Filed To Story: Finding the Secret Daddy for My Baby Novel
Following that, some online provocateurs released chat records that seemed to be from insiders. They stated that Harmony wanted to move to the front row, got warned by the staff, and had to return to her original seat.
There were also claims that as a junior, she disrespected her seniors, and the reason she won was not because she outperformed others in the nomination but because she schemed to snatch away the award behind the scenes.
These three accusations were enough to tarnish Harmony’s reputation thoroughly, and they created an impression of a newcomer using any means to climb to the top. Of course, Harmony’s fans tried to counter these claims online, but the sheer number of internet ghostwriters drowned out their voices.
Harmony and Ezekiel stepped out of the award ceremony into the evening breeze. She appeared stunning tonight. Perhaps it was because she received an award, or perhaps it was this man’s presence. Tonight, she exuded a radiant charm like that of the moonlight.
He couldn’t help but look at her when he stood on the steps outside the event venue. She seemed to have many things she wanted to say to him, yet she lacked the courage because she couldn’t grasp his true intentions toward her.
Was it affection? Or just assistance out of kindness?
Therefore, she maintained a polite demeanor. “Mr. Weiss, thank you for presenting me with the award tonight. You’ve given me an unforgettable evening.” “Likewise, I’m honored to present you with this trophy. Of course, you truly deserve it,” Ezekiel said.
Harmony pursed her lips and had a question that had been troubling her. She didn’t know if she should ask him.
“Mr. Weiss… I have a question, but I’m not sure if I should ask you.” “Go ahead! I’ll answer any questions truthfully.” Ezekiel raised an eyebrow.
“Was I able to get this award tonight because of your connections?” Harmony asked curiously because she never harbored hopes of winning tonight as she knew how exceptional the other works were.
He folded his arms, then shook his head confidently. “It wasn’t because of my connections. I only received the notification to present the trophy.” Harmony’s beautiful eyes widened slightly. “Really?” “You are outstanding, and you deserve this award,” he comforted her.
Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. No matter how much criticism she received, it didn’t matter. Upon hearing Ezekiel’s words, she finally accepted the award with peace of mind.
“Harmony, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Sera found her way over, and upon seeing Ezekiel, she exclaimed excitedly, “Mr. Weiss, so you were here to present the award to Harmony!” Ezekiel smiled faintly when he saw her manager arrive. “I’ll take my leave then.” “Sure! Take care.” Harmony watched him leave.
She kept her eyes on him as he walked toward his convoy until he got into the car. Sera looked at her, then at the departing car, and couldn’t help but cough lightly. “He’s gone far. What’s there left to see?” Harmony’s cheeks reddened, and she handed the trophy to Sera. “Sera, can you hold this for me?” “You’ve won another award! That’s great!” Sera shared her joy but quickly cautioned her. “Harmony, there’s a lot of negativity about you on the internet now. Don’t go online, and don’t let it affect your mood.”
“Perhaps I offended too many people tonight,” Harmony remarked. Many were secretly jealous of her getting this award. In this circle, the resources were limited. She took some of it, which naturally meant someone else got less.
Hence, it was customary for people to attack her.
Several factions of internet ghostwriters were vehemently attacking her, causing her to trend as the top topic, titled “Digging Deep into the Rising Star’s Past.” Clicking into the content would reveal Harmony’s embarrassing moments from her early acting days. It was critiqued one by one, almost as if they aimed to vilify her publicly.
Catalina sat in her car and admired the handiwork funded by herself, feeling proud. Reuben remained silent while sitting beside her. Tonight, he felt quite discontented too. Harmony receiving the award felt like an unseen blow to him.
“Don’t look so down! Harmony won’t be able to hold on for much longer,” Catalina said to him.
“Didn’t you see the way that man treated her tonight? He’s definitely going to promote her. Catalina, aren’t you quite resourceful? Why haven’t you pulled her down?” Reuben asked.
Catalina sneered. “Why are you in such a hurry?
Do you think I can’t handle a minor figure like Harmony?” “You better make her leave this circle. I feel sick just seeing her,” he said in frustration.
She glanced at him and suddenly realized something. She seemed to have done Harmony a favor by eliminating a tasteless and graceless jerk for her.
Instead, he ended up in her hands. She couldn’t shake him off now.
Darn it!
She had inadvertently done a good deed, which allowed Harmony to meet someone like Ezekiel.
Back at the hotel, Ezekiel was handling work- related matters. Meanwhile, his assistant, Mars Holand, was surfing the internet. Soon, he stumbled upon some information and murmured, “Why is Miss Mayo being criticized so harshly?” Ezekiel paused from his work and reached out. “Who’s criticizing her?” “The netizens! Did she offend someone by winning the award tonight?” Ezekiel stopped what he was doing and gestured. “Show me.” Mars immediately handed over the tablet. Ezekiel browsed through a post about Harmony by the anti-fan, which was filled with malicious language. He was ridiculing Harmony’s education and her family background.
At that moment, a line of text struck directly at his heart, causing his pupils to dilate.
She was an orphan!
Ezekiel had thought Harmony came from an ordinary family background, at least with both parents alive. But unexpectedly, he stumbled upon her background online and learned that both her parents were deceased.
‘She’s a jinx who causes misfortune to those around her. She’s destined to be alone and without support. It was a netizen’s comment about her.
Upon seeing this sentence, Ezekiel felt a surge of anger. Harmony had already suffered the loss of both her parents, yet these people were using her pain to attack her.
“Mars, contact Dan’s crew and tell them to come to Averna for promotion this time. I want him to bring the lead actors here and join Harmony for the promotion.” “Wow! Miss Mayo’s status will be elevated to that of an international movie star with just a word from you.” Mars chuckled and then asked nosily, “Mr.
Weiss, do you like Miss Mayo?” “Don’t pry into my personal matters. Follow my instructions and get it done by next month.” “Understood. I’ll make sure to boost Miss Mayo’s popularity for you.” Ezekiel continued to scroll through the tablet and ignored the hateful comments.
He saw a glimpse of Harmony’s struggles in this circle, from her early days facing various hardships to her simultaneous filming and rigorous efforts to enroll in the film academy. He could see she was a hardworking and determined individual.
Such a person shouldn’t be subjected to malicious attacks even if she was not praised by others.
At night, Harmony took a shower. Her long hair was draped over as she leaned on the couch comfortably while lost in thought. She seemed to have developed a liking for spacing out lately. On the other hand, Sera became busy. Even though Harmony was heavily criticized, her acting skills were acknowledged. After all, being criticized was a form of publicity.
Sera had at least ten scripts in her hand and was choosing earnestly. Simultaneously, she handed a few scripts to Harmony. “Here. These are the ones I’ve selected. Take a look and see which one you would like to film.”
Harmony snapped out of her reverie, picked up the scripts, and flipped through them. They used to plead with production crews for acting roles in the past, but now, many roles would come knocking at their door.
“The shooting period for TV dramas is long, so let’s hold off on those for now. You’ve already entered the movie industry, so let’s consider film roles.”
“Sera, let’s choose a script with fewer intimate scenes!” Harmony suggested.
“Sure. We’ll choose one with fewer intimate scenes. Sera accommodated her mood. Then, she put down the scripts and asked sincerely, “Harmony, you’re not really falling for Mr. Weiss, are you?”
Something tugged at Harmony’s heartstrings. She shook her head. “No, I’m not!”
“Don’t hide your thoughts from me. Tell me the truth. I’ll see if I can offer you some advice. Liking someone is not a crime. Saying it out loud won’t make us embarrassed, right?” Sera saw through her thoughts.
Indeed, Harmony had a lot on her mind, and Sera was the only one she could confide in. Sera genuinely cared for her.
Harmony was prompted as she pursed her lips and nodded at Sera. “Yes. I like him.”
Sera chuckled. “It’s hard for any woman not to like him. Even I like him!”
Harmony lifted her head and looked at Sera in shock. “Sera, you-”
“Don’t misunderstand me. I’m so much older than him. I like him, but I’m more of an old fan.” Sera laughed as she added.
“Sera, I don’t know what to do! I’m afraid to show my feelings in front of him and even more afraid of him finding out that I like him.”