Asher looked incredulously at Elisa’s outstretched right hand, hesitated for a moment, and then shook it. “Wait… You said you are the current executive director of A. W Group?” Asher’s expression changed, shocked. Something flashed through his mind. If this were true, it would likely shake the entire entertainment industry.
Elisa was straightforward, “Mr. Kentala, do I look like I’m joking?”
Asher looked at her seriously, “No, you don’t.” He let go of her hand. It was precisely because it didn’t seem like a joke that shocked him the most. In reality, Elisa’s power was terrifying, hidden from everyone.
She had traversed from being bashed on the entire internet, neglected by the former X Entertainment, and ridiculed by netizens. Her original family background wasn’t great; she came from a rural area. Just a few months ago, she was mocked as a “village girl” because of her heavy makeup.
Her landing the role of Bai, the second female lead in “Revenge and Love,” was solely based on her acting skills and Asher’s insistence. Throughout her career, she had been quite ordinary. The best opportunities she had received were this period drama and the variety show “Weekend Show,” both of which were heavily criticized by netizens. The variety show was almost axed, and “Revenge and Love” almost didn’t get made.
Asher started to doubt if she was cursed. How could everything go so wrong every time? He rarely had such high expectations for an artist, and it was the first time he felt so much distress for someone.
But now, it seemed that the one who needed sympathy wasn’t Elisa, but himself.
Huh, the real clown was himself.
A. W Group effortlessly acquired X Entertainment. The market value was estimated to be at least three billion dollars. According to the investigation, this group was established just two months ago. Achieving so much in such a short time, it was hard to guess who was behind it.
It was likely impossible to figure out that the person behind this was Elisa, who had been bashed across the entire internet. She had hidden her identity quite well.
As Asher came back to his senses, he looked at Elisa meaningfully, “You are really unexpected, and you’ve hidden it quite well.”
“I had no choice.”
Elisa had many secrets, and Asher didn’t pry further.
“If only I had known, why bother now? Your words would be more suitable for Lorelei and her group.” Asher put away the contract and handed it to Elisa. “I will find the producer later to settle this matter. Let’s wait for them to be embarrassed.”
“If only I had known, why bother now?” This phrase was also suitable for reminding himself to avoid repeating mistakes. Elisa picked up the glass of water that she hadn’t finished drinking from the table. “I’ll go to the set now.”
“No rush. Help me pass on a message: the crew will rest for half a day, and we’ll start shooting in the afternoon.”
Elisa agreed and was about to leave when Asher stopped her. “Wait, there’s something I’m quite interested in asking you right now.”
“What is it?”
Asher’s curious gaze fell on her face, “What’s your relationship with the actor Louis?”
“Friends.”
“Nothing more than friends?”
Elisa frowned, “Mr. Kentala, what are you trying to say?”
Asher’s tone was meaningful, “Nothing. I just suddenly felt that it’s good to be young. Elisa, you are not that young anymore. Have you ever thought about dating? Other artists don’t date because of pressure from above and fear of losing fans during their career, and relationships and marriage are a big obstacle. But you are different, as a female boss, even keeping a few young men wouldn’t be a problem.”
Elisa felt a bit helpless, not understanding what Asher was trying to convey. He kept switching topics from Louis to marriage and now to keeping young men.
“Mr. Kentala, you are overthinking. I’m not thinking about marriage yet.”
“But with Louis?” Asher looked at Elisa, puzzled. “You don’t know yet?”
“Know what?”
Indeed, she didn’t know that Louis had expressed his feelings for her on the internet. If Elisa had reciprocated, there would have been some sign. It shouldn’t have been as simple as just saying “friends.”
“Nothing.” Asher smiled wryly. Since Louis hadn’t said anything, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him as an outsider to bring it up to Elisa. Perhaps for the both of them, being friends was the most comfortable distance.
Moreover, Elisa was still young, focused on her career, and avoided relationships.
It was tough for Louis. It seemed that the road to pursuit wasn’t easy. DespiteElisa’s good acting skills, in reality, she was rather clueless about relationships. She didn’t express her feelings, and he was probably just a friend to her. If Elisa’s identity as an executive director of A. W Group were exposed, Louis might have a long list of rivals.
Elisa found Asher’s behavior peculiar, stopping her to say inexplicable things, starting a statement and then stopping abruptly, looking uncomfortable and fidgety. Perhaps it was due to lack of sleep, and after all, the minds of these big directors were different from ordinary people’s, quite erratic.
Quietly, Elisa left the resting room, heading to the shooting location. She informed the on-site crew, “Mr. Kentala asked me to pass on a message: we will have a half-day break this morning, and shooting will commence in the afternoon.”
Asher had already sent out a notification in the group chat, but he probably worried that some people might not check their phones, so he asked Elisa to relay the message.
When the other female actors saw Elisa, they showed sour expressions and whispered to themselves, “Bad luck!”
Asher was efficient. He quickly obtained the stamped documents from the production side, made three copies, and handed one to Elisa, resolving the matter entirely.
“When should I send out the termination contract?” Asher had organized a lunch meeting. He had booked a private room for convenience and was eager to know. In the past few days, Lorelei’s fans had been bombarding his phone, and his number had been overwhelmed. At this point, he just wanted to see Lorelei being humiliated!
“You can send it whenever you want, but you must pick the perfect time. It should be when they are most complacent. Slapping them unexpectedly will make the impact even greater. You should try it,” Elisa said with an impeccable smile. When she focused her sharp black and white eyes on someone, she emitted an air of innocence that could easily deceive others.
Such people were the most terrifying. Asher was glad that from the start, his choices regarding Elisa were right. He would never become her adversary.
Asher began to think seriously, “When will they be most complacent?”
He was referring to Lorelei’s fans. Currently, the only thing Lorelei could rely on in the entertainment industry was her remaining fans.
“What they need now is to divert everyone’s attention, to make it seem like Lorelei won against you and me. So, they will be watching us. For example, when we came out to eat alone today, if I’m not mistaken, it’s probably already spread online by now.”
“No way, can they recognize us when we’re all covered up? Besides, this isn’t exactly a private meal. What can happen at a public restaurant?” Asher questioned.
“Mr. Kentala, after so many years in the entertainment industry, don’t you understand the wind? Black can be said to be white. Don’t underestimate the power of disguises. Even if we were covered in ashes, people would still be able to recognize us,” Elisa explained.
Asher still didn’t believe it. He took out his phone and opened Twitter, and indeed, he saw the trending topic. It probably wouldn’t be long before it trended.
Asher didn’t click to view it. It wasn’t something good to see; it would just ruin his appetite.
Elisa tapped her glass lightly and said, “Tonight, Lorelei’s side will probably spend money on public relations to trend us. Free trending should not be wasted. When it has fermented enough, send out the termination contract. I will do the same on my end.”
Asher thought about it and agreed.
“Lorelei is, after all, an artist of your company. If you use her as a tool, you should be able to earn a considerable amount of money.”
“I don’t want to dirty my hands with such a tool,” Elisa said with a cold laugh.
After lunch, the two of them returned to the set to begin preparations. They had been spotted arriving, so there was no need to hide when leaving. However, it was evident that the gazes directed at them upon arriving at the set were not very friendly.
Elisa was shooting outdoor night scenes today, and those who endured all-nighters were present. Elisa was efficient in her work and adept at guiding others’ acting, which propelled emotions. Her scenes were usually easy and often done in one take.
She maintained a strict sleeping schedule, aiming to be in bed before 10 PM when not working. Even when working late hours for the shoot, she made sure to finish before the early hours of the morning. Her strong sense of time came from neglecting her health in her previous life, which led to stomach cancer. Reborn, she was determined not to follow the same unhealthy path.
This was why the crew members enjoyed working with her – it was effortless and trouble-free.
While Elisa was filming, the White family was having dinner. What was supposed to be a regular family gathering suddenly had an “extended family member” show up.
Louis gazed at the “extended family member,” Hamish, sitting next to him, and instantly lost his appetite.
The table was set with dishes specifically tailored to his taste, all his favorites.
Louis didn’t have a close relationship with his family. It wasn’t that his parents treated him poorly, but he didn’t feel a deep emotional connection himself.
Mrs. White was very kind to him, almost to the point of spoiling him, giving him whatever he wanted. Louis had very vague memories of his childhood, some memories were mere fragments, and he couldn’t even recall faces.
Mrs. White told him that it was because he had injured his brain when he was young, and for a long time, he wasn’t quite right in the head.
He had a congenital heart condition, and his heart was different from a normal person’s; it was on the right side. After his heart surgery, he lay in bed for several months, which also helped his brain recover.
Mr. White, on the other hand, was stricter. They had a son and a daughter; Louis also had a younger sister named Brittany White. Mr. White’s expectations for his son were higher than for his daughter, mainly because the family business was to be inherited by Louis. But after Louis recovered from surgery, he seemed to have been possessed; he insisted on joining the entertainment industry.
Mr. White was furious and didn’t speak to Louis for three days, locking him in the house.
Louis didn’t give in either, not eating for three days. Neither of them was willing to back down, until Mrs. White couldn’t bear it and intervened, convincing both of them.
In the end, Mr. White agreed to let Louis join the entertainment industry, with the condition that he wouldn’t reveal his identity as a member of the White family. The White family wouldn’t support him at all; if anything went wrong, he would have to bear the consequences himself.
Additionally, at the time, they signed an agreement, giving Louis four years. If he hadn’t become a big star by then, he would return to inherit the family business.
As a result, Louis achieved stardom in just two years.
Mr. White was like a toothless dog with a mouthful of bitterness, unable to voice his resentment. Although they still kept in touch, their relationship became increasingly strained. Louis, who was already rarely at home due to his acting career, used to visit once a month; now it was every two to three months. He would only return if someone called him.
Did this ungrateful son think that anyone could handle the entertainment industry? If it weren’t for the people he had secretly hired to protect his schedule and deal with troublesome paparazzi, or bribe those who leaked information…
He would’ve been investigated so thoroughly that he wouldn’t even have a pair of underwear left!
Brittany, on the other hand, was quite satisfied with her brother’s career. Louis had given her several autographed shirts, and as soon as she received them, she put them up for sale online and made quite a bit of money.
“If you don’t call, if you don’t text, have you already given up on this family?” Mr. White sat at the head of the table, glancing at Louis, his eyes burning with anger. “I can’t stand to see you; I’ve lost my appetite!”
“Then you can choose not to eat,” these were the same words every time he came back.