Chapter 7

Wyneth and Shaun were both straightforward people, so the contract was signed smoothly.

While Shaun was looking at Wyneth's signature, he exclaimed, "Ms. Walford, if you had agreed to work with me three years ago, you could have been the top star in the showbiz by now,"

Wyneth's eyelashes trembled as she thought, 'Would I have still married Hayden without hesitation if I had agreed to enter the showbiz three years ago?'

Shaun added, "But it doesn't matter now. The present is the best time. But you signed the contract so quickly. Aren't you worried about being tricked?"

Wyneth let out a soft and melodic smile. "I'm not worried, because..." she replied, "I know you won't dare to trick me." She raised her gaze, her eyes clear and bright, as if they were drawing in all the positive energy in the world.

Shaun was struck by her beauty, taking a sharp breath as he thought to himself, 'When she laughs, there's a hint of coldness in her expression, but she's still breathtakingly beautiful. In ancient times, she could have been another Helen of Troy.'

Shaun was still lost in Wyneth's beauty when she suddenly said, "From now on, I'm your artist, just call me Wyneth."

"Sure thing. You can call me Shaun like everyone else," he replied.

Wyneth nodded casually and said, "Shaun."

As Shaun studied her facial features, he asked hesitantly, "I was actually approached by a talented director before I came here. He's looking for an actress with an appearance and demeanor like yours for a villainous role. Are you interested?" Before Wyneth could respond, Shaun quickly added, "But of course, if you don't want to play the villainess, I..."

"Sure, I'll take it. I don't mind as long as there's a role for me," replied Wyneth, eager to keep herself busy and shift her focus away from the things she wanted to forget.

Shaun was surprised by Wyneth's straightforwardness.

"Can we audition right away?" Wyneth asked.

Shaun hesitated. "Yes, but—"

"Then let's go," Wyneth interrupted, already standing up.

Shaun sat there, speechless.

"What's wrong?" Wyneth asked her manager, noticing he was still in his chair.

"Stello Studios is in Frecford," he replied.

"Really?" Wyneth replied calmly, unsurprised. "Then let's buy plane tickets."

...

After purchasing their tickets, they headed straight to the airport. The flight was two hours long, and they finally arrived in Frecford at nine o'clock in the evening. Even though they should have rested, Shaun insisted on taking Wyneth to meet Matthew.

Meanwhile, in a hotel's private lounge, Matthew was entertaining the investor. Both sides had drunk quite a bit, but they held their liquor well.

A middle-aged woman with glasses stood outside the lounge, her arms crossed as she glared at a younger woman standing in front of her. The younger woman looked awkward and fidgety in her spaghetti strap dress, lowering her head in shame.

"This is your best opportunity. I heard Shaun is already on his way here with a candidate for the role. If you don't seize this chance, you'll miss out on this role. Do you understand, Mandy?" said the middle-aged woman.

The younger woman was none other than Mandy Clarkson, the actress who had failed to meet the film director's expectation despite multiple retakes all afternoon, causing the crew to waste a considerable amount of time.

"The biggest investor of this production is attending tonight's meetup. If you can win him over, no one will be able to take this role from you," said Ruby.

Mandy bit her lip and said, "But—"

Ruby cut her off, "There's no 'but'." She said through her gritted teeth, "I worked hard to get you in here. This role is crucial, second only to the female lead. Don't you dare to let another actress steal it away! Now get in there!"

Ruby pushed open the door to the private lounge, pulling Mandy in behind her. As they stepped inside, Ruby's expression shifted. Along with Jake Kane and Matthew Lambert, there was a handsome man exuding an icy aura, his eyes pitch black. She exclaimed inwardly, 'That's Hayden Hamilton! The bigshot with the power to determine the fate of celebrities. What is he doing here? Wasn't tonight's meetup hosted by Mr. Lambert for Jake Kane, the investor?'

Ruby had dealt with many people in the industry and as soon as she entered the private lounge, Matthew knew what she was up to. However, the situation tonight was special, so he did not dare say anything.

Ruby greeted Hayden nervously, "Hi, M-Mr. Hamilton."

Mandy did not notice Ruby's change in expression as soon when she entered the lounge, so she picked up the bottle and cautiously approached the man sitting at the head of the table, as Ruby had instructed her to do.

To her surprise, the "investor" turned out to be a young, handsome man in his early thirties wearing a crisp white shirt and black tie, very different from the older, bald, beer-bellied man she had expected.

"If he's the one..." Mandy felt that she was unable to resist.

As she approached Hayden, his assistant suddenly rushed out and blocked her path. "I'm sorry, miss, but Mr. Hamilton prefers not to have people get too close to him," the assistant explained.

It was well-known in the industry that Hayden did not like people getting close or touching him. Mandy was new to the industry and knew little about it. Hayden's assistant, Dexter, stood in front of her impassively. The indifferent man sitting in the main seat did not show any reaction. In other words, he made it clear that he refused her.

In the industry, it was common knowledge that Hayden did not like people getting too close or touching him. Unfortunately, Mandy, being new to the industry, was unaware of this fact. Hayden's assistant, Dexter, stood in front of her with an impassive expression. Meanwhile, Hayden himself remained indifferent and showed no reaction. It was clear that he preferred to keep a distance from her.

Mandy stood awkwardly, her face turning pale.

Matthew's phone beeped, and he checked the message. After reading it carefully, he nervously glanced at Hayden and whispered to Jake, "Shaun already brought the candidate here."

Jake felt a headache coming on when he heard this. He thought to himself, 'If anyone didn't know better, they'd think this new actress was playing the female lead. But she's just a candidate for the villainous third female lead. Is it really worth making such a big fuss about her coming here at this time of night? Who is she anyway?'

The private lounge fell into complete silence. As Hayden's presence seemed to intimidate everyone into holding their breath and not saying a word.

The tension was palpable until the sound of a server's voice finally broke the stillness. "This way, miss," the server announced from outside the door of the lounge.

Except for Hayden, everyone's attention was drawn to the door. They saw a young lady wearing a gold high-slit maxi dress, walking behind the server. She had fair skin and a beautiful face. Her waist-length hair was elegantly pinned up with golden clips, with a few loose strands gently brushing against her skin. Her slender, well-proportioned figure matched her height, which was equivalent to Shaun's. A serene and composed expression graced her face.

Wyneth lifted her skirt with one hand and made her way toward the private lounge. As she looked up, her gaze met a pair of familiar, deep black eyes. The eyes hesitated for a moment upon seeing her, and even the assistant behind the owner showed a surprised expression.

Wyneth paused briefly, for no more than a couple of seconds, before calmly continuing into the room.

As soon as Shaun stepped into the private lounge, his eyes immediately fell upon Ruby and her artist, Mandy. In that moment, he understood everything.

But then, the next second, Shaun's pupils contracted as he laid eyes on Hayden. He wondered, 'What's this big shot doing here?'

"Pfft!" Jake abruptly spat out a mouthful of wine he was drinking.

Everyone immediately looked at him, except for Hayden and Wyneth.

Jake waved his hand. "Oops, I choked on my wine."

As he took a closer look at Wyneth, he wondered if he had mistaken her for someone else. After scrutinizing her features, he realized, 'Isn't this Hayden's wife, Wyneth Walford?'

Jake shifted his gaze to Hayden and noticed that he had pursed his lips and was maintaining a poker face. Meanwhile, Wyneth seemed to be pointedly ignoring Hayden and had not even given him a single glance since she arrived.

Jake could not help but wonder, "What kind of drama are these two playing?"