Bonus Chapter: Part 2

**Bonus Chapter: Part 2**

**Nevertheless,** being the crew leader and the show's head producer, Haroun held his head high and followed behind the butler. The rest of the crew left the van, even the driver, who was quite hesitant to leave the car by the gate when a valet suddenly came and offered to park it.

"Oh, wait. Did you mention that Mr. de Vries has been waiting for us? Does this he's already awake?" Haroun asked when he recalled what Richard had mentioned earlier. He subconsciously bit his fingers nails, hoping that he heard the olden butler wrong or the first scenario he desired for this episode be blown away!

"Why yes. The master has been preparing for this since last week. He is excited to share how much he cherishes his son on national television."

The director subconsciously cried. He was expecting to shoot Mr. de Vries asleep! He was dead serious about reaching that kind of perfection. A video of a well-known business owner all unkempt and snoring would boost their ratings! It would be marked history! It would be all over tabloids, articles, and newspapers! It would have been sensational!

"Hey, start recording! Start recording this!" he turned his head to look at Jamaal, who already had his camera on his shoulder, and one of their interns holding up the microphone. He internally prayed that what he heard was wrong, and Hades de Vries was still asleep.

"Already at it, boss." Jamaal threw a thumbs up at him, which was much to the frantic director's delight. He was always thankful for having the guy in his crew and thought of raising his pay for being an initiative guy.

"May I ask, sir. What kind of person is Mr. de Vries?" he walked a few steps faster to get closer to Richard's broad back. The man was tall, had long, slick legs, and his strides were two steps away from his, so Haroun had to walk faster than his usual pace.

"Hm, how do I say this…." Richard hummed, rubbing his chin with his gloved index finger like he was thinking. "He's a gentleman who hated surprises."

The now terrified director bit his lower lip, beginning to sweat when he heard those words. No, he didn't hear the butler wrong about Hades being awake. Mr. de Vries was awake. Wide awake. It was a good thing after all that Mr. de Vries was already awake before they came. He sighed in relief, though slightly disappointed since he couldn't get the perfect shot he wanted. But if he did, it'd cost his entire production and crew.

They continued to walk in the lush, green garden, which seemed to take forever. It may have been tedious, but everyone part the crew wasn't bored in marveling at the breathtaking grove. There weren't only flowers and bushes but also trees, two garden houses engulfed by vines, a plant nursery, a mini bog garden, and an indoor greenhouse! There was even a landscaped pond with a small bridge built over it with a brood of a mother duck and her ducklings swimming! It was like a forest of its own!

Though they couldn't help but wonder how large the parcel of land Mr. de Vries had possessed was already taking them 20 minutes to walk, and they hadn't arrived at the mansion yet!

"We're close to arriving, everyone. Are we still all right?" Richard turned to check on them. He was surprised to see the state of the crew, but he suppressed himself from showing it. The sun still wasn't at its peak for the morning, but the staff was already full of sweat. It was as if they had basked in its rays for an entire afternoon.

"Are we there yet?" Camilla asked. Her face and neck were drenched in sweat. Good thing she had her waterproof makeup prepared, and it wouldn't easily wear off with little saturation unless her face was rubbed with a strong makeup remover. But the backpack strapped behind her was slightly saturated with her sweat.

"Isn't walking in a large garden like this taking forever?" a panting asked Janine. The woman was relentless whenever she reached her limit of exhaustion. "Shouldn't it be considered to let a car or the van transport the guests to the estate?"

"Oh, Mrs. de Vries liked having the guests enjoying the views of nature in plight reflection and harmony with the Earth, so she ordered that the vehicles should be placed in a location away from the garden," the elderly man said, looking around the garden with contentment before nodding at her. "However, not to fret. We shall take your suggestion and relay it to Miss Allison for consideration."

The entire team immediately dreaded the moment they heard his reply. That terrifying man, Hades de Vries, was deeply infatuated with his wife and could turn the world around if she asked him to. The suggestion might upset her, and only God knew what would happen to their production.

"N-No! You don't have to take it seriously!" Janine, panicking and afraid of the consequences, immediately ate what she had said earlier. She internally chided herself for her previous actions and reflected on watching for everything she'd say. Actions could have terrifying consequences.

"That's right. That's right. We loved looking at the garden! It was an honor to take a walk in this wonderful place!" said another crew member, raising his hands to motion no.

"Yes, they're right. Please pay no heed to the suggestion," said Haroun, secretly glaring at the actress who looked away from him, now sweating more than how she used to.

Richard silently looked at them for a moment before nodding again. "Very well," he said and turned on his heels. "But, I shall still relay this to the Mistress since she always asked if the guests had suggestions, and this was the first time we had feedback. Right this way, please." He added, then proceeded to walk forward.

The individuals part of the crew glared at Janine, who had nothing else to do but to shrink behind them and lament for her soaring career that would seem to meet its end and burial not sooner from now.

It didn't take them long enough to finally reach the mansion. It was an area with walls painted in white, worldly wood, and sturdy stones. They had open rectangular spaces that seemed to be a door to the other rooms in the area, except for the wall in front of them, a glass window showing off a large pool. In the center lay a large grand piano and the walls, and there were staircases entailed from north to south and east to west, leading up to the second floor. That was not all. The room was also decorated with expensive furniture and houseplants. There was even a wall of an indoor waterfall with shelves where bonsai trees on pots rested. It was the definition of pure luxury.

"This way, please," the elder butler said, leading them forward. They then went a few left and right turns.

At a small distance, everyone saw that they were being led to a lounge. It looked marvelous with its eye-catching crystal chandelier hanging adjacent to four coffee tables placed together to make it into one large table surrounded by Nordic-designed sofas and the soft cushions resting on them. There was another glass wall that showed the view of the garden they had passed by earlier, the wall adjacent to it had a wide flat-screen television attached to it. In contrast, the other walls made of wood and concrete painted in ethereal white had bookshelves, furniture, and paintings.

"Please make yourselves comfortable," said Richard, and they all settled themselves in place.

"Prepare for the setup," Haroun said, and several crew members pulled out the equipment. He thought that the area with the indoor waterfall had a good ambiance as a backdrop. He now thought that it was fortunate Janine came with them so she could perform her lines there instead. What was left was to ask to kiss Mr. de Vries' ass and ask for his permission.

"I shall call for the Master at once," the refined, aged servant said and was about to turn on his heels, but a soft, gentle voice suddenly called for him.

"Richard?"

Out of nowhere, a woman suddenly emerged. She was breathtakingly beautiful with her fiery red locks reaching her shoulders, softly arched eyebrows, and large, almond-shaped eyes holding her outstanding green eyes. She looked sharp with her strong blushing cheekbones, upturned nose, thin rosy lips, and short chin. She looked like a fierce goddess.

She was only in her turquoise fitted shirt that complemented her creamy white skin and embraced her slim, curvaceous body paired with high-waisted boot-cut slacks and fuzzy white slippers. She was only wearing simple clothes, but she looked stunning with how she brought herself into the room as she walked sophisticatedly towards Richard.

"Richard, I was looking for you. Did you know where I put the... oh my," she paused from talking when she realized there was a bunch of people in the lounge. "Who are these people?"