Star Actress 221

Chapter 221 

“Alright, we’ll do it your way for now. But Aiden, make sure you’ve got a backup plan 

ready. Get the stock agreement prepped just in case,” Eli said seriously. 

“Got it!” Aiden replied. 

Bianca held back her frustration. She’d already put a lot of effort into coming up with a 

strategy, but Eli was still playing it safe. She wasn’t thrilled about giving away any shares. 

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. “Dad, remember how Emily’s really attached to 

that orphan she adopted? Even though she initially had another family adopt Liam, she’s 

definitely going to keep him close. Liam is school-aged now. Why don’t we find out where 

he’s going to school and use him to pressure Emily into saving Hayden? If we can’t find 

him, we can lure Violette out. Rhett is desperate to find Violette, so we can use that to 

push Emily into agreeing.” 

As Bianca spoke, she felt more and more confident in her plan. Little did she know, the 

other three members of the Johnson family were giving her strange looks. A genuinely 

kind person wouldn’t come up with manipulative schemes so easily, let alone multiple 

ones. They had already had doubts about Bianca’s true nature, and now they were even 

more taken aback. 

“Bianca, that’s a kid you’re talking about, and our aunt, Violette,” Aiden couldn’t help but 

speak up. 

Bianca noticed their odd looks and quickly tried to cover up. “I’m only doing this for 

Hayden. Call me cruel if you want; I’ll take the blame. I just want to scare Emily into 

action; I wouldn’t actually harm Violette or Liam!” 

In her heart, she didn’t think she was wrong at all. She even felt a bit sarcastic, thinking 

about how they had no qualms about taking Liam away to threaten Emily and ignored 

Violette when she needed to borrow money back then. 

Chapter 221 

Of course, she didn’t voice these thoughts, knowing they would only earn their ire. Bianca 

clutched her chest, feigning distress. 

Cleo quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Bianca, don’t get worked up. We know you’re doing this for Hayden. You should call Emily right away; the longer we wait, the 

worse it’ll be for Hayden!” 

Cleo hurriedly guided Bianca to lie down and rest. 

Eli and Aiden exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly. Eli then dialed 

Emily’s number. 

“Hello?” 

Emily was taking a walk with Daniel when she saw Eli’s call. She assumed he had come 

around and was willing to give up the 20% shares. If so, she would have a slightly higher 

opinion of the Johnson family. 

“Emily, you said you could save Hayden, right?” Eli’s tone was still arrogant. 

Emily could tell from his voice that Eli hadn’t changed his mind. Her expression turned 

cold, and Daniel, sensing her mood, looked over with concern. He had seen Eli’s name on 

the caller ID. 

The Johnson family was truly stubborn. Daniel couldn’t bear to see Emily suffer even a 

little, and they kept pushing their luck. 

“I can save him, but only if my conditions are met. If you’re ready to give up the 20% 

shares, we can continue this conversation,” Emily said firmly. 

Eli’s face darkened. He hadn’t expected Emily to be so unyielding. “Emily, you’re only able 

to save Hayden because of Mr. Smith’s influence. What if we tell him how cold-hearted 

you are, not caring about Hayden’s life? Your pure and kind image would be shattered. Do 

you think you could still live so comfortably?” 

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Eli’s threat was clear as day. Emily’s already cold heart trembled slightly, but she suppressed the unwelcome feelings and glanced at Daniel, deliberately saying, “Daniel, Eli says I’m a cold-hearted person. Would you still want to be with me?” 

She was doing it on purpose, making sure Eli heard every word. Eli hadn’t expected Emily to be with Daniel. Rumor had it that Daniel was a workaholic, yet here he was, taking 

time off on a weekday to be with Emily. 

Daniel knew Emily was putting on a show for the person on the other end of the line. 

Still, he smiled indulgently and replied, “I love everything about you. No matter what 

you’re like, I love you.” 

Emily’s heart raced at his affectionate gaze. Even though they were acting, his handsome 

face and heartfelt confession stirred her emotions. She quickly looked away and taunted 

Eli over the phone. “Did you hear that? What attracts Daniel to me isn’t the kindness you 

think. Clearly, you haven’t grasped reality. We have nothing more to discuss.” 

“Wait!” Eli was desperate. 

Emily didn’t give him a chance to speak further. “Remember, today is Hayden’s last 

chance. Think it over and respond quickly, or the offer expires.” 

Eli was furious, his chest heaving. “You… you dare to threaten us? You’ll regret this!” 

He hung up angrily. Aiden, waiting nearby, saw Eli’s expression and knew the negotiation 

had failed. 

“Proceed with the second plan. Spend some money to stir up public opinion,” Eli ordered, 

too angry to think clearly. 

Emily knew the Johnsons would have a backup plan after Eli’s threats. But she was 

prepared for whatever they threw at,her. 

She glanced at Daniel, intending to thank him for his support. But Daniel, frowning with 

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Chapter 221 

concern, asked, “Do you need me to deal with the Johnson family once and for all?” 

Emily shook her head. “No need. Don’t dirty your hands. Besides, I haven’t taken over the Johnson family yet. Dealing with them now would be too easy.” 

She wanted them to experience the humiliation and misunderstanding she had endured in 

her past life. 

Daniel understood her intentions immediately. “Alright, whatever you want. If you need 

anything, just ask.” 

“Okay!” 

Soon, a butler came to inform them, “Ms. Johnson, Mr. Smith, lunch is ready.” 

They headed back to the dining room. Meanwhile, online, the Johnsons’ manipulation, especially Bianca’s efforts, had pushed the topic of Emily’s supposed cold-heartedness to 

the top of the trending list. 

Initially, it didn’t cause much of a stir. Emily wasn’t a celebrity and wasn’t well-known. 

Her previous act of saving someone with her medical skills had quickly faded from public 

memory. But the Johnson Group’s official statement cutting ties with Emily, highlighted 

by a blogger’s analysis and the intrigue of a powerful family, piqued public curiosity. 

The news quickly went viral. Knox saw it immediately and considered having it dealt with 

right away. But knowing Emily’s nature, he decided to have Quincy on standby, ready to 

handle the situation if necessary. He called Emily to inform her first.