Possessed No More: The True Star Returns to Claim Her Throne-Chapter 56: Jealousy

There was no lingering, tearful farewell. After dropping Riley Perry off at The Sovereign Hotel, Cole Sinclair quickly departed with his people.

Riley also received a notice from the crew: filming would resume tomorrow. After confirming she was fit to act, they decided to go easy on the "injured actress" and only scheduled her for three scenes.

’I can finally sleep in.’

Only after Cole Sinclair left did Top Agent Joyce and Rhona finally get to see their artist.

"Riley Perry, you’ve really done it this time! You caused such a huge mess that the company’s entire PR department is working overtime managing the online fallout for you. And what are you doing? Off being lovey-dovey with your backer, while I can’t even get ahold of you!"

Rhona stood to the side, smiling and saying nothing as she watched Nana blow her top.

Riley was slumped in a chair, the short dress clinging tightly to her upper body and perfectly showcasing her incredible figure. Her long, smooth legs were so flawless you couldn’t see a single hair, not even a pore. Joanna’s fiery momentum faltered after just one glance.

"You know, Riley... with a face and body like yours, it’s a total waste not to do a variety show or something.

No, we have to book one."

’With the way Riley looks now, she could attract a whole legion of fans who are just in it for her looks, even if she just stood there and did nothing, right?’

"I never said I wouldn’t do a variety show, but the timing and the show itself have to be right. Right now, the *Immortal Demon Tribulation* crew is basically cramming two days of work into one. If I took time off for a variety show, Director Miles would probably lose his mind."

"Alright then. As soon as you wrap this show, I’ll book you a variety show. Director Warren contacted me before; he’s starting a new one and can give me a spot. I don’t know the details yet, but Director Warren is reliable, so I’ll just slot you in when the time comes."

Riley was speechless. Joanna had already signed her up without even knowing what kind of show it was. If she didn’t know Joanna was a good person, she’d suspect the woman might just sell her off one day.

"Fine, my dearest Nana. You can handle the arrangements."

"So, are you really okay?"

Riley replied, "Do I look like there’s something wrong? I’m great!"

Joanna was still worried. She reached for Riley’s wrist. "I won’t be at ease until I see for myself. Let me see the wound on your hand. Have you been changing the dressing on schedule?"

Riley didn’t stop her. The injury on her wrist was nothing. If she weren’t worried about raising questions, a single elixir would have healed it without so much as a white scar.

Joanna finished her inspection quickly, then silently rewrapped the gauze.

She was left rather speechless after seeing it.

"The police hit a dead end after the props master; they couldn’t find any other leads. You need to be careful on set. You never know what’s in people’s hearts. Who knows if that person has really given up."

Riley nodded obediently. "Mm, I know."

Joanna’s hands started to itch—she had the urge to pat the girl’s head. Before, this kiddo would make a huge fuss over a tiny cut on her finger. This time, after falling from such a height, she hadn’t posted on social media to fish for sympathy from her fans, nor had she complained or thrown any tantrums. She had really changed. She’d become more mature.

Seeing that Nana’s anger had subsided, Riley finally turned to Rhona. "You’ve lost at least thirty pounds, haven’t you?"

Rhona immediately ran to her side, squatting down and resting her hands on the chair’s armrests. "Ria, you’re amazing. Your eyes are like a scale! As of today, I’ve lost exactly thirty-one pounds. Look, aren’t I super slim now?"

Joanna suddenly perked up. "Riley, now that you mention it, I have a bone to pick with you! Tell me, in the three years I’ve managed you, have I ever treated you poorly? I’ve been like a father and a mother to you, worrying and working myself to the bone, giving my all! And you? You get your hands on something good and you hide it away, not even telling..."

Riley quickly got up, rummaged through her suitcase, and tossed a small vial to Joanna. "Here. This is the last bottle. One pill a day. As long as you don’t eat an entire pig every day, you absolutely won’t gain weight."

Joanna fumbled to catch the vial, her face beaming. After her initial delight, she couldn’t help but ask, "Is this medicine just for me, or did you give some to all the other girls?"

For once, Riley rolled her eyes at her. ’Why is Nana being a little like Delia?’

"I made three bottles in total. Rhona, you, and Chloe Sterling. That’s it."

Joanna got jealous. "I’m ranked behind Chloe Sterling? Three years! Three whole years, and it’s worth less than the few days you’ve known Chloe?"

Riley: ... ’My mistake! I’ll never make that mistake again. I really can’t handle Nana’s jealousy!’

"Nana, has it ever occurred to you that maybe the reason I didn’t give you any is because your figure is so good you don’t even need to lose weight?"

Joanna thought about Rhona’s previous figure and then Chloe Sterling’s face shape. Her jealousy instantly vanished, and she was so overjoyed she could barely think straight.

After dinner, Joanna returned to her own room, and Riley finally had a chance to ask Rhona about the pharmaceutical factory.

"The approval process is already underway. My dad helped me find managers for the factory, so we don’t have to worry about getting the drug approved, produced, and brought to market."

Applying for the patent is a bit slow, but we can start production as soon as the drug passes review. The formula Riley provided is purely based on traditional Chinese medicine, so its approval process is faster than that of Western medicine.

Rhona said, "Ria, my dad told me to ask you how we should structure our partnership for the factory. He said if you want full ownership, he can sell the factory to you at cost. If you ask me, Ria, don’t you have a backer? Why not use this factory to test his capabilities?"

’Why should someone as amazing as my Ria let that so-called backer have her for cheap?’

’But since he’s already gotten what he wanted, he should naturally have to pay up.’

’We can also use this to see how sincere that backer is toward Ria.’ 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Riley: ’Great suggestion. Now, never suggest it again.’

"The factory isn’t even open yet, but you know how effective the weight-loss pills are. The future profits will be immense. Why would we let someone else get involved and just hand over a share of the profits?"

Rhona: ’That’s not what I meant at all, okay? I meant Ria’s backer should just give it to her for free. But whatever. Ria must not want to take advantage of others; that’s why she’s saying this.’

"So, Ria, your plan is..."

"I’ll contribute the formulas as my stake. Besides the weight-loss pill, I’ll give you two more formulas: one for male enhancement, and another for women to tighten their skin. The effects of the second one are visibly noticeable after losing weight.

For the three formulas, I want a forty percent stake in the company.

Your family will contribute the capital and also get forty percent. If your side feels the formulas aren’t worth a forty-percent stake, I can invest some money as well.

Also, since you’ll be managing the company, you’ll get another five percent stake. The remaining fifteen percent will be distributed to executives who make outstanding contributions to the company."