Ch. 1251..1260
Obsessed CEO Throws Himself at Me Chapter 1251
Rolling Her Eyes
“Oh…” Susanne dragged out her response and teased, “That’s a real coincidence. What about this? How did you make this pepper soup?”
“Erm…” Penelope’s expression darkened.
Obviously, she had no idea at all.
“Haha,” Susanne sneered before exposing her. “Sometimes, it’s all right if we’re incapable, for we can always take our time to learn. However, if we are too ambitious for our own good and bite off more than we can chew, we will just end up embarrassing ourselves.”
When she realized Susanne had seen through her lie about making breakfast, Penelope’s face turned red.
She had no choice but to force a smile. “Mrs. Nightshire, it’s true that I didn’t cook breakfast alone. Nevertheless, I monitored the entire process from ingredient selection to the cooking.”
She wanted to still claim credit despite not being the one to cook.
“I appreciate what you have done.” Susanne pulled out a chair and sat down.
Just when Penelope was about to ask whether she needed to be served, Susanne instructed Geoffrey, “Take all of this away and distribute it to the housekeeper. After that, prepare my usual breakfast.”
“Yes, Mrs. Nightshire!” After bowing in acknowledgment, Geoffrey turned around and ordered the housekeepers to do the same.
With her face turning pale, Penelope could feel the rage swelling within her.
She felt humiliated by the fact that Susanne had ordered the food she had painstakingly monitored from early in the morning to be given to the housekeepers.
Despite the anger she felt, Penelope didn’t dare show it. She could only probe, “Mrs. Nightshire, since I’m new here, I have no idea what you like for breakfast. Why don’t you tell me so that I can prepare it from tomorrow morning onward.”
“There’s no such need!” Susanne waved her hand impatiently. “There’s no way you know how to prepare what I want.”
Even though she felt awkward, Penelope was also curious as to what Susanne had for breakfast.
After all, she had already gotten the cook to prepare all kinds of breakfast imaginable.
Soon, Geoffrey was seen bringing a bowl of hot ravioli up to the table.
Having assumed that Susanne would usually have a feast for breakfast, Penelope was surprised to see just a bowl of ravioli.
She couldn’t resist asking, “Do you only have ravioli for breakfast?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Susanne gave her the side-eye. “This is the best ravioli in the entire world!”
Penelope smiled alongside her. “Yes, yes. It just caught me by surprise. Since you love ravioli, I’ll make it tomorrow for you, as it’s something I know how to do.”
“Hmph!” Susanne snorted. “You don’t know how to make this one!”
Penelope was exasperated at hearing the same comment twice.
Isn’t it just ravioli? Given how simple it is, how can I not be able to make it?
Observing Penelope’s expression, Susanne knew what was going through her mind. She ordered Geoffrey, “Let her try some so that she knows what ravioli is supposed to taste like.”
“Yes, Mrs. Nightshire.” Geoffrey bowed and served Penelope a bowl.
Penelope did a mental roll of her eyes.
What does she mean by letting me know what actual ravioli is?
Penelope was unconvinced by Susanne’s praise for it. If someone else other than Susanne had uttered those words, she would have ridiculed the person as a country bumpkin.
Despite thinking otherwise, Penelope pretended to be honored instead. Suppressing the anger inside her, she put a piece of ravioli in her mouth.
Obsessed CEO Throws Himself at Me Chapter 1252
The Difference
In an instant, the delicious flavors of the ravioli burst into her mouth.
She could taste the onion and prawn-infused juices as the layers of flavors gradually sipped in her mouth. At that moment, the tip of her tongue felt a sensation that she had never experienced before, causing her eyes to light up.
This ravioli is out of this world! No wonder Susanne is so confident that I’m unable to reproduce this taste.
Penelope couldn’t believe how something so simple could taste so delicious. Consequently, she was amazed by the culinary skill of the one who made them.
“These ravioli are amazing! Who is the chef that made them? I have never tried such delicious ravioli before.”
Penelope couldn’t hide her amazement.
When she quickly noticed the proud look on Susanne’s face, a name popped into her mind.
“Is Ms. Moore the one who made them?”
“That’s right!” Susanne raised her brow. “Do you now know how wide the gap is between both of you?”
Nodding in acknowledgment, Penelope failed to crack a smile despite trying desperately to.
There’s no way I can beat Arielle when it comes to cooking. What about something else? In terms of looks, Arielle’s popularity in showbiz began from her looks, and she isn’t called the “people’s goddess” for nothing. Even though I spent half an hour with my makeup today, there’s no way I can top Arielle’s natural beauty.
When it came to comparing capabilities, Penelope’s family went bankrupt during her freshman year at university, causing her to drop out due to her failure to pay her tuition fees.
As for Arielle, not only did she graduate from Maxwell University, but she was also the chairman of the renowned Sann Group.
At that moment, Penelope was filled with despair when she realized that she was no match for Arielle at all.
When Susanne saw through Penelope’s expression, her mood brightened up alongside her appetite. Hence, she began to wolf down her bowl of ravioli.
Once she was done, she remembered not seeing Arielle and Vinson. Subsequently, she turned toward Geoffrey and asked, “Where’s Sannie and my son?”
Sannie was Arielle’s nickname. Ever since Susanne found it to be more intimate sounding, she always addressed Arielle that way. Hence, the servants naturally knew who Sannie was.
Geoffrey replied cordially, “Mr. and Mrs. Nightshire have gone out.”
“This early? Together?”
“No.” Geoffrey shook his head. “Mr. Nightshire left first, saying that he had something to do at the office. Mrs. Nightshire might have gone on set, for she was recently cast in a movie directed by Sam Sleight.”
“Is that so? Sam is a talented director. It looks as if my daughter-in-law is going to bring glory to the family in a whole new field.”
The more Susanne thought about it, the happier she became. She instructed Geoffrey, “Since I’m in a good mood today, invite my friends over for a card game.”
Even though Susanne didn’t know what was wrong with her son, a good night’s sleep allowed clarity to return to her mind.
After all, she knew her son better than anyone else. Despite his sharp tongue, he had a soft heart. Although he carried an indifferent expression all the time, he was someone gentle and loyal at his core.
Thus, she was confident that once Arielle and Vinson resolved whatever problems they were having, the lady in heavy makeup in front of her would disappear from the manor without her lifting a finger.
With that thought in mind, Susanne gave Penelope the cold shoulder and got Geoffrey to set up her card game.
“Right away!” Geoffrey acknowledged and went out on the pretext of calling Susanne’s friends. However, he didn’t make the call after leaving. Instead, he headed to the glasshouse on the manor’s grounds instead.
Obsessed CEO Throws Himself at Me Chapter 1253
Fearful for their lives, Geoffrey broke out in cold sweat, for the masked man’s intention couldn’t be any clearer.
If he couldn’t provide any useful information, his family’s days would be numbered.
Despite the defiance within him, Geoffrey had no choice but to nod. “All right, I’ll definitely help you monitor Mr. and Mrs. Nightshire.”
“Mmm-hmm.” The man nodded in return before striding out without fear of being discovered.
The man scarcely walked out when Geoffrey gritted his teeth and said, “Mister…”
The man turned around and gave Geoffrey a scrutinizing look.
“Actually…” Right when the words were about to leave Geoffrey’s mouth, he struggled with himself before changing his mind. “The security here has been tightened recently. Hence, you had better be more careful when you leave.”
The man shrugged his shoulders before turning around and leaving the glasshouse.
After watching the man’s silhouette disappear, the tension in Geoffrey’s body was released as he dropped to his knees, drenched in sweat.
He had intended to say that there was something strange about Arielle and Vinson quarreling and also the fact that Vinson brought another lady home.
Nonetheless, the decades-long bond he had built with the Nightshire family caused him to swallow those words.
Betraying the Nightshires had already caused dark rings to appear around his eyes from all the sleepless nights he was having.
Unfortunately, he still couldn’t bring himself to confess the matter to them.
At the end of the day, his loyalty was so strong that he was unable to betray them despite the lives of his family hanging by a thread.
Closing his eyes and clasping his palms together, he prayed, “I hope everything will be over soon.”
He also hoped that Vinson would quickly realize that something was amiss and track down the masked man.
In spite of that, his hopes remained just that. The only thing he could do was to continue acting as a mole and answer all the questions the enemy had.
Unknown to both the masked man and Geoffrey, a pair of eyes was watching them closely.
A few minutes later, Arielle was walking on the street when she received a call from one of the housekeepers.
With a twitch of her eyelid, she answered the call at once.
“Did you discover anything?” Arielle asked right away.
The housekeeper’s voice rang out.
“I saw Geoffrey enter the glasshouse. A short while later, another man came out and left by scaling the wall. I had wanted to raise the alarm but decided to call you first.”
“You did well.” After a momentary silence, Arielle asked, “Did you manage to take a photo of the man?”
“I did! However, it’s in video form, as I was worried about the sound the camera might make.”
“Send it to me right away, and don’t mention it to anyone else. Just continue to go about your work.”
“Yes, Mrs. Nightshire!” The housekeeper ended the call excitedly, for she was proud of having made a significant contribution.
Soon, Arielle received a message from the housekeeper.
She wasn’t afraid that the contents of the message were leaked because Vinson had come to see her the night before. Not only did he spend the night with her and explain the situation, but he also handed her a new phone.
Going forward, both of them would stay in touch using the new phone which no one else knew about.
After clicking on the video to watch it, she saw the masked man walk out of the glasshouse.
Due to the angle the video was filmed, she could only see the man’s silhouette in the beginning.
Nevertheless, Arielle broadly narrowed down the person to the man she met on the cruise from just his silhouette alone.
At the very last second of the video, the man turned his head to reveal the side profile, allowing Arielle to confirm her suspicion.
Obsessed CEO Throws Himself at Me Chapter 1254
A Photo Of The Man
Fearful for their lives, Geoffrey broke out in cold sweat, for the masked man’s intention couldn’t be any clearer.
If he couldn’t provide any useful information, his family’s days would be numbered.
Despite the defiance within him, Geoffrey had no choice but to nod. “All right, I’ll definitely help you monitor Mr. and Mrs. Nightshire.”
“Mmm-hmm.” The man nodded in return before striding out without fear of being discovered.
The man scarcely walked out when Geoffrey gritted his teeth and said, “Mister…”
The man turned around and gave Geoffrey a scrutinizing look.
“Actually…” Right when the words were about to leave Geoffrey’s mouth, he struggled with himself before changing his mind. “The security here has been tightened recently. Hence, you had better be more careful when you leave.”
The man shrugged his shoulders before turning around and leaving the glasshouse.
After watching the man’s silhouette disappear, the tension in Geoffrey’s body was released as he dropped to his knees, drenched in sweat.
He had intended to say that there was something strange about Arielle and Vinson quarreling and also the fact that Vinson brought another lady home.
Nonetheless, the decades-long bond he had built with the Nightshire family caused him to swallow those words.
Betraying the Nightshires had already caused dark rings to appear around his eyes from all the sleepless nights he was having.
Unfortunately, he still couldn’t bring himself to confess the matter to them.
At the end of the day, his loyalty was so strong that he was unable to betray them despite the lives of his family hanging by a thread.
Closing his eyes and clasping his palms together, he prayed, “I hope everything will be over soon.”
He also hoped that Vinson would quickly realize that something was amiss and track down the masked man.
In spite of that, his hopes remained just that. The only thing he could do was to continue acting as a mole and answer all the questions the enemy had.
Unknown to both the masked man and Geoffrey, a pair of eyes was watching them closely.
A few minutes later, Arielle was walking on the street when she received a call from one of the housekeepers.
With a twitch of her eyelid, she answered the call at once.
“Did you discover anything?” Arielle asked right away.
The housekeeper’s voice rang out.
“I saw Geoffrey enter the glasshouse. A short while later, another man came out and left by scaling the wall. I had wanted to raise the alarm but decided to call you first.”
“You did well.” After a momentary silence, Arielle asked, “Did you manage to take a photo of the man?”
“I did! However, it’s in video form, as I was worried about the sound the camera might make.”
“Send it to me right away, and don’t mention it to anyone else. Just continue to go about your work.”
“Yes, Mrs. Nightshire!” The housekeeper ended the call excitedly, for she was proud of having made a significant contribution.
Soon, Arielle received a message from the housekeeper.
She wasn’t afraid that the contents of the message were leaked because Vinson had come to see her the night before. Not only did he spend the night with her and explain the situation, but he also handed her a new phone.
Going forward, both of them would stay in touch using the new phone which no one else knew about.
After clicking on the video to watch it, she saw the masked man walk out of the glasshouse.
Due to the angle the video was filmed, she could only see the man’s silhouette in the beginning.
Nevertheless, Arielle broadly narrowed down the person to the man she met on the cruise from just his silhouette alone.
At the very last second of the video, the man turned his head to reveal the side profile, allowing Arielle to confirm her suspicion.
Obsessed CEO Throws Himself at Me Chapter 1255
Taking Advantage
At that very moment, a taxi suddenly stopped by her side.
Its windows wound down to reveal Vinson’s face.
“Miss, where are you going? Given what a beauty you are, I’ll send you there for free.”
“Pfft…”
Vinson seldom joked. Even when he did, his face would still have a serious expression on. In spite of that, Arielle was still tickled by him.
“Thank you very much, mister.”
After getting into the car, Arielle scanned the inside of the vehicle and asked, “Where did you get this taxi?”
“From the taxi company.”
“Don’t they disallow their taxis from being loaned to outsiders?”
Vinson raised his brows and explained, “That’s correct. That’s why I bought the entire company.”
Stunned momentarily, Arielle replied, “What a smart idea!”
Money does make the world go round. Why didn’t I think of that in the first place?
Holding that thought, Arielle decided to splurge when the opportunity arises. Or else, there was no place for her to spend the massive profits from Sann Group and Maureen’s Kitchen.
As Vinson began to drive, he asked, “Are you going to the Mill residence directly?”
“No.” Arielle shook her head. “We are only meeting at ten. Before that, I have to return to the set for a reshoot.”
“All right.”
Without any hesitation, Vinson floored the accelerator to the set.
Along the way, Arielle shared the video with Vinson.
Both of them agreed that the man who wanted to sow discord between them wasn’t the same as the one who wanted to kill them. Instead, it was the man who saved Arielle on the cruise by accident.
“That man…” Vinson furrowed his brows and remarked, “I have no idea where he came from. After I saw him face to face the last time, I tried to find out who he was from his facial features. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a match throughout the world.”
Arielle remembered the incident. She too had mobilized her contacts but came up empty-handed too.
“Can it be,” Vinson guessed, “that he’s wearing a hyper-realistic mask? I heard such technologically advanced masks have been recently invented; one can easily pass off as someone else.”
“No.” Arielle shook her head. “It’s definitely not a hyper-realistic mask.”
“Why are you so sure?”
Arielle retorted with a smug smile, “Do you know which company invented it?”
“Don’t tell me that it’s one of yours.”
Snap! Arielle snapped her fingers. “That’s right. Sann Group is the one responsible, and I have been personally monitoring the hyper-realistic mask project. Thus, I have a better understanding of it than anyone else. Even though it makes for a successful disguise from afar, one can still see the seams up close. On top of that, I can tell from my interactions with him that he is definitely not wearing such a mask. Also, the sale of such masks is highly regulated. One has to work in special sectors, such as law enforcement to qualify. Thus, ordinary folk or those with bad intentions have no access to them.”
“In that case, this is a tough nut to crack. It’s impossible for anyone to hide their identity from all the global databases without a hyper-realistic mask.
Vinson’s gaze darkened as he frowned.
Although Arielle didn’t mention it, Vinson was cognizant that she was the man’s target instead of him.
The reason the man was trying to sow discord was to create an opening for himself.
Consequently, the mysterious romantic rival made Vinson feel threatened in a way that he never felt before.
With that thought in mind, their car arrived at the film set’s entrance.
Obsessed CEO Throws Himself at Me Chapter 1256
Pushing His Luck
“I appreciate the fact that you bought a taxi company just to send me to work. Anyway, you should go back and get some sleep since there’s still some time before you start work.”
As soon as Arielle touched the car door, Vinson grabbed her.
“What is it?”
When Arielle turned around in surprise, she saw Vinson’s unsatisfied look. Knitting his brows, he asked, “A word of thanks and that’s it? Aren’t you going to show your appreciation with some actions?”
Arielle shrugged. “What kind of action are you expecting?”
Vinson pointed at his lips. “It feels kind of dry here.”
Despite shooting Vinson a shy look, she still leaned in to give him a kiss.
When she felt the cold touch of his lips, she was reminded of what happened the night before—a passionate entanglement of ice and fire.
Due to the effects of the drug, that was the first time she had expressed her unrestrained lust.
All this while, she had always been shy when it came to being intimate, just like any other girl. Regardless of whether it was their first time, it was difficult to stay calm, even for her.
Thus, her cheeks blushed red even though it was just a light peck.
Just when she was about to alight after the kiss, Vinson pulled her back again and pointed to his forehead.
“It’s dry here too.”
Arielle relented and kissed him where he wanted.
Nevertheless, it still wasn’t enough as Vinson pointed to his nose. “This spot is dry too.”
Arielle squirmed her lips in response. “Vinson, stop pushing your luck!”
When he realized that he had gotten on her nerves, Vinson suppressed his greed and remarked, “Wait for me, as I’ll walk you to the set after parking the car.”
“No,” Arielle stopped him.
“You can’t go in.”
“Why? I’ve postponed all my work to the afternoon so that I can have the morning with you.”
“It’s not that…” Arielle mumbled, “Didn’t you read the news? Yesterday, I told the crew that I was going to catch my husband cheating so that I could avoid going to dinner with them. Obviously, no one knows it was you. Hence, if you walk in with me, I would end up being ridiculed.”
Even though the production team was afraid of gossiping in front of Vinson, the netizens didn’t share their fear once the matter was leaked.
The internet was just like a sea of strangers. With everyone wearing a mask online, no one knew who the other was in real life.
Arielle had barely spoken when Vinson fell silent for a few seconds.
She rubbed her hand apologetically. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Vinson pointed to the back seat. “I’m not here in my own capacity. Instead, I’m supposed to be your assistant.”
When Arielle followed the trajectory of his fingers, she saw a face mask and a baseball cap.
She shrugged. “You never cease to amaze me.”
“Thank you, boss. May I ask if I can now go filming by your side? Coincidentally, I would like to check on the progress of the movie I have invested in.”
Arielle nodded in resignation. “Come along then. However, remember not to speak or take off your cap. You must keep your identity a secret, okay?”
All of a sudden, Vinson felt as if he was an incapable husband.
However, the thought of them going to be separated by a long distance for three days gave him the urge to spend every second he had with her.
Obsessed CEO Throws Himself at Me Chapter 1257
A Mute
“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely not reveal my identity. You can just tell them that I’m a mute. That way, I don’t even need to make a sound.”
“Fine. In that case, that’s what you’ll be today.” Just as she spoke, Arielle opened the car door and alighted.
As both of them entered the film studio one after another, they encountered many of Arielle’s fans who asked for photos and autographs.
Since it was early, Arielle wanted to oblige. However, Vinson carried out his duty by keeping them away.
In contrast to the female fans whom Vinson allowed to approach Arielle, he would ensure the male fans stay more than a meter away—he was nothing but a jealous man.
Even though Arielle felt nonplussed about it, she refrained from censuring him and allowed him to escort her however he wished.
Soon, both of them arrived at the set.
The set consisted of a simple 3D-printed apartment building. At the end of the movie, the building would be destroyed by the monster’s attack. But for now, it was still a safe place that was filled with life.
As Sam was due to fly off in the afternoon, he was still around in the morning for Arielle’s reshoot.
Arielle assumed that she had arrived early and didn’t expect Sam to be there even earlier than her. At that moment, he was in a discussion with a couple of supporting actors.
“For the scenes in the next two days, you must bring out your characters from the script, especially the part where you’re supposed to be selfish. Annabelle, your role in particular is artistically challenging. Early in the movie, you have to make the audience hate you. In the later part, your character will redeem herself when she saves her own child. Thus, you cannot show the good side of your character until the end.”
“I understand.” Annabelle was a budding actress who won the best-supporting actress award in a recent period film. Hence, she put on airs wherever she went.
In the face of Sam’s instructions, she couldn’t resist retorting, “Mr. Sleight, why do you keep lecturing me and not do the same to Arielle? She is the female lead and a new actress. From my perspective, you had better guide her instead of wasting time on us.”
Annabelle was obviously insinuating that Arielle couldn’t act and wasn’t deserving of the female lead role.
Since the last two days of filming didn’t involve her, she wasn’t around to watch Arielle’s impressive performance.
Upon hearing the snarky comment, Sam knitted his brows.
Just when he was about to praise Arielle’s performance, he heard a crisp voice ring out from behind.
“She’s right, Mr. Sleight. For today’s reshoot, there’s a part that I don’t fully understand. If you have the time, please guide me through it.”
The moment Annabelle heard the voice, she looked toward its source.
When she saw Arielle’s stunning face, she was filled with both jealousy and awkwardness, for she didn’t expect Arielle to hear what she said.
Even though she was convinced that Arielle didn’t deserve the female lead role, she couldn’t deny the envy she felt over the latter’s beauty.
Just her looks alone make her deserving of the female lead role even if she can’t act.
As conflicting emotions raged within her, she let out a Freudian slip, “I’m just worried someone doesn’t understand Mr. Sleight’s instructions.”
Her comment brimmed with resentment.
Obsessed CEO Throws Himself at Me Chapter 1258
Taking Down Arielle
By instinct, Arielle snuck a glance at Vinson who was behind her. She was worried that he would lose his temper, take off his mask, and reveal their identity to threaten Annabelle.
Unexpectedly, Vinson didn’t bat an eyelid. With his baseball cap covering half his face, she was unable to see his expression at all.
Vinson clearly looked as if he didn’t hear what Annabelle said.
Looks like my concern was unnecessary.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Arielle felt an unexplained sense of anger well up within her.
However, she was quickly embarrassed by it.
What’s wrong with me? I’m no longer a teenage girl who has just fallen in love. Why am I peeved over something as trivial as this?
After taking a deep breath, Arielle ignored Annabelle’s insinuations and asked Sam, “Mr. Sleight, since we have not started filming, can you walk me through my scene?”
“Sure!” Sam readily agreed with an embarrassed expression. In the meantime, he gave Annabelle the side-eye.
Even though Annabelle viewed Arielle with scorn, she didn’t say anything further in front of the latter, for Arielle was still the chairman of Sann Group. Squirming her lips, she lay on her chair and rested instead.
Sam didn’t bring up the matter too. After all, it was common to have minor conflicts among the film crew.
Nevertheless, he still felt bad because Arielle was someone he invited through painstaking effort. After leading her to someplace where they could speak in private, he apologized, “I’m really sorry, Ms. Moore. That actress-”
“Don’t worry about it!” Arielle interrupted Sam. She knew what Sam had wanted to say, but she truly wasn’t bothered by the matter at all.
Only when Sam was certain that Arielle wasn’t angry did he feel a sense of relief.
At the same time, he also noticed the person behind Arielle.
“And this is?” he asked curiously.
Arielle responded with a gasp before asking self-consciously, “My assistant, can I let him join the crew?”
“Of course!” Sam nodded in approval.
After all, it would be weird for the chairman of Sann Group to be moving around alone. That aside, the assistant does look quite familiar.
Just when Sam tilted his head to get a better look at the face hiding underneath the baseball cap, Arielle stepped aside and whipped out her script. “There’s something I would like to ask about this scene.”
The moment Sam heard that it was about work, he set aside his curiosity and began his discussion with Arielle.”
In truth, that particular scene wasn’t hard to understand. The challenge lay in choosing the appropriate body language to express it.
Sam was extremely experienced despite his youth. Hence, he explained, “There’s no need for you to plan your actions ahead of time. Instead, just imagine that the residents of the building are still intent on covering up the appearance of a murderous monster just to protect the price of their property. By doing so, you will instinctively know what sort of emotions and body language to use when you read out your lines.”
In that scene, Arielle, in her role as a policewoman, had just subdued the monster and wanted to call the police. However, the building’s residents locked her in the gym to stop her from doing so, just to protect the value of their property.
Today, Arielle was also supposed to film how she defeated the monster which wasn’t considered a difficult scene. All she had to do was to practice her fighting moves with the stunt coordinator. Instead, the challenge lay in expressing the human emotions of the scene, where she had to show it without being overly dramatic.
In a nutshell, Arielle’s reshoots for the day involved the battle with the monster, the conflict with the building residents, and the part where she was locked up by them.
Given that she had to be at the Mill residence by ten, she was running short of time and needed to complete the scenes within three takes.
Therefore, Arielle spoke to Sam earnestly. Furthermore, she would also nod and jot down notes intermittently.
When the resting Annabelle saw what she was doing, she remarked to her assistant with a snort, “Look, someone is pretending to be hardworking after hearing my criticism. Since the media aren’t allowed in here, who is she putting up a show for?”
Her assistant, Lara Donan, added fuel to fire. “Exactly, look at that slutty expression of hers. I wonder if she had seduced Mr. Sleight, causing him to go against public opinion and choose her as the female lead despite her lack of experience.
“Against public opinion?” Annabelle tilted her head and asked, “What do you mean?”
Lara replied enthusiastically, “I heard some gossip today that Arielle wasn’t the female lead in the beginning. In fact, the original actress seemed to be Arielle’s younger sister. It wasn’t until Mr. Sleight met Arielle for the first time that he went to see our film’s investor.”
“Vinson Nightshire?”
“Exactly! Perhaps, Mr. Sleight strongly recommended Arielle, hence the decision to choose her as the female lead.”
After hearing Lara’s words, the indignance Annabelle felt grew stronger.
How can I be a supporting actress to a female lead who slept her way into the role? This is nothing but a joke.
Just as anger swelled within her, Annabelle’s eyes lit up.
“I have an idea on how to deal with her!”
Stunned, Lara advised rationally, “Please don’t be impulsive, Arielle is the chairman of Sann Group. If you offend her, we might have to suffer the consequences.”
“Don’t worry!” Annabelle declared confidently, “I will make it look like an accident, and no one will be the wiser!”
Despite nodding in acknowledgment, Lara was still unnerved and felt her right eyelid twitch.
Given that it was an ominous sign, she wondered if something terrible was about to happen.
Holding that thought, she continued to dissuade Annabelle against it. Unfortunately, the latter refused to listen and ordered Lara to shut up, to which she had no choice but to comply.
Soon, with the crew gathered, the cameramen were ready to start filming.
Just when Arielle was about to walk on set, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Turning around by reflex, she saw Jason with an apologetic expression.
“I-I’m sorry about yesterday!” Gritting his teeth, Jason murmured, “Regardless of how angry I was, I shouldn’t have left you on the street. When I returned to look for you, you were nowhere to be found. Also, you didn’t answer when I called. Did you manage to get home safely?”
Before Arielle could reply, a towering figure stepped in right in front of her.
When she raised her gaze, she recognized the back of Vinson’s head.
“Who are you?” Jason scowled as he look curiously at Vinson but was unable to see his face.
Not only was Vinson taller, but he also emanated an intimidating aura.
Who is this man?
“I’m sorry. He’s my assistant.” Arielle pulled Vinson aside and smiled apologetically. “Let’s just forget about yesterday. We should instead get ready, as filming is about to start.”
Obsessed CEO Throws Himself at Me Chapter 1259
Disfigured
“Mmm-hmm.” Jason nodded before giving Vinson another suspicious look.
Somehow, he could sense that something was amiss.
But since Sam was calling out to him, he had no choice but to set his curiosity aside and get to work.
The filming location was set at the gym entrance on the apartment building’s first floor.
The first scene was to show the monster about to attack Jason. At the crucial moment, Arielle appeared and rescued him. Subsequently, both of them worked together to subdue the monster.
In the plot, Jason started out as a coward. Hence, the scenes largely involved Arielle fighting alone.
Standing behind the director’s monitor and watching Arielle act out a fighting scene, Vinson couldn’t help but break out in cold sweat.
The last time he saw her filming was when she was working on a commercial for Soir Coffee.
Since shooting a commercial was very unlike filming a movie, which was significantly more difficult, Vinson was worried that she might hurt herself in the process.
Amidst Vinson’s concerns, filming finally began.
The monster was being played by a stuntman dressed in green so that the special effects could be added later.
The moment he appeared, he charged like a raving monster at Jason, who had fallen onto the ground. Evidently, the stuntman was very professional.
In the nick of time, Arielle launched a flying kick and sent the “monster” flying, sparking a raging battle between the two.
The scene was so gripping that everyone watched from the edge of their seats. Five to six minutes later, Sam yelled, “Cut!” Subsequently, he commented in delight, “Well done, we managed to do this in one take! All we need to do later is to shoot the flying kick from another angle.”
Only then were Vinson’s worries eased.
“Whoo!” After letting out a breath, he heard a faint female voice coming up from behind.
“Hmph! I didn’t expect her to actually have some skills. However, what’s the big deal in acting well in an action sequence? Considering that human emotions are central to the plot, it’s more important for her to have real acting skills.”
Evidently, the words were aimed at Arielle.
When Vinson turned to see who made the remarks, he realized that it was the actress who ridiculed Arielle earlier.
At the same time, Annabelle caught Vinson’s gaze, for it was so cold it send a shiver down her spine.
Knitting her brows, she snapped, “What are you looking at?”
How dare a lowly assistant give me such a hostile look? Does he not want to work in the entertainment industry anymore? Arielle might be the chairman of Sann Group, but the group isn’t powerful enough to hold sway in the entertainment industry.
Given that she used to be a child actress and grew up in showbiz, her network in the industry was significantly larger than that of Arielle.
A single word from her would be enough to have the assistant blacklisted from the industry.
Despite having admonished Vinson, Annabelle noticed that he was still glaring at her, upsetting her further.
“You-”
“All right, everyone be quiet. Action!”
Coincidentally, Sam was about to shoot the flying kick scene. Thus, Annabelle had no choice but to suppress her anger and keep her mouth shut.
Unfortunately, the look Vinson gave her only intensified her desire to teach Arielle a lesson through the “accident.”
Considering her beauty is what made her popular, I’m going to ruin that face of hers and see if her fans still like a disfigured female entrepreneur.
Since humans were visual animals, Annabelle was certain that no one would like Arielle once she lost her looks.
With that thought in mind, she smirked with a vicious glint in her eye.
Unbeknownst to her, the change in her expression was entirely caught by Vinson.
Meanwhile, Arielle had a five-minute break after finishing her scene.
Just when she wanted Vinson to get her a glass of water, the latter pulled her along to the gym’s break room.
“What is it?” Arielle asked curiously. “Do you need to leave already?”
“No. I just want to warn you about that actress,” Vinson highlighted with a grim expression.
“The lady called Annabelle?”
Vinson nodded. “You have to watch out for her during filming, for I have a feeling she is up to no good.”
“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine,” Arielle replied with a shrug. “We’re working among the film crew with plenty of eyes watching. Moreover, I have never had any interaction with her. Thus, there’s no reason why she would take such a big risk to harm me. Even if she resents me, the most she’ll do is make some snarky comments.”
It’s not a big deal if she just throws an insult here and there.
Nevertheless, Vinson furrowed his brows at her words.
“Whatever it is, you can never be too careful. Anyway, aren’t you going to have a scene with her?”
“Yup.” Arielle nodded. “But, it’s in a group of six to seven people. She won’t have a chance to do anything to me.”
Arielle assumed the worst Annabelle could do was steal her lines.
Since it was a group scene, she didn’t mind it at all.
After all, she didn’t accept a role in the movie just to become famous.
“Even then, you still have to be careful,” Vinson reminded.
Arielle nodded earnestly. “I understand and will watch out for her.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Only then did the tension on Vinson’s face ease.
Right when they left the break room one after the other, Jason approached.
“Arielle.”
When she turned around, she saw Jason looking at Vinson warily. “I didn’t get the opportunity earlier to ask you who the guy behind you is.”
“Oh,” Arielle answered with a smile, “I almost forgot to introduce you. He’s my assistant and also my temporary driver.”
“Where’s the female bodyguard you previously had?”
Arielle replied casually, “She’s not feeling well, so he’s the replacement.”
“I see… An assistant…” With that, Jason stopped paying attention to Vinson, as a lowly assistant wasn’t worth his time.
Smiling wryly, Arielle glanced at Vinson from the corner of her eye. The sullen expression on his face seemed to be telling her he was going to interrogate her when they got back home.
Gulping instinctively, Arielle didn’t dare speak to Jason any further, for fear that Vinson would do something rash. Thus, she made some idle chatter before quickly preparing for her second scene.
Fortunately, Jason didn’t continue to pester her because he too needed to practice his lines which were aplenty in the group scene.
As the scene was Arielle’s last and she needed to rush to the Mill residence soon, she only had an hour left to wrap it up.
With that thought in mind, Arielle intensified the focus on her preparation.
Soon, filming was about to start again.
After arranging everyone in their specific position, Sam stood behind his monitor and prepared to film.
Obsessed CEO Throws Himself at Me Chapter 1260
Filming
This was the second scene for the day and also Arielle’s last.
Set right in front of the gym’s entrance, the group scene involved a lot of people in a huge area. In order to make it look real, none from the director’s team followed Sam there.
After having her makeup touched up, Arielle attracted everyone’s attention when she came on set with Vinson.
“That lady is gorgeous.”
“You fool, that’s Arielle! That aside, I noticed that the man by her side looks pretty good too. Don’t you think he’s charming? Sadly, I can’t see his face.”
Standing in position, the actors gossiped excitedly among themselves. In fact, some of them were even waving at Arielle. If Sam hadn’t set them in place, they would likely have rushed up to her to get her autograph.
“Sannie, mind your own safety. I’ll be waiting for you there,” Vinson whispered when he saw that it was time for filming to begin.
Arielle nodded in response.
Not in a rush to leave, Vinson reminded again, “No matter how chaotic it gets, you have to be careful.”
Arielle’s heart was warmed by his concern. Therefore, she promised him she would take care of herself and shooed him away, for Sam was already waving at them.
Once Vinson moved aside, the cameramen were ready to film.
The moment Sam yelled action and snapped the clapper board, the actors swarmed toward Arielle.
One could see how sharp Arielle’s actions were through the camera. Even though she appeared to be pushed by the crowd, Annabelle, who was in close proximity, realized that no one was physically touching her at all.
Despite her dramatic movements, Arielle’s performance looked vibrant due to her regular exercise.
The better she looks now, the greater the controversy when she’s disfigured.
Holding that thought, Annabelle smiled insidiously as she stood in position and reached into her bag discreetly, thinking that no one was looking at her.
Meanwhile, Sam knitted his brows by reflex when he saw what she was doing through his monitor.
However, before he could say a word, Annabelle suddenly dashed toward her original spot.
Recalling that Arielle only had one hour, Sam refrained from shouting “cut” despite the urge to do so.
Annabelle is just a supporting actress. Her mistake can be corrected later.
Other than Sam, Vinson also noticed Annabelle’s minute actions.
Thinking that her plan was flawless, Annabelle lunged at Arielle after squeezing her way through the crowd. With her hands waving in the air, it was clear that she was aiming for Arielle’s face.
Little did she know that Arielle was being vigilant.
Upon seeing Annabelle throw herself forward, Arielle dodged to her side. It would have been the perfect move if not for the crowd of actors getting in her way.
In the end, Annabelle still made contact, causing Arielle to feel a stinging pain in her neck before a gradual numbness settled in.
Under normal circumstances, she should only feel pain. Therefore…
When Arielle raised her gaze with the intention of grabbing Annabelle, Vinson had dashed out swiftly like the wind.
Grabbing Annabelle by the neck, he pinned her tightly against the wall.
“Let go of me! I didn’t do it on purpose. What give you the right to do this to me!” Annabelle was briefly stunned before she started to struggle vehemently.
When she snuck a glance at Arielle’s light wound, her face was filled with exasperation, for she had missed her target by an inch.