Star Actress 225

Chapter 225 

York glanced at Emily’s troubled face. “Hey, Ms. Johnson, they give you a hard time?” 

Emily shook her head. “Nah, I’m good.” 

She slid into the car, shut her eyes, clearly not in the mood to chat. 

York picked up on her vibe and wisely let it go. 

But after dropping Emily off at home, he wasted no time. He had someone pull the restaurant’s surveillance footage. Turned out, Emily had met with Eli, and while they 

signed some kind of agreement, the whole thing looked tense. 

York sent the video to Daniel. 

Emily had just walked through the door when she unexpectedly bumped into Raina. 

Raina glanced around nervously, as if worried someone might see her talking to Emily. 

Once she was sure no one was around, she pulled Emily to a nearby gazebo. 

“Sorry for dragging you away like this, but I didn’t want Veda to see us. Hope you don’t 

mind,” Raina apologized, though it felt a bit late for that. 

Emily smiled, taking Raina’s hand and giving it a reassuring pat. “I get it. Things aren’t 

easy for you at the Smith Villa. Veda’s spoiled and arrogant. It’s only natural you’d want to 

avoid her.” 

Raina’s eyes filled with tears at Emily’s words. 

“Did I say something wrong?” Emily asked, looking down, feeling guilty. 

Raina quickly shook her head, her voice choked with emotion. “No, that’s not it. I’m just 

touched and happy. I didn’t expect you to be the first person to understand me. No 

wonder I felt close to you right from the start. That’s why I risked warning you about Veda 

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last time.” 

Emily couldn’t tell whether Raina was being sincere or just putting on an act. She decided 

to keep an eye on her. 

Looking up with a smile, she met Raina’s eyes. “I feel a connection with you too. 

Compared to Veda, I naturally feel closer to you. If you ever need anything, you can 

always talk to me. We’re friends now, right?” 

Raina was momentarily taken aback. Was it really this easy to gain Emily’s trust? 

Emily had a bad reputation and was not well-liked at the Johnson Villa. Before returning, 

she had been scavenging in the trash. She couldn’t possibly be that cunning, could she? 

With this thought, Raina’s smile became more genuine. She held Emily’s hand in return. 

“Yes, we’re friends! Actually, you don’t need to confront Veda head-on. She’s just a spoiled 

brat. You only need to do two things: win over Daniel, who rarely shows interest in 

anyone, and once he does, he won’t let you be mistreated. And win over Grandpa. He’s 

old-fashioned and values tradition, so he’s into traditional culture and antiques.” 

Emily wondered why Raina was telling her all this. When someone went out of their way 

to get close to another person, every word they said had a purpose. 

“But I’m not good at these things,” Emily admitted, her voice shaky. “Daniel is so cold and 

intimidating. I might seem confident in front of Veda, but I’m actually terrified of him. 

And as for Grandpa, I wouldn’t know how to please him. I can’t afford antiques, and I 

don’t know much about traditional culture.” 

Raina quickly reassured her. “Don’t worry. Even though I’m not favored at the Smith Villa, 

I still have what I need. I can help you with these things.” 

Emily looked surprised and a bit embarrassed. “Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for 

you? How can you help me?” 

Chapter 225 

Raina thought for a moment. “I can teach you how to get on Daniel’s good side. As for 

gifts, I can help you prepare something. He already likes you, so a thoughtful gift would 

make him happy.” 

“But what kind of gift would be appropriate? He seems to have everything,” Emily said, 

worried. 

Raina laughed softly. “I’ll help you with that. I’ll find something suitable and give it to you 

later.” 

Emily’s eyes flashed with suspicion. She felt there was more to Raina’s offer than met the 

eye. 

“Thank you. And what about Grandpa?” Emily asked. 

Raina considered it. “Giving Grandpa an antique right away might seem too obvious. You 

should wait a bit. But you can impress him with traditional Chinese painting or 

calligraphy. If he sees you have talent, he’ll naturally think better of you.” 

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Raina had guessed that Emily wouldn’t have had the chance to learn such skills, given her 

background. Bianca, on the other hand, had been pampered by the Johnson family and 

had dabbled in these arts. 

“I can teach you painting. I have all the materials. You can come to my room anytime to 

learn. Once you master it, you’ll amaze everyone.” 

Emily wondered why Raina was going to such lengths to teach her. 

She was about to probe further when she heard footsteps approaching. 

Since Emily had her back to the direction of the footsteps, Raina saw the person first. She 

quickly stood up, looking flustered. 

“Daniel seems to care about you a lot. Remember to come to my place later for the gift. 

Chapter 225 

I’ll leave now,” Raina said quickly. 

Emily noticed that Raina seemed more afraid of Daniel than respectful. 

As Raina hurriedly left, she lowered her head and muttered a quick, “Daniel,” before 

disappearing from sight. 

“What did Raina want? Did she do anything to you?” Daniel asked, concerned. 

Emily, aware that she suspected Raina, replied confidently, “You forget, I know both poison and medicine. Out of everyone living here, I’m actually the safest.” 

“Still, I did make some discoveries. Let’s discuss them inside. Tonight, we need to search the rooms,” she added determinedly.