Chapter 15 The Celibate Man

• “Don’t even think about it!” Noelle announced angrily. She wouldn’t ask for Estelle’s help even if she were to starve to her death. Alas, she was stumped as no jobs were coming her way.
• “Sophia, please make some job arrangements for me. Anything will do,” she pleaded.
• Sophia was overseeing two top artists besides Noelle. She wasn’t that influential, but she had enough resources to help Noelle out.
• “Noelle, I’m not refusing to help you. You must solve the root of the problem. Otherwise, I won’t be of any help. Before Estelle entered the company, I could help you. But now...” She sighed. “Noelle, I’m facing pressure too.” Sophia felt sorry for her. Noelle was blessed with gorgeous looks and she could act well. She would be a popular celebrity with minimal effort.
• Unfortunately, Shining Entertainment had been acquired by Jackson. Previously, Noelle had cheated on him, so he retired from acting when his career was at its peak. It was no surprise that he had cast the blame on Noelle. Shining Entertainment was now a dead end for Noelle.
• The root of the problem? Noelle smiled bitterly. Even Sophia thinks that it’s my fault.
• “Noelle, your coat.” Sophia noticed the coat that was hanging on Noelle’s arm. Her eyes scanned over it as she brightened up. “Is this Dominic Pierce’s coat? Did Mr. Pierce give you a ride here?”
• Noelle took the coat back. “No.”
• “Don’t lie to me. This is a bespoke Armani suit. Even if one were wealthy, it wouldn’t be easy to acquire it. Noelle, since you know Mr. Pierce, why would you need to worry?” Sophia was no longer dejected. She perked up like a businessperson who got a sniff of a business opportunity.
• I thought that it was a misunderstanding when Mr. Pierce covered the news up. It seems that they were having a secret relationship.
• “Sophia, let’s stop talking about him, alright?” Noelle only felt embarrassed at the mention of his name.
• If she hadn’t acknowledged the scandal by remaining silent, there was no way that Jojo would have gotten to embarrass her today.
• “Okay, okay.” Sophia zipped her mouth shut. “J City Film Festival is being held a week later. You rose to stardom after acting in “Love at Sea”, right? I’ll arrange a song performance for you at the awards ceremony. However, that isn’t the point. I heard that Benjamin Durward, the famous director, will be there, too. He is choosing the female lead for his latest movie, “The Desert.” If you get a chance to audition—”
• “I promise I’ll complete the mission!” Before Sophia could finish, Noelle leaped toward her and planted a loud kiss on her cheek. “Sophia, you’re the best!”
• “Stop flattering me. Just a reminder, Estelle is after this role, too. This is a complicated mission!”
• “Don’t worry. I’ll burn the whole showbiz if you give me a spark!”
• Noelle was elated. J City Film Festival, Benjamin Durward, here I come!
• Meanwhile, back at Pierce residence.
• Dominic had just stepped in when a tall figure lunged toward him.
• “Dom, you’re back!” Declan, clad in pastel pajamas, rushed toward Dominic excitedly. He pulled his brother to the stairs as he lowered his voice. “What about Angel? Did you find her for me?”
• “Of course—”
• “Who are you talking about? Does Declan have a new girlfriend?” Their grandmother, Katherine Nolan, was making her way down the stairs with the help of a servant. She approached them excitedly.
• Katherine was the nosiest person in the Pierce family.
• “Grandma.” Dominic shot his brother a look before he helped the old lady to the dining table.
• “Dominic, have you been busy lately?” Katherine inquired after she noticed that he had lost some weight.
• “Kind of.”
• “It’s no surprise that you’re rarely back nowadays then. We’ve agreed that you’ll return for dinner once a week, right? It’s been ages since you last came back. Did your mom scare you away with the blind dates that she forced you to attend?”
• “Mom, I was not forcing him. He’s not young anymore. It’s time for him to get married! Even if he’s not getting married soon, he should at least get a girlfriend! I can’t believe that he’s still celibate in his thirties.” Dominic’s mother, Lillian Cornell, complained. She rose to her feet and left the dining room. When she returned, there was a photo in her hand. She slapped the photo onto the table and told Dominic. “Look, this is Roanna White. Her family owns ST Group. She is a Harvard graduate. Look at how pretty she is. Listen to me. I’ll arrange an appointment tomorrow so that you can meet—”
• “Mom, let’s eat.” Dominic ignored the photo as he began to eat.
• “Hey!” Lillian was enraged at her son’s reaction. Katherine immediately consoled her. “Lillian, there is no need to rush. Dominic is finally back home. Let’s do this slowly.”
• “Slowly? Mom, how should we do it slowly? He always reacts this way. He won’t even look if I introduce the president’s daughter to him. I don’t even know—”
• “The young lady that Declan met previously was pretty nice, right?” Katherine cut in. “Declan, tell me. What does the girl look like?” Katherine changed the topic deftly.
• Everyone’s interest was piqued as their gazes landed on Declan.
• Declan was munching on a drumstick when his family’s attention shifted toward him. He put his half-eaten drumstick down shyly and grinned. “Grandma, do you mean Angel? S-She’s really nice and...”
• He trailed off, trying to find a suitable adjective to describe Noelle. However, he failed in his attempt. Desperate, he turned to Dominic for help. However, his brother was evidently not interested in the gossip as he consumed his meal quietly.
• “This is a secret between Angel and me! I won’t tell you!” Under everyone’s curious gazes, Declan suddenly made this declaration.
• “Did you learn this from your brother? How could you keep a secret from us?” Katherine was upset. She patted his shoulder and urged, “Eat up.”
• “Dominic, I remember that Declan asked for your help in finding a girl. Have you found her?” Lillian asked.
• “What if I did? And what if I didn’t?” Dominic stopped eating and retorted coolly.
• “If you found her, we need to thank her. Besides, if she likes our Declan—”
• “I didn’t find her!” Frustrated, Dominic interrupted his mother.
• “Dom, you promised to bring her to me! Liar!”
• “Yes, Dominic. You need to do your best to keep your promise to Declan.” As Dominic’s answer was too perfunctory, even Lillian was unamused.
• “Silence! Eat your food.” Dominic’s father, Theodore Pierce, roared suddenly. As he was stern, everyone zipped their mouths shut.