At the sight of Wendy Winters, Vincent Reed resentfully let go of Yvonne Sutton’s hand.

Yvonne Sutton, rubbing her wrist, looked at Wendy Winters and said, "Please keep your fiancé in check. Don’t let him bother me again."

"Yvonne Sutton!" Vincent Reed gritted his teeth.

Without a single glance at him, Yvonne Sutton turned, punched in her passcode, and went inside, shutting the door behind her.

"Yvonne Sutton, Vincent and I are going on vacation tomorrow, probably for two days and one night," Wendy Winters said with a slight smile.

"And?" ’What’s she telling me this for?’

"You’re my private doctor, so of course you have to come with us."

Before Yvonne Sutton could say anything, Vincent Reed was the first to frown.

"Wendy, I’ll go with you. That’s enough. Don’t bring her."

"But my lower abdomen has been feeling a little uncomfortable the last couple of days. I’d feel safer with Yvonne Sutton there."

Hearing Wendy Winters say this, Vincent Reed quickly nodded. "Alright then, let’s bring her."

"Hold on." Yvonne Sutton had to laugh. "You two have it all figured out, but have I agreed to any of it?"

Vincent Reed’s eyes narrowed. "You have to agree!"

"On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that I can turn your parents’ house into a pile of rubble at any time!"

"Vincent Reed!"

Yvonne Sutton clenched her fists. He kept threatening her with her parents’ house, but what she regretted most was that she was the one who had handed it over to him in the first place!

She took a deep breath, then nodded with a cold smile. "Fine, I’ll go. As long as you two don’t mind me being a third wheel."

It was very late when Claire Lawrence came back.

She had gone to Joshua Hale’s little tavern for a drink and burst into tears while hugging Yvonne Sutton the moment she walked in.

"What’s wrong? What happened?"

Claire Lawrence cried so hard she couldn’t speak, only shake her head.

After a good while, she finally calmed down.

"I... I just feel so stupid..."

Yvonne Sutton led Claire Lawrence to sit down in the dining room and poured her a glass of hot water.

Claire Lawrence took two sips, wiped her tears, and then said, "Stratos signed me."

"Isn’t that a good thing?"

"But as soon as they signed the contract with me, they told me to give the role I just got from Director Sherman to a newcomer the company is heavily promoting."

"Can you even give that away?"

"They told me to go talk to him. If Director Sherman agrees, the company will compensate me with a role in a different production."

"And if Director Sherman doesn’t agree?"

"They didn’t say. It probably means they won’t give me any work, and they won’t let me find work elsewhere. They want me to starve to death."

"Then terminate the contract."

"Ha, I said that too, but they showed me the contract I just signed. The termination fee on it is something I can never afford to pay."

Yvonne Sutton sat down beside Claire Lawrence and patted her shoulder, telling her not to panic.

"I have a friend who’s a lawyer. I’ll go with you to see him tomorrow."

"No, Yvonne, I’m already in massive debt. If it comes to a lawsuit, I can’t afford to drag it out."

"Then what’s your plan?"

"I have a meeting with Director Sherman tomorrow. I hope he can save me."

Vincent Reed and his group were leaving in the afternoon, so Yvonne Sutton had just enough time in the morning to accompany Claire Lawrence to Director Sherman’s studio.

Director Sherman’s studio was a small, Western-style villa from the fifties or sixties. It was situated in the heart of the bustling city, surrounded on all sides by towering skyscrapers. The villa had a large courtyard, and stepping inside felt like entering another world. Several large sycamore trees blotted out the sky, and the air was filled with the chirping of birds.

The first floor turned out to be a spacious book cafe.

There were only two or three people inside, either sitting and reading or drinking coffee while lost in thought. It was so quiet that even the sound of footsteps was perfectly clear.

"Which one of you is Miss Lawrence?" a female staff member in a black skirt suit walked over.

Claire Lawrence pursed her lips. "I am."

"Then please come with me. I’ll take you to the second floor to see Director Sherman." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Okay. Can my friend come with me?"

The staff member glanced at Yvonne Sutton and smiled. "Please have this lady enjoy a cup of coffee on the first floor. Our coffee here is quite good."

Yvonne Sutton thanked the staff member, then patted Claire Lawrence’s shoulder, telling her not to be nervous.

"I’ll wait for you down here."

Claire Lawrence took a deep breath. "Okay."

"If you really can’t handle it, call me."

"Okay."

After Claire Lawrence went upstairs with the staff member, Yvonne Sutton found a random seat. Behind her was a large bookshelf, but she was clearly in no mood to read right now.

At that moment, a woman in a red coat with a graceful figure came down the stairs. She had a cascade of wavy curls, wore sunglasses, and her high heels clacked loudly as she walked.

Yvonne Sutton recognized her at a single glance, her breath catching in her throat. It was Daisy Shaw. A true legend. She had starred in countless internationally acclaimed works and was the first actress to ever win the grand slam at the three major international film festivals. She had swept every major best actress award in the country, was the most decorated actress of all time, and was even ranked among the top 100 actresses in cinematic history. During her career, she won awards left and right, and virtually no one could stand as her equal.

But at the age of fifty, she had suddenly retired from the screen. The reason for her abrupt departure was a family tragedy.

’Is she appearing here today because she’s going to be in Director Sherman’s historical drama?’

Yvonne Sutton was a fan of Daisy Shaw, but she was starstruck. Forget about going up to ask for an autograph; she didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly for fear of disturbing her.

Daisy Shaw held her chin high with an imperious air, and she certainly had the right to. Putting aside her many awards, her beauty alone was enough to intimidate anyone.

She had already walked past, but she suddenly stopped and turned back to look.

At that exact moment, Yvonne Sutton was furtively watching her receding back. She never expected the woman to turn around, and their gazes collided. Yvonne hurriedly averted her eyes, feeling a pang of guilt.

"You..."

Yvonne Sutton froze, then turned her head back. Daisy Shaw was still looking at her. ’Is she talking to me?’

"H-Hello."

Daisy Shaw then took off her sunglasses and continued to study her.

"It’s you!" Daisy Shaw’s eyes suddenly lit up, and she clacked her way over to stand before her. "You’re... you’re... you’re a fan of mine, aren’t you?"

"Huh? I, I am."

"That’s wonderful!"

’It’s normal for a fan to get excited seeing their idol,’ Yvonne thought, ’but is the idol supposed to get this excited seeing a fan?’

"What’s your name?"

"Me?"

"Yes."

Yvonne Sutton leaned back a little. "My name is Yvonne Sutton."

"Ha! I knew it... yes, yes, yes... you’re my fan!"

Seeing Daisy Shaw so happy she looked about to jump for joy, Yvonne Sutton leaned back a little further.

"Young lady, you are truly beautiful."

"N-Not as beautiful as you."

"Nonsense! Don’t you ever look in the mirror? Just look at those clear, pristine eyes, that elegant nose, those perfectly proportioned lips... and especially your aura! It’s simply out of this world!"

Yvonne Sutton: "..."

’My idol seems a little... unhinged.’

"Can I take a picture with you?"

"O-Of course you can."

So Daisy Shaw gave her phone to her assistant, then excitedly sat down next to Yvonne Sutton, tried several different poses, and finally wrapped an arm around Yvonne Sutton’s shoulders, flashing a brilliant smile.

Yvonne Sutton also tried her best to smile naturally, but she figured she must have looked somewhat stiff.

After taking the photo, Daisy Shaw also gave her phone number, saying she could call her anytime, whether for something important or just to chat.

As she was about to leave, she still looked very reluctant to part.

"Miss Shaw, do... do you know me from somewhere?"

"What’s this ’Miss Shaw’ business? Call me Auntie Shaw."

"Huh?"

"Call me more often, and we’ll get to know each other. We might even become best friends!"

It was unclear what she was thinking, but she covered her mouth and laughed with glee.

And then she just left like that, leaving a completely bewildered Yvonne Sutton behind.