Chapter 159 Sensing the Presence of Danielle
The conversation among the studio's few junior employees about the dance in that movie from years ago seemed endless.
Jessica sat there listening to them chat, and the topic eventually shifted to the gossip about Trinity that circulated in the entertainment industry the year Trinity rose to fame.
There was a female star who always disapproved of Trinity. She somehow dug up some obscure information, claiming that Keegan was just the entertainment company boss behind Trinity and they were not in a romantic relationship. Keegan had someone else in his heart back then. Later, Trinity somehow rose to fame, becoming the most popular star of the Four Seas Entertainment and even Keegan's fiancée.
Initially, this obscure information didn't have any evidence, so it faded away after a few days. Now, hardly anyone remembers that rumor.
"You know, despite Trinity's bad character, she's really beautiful, has an amazing background, and is an award-winning actress. If that rumor from back then was true, the person Keegan truly loves might be a real beauty, right?"
Jessica quietly closed the script, suddenly feeling the need to get some fresh air.
Just then, the studio receptionist came in and said, "Jessica, someone is looking for you."
Jessica received Cynthia’s call before arriving at the studio today. Cynthia, who rarely took a day off, planned to visit Jessica's place to see Danielle. They had arranged a time, and Cynthia came to the studio in the afternoon to meet Jessica.
Jessica got up and went outside, where she saw the short-haired beauty, Cynthia, standing in the studio's reception area. Cynthia's bright and sharp eyes immediately locked onto Jessica as Jessica walked out.
"Isn't that Jackal Young?" Mackenzie's voice followed Jessica as she stepped out.
Cynthia caught sight of Mackenzie following Jessica and gave her a cold look as if she didn't recognize Mackenzie at all.
Mackenzie didn't seem to care about Cynthia's distant attitude and casually asked, "What brings you back to the country? Couldn't even the FBI keep you?"
"Mackenzie." Jessica quickly stepped in between Mackenzie and Cynthia, giving Mackenzie a look to tone down her remarks.
Mackenzie chuckled, waved her hand, said no more, and turned back into the office.
Zoey, who was listening from behind, asked softly next to Mackenzie, "Jessica mentioned her before. That's Ms. Young. Why do you call her Jackal Young?"
Mackenzie rolled her eyes at the office ceiling. "Apart from looking like a woman, what else about her is feminine? She's fierce as a tiger. Back in Country M, when I just signed Jessica, there was a misunderstanding that almost got me killed by this woman. If Jessica hadn't arrived in time, I wouldn't be here today."
Zoey, looking puzzled, said, "That's impressive."
"Does Danielle still love chocolate as she used to?"
At the supermarket near Blue Bay Apartments, Cynthia watched Jessica put a box of dark chocolate into the shopping cart.
"Yes, I used to buy her Swiss dark chocolate, which is hard to find in the country. Many older ladies here criticize me for giving chocolate to my child, saying I'm an unreliable mother. But what I give Danielle is dark chocolate, which is not harmful to health, with low sugar and fat content," Jessica said as she pushed the cart, preparing to buy some groceries for the evening.
Cynthia smiled faintly. "Parenting methods differ greatly between countries. I'm not very familiar with this."
Cynthia picked up a box of yogurt from the nearby shelf, remembering that Danielle also liked it. After checking the expiration date, she walked over to Jessica's side, inspected the items in the cart, and placed the yogurt inside. "Danielle is almost four and a half now. When you left M country, she was just under three years old."
Jessica couldn't help but laugh. "She's still a child now. How tall do you think a four-year-old can be?"
Suddenly, Jessica's phone rang in her pocket. It was Caroline calling. Caroline sounded anxious and deliberately lowered her voice, "Miss Jessica, I went to Danielle's previous kindergarten today to pick up the little blanket and the drawings she left behind. When I took a taxi back to Blue Bay Apartments, I didn't notice anyone following me. I was about to pick up Danielle after school, but I realized there was a car trailing me, and the person in the car had a camera."
Jessica's eyes widened, and she immediately looked toward Cynthia, who was standing close by and overheard the conversation.
Caroline had just returned yesterday, and Mackenzie had called her immediately, warning her to be cautious because Jessica was no longer as low-key as before and could be followed at any time.
Unexpectedly, they arrived so quickly.
"Where are you now?" Jessica asked.
"I'm near Danielle's current kindergarten. I was planning to pick her up at the entrance, but someone was following me. I'm wandering around nearby. School ends in five minutes. What should I do?"
Danielle's features closely resembled Jessica's. If the media captured them and exposed them online, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"How far is this supermarket from the kindergarten?" Cynthia asked.
Jessica hung up and said, "Not too far, but not very close. It's a five-minute walk at most."
"Let's go," Cynthia said, pushing aside the obstructing shopping cart and heading out directly.
The roads around here were often congested, and walking was faster than driving.
As they approached the kindergarten, they indeed saw a silver-gray van parked under a tree. The person in the driver's seat got out, walked a bit away, and lit a cigarette, leaving the paparazzi with a camera following discreetly.
Cynthia glanced in that direction and said coldly, "If these two can trail us here, it means they have been aware of Danielle's presence for a while. They just haven't obtained any evidence or exposed it publicly. Didn't Mackenzie arrange a bodyguard for you? How could you be followed so easily?"
"We had one during filming, but the bodyguard stopped following after we finished shooting," Jessica replied succinctly, her gaze also shifting in that direction.
Caroline didn't dare approach the kindergarten gate, but Danielle would soon be coming out, and she could be photographed at any moment. In the last ten minutes before school ended, most teachers were busy helping the children get dressed, and they didn't have time to answer calls.
"I and Caroline will go pick up Danielle. It's not convenient for you to be around the child," Cynthia said, taking out a small extendable baton from her pocket and handing it to Jessica. She whispered, "Be flexible and cautious."
Indeed, Cynthia understood her best!
Jessica took the baton, nodded, and walked over expressionlessly. As Cynthia had already passed by the car heading towards the kindergarten gate, Jessica turned to the paparazzi by the van, weighed the baton in her hand, and walked over expressionlessly.
