Chapter 159 I Refuse To
The next morning, the villa was extraordinarily quiet. It was a rare morning that Jean didn’t have to see Edgar’s annoying face in the morning. Suddenly, she received a message from Monica.
‘Perles is going to shoot an ad soon.’ Jean was startled for a moment. ‘So?’
Monica was at a loss for words. Five minutes later, she replied with a message. ‘Don’t tell me you don’t know that you’re the main actress for the shoot.’ Jean’s mind went blank as she stared at the phone screen. Of course I don’t know!
Following that, she received a call from Sally. “Hey Jean, I bet you don’t know that everyone is talking about you in the company group chat. They speculated that you’ve jumped to Perles. Some even accused you of being a business spy from Perles and claimed that Mr. Wilton left the company thanks to you.” Sally exclaimed agitatedly and became more stirred up as she continued. She almost wanted to pick up a fight with the others to defend Jean!
“Jean might not even know about that.” Kellan whispered next to Sally.
Sally gritted her teeth and said, “You have the freedom to choose where to work. Who are they to point their fingers at you? Besides…”
Jean was no longer listening to what Sally said subsequently.
Moments later, she asked slowly, “Am I the only cast in the shoot?”
She had a hunch that the matter was not as simple as it seemed. Before this, Edgar and Gigi were the spokespeople for a series of exclusive diamond jewelry from Perles.
“It’s you and Mr. Royden. Don’t you know about that?” Sally was confused too.
Jean gasped. No wonder I had such a peaceful sleep last night. It turns out that terrible news is waiting for me. God granted me a peaceful sleep to prepare me for this misfortune!
“I have some stuff to settle.”
After saying that, Jean immediately called Edgar, but the call was not answered.
Just as she was about to call Miles, she received an incoming call with an unknown caller ID. “Hi Miss Eyer, I’m Harley, the chief designer from Perles. I’m calling to check if you’ve run into any issues because we haven’t seen you at the shooting site yet. We can send someone to pick you up if there’s a need.”
Harley addressed Jean courteously, but Jean turned her down without hesitating. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure how I became Perles’ spokesperson all of a sudden. I’m not aware of this matter at all, and I’ll not show up for the shoot.”
She would be severely criticized if others from the industry found out that she became Perles’ spokesperson immediately after she resigned from MON & Co.
At that moment, Jean had calmed down after gathering her thoughts. She was almost certain that this incident was Edgar’s plot against her to force her to quit the design industry.
I won’t give in! I’m going to make him embarrassed!
“Please consider the offer, Miss Eyer. The remuneration is decent.”
The remuneration of an ad shoot for such an exclusive product was expected to be rewarding, but Jean disdained on earning money at the thought of having to collaborate with Edgar.
“I refuse to.”
After hanging up the call, Jean knitted her brows as she pondered what Edgar’s next step could be.
However, she had not received any news or messages after some time. Neither did Perles’ staff call to persuade her again. Everything was uncannily calm.
It was so calm that Jean thought something was off the more she thought about it. Finally, she was stupefied when a few lush MPVs drove into the resident’s yard.
“Hi Miss Eyer, since you refuse to participate in the shoot, we have no choice but to come here. We’re targeting to start promoting this series of jewelry next week, so the ad shoot must be finished as soon as possible. Please cooperate with us. Otherwise, our legal department will request you to fulfill your responsibility as stated in the contract.”
“Contract? You guys must have made a mistake. I’ve never signed any contract!” Jean struggled as the staff seized her but to no avail.
She was forced to sit down before the makeup table and was forced to change into an outfit thereafter.
“Please take a look at this, Miss Eyer. This is the set of jewelry that will be featured in the ad shoot today. This series is named Glory of the Moon.” Harley lifted her hand and signaled for the staff to present the jewelry in a display case.
The set of jewelry consisted of three bracelets, two necklaces, and a 10-carat diamond ring.
Jean was dumbfounded at the sight of the gems.
This series of accessories looked so mysterious yet gentle that Jean couldn’t take her eyes off them.
“This jewelry is designed by Enva, a newly hired designer in our company. How do you like the design? I heard that you’re working as a designer too. Do consider our company if there’s an opportunity.” Harley said with a smile.
Then, she passed Jean a name card and promised, “If you join our company, I can guarantee that you’ll be able to design a set of jewelry on your own within half a year.”
The offer was extremely attractive.
If Jean became one of the main designers in Perles, she would be able to establish her position in the jewelry design industry, and that would open up more opportunities for her.
Jean took a deep breath. Stay calm and rational, Jean! There’s no such thing as a free lunch!
“It’s okay. I don’t plan to join any company for now.” Jean frowned as she looked at herself in the mirror.
Startled, Harley did not keep the name card away but gently left it on the table.
“Mr. Royden will arrive soon. I’ll go and check out the shooting crew.”
The ad shoot would take place in the backyard of Edgar’s villa.
While Jean was led downstairs by a staff member, Edgar walked into the house. When his cold gaze met Jean, his eyes lit up as he was impressed at her appearance.
The next second, Jean accidentally twisted her ankle.
“Be careful, Miss Eyer.” The staff quickly supported Jean.
Jean was frustrated at her carelessness. It had been some time since she wore stilettos and an exquisite gown.
On the previous occasions of ball parties and banquets, the height of the high heels she wore was within a comfortable range.
However, the ad this time required the model to be extraordinarily exquisite and ostentatious. In fact, Jean felt like the accessories she wore weighed more than ten pounds!
She became more resentful the more she thought about it. When she stood in front of Edgar, her eyes were filled with disgust.
“Does it make you happy seeing me in this state?” She stared daggers at Edgar.
Edgar wore an indifferent expression. Any other woman would be overjoyed to be invited for an ad shoot like this. Moreover, given Jean’s situation now, she had no right to be picky.
“Aren’t you financially tight? I’m just trying to help you.” Edgar answered coldly while the staff helped him put on the jacket and jewelry.
Jean sneered coldly. “Thank you, but I can’t accept your kindness. By the way, you should know this series features couples’ jewelry. I can’t believe you still want to shoot this ad with your ex-wife after marrying Gigi. Tsk…”
Jean was already planning how to expose the news to the paparazzi as she was determined to ruin Edgar’s reputation.
However, to her surprise, Edgar was not annoyed by her provocation.
Instead, he strode forward and placed his arm around Jean’s waist in front of everyone. “I have no choice. Gigi is pregnant now, so I don’t want her to be too tired. Your face won’t be captured in the shoot anyway.”
