She Becomes A Hot Sensation After A Scandalous Affair
Chapter 173

Chapter 173: Chapter 173

Madeline shook her head, "I don’t want to marry him, Mom."

"Why not? He seems very nice and kind," Diana asked. "Or is it because of his status as an actor, just like Jon?"

"That’s just one of the reasons..."

Diana sighed, "I understand you have a trauma with that kind of man. I asked Zane if he was willing to go public with you. Turns out you two have already gone public. He said that he already announced the relationship."

Madeline realized her mother was so deep inside Zane’s lies that it’d be difficult to undo. So she hit her with the truth bomb.

"Mom, my relationship with Zane is just part of a publicity stunt for my new TV show project. We will be playing as lovers in that show," Madeline said. "Whether he wants us to be more than just an acting colleague, I still have no romantic feelings for him."

Diana seemed confused because that wasn’t what Zane told her.

"In fact, I have someone I’m truly in love with." Madeline paused, waiting for Diana’s expression to see if she’d take it well.

"And who’d that be?"

Madeline took a deep breath and murmured, "Lancelot Grant."

"Lancelot Grant!? That man who trapped you into a reality show and sexually harassed you?!" Diana almost got a heart attack. She shook her head in disbelief and gripped Madeline’s hand as tightly as possible. "Madeline, what were you thinking?!"

"C—Calm down, Mom. Lance never tried to harass me, let alone rape."

"But he did give you a contract and pushed you into that reality show, right?" Diana asked.

"I—It was a mistake, but he quickly apologized after the show ended and genuinely wants to make amends for what he did to me in the past," Madeline explained, but her mother didn’t seem to listen. She looked at Madeline with a fearful and worried expression, as if she already knew what would happen next.

"Did he touch you while you were under his contract?"

"Mom, that’s consensual!"

"MADELINE ROSE!" Diana raised her voice as she grew desperate and scared. "You also did the same with Jon! That man manipulated you into sleeping with him, and look at how you’re so desperate for his love."

"Jon and Lance are different!"

"They are both manipulative men! Oh my god, Maddy, why would you jump into the same trap twice?!" Diana said. "You’re going to have your heart broken again, and I don’t want that!"

Madeline wanted to argue more, but seeing how her mother was so agitated, Madeline wisely chose to defuse the situation by staying silent.

Diana didn’t know much about Lancelot Grant except for that surname. She knew that the Grant family was a long-standing political and business mogul family; they were the scum on earth, and a vulnerable woman like Madeline was an easy target to play with.

"I will come again tomorrow, Mom," Madeline said, pulling her hand. "Calm down and have a rest first."

"You don’t need to come tomorrow, Maddy," Diana said harshly. "Please don’t come until you tell me you’ve left that man for good. I don’t mind if you and Zane don’t end up together because love cannot be forced. But I also don’t want you to end up getting hurt by another man."

Madeline said nothing. She just got up and left the ward.

Diana stared at her daughter’s back, and once she left, Diana burst into tears.

She sobbed, knowing Madeline was about to make the same mistake twice. She knew that her daughter was like just her. Once they fell in love with someone, they would devote their lives to that man, which would only cause a long time of pain.

Just like how her husband squandered all of their savings and also more than half of Madeline’s income just to gamble before running away with a mountain of debts.

"Please, Maddy, don’t make the same mistake. I don’t want you to suffer for the rest of your life..."

Diana sobbed for a while until the door was opened, and Zane suddenly came in to visit her again.

He returned with a basket of fruit and a red handprint mark on his cheek.

"What happened, Mrs. Rose?" Zane asked as he put a fruit basket on the table. "Did something happen to you and Maddy?"

Diana wiped her tears and asked, "What happened to you instead? Did Maddy hurt you?"

"Oh—hahaha!" Zane laughed gleefully as he rubbed his cheek. "Well, we did fight, and she slapped me because of it. But it’s not really a problem. I was the one who offended her, so I deserve the slap."

"She said that you two aren’t actually dating. It’s just part of a publicity stunt for a TV show..." Diana pointed out.

Zane had a bitter smile as he continued rubbing his cheek. "The TV show is backed by Lancelot Grant, so naturally, Madeline is obligated to be his mistress, or else she would lose the role as the female lead. I voluntarily signed to the show to protect her on the filming set so Lance couldn’t harass Madeline under my watch."

"But she’s so scared of losing that role, so she told everyone that we’re not dating for real." Zane smiled bitterly. "But I still want to protect her from that scum. I don’t want her to make the same mistake, just like what happened between her and Jon."

Diana was still unsure who to believe because Madeline and Zane had different narrations. But it was Zane’s next sentence that solidified her trust in him. "Madeline did everything for you, Mrs. Rose. She willingly signed a predatory contract with Lancelot Grant because she’s desperate to get money for your medication and therapy."

"I offered help, but she refused, saying she doesn’t want to burden the man who has helped her so much," Zane added. "So please understand her position. I will continue protecting her until she truly understands that nothing good will ever come from being a mistress for Lancelot Grant."