Chapter 79
The next day, Seraphina dolled herself up and attended a dinner party organized by Robinson.
Ever since their last meet–up, Robinson and Seraphina had been tight, and he had dropped a little secret the internationally renowned director, Tanner, was about to cast for his new movie
Opportunities like this got entertainment companies scrambling to get their foot in the door. Blissful Entertainment was no exception. They had meticulously orchestrated this dinner party, hoping their artists could catch the director’s eye
Robinson was the driving force behind this dinner party. When he mentioned it to Seraphina, she confessed that Tanner was her favorite director, and Robinson immediately extended an invite to her.
When Seraphina arrived at the restaurant, Tanner was yet to show. Everyone in the private room was laid back, but the atmosphere shifted subtly when Seraphina showed up.
Among the attendees were two leading actresses from Blissful Entertainment – Georgina and Fidelia, as well as the leading actor, Tomi. It was a grand
affair.
Upon seeing Seraphina, Georgina was a bit taken aback, “Ms. Bennett?”
Seraphina greeted everyone with a smile, then explained, “I heard that Director Tanner would be here tonight. He’s a director I truly admire, so I thought I’d drop by. Don’t worry, I’ll try to keep a low profile and just observe from a corner.
Everyone laughed at her comment, but it was tinged with a bit of awkwardness.
Tanner tended to favor naturalism, so his actresses were usually very plain, with most of them appearing on screen makeup–free. As such, Georgina and Fidella had arrived with bare faces, while Seraphina was all done up, making the two leading actresses a bit uncomfortable.
Where there were women, there was competition. The emotions around the table were mixed, but on the surface, everything was cordial.
Georgina looked at Seraphina, laughed, and said, “I haven’t seen you around the neighborhood lately, but I’ve seen you twice at dinner parties.
“Oh, I moved, Seraphina responded, “I no longer live at Rosewood Estates”
“Why? Didn’t you like living there?” Georgina asked.
Seraphina thought for a moment, then replied with a smile, “Someone thought that the neighborhood had too many celebrities and that reporters might sneak in and it wouldn’t be safe. I didn’t agree, but I had to give in.”
*Mr. Reynolds is clearly trying to get you to move in with him using the neighborhood as an excuse,” Georgina laughed, “If the security wasn’t good, Fidelia and I wouldn’t have lived there for so many years.”
Hearing that, Seraphina turned to Fidelia, “So Miss Fidelia also lives there? What a coincidence, but we’ve never crossed paths.”
“That’s right,” Fidelia responded, “I don’t really like going out, and I usually leave early and come back late from work, so we rarely have a chance to bump into each other”
“What a pity,” Seraphina said, “I was once neighbors with two big stars.”
Georgina slowly said, “It doesn’t matter where you live, it’s who you live with that matters. Mr. Reynolds is really good to you.”
“But he’s rough and domineering Seraphina sighed, then her face lit up as if she remembered something, “I prefer a man who is gentle and considerate, who thinks from my perspective, who cares about my safety, pays attention to my daily life, and tolerates all about me.”
“Is there really such a man?” Georgina laughed. “How come I’ve never met one?”
Seraphina also laughed, “I have.”
Everyone at the table pretty much knew who Seraphina was talking about, but nobody dared to say it out loud.
After all, she was now Leandro’s fiancée, and even though her relationship with Balch was still ambiguous, nobody dared to point it out.
They chatted for nearly an hour before Tanner finally arrived. As a big shot director, he had a distinct personality and was a man of few words. After a brief chat with the actors, he left twenty minutes later.
Once Tanner left, the crowd seemed a bit deflated. Seeing this, Seraphina excused herself to the restroom, leaving them some space for private
discussion.
In the restroom, she took out a bunch of makeups and leisurely touched up her makeup. Just as she was finishing up, Fidelia walked in, nodded at her, and entered a stall
After a while, Fidelia reappeared, washed her hands, and applied some lipstick next to Seraphina.
Seraphina watched her in the mirror, “Miss Fidelia, your skin is so good, so smooth and delicate without makeup.”
“Nowhere near as natural as yours, Ms. Bennett, Fidelia responded calmly. After a moment of silence, she asked, “do you mind if I can ask where you’re living now, Ms. Bennett?”
“Huh?” Seraphina seemed to hesitate for a moment, then replied, “Urban Oasis.”
Fidelia nodded, “I know that place. I’ve heard it’s very nice, but how are you adjusting to the sudden change in environment?”
That’s not a problem, Seraphina responded with a smile, “Someone redecorated the house to my taste, and I’m pretty adaptable, so I’ve been living comfortably. Are you interested in the houses over there?”
Fidelia smiled but didn’t answer Seraphina’s question
Seraphina didn’t mind, she finished applying her lipstick, packed up her stuff, and said to Fidelia, “I’ll head out first!”
Fidelia nodded.
Seraphina grabbed her bag and turned to leave. Fidelia, after touching up her lipstick and gazing at her reflection in the mirror for a while, was about to head out when she noticed something left behind where Seraphina had placed her bag.
It was a small round sensor card.
That night, Seraphina was chauffeured back to Urban Oasis by Balch’s driver. As they passed Leandro’s villa, she noticed several unfamiliar cars parked at the entrance and the lights brightly lit inside.
Seraphina glanced a few times, then asked the driver, “Does Mr. Reynolds host parties at his place?”
The driver, possibly finding the question a bit awkward, was silent for a moment before answering honestly, “Not that I know of”
Seraphina nodded, gave a light laugh, and didn’t press further.
Upon entering the house, Balch was not yet home. Seraphina knew he had an important dinner tonight and would probably come back late, so she went upstairs to take a bath
But just as she was halfway through, the bathroom lights suddenly went out.
Seraphina felt her heart racing. She quickly dried herself off, found her phone, and called Balch.
“Don’t be scared, Balch’s voice came from the other end of the call, sounding like he was still in the middle of dinner. He tried to keep his voice low to shield her from the background noise, “And don’t leave the bathroom in case you bump into something in the dark. I’ll send the security over right away”
Seraphina said okay, and after hanging up, she stayed put in the bathroom, rinsing off the suds on her body, then slowly getting dressed.
And just as she finished putting on her clothes, the light overhead came back on, illuminating the entire bathroom.
