David’s expression darkened, looking at the ended call. The anger in his eyes was unmistakable. When Claire saw his expression, she knew the matter was settled. She walked to David with a smile and asked, “Since you’ve made the call, are there any further questions? If not, I’ll take him away.” Claire turned to leave. She did not want to see this disgusting man even for another minute.“Miss Weiss, wait!” David stopped her just after she had taken two steps.She looked back, unsure what tricks David had up his sleeves. David was agitated, but he forced himself to speak calmly. “Miss Weiss, I know you want Thomas because he’s talented. However, he’s been under my care for a long time. I’m reluctant to let him go. Why don’t we do it another way? I’ll give you the other celebrity under my name, and Thomas will stay with me. What do you think?”Seeing that Claire was unmoved, David anxiously said, “I can even give you Louie Zimmerman!”Claire raised her brow and looked at David in
Claire had a good feeling about Thomas after learning the basics about him. He was a young man in the making—a diamond in the rough.Then, she asked about Thomas’ schedule and some work-related matters. Surprisingly, Thomas became angry when he talked about this. “I don’t have any schedules recently. David never let me take any jobs for the past few years.”Thinking of this, Thomas was even more furious at David. He wouldn’t have fallen into such a state if it wasn’t for him. Claire was stunned for a moment, and the shock turned into anger. She never expected Thomas’ career to hold up for so long. “How do you manage your living expense?” Claire couldn’t help but ask.Thomas released his fist and gritted his teeth as if trying to suppress his emotion. “I’ve been taking part-time jobs to stay afloat.”Claire frowned. “Why? Doesn’t the company provide a basic salary? These are written in the contract!”Instead of replying, Thomas’ expression darkened. Claire immediately understood.
Claire wiped away the cream on Ollie’s face. In the end, she did not scold him when she thought this was all because he lacked fatherly love. Ollie was disappointed, but he responded obediently and did not try to persuade his father any further.On the side, Patty felt pity for the kid and continued to persuade Javier instead. “Sir, it’s better for both parents to send their child to school. Otherwise, the child might be bullied at school.”Claire had the same idea as Patty. When they were staying abroad, Ollie was made fun of by other kids. He was obedient and acted like he didn’t care, but…how could a child really ignore that? However, she would never force Javier. “Okay, I’ll go with Claire tomorrow,” Javier said as she was about to dismiss Patty.It was beyond her expectations that he would agree. Ollie was overjoyed and slid down his chair. Then he went over to Javier and kissed him on the cheek.“Dad’s the best. Thank you, Dad. I’m so happy,” Ollie said happily. Javier
Claire couldn’t be bothered by these people and pulled Thomas away. “Ignore them. Let’s go.”Thomas was clueless about why Claire had called him over, but he did as she ordered and came to the studio. When he saw what was prepared inside, he looked at Claire in confusion.“Right, I forgot to tell you. Our goal today is to get you acquainted with the camera, and we’ll take some shots for publicity too. We’ll use your style in the ‘Traverse’ film.”Then, she gave him an encouraging smile. She believed that Thomas wouldn’t disappoint her even though it had been quite some time since he had done this.Thomas nodded but was still nervous because he hadn’t been in front of the camera in a long time. He wasn’t sure if he could pull it off. Claire sensed his anxiety and encouraged him. “Don’t be afraid to be yourself. I’ve always believed you’re the best. Go and get prepared, and we’ll start soon.”Claire spoke with the photographer first, fearing Thomas would be anxious. When she returne
“I’m not giving up on myself. Let’s keep going. I’ll try one last time,” Thomas said as a tear rolled down his cheek. Years of defeat and despair have devastated him. All the ridicule and skepticism he received could only be responded to with forbearance. He had sometimes forgotten how to fight, but now he was determined to seize this rare opportunity.Even though Claire’s expression gradually softened, it was still stern. “Whatever. If you’re going to act, do it right. If you can’t, you’re free to leave the studio!”She then motioned for the photographer to begin. Her fiery temper astounded everyone in the studio.“Come on, come on! Everyone in their proper places. Let’s all focus, alright?” The photographer ordered with an obsequious smile and winked at everyone to get in place.Once again, the shoot started. Thomas closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Then, he reenacted the lines that he once memorized to heart and performed the essence of the character.He either spoke w
Claire walked forward with a smile. She handed Thalia the gift she had prepared and greeted her gently. Slowly, they got to know each other. Though Thalia was young, her long-suffering had given her a sense of maturity.With a pleading gaze, Thalia asked, “Claire, since you’re Thomas’ agent, you will help him, right?”Claire nodded with a smile. “Of course, you don’t have to worry. That’s my job.”Thalia continued to look expectantly at Claire as if she were still worried. “Thank you, Claire. My brother will definitely work hard. He’s also the best brother in the whole wide world. I once overheard that he had to work five jobs a day to help cure my illness. Also, he works very diligently in the company. It’s just that he never had the opportunity...”Thalia was suddenly agitated, and her eyes were filled with tears as she sat up. She was about to kneel before Claire, so Thomas quickly stopped her. “Hey, don’t be so exaggerated. It’s not like I get to take five jobs every day. Plus,
Thomas nodded, and his expression changed. He was both shocked and moved at the same time. Even if he still had doubts and was wary of Claire, he would repay her generosity from now on—perhaps even for the rest of his life.He retracted his thoughts and smiled at Thalia. Then, he comforted her, “Okay, Thalia. You should rest now and don’t overthink. Just leave the rest to me.”Thalia nodded obediently and closed her eyes, but her mind replayed the doctor’s words. Thomas had difficulty falling asleep after his sister had. He finally pulled out an old script and thought back on what he had almost given up on. He vowed to get back on his feet, whether for Claire or himself. He must succeed!After paying the medical expenses, Claire was almost broke. The medical fee nearly depleted her savings. When she went abroad, it was not exaggerating to say she was penniless. She had saved up little by little abroad and planned to use it as Ollie’s college fund. But seeing Thalia today, she couldn
Javier wanted to wake her up. But, looking at her sleeping face, he couldn’t bring himself to wake her. Perhaps he didn’t want to disturb such a rare moment. Ignoring the tender feeling in his heart, he gingerly walked over and took Claire in his arms.Claire opened her eyes as he lifted her into his arms. When their gazes met, the room fell silent.“What are you doing? Let me go!” Claire struggled. Hearing that, Javier subconsciously let go, and Claire fell onto the carpet. She grimaced in pain, “It hurts!” She rubbed her back and grunted in pain. Then, she glared at Javier and snarled, “Javier Marquez, how could you drop me onto the ground?!”Now she was fully awake and was very upset. “You told me to let go. I just wanted to put you back in bed. Who knew you would be so ungrateful,” Javier snorted. He felt no pity looking at Claire getting up from the carpet. “Who asked you to bring me back to bed? I can sue you for conspiring against me in the middle of the night!” Clair