Chapter 296
The Wilkinsons held serious sway in the entertainment industry-they practically owned half of it.
Back in the day, it was the entertainment business that put the Wilkinson family on
the map.
Jasper might not have had many talents, but when it came to showbiz, his word carried real weight.
Shutting out someone like Stella—a complete nobody-was child’s play for him. In fact, even top-tier celebrities could vanish from the scene if Jasper so much as whispered it.
The person on the other end of the line was floored by Jasper’s demand.
“A blacklist? Are you saying you want Ms. Cameron blacklisted?”
He’d done his homework. It turned out the original clip of Stella that had gone viral first surfaced from Jasper’s own account. And that live stream? It was cut precisely at the moment when Stella was shining brightest.
Talk about understanding your audience-he’d reeled them in perfectly. The more you try to hide something, the more desperate people are to see it. The more mysterious it is, the greater the curiosity. This smokescreen routine was executed to perfection.
No one outside the industry could have orchestrated something so slick. It was obvious the whole thing was a publicity stunt to launch one of his own artists.
Jasper’s tone was cold and vicious. “That’s right. Blacklist her-now. And make sure word gets out.”
In this industry, who would dare go up against the Wilkinsons?
The man hesitated, at a loss for words, then finally managed a response. “Alright… I’ll take care of it right away.”
After hanging up, Jasper’s jaw clenched with anger.
The better things seemed to go for Stella, the more it infuriated him. Conversely, the more miserable she became, the happier he felt.
In a private dining room at a restaurant, Jasper was hosting a small gathering to celebrate Haynes’ divorce.
It wasn’t exactly the sort of news you could shout from the rooftops, so Jasper kept it low-key—he only invited Foreman Richards. Of course, Rachel was there too.
Foreman looked at Haynes. “Haynie, is it true? You and Stella are really divorced?”
Jasper cut in, “You think I’d make this up? Rachel and I both witnessed it.”
Foreman turned to Haynes, curious. “I still don’t get it, Haynie. What happened between you and Stella to end things like this?”
Haynes poured himself a drink, his voice cool and detached. “She kept pushing my limits.”
Jasper jumped in, eager to stir the pot. “What else? She just couldn’t stand Rachel. Ever since Rachel came back, Stella’s been acting out.”
“First, she went after Rachel, pushed her into the pool-Rachel nearly drowned. And she just kept denying it, acting like she was innocent.”
The memory made Jasper angrier. “If she hadn’t been Haynie’s wife, things wouldn’t have been so easily swept under the rug.”
Foreman glanced at Rachel, his eyes lingering thoughtfully.
Rachel’s hand trembled; a few drops of water spilled from her glass. Truth was, she’d never been able to figure Foreman out. He was gentle, polite, the perfect gentleman utterly charming. Not just with women, but with everyone.
She’d assumed he’d be the easiest one in Haynes’ circle to win over.
She was wrong.
He might seem warm to everyone, but he was the hardest to reach. She’d never managed to get close.
Any time she tried to badmouth Stella in front of him, Foreman would just smile politely and say, “I think, Ms. Pearce, you might have misunderstood Ms. Cameron.”
And whenever the group ganged up on Stella, Foreman always said, “Haynie, I don’t think Ms. Cameron is that kind of person. Maybe you should look into it a bit more?”
He never blindly took Rachel’s side, and he was completely immune to her charms.
She’d even gone so far as to arrange a special performance for Haynes, Jasper, and Foreman, hoping it would win him over.