June Grant arrived at the coffee shop fifteen minutes early. Before she could even go inside, her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and immediately answered. "Ivy! I'm here! Have you landed yet?"
Ivy Holden rushed through the airport terminal, grinding her teeth. "Didn't I tell you to be fifteen minutes late? And you actually got there fifteen minutes early? If you don't listen to me, you'll get yourself killed one day and not even know how!"
"Why... why are you so angry? It's just a blind date! It's not like he's going to eat me alive."
'That bastard won't just eat you; he won't even spit out the bones.' Ivy cursed inwardly, but she patiently explained, "First of all, you know the saying, 'You can know a person's face, but not their heart'! And also that people's true intentions are always hidden! Second, you're the girl. You're allowed to be late, so why arrive early? Being so eager just sells yourself short, get it?"
"Oh, come on. I'm already here. Am I supposed to stand outside for half an hour?" June Grant pouted.
"You can go inside, but go find Mandy Yorke and chat with her first. Don't rush over to talk to that guy, regardless of whether he's there yet or not." After saying that, Ivy hung up and immediately called Mandy Yorke. While instructing her to keep a close eye on June, she looked around for the baggage claim area.
"Don't worry, I'm here. I'll watch her." Mandy Yorke's gentle voice sounded in her ear, sending Ivy into another daze.
In her past life, Mandy had repeatedly urged her to go back to her grandfather, saying he was the only person in the world who truly cared for her. But she had been so foolish, not only ignoring the advice but even getting into a huge fight with Mandy and cutting off their friendship. The unbearable memories surged up once more, and a sharp pain seized her chest. She couldn't help but clutch it as she bent over.
"Are you okay?" Issac Sutton asked with concern.
"I'm fine." Ivy Holden quickened her pace toward the baggage claim as she asked Issac Sutton, "My cousin lives alone now. Why don't you stay at his place for a while?"
"I... I couldn't possibly..." Issac Sutton said, a little embarrassed.
"Just do as I arrange." As Ivy spoke, she took out her wallet, pulled out all the cash inside, and handed it to Issac. "Take this for now. Later, buy a phone, get a new number, and register a new WeChat account. Don't refuse. From now on, you can't contact anyone but me. This is the basis of our cooperation."
"This... I'll write you an IOU." Issac Sutton was truly short on cash, so he stopped protesting.
"Suit yourself." Ivy didn't care about such things.
Suitcases emerged one by one from the carousel. When Ivy saw her large, silver suitcase coming around in the distance, she took two steps forward, ready to heave it off with all her strength. However, Jensen Morrison reached out and grabbed the suitcase first.
Ivy was about to stop him when she caught sight of another silver suitcase emerging from the chute—it was the same model! She was about to reach out and grab her suitcase, but Issac Sutton beat her to it. If Ivy had lifted the suitcase herself, she would have realized it was nowhere near the weight she expected. However, with so much on her mind, she paid no attention to such details.
Soon, June Grant's call came through again.
Ivy answered the phone and heard June's excited voice. "Ivy! I just got a look at the guy, and he's really handsome! Oh my god, I'm not waiting for you, I'm going to go meet him!"
"Wait!" Ivy knew, of course, that Ezekiel Aldrin had the kind of face that could fool young girls. Otherwise, how could a sucker for a pretty face like June have been so tragically deceived by him in her past life? "Don't hang up. Turn on your Bluetooth!"
After getting into a taxi, Ivy continued her call with June. She was completely unaware of a black Mercedes van following her taxi at a steady pace.
Jensen Morrison sat in the back of the Mercedes van, his head resting against the window as he watched the taxi ahead. As the vehicle left the airport exit, he said languidly, "Let's go to the academy and see the old man first."
His manager, Diana Dunn, repeated Jensen's words to the driver before turning to stare at him. "Weren't you supposed to be handling a merger for the chairman this time? How did you get tangled up with James Zimmers again? Don't you know that video of you two singing together has already caused a bloodbath in the domestic entertainment industry?"
"Oh? Do tell." Jensen looked very interested.
"It's obvious what's happening. James Zimmers is hemorrhaging fans, and his follower count is still plummeting. According to inside sources, several of his endorsements have already been terminated. But Chyler isn't sitting idle, either. They've spent a fortune hiring paid trolls to control the narrative and sling mud at you, saying you're bullying a newcomer."
Jensen Morrison let out a cold laugh. "Bully him? He's not worthy."
Diana Dunn looked at Jensen's haggard appearance and swallowed the words she was about to say. "You look exhausted. If you're not feeling well, we should go back to your place so you can rest."
"I slept on the plane and caught a bit of a chill. It's nothing serious." Jensen glanced at the necklace pendant in his palm, and the image of Ivy Holden from his dream, covered in wounds, flashed before his eyes again.
"Ooh, that's pretty—but it looks like an antique. Where'd you pick it up?"
"Found it on the plane," Jensen said, tucking the pendant into an inner pocket of his jacket.
"You've got some luck finding things!" Diana felt that Jensen's expression was off. She asked again, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine. If you're so concerned, help me look into someone."
"Who?" Diana asked curiously.
"James Zimmers."
Diana was a bit surprised. "Investigate him? What aspects are you interested in?"
"Everything."
"Alright." Seeing Jensen close his eyes in exhaustion, Diana reminded him, though she felt a bit bad about it, "You have a meeting with Mr. Cheney from Dawnlight Pictures tonight. You need to hang in there."
"You're turning into a real nag." Jensen pulled up the thin blanket and shifted into a more comfortable position.
*
Kira Walton was, after all, a seasoned veteran. In a very short time, she sorted out the immediate trouble and pulled Leila Lane over to her side. She had someone book them plane tickets back to the country together.
As night fell, James Zimmers and his entourage hurriedly entered the airport. Under the protection of airport security, they made their way into the VIP lounge. It couldn't be helped—the video online had already exploded. Even in a foreign country, there were enough fans to swarm and block them. Kira Walton didn't dare cause any more trouble at a time like this, so she spent the money to avoid disaster, booking first-class tickets for all the main members of their team.