Chapter 653: Best Actress
She looked out the window.
"I keep feeling as though something bad is going to happen. I keep feeling like all of this happiness isn’t real."
The fear had been lingering in her heart for quite some time. Every time something wonderful happened, she would instinctively become anxious.
Almost as if she were waiting for fate to take everything away. Alex looked at her quietly.
Then he suddenly pulled her into his arms. His embrace was warm and reassuring.
"You may not believe this."
His voice was gentle. "But once upon a time, there was a girl."
Adeline rolled her eyes. "Here comes another one of your stories."
Alex ignored her. "This girl struggled every single day."
His tone became serious. "Even after getting married, she was destined to continue struggling."
Adeline froze. Something about his words felt strangely emotional.
Then Alex smiled. "But one day, a fairy appeared."
His eyes softened.
"The fairy fixed everything. The fairy helped her achieve her dreams. The fairy protected her. The fairy gave her happiness."
Then he gently pinched her cheek.
"So instead of appreciating the fairy, why are you sitting here with such a long face?"
For a moment, Adeline was speechless.
Then she immediately slapped his shoulder. "You’re the one with the long face."
Alex burst into laughter. The gloomy atmosphere instantly disappeared.
Meanwhile, after finishing everything she needed to do for her brother and future sister-in-law, Aurora finally shifted her attention back to her own life.
Her software company was developing rapidly. The profits continued growing.
However, despite her success in business, her true passion had always remained the same.
Hacking. Ever since regaining memories from her previous life, Aurora had developed an even stronger interest in technology.
Especially robotics. The advanced world she had once lived in had left a deep impression on her.
Without hesitation, Aurora established her own ethical hacking organization.
At the same time, she accepted several government-backed projects.
One of those projects involved cybersecurity and online safety initiatives.
Soon, her reputation within the hacking community began growing rapidly.
As for robotics, Aurora personally invested a significant amount of time and resources into research.
She spent countless nights in laboratories.
Day after day, she immersed herself in technological development.
Meanwhile, somewhere else, there were people drowning in regret.
One of them was Tan.
At this moment, Tan was sitting inside a prison visitation room.
Across the thick glass barrier sat Ruby.
She stared at Tan with disappointment.
For a long time, neither sibling spoke.
Finally, Ruby broke the silence. "How can you do this, brother?"
Her voice was cold. Then she shook her head.
"Honestly, what were you thinking? Why did you provoke that woman?"
The moment she mentioned it, Tan’s eyes turned red.
He immediately began sobbing. "It wasn’t my fault."
His voice cracked. "She provoked me first."
His fists clenched tightly. "Please."
He looked at Ruby desperately.
"Get me out of here."
Ruby almost laughed from frustration. "How am I supposed to get you out?"
Her voice rose.
"Do you even realize how poor we are right now?"
Tan hurriedly leaned forward.
"Don’t we still have the Waters Family?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Ruby’s expression became even uglier.
"The Waters Family?"
The moment those words left Tan’s mouth, Ruby let out a dry laugh.
For a second, she was tempted to slap her brother.
’Don’t tell me... Did he really commit all those crimes because he believed the Waters Family would protect him?’
The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded. ’How can someone be this stupid?’
Meanwhile, Tan remained completely unaware of what Ruby was thinking. Instead, his mind was racing. He desperately wanted to escape this situation. The prison environment had been far harsher than he had expected.
Looking at Ruby, who had fallen into silence, Tan leaned closer to the glass.
"How about this?"
Ruby looked up. Tan’s eyes brightened.
"We can call the Waters Family."
He became increasingly excited as he spoke. "And if they refuse to help us, we can threaten them."
Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Threaten them?"
Tan nodded repeatedly. "Yes."
His voice lowered. "We’ll tell them that if they don’t help me, we’ll go to the media."
His eyes flashed. "We’ll expose the fact that I’m related to them. The public will definitely criticize them. They’ll be dragged through the mud."
For a moment, Ruby remained silent. Initially, she thought the plan was utterly ridiculous.
However, the more she considered it, the more she realized there was something they could gain from it.
As long as they convinced the public that Tan had always been associated with the Waters Family, the family would inevitably suffer reputational damage.
It was a dirty tactic. But at this point, they had already lost almost everything.
What was there left to lose? Taking a deep breath, Ruby looked at Tan calmly. "Rather than trying to get you out of prison, I have a better idea."
Tan immediately became hopeful. "What is it?"
Ruby folded her arms. "We demand ten million from the Waters Family."
Tan’s eyes widened. Ruby continued. "If they agree, I’ll place five million into a secure investment account under your name."
Her voice remained practical. "By the time you get out of prison, that money will have grown. You’ll be able to live a comfortable life."
She paused. "How does that sound?"
However, Tan immediately shook his head. "No."
His face paled. "No, no, no."
His voice became panicked. "I can’t stay here. The people here are cruel."
Before he could continue, Ruby interrupted him.
"Do you genuinely believe the Waters Family has enough influence to get you released?"
Her words struck him like a hammer. The hope on Tan’s face instantly disappeared. Deep down, he already knew the answer.
No matter how powerful the Waters Family was, they wouldn’t risk themselves for someone like him. Slowly, his shoulders slumped.
After a long moment, he lowered his head. "...Fine."
Ruby nodded. A small smile appeared on her face. "Good."
Then she stood up. "Thank you, brother."
Without another word, she turned around and left. Tan watched her retreating figure.
The moment she disappeared from sight, the helplessness in his eyes vanished.
Instead, resentment filled them. His fists clenched tightly.
’Just wait. Once I get out of here, I’ll make all of you pay.’
His expression became increasingly twisted. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, another person was in a terrible mood.
That person was none other than Chloe Matthews. If Theodore had been present, he would have instantly recognized her.
After all, Chloe had once been one of his celebrity crushes. At this moment, Chloe was sitting inside her luxurious dressing room.
Several scripts were scattered across the table. However, none of it improved her mood. "How?"
She gritted her teeth. "How did a newcomer like Dorothy get that role?"
Her beautiful face twisted with frustration. She slammed a magazine onto the table.
"Meanwhile, I’m still struggling for supporting roles."
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Objectively speaking, Chloe had entered the entertainment industry much earlier than Dorothy.
She had more experience. More connections. More training. Yet somehow Dorothy continued receiving one golden opportunity after another.
In Chloe’s eyes, there was only one explanation. "Someone is backing her."
Her voice was cold. "Otherwise, there’s no way."
Narrowing her eyes, she looked toward her manager. "Find out. I want to know who’s backing Dorothy."
Her manager smiled knowingly. Finally. After all this time, Chloe had finally made a decision.
"Good."
The manager leaned back. "I’ve been waiting for you to say that."
Chloe frowned. "What do you mean?"
The manager smiled mysteriously. "I’ll introduce you to Miss Dawn."
Hearing that name, Chloe’s expression immediately changed. She had naturally heard of the mysterious woman who had recently become famous among industry insiders.
Slowly, she nodded.
Meanwhile, the media continued praising the industry’s newest rising star. Dorothy.
Over the past year, Dorothy’s career had exploded. One successful project after another landed in her hands.
Within a single year, she had appeared in three major films.
In the first movie, she played a supporting role. In the second movie, she portrayed the third female lead.
However, her final film completely changed everything. That movie featured Dorothy as the main female lead.
The entire story revolved around her character. Many viewers even felt that the role had been tailor-made specifically for Dorothy.
The character’s personality mirrored Dorothy’s own personality remarkably well.
As a result, her performance felt incredibly natural. Audiences became deeply immersed. Critics praised her emotional delivery. Fans loved her authenticity.
Slowly but surely, Dorothy became one of the most discussed young actresses in the country.
By the time awards season arrived, her name appeared repeatedly across numerous categories.
The media began referring to her as the industry’s future queen.
Finally, the night of the award ceremony arrived. When the presenter opened the envelope, silence spread throughout the audience.
"And the winner of Best Debut Actress is... Dorothy!"