Chapter 11 The Celebrity

Cordelia's heart raced, but she fought to keep her composure, her fingers tightening around the documents in her hand as she slowly lifted her gaze. "Ms. Mia." "Hmm?" Mia turned at the sound of her name, expecting to see another sycophantic secretary, but her expression quickly soured when she saw Cordelia standing there. "Why haven't you delivered those documents yet?" Mia snapped. With a surprising surge of boldness, Cordelia met her gaze and said, louder than she intended, "I just wanted to let you know, Ms. Mia… your eye makeup is smudged!" In an office dominated by female secretaries who constantly competed over their appearance, this revelation caused an immediate stir. Heads swiveled toward Mia, even those who had been flattering her moments before. "Pfft—" The laughter erupted like a wave. Indeed, Mia's eye makeup had smeared beneath her eyes, giving her an uncanny resemblance to a raccoon. "You—" Mia's face reddened with a mix of humiliation and fury, but before she could say another word, Cordelia turned on her heels and clicked away in her stilettos, leaving her behind with nothing but silence and the lingering sound of snickers. "Wow..." her colleagues whispered, clearly impressed by Cordelia's courage, their sympathy for Mia evaporating. "Cordelia... Smith... You'll pay for this!" Mia ground out each word through gritted teeth, already plotting her revenge for when she became Mrs. Larkin. Cordelia, unaffected by Mia's threats, stood quietly at the elevator, her mind already moving forward. She stepped out of the building, only to be greeted by the unmistakable scent of rain in the air. The sky had darkened, clouds rolling in like an army of shadows, the occasional sliver of sunlight swallowed by the storm. She quickly hailed a cab. "Horizon Tower, please." "Right away!" the driver responded. The tower was quite far from the Great Larkin Group. This document delivery could have easily been handled by someone from HR, but making the CEO's personal assistant do it was clearly Mia's way of trying to put her in her place. Still, Cordelia couldn't complain. With her background, landing a job at Great Larkin Group was like winning the lottery. Starting late meant she had to work harder—at least to avoid embarrassing him. The cab ride took ninety minutes through the growing storm. By the time they arrived, the rain was coming down in sheets. Cordelia paid and dashed inside, quickly trying to fix her rain-dampened hair. She approached the reception desk. "Hello, I'm from Great Larkin Group, and I have documents for your General Manager. Is he available?" she asked, her tone professional. The receptionist's eyes widened at the mention of Great Larkin Group. She straightened immediately. "One moment, please, Miss Smith. I'll make a call." "Thank you." While waiting, Cordelia took in the sleek, high-tech lobby of Horizon Tower. The space was filled with dynamic 3D displays, and the architecture was a perfect blend of modern and innovative, much like the entertainment company housed inside. Suddenly, flashes of light exploded through the air, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. "Alexander Hart, how does it feel to be crowned the best actor?" "You've achieved such extraordinary success in just a few years. They say behind every successful man is a woman—are you secretly married or dating someone you haven't disclosed to the media?" "Mr. Hart, please wait!" "Alexander!" About twenty reporters poured down from the second-floor landing, armed with microphones and cameras, firing questions rapid-fire. But nothing could slow the man in the casual suit, his stride steady as he was flanked by six security guards. Behind him, a younger man, probably his agent, followed closely, his slim face framed by a ponytail. "Please make way!" the agent, Oliver Hayes, called out in a high-pitched voice. "Alex has a photoshoot scheduled. We can't be late!" Cordelia couldn't help herself. She giggled quietly, unable to suppress the laugh that bubbled up at the sound of his voice. A thought suddenly crossed her mind—Wasn't this exactly how the eunuchs in ancient palaces used to speak when they were cut off from the royal bloodline? Outside the tower's glass windows, fans had gathered, held back by security. "Alexander! Oh my god! So, he really finished filming 'Someone Else's Love' and came back! Does this mean he's staying in Riverstead?" The bolder fans held up banners, chanting in unison. "Alexander! Alexander! We love you!"