Chapter 87 Staring Straight at Him
"Where's Jessica? I tried calling her, but she didn't pick up. Did she finish shooting her scenes smoothly today?" Mackenzie called Zoey.
On the way back from the set, Zoey held the cell phone and glanced at Jessica sitting beside her, having a pack of beer. She whispered, "It's done. The final scene tonight is Katarina's drunken scene. The director originally planned to use mineral water as alcohol, but Jessica insisted on real liquor and strong liquor at that. After a few drinks, she quickly got into character, unaffected by the online events during filming. But after it was over..."
"What happened after it was over?"
"Afterward, Jessica somehow got a few cans of beer from one of the crew members. She was already a bit tipsy during filming, and she's been drinking in the car since then. She's already had three cans."
The key was that Jessica wasn't crying or causing a scene. She just sat quietly, drinking and looking out the window. Besides her slightly red eyes and flushed face, there didn't seem to be anything wrong. Zoey didn't dare say much now or stop her.
Mackenzie was surprised, "She? Drinking?"
Knowing Jessica for so long, I know she rarely drank except on necessary social occasions. Even at events with the production and financial sides, she only had some wine or champagne.
Drinking strong liquor on set and now beer, how intoxicated did she want to get? She has to shoot tomorrow.
"Don't let her drink. It's bad for her stomach," Mackenzie said sternly. "Send Jessica to the studio. I need to talk to her."
"Mackenzie, I don't think Jessica is in the right state of mind now. Can we discuss this tomorrow? The situation has escalated, and she needs time to process it," Zoey said cautiously, glancing at the unusually quiet Jessica beside her.
"Okay, she's not in a condition to talk now. I'll try to contact the people at the Twitter to see if we can temporarily suppress the heat, but it's probably difficult. This trending topic isn't just natural. It's being deliberately pushed up. If I can't outshine the other party's face, this matter might not cool down easily. Keep an eye on her," Mackenzie said before abruptly hanging up.
Zoey glanced at Jessica again, who was now looking out the window.
Due to an incident on the bridge last week, both the driver and Zoey were a bit uneasy. The bridge had recently been closed, so the return route had changed slightly. It required a detour on the ring road and then passed through the busiest section of Xyleria’s city center along Central Avenue.
The lights outside the car were bright, unlike the vast darkness and silence of the suburban set. Luxury cars filled the area, with towering modern buildings lining both sides.
The bustling commercial streets in the city center and various upscale hotels were bustling with activity, both on the roads and sidewalks.
Despite the wide highways and numerous elevated structures, traffic jams were still common.
Jessica was looking in a certain direction outside the window, and Zoey leaned over to look as well.
Not far ahead, the Harriman Group's office building stood prominently among the modern structures. On a colorful night, the silver-gray building occasionally reflected dazzling brilliance due to the various lights around it.
"Central Avenue often gets congested, so I rarely pass through here. I thought the Harriman Group branch in the new district was already upscale, but I didn't expect the headquarters to be this grand. The rumored sixty-eight floors, the CEO's office on the top floor must feel like sitting in the clouds, right?" Zoey marveled beside Jessica.
"It's a pity that someone who should be overlooking the entire Xyleria from the clouds seems to have encountered some accident. I heard from the news that the person hasn't been found yet, his fate unknown."
Zoey intended to comfort her, saying that even people like the Harriman Group’s CEO could encounter accidents, but they were still living safely. They had to overcome any challenges that came their way.
But the prepared words were suddenly choked back.
Just as he finished speaking, Jessica opened another can of beer, not saying and drinking even faster than before.
Zoey quickly raised her hand to stop Jessica. "Don't drink, Jessica. You shouldn't..."
Jessica tossed the empty can aside and boldly picked up another bottle, opening it again.
"No, Jessica, you didn't drink this fast just now. Please don't drink like this. It's really bad for your stomach. You have to continue filming tomorrow afternoon, you..."
Jessica pushed away her hand, finished the can, leaned back, and remained still.
The intersection ahead was now more congested. The nanny car slowly left the bustling city center area, leaving the towering buildings behind.
The lamplight reflected into the car, creating a patchwork of light and shadow.
Finally, they arrived at Jessica's building. Zoey insisted on escorting her upstairs, but Jessica refused.
After Jessica got out of the car, swaying, Zoey still wanted to accompany her. However, Jessica turned around and pushed her back into the vehicle, burping and gesturing with her finger while squinting at Zoey, "No, you... can't go up... to my house... there's a... big secret..."
Zoey looked worried, "What secret could be bigger than Keegan liking your post? You've had too much to drink, Jessica!"
Jessica shook her head seriously, then nodded, "You can't go up! You can't see my... little... darling... Danielle... can't..."
Zoey didn't catch that. "What?"
Jessica suddenly laughed and patted Zoey's shoulder heavily. "Don't think you can trick me. I'm not drunk. You go."
"But Jessica." "Just go!" Jessica pushed her back into the car from outside the door and then closed the door with force. She gestured a thank-you bow through the window before turning and swaggering into the building's entrance.
Zoey looked at the five or six empty beer cans in the car, worried about Jessica's stomach since she hadn't eaten much tonight.
As Jessica climbed the stairs, she was cautious with her steps, instinctively afraid of falling despite being intoxicated. She made it safely to the front door of her home and knocked.
"Hello, is anyone home?"
"I leave my keys in my car and don't drive back. Is anyone there?"
The door suddenly swung open.
Gabriel had just opened the door and was hit by a strong smell of alcohol from outside. His gaze landed on Jessica's face which was flushed with alcohol, with her red eyes staring at him.
