Hearing Jeff's words, Veronica couldn't help but reveal a triumphant expression.

  The people from her team nearby seemed all too accustomed to Veronica's behavior; no one showed any extra concern.

  The entertainment industry was fiercely competitive, especially for actresses. Those who were good-looking, skilled at acting, or well-connected—every track was almost saturated. Yet newcomers still sprouted up in clusters like bamboo shoots after rain.

  Although Veronica was currently at the peak of her popularity, her career ambition was strong, and she had to remain vigilant at all times. Suppressing promising new actors was just a common competitive tactic; she didn't see any problem with it.

  Such things were considered the most basic in the industry; there were far more underhanded affairs than this.

  Chloe, who had just barely set one foot inside the door of the entertainment industry, had no idea about any of this. So when she was notified to wait backstage for arrangements, she obediently nodded to show she understood. Little did she know that, unbeknownst to her, someone had already secretly revoked her qualification to appear at the press conference.

  Given her qualities, even a few seconds of screen time at the press conference would undoubtedly attract the audience's attention. This was also her only chance for public exposure as a newcomer before her official debut.

  Veronica knew all too well when and how to use what methods to suppress newcomers. Having lost this opportunity, if Chloe wanted to appear before the audience again, she would have to wait for the promotional activities after the drama finished filming.

  That would be at least half a year.

  Watching the main cast members go on stage one after another, Chloe didn't dare leave the backstage area, afraid that the staff might not find her later.

  "Hey? Little beauty, why aren't you on stage?"

  While passing through the backstage on her way to the venue, Veronica saw Chloe and even pretended to be surprised, greeting her.

  Chloe quickly stood up, saying softly, "The staff told me to wait here. It might be my turn a bit later."

  Veronica nodded understandingly and smiled. "Then wait here. Don't wander off. It would be troublesome if they couldn't find you later."

  "I know. You go ahead, Sister Veronica."

  Watching Veronica leave the backstage accompanied by her team, the previously bustling and busy backstage suddenly became exceptionally quiet. All the actors participating in the press conference had gone to the venue; only she remained.

  Time ticked by. There was a screen connected to a feed in the backstage, showing the live press conference. Chloe, who should have appeared on the screen, had now become a spectator off-screen.

  "Chloe?"

  Just then, Faye returned to the backstage to fetch something and immediately spotted Chloe sitting in a chair in a daze. She couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "What are you doing here? Why aren't you on stage?"

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  Seeing Faye, Chloe quickly stood up. "Teacher, I... I'm waiting for arrangements."

  "Waiting for arrangements?" Faye looked around. Apart from a few cleaning staff, there was no one else. She frowned and asked, "Who told you to wait here for arrangements?"

  "A staff member," Chloe answered truthfully.

  Having been an agent for nearly twenty years, Faye was all too familiar with the ways of the entertainment industry. She instantly understood that Chloe was being targeted by someone with an agenda.

  "You silly girl, the press conference is more than half over. Didn't you think to go ask when no one came to get you?" Faye sighed but didn't take Chloe to find the staff. Instead, she seized the opportunity to say, "If you had a company backing you, or if you were under my management, do you think they'd dare treat you like this?"

  Chloe, slow on the uptake, only then realized she had been sidelined.

  "Teacher, why?" Chloe asked with a look of pure innocence and confusion. "I... I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

  "Remember, in the future, don't ask 'why' in the entertainment industry, because often there simply is no 'why' for many things," Faye patted her shoulder and said, "The press conference is live. Since you didn't go on stage with them, you can't go up midway now. Learn from this experience and be more careful in the future."

  Chloe's nose tingled with sourness, and her watery eyes reddened slightly.

  She couldn't understand. She clearly hadn't done anything and had even arrived at the venue two hours early to wait for the press conference, yet she had inexplicably been arranged to sit on the bench.

  And she wasn't even allowed to ask why? What kind of logic was that?

  Seeing her pitiful appearance, Faye also showed a helpless expression. Although not every newcomer faced unfair treatment when first entering the industry, the more outstanding one's qualities were, the more likely one was to encounter it.

  This also indirectly proved that Chloe's potential was exceptional, enough to make certain people feel threatened even before her debut.

  Such a promising seedling couldn't be missed.

  "Don't be upset. If you had given me your answer earlier, couldn't I have been the one guiding you at today's press conference?" Faye asked gently at the right moment. "Have you not made a decision about the contract yet?"

  Chloe adjusted her mindset and said softly, "No, teacher. I wanted to give you a formal, face-to-face reply today. I never expected something like this to happen."

  "I've thought it over. I'm willing to sign." When Chloe said these words, her heart was firmer than ever before.

  Today's incident made her realize that with her blank-slate experience, if no one guided her and showed her the way, she would surely face endless setbacks.

  She needed the backing of a company and, more importantly, an experienced agent.

  Hearing her agree to sign, Faye showed a gratified smile. "That's the right decision. Come find me at the company when you have time, and we can sit down and discuss the details properly."

  Chloe pressed her lips together and nodded cautiously. "What about today..."

  "Forget about today. If you don't want to feel awkward later, you can leave now," Faye said.

  Chloe naturally felt wronged and unwilling deep down, but she didn't make a fuss. She silently accepted the outcome.

  In the dormitory, Vivian and the others sat together watching the live stream of the press conference. At first, they were excitedly waiting for the main cast to appear together, eager to see Chloe make a beautiful debut.

  But as the press conference neared its end, there was still no sign of Chloe.

  "What's going on? Where's Chloe?"

  "Right? She left two or three hours early. Could she have gone to the wrong place?"

  "Impossible. She texted me early saying she was already waiting backstage and even saw several celebrities."

  Baffled, they finally decided that Mina would send Chloe a message to ask. But they waited and waited, receiving no reply.

  In another dorm room, Cynthia was also watching the live stream. Her mindset was the exact opposite of Vivian and the others. Initially, she was on edge, terrified that Chloe might actually appear among the main cast at the press conference venue.

  But after watching for a long time with no sign of Chloe, she couldn't help but breathe a long sigh of relief.

  "I told you it was impossible. No matter how good Chloe's qualities are, she couldn't have landed an important role in such a major IP project."

  "Don't overthink it, Cynthia."