CHAPTER 401
Chapter 401
“Right, guess who it is?”
“The new it–girl everyone’s talking about?”
“No, no, think bigger.”
“Bigger?”
“Bella Taylor!”
I was taken aback for a moment. “Christine Jackson, you’re connected with that crowd now?”
Bella, one of the industry’s leading ladies, had become a sensation right out of the gate over two decades ago.
Rumor had it her background was impressive, but in all these years, no one had managed to dig up anything concrete. Either the rumors were false, or her family was untouchable by ordinary standards.
In recent years, she had stepped back from acting, becoming a powerhouse producer instead.
Every time she made a public appearance, she stirred as much buzz as the biggest names out there.
“This isn’t about my connections.”
Christine shook her head, barely containing her excitement. “She saw your design at the fashion show last month, loved it, and had her agent reach out to see if you could do a custom piece for her.”
She was worried I couldn’t keep up, as I only released two custom slots a
month.
But all that work was under my international alias in the design world.
Nobody knew that behind Janedream’s designs was Jane Webster.
She poked me in the forehead. “You still think you’re the Jane from two years ago? Now, we’ve got stars lining up for our custom designs, all hoping to make a splash on the red carpet.” Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
I teased her. “And Bella?”
“Cough… she’s not just any star, she’s a legend. We need to stay on her good side.”
Christine got cold feet but quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, what’s your plan? I don’t believe you came back just for this.”
1 leaned back on the couch, resting my head on my hand. “When I left two years ago, I was in a bad place. There were things I needed to sort out.”
Back then, just getting through each day was a struggle, let alone anything else.
The feud with the Myers family.
The split of shares between Janedream and RF.
Christine asked, “So what’s first on your agenda?”
“One thing at a time.”
I pursed my lips. “You’ve got a meeting with Bella the day after tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah, she’s coming to RiverCity to see her daughter,” Christine said.
Bella, nearing fifty and still unmarried, had shocked everyone last year by announcing she had a daughter.
Many envied the child, saying even being born was an art form.
I got up to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. “Then I’ll head to Vista Town now, check in on Ramona.”
“Don’t you want to get over your jet lag first?”
“I slept on the plane, I’m fine.”
“Alright then.”
Christine relaxed and handed me a set of keys. “Here, your car just got delivered from the dealership yesterday.”
Stepping out of the building, I spotted a brand–new Audi RS7.
The summer heat in RiverCity was suffocating. Even the breeze felt hot.
Soon, I rolled up the windows and surrendered to the air conditioning.
Arriving in Vista Town, I drove straight to the nursing home.
Ramona woke up not long after I had left for France, thanks to traditional. medicine, but she was left with some cognitive issues, similar to Alzheimer’s.
When I got to the nursing home, I rushed inside, brushing past a group of bodyguards pushing a wheelchair.
The man in sunglasses slouched in the chair seemed listless but exuded a cold, irritable aura.
Entering the room, the caregiver greeted me with surprise, “Ms. Webster, you’re back?”
Mark had arranged for her. I couldn’t rest easy without someone familiar by
Ramona’s side.
“Yeah, just got in today.”
I smiled. “How’s Grandma?”
“She’s resting in her room. Mr. Ford visited this afternoon, talked with her for a while until she fell asleep. He just left; didn’t you run into him?”
“Mr. Ford?!”
I glanced back at the door, asking, “The one with the bodyguards?”
“Yes, did you see him?”
Without waiting for an answer, I bolted outside!
By the time I made it out, a black Bentley was just closing its doors, with the remaining bodyguards getting into a car behind.
“Gregory Ford!”