Julia definitely wasn't going to the police station! If she did, her reputation would be ruined beyond repair. In their line of work, reputation was everything!
She remembered a popular starlet who had skyrocketed to fame after a single movie.
Her paychecks rivaled those of top-tier celebrities, but then it was revealed that she had stolen something in college. Her reputation was instantly destroyed, and she could never regain her former glory.
"I told you it wasn't me!" Julia struggled.
No matter what, she couldn't admit to it! But deep down, she knew she was caught red-handed. She had no idea how the necklace ended up in her suitcase, and there were so many witnesses!
This was bad!
Julia glared furiously at Bailey. Bailey was clearly trying to ruin her!
Isla dragged Julia all the way to the door, but Julia clung to the doorframe, refusing to leave. If she stepped out, it would be over for her.
"Why aren't you all asleep in the middle of the night? You're so noisy!" A voice came from the doorway.
Everyone turned to see Vivian's assistant, Jacqueline, standing there, with a tired-looking Vivian right behind her.
Even though Vivian wasn't as popular as she used to be, her presence still commanded respect. No one dared to speak up.
Bailey wiped the tears from her face and walked to the door. "Vivian, I'm so sorry. I lost a necklace today, and everyone was kind enough to help me look for it. Unfortunately, we found it in Julia's suitcase. I'm really sorry for disturbing your sleep."
Vivian smiled gently. "Is it the necklace in your hand? May I take a look at it?"
Bailey, unsure of what Vivian was up to, handed the necklace over. "Of course."
Vivian examined the necklace carefully and then shook her head. "Miss Avery, I'm sorry, but I believe you are mistaken. This necklace is actually mine."
Everyone present, including Julia, stared at Vivian with wide eyes, completely baffled by the situation.
"That's impossible!"
"Why is it impossible? The other day, Julia was playing in my room and saw this necklace. She thought it was pretty, so I let her borrow it for a couple of days. I didn't expect it to cause such a misunderstanding."
Vivian explained calmly.
Bailey's face turned ashen with anger.
"That's not possible! Harry gave this to me. How could it be yours?" Bailey no longer looked pitiful in the slightest.
"Miss Avery, even though you are Mr. Edwards' girlfriend, it doesn't mean others can't have the same necklace. To be honest, I've met Mr. Edwards a few times. As everyone knows, he has been inviting me to join the Artis International family. Last time, he even gave me a necklace, saying it was a South Sea pearl necklace with a jade Buddha pendant."
Vivian touched the jade Buddha. "I do have a necklace exactly like this one. If you don't believe me, you can ask Mr. Edwards. My necklace has some nail scratches on the jade Buddha because I like to keep my nails long. Everyone can take a look."
Vivian handed the necklace out.
Isla was the first to grab it. She examined the jade Buddha and indeed found a few shallow scratches. "There really are scratches."
"You're lying! This necklace is clearly mine!" Bailey shouted at Vivian without even looking at the necklace.
Vivian didn't show any anger at all. "Miss Avery, you claim this necklace is yours. Can you describe any of its features?"
"I... um..."
Harry had given Bailey the necklace, and she cherished it so much that she rarely wore it. She had never really examined its details, and besides, she didn't know much about jade or pearls.
"Miss Avery, you keep insisting the necklace is yours. Is there something else you're not telling us?" Vivian continued.
Bailey clenched her fists, unable to say a word. She had no choice but to swallow her pride and accept the situation.
After thinking for a moment, she turned to Julia. "Sister, since you got this necklace from Vivian, why didn't you say so earlier?"
Julia hadn't coordinated any story with Vivian, so she didn't know how to respond. Bailey decided to target her instead.
"Julia and I hit it off right away. She earned the role of the third female lead through her own efforts. She was worried that if people knew she was close to me, they'd think she was riding on my coattails, so she didn't want to mention it," Vivian explained.
Her explanation was flawless, leaving even Bailey speechless.
Vivian smiled at Bailey. "Miss Avery, it's just a necklace. If you like it so much, you can have it. It's late, let's not make a fuss."
Then she addressed the crowd, "Everyone, let's disperse. It's late, and we have filming tomorrow."
Though Vivian's tone wasn't commanding, her status as a big star made her words convincing.
"Let's go, let's go!" The crowd quickly dispersed.
The group that had been bustling just moments ago scattered in an instant.
"Isn't that necklace a gift from Mr. Edwards to Sister Bailey? Sister Bailey loves it so much, and yet Vivian has one too. Did Mr. Edwards give it to her as well?"
"Yeah, what's Mr. Edwards up to?"
Two junior actors whispered to each other.
Bailey overheard their conversation and stormed back to her room, her anger so intense that her nose flared. As soon as she entered, she kicked the trash can by the door across the room.
Celeste didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
"Sister Bailey, that necklace was supposed to be put in Julia Avery's suitcase by Unaiza. How did it end up with Sister Vivian?" Celeste was equally puzzled.
"Can't you see? Vivian is clearly helping that wretch!" Bailey gritted her teeth so hard they made a grinding sound.
"But she sounded so convincing. Could it be that Mr. Edwards really gave her an identical necklace?" Celeste's voice trailed off as Bailey shot her a fierce glare.
That was exactly what infuriated Bailey the most!
Her man had given another woman an identical necklace. How could she save face?
In the hallway, only Julia, Vivian, and Vivian's assistant remained.
"Sister Vivian..." Julia began, ready to express her gratitude.
Vivian raised her hand to stop her. "No need to thank me. Remember, in this industry, there are no real friends. Keep that in mind."
With that, Vivian left with her assistant, Jacqueline.
Julia sighed quietly. Was there really no such thing as a true friend in this circle?
She returned to her room, where Unaiza was getting ready for bed. The room was still a mess.
Julia began packing her suitcase, while Unaiza, feeling a bit awkward, lay on the bed playing with her phone.
"What did she offer you?" Julia asked as she continued packing.
Unaiza froze, caught off guard.