Twisted Ties of Love

Izabella furrowed her brows as she listened to Casey's words.

"I have a feeling that Nathaniel won't be taken down so easily. Can you arrange for someone to keep an eye on him?"

Casey agreed, "Sure, it's a prudent move."

Izabella hesitated for a moment before speaking further, "Also, Mrs. Bunny didn't know what happened between Brett and me. I'm worried that she might give the partnership she took from Nathaniel to Brett out of guilt. Brett's even more trouble than Nathaniel, we need to be cautious."

Casey also began to contemplate the possibility.

Izabella knew herself too well. She understand that Brett's dirty tricks were something she'd need a lifetime to match.

Casey sensed her anxiety and comforted her, "Don't worry, I've got your back. Even if the sky falls, I'll be there for you."

Izabella smiled at his words. She sat on Casey's lap, burying her face in his chest. She gazed up, and lightly bit his chin, "Ever since we've been together, I've started to doubt if my charm is enough" Casey's breathing became irregular, his gaze wandering aimlessly and his heart racing uncontrollably, especially with Izabella's hand resting on his chest.

Izabella shook her head at his stiff reaction, her smile remained undiminished, "So, even when I am in this close to you, you don't feel anything?" As she spoke, she She extended her delicate index finger to poke his Adam's apple.

Casey was so tense that he didn't dare to swallow. His back was rigidly pressed against the chair. His left hand gripped the armrest tightly to prevent Izabella from falling, and his right hand wrapped around her waist.

Casey looked down at Izabella's hair, his voice husky, "I do."

"Then why aren't you making a move? Why so shy?"

Casey's courage seemed to be spent on daydreaming and self-indulgence. When in came to real action, his face turned red. Izabella found his shyness endearing and couldn't resist teasing him. Casey grit his teeth and placed his hands firmly on Izabella's waist.

Before Izabella could react, her body was lifted off the ground by his strong grip on ther waist. He carefully placed her on her feet and then stood up himself.

His eyelids reddened, and the corners of his almond-shaped eyes slightly arched upward as he gazed deeply at Izabella. Then, he ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut with a bang. Izabella blinked in surprise and suddenly covered her mouth as she climbed onto the table, bursting into giggles.

Casey stayed in the bathroom for half an hour. When he came out, his face as red as a boiled lobster, and he didn't dare look at Izabella. However, his prolonged absence was testament to Izabella's allure. Izabella decided to stop teasing him and they continued discussing the script.

As they chatted, Izabella remembered Kaley Cornett. Kaley had been missing for several months, and despite numerous paparazzi staking her out, no one had uncovered any news. Kaley's still had some followers on social media, but compared to the past, it had lost its previous level of activity, not even ranking among the top three hundred anymore.

Could it be that she was dead?

It was a possibility.

Kaley had certainly crossed some of Brett's taboos. She had given him the opportunity, and if Brett couldn't manage to eliminate Kaley this time, Izabella would lose respect for his abilities.

Izabella remembered a saying that went something like this: "When you love someone, even the sunset even the boundless sunset can't compare to them. When you dislike someone, not even a thousand birds soaring through the mountains can rival the depth of your antipathy."

Brett was most cruelest to Kaley in this lifetime, leaving her almost half-dead. Yet, he was capable of forgiving Kaley, who had deceived him and cheated him.

He even had the audacity to ask if she could love him again.

It was amusing, really. Love him for what?

Love him for his past indifference to her, for treating her like a doormat, or for his ability to have countless affairs? Why would she love someone like that?

How could Kaley enter the entertainment industry with a new identity? It was because she had someone powerful behind her.

Izabella had already investigated and discovered the person backing Kaley-Nolan Navarro, an unknown hoodlum in the past. But when Heckter Dees was taken down by Brett, he took the leadership of the underground gambling scene.

After dealing with Kaley's issue, Izabella had been keeping a close eye on the underground gambling scene. Strangely, there had been no news from there for several months.

Since Brett still held significant influence in the city, it was likely that he had control over the gambling scene.

Meanwhile, Vivian's words at the promotion event went viral, shifting the focus to Izabella's potential collaboration with a luxury brand.

The number of luxury brands looking for endorsements in the country was quite limited.

Among these, the top-tier luxury brands were even scarcer. Finding a luxury brand willing to collaborate with Downstar for celebrity endorsements was a challenging task.

After eliminating several possibilities, Universal Fashion was the only one left.

If Izabella wanted to sign a deal with them, her status in the entertainment industry would be unshakable.

With her exceptional beauty, excellent acting skills, strong track record at the box office magnet, and commercial appeal, she would easily outperform her peers across the entire entertainment industry. Her career would be akin to playing on an easy mode, making her virtually unbeatable. A year ago, Izabella was heavily criticized online for her choice of outfits and overall style. However, in just a year, starting from June of last year, she completely transformed her life. Anyone who dared to belittle or insult her ended up with their words thrown right back at them. No one dared to mock her now.

Izabella's fans had indeed come across the information that she had been approached by Universal Fashion. The collaboration was almost confirmed, and everyone was eagerly waiting for the official announcement.

Izabella's fans were accustomed to the spotlight, always maintaining their composure and remained unfazed. They brushed off rumors and patiently waiting for official announcements.

However, unexpectedly, a group of accounts posing as "Izabella's dedicated fans" appeared and began spreading rumors online, claiming that Izabella had landed an endorsement deal with Universal Fashion. Disguised as praise for Izabella, they subtly disparaged other artists, with the intention of tarnishing Izabella's reputation.

Female artists who shared the same level of popularity as Izabella were all secretly competing for resources and status. Initially, they were on equal footing, but then Izabella emerged and disrupted the balance.

If Izabella were to become the ambassador for Universal Fashion, it would be unfavorable for them. So, they decided to incite their fans to tarnish Izabella's reputation.

Izabella was aware of all of there, but she didn't take any action. She simply instructed her assistant to uncover the initial few accounts masquerading as her fans instead. Soon, Izabella joined the Blood Ties cast for promotional event in R City.

The scene at the event was massive, with crowds of people. Though it was just a small promotional event, the number of journalists could rival a press conference.

This overwhelming presence was due to Izabella's presence that day.

There was a lot of news about Izabella online. She became a trending topic even before arriving at the event,

[I heard Izabella's going to be here today, I'm waiting for the live stream.]

[Look at the crowd and the number of onlookers. Izabella is undeniably the queen of the entertainment industry now.]

[Congratulations to Izabella for landing the Universal Fashion endorsement. Her future looks promising.]

[Izabella is indeed beautiful, but her style is somewhat tacky.]

[There are many who are as pretty as Izabella but lack her acting skills. There are those who are as talented as her but lack her beauty. And those who have both, lack her fortune. In the entertainment industry of the past three decades, no one has risen to fame as quickly as Izabella.]

The live stream comments were abuzz with discussions centered on Izabella. Suddenly, the camera shifted to a car pulling up.

The gloomy sky brightened as if on cue. The sun pierced through the clouds, casting a warm glow over the scene.

The car door opened slowly, unveiling a pair of slender legs adorned with high heels. As Izabella stepped out of the car gracefully, her stunning beauty left everyone breathless.

As her name was called, she turned her head, capturing everyone's attention with her beauty.

The journalist streaming the event was momentarily lost for words, taken aback by the mesmerizing sight.

Izabella wore a charming smile, snapping everyone out of their daze.

For a long time, Izabella had stayed out of the public eye. Unlike other celebrities who constantly shared their daily lives with friends, Izabella preferred to keep her private life private. She didn't feel the need to address or explain the various rumors circulating about her and kept her

Her Twitter page contained work-related updates, with no glimpses into her personal life.

Dressed in a crisp white suit, Izabella

looked more like a powerful CEO

than a celebrity. For a promotional

event like this, wearing a gown would be seem overly formal white casual outfits would be too laid-back, especially with all the cameras around. Izabella's choice of outfit was perfect, making her stand out in the crowd. Her appearance was so breathtaking that it left people gasping for air.

Upon spotting the director, Izabella went over to greet him. She had a good relationship with everyone on the crew, and there were no conflicts of interest since the companies involved were not rivals. Moreover, even if there were conflicts of interest, they would be kept under wraps as the show was about to air. Fake friendships were common in this industry.

Izabella glanced around and asked, "Why haven't I seen Vivian?"

Garen, who had a good relationship. with Izabella explained, "What have you been busy with lately? Haven't you kept up with the online news? During the last promotion in Wye, you weren't present, and Vivian was openly and subtly targeting you. Mr. York got upset and kicked her out of the promotional tour."

"Well."

Garen, out of curiosity, asked, "Is it true that you're collaborating with Universal Fashion?"

Izabella shot him a glance, "Who told you that?"

"Isn't it all over the internet? There are detailed reports, including specific timeframes, saying that Universal Fashion approached you and hoped you would be their brand ambassador." "They did approach me."

"Wealth and rank should not be forgotten."

"But I declined."

Garen looked at her in disbelief, "Why did you reject an offer from Universal Fashion? They're a top-tier luxury brand. If you had collaborated with them, you would have easily established yourself international."

Actually, she didn't need anyone's help to establish herself international."Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

"I declined for a reason."

"What's the reason?" Garen was eager to know.

"You'll find out soon."

Izabella followed the crew backstage, waiting for the cue to go back on stage. She wasn't adept at dealing with fans. The noise from

the crowd gave her a headach met

Izabella preferred tranquility. She answered the host's questions one by one while unconsciously checking her wristwatch for the time.

It was almost time.

The live stream comments were displayed on the large screen on stage.

During the press conference, question revolved around the TV series, and actors and actress shared amusing anecdotes from the set.

Despite her role as the second female lead, this was Izabella's first live promotional event, and it turned into her spotlight. The host and the crew constantly directed the conversation towards her, and journalists posed questions exclusively focused on her.

Many questions were unrelated to the TV series and delved into her personal life. For example, they tried to ask about her relationship with Casey, and her association with the Maple Group. Journalists tried to dig up juicy details, but Izabella effortlessly deflected their attempts.

It wasn't until a journalist in the corner suddenly asked, "Ms. Salotti, is it true that Universal Fashion has approached you for an endorsement deal?"

"It's false. Next question."

The tenacious journalist pressed on, persistently querying, "Is the news fake, or did they simply reject you at first sight?"