Chapter 233 Blue Bay Apartments, Thirty-Second Floor?
Chapter 233 Blue Bay Apartments, Thirty-Second Floor?
As Jessica returned to Blue Bay Apartments, it was already past 2 AM.
Exhausted, she groggily got out of the car, swiped her elevator card after entering the elevator, and randomly pressed the highest number. With one hand holding her suitcase and the other her phone, she leaned against the elevator wall, waiting for it to stop.
When the elevator finally stopped, she stepped out, but her feet suddenly paused. Looking around, she noticed the hallway looked very similar to the one on the thirty-first floor, but the windowsill on the thirty-first floor had several beautiful flower pots placed by Caroline. This floor, however, had none, and the entire corridor had a cold, minimalist style.
She suddenly looked up. It was Thirty-second floor.
That was not right.
Wasn't her elevator card only supposed to work for the thirty-first floor? In such a well-secured apartment, the card shouldn't work for any other floor. It shouldn't have let her access the thirty-second floor.
But she actually stopped at the 32nd floor.
Jessica, puzzled, turned back into the elevator, swiped her card again, and pressed the button for the thirty-first floor. It lit up. She thought for a moment and then pressed the button for the thirty-second floor. It lit up, too.
Could there be anything wrong with the card?
Too tired to think it through, she felt a realization forming in her mind but was too exhausted to grasp it. She frowned and returned to the thirty-first floor, dragging her suitcase straight into her apartment.
She glanced at the password lock on the door but didn't bother to change the password, wanting only to get inside and sleep.
After returning to Xyleria, she barely had any time to rest before rushing off to film early in the morning.
Since that night in Sunshine Bay City, Jessica hadn't asked Gabriel about the follow-up, and Wayne hadn't said much either. However, she could clearly feel that the entire crew seemed to be under strict supervision. Investors frequently came to inspect, keeping everyone on edge every day.
Donna hadn't been on set for the past few days, reportedly due to a sick leave. As one of the two female leads, Jessica naturally had more scenes to shoot recently, rushing from one location to another for several consecutive days.
Xyleria had been forecasting the first snow for several days, but even though it was almost the end of the year, the snow had yet to fall.
It was particularly cold. Winters in Xyleria were very cold, but the longer the snow held off, the colder it got.
The pre-release phase of the fantasy drama "Charles II" had already begun. Perhaps because the character and storyline of the second female lead, Katrina, were more captivating, or maybe due to Jessica's impressive action scenes , or simply because Jessica's recent popularity was indeed high, the promotional team frequently mentioned her. However, because Harriman Entertainment was backing the project and Nicholas was involved, even when using her to boost the show's popularity, they wouldn't resort to negative publicity. Instead, they extended her reach through her impressive action scenes.
Deborah's fans were unhappy and complained on the show's official social media, saying that the focus was misplaced, withtoo few mentions of the first female lead, Deborah, an excessive number of references to the second female lead.
In response, the next day, "Charles II" released several clips featuring the first female lead. Whether it was romantic scenes or action scenes, the response was lukewarm. No matter how hard the fans tried to boost the posts and control the comments, the lack of interest was evident. Eventually, Deborah's fans stopped complaining and instead quietly spread rumors, claiming that Jessica, the second female lead, had more scenes because she had connections. Various rumors targeted her, but since the show hadn't officially aired yet and Jessica's scenes were indeed captivating, no one paid attention to the fans' online rants.
Another day with a forecast of the first snow, but still no snow in sight. Jessica sat in the car, wrapped in a thick coat, waiting.
Waiting for what?
A business banquet was being held at the Celestial Haven Hotel in Xyleria City, attended by the elite of business circle from Xyleria. Gabriel was still in Sunshine Bay City and hadn't returned. Even if he did, it was uncertain whether he would attend such a banquet.
Jessica, of course, wasn't there to attend the banquet. The production team had somehow contacted the banquet organizer and, to save costs, planned to use the venue right after the banquet ended to shoot a few banquet scenes.
Coincidentally, these scenes involved Jessica, so she followed the arrangement and waited.
It was past 9 PM, and she was in the car, putting on makeup while wrapped in her coat. Although the production team had arranged a trailer for her after returning to Xyleria, it wasn't very warm in this weather.
Despite the cold, her period hadn't ended yet. Zoey had brought her several heating pads to stick on her body, but her stomach still felt uncomfortable.
It was unclear when the banquet would end, but it was expected to be around 10:30 PM.
Due to her period, Jessica's face was a bit paler than usual. The makeup artist applied some blush to make her look healthier.
It wasn't until nearly 11 PM thatthe elite guests and socialites at the Celestial Haven Hotel finally began to leave. Luxury cars crisscrossed the parking lot and underground garage in front of the hotel.
Virgil called to say that the venue was almost empty. The crew would quickly tidy up and set up some appropriate props, and they could start filming soon. He told Jessica to go inside and get ready.
Underneath her coat, Jessica was wearing a cool women's suit for the banquet scene in the drama. Her character in this drama was more professional and mature than Donna's. She preferred to wear wearing business attire or women's suits, even at banquets.
After entering, Zoey helped her take off her coat. Jessica observed the venue and then took her script to find Alan.
Alan was still talking with the banquet venue's organizer. As she approached, she heard the organizer say, "No need to thank me. Virgil and I go way back. It's just for filming a scene. Just let the hotel cleaning staff know, give their manager a small gift, and it's all set. The venue is right here, so it's not much trouble. Oh, by the way, tonight's banquet was hosted by Sunroy Group. Mr. Jenner happened to be upstairs for some business and is about to come down. If you want to meet him, you can do so."
Alan's eyes lit up. "Great, I'll say hello to Mr. Jenner."
Jessica had just walked over and heard the conversation, causing her to pause.
Instinctively, she turned to leave, but then she heard the organizer laugh. "What a coincidence! Mr. Jenner jis here! Mr. Jenner, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Jordan from Fusion Media. They're here to film a scene and are borrowing our banquet venue. Mr. Newman has already informed you, right?"
The middle-aged man, about fifty years old, well-maintained, dressed formally, and with a somewhat stern and serious look, emerged from the elevator surrounded by people. Upon hearing this, he glanced in Alan's direction and suddenly noticed Jessica, who was turning to leave. His brows immediately furrowed in displeasure.
