Chapter 498 Fingers Slowly Tighten
"Jessica! Jessica! Jessica!"
Accompanied by the excited shouts of fans in the audience, along with fans calling out the names of other contestants, there were screams and cheers.
It had been a while since Jessica last appeared in the trending topics on Instagram, but she was back at the top again. There were two trendings occupied the top: #JessicaSupportsFinals and #JessicaDancing.
Fans took countless photos, thrilled by Jessica's dance tonight, who was always composed and elegant in front of the camera.
After the performance, Jessica took the microphone from the host, said a few encouraging words, and then retreated backstage, unlike other guest performers who stayed on stage.
Marshall knew how tired she was today and didn't ask her to wait for the finals to end. He specifically instructed the crew to take good care of her and let her rest.
Backstage, Jessica sat in the dressing room. The makeup artists were busy touching up the contestants, and one was sent to help her remove her makeup. However, she told them to prioritize the contestants and found a quiet corner to slowly remove her makeup with a cleansing wipe.
As she wiped her face, she could hear the makeup artists occasionally glancing her way and exclaiming, "Jessica, you're amazing! No wonder you've studied dance for so many years. Even many professional singing and dancing idols can't perform as well as you. Who would have thought you only came to rehearse today!"
"Yeah, Jessica, have you ever thought about participating in more shows like this? Isn't there a celebrity dance competition on another television? Have you considered joining?"
"I never expected your acting to be so good and your dancing to be this great. These young guys have been rehearsing for almost half a month, but their performance wasn't as seamless as yours."
Amidst the endless praise, Jessica politely smiled in their direction and then continued to wipe her face in front of the mirror.
Lynn came in to find her. Seeing her removing makeup, she poured Jessica a cup of water, and placed it beside her. She crossed her arms, looked down at Jessica with a smile, and whispered, "Did you see the excitement just now? If you really don't want to be an actress anymore, you could transition to participating in more variety shows like this. Your three-minute performance tonight really boosted your popularity. Jessica, you're a natural for this industry. You always keep a low profile, locking yourself in your car to read scripts and hone your acting skills. I really don't want you to move behind the scenes."
"What's the difference between being in a drama crew and a variety show? Both have scripts; one requires acting skills, while the other requires considering my persona," Jessica said as she wiped off her lipstick, her eyes revealing no emotion.
Lynn noticed that Jessica had changed a lot in recent days. Although Jessica was usually low-key, facing both praise and criticism calmly, she had never been this indifferent.
Maybe it was because Gabriel hadn't woken up. Away from the camera, Jessica couldn't help but feel down and worried.
Lynn didn't say much more. After all, Jessica had made it clear she wanted to exit; it was just a matter of when she would completely exit.
Mackenzie came in, and Jessica's ears were filled with various conversations. She didn't continue listening, her mind replaying the voices of those calling her name from the audience. Amidst those calls, it was as if Gabriel's voice transformed into words echoing in her ears.
"I love you, giving you the courage to do anything."
The car stopped outside the hospital. Jessica didn't get out but looked up at the floor above from inside the car.
From this angle, she couldn't see the ICU, but she could see the windows of the floor where the ward was located. The automatic sensor lights inside flickered on and off, indicating that everything was still orderly. Even though Gabriel hadn't woken up, at least he was still lying there peacefully.
Landon hadn't contacted her today. No news was the best news.
He had made it through another day, indicating there was a bit more hope.
"Aren't you going up?" Mackenzie asked, turning around from the passenger seat.
Jessica didn't respond and just sat in the car, looking out.
Lynn and Mackenzie exchanged glances. Jessica had been practicing dance all day. After removing her makeup, she came straight here, looking exhausted but unwilling to rest. She hadn't slept last night and had stayed up until now. No one knew what she was thinking; her face showed no emotion.
"Tonight's trending topics are still up. Lynn and I will go back to the hotel to finalize the press release. The studio is still waiting. We'll leave the car here for you. If you get too tired, you can sleep in the car for a while."
With that, Mackenzie and Lynn got out of the car.
Jessica sat quietly in the car for a while, looking down at Gabriel's Facebook. After staring at it for a long time, she suddenly got out of the car, opened the driver's door, and sat in. She then opened the address Marshall had sent her—Hyatt Hotel.
It was already dark when Aaron arrived. Instead of going back to the Jenner family, he stayed at a hotel.
After searching for the location on her phone, she started the engine and drove off. When she arrived at the Hyatt Hotel, it was nearly eleven at night. Even in a usually congested area, there were few cars and pedestrians at this hour. There were even one or two parking spots available, which were usually hard to find.
Jessica parked the car, turned off the engine, and checked the time. It was 11:05 PM.
She had planned to see where Aaron would go when he left the hotel in the morning. She had no work scheduled for tomorrow.
She was prepared to sleep in the car tonight. But just as she was about to close her eyes, she saw a few figures walking out of the hotel's main entrance. Her gaze fixed on two of them.
Even from a distance, she could clearly see one was unmistakably Aaron. After all, he and Eugene were full brothers, and they looked more and more like Donald as they aged. He was easily recognizable.
Next to him was someone who walked out of the hotel with Aaron, smiling politely and shaking hands as they said goodbye.
She watched as the person walked down the hotel's front steps, step by step towards the parking lot, and then towards a spot two cars away from her. He opened the back door of a Mercedes SUV and got in.
Less than ten feet away, Jessica's hand tightened on the steering wheel.
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