Chapter 224 The Shrewdness in Jessica's Eyes
Chapter 224 The Shrewdness in Jessica's Eyes
Jessica was getting ready to remove her makeup on set when Virgil suddenly approached her with a mysterious look. He placed a hand on her shoulder and asked warmly, "Do you have time tonight?"
If it weren't for the fact that Jessica knew that Virgil had a same-sex partner with whom he had been happily living for years, she might have thought Virgil had some other intentions. After all, his expression was quite puzzling.
"I still have two days of scenes to shoot in Sunshine Bay City, so of course, I'll be going back to the hotel to read the script tonight," Jessica said, noticing that there was no one else in the makeup room except her two makeup artists. She didn't know when the others had left.
The makeup artists were busy organizing the clothes she had worn today and were tactfully not eavesdropping.
"How about going out for dinner tonight?"
"Dinner with me?"
"I advise you not to refuse. It's a good thing, an absolutely good thing, something others would fight tooth and nail for," Virgil said, squeezing her shoulder in a flattering manner.
Jessica sensed something was off and decisively refused, "No matter what good thing it is, I'm still injured. Besides filming, I can only rest in my room. I won't participate in any other activities. The director knows about my special situation, right?"
"It's not about the director. I arranged a gathering with the leaders from Xyleria. You have to attend."
"Leaders from Xyleria? I have nothing to do with them. Why should I go?"
"Isn't Mr. Harriman there? With Mr. Harriman there, wouldn't you want to ?"
She looked at Virgil skeptically. "Who else?"
"Just the people you met at the resort last time, Mr. Brooks and the others, and Mr. Harriman. Don't worry, no one will dare to mess with you with Mr. Harriman there."
What did he mean by no one would dare to mess with her with Gabriel around?
In broad daylight, with so many people having dinner together, and in a big city like Xyleria and Sunshine Bay City, who would dare to mess with her?
However, if it was for Gabriel's sake, she couldn't just refuse. But such an occasion was probably not Gabriel's idea.
If she refused outright, there wouldn't be any benefits either.
Seeing Jessica remained silent, Virgil was about to persuade her further when Jessica suddenly glanced out the makeup room window.
Because the RV they used for resting was so small and cramped that it would be comfortable to sit inside for long. But due to the weather, it was cold outside. Zoey and Mackenzie were standing outside holding hand warmers, shuffling their feet to keep warm. After a few minutes, they went back inside to warm up.
Jessica said, "Do you remember the treatment we discussed when I joined the crew?"
Virgil followed her gaze outside and immediately understood. "Of course, I remember. Once we get back to Xyleria, we'll definitely sort out the RV issue. In such cold weather, we can't treat you poorly."
"Can we have a driver from our studio when we get back Xyleria?"
"Hmm... alright."
"I don't want to be involved in any scandals during the show's promotion, and I don't want to be tied to Donna, who has a lot of fans."
Virgil raised an eyebrow, looking at the shrewdness in Jessica's eyes, and sighed. "You..."
Jessica lazily tilted her head to one side, curling her lips slightly.
There had already had so many issues in this troublesome crew. It was better to set the rules early and make things clear. Pretending to be weak would only lead to being bullied. It was better to state her stance directly.
"Alright, during the promotion period, we'll focus solely on your acting skills. No gossip, no relationship rumors, no tying you to a 'dual female lead friendship.' Is that okay?" With that, Virgil couldn't help but add, "You and Donna don't really have a friendship anyway. It's already good enough that you two aren't fighting."
Jessica chuckled. "What time tonight, and where are we eating?"
At 7:30 PM, Jessica left the Urban Oasis Hotel and headed to Azure Wave in downtown Sunshine Bay City.
Azure Wave was a well-known restaurant in Sunshine Bay City. Although it was called a restaurant, it was actually a large, upscale banquet-style dining establishment in the tourist area.
She was riding in Virgil's car, listening to him ramble on about how the investors of the show had been giving him a hard time lately. The production team was eager to finish filming quickly to avoid further torment from the investors.
Jessica had a bottle of pepper spray in her bag. Although she didn't think she would need it tonight, she had gotten into the habit of carrying it with her since the incident a few days ago.
Cynthia had onlygiven her two bottles. Before heading out tonight, Jessica specifically asked Cynthia for more to keep as backups.
Jessica hadn't told Cynthia about the incident in Sunshine Bay City, but Cynthia, being overly perceptive, had asked what happened. After Jessica briefly explained the situation, Cynthia sent back an 'OK' emoji and mentioned that she would find a way to get her a small stun gun to carry around.
The car stopped in front of Azure Wave, and Jessica followed Virgil inside.
She had thought tonight's dinner would be a gathering of men, and she was only attending out of respect for Gabriel. But as she entered Azure Wave, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure around the corner.
Donna?
Was shehere too?
"Is Donna here, too?" Jessica asked.
Virgil was taken aback. "I didn't invite her. What's going on?"
Jessica glanced at Virgil, who genuinely seemed unaware of Donna's presence, and said nothing more. She continued walking inside but grew a bit suspicious.
Donna hadn't seen Jessica; Jessica had just walked past the corridor in casual black attire, which didn't seem like she was attending a formal dinner.
When Jessica and Virgil entered the banquet hall, the leaders from Xyleria she had met before were all there. They were surprisingly polite to her. Percy was busy ordering drinks and food, but Jessica didn't feel flattered. She sensed that these people had ulterior motives. Although they wouldn't harm her, they definitely had an agenda.
Despite everyone saying Gabriel would arrive soon, Jessica had been sitting there for over half an hour without any sign of Gabriel or Wayne.
When Percy came over with another bottle of wine, offering to pour her a drink, Jessica excused herself to go to the restroom. She left the banquet hall. Upon reaching the restroom door, she suddenly paused,. Her heightened sense of caution led her to head to the restroom on the second floor instead.
Inside a stall, she sat on the toilet lid, carefully thinking about the evening's events. It felt like a seemingly peaceful dinner was actually a setup filled with hidden agendas, not targeting her but Gabriel.
Jessica sent Gabriel a message on WhatsApp.
Jessica: [Are you at Azure Wave?]
She waited for over ten minutes , but there was no reply.
