Chapter 246 Driving Away the Rival in Love
Zack wasn't into celebs, but his fiancée was a starstruck.
He got wind of this up-and-coming star through his fiancée. This chick had blown up over the last six months by playing the sweet and innocent card.
But man, the scene in front of him was straight-up nasty.
Mia was so freaked out by Nathaniel's angry yell that she froze. She stood there barefoot, her toes curling on the floor.
Zack grabbed the tie Nathaniel had ripped off and followed him out. As soon as they got out of the elevator, Nathaniel's stomach did a flip, and he puked up his whole dinner.
Nathaniel didn't even need to drink with them; they were just trying to kiss up to him. However, he was feeling down after Aurelia gave him the cold shoulder. Thinking about her icy attitude and then seeing her all chummy with Caleb made him feel so sad, so he downed a few more drinks.
Zack dashed to the car to grab a bottle of water. They stood outside for a bit to get some air. Once Nathaniel felt better, they headed back to the car.
Zack plopped into the driver's seat and felt like something was off. He patted his pocket and realized his phone was missing.
He said, "Mr. Heilbronn, I left my phone upstairs."
Nathaniel leaned back, pretending to nap. Zack quickly hopped out and ran back to the hotel.
On the top floor, the door to the presidential suite was off latch.. Inside, there were some heavy breathing sounds.
Zack double-checked to make sure it was the right room. Nathaniel was waiting downstairs, so he couldn't waste time and gently pushed the door open.
His phone was near the sofa where Nathaniel had been sitting. He braced himself and walked in.
The passion atmosphere in the room made his face flush and ears burn.
He could hear a woman panting heavily, "You promised you wouldn't screw me over. Don't forget what you said," the woman said.
"Focus. When have I ever gone back on my word? If this deal with Mr. Heilbronn goes through, you'll get the brand endorsement too," a guy's voice replied.
"Your deal won't flop, right? Mr. Heilbronn didn't look too happy when he saw me earlier."
With that, the woman let out a muffled moan, "Be gentle."
"Haven't I told you not to mention other guys when you're with me? How dare you?" The guy said, sounding ticked off.
The woman's cries blended with breathless gasps, her voice laced with yearning.
Zack felt so awkward his scalp tingled. He grabbed his phone and bolted.
On the way to the parking lot, he wondered if he should tell Nathaniel about this. He could tell the guy in the room was Casimir.
Casimir's plan didn't pan out, but he didn't waste it; he ended up hooking up with her himself.
Back in the car, Zack spilled what he had just heard to Nathaniel, "Mr. Heilbronn, Mr. Novak was in the room just now, and that actress Mia was there too. The two of them..."
Nathaniel got the gist and said, "Next time Casimir comes to sign the contract, make him wait."
Zack buckled his seatbelt slowly, asking, "Mr. Heilbronn, should we look for another brand to team up with?"
Nathaniel felt much clearer now, and his stomach felt better after puking.
He said, "No need to switch."
He had his own plans. Among the top brands in Coral Bay, he had done market research two years ago, and the best option for maximizing benefits was still Golden Horizon Bullion Group.
Zack gently pressed the gas pedal and drove out of the parking lot. On the way, he couldn't help but mention to Nathaniel, "Mr. Heilbronn, that woman is a rising star from Sinclair Media with a ton of fans. Recently, an idol drama she starred in has been blowing up online, and only seven or eight episodes have aired. It is rumored that Young Mr. Sinclair has invested billions into this production, sparing no expense. The success or failure of Sinclair Media’s performance for the first half of the year hinges entirely on this drama."
Nathaniel didn't really care about the entertainment biz, but the mention of Sinclair Media got his attention. 'Wasn't she the rising star Caleb had supported?' he thought.
Nathaniel snapped back to reality. Time to give Caleb something to keep him busy, so he wouldn't keep running off to Anne Studio.
He instructed, "Get a few media outlets to stake out the Blue Palace Hotel. They can't leave until they get a shot."
Zack chuckled darkly and reminded, "Mr. Heilbronn, the suite door wasn't closed."
Nathaniel said, "Hint that to the entertainment reporters; they'll know what to do."
Zack knew those entertainment reporters were like sharks. If they knew the door was open, they'd certainly rush in with cameras to capture compromising photos of Casimir and Mia.
If Mia's scandal broke out, the drama currently airing would be toast. At best, they'd replace the lead actress; at worst, the show would get pulled.
The billions Sinclair Group invested would go down the drain. Even with top-notch PR, a drama's lead actress getting caught in a scandal wouldn't sit well with fans.
Caleb might not be short on cash, but this would be a major screw-up, and David would definitely call him back for a scolding.
Zack couldn't help but think Nathaniel's move was both genius and ruthless, likely sending his rival in love back to Imperick with his tail between his legs.
After dropping Nathaniel off, Zack pulled out his backup phone, a number no one knew.
He called an entertainment reporter he was tight with.
Nathaniel slept like a baby that night.
The next morning, he checked the news on his phone.
As expected, Mia was blowing up on INS with a scandal.
[Actress Mia Spotted on Date with Sugar Daddy at Hotel]
[Hit Drama 'Give You Deep Affectionate Translation' Slammed to a Halt, Lead Actress Scandal Breaks]
[Scandalous Hotel Bed Photos of Rising Star and Top Executive Emerge]
Nathaniel just skimmed the headlines.
Meanwhile, Caleb got woken up by his assistant in the middle of the night and urgently assembled a PR team to handle the scandal.
The entertainment reporters were quick, posting the photos online as soon as they snapped them, even making backups.
Those explicit photos spread like wildfire overnight, and Mia's scandal exploded online. Her fans immediately unfollowed Mia and flooded the topic with harsh comments, calling for her to be banned.
The scandal gave Caleb a massive headache. The drama fans of "Give You Deep Affectionate Translation" were also furious. The show's rating tanked overnight, and the official website was filled with curses.
Helpless, he had to halt the drama.
Caleb called an emergency meeting with his team. Given the undeniable evidence of Mia's scandal, he decided the only way to minimize the damage was to replace her as the lead actress, necessitating a complete reshoot of her scenes.
The news quickly reached Imperick.
After dealing with the immediate mess, Caleb got a series of urgent calls from David.
"Get your ass back here!" David barked through the phone.
Caleb was torn. Since taking over The Sinclair Group, he hadn't made such a big blunder. It was partly due to his team's poor judgment in promoting the wrong person.
A scandal involving their artist was rare for a media company.
He tentatively asked, "Dad, I'll come back to see you and Mom after I finish handling things here."
David replied, "Cut the crap. Are you coming back yourself, or do I have to come and get you?"
Upon hearing that, Caleb caved, "Dad, I'll fly back tomorrow. But I can only stay for a day."
In the Semona Mansion, Joe gathered the family for a meeting to discuss bringing Brenda's ashes back to Imperick.
It was a big matter, and three days later was the appropriate time.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
