Chapter 656

had intended to spend the night at the hotel to keep Aubree company, but she was politely turned After a brief meltdown, It seemed like Aubree had collected herself. She just momentarily lost control because she had run into Andrew unexpectedly and without preparation.

Aubree gathered her composure, announcing that she would stay with the other crew members. Brielle wanted to persuade her otherwise. After all, Aubree was a lady of privilège, unaccustomed to modest lodgings, But Brielle’s words fell on deaf ears, and she could only ask Ricardo to keep a closer eye on Aubree.

Once Brielle had seen them settled, she met up with John. A cigarette dangled between John’s fingers, his face alight with joy. “Ms. Haywood, rest assured, they’re both immensely talented. Aubree even slimmed down significantly to better fit the image of the character she’s playing. She was too glowing before, too rosy and healthy.”

Brielle chose not to mention that Aubree’s weight loss hadn’t been intentional for the role.

“How soon till we wrap up?” she asked.

John’s face beamed with confidence at the question. “In a month and a half. I thought Aubree and Ricardo, being new to the game, would need considerable time to gel. But ever since we’ve started shooting, every scene has been sheer perfection. I haven’t come across actors of such natural talent before, Ms. Haywood. You have quite the eye.”

John was almost nostalgic as he spoke, the cigarette burning down to his fingers unheeded.

“Isn’t your ex–wife named Amelia?” Brielle interjected. She had done her homework. Amelia, the hottest female director in the biz, had garnered a wave of sympathy and a following after news of John’s domestic abuse had surfaced. Now, she was thriving in show business.

At the mention of Amelia, the smile vanished from John’s face, replaced by a dark scowl. Just the thought of that woman made his heart feel like it was being gnawed on by countless insects. His fingers trembled so much that he didn’t even feel the burn of the cigarette on his skin.

Brielle plucked the cigarette from his hand and tossed it into a nearby trash can. “Just focus on making a great film. I’ll handle the rest,” she reassured him.

John’s breath shook with emotion as he watched Brielle, eventually patting her shoulder. With a raspy he said, “Thank you.”

voice, “John, that’s what I promised from the start, isn’t it?”

John cast his eyes downward. Falling from the pinnacle of success to being an outcast had given him a firsthand taste of the world’s fickleness. Every time he saw Aubree and Ricardo on screen, he half expected to wake up to the same old struggle, staring at a wedding photo on the wall and letting his bitterness ferment in solitude. He was determined to create a masterpiece as a token of gratitude to Brielle.

As he was thinking this, his phone rang. Brielle saw his expression flip the moment he caught sight of the unfamiliar number flashing on the screen. John knew the digits all too well; they were seared into his memory, impossible to forget.

Brielle got it immediately. It was Amelia, John’s estranged ex–wife.

“John, take the call.” Her voice was a balm, and after quivering lips and a long pause, John finally closed his eyes and answered.

Amelia’s polished voice came through. “John, I hear you’re shooting a film again?”

11:34 Despite John’s fall to the slums, living in cramped quarters, Amelia could never shake her und tabs on him at every turn.

Her informants had relayed that John seemed to be busy with a substantial crew, apparently shooting a film. But the location had been rented out entirely and was now off–limits. Her spies couldn’t get in anymore. Surprise filled Amelia’s eyes. Who at this point would invest in John’s films and risk being drowned in the vitriol of netizens?

Across from Amelia sat the impeccable Kenzo, a script lying beside him. Clearly, Amelia was discussing a collaboration.

Kenzo gazed out the window with indifference, his coffee gone cold. They had been talking for a while, and their conversation was nearly at an end. Many directors coveted the script at Kenzo’s side, but as the most accomplished female director at the moment, Amelia was the perfect fit for this script that centered on female empowerment. Hence, she had arranged to meet with Kenzo.

It was notoriously difficult to get an appointment with Kenzo. Amelia had tried for half a year before finally securing a meeting today. If she hadn’t connected to Kenzo through Beaconsfield College, he probably wouldn’t have given her the time of day.

However, out of expectation, Kenzo had gently, yet firmly, turned her down.

I 2 At this stage in her career, it was rare for a screenwriter to refuse Amelia’s advances. She was nearly forty but well–maintained and beautiful. The world tended to be kind to beautiful women.