Ian Rowe's face seemed to be carved out of ice—handsome, yet cold enough to chill.
Perhaps Ian's gaze was too overwhelming, as Maya Monroe started to find it unbearable.
She reached out to push Ian out the door: "It's late, honey. You don't need to worry about me. Hurry back to sleep. Although I enjoy being with you, how could I possibly take up your precious sleep time? If you're too tired dealing with work tomorrow, I'd feel so sorry!"
Vincent Summers saw that it took Ian so long to come downstairs, and his curiosity for gossip ignited.
"Was Maya bothering you again? What's up with her lately, acting like she's possessed!"
"More than that."
"Huh??"
Vincent wanted to ask more, but saw Ian turn and head to the study to deal with work.
Without Maya's drama, none of this hassle would be needed.
Vincent couldn't help but grumble under his breath.
However, all of Maya's antics seemed to actually have improved Ian's mood.
Meanwhile, in her bedroom, Maya wasn't going to fall asleep so quickly.
She was almost overwhelmed by the surprise in her heart.
How did the plot get so exciting so fast!?
Just from Ian carrying her back, the excitement level increased by six points!
When she painstakingly set up scenarios for the female lead to slap faces, it only went up by two or three points at a time.
Could it be that readers outside the book are more eager to see Ian cast her away like rubbish, kicked out the door?
Reader satisfaction is like a god; if that's the case, she has to act out even more, and quickly make Ian disgusted with her!
Maya lay on the bed in silence for a few seconds, increasingly feeling like she had grasped a major secret to enhancing the plot's excitement.
*
When Maya got up, she glanced at her phone screen and saw some scandalous post about herself.
#A certain actress with the last name Monroe suspected of having a late-night rendezvous with a mysterious tycoon#
The picture showed Ian carrying Maya into a car, with the expensive luxury car getting a close-up.
Opening the app, she saw the topic had hit the trending list, hovering in an average spot.
Below, netizens were enjoying the gossip while not forgetting to scorn Maya.
[Little Plum: Sister Monroe sure is busy! I heard she went for an audition recently and now, knowing she won't get picked, she's preparing to cozy up to a sponsor? Classic move! (Claps)]
[Wind Through Your Heart: Another "Miss Monroe" gossip? Can't they just name her already? Her scandals are so overdone! Maybe it's just self-promotion again?]
[Qiqi: The silhouette of this mysterious tycoon looks quite decent. Maybe they're blind? (Skeptical pose)]
[Crystal Clear: Thanks, I'm infinitely repulsed by Maya Monroe!]
...
Maya scrolled through a few top-liked comments with interest.
Gotta say, the folks here are quite articulate!
Feeling pretty good after a full sleep, Maya didn't bother more, glanced briefly over the comments, and went to freshen up.
After coming downstairs, Maya saw Ian and Vincent sitting on the sofa, with a soup pot between them.
The two exchanged a complex look, seemingly deep in thought.
What Maya was pondering, though, was something else.
Could it be that Ian has been craving food lately, always fiddling in the kitchen with his home-cooked meals?
Ian's taste is peculiar—despite having so many chefs at home, he prefers his own cooking, insisting on doing it himself every time.
Truth be told, his dishes don't upset the stomach, but they're not exactly flavors a normal person would like.
Maya didn't care much for Ian's cooking, but knowing he loved it, if she deprived him of it, he might grow to resent her. The thought made her find the meals delicious.
Maya unceremoniously ladled a bowl of soup, not forgetting to pull the pot closer to her.
"Didn't expect my darling husband to be so thoughtful, knowing I'm working today and preparing a delicious reward for me. Don't worry, I'll finish it all. It's all your love for me!"
Maya tasted it, savoring the flavor.
The burnt taste wasn't as strong; it seemed Ian's taste was becoming more normal.
Immersed in her world, Maya completely missed the odd looks from Ian and Vincent.
Once she finished, Maya left smoothly.
Vincent looked at the empty soup pot: "Maya must really like you, Ian, right? No matter how vile, big-mouthed, or petty she is...she truly loves you!"
*
Ryan Spencer watched from the car window as Maya approached, opening the door to greet her in person.
Seeing she only carried an empty bag, he asked, "I heard from Scott you accidentally twisted your ankle during training yesterday and refused to let him take you back… didn't bring a crutch or anything?"
Maya instinctively touched her nose, "Just a minor injury, one night's rest was enough. I'm back on my feet—we should hurry to the company!"
Ryan wasn't unfamiliar with this side of Maya.
It seemed she hadn't twisted her ankle at all, just concocted the story to slack off.
Not the first time Maya pulled such stunts, though her acting this time was convincing enough to fool Scott.
Once in the backseat, Maya pulled out pre-packed sunflower seeds, leisurely snacking away.
The original owner's bag was mostly cosmetics, whereas hers was assorted snacks.
When Ryan saw this through the rearview mirror, he nearly fainted.
"What are you doing?"
Maya offered some seeds: "Want some? They're chicken soup flavored, really fragrant! And I've got a bag ready, see, no mess in your car!"
"I'm not eating!" Ryan's concern was more about her attitude than the seeds.
Though Maya's past behavior wasn't great, she knew when to try hard, desperately stirring up rumors to boost her fame.
But now... she seemed more laid back.
As competitive as the entertainment industry is, how can she be so laid back?
Ryan grew more frustrated seeing Maya languidly reclining in the backseat.
"If you stay like this, how will you ever achieve your old dreams? Remember what you told me? You wanted to become an outstanding actress! Winning all kinds of awards!"
Maya picked off a stray sunflower seed skin from her lip: "…Oh."
Can't reverse it now!
"I heard the results of the 'Wandering Beyond the Horizon' audition will be out today. With your current state and performance, you don't stand a chance at the role! But don't be disheartened…"
Speak of the devil.
Maya gestured for Ryan to hold his tongue, silencing his rambling.
With one hand holding a sunflower seed, she used the other to answer the call.
"Hello, is this Ms. Monroe? This is the 'Wandering Beyond the Horizon' production team..."