Chapter 773 - 770: If I Had Known, I Wouldn’t Have Come
"Of course not, Brother Quinn. Did you think we had anything bad to say about you?" Poppy chuckled, brushing it off. "We were just having a little girl talk."
Just as she finished speaking, the door to the private room was pushed open again. This time, four people walked in: River Sterling, Chase Childs, Holly Summers, and Rhys Ryston.
Clara hadn’t seen Holly Summers and Rhys Ryston in a long time, especially Holly. After filming for *A Lifetime of Splendor* wrapped, she’d barely had a chance to see her.
The same went for Rhys Ryston. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time either, not since their last negotiation fell through due to River Sterling’s intervention.
Holly Summers was straightforward and cheerful, so upon seeing Clara, she couldn’t help but pull her into a warm hug. Rhys Ryston, on the other hand, was more reserved. Even when happy to see a friend, she would only offer a faint smile, not showing much more.
Holly Summers already knew Poppy Vance, and it looked like she and Rhys Ryston had met as well. So, Clara went ahead and introduced Rhys and Poppy to each other.
"Ryston, this is President Jennings’s wife, Poppy Vance. Poppy, this is the original author of the novel *You Are My Eternal Love*, and also the screenwriter for the adaptation, Rhys Ryston."
After the two exchanged greetings, Clara remembered something else. She pursed her lips in a smile and said to Poppy, "Poppy, Ryston is the woman you saw Brother Jennings bring home that one time. Do you want Ryston to explain it to you again herself?"
Her words left both Rhys Ryston and Holly Summers completely confused. Clara looked at Rhys and said with a laugh, "Ryston, do you remember the day you drove President Jennings home?"
"You mean when I was his designated driver?" Realization dawned on Rhys Ryston. "Of course I remember. That was the day I..."
"The day you what?" Poppy Vance asked, a little nervous. Although she had believed Clara’s explanation, pregnant women tend to be more suspicious and prone to overthinking. So when Rhys Ryston suddenly stopped mid-sentence, she couldn’t help but press her.
Seeing her tense expression, Rhys Ryston knew that if she didn’t finish her sentence, Poppy’s mind would surely run wild. So, she had no choice but to continue, "That was the day I ended up on bad terms with River Sterling."
She then recounted the events of that day. After listening, Poppy Vance sighed with emotion. "So that’s what happened. If I had just waited a few more minutes and seen you come out, maybe I wouldn’t have misunderstood him for so long."
"Alright, Poppy, now that everything’s cleared up, you can relax and focus on your pregnancy and wait for your little baby to arrive."
"Having a baby... I think it’s such a magical thing," Holly Summers said, running over to Poppy Vance to curiously "study" her large belly. "Miss Vance, I hear the baby moves! Has it moved in your belly? Can you feel it?..."
Meanwhile, Clara pulled Rhys Ryston aside for a chat. "Ryston, I really didn’t expect you to be here today. Did Brother Sterling invite you?"
’It went without saying that Holly Summers had come with Chase Childs, which meant Rhys Ryston must have come with River Sterling.’
Her last question was just a casual one, but Rhys Ryston’s expression turned a little awkward. She glanced over at River Sterling, who was greeting Seth Quinn and Linden Jennings, and gave an embarrassed smile.
"River Sterling said the main purpose of today was to celebrate the start of filming for *Everlasting*. He said since I’m part of the main creative team, he invited me to come along. But now that I’m here, it’s clearly just a private party. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come."