Chapter 66
“I am sorry, but they can go for the auditions. If they pass, then they can act in the film,” the woman said coldly as she started thinking that they had known that she was in the park, and that was the reason they had visited the place.
“Two hundred million investment,” Scarlet said, not replying to her words but saying something the woman wasn’t expecting.
As expected, when the latter heard those words, she was stunned and stared at Scarlet in disbelief. She was young, so how could she have had access to such money?
“If you agree, then I will immediately deposit the money in the film’s account. I am not asking for much. I think that she is more suitable for the second female lead role. I have read the script. As for Evaline, she can go for the female lead if she passes the auditions; if not, she can act as the third female lead, though she is more suitable for the female lead,” Scarlet added.
This time, the woman was so sure that the latter had come prepared. She had investigated everything and knew that she was looking for investors. The initial budget was one hundred and fifty million; getting fifty million more was pleasing. They can do a lot with the money. The editing effects, the places where they would be filming, or even better, filming places. She was really tempted, but at the same time, greatly afraid that the latter was lying to her.
“What about this. You can call your lawyer, and I will call mine. After agreeing, signing the contracts, and depositing the money. The two can go for auditions. I believe the film can start in a week, right?” Scarlet asked, making the woman be more in disbelief.
She had not expected the latter to be so guarded. She had thought that she didn’t know anything, but it seemed she couldn’t be fooled.
“That’s not possible. We had done the auditions. I wanted to first find money before looking for them,” the woman said, stunning Scarlet, before her eyes lit up.
“Then, can I recommend a few people?” she asked, making both Samantha and the director stare at her cause she was really ambitious.
“I am sorry, but I know some people who can fit the roles well. I won’t force you. They can first go for auditions, if they pass, they can act, if not, it’s okay,” Scarlet said, but the woman shook her head.
“I have already accepted the two. I can’t do more. Please don’t intervene,” the woman said in a serious tone, making the joyful smile that had been on Scarlet’s face fade.
“Okay. The film isn’t long. Please after the signing of the contracts, please open for auditions. If possible, find everyone by next week and start filming on Tuesday. There will be one week of auditions, and I believe it's enough,” Scarlet said, making the woman frown.
“When do you want the film to be released?” the woman asked as she felt that they weren’t on the same page.
“In a month? Everything should be done in three weeks, the promotions in a week, the it's released,” Scarlet said, making the woman chuckle.
“Young lady, you really dream big. If we really had people who could act that well and won’t need reshooting, we could succeed in that. As for a week's promotions, that isn’t enough. Even a day can be enough if we have one international actor or actress acting in it. We can ride in their cocktail, but we don’t,” the woman said mockily, but Samantha looked at Scarlet cause it was really possible.
“Okay, deal. A month. The international actor Santino will be acting in your film. Get the others ready, then, he doesn’t like waiting,” Scarlet said, startling the woman.
“You are joking, right?” she asked as she eyed Scarlet.
The short time she had been with the two, she knew that for the young lady to speak, she had to have confidence.
“What do you think?” Scarlet asked with a smirk. She didn’t like being challenged by anyone; thus, she didn’t hesitate to use her uncle as bait to get the movie.
“If he can act in it, then we will sign the contract; if he can’t, then I am sorry we can’t work together,” the woman said coldly, as she didn’t like someone who liked bragging.
How many years had it been since that actor showed up in Country A? He was a well-known figure in the industry. Also, she really didn’t think that they could afford that person. However, she couldn’t deny that he really fitted the male lead character and was the most suitable person.
Scarlet’s phone started ringing, and she took it from her pocket.
“Hello,” she said after accepting the call without looking at the caller’s ID cause anyone who had her contact was trustworthy.
“Scarlet, can you come pick me up at the airport?” a male voice sounded on the other side, making Scarlet smirk at her luck.
“Do you have a car?” she asked the director, who frowned but still nodded.
“Please take us to the airport. I promise you, you won’t regret it,” Scarlet told the woman, who frowned and her dislike for Scarlet increased. However, she thought that she might as well give them a ride as a pay for saving her cat. After that, she would have paid her gratitude debt and won’t have anything with each other.
Scarlet just smiled as she stared at the woman, as she knew what she was thinking. Her smile was so calm yet mysterious that it made the director’s heart beat faster, and panic caused cause she felt the lady had seen through her. Nonetheless, she regained her composure and nodded at Scarlet, thinking that it would be good if the latter really could tell what she was thinking, as she didn’t want to keep explaining everything.
They walked towards a jeep that was parked in the parking lot and got in it. The drive was half an hour.
When they arrived, Scarlet took her phone and called the number, though she was curious where the man had gotten her number when she had not called him or given it to him.
At the same time, Samantha was so excited that she was about to meet her idol. Seeing how Samantha was behaving, the director was puzzled, but she didn’t ask what was going on.
“Where are you? We are in the underground parking. The jeep is blue in color. Please hurry up, we borrowed a ride,” Scarlet said shamelessly, making the director snort.
Santino said something on the other side, which made Scarlet pout. In five minutes, the passenger’s seat was opened, and someone got in.
The director was startled and looked at the person. When she saw that the latter had a mask on, she was puzzled and stared at him cause she felt that he seemed familiar.
“Uncle,” Scarlet called the man with a cheerful smile on her face.
“Call me brother,” Santino said in a displeased tone cause he couldn’t understand why Scarlet was calling him that.
Scarlet pouted and was about to call him uncle when she recalled that she needed a favor from him.
“Brother. This is my friend Samantha, your fan. She is Matilda, a director, your fan too if I am not wrong,” Scarlet said, making the director more puzzled.
The voice, the figure were so familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she had seen the person.
Scarlet reached for the mask and took it out, making Matilda, whose eyes had been on Santino, scream before she placed a hand on her mouth when she recalled where they were.
“Santino? The movie king? The international superstar, Santino?” she asked.
“How can she really be my fan if she doubts whether I am real or fake?” Santino asked with a frown on his face, making Scarlet chuckle when she realized that the man had not changed at all. He was still as grumpy as ever.
“Calm down. Before you called, we had been discussing a deal,” Scarlet said with a cheeky smile on her face, which made Santino frown.
When he recalled how Scarlet had introduced the person driving, he frowned even more. He glanced at the woman who was still looking at him in disbelief, then at his baby sister.
“You want me to act in her movie?” he asked Scarlet, who froze for a moment before nodding her head vigorously.
“I am investing in it and want it to be completed in a month. So, we will have to save costs on promotions and ride on someone’s popularity. I can’t go looking for other people when we have superstars in the family, right?” she asked.
“Why didn’t you call Nova then? I am not the only superstar,” Santino said as he rolled his eyes and leaned on the car seat.
Scarlet froze when she heard that name.
Nova was her cousin. Her second uncle’s daughter, who resembled her mother so much. Well, she recalled that she now looked like Nova, but not too much. She was signed to my mother’s entertainment company in America. How she knew of it, they had always been close, though there was an age gap. She was always proud and happy to have a cousin who resembled her.
When Martin and his brothers came to visit, she would sneak and come with them, not caring that she might get punished later on. Of all the Singh family members, she was the only one Scarlet had met. The others would only talk on video calls.
In her past life, Ann had gotten into the entertainment industry, and with the Whites' connection, she was about to show up in a variety show in Country Z that Nova had been. Nova had always said that Ann was pretending, and because of it, she had a lot of haters in Country A.
Why not take this chance to make her cousin famous in the country before Ann gets into the industry? However, there was one big problem.
“But she…what if she finds out about…”