Chapter 16

Diana's looks weren't inferior to Gabriella's. Gabriella had an edge over Diana because she was young. However, everything was unpredictable in the entertainment industry. The starlets without status or backing would only be exploited by the powerful investors when they joined the industry. But if one had control over the capital, the resources would keep coming in. Even after suffering a loss, the rich would still do better than the ordinary people. No matter what, the Gyleon family still had a place in Heyton. Diana was the heiress of the Gyleon family and the wife of the Hendrix family's son in the public's eyes. No one would have the nerve to offend her. Since she had made up her mind to choose interests over love, why would she waste the chance if she could still take advantage of the Hendrix family? From that moment on, the hopeless romantic, Diana, was gone. She would only have her feelings locked away. Evelyne's family made investments and owned a small media company that had signed a few influencers and celebrities. Compared to the media company under Hendrix Corporation, Evelyne's company still had a long way to go. That didn't matter, anyway. The industry was flooded with media companies. The only two companies that stood out were owned by the Hendrix Corporation and the Cornelius family. The rest were just mediocre. Evelyne stepped forward and hugged Diana. "I'll head back and get things ready. Diana, welcome to Citrus Bless." That night, Diana received another message from Gabriella. It was a photo, as usual. But this time, it was a photo of Gabriella and Vincent. Diana didn't respond. Instead, she saved the photo and deliberately took a screenshot of the time. After that, she switched off her phone and ignored Gabriella. Meanwhile, Gabriella leaned against Vincent's shoulder. She smirked at her screen with a smug glint in her eyes. "That old lady's tolerance is on a whole new level!" Gabriella thought. Gabriella had gone that far to provoke Diana, but Diana had held herself back and not lost her rag. Diana didn't even go after Gabriella, and Gabriella thought it was such a pity. In fact, Gabriella was dying for Diana to go to her and look for trouble. Gabriella would be at an advantage if Diana reacted more aggressively. After all, men wouldn't like shrews. Gabriella was gentle and adorable, and she knew how to sweet-talk and satisfy the men's ego. That was how she made men deeply attracted to her. "What's the matter?" Vincent was done with his documents and rubbed his temples. He turned to look at her and asked, "Are you texting someone?" "Just a friend from the industry." Gabriella rested her chin on his shoulder again and beamed at him. "Vincent, aren't you going home tonight?" "I thought you were scared," he said with a chuckle. Vincent gently pinched her cheek. "I dropped everything to be with you just because you said you were scared. I even brought my work to finish in the car." Gabriella's eyes lit up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned closer. With her lips brushing his ear, she said, "I'm scared, Vincent. I'm filming a horror movie, remember? The set is terrifying. If you weren't here with me, I wouldn't be able to sleep." Vincent shot her an annoyed glare. "Why did you even accept that role? If you need resources, just tell me. Don't waste your time on random projects like this." She was such a scaredy-cat, yet she accepted a role in a horror film. It was like she wanted to torture herself. Gabriella put on a pitiful look and tugged at his arm like a child. "But you promised you'd always protect me… Doesn't that promise count anymore?" Vincent sighed and brushed his fingers over her nose tip with an indulgent smile. "You like to bring trouble on yourself." "If you're really scared, just tell the director you're backing out." Vincent was still worried. "No way," Gabriella shook her head. "The penalty fee for breaching the contract is insanely high." Vincent chuckled. "You're not paying it. I'll take care of it." Gabriella giggled and fell into his arms, lazily toying with the buttons on his coat. "That won't do," she said in a teasing tone. "People might think you're my sugar daddy." She glanced up at him with feigned innocence. "What if people start assuming there's something... inappropriate going on between us?" "Inappropriate?" Vincent frowned slightly. Clearly, the idea hadn't even crossed his mind. Gabriella's eyes dimmed just a little, and a flicker of irritation passed through her gaze. Vincent was always like this—decent and proper. However, they had nearly crossed that line when he lost his memory. Vincent had always been hers. They had met in Winderbay, fallen in love, and even her family had approved. It had been so close, but everything had been ruined when the Hendrix family came looking for him. Gabriella had never been able to let that go. It was a constant ache in her heart. She wondered what right Jason had to take Vincent away forcefully. How could Jason ruin her relationship with Vincent? Gabriella had been over the moon when she first discovered that Vincent was the sole heir to Hendrix Corporation. She had dreamed about marrying into a rich family and being the glamorous "Mrs. Hendrix". Nonetheless, that dream had shattered when she found out about Vincent's wife. She had been so furious that she destroyed everything in her room. Gabriella just couldn't accept that a good man like Vincent had been taken. After Vincent regained his memory, he felt sorry for Gabriella, so he had been taking care of her in every way he could. Because of Gabriella, everyone else around her gained benefits, too. The Jackson family had accepted a huge sum of money from the Hendrix family and had become the wealthiest family in their hometown. Vincent had also taken her like his younger sister. But Gabriella didn't want to be his sister. She wanted him to know that she was a woman, not a girl. She was a woman he could sleep with. Vincent had once loved Gabriella, and she was certain she could make him fall for her again. … The next day, Diana didn't come by with the stew. Aaron waited in the lobby for over two hours and scanned the entrance for her familiar silhouette. "That's weird," he muttered, scratching his head. "Mrs. Hendrix usually shows up around this time." Diana didn't know that Vincent had never tasted a bit of the stew. Every batch she had painstakingly made had been quietly given to Gabriella. Vincent had said that he liked it and that it tasted nice only because he wanted Diana to keep preparing it and sending it over. Then, Aaron would carry the lunchbox straight to Gabriella. Aaron, as Vincent's assistant, couldn't even bear to witness all this. He wondered if Vincent wasn't afraid of karma for betraying someone who truly cared for him. "Aaron." Rolind Kent approached him. "What are you doing here?" Vincent had two assistants, Aaron and Rolind. And Rolind was closer to Gabriella. "Are you waiting for Diana again?" Rolind asked. Aaron frowned and corrected, "She's Mrs. Hendrix." Rolind laughed mockingly and rolled her eyes. "Please, do you really think someone like her can keep that title for long? Aaron, didn't you realize something?" "What are you talking about?" Aaron was puzzled. Rolind explained, "It's obvious that Mr. Hendrix cares more about Gabby. She can enter his office as she likes. But his wife, Diana, doesn't even have the right to enter her husband's office freely. "She even needs Mr. Hendrix's permission. Don't you think this is ridiculous?" "Regardless, Ms. Jackson isn't the legal Mrs. Hendrix." Aaron disagreed with Rolind's point and spoke up for Diana. Rolind scoffed, "How could Diana call herself Mrs. Hendrix? She isn't even loved by Mr. Hendrix. What's the point of her keeping the title as Mrs. Hendrix?" Since Gabriella started going to the company to look for Vincent, she would always bump into Rolind. The two women became closer as time passed. Moreover, Gabriella had always been generous to Rolind, and Rolind had been receiving plenty of luxurious goods. Whether it was due to personal interest or other reasons, Rolind would undoubtedly take Gabriella's side. "Besides, you're a man. Can't you tell who is better? Both of them are pretty and have their own strengths, but Gabby is younger. "I thought men liked young and pretty women?" Rolind questioned. Aaron was at a loss for words. He just stood there and felt sorry for Diana.