Chapter 202 Boss, You Are Trending
"You're not joking with me? Kurt, the first-generation entrepreneur in Emerald City, still the number one big shot in Emerald City, happily married for thirty years without a single scandal with any woman, both his kids are now in graduate school at top universities in the country, and you're telling me he's Nora's backer? You know if people find out about this, forget online harassment—some people would literally tear her apart."
Thalia shrugged calmly: "Why so surprised? We just need to sit back and watch the show."
"Besides, do you think someone at Nora's level could even get close to Kurt?"
"You mean Linda?"
"I've been around Emerald City a lot lately, and I have heard some things about Linda."
Layla wanted to say something, but seeing the makeup artist there, she stopped: "Just focus on your makeup. I'll go check on the situation."
On set, the screenwriter was cursing up a storm while Aaron's production assistant kept trying to smooth things over, attempting to calm the screenwriter down.
The crew outside were all watching the drama unfold.
And Nora still hadn't shown up.
While they were waiting, Aaron came over: "You can sort out your personal issues during break time, but we need to start shooting now. How long are you going to keep this up?"
Hearing this, the screenwriter, probably being someone who understood the bigger picture, stopped making a scene.
Today's scene was Thalia's action sequence.
The character played by Gregory would be detained by someone under the pretense of a meeting, and Thalia would take the opportunity to kill his lover's opponent, fighting her way to Gregory's location.
She'd demand they release him—the whole scene was intense and badass.
While Aaron was explaining the scene to Thalia, he asked: "Do you need a stunt double for the action scenes?"
"No need, I'll do it myself!"
"Great, I love this kind of professional dedication."
"This show is definitely going to be a hit. Your acting skills plus Gregory's fame—it'll be a high-quality series for sure."
"I hope so."
Aaron took a sip of coffee and said: "You just haven't met the right mentor yet. Once you do, becoming a huge star is just a matter of time."
Thalia smiled and leaned toward Aaron: "Aren't you my mentor?"
Thalia was beautiful, and with today's red outfit and exquisite makeup, sitting right in front of Aaron batting her eyes and acting cute, she nearly made him drop his cup.
"Aaron, what's wrong with your hand? Almost dropped your cup?" A nearby production assistant saw this and teased him with a laugh.
Aaron sighed helplessly: "Thalia's beauty blinded me."
Thalia's big scene was stopped several times. By the sixth take, Aaron thought it was good enough, but Thalia watched it herself, felt the intensity wasn't enough, and asked to do it again. Having a dedicated actor was a good thing, so Aaron naturally supported it.
After finishing the action scene, Nora finally showed up. She had just sat down in her chair and hadn't even had time to call the makeup artist to touch up her makeup when she heard Luca cough. Thalia followed his gaze—who else could it be but Nora?
Thalia watched the screenwriter rush over to confront Nora. They were too far away to hear what they were saying, so she stretched her neck trying to catch the gossip.
But she didn't want to be too obvious about it.
"Thalia," suddenly, a low, suppressed voice sounded beside her. Thalia looked up and saw Gregory's face looking awkward, while she had already leaned over his chair.
She straightened up and coughed awkwardly: "Should we switch seats?"
Gregory nodded.
"Just arguing without fighting?"
"What's the point of that?"
"Exactly!" Thalia agreed with Luca.
"Don't you girls usually pull hair when you fight? Why not today?"
Thalia: "Why don't you go ask them?"
Luca glanced at Thalia like she was some kind of monster and scooted away. Was she trying to get him killed?
"Who do you think Nora's backer is? So powerful that one phone call could put out Aaron's anger."
"Kurt," wasn't this right up Thalia's alley?
Gregory didn't care about gossip. After filming so many productions, he'd become numb to on-set drama. But hearing Thalia calmly drop Kurt's name still surprised him.
He stared at Thalia for a long time without reacting.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Don't you know too?"
Gregory's gaze shifted away lightly: "I'm just surprised you'd say it out loud."
"What's so surprising about that?"
"Not afraid of offending people?"
Thalia thought to herself, would he dare? She had William's protection after all.
William was pretty powerful.
The screenwriter didn't get anywhere with Nora. After all, there was no evidence—it was all hearsay. Say too much and it becomes slander. Someone seized the opportunity to pull them apart, and the drama ended without resolution. But there was more than one production filming at the studio. If you want to spread something and you're determined, it happens fast.
Within half an hour, every production crew filming at the studio knew about Nora and Kurt's relationship.
The news of an unknown actress having Emerald City's first-generation entrepreneur as her backer spread like wildfire.
By afternoon, it had spread throughout Emerald City.
William learned about this while still in a meeting. Angelina was scrolling through gossip news during the meeting and slid her phone across the table to William.
"Is this actress Nora crazy?"
"She dares to link herself with Kurt? Kurt's perfect family right now—if Nora, some small-time actress, tears open a crack in it, what do you think will happen?"
As soon as the meeting ended, Angelina couldn't contain her gossip, following closely behind William toward her office.
"Want to watch the show?"
"Yes!"
"Last time you suggested I take over the Lowe Group—do you still have that idea?"
Angelina's footsteps suddenly stopped at the door. She stared at William's broad back, stunned for several seconds before coming to her senses: "Are you serious?"
"It's a rare opportunity. Think it through."
Angelina had followed William for years and knew this man's methods too well. His words today definitely weren't random.
"What you want isn't the Lowe Group!"
William didn't answer directly, leaning against his desk looking at Angelina.
"You found the person who hit Thalia with the car last time?"
"I heard that Kurt's wife's brother is an important figure in the capital. Could it be that the people coming after you recently are from the capital?"
William's silence was his answer.
Angelina clicked her tongue. Although William hadn't mentioned his birth mother's side over the years, just looking at his strategic moves these years, it wasn't hard to guess where she was.
"Aren't you afraid of ending up with nothing?"
William's gaze lowered slightly, and he smiled coldly: "What's there to fear? Truth is infinite—every inch forward brings an inch of joy."
Before Angelina could get to the bottom of it, Finn rushed in with his phone: "Mr. Brown, you're trending."