Chapter 121
Lila nodded, trusting Ryker’s words.
“If you really like it, I can lend it to you for a few days. It’s a shame some parts were damaged, though it can’t be repaired domestically,” she said sincerely.
He laughed as he returned the camera to her. “What are you talking about? You can’t just lend out your wife!”
She was speechless.
“Getting to touch it a couple of times is thrilling enough for me.”
She continued to remain silent and massaged her temples. His words were indeed strange.
“I’ve seen your work. You have real talent, and I’m sure you’ll go far one day,” Ryker praised without reservation.
Lila blinked, surprised and a little delighted by the compliment from a senior in the field. Before she could thank him, her peripheral vision caught someone standing not far away.
Her movements paused briefly as she looked over.
Leyla’s gaze was sharp, but when Lila looked directly at her, her expression didn’t change.
Lila frowned slightly and spoke after a moment. “We met two years ago, didn’t we?”
One sentence was enough to fluster Leyla, who now seemed even more resentful. “You!”
“That woman probably holds a grudge against you,” he remarked after a glance in her direction.
“It’s fine,” Lila replied calmly, withdrawing her gaze. She didn’t believe Leyla would dare cause a real scene in the production crew.
Compared to the trouble Dorian encountered when he first entered the industry, Leyla’s antics were insignificant.
Leyla withdrew her venomous glare and turned to leave.
Ryker frowned slightly, reminding Lila, “Stay vigilant,” before taking his leave as well.
It was only then that Jamie and Teddy, who had been quietly waiting nearby, spoke up. “Ms. Hart, Mr. Morgan is here to see you.”
“Shall we all go grab something to eat?” Lila suggested.
Teddy sprang to his feet with excitement. After all, Kieran had arranged for him to stay in a VIP hospital suite!
If Kieran were his uncle, too, that would be amazing!
But before he could say anything, Jamie pressed him back down. With her round, adorable face, she smiled sweetly. “Mr. Morgan came all this way to see you, so we shouldn’t intrude. Once we’re back in Northridge, you can introduce us properly and take us all out for a meal.”
Lila thought it over. Since Kieran didn’t particularly enjoy crowds, she could wait until later to introduce them properly. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
Meanwhile, Zara had also received word, and her face was dark with anger.
Wasn’t Lila supposed to be an orphan? Didn’t all the money she made go toward supporting Dorian? How could she afford such an expensive camera?
Was it a gift from Dorian?
Lila said she had only been using it for six months, which would mean she purchased it around New Year’s. But during the New Year, she had deliberately injured herself, causing Dorian to cancel all his engagements to stay with her for an entire week. He didn’t even see Lila.
Was the camera compensation from him? Yet when Zara won the Best Actress Award, Dorian only gave her a designer bag worth 200 thousand.
Zara’s thoughts were in turmoil when she thought about Dorian’s recent strange behavior.
When Leyla came to see her, she was still fuming.
“You promised me money…” Leyla began, only to be interrupted by Zara’s derisive laugh.
“Idiot. You failed at everything and even got played in return. How dare you ask me for money? Kneeling there like some pitiful fool-why didn’t you ask Lila for money instead?”
Leyla’s expression lacked much emotion. She stood there with her back straight yet exuded an indescribable malice.
“The video of me kneeling was recorded.”
Zara sneered even harder. “So what? Do you want the whole world to see how pathetic you are? I feel ashamed for you!”
Staring at Zara’s sharp and unkind face, Leyla didn’t bother hiding her disdain. Her laugh was filled with venom. “You’re the real idiot. You spent two years orbiting around Dorian, lost everything, and still ended up being rejected.”
“How dare you talk to me like that!” It hit Zara’s sore spot, and she raised her hand to slap Leyla. But Leyla was no pushover; her face contorted with rage as she fought back.
“Idiot. If you release that video and claim Lila used her power to bully a minor actress into kneeling and apologizing, what do you think the internet will say about her?”
Zara paused mid-hair-pulling. She shoved Leyla away and glanced at the tear in her sleeve, her expression calculating.