“Really?” Reese’s eyes widened in surprise. She had just hoped to avoid any criticism, so hearing praise was a nice surprise.
Wendy nodded, her smile friendly. “An actor’s biggest success is to captivate their audience, and that’s also the hardest part. You did that today. You were great.”
Reese, still remembering Bianca’s warning about Wendy’s harsh words, was shocked by her kind tone. She was speechless.
“You really understood your role and chose a theme that resonates deeply,” Sophia added, echoing the praise.
Feeling a bit flustered by the compliments from Wendy and Sophia, Reese blushed slightly.
From the audience’s perspective, Skylar offered some helpful feedback, which Reese accepted gratefully and was eager to improve.
Then Natalie’s voice interrupted, sounding less friendly. “It’s really impressive. Sophia, I think Reese’s acting is almost as good as yours.”
Bianca felt uneasy and had a bad feeling about it.
“If you hadn’t been in director Vincent Lopez’s movie, Reese might have been the female lead. Haha, just kidding! Remember the last audition? Sophia, you got that role with a performance without any props. Did Reese copy that idea because you helped her secretly? Since she’s in the same company as you, you must have taught her everything, right? And Sophia, as a judge, did you get a sneak peek at the talent show’s plans?”
Natalie’s words sounded like praise for Reese, but her real goal was to create doubt. She suggested that Reese had an unfair advantage because of Sophia’s help, explaining her strong performance.
The studio went quiet before murmurs began to spread.
People started to think that Reese’s act was planned ahead of time. Maybe Sophia had shared details of the show with her.
‘Could Blake be involved too?’
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. The friendly vibe disappeared, replaced by skeptical and critical looks from the audience.
In a crucial moment, Sophia casually said, “If Natalie is wondering about this, I’m sure others are too. So, Wendy, why not come up with a new theme right now?”
The other judges nodded in agreement. Natalie remained silent, but her raised eyebrows showed her clear disapproval.
Wendy took a moment to think of a suitable challenge. Finally, she said, “Let’s act out being cold.”
Reese quickly nodded and showed that she was ready with an “OKAY” gesture.
The host stepped off, and the impromptu performance began.
These spontaneous acts really test an actress’s quick thinking and skills. At first, Bianca worried because Reese wasn’t formally trained in acting. However, as the performance went on, Bianca realized her worries were unnecessary.
Through Reese’s portrayal, Bianca could picture a woman walking softly on a cold winter night. Dressed too lightly, she shivered and occasionally breathed warm air onto her hands for a bit of comfort.
Reese’s occasional slips added to the wintery feel of the scene, making it seem as if heavy snow was covering everything.
Without saying a word, Reese skillfully displayed her natural acting talent.
To everyone’s surprise, the last contestant of the show raised the excitement to a new level.
Natalie was shocked by Reese’s talent. She had only seen Reese doing various jobs at Bianca’s company.
‘How could she act so well?’
Biting her lip, Natalie was about to say more, but Wendy interrupted just in time. “Natalie, do you have any problems with Reese’s acting earlier? She’s new, so of course, she has a lot to learn. Why don’t you, being more experienced, show her how it’s done? Give her and the other new actors a demonstration on stage. It will be helpful for them.”
“I…” Natalie felt trapped and embarrassed.
“Exactly! Natalie, you’re an amazing actress who has won many awards. This is a great chance to show the new actors what real acting looks like,” Sophia added with a smile.
Faced with their seemingly kind suggestions, Natalie tensed up, clenching her fists out of sight. With everyone watching her, it was hard to say no.
Finally, she stood up, maintaining a calm attitude, and said, “Okay, since Wendy and Sophia suggested it, I’ll perform a little.”
The audience cheered loudly when they saw Natalie, the famous actress, stepping in to help the new actors and actresses. Everyone was excited to see her perform.
But as Natalie reached the final step onto the stage, disaster struck. Her high heels slipped, and she fell, tumbling across the stage and ruining her dark blue gown.
Bianca watched with a smirk on her lips.
“Typical Natalie,” she muttered to herself. “She always knows how to steal the spotlight. Who needs to perform when she can grab attention like that?”
Natalie looked genuinely hurt, her face showing pain. The production team quickly rushed her to the hospital, which brought the show to an abrupt end.
Reese did well, earning a solid score of 8. 9, but she still placed second to Blake.
Both of them advanced in the competition, while three contestants from Orion Entertainment were eliminated, which was a big blow to the company. Bianca felt happy to be victorious.
Natalie wasn’t there, and Bianca was sure she would have been furious if she had been.
But unexpectedly, Natalie returned during the last part.
Despite her pain, she struggled onto the stage and announced, “It’s no big deal. I just sprained my ankle. I can still continue filming.”
Natalie’s dedication impressed the audience.
The filming of the show went smoothly, and by noon, they were almost finished. The production team allowed the contestants to rest in the lounge since only a few more shots were needed. Bianca and Reese decided to go backstage.
Backstage, they ran into Natalie, who was amusingly stumbling around. Her real-life clumsiness was much funnier than her acting, making Bianca giggle.
Natalie noticed Bianca and blushed. She had planned to embarrass Bianca’s trainee, but now the situation had flipped.
Bianca shot Natalie a scornful look and said, “Miss King, I’m sorry to say, but my agency’s so-called insignificant trainees took both the first and second ranks. It seems Orion Entertainment’s performers can’t even compare. Is that why Orion Entertainment invested so much in securing you?”
Bianca’s sarcastic tone only made Natalie angrier. Pointing an accusing finger at Bianca, she said in a voice sharp enough to cut, “Don’t get too comfortable, Bianca. This is just the beginning. The show is far from over. You think you’ve already nailed it?”
Bianca pretended to be hurt and touched her ear. “I’m just stating facts. Why are you so fired up, Miss King? By the way, isn’t there only one contestant left from Orion Entertainment? You should keep an eye on her.”