Chapter 84: Chapter 84: The Gorgeous Rose

Naomi Kenway had no idea she had been the subject of such a ridiculous trending topic. Searching for related keywords didn’t turn up anything now, but the internet is a powerful thing. She managed to piece together what had happened from some netizens’ posts.

Someone had gotten the topic taken down for her.

Naomi Kenway raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t expected Laura Grant to be so efficient. As expected, she hadn’t let her down.

The two had a professional relationship, so Naomi sent Laura a thank-you message on WeChat. Laura’s reply was incredibly fast.

[Laura Grant: I noticed what was happening, but I wasn’t the one who handled it. By the time I was about to suppress the topic, someone had already shut down all the related trends. They acted very quickly. Naomi, you really don’t know who did it?]

Naomi Kenway furrowed her brow, phone in hand.

’If it wasn’t Laura, then who could it be?’

Naomi racked her brain but couldn’t come up with anyone. She had pitifully few friends, and certainly none close enough to get a trending topic taken down for her. Jackson Kensington definitely wouldn’t bother with her; he was too busy managing his new family and had long since cast this inconvenient daughter of his aside.

The bedroom door was pushed open, and Ethan Shaw walked in. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Ethan was the first to look away, heading toward the bathroom.

For a split second, Naomi actually thought Ethan might have been the one who helped her. But the more she thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. Based on her memories of him, she understood him to a certain degree. He was cold and heartless to the core. Only after Ian was born did he soften up a little due to fatherly love. ’He hates me so much, why would he ever bother with my problems?’

A message came from Laura Grant: Are you still there?

Naomi replied before turning off her phone.

Another message popped up. It was from Margaret Jennings, sharing a set of photos of some flowers. They were blooming beautifully, likely in Margaret’s private garden.

[Naomi Kenway: The flowers are beautiful. I wonder if I’ll have the chance to see them in person?]

[Margaret Jennings: Of course! And Carina misses Ian, so you can bring him along. I got a pretty nice bottle of red wine the other day. Come over when you’re free and we can try it.]

A smile touched the corners of Naomi Kenway’s lips.

Their interactions felt like those of old, kindred friends.

Naomi sent back an “Okay” emoji. She was also curious what a wine impressive enough to earn Margaret’s praise tasted like. ’Since I’m now aware and in control of my own emotions, I have to make this messy life a little more vibrant and exciting!’

Margaret Jennings messaged again, saying Carina wasn’t asleep yet and was being too fussy.

Naomi shared a few tips for getting a child to sleep.

After a while, Margaret still hadn’t replied. Naomi figured she must be trying out the tips. Not feeling particularly sleepy, Naomi scrolled through some videos for a bit.

The sound of firm footsteps approached. Ethan Shaw had finished blow-drying his hair and walked out. Perhaps due to the steam, his cool, pale cheeks were tinged with a faint red, softening the sharp, aggressive lines of his features. He didn’t look quite as unapproachable as before.

His pajamas were buttoned up high, revealing only a hint of skin at his collarbone—his usual reserved, ascetic style.

Perhaps Naomi’s gaze was too intense to ignore. Ethan couldn’t, and finally asked, “Why are you staring at me?”

“Because you’re handsome,” Naomi said bluntly. Everyone appreciates beauty, and besides, the man in front of her was, in name at least, her husband.

Ethan froze. The look he gave Naomi was undeniably complex; he couldn’t figure out her motive.

Naomi could tell what he was thinking just by his expression. Ethan always loved to second-guess people’s motives. She remembered how, when they first got married, Ethan wouldn’t even let her into his study. ’Oh, right, he still doesn’t.’

’His face is handsome, alright, but he’s just too cunning and calculating.’

“I’m getting a little sleepy. Remember to turn off the lights when you go to bed.” With that, Naomi pulled her blanket over herself and lay down.

Ethan averted his gaze. Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to the photos on the wall. Several pictures showed the figures of an adult and a child, one large and one small, against different backgrounds. The one constant was the brilliant smiles on both their faces.

Lately, Ian had been smiling a lot more.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask Naomi why she had changed, but then he remembered she was already asleep.

After turning off the bedroom lights, Ethan went out to the balcony alone. The night air blew away his restlessness. Not far ahead was The Rose Garden, and the faint streetlight allowed him to just make out the delicate silhouettes of the roses.

The fragrance of the roses was carried by the wind to his nose, then deep into his lungs. It was an alluring, captivating scent, like the perfume Naomi wore.

He didn’t understand the reason for Naomi’s change, just as he didn’t understand why his gaze would occasionally linger on her…

Ethan finished his cigarette and returned to the bedroom, still unable to sleep, disturbed by that faint, lingering fragrance.

*

Naomi Kenway woke up rather late. By then, the driver had already taken Ian to school. She went downstairs, ate breakfast, and then went to water her beloved garden.

After she was done, Naomi started binge-watching a drama in the living room. It wasn’t long before she realized her own face was in it. She played a villainous supporting character who committed every evil deed imaginable. She had even been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for the role. Of course, the nomination did nothing to advance her career, as everyone believed she was just playing herself, and it had nothing to do with acting skill.

“Bad acting” was a label Naomi couldn’t seem to shake. Even though she had recently become a big hit because of the parenting reality show, her poor acting was still a point of criticism.

Naomi knew she should be content. The life she had now was one many people could only dream of, but the childhood dream of being an actress still often surfaced in her mind.

Naomi regularly sought out renowned masters in the industry for acting coaching, but she still received very few offers for roles.

Her phone rang. It was Laura Grant.

Her voice was as calm and steady as her personality. “Naomi, I’ve selected a few decent offers for you to look at. They’re all for prime-time dramas. The popularity from a variety show comes quickly, but if you want to leave a lasting impression on the audience, it’s best to have some solid work to your name.”

“Okay.”

She opened the files with excitement, but the offers left her a little disappointed.

Without exception, every role was the villainous second female lead—the kind of character so despicable that even a dog would snarl at it.

Naomi called Laura Grant back.

“So, did you see anything you like?”

Naomi stated her thoughts directly. “Lily, I don’t want to keep playing these villainous roles. As an actress, it’s not that I look down on this type of character, but I want to break through and try other genres.”

Naomi’s words were completely unexpected to Laura, who paused for a few seconds on the other end of the line.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep