My Actor Husband's True Face

Chapter 18

Shannon had no idea what the woman wanted. After all, they didn’t know each other and had no reason to exchange greetings when they happened to cross paths. However, since the other party had already greeted her and the people following her were now looking at her with curious eyes, she had no choice but to respond.

"Hello, Miss Katie," she replied politely, maintaining a sense of distance between them.

Katie offered her a gentle smile, making her seem courteous and sincere. But Shannon couldn't see any genuine warmth in the eyes that met hers.

There was no reason for Katie to act so kindly toward her.

Someone behind Katie asked, “Who is she, Miss Katie? Do you know her?”

“Oh, yes. We know each other through someone else, but we’re not particularly close.”

Although Katie's answer sounded reasonable and left no room for negative assumptions, it also clearly established that her relationship with Shannon was nothing more than a secondhand acquaintance. It subtly implied that there was no need to be overly polite with her.

Shannon understood the dynamic. No matter how kind someone appeared to be, it was unrealistic to expect them to offer favors so easily, especially considering that Shannon was now the wife of her former lover.

Choosing to ignore them, Shannon focused back on what she had been doing earlier. However, Katie didn’t seem eager to leave her alone. Glancing at what Shannon held in her hands, she made small talk and asked, “What are you doing here?”

Shannon placed the item back into her bag and replied calmly, though with a hint of indifference, “Just something I need to take care of here.”

“Oh, I see. Do you need my help? I know some important people around here, I might be able to assist you.”

Lifting her gaze to the woman, Shannon didn’t answer right away. She took a moment to observe the other party’s game. Thanks to her habit of studying people’s expressions and personalities for character references in her comic, it wasn’t difficult for her to read Katie’s intentions.

She shook her head and responded, “That won’t be necessary. We’re not close enough for you to help me.”

Shannon’s words were actually quite neutral, but to some, they came off as rather rude. Especially to those who had always found it difficult to even ask for help from their ‘Goddess,’ Katie. And now Shannon, who had just been offered the rare chance, had bluntly turned it down.

To them, Shannon’s response was nothing but arrogance and disrespect.

This was exactly the effect Katie wanted, to make people dislike Shannon, so whatever Shannon did from this point on would be met with disapproval.

And as for Shannon, she knew the path ahead wouldn’t be easy. But she had already prepared herself to face whatever came her way as part of her personal growth.

“Hey, you… Shannon, right? Do you really have to be so rude to Miss Katie? Don’t you know how respected she is in this company?”

“I do. And I appreciate her kindness. But I don’t need her help. I’m sorry if my refusal hurts you, Miss Katie.”

Once again, Shannon’s words had an unexpected effect. She flipped the situation, making it seem as though Katie and her supporters lacked tolerance and sincerity.

The person retorted, “What’s your problem? How dare you twist things like that?”

“No, I’m not twisting anything. You were the one who came at me first. Still… I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. After all, I’m just an ordinary person.”

“You…”

“That’s enough,” Katie finally spoke. This wasn’t going according to the script she had prepared. Shannon wasn’t reacting the way she had expected, either with anger or stubborn silence and a harsh refusal.

Katie kept her smile and added, “It’s alright. It was my fault anyway, I should’ve known our relationship doesn’t go as far as helping each other.”

Hearing that, Shannon actually still had something to say, but someone arrived at that very moment.

Everyone turned in the same direction, and their expressions shifted subtly. Katie assumed the person was coming for her—and so did everyone around her.

One of them even said excitedly, “Told you! The new CEO of this production house is definitely going to accept Katie’s offer. I mean, she’s so promising after returning from her overseas projects!”

Shannon looked at them indifferently. She didn’t know who had arrived, and after hearing what that person said, she became even more detached. She didn’t like Katie, so she had no reason to like those who adored her. But the new CEO… wasn’t that Flynn?

While her thoughts drifted elsewhere, the person who had just entered approached her and stopped in front of her, displaying a polite and professional demeanor.

“Miss Shannon, I’m Yolla, the assistant to our director. He sent me to escort you.”

A hush fell over the room.

Shannon hadn’t expected the visitor to come for her, but from what the assistant said, she knew Flynn was the one who had sent her.

She gave a polite nod and followed Assistant Yolla out. But before leaving, she glanced at the person who had just been bragging so much about Katie. Her expression was neutral, but if one looked closely, there was a slight hint of provocation in her eyes.

Once Shannon was gone, the room fell into silence. Katie’s mood had clearly plummeted. She and Shannon were on completely different levels, yet the new CEO had personally sent his assistant to fetch Shannon, asking her to wait in this very room.

Still, Katie couldn’t do much about it. She needed something from this company, something that could help her grow within the domestic entertainment industry. Because in truth, she wasn’t as successful as the media had made her out to be. Someone had been deliberately holding her back, making it difficult for her to move freely.