Chapter 69 Personally Chosen

Finished

Taylor clearly hadn’t expected Jean to say that. His eyes widened in surprise, and he blinked a few times before finding his voice. “Wait–what? Why so sudden?”

Lacey turned her head as well, ncing at Jean’s pale side profile.

She wanted to withdraw?

bDid /bthat mean-

Lacey’s heart skipped a beat. A surge of hope and joy flooded her chest.

But the bman /bon the screen didn’t say anything

Easton’s dark, deep eyes locked onto Jean through the monitor. For a long moment, he just stared.

Then suddenly, he smiled.

It was a bright, dazzling curve of the lips, like a rose blooming wildly in the dark–beautiful and impossible to ignore.

“Why do you want to withdraw?”

His voice was casualb, /balmost bzy/b.

But Easton knew the real reason.

Jean didn’t want to be near him.

Heartless little thing. He’d even been generous enough to give her medicinest time, and now she was acting like he had the gue.

Truthfully, he hadn’t expected to see her face here today,

Taylor had only told him he’d arranged two candidates for the final round of selection, and bthat /bEaston could choose whichever bone /bhe liked.

And here she was.

The bgirl /bfrom that night.

Easton’s smile deepened, just slightly.

Like a brat with a streak of mischief, he looked at her and said, “Well, since you want to back out, that just makes me want to choose you even more.”

He snapped his fingers, suddenly stood up, and his smile stretched wider.

“I’ve made my decision. bJean/b–it’s you. You’ll be on the show with me.”

Then, with a little wave, the screen went ck.

He’d logged off

Just blike /bbthat/b?

Jean blinked, caughtpletely off bguard/b.

She hadn’t even done banything/b. No audition. No performance. And somehow, bthis /bguy had picked her?

He was doing this on purpose, bwasn’t /bhe?

427 PM c bd /b.

Chapter 69 Personally Chosen

Across the room, Lacey felt her entire body go cold.

She hadn’t seen thising at all.

After everything she’d done–the effort, the performance–Easton hadn’t even looked twice.

Jean had barely said a word, and somehow, she’d won.

Lacey felt like aplete joke.

Resentment, bitterness, shame, frustration–every emotion poured through her, choking her like a wave.

She clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Finished

“Jean,” Taylor said, bclearly /ba little dazed himself. He walked over, expression much warmer than before. “Well. I guess that settles it. If you’re bokay /bwith it, shall we go ahead and sign the contract?”

bJean /bsaid nothing.

After a beat, she bgave /bba /btight shake of her head, face bnk/b.

She didn’t want to get tangled up in a show like this–especially not with someone like bEaston/b.

“Mr. Taylor, I’m sorry, but-”

Before she could finish, Taylor raised ba /bbhand /band held up five fingers.

“Appearance fee: five million.”

Jean froze mid–sentence.

she blinked o

bthen /bagain.

Actually, I think I’m feeling much better.”

bJean /bsigned the contract, then got ready to leave. Taylor offered to have his assistant, Fayne, drive her home, but she politely. declined.

She bstill /bhad some unfinished business.

Lacey bhad /bslipped away at some point. Where bhad /bshe gone? Back to school?

Jean mulled it over as she stepped outside.

She bwasn’t /bgoing to let the poisoning incident slide.

As she crossed the street, her eyes caught something through a nearby cafe’srge window.

Lacey was sitting inside.

She was by herself bat /ba window seat, her head bowed, shoulders slumped. Her face wasn’t visible, but her entire posture radiated defeat

She looked fragile. Alone.

Jean tilted her head slightly and smiled–cold and sharp.

Her reason for signing the contract hadn’t just been the bfive /bmillion.

Chapter 69 Personaly Gowers)

Nis she wanted Lacey to suffer To lose To be humiluted

It was nothing more than what she deserved

Jean crossed the street pushed open the cafe door and walked straight ever to Lacey’s table.

Lacey didn’t look up

Jean knocked lightly on the table, then pulled out the seat across from her and sat down.

Lacey Blinked surges and looked up

Their eves locked

Jean’s gaze was icy cold Her face was expressioni

Lacey’s own eyes widened You–jean? What are you doing here? Come to gloat!”

narrowed her eyes. Her voice was low, cam and dangerously quiet. “You think I came all know exactly what you did.”

ay for no reason! You

Lacey finchel

Something about Jean’s tone, her posture, her entire presence–rattled her

before

Cold Ruthless Untouchable

It was terrifying

vet for the reason her mind dried

the remembered the fins timeshe met Jean

Back in middle school they’d been part of a newly merged ss. A bunch of unfamiliar kids thrown together.

Pean had been one of them

Back then, Jean had a reputation–well–liked well–mannered from a wen

well–liked well–mannered from a wealthy family. A picture–perfect rich

girl

She quickly and even got voted as the ss’s art rep

Jean, on the other hand was a total anomaly

Que Distant Practally invisible. If you didn’t go out of your way to petice her, you wouldn’t even know she was there.

At the time. Lacey couldve ignored her like everyone else.

But she been so confident

She’d though. The No one who won’t like me

So she’d med to “me” Jean

Cet her to ve Be friendly Open up

That said made Lagood #ising over the most aloof garden dat How impressite

Chapter 69 Personalty

bSend /bGifts