the two-faced Adopted Girl Who Melted CEO's Ice-Cold Heart
Chapter 17 Making Money is the Same Here

Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Making Money is the Same Here

"I heard you became an actress?" Ignatius Leclair pressed her beneath him, his voice heavy as he said, "Remember, I don’t like my things tainted by someone else’s scent."

Delphine instinctively shrank back into the corner, lowering her eyes to feign frustration and impatience. With a sardonic smile, she said, "Does Ignatius have the same demands for all his bed partners?"

Ignatius’s lips curled into a smile. His already strikingly handsome face softened like melting winter snow, so intoxicating that Delphine stared for a moment.

Ignatius brushed her delicate cheek, his voice low. "Earning money through me is no different, Delphine. Ten thousand per session, payable in advance—far better than serving drinks and flashing fake smiles outside."

Delphine suddenly craved a cigarette. She only smoked to calm herself when she was deeply upset, but this was Ignatius’s territory. She didn’t want to reveal her true self in his presence.

"Too low, especially considering how busy Ignatius must be." She lowered her gaze, offered a faint, chilly smile to mask all emotion, and reached out to wrap her arms around his waist.

Men. She really didn’t have the energy to tangle with them. Besides, she still had scenes to film tomorrow and couldn’t afford to sleep too late.

By the time she woke with a start early the next morning, dawn was just breaking. Ignatius was still in bed. She reached for the watch he’d left on the nightstand, checked the time—just past seven—and then got up, showered, and casually slipped into one of his shirts. Moving like a cat, she left the bedroom.

The moment she closed the door, the man opened his eyes, his gaze dark and unreadable.

At this time of morning, the South Seas basked in the golden hues of dawn, delicate and shy like a demure girl. Delphine returned to her small attic room, fished a cigarette out of her bag, pushed open the door, and walked onto the balcony’s tiny garden. Sitting down on a wooden bench, she quietly lit the cigarette and squinted as she took a drag.

The smoke hit her throat harshly, leaving her slightly uncomfortable.

Her sleep had been all too brief; her body felt painfully exhausted, though her mind remained vividly alert.

She didn’t particularly like smoking, but compared to marijuana, she’d much rather choose cigarettes.

It wasn’t until the cigarette burned out that her mood improved ever so slightly. She chalked it up to being bitten by a dog.

Sleeping with Ignatius? She hadn’t lost out.

By the time she went downstairs, only the maids and the butler were up. Mrs. Gu had not woken yet. Over the past two days, she hadn’t seen her mother at all—nor even Little Zhen. The butler had mentioned that the young boy had been sent to boarding school.

Delphine’s feelings were conflicted. After all, Little Zhen was her half-brother, though they shared only their mother. Yet not only was her mother preventing her from seeing him, but she’d also completely avoided mentioning his illness.

She didn’t dare dwell too deeply on it. The bond between mother and daughter had always been wafer-thin; perhaps she really had no right to grow close to this child.

Sick or not, Little Zhen was no longer her concern—she was already back in the South Seas.

When she arrived on set, it wasn’t yet nine. She checked in, held onto her script, and began reading it while waiting in line for the makeup artist.

This production could be described as an extravagant costume fantasy drama, brimming with beautiful women. Ahead of her in the makeup queue were five or six young actresses. They huddled together, gossiping in whispers.

"Hey, did you guys hear the news? Last night, Deputy Mayor Evander Zamora got taken away by the authorities," one girl said mysteriously.