Free Web NovelChapter 225: Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t bully her.
Edic hesitated.
From what he had understood so far, Ethan carried a mysterious identity —one that only Jasper was truly aware of. And that was precisely why he had been entrusted with taking extra care of him.
Now that Jasper was asking about Ethan’s request—
Did that mean he intended to step in personally?
The thought made Edic’s brows knit slightly.
If Jasper chose to act, removing that new artiste wouldn’t be difficult at all. In fact, with the kind of influence his name alone carried, he wouldn’t even need to lift a finger for it to happen.
But was that really necessary?
Edic couldn’t help but question it.
From what little he knew, that new artiste couldn’t have done anything outrageous —nothing that justified having her opportunity stripped away like this. At most, it seemed like a personal grievance. And if that was the case, wasn’t this response far too excessive?
His fingers curled slightly at his side, the unease settling deeper into his chest.
"I asked you something," Jasper pressed again when Edic remained silent for too long. His tone wasn’t loud, yet it carried enough authority to snap one back to attention. "What request did he make?"
Edic knew he could dodge the question.
He could brush it aside. Redirect it. Pretend it wasn’t important.
But—
He also knew that wouldn’t work here.
"CEO Warren," he began carefully, choosing his words with caution, "Ethan recently secured a good role in Director Rhodes’s upcoming movie, The Empress’s Grief. The filming hasn’t started yet, but the contracts have already been signed."
He paused, weighing his next words more heavily this time.
"In the cast, there seems to be a new artiste —probably selected for a minor role. She might have offended Ethan in some way. And now ... he wants her to be removed from the crew."
His brows furrowed faintly as he added,
"How can we make such a decision over something as trivial as a personal grievance?"
Removing one small actress wasn’t a big deal. That was the reality of the industry. But Edic didn’t feel right about it.
To him, it simply wasn’t fair —especially when he believed she was Freya’s artiste. It might not have been easy for someone like her to land such an opportunity in the first place ... and now, to have it taken away over something so insignificant—
It didn’t sit well with him.
Jasper nodded slightly, as if he had already grasped the entire situation.
And just when Edic thought he might dismiss it—
"Who is that artiste?" Jasper asked.
Edic froze for a second.
"CEO Warren, that ..."
He truly wanted to avoid answering.
Because he was certain that the moment he did, that girl’s name would vanish from the list by tomorrow.
But the seriousness in Jasper’s gaze left him with no room to evade.
If this was what fate had in store, there was little he could do to intervene.
"I’m not entirely sure about her full name," he admitted, his voice low with reluctance. "But she’s an artiste under Freya Finn from ZX Media. Adelyn Grace ... I believe."
Jasper paused.
And slowly—
The seriousness in his gaze disappeared.
In its place came something else.
A faint flicker of interest. And an unmistakable amusement. His lips curved slightly at the corner. "It’s her."
Edic blinked.
For a moment, he thought he had misheard.
After all—
How could CEO Warren possibly know a small, insignificant actress from a minor agency?
It didn’t make sense.
Shaking off the thought, Edic quickly continued, almost as if trying to steer the situation back to reason.
"CEO Warren, she must have only been selected for a small role. Taking that away from her wouldn’t be right. Besides, once filming begins, Ethan might not even cross paths with her. If this turns into harassment, it could ruin her opportunity entirely. Can we not—?"
"You think I can bully her?" Jasper interrupted, raising a brow.
The question caught Edic off guard.
"I—I just meant ..." he stammered, trying to correct himself. "Since she earned the role through her own merit, removing her through influence would be unfair."
Jasper’s expression didn’t change much.
But something in his eyes deepened —something that Edic couldn’t quite decipher.
"Don’t worry," Jasper said, rising to his feet. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t bully her. No one actually can."
He paused briefly before adding, "I don’t possess that capability."
Edic stared at him, utterly confused.
What did that even mean?
"CEO Warren, what does—" ƒreewebɳovel.com
But before he could finish his question, Jasper spoke again.
"Look after Ethan," he said, his tone returning to its usual calm authority.
"And ..."
He paused for a brief moment, as if considering whether to say it or not.
"... make sure he doesn’t offend people he shouldn’t."
Edic blinked, his confusion only growing deeper.
Jasper gave him one last glance. He had originally come to instruct them to keep an eye on Adelyn—
But now, that seemed unnecessary.
Shaking the thought away, he turned and walked out of the office without another word.
Edic stood there, staring after him, trying to piece everything together.
But no matter how much he thought about it—
Nothing made sense.
The CEO had asked him to keep Ethan from offending certain people.
But who?
Could it be ...
Adelyn?
He shook his head immediately.
No.
That couldn’t be right.
He must be overthinking things.
Scratching the corner of his brow, Edic finally let the matter drop and returned to his desk, though the unease lingered faintly in his mind, refusing to fully fade.
—————————————
Meanwhile—
On the other side—
Adelyn finally returned to her apartment.
After paying for her ride, she was just about to head inside when her steps suddenly halted.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed something —someone —at a distance.
Her gaze shifted.
And then she turned to look properly.
She paused.
Parked not too far away was a familiar black Rolls-Royce, its presence quiet yet impossible to ignore.
For a brief moment, she wondered if she was mistaken ...
But before she could doubt it further, the car door opened.
And out came a small figure.
A tiny bun of energy.
Rushing straight toward her.
"Mama!"
