The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 680

Chapter 680: Chapter 680 Emily VS Hera
“Director!” the assistant exclaimed, her eyes instantly turning red as if on the verge of tears. She looked aggrieved, as though Hera had just made things unnecessarily difficult for her.

“Director, I want to quit!” she declared, her voice trembling. “I may not be the best makeup artist, but I work hard and only want to do my job.”

“I already explained that we’re pressed for time, but Miss Hera still insisted on delaying me. Isn’t that putting me in a difficult position?” She sniffled dramatically before adding, “And just a few seconds ago, she pinched my wrist like she was trying to snap it—just because I was the one attending to her instead of the head makeup artist!”

The assistant sobbed, standing beside the director as if pleading her case. She painted herself as the victim, subtly shifting the blame onto Hera while the other actors were already halfway through their makeup, chatting harmoniously with their assigned artists.

“Isn’t she just acting like a diva?” Emily sneered as she stepped forward from the crowd of onlookers, her smirk filled with amusement.

Hera suppressed an eye roll, already seeing through Emily’s petty scheme. It was obvious—this was her way of retaliating after being humiliated in front of everyone earlier.

Now, she was using her sponsor’s money and influence to make things difficult for Hera on set while also tarnishing her reputation.

Hera had been careful up until now, knowing they were just waiting for an opportunity to drag her down.

But no matter what she did, they would always find a way to create trouble for her. The timing was too perfect—the assistant’s shriek had conveniently drawn a crowd, almost as if the whole thing had been orchestrated from the start.

“Just because you landed a leading role, you’re already showing your true colors—acting like an assistant makeup artist isn’t even worth your time anymore,” Emily sneered, crossing her arms with a triumphant smirk.

She shot a subtle glance at the assistant makeup artist, who gave a slight nod before continuing her performance, playing the victim flawlessly.

“Director, I don’t think I can continue working with Miss Hera. Could you please assign me to a kinder actor? Maybe Miss Emily instead?”

Without even waiting for the director’s response, the assistant turned to Emily, practically begging.

“Miss Emily, please let me work for you instead! You’re so kind to your staff, and I just don’t want to be bullied while doing my job. Please?”

She dropped to her knees in front of Emily, as if she had just suffered a grave injustice, making Hera look like a villain in front of the gathered onlookers.

Those unaware of the full story exchanged glances, their expressions carefully masked. After all, they were all actors who could so easily hide their expressions and thoughts behind a mask—they knew better than to openly take sides, but that didn’t mean they would step up to defend anyone either.

“You poor thing,” Emily cooed as she helped the assistant to her feet, then subtly positioned her behind her in a protective manner—an obvious display of her so-called magnanimity.

She made sure to contrast herself against Hera, painting the narrative that while Hera mistreated the staff, she was the kind, benevolent one.

A perfect example of building her own image at the expense of someone else—using Hera as nothing more than a stepping stone to elevate herself.

“H-Hera, if you really want to be attended to by the head makeup artist, then… I’ll let you go before me,” Alice said hesitantly, stepping beside Emily. Her teary eyes darted toward Emily, as if seeking approval before continuing.

“Emily, didn’t you promise I could have my makeup done after you?” she added, her voice laced with reluctance.

“But it’s fine—I’ll give my spot to Hera so she won’t feel bad anymore. I think she’s just throwing a tantrum because you’re being treated better than her. But we can’t help it, right?”

“You brought in investments for the production, so of course, you’re treated like a VIP. The rest of us are just lucky to benefit from what you’ve contributed, and honestly, that should be more than enough.”

Her words were framed as an attempt to mediate, but they only served to reinforce the idea that Hera was being difficult—while further justifying why Emily deserved preferential treatment.

This way, no one would dare speak ill of Emily, and she would feel indebted to Alice for backing her up.

After all, it wouldn’t take much for people to question the arrangement—Hera might be a newbie, but as the female lead, she should at least receive a certain level of priority.

However, since Emily had brought in financial backing, it was only natural for her to receive special treatment. With Alice subtly framing it as common sense, the explanation was easily accepted by everyone—because, in this industry, money often spoke louder than titles.

Since everyone had spoken and Hera chose not to defend herself, the director had no choice but to let things slide.

Although Hera was tempted to throw out a sarcastic remark, she held back—she knew that the more she spoke, the more Emily and Alice would twist her words, making her seem difficult and uncooperative.

In the end, she’d be the one labeled as the troublemaker with an attitude problem. Besides, it was clear that no one wanted to step in, and even though Zen looked ready to, Hera subtly signaled him not to interfere.

There was no need to escalate this petty power play—engaging further would only give Emily and Alice more ammunition to complicate things for both of them.

“It’s alright, Director. Let the assistant makeup artist work with Emily,” Hera said, maintaining her calm and collected demeanor.

“As for whether I did anything to her or not, she knows the truth better than anyone. There isn’t even a mark on her wrist.”

She paused before adding with a subtle smile, “I’m not saying she’s calling the kettle black, but unless she can provide actual evidence, I think we should avoid making baseless accusations that could damage someone’s reputation.”

“After all, we are public figures, and everything we do can be magnified by the netizens. Unless, of course, this little assistant wants to ruin my reputation?”

Hera’s gaze settled on the assistant, her words carrying a quiet warning. With her carefully measured response, she made sure that the assistant, Emily, and Alice understood that if they continued pushing, their little scheme would become far too obvious in the eyes of everyone watching.

If that happens, no matter what they say, everyone will eventually realize the truth. Their attempts to play the victim and spin lies will be in vain, and the carefully crafted personas they’re trying to build will crumble like a sandcastle.

Emily gritted her teeth, knowing she couldn’t refute Hera’s words without making things worse. However, she still couldn’t resist throwing in a sarcastic remark before turning to leave.

‘Well, since this little assistant will be working with me, how do you plan to get your makeup done? You can’t just walk onto set looking plain. We’re filming an action-thriller zombie apocalypse, so you need to look the part…’ Emily said, feigning concern. But despite her efforts, her expression was stiff, and the corners of her lips twitched as if holding back a smirk.

‘If you’d like, you can always head to my private lounge and maybe wait in line to get your makeup done?’ she added, her voice laced with false generosity.