Chapter 45
It was late at night when Victor finally sent word that after a thorough check up, Walter had merely fainted from anger and was otherwise line
Annabel breathed a sigh of relief, but a lingering sense of unease still gnawed at her..
The next day, she arrived at Aether Studios early. As she passed by the rehearsal room, she heard a familiar middle–aged male voice coming from inside. “This script won’t do. It has to be changed. At this part, the male lead has to grab the female lead’s neck tightly.”
The overtly abusive plot twist made Annabel frown. She didn’t recall the company taking on a script with such dark themes.
She had only heard Mason mention that they were planning a time–travel sweet romance Web Series.
Annabel pushed open the door to find Carlos, who had just finalized a collaboration, holding a script and lecturing the new actors, preparing to make drastic changes to the script. Upon seeing the boss enter, everyone stopped what they were doing and greeted Annabel. “Hello, Miss White.”
Annabel nodded slightly and walked over to Carlos. Carlos seemed to deliberately ignore the shift in the room’s atmosphere and continued his radical revisions.
However, the new actors, now emboldened, spoke up. “Mr. Mayer, if you change it like this, the original script will lose its meaning. Don’t you think we should consult Miss White?”
Carlos raised his voice on purpose. “I’m the director. Who understands filming better, me or you? Or perhaps she knows more than I do?”
Annabel smiled. “Mr. Mayer, of course, you know more about filming. But the market currently favors sweet romance dramas. Especially for this low- budget Web Series, changing the plot at this stage will increase costs.
“If the budget gets cut and the final product is a mishmash, it will also damage your reputation.”
Carlos’s face was full of disdain as he sneered. “You only care about costs and capital. The market has been polluted by people who only chase profits. I’m making a TV drama, an art form, not some mass–produced trash.”
This veiled insult dropped the temperature in the rehearsal room to freezing. Everyone watched Annabel cautiously, knowing that she was not someone to be trifled with.
Annabel’s eyes gradually turned cold as she looked at Carlos, her smile wry. “Art? Mr. Mayer, the plot twists you’re making aren’t exactly sophisticated. If sweet romance is trash, then aren’t those shows that use bloodshed and melodrama as gimmicks to attract viewers also trash?”
“What do you mean?” Carlos exploded, pointing at Annabel and shouting. “Are you saying my work is trash? I’m an internationally acclaimed director. I’ve been making films longer than you’ve been alive. You need to know your place.”
Annabel frowned. Carlos’s mood swing was incredibly fast. He had previously spoken politely, saying he wouldn’t interfere with her decisions, but now he was openly trying to intimidate her in front of everyone. ‘Where did he get the idea that I’m easy to bully?‘ she thought.
Annabel’s expression remained unchanged as she calmly said, “Mr. Mayer, it seems you’re not the right fit for this show’s director. Let’s just drop it.. Maybe when the company takes on a project that’s worthy of you, we can talk again.”
Carlos was stunned for a moment before he realized what she was saying. “You, you’re kicking me out?”
Annabel lightly curved her lips into a seemingly understanding smile. “I’m just worried you’ll be too burdened, having to reluctantly direct such a trashy,
sweet romance Web Series.”
A deep, magnetic laugh suddenly filled the room. Carlos, as if finding an outlet for his anger, shouted and turned around to confront the source. “Who is it? Who dares to mock me?”
Jonathan walked in from outside, his lips curved into a smile, his handsome eyes twinkling with amusement. “Sorry, Mr. Mayer, I couldn’t help it.”
Carlos’s face changed dramatically upon seeing Jonathan, and he stammered, “N–no, it’s nothing.” His cowardly expression almost made the crew burst
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Chapter 45
Into laughter.
Annabel, displeased, looked at Jonathan. As he approached, she frowned and whispered, “I told you not to come, didn’t 12 Her voice was so low that only she, Jonathan, and Carlos could hear.
Jonathan’s eyes were filled with tenderness, and he smiled. “This show? Mr. Mayer has already cast me as the male lead.”
Carlos was taken aback, thinking, ‘How did I not know about this?‘
Jonathan, noticing Carlos’s silence, looked at him. “Mr. Mayer?”
“Yes.” Carlos quickly nodded, forcing an ingratiating smile. “I specifically invited Mr. Turner to be the male lead.”
Jonathan continued, “Mr. Mayer, I agreed to take on the role because you said this was a romance drama.”
Carlos’s smile remained unchanged. “Yes, Mr. Turner, if you have any issues with the script, we can make changes,” he said, not daring to anger such an influential figure.
Jonathan casually flipped through the script that Carlos had handed over, and he noticed numerous intimate interactions between the male and female leads, with close–up scenes in almost every episode,
He looked up at Annabel. “You’ll play the female lead.”
Annabel was taken aback. “Huh?” she thought to herself. ‘You must be dreaming.’
She glared at Jonathan fiercely and sneered, “Mr. Turner, do you find this amusing?”
Jonathan didn’t like the formal address. “If you’re not willing, that’s fine too.”
Jonathan picked up a pen and swiftly crossed out many scenes in the script, so many that even Carlos’s face darkened and his brows furrowed.
After he finished, Jonathan handed the script to Annabel. “I’ll only act in the remaining parts.”
Annabel was so angry that her temples throbbed, and she almost couldn’t hold back a roar. “What are you even acting in? This is a sweet romance drama. How can there be a love story without intimate moments between the leads? Will any audience like that?”
Jonathan’s face remained expressionless. “I don’t like people getting close to me.”
Annabel responded with equal indifference. “Then just leave and don’t film it.” Both then turned to look at Carlos.
Carlos felt a chill run down his spine. He definitely couldn’t afford to offend Jonathan, but Annabel was not someone to be trifled with either, especially with Celia’s support behind him.
The tense scenes he had only seen in movies were now playing out right beside him.
Carlos stammered, “M–Miss White, actually, your demeanor is quite fitting for this show, and you seem to have a good understanding of sweet romance Web Series. If you were to become the female lead, it would be a great boost. Otherwise, maybe-”
Annabel was about to cut him off when Jonathan spoke up. “The official website has already released the cast information. The male lead is me, and the female lead-”
Jonathan looked up, his eyes filled with amusement. “It’s you.”
Annabel couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
Before she could unleash her barrage of complaints, Tina rushed over with her phone, looking anxious. “Miss White, our company’s new drama is trending online right now. There are photos of you and Jonathan on there.”
Annabel felt her temples pounding. She grabbed the phone and scrolled through a few pages, her hand trembling with anger.
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Chapter 45
“Jonathan, you–” she looked up at him again, her teeth gritted.
Jonathan smiled affectionately. “Little Wildcat, it’s an honor to act with you.”
This unique nickname, which could almost be considered a term of endearment, caused several people’s expressions to change subtly. Jonathan had never hidden his special feelings for Annabel, but this moment truly revealed his affection and possessiveness.
He wanted everyone at Aether Studios to know that Annabel was his, and no other man could even think about her.
Seeing that she couldn’t change the outcome, Annabel sneered at Jonathan. “Fine, let’s go with the script you’ve edited.”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.