Bab 22: Chapter 22: The Professional
Kylie sensed his sharp look on the back of her neck and immediately craved a smoke to unwind. But when she was shuffling through her bag for a lighter, she remembered Ethan's warning.
She stayed still for a moment, then put the cigarette away. It was terrible; tonight was the first time she badly wanted a cigarette.
The sky was dark, and the mountain wind blew coldly against her face. She sensed that a storm was coming soon.
The footsteps were fast approaching. Kylie took a deep breath, then turned around with an official smile. "Been a while, President Laurence."
Laurence Finch gazed at her with cold eyes, looking with hate at her outfit. Kylie burst into laughter. "President Laurence, you look at me in such a way that could easily cause misunderstanding."
He was the big boss of Garcia Entertainment, while she was a mere newcomer. It was pretty easy for a cheap reporter to come up with a story.
"Bastard, are you qualified to say that?" Laurence's voice suddenly turned chilly. Kylie shrugged. "If I'm not qualified, then who is?"
Laurence raised his hand, but, recalling Kylie's struggle from the last time, he reluctantly put it down. A look of disgust flashed in his eyes. "Quit this role! You've shamed us!"
Kylie's smile disappeared. "I've shamed you? First, I didn't just pretend to be a bargirl; second, I didn't buy this role with money; and third, I didn't sell my body. What have I done that is so shameful?"
"Khloe accomplished something, and you merely tagged along. Look at yourself in the mirror. Do you really think you can compare it with Khloe? You're just a bum on the streets, dreaming of getting into entertainment, but you're nobody!"
Kylie's eyes were changed by the time Laurence finished speaking. She was just a bum, but he'd been the one who'd forced her into that lifestyle! She couldn't compare with Khloe, because she was his first daughter, from an unloving marriage, while Khloe was his baby and the apple of his eye.
"What if I don't?" Kylie looked at Laurence with indifference.
"If you quit the role, as I've asked," Laurence continued, "I'll let it all go. Or...I'll throw Emily Garcia's ashes into the river, even if that means abandoning my shares! Then, you'll have nothing to do with the Finch family."
"Huh, do I have anything to do with the Finch family right now? Don't forget the reason you're in charge of Garcia Entertainment!" Kylie was angry.
"You bastard!" Laurence's lips were shaking with anger. This was the last thing he wanted to hear, so of course, Kylie would bring it up.
At that time, Khloe came looking for her father. "Dad, you're talking with my older sister!"
Laurence's face immediately calmed down when he saw Khloe. But his voice was still cold: "I've told you not to call her 'sister' in public!"
Laurence's phone began to ring, but he didn't respond. He turned to Kylie again. "This is not up to you! I'll talk with the people at Tea House in person. You can go now." His meaning was quite clear: he would never allow Kylie to take the role.
Kylie was still content in her heart but appeared worried. "What? But the opening ceremony had already happened...And, I've read the script and think it's excellent."
"No matter how excellent the script is, it'll be ruined in her hand!" Laurence spoke, addressing Khloe. "Look at her being a loser; how can she play such a positive role?"
"But dad, Kylie really cares about the movie..."
"She cares about your fiancé too. Are you going to let her have him?" Laurence blurted out, though he immediately felt that he had spoken inappropriately.
He continued by addressing Kylie: "If it's not yours, you'll never own anything by trying to snatch it!"
"Dad, Kylie, would be heartbroken if you ended her career in this way!" Khloe wore a sad face.
"She? Does she even still have a heart? I bet it's made of stone!" Laurence threw Kylie a fierce look while beginning to walk away. He turned to Khloe: "I would rather have a hundred daughters like you, than one like her!" Then, he turned around and left, without glancing back at Kylie.
Making sure there was nobody else in the hallway, Khloe's expression suddenly switched from sympathetic to sneering. "Kylie Finch, you couldn't be the lead actress, and that's not my fault. I was going to wish you the best, but..."
Kylie couldn't help but laugh, but her smile was full of sadness.
The dignity she had tried so hard to win was now unexpectedly crushed into dust, and the one who had killed her spirit was her biological father.
She had prepared so long for this, but it had all been in vain!
The latter part of the meal was torture, but it only got worse near the end, when she noticed a particular man—Aiden Parker!
He strode into the room, a windbreaker slung over his arm, worriedly glancing about the room. Someone instantly went into the private room to get Khloe, while everyone else in the room admiringly surrounded Aiden.
"Master Parker Jr., are you here to see Khloe, The Professional?" The assistant respectfully referred to Khloe as "The Professional."
"Khloe The Professional was showing us the diamond ring earlier today. Is her fiancé truly you?"
Kylie was a little drunk. Her hazy eyes fell in the handsome man who was walking towards Khloe with all the happiness on his face. Back then, this man who was held in everyone's high esteem had been her boyfriend...
Now, he was her younger sister's fiancé!
"Aiden, honey! Why are you here? Haven't I already told you that the conditions in the mountains are really bad? You're not used to it." Khloe happily walked up to Aiden and gently held his hands.
"It's precise because of these bad conditions that I've come to you." Aiden Parker handed Khloe the windbreaker. "There's a crazy wind out there, and soon there'll be heavy rain as well. You didn't bring anything, and I don't want you to catch a cold."
Khloe wore a shy expression. "Everyone else can handle it, and so could I. Don't take me as a spoiled girl." Kylie leaned against a wooden handrail, feeling that the bad day wasn't over yet.
That night, Kylie had witnessed Khloe showing off in a thousand ways her superior life, including everything she had publicly snatched from Kylie.
Khloe and Aiden continued to be mushy-gushy, until Khloe held him close, and said: "Dad and his two friends are in the private room. Do you want to come, say hi?"
"I've already called him; he knows I'm coming," replied Aiden. He embraced Khloe and walked towards the private room. "I should propose a toast, to be polite."
As the two walked down the hallway, Khloe pretended to notice Kylie for the first time. "Oh, my dear sister, what are you doing here? Are you drunk, and out for some fresh air?"
She knew how to pretend, but so did Kylie! The latter simply pretended not to hear a word. That's when Aiden noticed the woman leaning against the handrail. The moment he saw Kylie, his eyes fell.
Kylie Finch...Why was she here! He had never seen such a gorgeous version of her, with her charming curves and elegant posture. Her nearly clear face was even more glorious than all those faces wearing lots of makeup. The cheongsam, with its blue-and-white porcelain pattern, accentuated Kylie's smooth and shiny skin tone. Aiden's heart was unexpectedly touched.
Noticing that Aiden was a little distracted, Khloe's eyes became dark. She pulled and shook at his arm. "Aiden, honey, let's go inside."
Aiden regained control and nodded in embarrassment. But his face became more unpleasant the second he walked into the private room.
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