The deal was sealed and Yang Chen didn't hesitate anymore. He obediently followed Alisa's orders and stripped, though he still felt apprehensive towards it. He closed his eyes and his body was shivering from the embarrassment of being stared at intensely.
Alisa's brows furrowed into a frown as she saw how skinny and thin he was. How on earth did that scumbag raise his artists? Gong Xuyun looked quite normal and healthy compared to other artists, but that was because he was living off a luxurious life with his family's wealth and even someone influential in the entertainment industry like Zane couldn't lay their hands on him. It only meant that he was only targeting those who didn't have the capability to protect themselves. Alisa was greatly angered.
"You can put your shirt now. I never thought it would be this bad. Your acting skills are great, but your constitution is poor. Didn't you have proper meals while you were in the Stardust Entertainment?"
He looked away in shame as he dressed himself again. "I was suppressed greatly, resulting to not being able to do any projects for two years already even though I started as a rising star. Zane was just too much."
"What about reporting it to the higher-ups?"
"I already did, but they didn't care about some nameless artist out there."
What a bunch of fools!
A gem like this was being treated like trash. Alisa secretly sneered. She would make them regret for letting him go. She took the phone and called for Sylvia to arrange some matters for her. After a few minutes, she put it down and turned towards him again.
"I can make you shine in the limelight once again and even make you the greatest artist of the year."
Yang Chen's face lit up in excitement. But before he could celebrate, Alisa continued her statement. "However, whether you can achieve it or not solely depends on you. I can only help you give a push. For now, you'll have to follow this routine. Go directly to Sylvia and she will arrange everything you need. You'll have to follow the daily balanced diet I've prepared for you as well as do the sets of exercises everyday. No skipping! Are we clear?"
"Yes, Mr. Alex! I will not disappoint you. Thank you for giving me a second chance." He bowed in respect, his eyes starting to tear up. He had been waiting for so long. If he missed this one last chance, there was no way he would be able to make a comeback again.
"Now, you can go." Alisa dismissed him and he went back to the studio to do what he was told.
There was some time left before taking off from work. Alisa looked at her phone to see if there were messages from her contractual husband but she remembered that they hadn't even exchanged numbers. She facepalmed after realizing how big their marital problems were. Could they even be called marriage partners at this rate?
"Stupid Raphkiel! I guess I should go to Eclipse Technology and Co. for now to see how he is doing." She cursed him and let out a sigh as she decided to take a look at the company where he was working at. It would also be a good experience for her to see a different type of company.
She stood up and was about to leave when her stomach suddenly growled loudly. Fortunately, no one was present.
"I have to get a quick bite. It's already late too. I can't have my baby starve."
It was such a pain to keep going back to her residence while bringing a fancy car like the McLaren F1 to work that would likely cause a commotion, so she rented a nearby apartment where she could stay in during work days. She changed her clothes into a simple jumper dress while removing the make up and the wig which let her light purple hair fall freely down her waist. Alisa had transformed back into a beautiful and vibrant young lady.
The sky was starting to darken and the people's life shifted from day work to nightlife. The stall situated just outside her apartment was buzzing with people. She was curious to see what kind of food was being sold there to form such a long line. She second to the last in the line, with a young man, who had been masking himself with dark glasses, a cap, and a facemask to hide whatever monstrosity he was trying to hide, following behind her. She was slightly creeped out by this person.
The line was gradually shortening until it was her turn to buy food. The stall was selling delicious hotdogs with bun as well as jars of gummy candies. She thought they looked cute so she bought the remaining two jars as well as two buns. She turned to left immediately while happily gobbling the delicious food she bought. Suddenly, she felt someone following her from behind. She turned around and saw the same masked person maintaining a distance away from her.
'Eugh! I'm now being stalked.' She groaned in disgust. However, on second look, the guy seemed to be staring at the jar she was holding instead of her own appearance. She raised one jar on the air and the man's gaze followed. She opened it and stuffed some gummies into her mouth and the guy looked quite comical with his pained expression like he was about to cry after his candy was stolen from her. She misunderstood him. It was her fault in the first place for buying all the remaining stock so he had no choice but to follow her so he could strike a deal into buying some of her shares.
"Do you want it?" She asked the man.
He nodded vehemently without saying a single word. Alisa gently smiled at him and handed one jar of gummy candies. "You can have it for free. It's on me."
"Th-thank you, kind miss..."
She only waved it off as a simple matter and took a one last bite from her bun before taking her leave. The man secretly took a photo of her with his phone. He stared at the photo with bright eyes full of admiration without Alisa's knowing.
She hailed a cab and went to the Eclipse Technology. It was already 6pm and the employees were getting off one by one, but she didn't see Raphkiel anywhere. She waited for a little more but he still didn't come in. She saw a nearby guard and approached him.
"Excuse me."
"What is it, young miss?"
"Is there an employee here named Raphkiel Leonis Arnor?"
The guard tried to remember if there was a name like that. Alisa had a hunch that Raphkiel wasn't telling the truth at all. To confirm her suspicions, the guard shook his head in response.
"No, there's no employee like that here."
"I see..." She was disappointed. That guy disappeared into thin air without even informing her. What was the point of getting married if he won't even show up to perform his role as her husband? Little did she know that the guard was clueless about who their boss was so he couldn't answer her question even if she asked him if Raphkiel was their boss.
She was about to turn around when he spotted a familiar cold face that was obviously irritated. Their eyes met and his gaze showed a hint of confusion.
"There you are. I was even wondering when you would come home."
"Home?"
"Screw you, Raphkiel! You agreed on marrying me but you never even bothered contacting me nor show up on my residence. Even if you're too busy driving the car for your bosses, at least do your part."
Her angry face reminded him of what happened a few days ago. He went to the civil registry's office together with her to get their marriage certificates and then left her behind afterwards. He couldn't believe he had done such a thing. So many work had piled up in the company which made him forgot about that matter.
Meanwhile, his secretary, Charles Grant, was having the biggest shock of his life. His boss got married? On top of it all, it was to a woman who had an unknown background. He couldn't recognize Alisa from the lists of beautiful and rich young ladies all over Astralis. There were many women who were fawning over his boss but he didn't even pay any attention to them. He would avoid all kinds of women like they were the plague. Was this woman crazy? However, Raphkiel's gaze softened and he nodded silently, acknowledging that he made a mistake, much to Charles' bewilderment.
'Holy crap! This is a big scoop! I mustn't miss this.' His thoughts were screaming inside his mind as he watched the two of them conversing. He also thought he should discuss this with his colleagues, but Raphkiel's stern gaze made him think otherwise. It was so frightening that his whole being shuddered.
"Boss, I'll be taking off from work now." He reluctantly bowed while his eyes gleamed a hint of danger that gave Charles goosebumps.
'B-Boss?! Does his own wife not know anything about who he is?'
He dared not divulge anything, afraid that Raphkiel would take it out on him if he did. Alisa's patience was running out so she took his hand and dragged him away after she paid her respects to Charles. The latter was left alone speechless.