The cameras had conveniently been turned off after the game, and it entirely missed Jolieâs deliberate foul play.
Jennifer shot a warning glare at Jolie, her voice cold.
âBe careful.
Sheâs the last person you want to cross.
â
With that, Jennifer turned on her heel, disgust evident in every step.
Adrian immediately followed suit.
As soon as they left, Jolie wiped away her tears, her defiance simmering beneath the surface.
âSheâs just a third-rate agent; whatâs so special about her? Even if sheâs tight with Mitchel, I donât see the big deal about it.
The Chadwick family is a prestigious family renowned in the medical field.
How could they possibly accept Ariana as one of them? Sheâs just a widow with a kid,â Jolie muttered.
Meanwhile, in the medical van, Holden tended to Arianaâs head wound with care.
His brow furrowed with concern as he gently blew on the wound, asking, âDoes it still hurt?â
Ariana shook her head lightly.
âYou donât have to worry about me.
Iâm okay.
Itâs just a scratch; itâll mend in no time.
â
âIt could leave a scar,â Holden cautioned, blowing on the wound gently once more.
Then, with a serious expression, he inquired, âHow long has this been going on? Did Jolie have issues with you before?â
âMaybe.
â Ariana sounded uncertain.
After a short pause, she added, âSome people are just like oil and water, you know? Thatâs me and Jolie.
We donât get along.
â
Holden snorted, his demeanor turning cold.
He didnât elaborate much, pulling out a strawberry Band-Aid and carefully placing it on Arianaâs forehead.
His tone was resolute.
âOnce all of this is over, youâre coming back with me.
No more filming.
I donât care about the cancellation fee.
â
Ariana shook her head.
âThe cancellation fee is the least of my problems.
I made a promise to a friend, and bailing as a scheduled guest would throw a wrench in the production teamâs plans.
The director would have a hard time looking for a replacement.
â
Holden waved off her concerns.
âDonât sweat it about the production team; Iâll sort it out.
â
âBut I promisedâ¦â Ariana attempted to argue.
Holden cut her off with a dismissive wave.
âWhich friend? Iâll have a chat with them myself.
â
Ariana fell silent.
She hadnât told Marge that Holden was Theodore, and Holdenâs sudden appearance might cause a stir.
Seeing Holdenâs unwavering determination, she relented with a sigh.
âFine, Iâll handle the explanation with my friends.
â
After confirming Ariana was not seriously injured, the crew moved on to a beach barbecue planned for the evening.
When Ariana arrived, Jolie hurried over, looking remorseful.
âIâm really sorry, Ariana.
I didnât mean to hit you today.
Are you okay?â she said.
Although Jolie sounded sincere, Ariana spotted a smug smirk flickering in Jolieâs eyes.
Ariana, having heard complaints from Jennifer earlier, had her suspicions about whether the act had been intentional.