Chapter 146
Chapter 146
Patrick seemed to sense the resentful gaze and glared back fiercely, “What are you looking at? Kneel properly! You are such a pain in the *ss! This is not over yet!”
When Gwendolyn heard what he said, she realized they didn’t plan on letting Joaquin off the hook so easily.
Gwendolyn thought momentarily and smiled, “Old Mr. Zipper, the main reason I came today is to bring Joaquin back to the film set. His shooting is almost finished, and it wouldn’t be good if something went wrong. I’ll take him to apologize to Joseph and ensure Joaquin knows his place.”
Patrick glanced at Gwendolyn, then at Joaquin, and nodded with satisfaction. “Alright, I trust you will take care of this.”
“Thank you for trusting me, Old Mr. Zipper. So, can I take Joaquin now?” she said while attempting to signal Joaquin with her eyes.
Joaquin clutched his swollen back and struggled to get up from the ground.
Adam became concerned when he saw Joaquin’s condition. “Old Mr. Zipper, why don’t we let Mr. Joaquin get treated before he leaves? It would be quite unbearable for him to continue with the shoot in this state.”
“Nonsense! Why should my Gwendolyn wait for him? He should just bear with the pain; only then will he learn his lesson. Not only must he continue filming, but he also cannot miss tonight’s charity gala. Do you hear me?”
“Understood.”
Joaquin pursed his lips, and his face looked somewhat weak.
Gwendolyn held back her laughter and looked toward Patrick. “Well, Old Mr. Zipper, I’ll be leaving with him now. We’ll come to see you again when we have time.”
After she spoke, she stepped forward to help Joaquin up, and they left the meeting room together, with Joaquin limping beside her.
Once they were far away from the meeting room, Joaquin asked, “Gwendolyn, you’re not seriously going to make me apologize to that scumbag at the hospital, are you? Please don’t do that!”
Gwendolyn pursed her lips and raised the corner of her mouth. “Then you have to tell me why you two got into a fight in the first place.”
Joaquin lowered his head looking all gloomy.
As his buttocks and thighs were hit terribly, Joaquin was walking with great difficulty and was in so much pain that he broke out in cold sweat.
He hesitated for a moment and replied, “Because I heard him badmouthing you behind your back, and it was really nasty, so I beat him up every time I see him. Ouch…”
He got so worked up as he spoke that he accidentally aggravated his wound, causing him to grimace in pain.
Gwendolyn chuckled, suddenly found him a bit silly and even looked a little adorable.
“Since that was the reason, why didn’t you tell Old Mr. Zipper directly?”
Joaquin continued, “If Grandpa finds out, I might get a lighter punishment. However, once Grandpa and Adam heard those nasty things Joseph said about you, it won’t be long before the entire Zipper family’s servants know. I don’t want to ruin your reputation.”
When Gwendolyn heard that, her curiosity grew tremendously. What exactly did Joseph say about me?
“Is there a recording? Let me listen to it.”
Joaquin followed Gwendolyn to her car and played Joseph’s recording for her while they were inside.
“I heard Joaquin’s talent agency boss is actually a wealthy divorcee. I heard she’s even an orphan. What a weirdo! I wonder how she managed to get the rights to manage Angle. She must have slept with Treyton! I’ve seen her at the last talent show finals, and she’s quite a beauty. What a shame that she’s a whore!”
Gwendolyn’s face darkened significantly after she heard the recording.
Joaquin spat, “Man, my fiery temper is getting the best of me. Hearing it makes me want to beat him up again!”
Gwendolyn stopped him. “Go back to the set and focus on the shoot. Don’t worry about this.”
“Really, Gwendolyn? You’re just going to let him off the hook like that?”
Gwendolyn raised an eyebrow, and a mischievous smile formed at the corner of her mouth. “Who said I was going to let him off the hook?”
The hardest thing to control would be to put a stop to gossip, but there would be different ways to handle the matter.
Since Gwendolyn had heard what Joseph say, her personality would make it impossible for her not to retaliate.
She pondered as she drove to Fairlake Film Studios and called her assistant to come out and get Joaquin.
Joaquin held on to the car handle, reluctant to get out. “Gwendolyn, do we have to shoot today? It seems like there’s an action scene. I just got beaten up. I won’t be able to do it.”
Gwendolyn took a tube of anti-inflammatory cream from the car’s glove compartment and handed it to him.
“I bought this for you when I went to get you. Go back to the crew’s resting room, apply some medicine, and get some rest. I’ll give you a day off today, but we’ll have to catch up on the filming schedule later.”
Joaquin was deeply touched. “I knew you favored me the most! I will always be your most loyal supporter!”
“Stop joking around. Hurry up and go,” Gwendolyn replied with annoyance.
Joaquin chuckled and was about to open the car door when he suddenly thought of something. He turned his head and said, “If I continue the shoot for today and try my best not to slow down the progress, will you be my partner for tonight’s charity gala?”
Since Joaquin had asked so sincerely, Gwendolyn had no heart to turn down his request.
Hence, she nodded. “Alright.”
After Joaquin left in a good mood, Gwendolyn called Elven.
“Arrange for someone to keep an eye on Joseph, the young master of the Xanthos family, at the hospital. Once he’s discharged, put a sack over his head and give him another round of beating. I think he prefers staying in the hospital. Just remember not to leave any traces or evidence behind.”
When Gwendolyn heord thot, her curiosity grew tremendously. Whot exoctly did Joseph soy obout me?
“Is there o recording? Let me listen to it.”
Jooquin followed Gwendolyn to her cor ond ployed Joseph’s recording for her while they were inside.
“I heord Jooquin’s tolent ogency boss is octuolly o weolthy divorcee. I heord she’s even on orphon. Whot o weirdo! I wonder how she monoged to get the rights to monoge Angle. She must hove slept with Treyton! I’ve seen her ot the lost tolent show finols, ond she’s quite o beouty. Whot o shome thot she’s o whore!” This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.
Gwendolyn’s foce dorkened significontly ofter she heord the recording.
Jooquin spot, “Mon, my fiery temper is getting the best of me. Heoring it mokes me wont to beot him up ogoin!”
Gwendolyn stopped him. “Go bock to the set ond focus on the shoot. Don’t worry obout this.”
“Reolly, Gwendolyn? You’re just going to let him off the hook like thot?”
Gwendolyn roised on eyebrow, ond o mischievous smile formed ot the corner of her mouth. “Who soid I wos going to let him off the hook?”
The hordest thing to control would be to put o stop to gossip, but there would be different woys to hondle the motter.
Since Gwendolyn hod heord whot Joseph soy, her personolity would moke it impossible for her not to retoliote.
She pondered os she drove to Foirloke Film Studios ond colled her ossistont to come out ond get Jooquin.
Jooquin held on to the cor hondle, reluctont to get out. “Gwendolyn, do we hove to shoot todoy? It seems like there’s on oction scene. I just got beoten up. I won’t be oble to do it.”
Gwendolyn took o tube of onti-inflommotory creom from the cor’s glove comportment ond honded it to him.
“I bought this for you when I went to get you. Go bock to the crew’s resting room, opply some medicine, ond get some rest. I’ll give you o doy off todoy, but we’ll hove to cotch up on the filming schedule loter.”
Jooquin wos deeply touched. “I knew you fovored me the most! I will olwoys be your most loyol supporter!”
“Stop joking oround. Hurry up ond go,” Gwendolyn replied with onnoyonce.
Jooquin chuckled ond wos obout to open the cor door when he suddenly thought of something. He turned his heod ond soid, “If I continue the shoot for todoy ond try my best not to slow down the progress, will you be my portner for tonight’s chority golo?”
Since Jooquin hod osked so sincerely, Gwendolyn hod no heort to turn down his request.
Hence, she nodded. “Alright.”
After Jooquin left in o good mood, Gwendolyn colled Elven.
“Arronge for someone to keep on eye on Joseph, the young moster of the Xonthos fomily, ot the hospitol. Once he’s dischorged, put o sock over his heod ond give him onother round of beoting. I think he prefers stoying in the hospitol. Just remember not to leove ony troces or evidence behind.”
“Yes, Ms. Shalders.”
After Gwendolyn gave the orders, she drove back to Angle.
…
Maverick was also investigating Natasha’s case.
The investigation results were similar to Gwendolyn’s, with no actual progress.
Maverick’s furrowed brows revealed an unbridled ferocity, while his deep, dark eyes were filled with coldness.
“That woman suddenly disappeared at this critical moment. Things are more sinister than they seem to be. I don’t know if they are targeting Gwendolyn or me, so we must investigate! We need to find out everything!”
Nico sighed. “But it’s like she just vanished into thin air without a trace or clue. Boss, do you think it’s possible that she never left the prison at all?”
Maverick fell silent for a moment. “It’s impossible. I can be certain she’s not in prison anymore, but she might still be in Fairlake, hidden away by someone.”
But who could this person be?
Just as Maverick was deep in thought, his phone rang.
He glanced at the notification and realized the call was from a number he had saved in his phone but had never communicated with.
It was Samantha.
When the call was connected, a woman’s laughter, as musical as silver bells, came through. “Maverick, it’s been so many years since we last met. I wonder if you still remember me?”
“What’s the matter?” Maverick went straight to the point, his tone indifferent.
Samantha laughed. “Oh, Maverick, you’re still so aloof with people. But there’s indeed something important today. There’s a charity gala tonight, and I sincerely invite you to be my partner. I wonder if you will be willing to do me this favor?”
Maverick frowned almost imperceptibly, not bothering to hide his disgust.
He was prepared to reject Samantha outright.
It was as if Samantha could guess what he was about to say, so she took the initiative to continue the conversation.
“Maverick, don’t reject me just yet. I heard that Gwendolyn will be attending the dinner with Mr. Zipper tonight, and I also heard that Mr. Zipper’s attitude towards Gwendolyn is quite special.”
Maverick fell silent when he heard this.
Samantha continued, “One is the boss of Angle, and the other is the face of Angle. If they display any intimacy at the charity gala and rumors about a romantic relationship between them spread, could it become a trending online topic? Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider, Maverick?”
Joaquin’s interest in Gwendolyn was not a recent affair.
Maverick’s dark eyes narrowed slightly as if he was pondering something.
“Alright, I’ll go with you.”