Star Actress 178

Chapter 178 

“What’s the deal with this Emily? She looks so sweet and innocent. Is she really as bad as you say?” 

Not wanting to sound jealous, Zoey kept her tone cool as she probed for more information. 

Veda, who couldn’t stand Emily, was eager to vent. Seeing an opportunity to gain an ally, she didn’t hold back. 

She began recounting the time she saw Daniel bring Emily to an event, adding a generous amount of slander. “You wouldn’t believe it. That girl’s a total idiot. She’s not even married into the Smith family yet, and she’s already talking trash, questioning their reputation.” 

“And she’s just from the Johnson family, a third–rate clan barely scraping into our circle. She used to be a nobody, a scavenger. Who would even look at her twice? I’m not making this up. She even had the nerve to hit me.” 

Veda showed Zoey her bruised face. “That witch is wild and strong! It hurt like hell, and Daniel still defended her, even threatened to punish us. I have to get back at her for this.” 

Zoey initially thought Emily’s background and education were no threat. She was about to relax when she heard Veda’s last remark. 

Regardless of background or skills, they couldn’t compete with Daniel’s favor. 

She had never seen Daniel show interest in anyone before. His aloofness had given her hope that she might win him over someday. 

But now, another woman had caught his eye. 

Zoey felt a surge of jealousy. She had to find out what made this woman so special to Daniel. 

“If Daniel’s protecting her, she might actually marry into the Smith family!” Zoey said, trying to sound casual. 

Veda scoffed. “No way, I won’t let that happen. I’ve always thought of you as Daniel’s wife. Haven’t you waited long enough? We need to deal with her so you and Daniel have a chance.” 

Zoey knew Veda was partly sincere, but she had her own motives, too. 

Emily had crossed Veda, and Veda, fearing Daniel’s anger, didn’t dare to act directly. She wanted Zoey to take the risk. 

Zoey hesitated. “But… what if Emily’s got something going for her? I can’t believe Daniel would fall for just anyone. She must have some redeeming qualities. I need to meet her first.” 

Veda pondered this. “Her only skill is being shameless and seducing men. You’ll see when you meet her. I’ll set it up so Daniel doesn’t 

know.” 

That was exactly what Zoey wanted. 

This way, the blame wouldn’t fall entirely on her; it would be Veda’s doing. 

The two seemed like friends, but each had their own agenda. 

Selfish people often attract each other, which is why they became friends. 

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Chapter 178 

Meanwhile, Emily’s nose itched, oblivious to the plotting against her. 

Terry called, saying there had been progress on the project. 

“I’ll drop by the office tomorrow and approve some funds for everyone to celebrate.” 

Emily was surprised at the quick progress and praised them generously. 

Terry wanted Emily to see every milestone firsthand. “Sure, I’ll let the team know. They’ll be thrilled.” 

“Great!” 

Emily smiled, planning to meet Raina first and then head to the office since they were close by. 

The next day. 

Emily was sitting in a café when she met Raina. 

“Ms. Johnson, glad you could make it.” Raina greeted her warmly. 

To those who didn’t know her well or couldn’t read micro–expressions, she seemed very approachable and pleasant. 

Emily smiled back, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Ms. Smith, since you asked me here, what do you want to talk about?” 

She didn’t let her guard down just because Raina seemed friendly. 

Raina’s enthusiasm was met with a cold splash from Emily’s words. 

For a moment, her eyes flashed with disdain and malice. 

But she quickly composed herself. 

She looked at Emily seriously. “I wanted to tell you that Veda won’t let this go after you hit her. She’s probably plotting with Zoey to cause you trouble. You should be careful, or maybe tell Daniel to get you some bodyguards.” 

Emily was a bit surprised. 

Even though she could have guessed this without investigating, she didn’t expect Raina to come and tell her. 

Hiding her suspicion, Emily asked, “I thought Veda listened to you. Why are you telling me this? Isn’t it a betrayal? People respect you, and I didn’t think you’d do something like this. Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Veda?” 

Raina chuckled. “If you want to tell Veda, I can’t stop you. But from what I know of her, she won’t believe you. She’ll think you’re trying to stir up trouble. 

Betrayal isn’t for me to define. I just follow my conscience. 

It’s not that I’m popular. I just know that being genuine is important in friendships. The same goes for you. Veda is spoiled and a bit willful, but she’s not really malicious. I don’t want her to keep making mistakes. 

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Chapter 178 

Doing too many bad things can numb one’s conscience, and that’s disastrous for both the person and society.” 

Raina made herself sound noble. 

If you didn’t think too much about it, you might be fooled into thinking she was sincere. 

But Emily was more wary of people like her. 

“Okay, I heard you. Thanks for the warning. You can leave now.” 

Emily acted like a heartless man who turned cold after getting what he wanted. 

Raina almost lost her smile. 

She coughed to hide her embarrassment and then continued with a smile. “Emily, can we be friends? I really admire you. Can I have your contact info?” 

Thanks for the heads–up, but from what I know, you’re from the Smith family. You probably have plenty of people interested in being your friend. Why are you so insistent on this? It makes me wonder if you have an ulterior motive.” 

Emily stared at Raina. 

Raina quickly waved her hands and explained with a bitter smile. “Ms. Johnson, that’s just the surface. How many real friends do I have? I admire you for standing up to power and being brave. 

In my family, I don’t have much say, especially with someone like Veda around. But you’ve been through so much and still stay true to yourself. That’s something I want to learn from. So, can we be friends?”