Chapter 10

Since that night at the country club, Evelyn had been feeling anxious.

After all, Assistant Director Curtis’s attitude that day had been really odd. He’d gone from praising her to slapping her, from desiring Grace to shoving away from her sister.

After a few days of him not coming to the set, his older brother, the Head Director had also been replaced.

As for the reason, no one in the film crew could seem to explain it. However, Evelyn felt that the change in the film’s director had something to do with Curtis. When she thought about it some more, she became afraid that it had something to do with Grace.

Then, a few days later, when she heard Assistant Director Curtis had been hospitalized and that his right hand seemed to be ruined for life, she was dumbfounded. His right hand… If she remembered correctly, that was the hand that he had used to slap Grace.

Evelyn was panicking inside. “What the hell is going on?”

After Assistant Director Curtis answered the phone that night, his attitude towards Grace had completely changed. As for what had happened to Assistant Director Curtis afterward… Was this all a coincidence? Or could it be that… Grace really had someone powerful behind her?

But if Grace really had someone watching over her, would she still be bitterly sweeping the road every day?

Evelyn couldn’t help but tell her parents about what had happened that night. When her father heard that his youngest daughter had sent his eldest daughter to drink with an old man, he immediately glared at Evelyn. “How could you ask your sister to do such a thing? At the very least, our family is…”

“It’s just drinking together. What’s the big deal? Besides, Evelyn did this for the family. Only if Evelyn makes it as a star will our family have a good future. Otherwise, do you want us to rely on your eldest daughter who had been to jail?” her mother interrupted.

Upon hearing this, her father’s expression fell, but he didn’t say anything.

He’d never been warm to Grace, but Evelyn acknowledged that she had set her sister up to be sexually assaulted. Her father wasn’t stupid. He knew that too.

If he pressed her, she’d deny it. As she said, it had only been a few drinks. Her father couldn’t prove the rest, and she’d launch into a tearful performance if he pushed the point.

“Dad, could Grace really have found someone to help her? Otherwise, why would Assistant Director Curtis have let go of her that night and even later ended up in the hospital himself?” Evelyn asked.

How would he have known anything about this!?

Her mom touched dad’s arm. “You are her father after all. You should try to ask her about it. If she really has a backer now, she should tell the family about it. I’m worried that if she gets involved with some bad people, then our family will be dragged down as well. Again. She was in prison before, and there are all sorts of people in prison. Who knows who she had met in there!”

Evelyn covered her mouth as though the very suggestion terrified her. “Oh, father! What if they come after us? Or her criminal friends do more damage to our family name. Father, you were so honored and revered before Grace killed that woman and dishonored us all.”

Her father frowned when he heard this. Then he slapped his fist down on the kitchen table. “If she dares to implicate the family again, I’ll break her legs myself!”

When Grace was cooking a meal in the apartment and waiting for Jason to come back for dinner, the doorbell rang. However, when she opened the door, she saw her father, her stepmother, and that stepsister of hers.

The three of them then rushed straight into her apartment. Her father immediately asked, “Did you meet some shady people in prison? I’m telling you right now if you dare do anything that will affect our family… Don’t expect me to deal with you lightly!”

“What on earth did I do that would require you to ‘deal with me’?” Grace looked at her father coldly.

“Did you ask someone to break Assistant Director Curtis’s hand? He was just asking you to drink with him, and he didn’t do anything else. How could you be so vicious? Did you lose your memory while in prison? Do you think that you can just do whatever you want after meeting some evil people in prison!?” Her father scolded.

Grace snickered. “It seems like karma is real. He got what he deserved. Also, if you think that there’s nothing wrong with drinking together, then go ahead and ask your precious daughter Evelyn to drink with him instead. What did she scheme against me for!?”

“This is what you owe her! If it weren’t for you, she…”

“If it weren’t for me, do you think she would’ve even had a chance at being chosen as the female lead for a film in the first place?” Grace paused and let that little barb land. Then she said directly, “Don’t tell me that I owe her anything, because I never did!”

“Sister, I’ve never blamed you for your sins. You don’t need to speak to dad like this.” Evelyn acted like she had been wronged.

“You’re so noble,” Grace replied sarcastically.

She was bemused that they thought they could charge into her home and bully her into being some sex toy to advance her sister’s career. This entire conversation and trying to blame her for her sister’s shortcomings was ludicrous.

Her stepmother quickly comforted her daughter and looked at Grace with dissatisfaction. “Grace, don’t take your anger out on your sister. Your father just doesn’t want you to go down the wrong path. If you go to jail again, what will happen to our family’s reputation!?”

“What’s the point of talking to her about all this? Anyway, go to Assistant Director Curtis immediately.

No matter what method you use, ask him to forgive you. You can’t implicate Evelyn because of this matter, do you understand? If you dare to ruin Evelyn’s future, just watch how I deal with you!” Her father ordered.

Grace felt that this was laughable. Did her father really think that she could be controlled at will? Or was it that when one’s heart was completely biased, one would ignore everything else they didn’t agree with?

“I won’t apologize to anyone, so you can go back now. You’re not welcome here,” Grace said.

As her father heard these words, his face flushed with anger. “Who do you think you are!?” He raised his hand to strike her.

Grace subconsciously took a step back, but when she moved her feet, her ankle rolled. She winced and braced for the hit.

But it never came.

A hand blocked her father’s fist in mid-air.

“Jay!” Grace had not expected Jay home so early.

Jason looked coldly at the three uninvited guests in the room. He had read Grace’s files and so he knew that these three were her father, stepmother, and stepsister.

“Get out!” he said coldly.

“Who do you think you are to stop me from hitting my own daughter?! Let go!” Her father shouted. He felt that his hand was about to break from the man’s grip.

Then, her father got what he wished for. Jason let go of his hand after throwing her father out of the apartment.

Her stepmother and Evelyn rushed outside the apartment to help him up.

“Grace, why are you letting a stranger treat your father like this?” her stepmother scolded.

“Who is this man?” her father asked with hatred. “Fine, Grace, I see how great you are. You hooked up with a wild man right after getting out of jail…”

Her father’s voice suddenly stopped. Jason growled. The sound was more suited to a wild beast than this man, but the intent was the same.

He would fight. He would kill.

Grace dragged Jay inside and slammed the door behind him.