Chapter 35
When Ophelia saw Kenneth’s nickname, she was stunned for a moment. Yet he quickly changed it to “Ken“, set his profile picture to solid black, and left the background blank.
Ophelia sent him a message: [Did you just create this account?] Mark, who was showing Kenneth how to use WhatsApp, read the message out loud.
“Tell her it’s not. Forget it, give it to me. Shall press this button to reply?” Kenneth asked, clearly ready to handle it himself.
Mark nodded and thought to himself, ‘Even my dad is better at WhatsApp than you, Boss.
But Kenneth quickly mastered all the features. Adding Kenneth on WhatsApp turned out to be a bit of a trap for Ophelia. Once he figured out how to use video calls, he made sure to supervise her move into his apartment.
She thought his idea of a “small” apartment would be ridiculously oversized, but to her surprise, it was actually pretty modest–only about 1,600 square feet, with simple and understated decor. There was just one bedroom and a study; the rest. of the space was open–concept, with massive floor–to–ceiling windows offering views of the city’s iconic skyline.
“This is developed by Sinclair Group,” Kenneth explained over the video call. “I have got three units on this floor. If you don’t like it. I’ve got more in another building, and I can have one decorated to your taste.
Ophelia stared at his charming face on the screen and sighed, “That’s sheer extravagance. She then replied, “No need to go to all that trouble. Something simple is fine.”
As my wife, ‘simple‘ is never an option,” he teased.
Ophelia rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. She muttered in her mind, Fine, you’ve got a point. They continued chatting. going back and forth with playful banter, and it took a good while before they finally hung up.
some of
of her things in. The next day, the Later that evening, Liam and his team came by to tidy up the apartment and move director and the camera crew arrived for the shoot. Ophelia didn’t have much time to prepare–it was already dark by the time they came.
Cameron, the director who hadn’t thought much of her before, was visibly surprised when he saw where she was staying. He knew the area well, and this property, being Sinclair’s development, had a sky–high price tag. Plus, the units were only for sale, not rent. There was no way she could’ve just rented it.
“This is… your house?” Cameron glanced at her suspiciously while the camera crew set up.
“No, I’m borrowing it,” Ophelia replied casually.
When Cameron heard Ophelia say she just borrowed the house, he immediately switched back to his dismissive attitude and started lecturing her. “Don’t be so vain. I get it, designers like you want to get noticed and land more jobs through this show, but in the end, it’s about skill, Stop with all the flashy stuff
“You’re absolutely right, sir,” Ophelia replied.
Her response made Cameron feel quite pleased with himself, and he thought, ‘Good, now she knows better than to offend the director.
After Ophelia had mouthed off to him before, her screen time in the first episode was so minimal. Ophelia didn’t care too much about it, but she didn’t want Sharon to suffer from the same lack of exposure. So this time, she played it smart.
As the equipment was set up. Ophelia appeared on camera without makeup, fully focused on her work. After about twenty minutes of filming, Cameron glanced over briefly and said, “That’s enough. We’ve got what we need.” Out of those twenty minutes, he’d probably only cut no more than five minutes for the actual episode.
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After the second episode aired, with five head–to–head matchups, all audiences were left guessing which teams would come out on top. By the time the third episode started filming, the tension between the teams was palpable–just the kind of drama Cameron was hoping for.
In the dressing room, Sharon slipped into the dress Ophelia had designed for her. It was a floor–length gown in peacock green, with bellflower patterns embroidered in purple thread along the shoulders and waist. The dress had a mandarin collar with a purple gemstone at the clasp, and the three–quarter sleeves left little skin exposed, yet Sharon’s perfect figure was still on full display.
The stylist couldn’t help but exclaim. “Gosh, I don’t know if I should praise the dress or your amazing shape. Sharon, you were made for gowns like this.”
Sharon’s makeup had also been styled by Ophelia’s instructions with a vintage twist–arched brows framing her fox–like eyes, which were long and upward, giving her a sultry yet not overly seductive look.
You’ve seen my movie trailer, haven’t you?” Sharon asked, a note of surprise in her voice. “So… you’re subtly helping me promote the movie, right?” Though phrased as a question, she already knew the answer.
The look was strikingly similar to her character’s style in the movie, only with a more glamorous and fitted gown”
A feeling of gratitude swelled in Sharon’s chest. Even her own company wasn’t willing to spend money to promote the movie, yet Ophelia was subtly doing it for her.
“No need to thank me,” Ophelia said with a smile. “We’re helping each other. Honestly, no one else could’ve worn this gown as well as you”
Even though Ophelia brushed it off, Sharon couldn’t help but feel deeply appreciative of the gesture.
“By the way, did you take my advice to heart?” Ophelia couldn’t help but ask, still a bit concerned. She believed Sharon’s movie would outperform Emily’s, as long as the same issues from the past didn’t come up again.
“I really really appreciate that,” Sharon replied. “Actually, the day you mentioned it, I got a notice about back taxes, but I thought it was a scam. Thanks to your warning. I checked into it and I’ve already taken care of it
“You really are my lucky star. If I hadn’t caught it in time and ended up with a tax evasion scandal, I’d never have been able to clear my name.
In the entertainment industry, that kind of thing was the kiss of death. Once it got exposed, no one cared about explanations. Even for someone as low–profile as Sharon, it wasn’t worth the risk.
Ophelia sighed in relief and said, “Good to hear that”
“But seriously, how did you know I had tax problems?” Sharon asked, genuinely curious. She wondered if it was written on her face.
“Uh… I’ll just say I have a knack for fortune–telling. Do you believe that? Ophelia joked, making something up on the spot. To her surprise, Sharon actually bought it. “Really? Then can you tell me what my career path looks like?”
Ophelia rubbed her temples, but she realized Sharon wasn’t at all like she had expected–Sharon was genuinely nice. “You’re going to win Best Actress this year,” Ophelia said.
“Woah, well, I’ll take that as a good omen.” Sharon burst out laughing. Her mouth was wide, and with her brick–red lipstick, it was quite a sight. Ophelia thought she looked better with a more serious expression.
For the third recording session, the show brought in hundreds of audiences, along with some top–tier industry judges.
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First, the models would walk the runway with the audience casting their votes. Then, the designers would face off two by two to present their design concepts for the judges to score. The winners would advance to the next round, while the five with the lowest scores would be eliminated.
Backstage, Marilyn was nervously taking deep breaths. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ophelia, who looked calm and collected, as if she didn’t have a care in the world.
“Why are you so chill? I’m freaking out. I feel like this is my last shooting. If only my opponent wasn’t Brock. And we’re both designing gowns… Marilyn trailed off, her anxiety palpable.
SEND GIFT
