta’s golden era, her popularity back then was very high, and she was even considered a big hit at that time. Thus, they couldn’t afford to offend her.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3370
Another Promise
“I see what this is. You’re all helping Megan, aren’t you? When I get out of here, I’ll make every one of you pay for this!”
Jacinta did not want to know how many votes Megan had. Anger had already taken over her entire body, causing her heartbeat to increase with it. Right then, she felt like she was going to explode at any second.
She’s nothing but a country bumpkin. How dare she act so arrogant in front of me? She even incited everyone else to boycott me? She’s such a despicable btch! Btch!
As Pierce surveyed Jacinta’s contorted features from the side, his impression of her took a complete nosedive. Who does she think she is to say something like that on my territory?
She’s openly challenging me by acting this way.
He cleared his throat unhappily and spoke in an icy tone. “Jacinta, instead of threatening others, you’re better off reflecting on yourself. Besides, how dare you talk big while I’m sitting right here? You must be too used to throwing your weight around, huh?”
“I…” Jacinta fumbled for words after being lambasted by Pierce. In the end, she swallowed back the words at the tip of her tongue, then abruptly shot a withering stare at Megan.
It looks like I won’t be getting my revenge here today. This old fool, Pierce Hughes, is protecting Megan while subduing me at every turn!
But it doesn’t really matter. I only have to bear with this for a few more days. This b*tch better not get caught by me because I won’t let her off the hook that easily!
Without saying another word, Jacinta gritted her teeth bitterly and signaled for the boss to open the door. Then, she stomped away and left the premises.
With the source of the problem gone, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. When Megan and Pierce locked gazes, they were surprised to see the same exasperated look in each other’s eyes.
“It seems like you’re very experienced in dealing with people like her.” Pierce took a sip of his drink as his eyes flickered with interest. At that moment, he began to see Megan in a different light. Be it as a person or an actress, he found her to be very similar to the old acquaintance he held dear in his heart.
Megan laughed awkwardly at being praised for having experience in something like this. Fiddling with her hair, she replied, “I’m not gonna lie. I really am experienced in this. The feud between Jacinta and I runs too deep.”
Not wanting to hide anything, Megan answered frankly. Releasing a soft chuckle, Pierce shook his head and stood up to pat Megan on her shoulder. “It’s a good thing to be young and energetic. You can eat whatever you like and fight with whoever you want. Anyway, I’ll help you keep an eye out for a role in The Royal Wife. I’ll get going now. You don’t need to send me off.”
What Pierce said left Megan standing rooted to the spot with disbelief sprawled across her face. She blinked several times and was about to say something, but realized that Pierce had already walked away.
She shuffled two steps forward, but Pierce’s back profile displayed a strong sense of dismissal. Hence, she had to force herself to stop in her tracks.
She still couldn’t figure out what she had done to earn yet another promise from him. From what she could see, she had merely picked a fight out of boredom.
Unable to figure out the renowned director’s angle, Megan gave up trying altogether. She hailed a taxi and hurried back to Jake’s apartment with questions still plaguing her mind.
As soon as she opened the door, an unusual smell invaded her senses. Just when she peered inside, the lights in the living room abruptly came on, chasing away the darkness and revealing Jake’s stony face.
“Where have you been?”
His frigid tone left Megan slightly perplexed. The man in front of her was brightly illuminated by the lights, but his dark and frightening aura seemed oddly impenetrable.
Did I do something to upset him?
Megan averted her gaze to shut the door behind her, then timidly walked toward him. “I ran into Mr. Hughes on the way, so we had a meal together. Why are you wearing so little? Your fever hasn’t even gone down completely.”
Hearing this, Jake’s gaze softened a fraction. He curled an arm around Megan’s shoulders and lifted her chin with his other hand.
In a slightly accusatory tone, he said, “Why did you eat for so long? You didn’t forget about me, did you? I came back to wait for you right after my meeting, you know?”