Chapter 209 A Favor with Strings
“Wait… so that whole scene earlier-”
“That’s right,” Eliza said, facing the crowd. “That drama you all just witnessed? That was actually part of our MISS campaign shoot!”
Her words sent a wave of gasps through the crowd.
They had just seen the behind–the–scenes filming of a Soren ad?
Inside the VIP room, Soren heard Eliza’s announcement and couldn’t help being impressed.
He hadn’t expected the girl–around his own age–to react so quickly and handle the chaos so cleverly.
“Apologies, everyone!” Eliza called out again. “Soren had other commitments and already left through the back door. If you want to catch a glimpse of him, you might still make it if you head there now!”
In a flash, the crowd surged toward the back like a hive of bees.
Eliza finally let out a breath.
Crisis averted.
She returned to the VIP lounge to find Soren already out of hiding.
“It’s all handled. If you want to leave, now’s the time–before you really get trapped.”
Soren had an enormous fanbase–many of whom had been following him since he was a child star. His cool image had only expanded his reach into older age groups too.
He pulled off his mask, revealing a face that bore some resemblance to Nolan.
Sharp features, chiseled lips, deep–set eyes–but where Nolan was cold and intimidating, Soren’s gaze was much gentler. More soulful.
It’s true what they say: a male celebrity could look at a dog and still seem romantic.
And Soren was living proof.
“Thanks.”
“No need,” Eliza replied curtly. She wasn’t one for polite formalities.
As she turned to leave, Soren suddenly reached for her wrist. “Wait… what’s your name? I’d like to thank you properly someday.”
“No need to go that far. But I do have a favor to ask–can you actually shoot an ad for us? Otherwise, this little story won’t hold.”
Worried she might seem like she was taking advantage, she added quickly, “Don’t worry–we’ll pay your full rate. I’ll have our people coordinate with your agency right away.”
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Chapter 209 A Favor with Strings
“No need,” Soren said with a faint smile. “I’ll do it for free.”
“That’s not how this works. Your agency won’t allow that.”
She gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. “Anyway, I’ve got more to do. I’ll leave it to you.”
Then she turned and left without waiting for a reply.
Soren stood there, still wanting to ask her name–but she was already gone.
Moments later, the manager entered. “Ma’am, our team is ready to escort you out.”
“That girl from earlier–is she one of your employees?”
“No. She’s our CEO.”
The manager added with pride, “Don’t be fooled by her age–our CEO’s a real business genius.”
“Rivers?”
“Yes.”
“What’s her full name?”
“That… I’m not sure.”
The escort team arrived soon after to take Soren and his mother to their car.
As they helped his mother into the van, the assistant quietly scolded, “Ma’am, please don’t run off again. If fans recognize you, it could get dangerous.”
In the car, Soren said, “Find out who owns MISS. I want a full report.”
“MISS? It’s been blowing up lately, but the owner stays behind the scenes. No one really knows who it is.”
“It’s a young woman, about my age. Last name Rivers.”
“Huh?”
The assistant blinked. “That name doesn’t turn up anywhere online… Ms. Eliza, how did you know that?”
Soren didn’t answer.
His mind kept replaying the image of Eliza–cool–headed, decisive, graceful under pressure.
Meanwhile, his mother sat beside him, murmuring to herself, still holding a small mirror and inspecting her face.
Most people avoided looking at her. They flinched. Grimaced,
But that girl had treated her without the slightest trace of contempt.
Not even the hospital nurses had shown such kindness.
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Chapter 209 A Favor with Strings
“Do as I said. Once you’ve got the info, report back.”
“…Understood, ma’am.”
Finished
The assistant nodded. Then he added, “Your brother stopped by carlier, but per your orders, we didn’t let him intervene.”
“Mm.”
Soren gave a nonchalant nod. He clearly didn’t care much for that brother.
The assistant wisely said no more.
Back at MISS HQ, Eliza had already contacted Soren’s agency, offering an enormous sum for his endorsement.
To her surprise, their quoted price was shockingly low–only a few hundred thousand.
Not even the rate of a D–list celeb.
“Are you sure that’s the actual quote?”
“Positive!”
“And you didn’t miss a couple of zeroes?”
“I asked multiple times. They insisted this is the correct price. But… they do have one condition.”
“What condition?”
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