Chapter 505 - 501: He is Mr. Vance’s Son

Before long, Blair and Jane Sterling also arrived in Cecilia’s room. Only Estelle was still sleeping in.

They were both surprised to see Julian Summers there. And when they heard he wanted to invest in Cecilia’s cemetery project, they had differing opinions.

"If it makes money, it makes money. What’s there to think about?" Blair didn’t quite understand.

’A hotel is a place for the living, and a cemetery is a place for the deceased. It sounds a bit inauspicious, but it’s not a complete contradiction, is it?’

Her philosophy was simple: a profitable project was a good project.

"It’s taboo!" Jane Sterling explained earnestly. "What business doesn’t have taboos? Every industry has them. Film crews pray to the gods before they start shooting. If a wedding planning company started offering funeral services, who would dare hire them?"

"Is that so?" Blair blinked.

Cecilia looked at Julian Summers, who was deep in thought. "It’s not that I don’t want to let you in on this," she said. "You just need to think it through carefully. I’m only giving you a heads-up."

Julian Summers shook his head, his expression heavy. He took a deep breath. "No, this won’t do. I need to have Master Ingram do a reading for me when I get back. For now, just pretend I never said anything."

Cecilia chuckled and shook her head. That was just how Mr. Sullivan was, so there was no need to take his words to heart.

Just then, Jane Sterling suddenly sat bolt upright, a look of glee on her face as she held up her phone. "Cecilia, that old bastard George Lowe had a stroke! He’s paralyzed!"

"What?"

Everyone gasped in unison. Jane Sterling turned her phone around to show them the trending news. "The film crew sent him to Jovar General Hospital late last night. The news broke this morning—he’s partially paralyzed!"

"Hah," Blair scoffed. "Jane, you’ve got quite the mouth on you. Weren’t you just cursing him yesterday, wishing he’d end up paralyzed in bed?"

"Even heaven couldn’t stand to watch a guy like that anymore. It’s karma!" Julian Summers declared.

"If this is heaven’s retribution, it came far too late. Who knows how many people have suffered at his hands," Cecilia said with a purse of her lips. Though she felt a sense of vindication, she wasn’t exactly happy.

Still, no matter how one looked at it, George Lowe getting his comeuppance was deeply satisfying.

Soon, a steady stream of actresses and female crew members who had been harassed by him began to speak out online, exposing his vile behavior. And this time, their voices were heard.

The moment Lily Sterling arrived on set early that morning, fellow cast members began approaching her to say hello.

The previous day’s incident had been so huge that everyone knew about it. They all admired Lily for her courage in fighting back, especially the other women.

"Lily, are you okay? I saw clips from yesterday’s livestream. Those few minutes in your dressing room were terrifying."

"I never would’ve guessed George Lowe was that kind of person. He always seemed so cheerful and friendly to the junior actors on set. Thinking back on it now gives me chills."

"But he had a stroke last night and was rushed to the hospital. News this morning says he’s partially paralyzed. I guess the heavens have avenged you."

As everyone chattered, offering words of comfort and reassurance, Lily simply smiled. Finally, she spoke softly, "Thank you all for your concern. It’s over now, so let’s not bring it up again. It’s not exactly a pleasant memory, after all."

She knew that while some of them might be sincere, most were likely cozying up to her because they’d learned her sister was an investor in the project.

’The old me would have believed all their kind words without question.’

’But now...’ She kept a placid expression, but in her heart, she could already distinguish genuine kindness from the fake.

"Lily!"

Just then, the director walked over. He looked at Lily, his expression incredibly complex.

He let out a soft sigh and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I’m fine, Director. I can work as usual," Lily replied, her demeanor back to normal.

’A small part of her resented the director, but she also understood his difficult position. He had tried to protect her as best he could, but he was up against George Lowe. The reality was, he was helpless.’

’No sense holding a grudge over something he was powerless to change,’ Lily told herself.

Sensing Lily’s attitude, the director relaxed slightly. "Since the production has replaced George Lowe, we’ll be focusing on damage control for the next couple of days. We’re already actively looking for a suitable replacement for reshoots. So, you can have the next two days off. Your sister is here, isn’t she?"

Lily’s face lit up. "R-Really, Director? Then what about my scenes..."

"No rush. We’ll just have you catch up when you get back. I’ll film some of the later scenes first," the director said.

Hearing this, Yuna and Finn glanced at each other and smiled. If Lily was on break, so were they.

Lily nodded gratefully. "Okay, thank you, Director!"

*

Lately, Jasmine Sterling and Finn Vance had started dating more frequently, having dinner together almost every evening.

After dinner, they would find a quiet spot to sit and chat, and Finn Vance would always personally drive Jasmine home.

Their relationship was hardly a secret anymore. In fact, their friends were all very optimistic that they would end up together.

When she arrived at the office that morning, a bouquet of vibrant red roses was already waiting for her.

Jasmine smiled knowingly. She walked over, picked them up, and saw the note, handwritten as always by Finn Vance.

’Dearest Jasmine, I hope you have a wonderful day. See you tonight.’

Clearly, the salutation was far more intimate than before.

Manager Tate knocked and entered. Seeing the flowers on Jasmine’s desk, he gave her a knowing smile. Mr. Vance, Jasmine’s suitor, was practically an unofficial member of the company by now. Everyone knew about him.

"Jasmine, here’s the lease agreement for the branch office. The legal department has already reviewed it. All it needs is your signature."

Jasmine took the document and quickly signed her name on the last line.

This was Cleanscape’s first branch location. The company’s expansion hadn’t been particularly fast, but the saturation of its business had far exceeded expectations. They were already booked with orders through the end of the year.

So, the entire process—from the initial idea of opening a branch to its final implementation—was completed in just about a month.

Just as Manager Tate was leaving, the intercom on her desk buzzed.

Jasmine answered it.

"Jasmine, there’s someone here to see you. He says he’s Mr. Vance’s son!"

Jasmine froze for a second, taken completely by surprise.

"Send him in."

After hanging up, Jasmine felt a flutter of nervousness. ’Truth be told, I’m not ready to meet Mr. Vance’s son,’ she thought.

But he had come on his own accord; she couldn’t very well turn him away.

A moment later, a knock came at her office door. After calling out for them to enter, Jasmine stood up.

The door opened. The young woman from the front desk respectfully said, "Jasmine," then stepped aside. "Please, come in."

Then, a young man of about twenty-five, who bore a strong resemblance to Finn Vance, walked slowly into her office.