Twisted Ties of Love

At that moment, Secretary Hansen, who was currently acting as Izabella's agent, was more distressed than anyone else upon hearing the news.

"Ms. Salotti, should we issue a statement?"

After reading the news, Izabella simply placed her phone down and took a sip of her herbal tea. "Not yet. Let them finish their performance. We shouldn't miss out on the drama."

Understanding her intent, Secretary Hansen nodded. "I got it."

"Have you prepared what I requested?" Izabella asked casually.

"Yes, I'm all set."

"Good. Now, we wait."

After Secretary Hansen left, Izabella picked up her phone and sent a message to Casey.

"Come over to my place tonight; I'll cook.."

Upon receiving the message, Izabella smiled and started packing up for an early evening at home.

Her new mansion had finally been decorated, and she had moved in three days ago. Her luggage was neatly arranged, and the place was ready for her to move in.

The fridge was still empty, so Izabella drove to the supermarket, bought groceries, and also picked up a bouquet of roses to place in her living room.

The living room had a panoramic floor-to-ceiling window. Once night fell, she could enjoy the stunning R City skyline with its endless opulence and extravagance. As she prepared a homemade meal, the doorbell rang.

Opening the door, she found Casey dressed in light-colored clothes, holding a bouquet of sunflowers. His smile was even more radiant than the flowers he held.

"Did you actually buy flowers?" Izabella was surprised.

"Do you like them?" Casey asked, a touch of pride in his eyes.

"Of course, I do." Izabella replied, taking the sunflowers from him.

She placed the flowers aside and took Casey's hand, typing in the password to her apartment. "This is also your home now. The password is your birthday," she whispered into his flushed ear.

It sounded less like numbers and more like a sweet whisper, "I love you forever."

"Feel free to come in anytime from now on."

Casey felt like he was floating as he followed Izabella into the apartment, where he noticed the roses in her living room.

"You bought flowers too?"

"Yeah, isn't it a coincidence? Seems like we're getting in sync." Izabella added the sunflowers to the same vase, where they stood out among the roses.

As soon as he entered, Casey caught the aroma from the kitchen.

"Dinner will be ready soon. Why don't you open that bottle of wine to let it breathe while I whip up a couple of side dishes?"

"Sure." Casey recognized the wine, "Isn't this the bottle my father gave you?"

"Yes, it is. We can enjoy it tonight." Izabella suddenly remembered something, "I forgot can't really drink."

"I can, but I tend to get drunk easily." Casey admitted, looking embarrassed as he recalled a past incident that happened when he had drunk too much.

It seemed that Izabella also recalled the same event and couldn't help but laugh.

Izabella heated the pot and added oil, quickly stir-frying two everyday dishes. She used high heat and deftly flipped the ingredients in the pan, creating graceful arcs as the vegetables swirled along the edge of the pot. The entire process was executed seamlessly.

Casey was witnessing Izabella's pot-flipping skills for the first time, and her technique was much better than his. It reminded him of the first time he had brought Izabella to his home, intentionally displaying his awkward pot-flipping and stir-frying skills in front of her.

Back then, he had been brimming with confidence, thinking he could impress Izabella. But now, as he looked back on that moment, he felt like a clown.

Casey had never learned to cook, but as soon as he entered the kitchen, he knew what to do. In the beginning, he could only make a few dishes, but later, after watching instructional videos and practicing, he developed the skill to flip ingredients in the pan.

Izabella's technique, like the one she displayed earlier, couldn't have been mastered without years of practice.

Casey wasn't visiting here for the first time; he had been here during the renovation phase. Izabella's kitchen was remarkably similar to his own, with the same cabinet arrangement.

He approached Izabella from behind, raised his hand to open the cupboard above her head, and with his tall stature, it was as if he enveloped her in his arms.

The physical touch and the intertwining of their breath had become second nature to them. Once Casey had taken out the utensils, Izabella finished cooking the dishes, and by the time the food was ready, the red wine had breathed enough.

One meat dish, one vegetable dish, and a serving of soup-- it was just right for the two of them. Any more, and it would go to waste.

Casey poured wine for Izabella, and she lifted the tall glass to take a whiff of the aromatic fragrance, closing her eyes in satisfaction, akin to a contented cat.

"My dad is so stingy; he has several good bottles hidden in his liquor cabinet, and he gave just one," she commented.

"One bottle is already quite good. I don't drink that often, so it's nice to have a taste occasionally," Izabella remarked, eyeing Casey's empty glass. She set down her own glass and got up. "Wait here." She returned to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and retrieved a can of cola. She handed it to Casey. He looked at it with a hint of distaste.

"You get tipsy as soon as you touch alcohol!"

"I'll stick with the soup. Haven't you heard the saying, 'men can't handle too much cola"?"

Izabella raised an eyebrow, puzzled as she watched him. As Casey's face slowly turned red, even his neck blushed. Drinking too much cola was something to be bashful about? Men were truly hard to understand.

Well, if she didn't know, she didn't know.

Casey still opened the can of cola and poured it into the empty glass in front of him, clinking it with Izabella's glass.

After dinner, Casey willingly collected the dishes to wash them, and Izabella handed him her apron.

Casey had the typical physique that

appeared slim when clothed, but

revealed muscular when disrobed. His waist seemed to be less than twenty-four inches. Thanks to his regular workouts, he had

well-defined abdominal muscles and a tight waist, which added a sense of security when she wrapped her arms around him. She didn't want to let go, just want to cling him like a koala to a tree.

Feeling her arms around his waist, Casey paused for a moment before continuing with the dishes, his cheeks flushing in response.

"Have you encountered any troubles recently?"

"Troubles?" Izabella recalled the news Secretary Hansen had shown her earlier that day. "Not exactly, just a minor issue I can handle it on my own. But, I do want to teach that brand a lesson. Any ideas?"

After Izabella had talked to Casey

about the issue with that brand, he had looked it up online and found some scandal and controversy. And dig up he did, uncovering a series scandals and incriminating

information. The most ou

OF

of these was an incident that happened a year ago, when the brand ambassador had insulted Downstar on a public social media platform. The incident had even trended, but thanks to the brand's deep pockets, it quickly faded into obscurity.

The offensive posts were still there, but digging them up had become a bit troublesome due to the time that had passed.

The luxury brand that had approached Izabella for a collaboration was referred to as Universal Fashion. After Izabella's refusal to work with them, Casey had anticipated the potential fallout and made thorough preparations.

He had gathered concrete evidence of Universal Fashion's wrongdoings and shared them with Izabella. However, this wasn't enough to significantly impact the brand.

Their movie "Ghost Snatchers" was

gaining increasing recognition overseas, and more and more brands were seeking collaborations with Izabella and Casey. Casey had recently been contacted by another top-tier luxury brand. They could use this partnership to strike a blow at Universal Fashion and use the evidence they had found to push them out of the domestic market.

Casey explained the plan for Izabella, who grasped it immediately. The offer Casey had accepted was the result of his careful consideration, and he was only willing to discuss collaboration once he was confident it would proceed without any issues.

"Oh, and I have some good news for you today."

"What's the good news?" Casey was intrigued.

"Come with me."

Izabella led Casey to the study, turned on the computer, and had Casey sit down. She stood behind him, with her left hand casually resting on his shoulder and her right hand operating the mouse.

"Take a look at this."

The close proximity and Izabella's soft whispers in his ear made Casey's ears tingle, as if being tickled by a feather.

His ears were a sensitive spot, prone to turning red at the slightest provocation. Izabella was well aware of this and enjoyed teasing him from time to time.

Casey pulled himself together, forcing his attention back to the document on the screen.

While Casey was engrossed in the document, Izabella observed him, noticing his eyes gradually lit up.

"What is this?"

"My new movie project. What do you think?"

"Did Bell write this script?"

"Wow? you can tell?"

"It's her writing style. She's so talented at writing and scripting, why did she choose to be an actress instead of screenwriter?"

"Her dream was always to be a screenwriter, but people are often constrained by circumstances. She was a genius." Bell's screenwriting talent was indeed extraordinary. It was sad that she was no longer with them.

Bell had written numerous scripts, some of which were completed, while the others remained unfinished. "Ghost Snatchers" was the last script she wrote before her death, and its ironic storytelling, tragic ending, and melancholic conclusion mirrored her struggle with the depressing.

And this "Interstellar" was written during her school days. It was an imaginative and vivid story with a strong emphasis on heroes.

She posted it online, but the only a few people had read it.

Adapting such a script into a successful movie domestically would be challenging for several reasons. First, there was a lack of a suitable team, and secondly, creating the required special effects is a complex endeavor.

"Have you found a suitable team yet?"

"I've already contacted them. We will sign the contract in a few days. You're coming too."

"Who is it?"

"Harry."

Casey's eyes brightened at the mention of Harry. Harry had been working abroad and had won numerous awards overseas, mainly for his sci-fi movies, including the "Hero" series. There was no doubt that bringing him on board would be a great choice. Casey was curious about how Izabella managed to persuade him to join the project.

"It was quite simple. He's currently planning to return to his homeland, and the most effective way to establish himself in the domestic market is through a movie project. So, when I learned he was coming back, I reached out to him with an offer. The script is excellent, and I could meet all his conditions. Finally, he agreed."

Harry had strict requirements for his movies, preferring to have full control over everything. His only conditions were straightforward: as long as the production company didn't interfere, he was on board. Additionally, he expected a substantial payment and wanted the freedom to choose his own team.

Furthermore, the script Izabella had provided was excellent, and the fact that the lead role was played by Mr. Dempsey, one of the most influential figures in the domestic movie industry, it was an irresistible proposition.

After his return, Harry had done a lot of research of the domestic movie industry and the renowned artists. Among those artists, his most in-depth knowledge would be about Casey.

Harry had watched numerous movies that Casey had acted in, and one of the movies he had watched repeatedly was "Ghost Snatchers."

After its release overseas, Harry had personally watched it eight times, which demonstrated his immense respect for the movie's quality. He had not expected that the domestic film industry had reached such a level of refinement and excellence, prompting his decision to return to his home country.

Shortly after Harry's return to Downstar, Izabella managed to establish contact with him. Utilizing an enticing script, along with the presence of Casey and a lucrative financial offer, she successfully secured his agreement to join the Maple Group.

"I'm planning to turn 'Interstellar' into a movie series. The story has a rich cast of characters and a compelling storyline. Creating a movie series is not difficult, and we'll primarily target the international market." Currently, there were no movie series in the domestic market, and Izabella wanted to be a pioneer in this regard.

Casey listened carefully as Izabella explained her ambitious plans to turn him into an international superstar. Strangely, he felt a sense of being taken care of.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

He felt like this was quite different from what he initially planned. His initial plan was to always be there for Izabella, watching over her and ready to protect her whenever she stumbled.

But now, it seemed like Izabella was the one pushing him forward.