The Billionaire's Maid Bride novel Chapter 657

Emma hung up the call, her heart heavy with disappointment.

She turned to Allison, her expression a mix of concern and frustration. "Allison, are we just going to let this slide?"

Allison clenched her fists, a small gesture betraying her inner turmoil. "Emma, maybe it's just not meant to be, me and this role."

"But Allison," Emma reached out, taking her hand, "Penelope’s doing this on purpose. With her comeback, she's got her pick of roles and resources. Yet she's gunning for what's yours. It's plain bullying."

Allison let out a weary sigh. "What can I do, Emma? She's the Lindberg heiress. Epic Entertainment is just one cog in the Lindberg corporate empire, and Mr. Sears wouldn't dare cross her." A self-deprecating chuckle escaped her lips. "And me? I'm just another nobody, easily discarded by Lucian, a mere fling. If I were in Mr. Sears' shoes, I'd make the same choice."

"Allison..." Emma squeezed her hand tighter. "Patty's never going to stand up for us."

Through their time together, Allison had come to understand Patty. She was a control freak, demanding absolute obedience from her clients, relishing the power it gave her over them. Despite her reputation as a well-respected agent, her resources were mostly borrowed from Epic Entertainment's network. Her partnership with Allison had been one of convenience, a countermove against her nemesis, Charlie.

To stave off Charlie’s potential rise to vice president of Epic Entertainment, especially with Penelope backing him, Patty had swiftly decided to sign Allison.

Patty was smart, always ready to shift with the wind. But sometimes, intelligence can be a double-edged sword. Patty wanted more than a compliant Allison; she was eyeing Emma's spot too. Allison was aware, but with Patty making no overt moves—after all, no one would agree to such changes without cause—there was little she could do.

"Emma, you should go. I'm exhausted and need to rest," Allison murmured.

"Of course, Allison. Just call if you need anything," Emma replied, heading towards the door.

As Emma reached the threshold, Allison added softly, "No more contact with Jennifer. We shouldn't add to her stress. Against absolute capital, everyone bows. There's no fault in that. As for the next project, let's proceed with 'Departure.' Keep me updated on the details, and cancel all my interviews and magazine shoots for the next two months. I need to focus on my work. If Patty calls about my whereabouts, don't worry too much. All her scheduled press, cancel them as well."

"Understood," Emma answered, closing the door softly behind her.

---

Robbie had been missing for a week, vanished as if he'd fallen off the face of the earth. Hughes had been discharged from the hospital, and Azure had returned to its usual state, but Robbie and Abbey had disappeared without a trace.

The last anyone had heard of Robbie was a text Abbey sent to Bryan. Bryan and Hughes arrived at Cloudview Apartments, unit 502, only to find it spotlessly clean, as if no one had ever lived there. The landlady, a middle-aged woman, seemed to know something but was too afraid to speak, her lips sealed tight.

As Bryan and Hughes pleaded with her, she just shook her head, insisting she knew nothing and urging them to leave.

"Ma'am, the missing guy is our friend. We've been looking for him for a week now. We found out he lived here with his girlfriend. You're the landlady; you must know something," Bryan pleaded, pulling out a couple of bills from his wallet to offer her.

The landlady glanced at the money but didn't take it. Hughes chimed in, "Ma'am, our friend is missing, and we're really worried. If you know anything, please tell us."