SWNOVELS Chapter 3
Simone's words left Aaron unsure of what to say for a moment. While he had not intended to lose her back then, he indeed caused his younger sister to be lost for many years and deprived her of the life of a wealthy young lady. She continued, "I'll repeat. I no longer care about you guys, so I have zero interest in vying for favor with Jodie." Titus scowled. "Think it over. If you sever ties with us, don't expect any resources from the company." The eldest child, Reuben Gray, added, "We might even boycott you." They hoped that by saying this, Simone would reconsider for the sake of her future. They wanted her to know her limits and back down.
However, she suddenly burst into laughter. "You speak as if you've given me a lot of resources this past year. Since I joined Gray Entertainment, the resources I received are not even close to what I used to ge from that small company that often exploited me. Not only are the resources few and poor, but I've also been attacked online, where you didn't bother calling the PR. You even want to snatch away the resources I managed to secure for myself for Jodie. You truly have the nerve to use this to threaten me. I've seen shameless people, but never ones as shameless as you." At the sight of their darkened faces, she continued, "Fortunately, when I joined the company, I didn't sign any contracts, so I won't need to terminate any." At the time, Reuben and Titus had assured her they were all one family, so there was no need to bother signing contracts because they would not make her suffer any losses. Since she did not know what it would be like when she returned to the Gray Family, she agreed, thinking it would be wise to keep some leverage. As expected, she had not made a mistake in keeping her options open. Otherwise, if she wanted to terminate the contract, she would have to pay a substantial penalty. If she could not afford it, she was sure they would go as far as blacklisting her if she did not cooperate. "From today onwards, I won't serve you anymore. Do whatever you want. You didn't publicly announce my identity, so I won't have to announce it to the public either. Goodbye forever!" She turned away once again, this time briskly leaving with her suitcase. Once outside, she pressed the pause button on the recording on her phone. Upon seeing Simone's resolute departure, the Grays felt dissatisfied besides anger. Then, Salma furiously said, "She actually left.
It's outrageous." Titus said with a scowling face, "Since she's so stubborn, I'll have her know that once she leaves us, she'll be and have nothing." He felt that Simone's sudden rebellion was aimed at him as he asked her to give up her spot for Jodie, angering her. Subsequently, he turned to Reuben and said, "Ben, get in touch with other entertainment companies. Tell them not to sign Simone." Reuben nodded. "All right." Faced with a once obedient sister who suddenly rebelled, he thought of giving her a taste of reality and making her understand that being willful had consequences. After seeing Reuben's agreement, Titus squinted his eyes. "No matter how independent she is, she won't go far. Soon, she'll be begging to come back." He would also inform the agents in the industry not to sign Simone. Hearing the words of her two brothers, Jodie felt a sense of joy in her heart. However, she said with a self-blaming expression, "It's all my fault for making Simone angry and leaving. Reuben, Titus, please don't do this. When she calms down, I'll apologize to her, and she'll come back." The more she said this, the more the family felt that Simone was being willful and became more resentful. Sure enough, Reuben said, "This has nothing to do with you. She just doesn't know how to be content." The other four boys in the Gray Family agreed. "Exactly. She's already obtained the status of the young lady of the Gray Family, yet she always wants to compete with you.
It's unreasonable." "You don't need to apologize to her. That would spoil her." "If we don't show her some toughness, she'll continue causing trouble at home." Compared to Jodie, Simone was willful. Salma thought for a moment, patted Jodie on the shoulder, and said, "We know you're kind-hearted, so you don't need to worry about this matter. Your brothers know what to do. She'll behave when she comes back." Hearing the words of the others, Steven also felt that it made sense. If Simone could not handle the outside world, she would naturally come back and seek reconciliation. Therefore, he did not object to it. Jodie then nodded helplessly. "All right." Meanwhile, Simone returned to the apartment she had rented after coming to Cebros. Even after returning to the Gray Family, she did not cancel the lease. Whenever she had conflicts with them or felt unhappy staying there, she would come and live there for a few days. After cleaning up her apartment, her phone rang. She was momentarily taken aback as a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes. It was someone she had always been unwilling to think about her childhood sweetheart and boyfriend, Leon Foster. When she was adopted by her master, she lived next door to Leon's grandfather, and the two old gentlemen had a good relationship. Back then, when she was abused by human traffickers and dared not step out of the yard, it was Leon who held her hand and walked her out, resembling a ray of sunshine that shone into her heart. She emerged from the shadow of human traffickers and started clinging to him, someone five years older than her. When he was in high school, he was brought back to Cebros by his family. To catch up with him, she worked hard to skip grades and entered a university in Cebros.
After he entered the entertainment industry for two years, she graduated from college and joined the industry as well. Upon her return to the Grays, she took the initiative to confess to Leon, who did not reject. She always thought that he treated her differently. However, in her previous life, he made her feel the pain of betrayal. In this second chance at life, she did not want to have any entanglements with him anymore. As such, she answered the phone coldly, "What's the matter?" Leon found her attitude today a bit cold, but he did not take it to heart. "Are you not going on that variety show?" Simone retorted. "Who said that?" She knew he also hoped she would give up the spot for Jodie, which was why he called to probe her. He replied, "I heard from Titus that you're going to give up the spot." "There's no such thing. I won't give up the spot for anyone." He couldn't help but furrow his brow. "Won't you listen to Titus?" She sneered. "Why should I?" Leon and Titus were classmates in high school and had maintained a good relationship, staying in touch. That's why Leon came to persuade her to give up her previous life. Initially, she didn't suspect Jodie because she believed Leon genuinely cared for her. His frown deepened. "Titus is your agent, so he must have your best interests at heart. Don't be stubborn." She coldly snorted. "What am I being stubborn about?
Am I being stubborn and unreasonable just because I won't give Jodie what she wants?" She sarcastically added, "If I give in, the Gray Family will think I'm sensible, and you'll happily be with your lover." She had reached her limit. In her previous life, she eventually gave up her position due to pressure from the Gray Family and Leon's persuasion. With the Gray Family's marketing, Leon's care, and assistance on the variety show, Jodie successfully portrayed herself as a kind-hearted lady and quickly gained popularity. The so-called good opportunities provided by Titus turned out to be a minor role in a drama with few scenes. Ultimately, the drama was never released due to controversy with the male lead. What surprised her even more was that Leon had received an invitation to the same variety show, but he had never told her. She only found out when the show premiered, and he was one of the mysterious guests. Observing Leon subtly taking care of Jodie, she realized that these two knew each other and that his feelings for Jodie were unusual.
However, after watching only the first episode of the variety show, she had to leave for the filming of a drama. When she finished shooting, six months had already passed. At that time, she was a bit perplexed and unsure whether she should continue interacting with the Grays and Leon. Through a stroke of luck and a fortunate opportunity, she managed to secure the leading role in a niche film. As a result, she headed to a remote and mountainous area to shoot the film.