Chapter 326

326
‘ With Aria by my side , getting rid of scars is a piece of cake ! ‘ she thought confidently .
Only then did Dawson act as if he had just noticed Aria . He hurried forward with quick steps , his demeanor instantly turning respectful .
Dawson said , “ Ms. Saxon , rest assured – I’m on it . I’ll get to the bottom of this and track down whoever tried to hurt Vanessa . ”
Aria stood up and said , “ Take me to the set . ”
Janice quickly gave Myla a meaningful look and instructed , “ Myla , take Ms. Saxon there . I’ll stay here with Vanessa . ”
Myla quickly replied , “ Yes , Janice . ”
With Dawson in tow , the trio arrived at the filming location .
After the injury incident , the scene had been cordoned off , with traces of the accident still lingering .
The set was mostly draped in green screens , with props neatly arranged throughout , but a small pool of blood on the floor stood out starkly .
Aria’s gaze swept over the bloodstain , her eyes frosting over with a deadly chill .
Noticing the icy look in Aria’s eyes , Myla gulped nervously and asked tentatively , “ Aria , shall we go see the director first ? ”
Aria gave a terse nod . “ Sure . ”
Dawson didn’t say a word , silently trailing behind them .
Beyond the set was the backstage area .
The director , Gary Willard , was deep in conversation with the man across from him. “ Mr. Nicholson , the props were deliberately swapped out , and the key surveillance footage was deleted . Whoever did this came prepared – we’re dealing with professionals here . ”
Moving closer , Aria recognized the man – it was Russell .
Noticing Aria’s gaze , Dawson hurried over and explained in a low voice , “ The film Vanessa is working on is backed by Nebula Corp. Russell Nicholson is both the producer and the overall head of the project . Last time we went to the Aureus Club to discuss this partnership , Mr. Nicholson was quite cooperative . ”
Aria strode forward .
Noticing someone approaching , Russell and Gary turned their heads in unison .
A flicker of surprise crossed Gary’s face when he recognized the CEO of Starmon Films . He immediately rose to his feet and approached . “ Mr. Campbell , what brings you here ? ”
Russell’s gaze landed on Aria .
“ Ms. Saxon , here for Vanessa Ward , I presume ? ” There was no trace of surprise on his face – just a mocking glint in his eyes .
Russell seemed utterly certain she would come .
“ Yes , ” Aria replied flatly .
Russell said , “ Regrettable as this is , Nebula Corp. will cover Vanessa Ward’s medical expenses and lost wages . ”
He apologized , but the mocking smile in his eyes was blatant , oozing with provocation .
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Aria’s expression was icy as she shot back , “ Do we look like we need your money ? ”
On her way there , Aria had watched the set footage . Had Vanessa not reacted so quickly , the consequences would have been dire
The culprit was most likely standing right in front of her , Aria supposed .
Their gazes locked , the air crackling with tension as the temperature around them seemed to plummet .
Seeing the tension escalate , Dawson’s heart skipped a beat . He hastily stepped in to mediate . “ Ms. Saxon , I’m sure Mr. Nicholson didn’t mean it that way .
“ An accident like this is bad for Nebula Corp. Clearly , someone is working behind the scenes , trying to sabotage our partnership and drive a wedge between our companies .
“ The police are already on the case , and we should have some answers soon . Please try not to worry , Ms. Saxon . ”
Aria fixed her steely gaze on Russell . “ Mr. Nicholson , I expect a proper explanation from you – soon . ”
With a mocking half – smile , Russell replied in a deliberately unhurried tone , “ Alright , but we’ll need to exchange contact info – for smoother communication . ”
Aria smirked , her eyes cold and distant . “ Mr. Nicholson , you should just go through Mr. Campbell . After all , your fiancee is notoriously possessive – if she finds out we’re in contact , who knows what kind of misunderstanding that might cause ? ”
‘ How did Ms. Saxon even know Mr. Nicholson has a fiancee ? ‘ Dawson and Gary exchanged identical looks of shock .
Russell smirked . “ Scared , Ms. Saxon ? ”
As he spoke , he leaned in slightly and lowered his voice , a hint of mockery in his tone . “ Ms. Saxon , are you afraid my fiancee will get the wrong idea , or is it your neighbor , Mr. Shaw , you’re worried about ? ”
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