Chapter 6

To be honest, Nick Arthur looking like this, asleep, seems incredibly gentle and peaceful. It’s hard to imagine that someone who appears so calm could actually be ruthless and cruel in his actions.

She didn’t know whether this man was truly as ugly as described in the original story. As Simone Milton thought this, it was as if she were possessed by some evil force. She couldn’t help but touch Nick Arthur’s peaceful face, wanting to see what he really looked like.

As soon as her hand touched Nick Arthur’s mask, she quickly snapped out of it and pulled her hand back.

Even so, it still disturbed Nick Arthur, who had fallen asleep. This caused Nick Arthur to frown from time to time.

Fortunately, Nick Arthur, who kept frowning due to the disturbance, did not wake up as a result.

Simone Milton was sure that if she woke Nick Arthur from his sleep, not only would Nick Arthur not spare her, but the driver behind the wheel certainly wouldn’t either.

Though cruel, it’s the truth.

She still hasn’t awakened the person yet. The driver sitting in front of her gave her a few angry glances. If she really wakes the person up, the consequences will be obvious.

Even if the driver wasn’t afraid of making too much noise and disturbing Nick Arthur, I’m sure he would have started shouting anyway.

Simone Milton comforted herself silently: It’s okay. At most, I’ll just be Nick Arthur’s human pillow for a while. In a way, I can even consider it a win!

If Nick Yamen could, out of consideration for her having served as a “pillow” for him these past days, lend her some of his connections, then the troubles between the male and female protagonists wouldn’t bother her anymore!

This thought of hoping for the best didn’t last even a few seconds before she gave up on it. Suddenly, she remembered an important detail from the original story: it was hinted that Simone Milton’s death was, in part, Nick Arthur’s doing!

And looking at the timeline, Simone Milton was killed less than three years after meeting Nick Arthur!

In other words, she has less than three years left before Nick Arthur kills her! Thinking about it this way, being a pillow is definitely not an option. Who knows, if Nick Arthur isn’t pleased with her, she might die sooner than expected.

Then all her previous plans and calculations are worthless.

She had to find another way to get rid of this “human pillow” job, without offending Nick Arthur anymore, while still being able to pursue her career in the entertainment industry with peace of mind!

But… this is too difficult! There’s no way to find a perfect solution to the problems she’s facing right now.

And so, unable to sit still, she thought for an hour or two. It wasn’t until then that Nick Arthur in her arms seemed to finally wake up and open his eyes.

“Mr. Arthur…” Seeing that Nick Arthur had awakened, Simone Milton was so happy she could hardly contain herself. But she managed to stay calm and said to Nick Arthur in a polite manner, “Since you’re awake now, could you please get off me?”

Nick Arthur, who seemed slightly tired, quickly regained his composure. He glanced at Simone Milton, who appeared quite calm, then sat up and adjusted his clothes.

Seeing that Nick Arthur remained silent, Simone Milton simply couldn’t hold back any longer. She spoke impatiently, “Since Mr. Arthur has woken up, may I leave now?”

As she said this, what she really thought was that once she left this place, she definitely wouldn’t have any more contact with Nick Arthur.

As for the agreement Nick Arthur and the original owner had made beforehand, Simone Milton had no intention of respecting it.

Knick Arthur seemed to see through her little schemes. After giving her a brief glance, he said, “Since you failed to fulfill your obligations earlier, you’ll have to make up for the lost time tonight!”

This statement is a bit ambiguous. If Simone Milton didn’t know this man well and understand that he wasn’t particularly interested in women, she might have thought that Nick Arthur was trying to take advantage of her.

Nick Arthur arranged Simone Milton’s schedule for tonight in such a straightforward manner, but didn’t receive any positive response.

Simona Milton, who felt she couldn’t keep delaying any longer, took a deep breath and said seriously to Nick Arthur, “I’m very sorry, Mr. Arthur. I’ve thought it over carefully. I was a bit hasty when I signed this contract earlier, so…”

“So you want to go back on your word now? Don’t you want to follow what’s agreed upon in the contract?” Nick Arthur cut in before Simone Milton could finish speaking.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, displeasure flashing in them. Clearly, he thought Simone Milton was being unreasonable. He stepped back and said, “Do you think the terms I’ve offered you aren’t generous enough? If that’s the case, I’m willing to make further concessions. But I warn you: never become arrogant just because you’ve lost my favor!”

By the end, his words were filled with warnings. The entire carriage became tense, as if war might break out between the two of them at any moment.

Simone Milton really wanted to go up and give Nick Arthur a shake, to get him to calm down. But she didn’t forget how terrifying Nick Arthur was in the original story. Right now, she was far too weak to confront him head-on.

No… it’s not entirely impossible that things might turn physical after all… Simone Milton narrowed her eyes slightly. She thought of one person who might be able to make Nick Arthur show some respect.

“No, Mr. Arthur, the terms you’ve offered me are extremely generous! I’m sure there’s no other job out there with such favorable conditions!” said Simone Milton.

“In that case, then why did you suddenly change your mind?” Nick Arthur couldn’t understand. Logically speaking, the contract between him and Simone Milton shouldn’t have posed any problems for either of them.

In fact, if Simone Milton were a bit smarter and took better care of herself, it would be easy for her to get the resources that slipped through his fingers. In every way, signing this contract with him would only bring benefits to Simone Milton, with no drawbacks at all.

Nick Arthur thought that it was simply impossible to find a master in this circle who offered such good terms as he did, without requiring him to sell himself in return. So he really couldn’t understand what Simone Milton was thinking.

“I… was really naive back then, which is why I signed that contract. But now, I’m a fairly well-known celebrity. If our relationship with Mr. Arthur were to become public, there would surely be a lot of speculation from the media! I certainly don’t want to use such a scandalous affair to gain attention!” Simone Milton spoke with firm conviction.

“So you’d rather give money to Alberta Arthur than work for me?” Hearing these words, Nick Arthur sneered.

These words instantly left Simone Milton speechless, making everything she had said before seem utterly insignificant.

“It’s not like you think. I did have improper thoughts about Alberta Arthur before. But after getting injured, I resolved to turn over a new leaf! I’ll never bother Alberta Arthur again!” Simone Milton immediately retorted, assuring Nick Arthur that she would never have any improper thoughts about Alberta Arthur again.

Regarding what Simone Milton said, Nick Arthur simply commented, “You’re much better at speaking than you are at singing!”

“I didn’t,” said Simone Milton. Seeing that Nick Arthur didn’t believe her at all, she sighed. “I’ll prove to you that I’m not lying. And… I really don’t want to bring shame upon my father. After all, he’s a big shot in this circle. If he found out what I’m doing now, he’d be utterly embarrassed!”

Simone Milton hesitated and ultimately failed to mention Juliet Milton’s name. After all, Juliet Milton hadn’t revealed her identity yet. If Simone Milton spoke recklessly in front of Nick Arthur and Juliet Milton found out, it would surely upset her.

“Father?” Nick Arthur looked at Simone Milton with a half-smile, as if he were looking at a mischievous child. “Are you really willing to give up the contract we’ve signed just for the sake of your father? I really feel sorry for you! But I’ve never liked to force people. If you don’t want to do this, then forget it!”

Nick Arthur said this while giving a look to the driver ahead. The driver, upon receiving the signal, immediately stopped the car.

“In that case, you might as well get out of the car now!” Nick Arthur said, opening the car door and signaling to Simone Milton that it was time for her to leave.

His attitude was warm and friendly, without any trace of arrogance typical of a “big shot”. It seemed like he didn’t care at all about Simone Milton’s request to terminate their contract.

Seeing that Nick Arthur wasn’t as furious as she had expected, Simone Milton felt both relieved and nervous. She was genuinely afraid that this difficult man might cause her even more trouble.

Seeing Nick Arthur’s calm expression, with no sign of anger at all, Simone Milton thought to herself that he probably wouldn’t make any trouble over this. But she acted quickly, getting out of the car without even thinking.

Just as Simone Milton was about to leave, Nick Arthur, who was sitting in the car with the door already open, suddenly looked at her, smiled, and said, “Although you chose to terminate our contract halfway through, I want you to know that the contract between us is still valid! If you’re willing, I’m always open to having you come back to me.”

His words were filled with determination, as if he could already see Simone Milton regretting her decision again and coming back to him to renew the contract.

Simona Milton, who was about to leave, hesitated upon hearing Nick Arthur’s words. She wanted to ask if Nick Arthur had some ulterior motives.

Nick Arthur, who was sitting inside the car, had already closed the door. The vehicle drove away. There was no chance for Simone Milton to ask the questions she wanted to ask.

The more Simone Milton thought about it, the more terrified she became. She kept patting her chest and trying to reassure herself: Nick Arthur said those things probably just to scare me. It’s better not to panic.

But the more she thought about it, the clearer it became to her that Nick Arthur’s final words showed that she wouldn’t give up so easily after all.

To be honest, Simone Milton had already fulfilled her role. The sudden decision to replace her was inevitable. After all, she had seriously offended Nick Arthur this time. Although he might not say anything on the surface, he would definitely take action to make her change her mind.

After all… judging by Nick Arthur’s reaction of falling asleep as soon as he met her, it seems unlikely that she’ll be given up on as a “human pillow” until a replacement is found.

Indeed, that was the case. Nick Arthur, who was leaving by car, instructed the driver to take a detour along the way.

“Boss… are you really okay? Miss Milton…” The driver seemed worried.

After suffering from this illness for so many years, Nick Arthur has finally gotten a chance to breathe easily. It would be a real shame to terminate his contract now, just as Simone Milton wishes.

Nick Arthur gently glanced at the driver and said calmly, “Don’t worry. Simone Milton will definitely come back and fulfill the terms of the contract. So let’s go to the company first.”

“Yes, boss!” The driver replied as if he’d been given a boost of energy upon hearing Nick Arthur’s words.

On the other hand, Simone Milton, frightened by her own guesses, sighed and gently tapped her own cheek.

She spoke helplessly to herself, “Simone Milton, since I’ve chosen to do this, there’s no room for regret. Think about the future! If you keep having too much contact with Nick Arthur, you might die soon!”

Compared to one’s life, it’s obvious that a mere minor character isn’t worth anything at all.

Simona Milton, having mustered her strength, quickly took a taxi back to the villa. By then, Martha, who had been crying, had fallen into a deep sleep, with the tears on her cheeks already dried.

Sitting on the sofa, Juliet Milton couldn’t help but sneer when she saw Simone Milton finally returning. “Is it so funny to play tricks on me? Do you even realize how difficult your daughter is to deal with? Do you have any sense of responsibility as a mother? Having you and your daughter in my life is simply the worst luck I could have!”

Simona Milton, looking tired, rubbed her forehead in frustration as she listened to Juliet Milton’s endless chatter.

“Alright, go ahead and wash up and go to bed when you get back! I need to remind you: your foundation isn’t yet solid. If you go out and get photographed in some inappropriate position, I won’t be able to help you!” After saying that, Juliet Milton snorted coldly and went upstairs to rest.

“Thank you for your concern…” Hearing the concern behind Juliet Milton’s words, Simone Milton nodded in thanks.

As Juliet Milton stepped up the stairs, after much hesitation, she finally decided to tell Juliet Milton, in a somewhat vague manner, about what had happened earlier.

After all, her character is about to be eliminated. It’s better to prepare Juliet Milton in advance, so she won’t be too devastated by the blow. Otherwise, it could lead to further complications.

So, just when Juliet Milton thought she could finally relax, Simone Milton told her the next moment, “The role of the female lead I’m playing now might very well be taken away from me.”

“What? What exactly have you done? Why do I suddenly have to be replaced as the character? What promises did you make to me before? I knew there’d be no good coming from you going out! You really are…” Juliet Milton was furious upon hearing these words.

He couldn’t sleep at all now, so he immediately returned to the living room and demanded to know what exactly was going on with Simone Milton.

Simone Milton certainly couldn’t possibly tell Juliet Milton everything that would happen. She said vaguely, “It’s a bit complicated. All you need to know is that I’ve offended someone very powerful. That female character might arrange for me to be removed from the show…”

“You… you’re really something!” Juliet Milton said these words in a somewhat irritable tone.

Juliet Milton, walking back and forth restlessly in place, couldn’t help but ask again, “May I ask who could have that much power? Could it be that you’ve gone to bother Alberta Arthur again? I really say…”

Upon hearing this, Simone Milton immediately interrupted, “Don’t worry. It isn’t Alberta Arthur. It’s someone else who’s very capable… I can’t tell you who exactly. Just… stop asking and go rest. I know what to do in this situation.”

“How could I possibly rest right now?! Do you even know what’s appropriate? You have no sense of what’s right or wrong!” Juliet Milton was anxious. It wasn’t that she was worried about her reputation being damaged, but rather that she didn’t want anything to happen to Simone Milton.

Admittedly, he felt no deep affection for Martha and Simone Milton. But after all, they were his granddaughter and daughter.

Now, Simone Milton seems to have offended some bigwig. How could he possibly not care at all?

What’s really going on in this circle, Juliet Milton knows all too well after having been around for so many years.

If Simone Milton really offended someone important, it would be fine if she were just banned from playing a certain character.

The fear is that the other party will completely ban Simone Milton from competing.

If that’s the case, Simone Milton probably won’t be able to make a name for herself in this circle throughout her life. Who knows what tricks Simone Milton will come up with next to mess things up!

“No, you have to tell me who that person is. You need to go and apologize. Otherwise, unless you return it…” Juliet Milton kept nagging, listing every possible scenario that came to mind.

He hopes that Simone Milton will go and apologize tomorrow, so as to avoid a too miserable future for herself.

In this regard, Juliet Milton is quite satisfactory. After all, before that, Simone Milton only caused him a lot of trouble.

“Who is that, with such incredible power? Surely you weren’t going to bother Alberta Arthur again, were you? I really don’t know what to say about you…” Juliet Milton didn’t finish her sentence.

Simone Milton immediately interrupted, “Don’t worry. It isn’t Alberta Arthur. It’s someone else who’s quite formidable… Ah, anyway, there’s no way I could possibly offend that person. Who told you who it is? Just… don’t ask anymore. Go and rest.”

“How could I possibly rest right now?” Juliet Milton was anxious. It wasn’t that she feared her reputation would be damaged, but rather, she didn’t want anything to happen to Simone Milton.

But unfortunately, by the time Juliet Milton finished complaining, it turned out that Simone Milton, who had been sitting next to him, had already gone upstairs to rest sometime earlier.

So, after talking non-stop for most of the afternoon, Simone Milton hadn’t actually listened to a word. This left Juliet Milton speechless and helpless. She thought to herself that she’d just remind Simone Milton again tomorrow morning.

Then, the next day, when Juliet Milton woke up, she found that Simone Milton wasn’t at home. Upon calling her, she learned that Simone had already arrived at the set. This made him extremely angry.

Juliet Milton hung up the phone angrily, thinking unhappily, “Who am I doing all this for? How can they take things so lightly! It’s infuriating!”

On the set, Simone Milton, after being hung up on by Juliet Milton, could only smile bitterly in resignation. For now, it’s more important to focus on her own role and see if she can hold onto it.

Whether this character can be kept in the story means that she’ll be able to find out whether Nick Arthur actually did something dishonest.

After waiting at the scene for a while, just as Simone Milton began to wonder if Nick Arthur’s earlier words were merely attempts to deceive her, and that he had no real intention of harming her, the director suddenly found her.

The director, with a complicated expression on his face, glanced at Simone Milton hesitantly. After a moment, he finally spoke up, saying, “Um, Simone Milton, I think your performance hasn’t been ideal lately. Maybe you’d better go back for now.”

With these words, the director was essentially telling Simone Milton that she wasn’t needed anymore on the set. After all, Simone Milton had quite a lot of lines as the second lead character, so it was impossible for her to take time off halfway through filming and think things through properly.

“…So, during the days I’m not here, what about Leng Su’s scenes?” After a moment of silence, Simone Milton asked the director.

“You can rest assured on this point—we definitely won’t delay the schedule!” The director said that, but in his heart he thought: Of course we won’t delay the schedule. After all, it’s very likely that the actress playing the supporting female role will be replaced. With a completely different actor in the role, how could there be any delay in the schedule?

Although she was prepared for it, Simone Milton still felt a pang of disappointment when she heard the director say those words.

She tried hard to steady her emotions, nodded, and said cheerfully, “That’s good then. I’ll go now!”

The director didn’t try to keep Simone Milton around. While he was pleased that Simone Milton’s acting skills had improved, investors ultimately had the final say. Besides, they had additionally invested a lot of money. For such a substantial investment, losing Simone Milton wasn’t a big deal at all.

I’ll just find another opportunity to make things right with Simone Milton later!

That’s what the director thought.

As for Simone Milton, who left the set, she couldn’t help but feel sad at the moment she reached the door.

She took a deep breath and told herself that it didn’t matter if she lost this role. True talent will always shine through. She believed that with her acting skills, she would surely be able to shine again.

With those thoughts in mind, Simone Milton got into the nanny van, ignoring her agent’s displeased expression, and decided to go back to the villa to rest for a while.

Although the agent was dissatisfied with the director’s last-minute changes, there was nothing he could do. He could only tell Simone Milton that during this period of inactivity, he would do his best to find her suitable gigs.

Simone Milton agreed very obediently, which impressed her agent quite a bit.

“Wow! Juliet Milton has been accused of harassing innocent people! There are even pictures. I never thought he was such a person!” The assistant, who was browsing gossip on her phone, suddenly exclaimed in shock at this explosive news.

Hearing that familiar name, the agent immediately reacted instinctively and looked toward Simone Milton.

Although he didn’t know exactly what the relationship was between Simone Milton and Juliet Milton, he was aware of how favorably Juliet Milton treated Simone Milton. He even suspected that there might be something improper between the two of them. But since these matters weren’t made public, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to say anything about them.

Upon hearing her assistant’s exclamation, Simone Milton immediately snatched the phone from her assistant and saw the headlines on the screen.

Her face turned pale instantly. Simone Milton wasn’t stupid. Juliet Milton, known as the most perfect man in the entertainment industry, having a scandal like this at such a coincidental time, it was hard not for her to wonder what was really going on.

And shortly after, an unknown call to her phone confirmed Simone Milton’s suspicions.

“Miss Milton, perhaps now you’re willing to continue talking with me,” said Nick Arthur on the other end of the line.