Chapter 24: Follow Me

Overhearing the commotion, onlookers began to cast a disdainful glance at Bianca, believing the latter was such an unreasonable person.

Bianca shot Ashley a disdainful look. She couldn’t help but notice the similarities between Ashley and Stacey. They both seemed to have learned from the same acting coach!

Fuming, Ashley dialed her agent’s number. “Jessica, why did you send such an incompetent person to pick me up? She’s so clumsy that she spilled coffee all over me. I have a brand deal opening ceremony this afternoon, but my dress is ruined! What am I supposed to do now?”

Ashley complained to her agent on the phone while giving Bianca a smug look. After she hung up, Bianca’s phone immediately rang.

Feeling a bit nervous, Bianca picked up the call right away. It was the agent, Jessica Smith, sounding furious. “Bianca Scott, what’s going on? I just asked you to pick her up, and you can’t even do that properly!”

“Jessica, I didn’t spill the coffee on her,” Bianca tried to explain.

“I don’t want to hear it. I’ve sent someone else to take care of Jasmine. Get back to the office now!” Jessica said, and then she hung up.

Right after Bianca put away her phone, Ashley crossed her arms and smirked, saying, “Uh-oh, you’re in trouble now! But don’t sweat it. You better get used to it. You’re so bad at simple stuff like picking someone up from the airport.”

She grinned at Bianca while saying this.

Bianca rolled her eyes in annoyance, ignored Ashley, and walked over to the vending machine. She bought a can of Coke, opened it, then returned to Ashley and poured the soda over her head without saying anything.

Ashley screamed in shock, “What the-?!”

The cold, sticky liquid drenched her hair and dripped down her face, messing up her makeup. She looked like a drowned rat.

“Are you satisfied?” Bianca snapped.

With that, she left before Ashley could retaliate.

Ashley was furious, her eyes bulging with anger. She stomped her foot and yelled, “You’ll regret this, Bianca Scott! I’ll get you out of Phoenix Entertainment, just wait and see!”

Ignoring Ashley’s threats, Bianca hailed a taxi and went back to the office.

Jessica was already there, waiting for her.

“Bianca, today marks your first day here. You’re interning for now, but once you graduate, you’ll be officially hired. If you struggle with a simple task like this, how can I trust you with more important responsibilities in the future?” Jessica’s tone wasn’t harsh, but her disappointment was clear.

“I didn’t spill coffee on her. Jasmine did it herself just to make me look bad,” Bianca explained.

Bianca almost slipped up and called Ashley by her real name, but she caught herself just in time. She didn’t want anyone to know that Jasmine was her stepsister to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Jessica studied the determined girl in front of her. Bianca didn’t seem like someone who would spill coffee on purpose. Plus, Jessica knew that Jasmine could be difficult to deal with. However, since Jessica hadn’t witnessed the airport incident, she couldn’t determine who was truly at fault.

“Okay, but be more careful next time,” Jessica sighed. She saw Bianca as a trainee and genuinely wanted to help her improve. “Bianca, it’s crucial to realize that the workplace is different from school. You need to learn how to handle tricky situations diplomatically. Working in the entertainment industry can be especially challenging. You’ll encounter artists who are even tougher than Jasmine. If you’re not careful, you might not be suited for this job.”

Bianca nodded silently and left Jessica’s office, her head still bowed.

She went back to her desk, feeling down. She understood that Jessica’s words were meant to help her, and she was grateful for that. However, despite knowing it was Ashley’s fault, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of messing up her first task.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, Bianca’s tense expression eased a bit.

“What’s up, Mr. Evans?”

“How’s your first day at work going?” Dave asked.

“Um... quite good, I guess,” Bianca replied.

Dave sensed something was off. “What’s bothering you? You sound upset.”

Bianca felt like she couldn’t hide anything from Dave’s keen insight, but she didn’t want to appear too vulnerable. So, she forced a smile and joked, “Well, this morning, my first task felt like facing a wild dog. I almost got bitten! Still giving me chills just thinking about it!”

A chuckle came from the other end of the line.

“Mr. Evans, you find my troubles amusing?” Bianca playfully pouted, though she actually felt relieved.

“Oops, my bad,” Dave chuckled, then apologized. “How about I make it up to you with lunch? My treat.”

Bianca couldn’t help but smile. “That sounds great!”

At lunchtime, Bianca stepped out of the office building to find Dave waiting for her outside. He was leaning against the railing, looking sharp in a white polo shirt. Even in casual clothes, he had a supermodel vibe.

Dave stood up straight when he saw Bianca approaching.

“Got any cravings?” he asked.

After a moment of thought, Bianca grabbed his arm and said with excitement, “Follow me!”

Bianca hailed a taxi and took Dave to a spot a few kilometers away. After paying the fare, they walked to a food truck.

“Two orders of seafood risotto, please!” Bianca requested from the food truck owner. Then, turning to Dave with excitement shining in her eyes, she said, “Their seafood risotto is amazing!”

Dave’s mouth twitched slightly. He’d never tried street food before.

He grabbed some napkins from the table and wiped his seat before sitting down.

“It’s my treat,” Dave said with a frown. “Why don’t we go to a nicer restaurant?”

Bianca had just set the plates of seafood risotto on the table when she heard Dave’s question.

“Don’t underestimate street food, Mr. Evans. Even if it doesn’t look fancy, it can be delicious. Plus, you’ve already treated me so generously. I don’t want to take advantage of your kindness.”

Dave was touched by her sincerity. He watched quietly as she dug into the food, unable to hide his smile.

As it turned out, Bianca was right. Despite the unassuming appearance of the food truck, even Dave had to admit that the food was exceptional. In fact, if he closed his eyes, he might have mistaken it for a meal from a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Noticing a bit of sauce on the corner of Bianca’s mouth, Dave instinctively reached out to wipe it with a tissue.

The moment his hand touched her, Bianca’s heart skipped a beat. His touch was so gentle, and she couldn’t help but think that he was not only handsome but also incredibly kind.