Sarah replied, “What I meant was, I can drink endless milk tea and never get drunk.”
Holden smirked. “My dear wife, aren’t you curious why you woke up in my bed this morning?”
The housekeepers, who usually acted deaf and mute to keep their high-paying jobs, suddenly had their ears perked up. They knew there wasn’t much affection between Lady and Young Master-they didn’t even sleep in the same room. While they seemed to get along, the reality was that they were quite distant.
Hearing such juicy gossip, they were all listening intently.
Sarah had no idea what happened after she got drunk, but she was determined to deny any suggestion that she tried to seduce her boss. She hadn’t even secured her new job yet, and if Holden thought she was some scheming gold digger, she could kiss that twenty million goodbye.
Sarah hesitated for a moment before saying, “I was drunk.”
Holden looked at her with a smile.
Sarah added, “I might have mistaken you for Ronald.”
The smile vanished from Holden’s eyes.
Sarah, clearly digging her own grave, continued, “Mr. Holden, you know I only love Ronald.”
Holden pulled out the tie Sarah had bought the previous day. “Was this for Ronald too?”
Sarah nodded vigorously.
Holden’s response was a cold “Oh,” before he added, “Spending my money on another man, my dear wife, you’re something else.”
Sarah quickly defended herself, “Boss, you know that once the company pays the employees, the money belongs to them.”
Holden, whether he was convinced or just too frustrated to respond, remained silent, staring at her for a long moment.
Sarah, sensing the tension, sneaked off to the kitchen to eat her breakfast.
Holden handed the tie to Butler Ted. “Burn it.”
Butler Ted froze. “Yes, Young Master.”
Holden reconsidered, thinking that burning it was too easy on Sarah.
“Put it on me.”
Butler Ted, who had been serving Holden for years, swiftly and expertly tied the tie around Holden’s neck.
With a serious expression, Butler Ted remarked, “This tie looks the best on you, Young Master. On anyone else, it would just be an embarrassing imitation.”
After Sarah had eaten her fill, she noticed Holden was gone. She tried to sneak off to the garage to drive away, only to find that her usual Lamborghini had been taken. When she checked her purse, the car keys were missing.
Right.
That nine-million-dollar car was Holden’s.
Compared to the other brand-new sports cars in the garage, each depreciating by thousands with every mile, this one was slightly older, which made Sarah feel less guilty about driving it.
Sarah texted Holden again, “Boss, I need to drive out today.”
Holden responded, “To deliver the tie to Ronald?”
Sarah replied, “No, it’s for something serious-work-related. This is a huge opportunity, more important than life itself. Once I make it big, I’ll treat you to a big meal.”
Holden answered, “The car keys are in the drawer on the right side of the study.”
Sarah’s eyes swept over the front row of Bugattis, McLarens, Ferraris, and Aston Martins, noticing each one was more flashy than the last. If she showed up driving one of those, they might think she wasn’t there for an audition but rather as the hidden investor or producer.
In the end, she chose a black Maserati.
The role Sarah was auditioning for was an ancient beauty, the younger sister of a tyrannical villain. She appeared pure and innocent on the outside but was actually as venomous as a snake. Though her screen time in the movie was limited, she had to be stunning.
Sarah waited in line for a while outside.
Inside, the director frowned deeply when he came across Sarah’s resume.
She had studied abroad but had no acting experience. Sure, the photos showed a rare beauty, but in this day and age, there were plenty of heavily Photoshopped headshots. He didn’t believe for a second that her face hadn’t been edited or surgically enhanced.
The assistant director quietly mentioned, “She’s recommended by Alice.”
Alice had some influence in the industry and a good relationship with the director.
Even though Alice introduced Sarah, the director only gave her a chance to audition-it was up to Sarah’s talent whether she got the part.
Director Beck nodded, and the next person to enter was Sarah.
As soon as Sarah walked in, the entire panel of directors was immediately impressed. Her features were incredibly symmetrical, with a flawless bone structure. She was wearing a loose white t-shirt and gray pants, with her golden hair casually tied back. Probably due to her ballet training, she had a particularly graceful and poised figure. She was undeniably beautiful, even more striking than in her photos.
The moment the director saw her, he got excited. He had been looking for someone who embodied beauty, someone who could stun the audience at first glance. After auditioning so many people, he had only found those with either beauty or charisma, but not both.
Yet, here she was, standing before them, exuding an otherworldly elegance even without wearing a period costume.
Director Beck leaned in and whispered, “She’s the one. We can work on her acting, teach her step by step.”
The assistant director frowned, “But she seems too pure-she doesn’t have that sinister vibe for the princess.”
“No, I want that exact feeling,” Director Beck said decisively. “Once she understands the character, she’ll transform.”
Regardless, everyone had to audition today. Even though Director Beck had already made up his mind based on Sarah’s appearance, he still wanted her to try out the scene.
He asked Sarah to perform a scene where the princess requests the male lead from her tyrant brother during a banquet. Since there was no actor playing the tyrant, Sarah had to act as if he were there, performing an invisible scene.
All eyes were on Sarah.
She put down her script and didn’t just read the lines.
In just a moment, her whole aura shifted. She looked at the imaginary tyrant with innocent eyes, her pure expression hiding a hint of unknowing cruelty. Even without anything in her hands, she mimed the action of playing with a hairpin.
This single transformation left Director Beck in awe. He knew Sarah had no acting experience based on her resume, and Alice had even mentioned that she was just a beautiful amateur who wanted to try her luck. If her acting wasn’t good enough, there’d be no obligation to keep her.
But he hadn’t expected that with just one action, this girl could embody the aura of a high-born young woman.
“Brother, I think this man is quite interesting.”
Her alluring and playful voice fit the character perfectly. Her gaze drifted from the tyrant to the bound and kneeling male lead in the distance, her smile taking on a malicious edge. “Give him to me, and let me punish him. What do you think?”
Even though she was dressed in a simple t-shirt and pants, Director Beck and the others felt as if she were wearing a princess’s elaborate robes, her graceful steps like those of a noblewoman.
The princess elegantly descended from the banquet, approaching the imaginary male lead.
She mimed holding an imaginary hairpin and slowly carved imaginary characters onto his face.
Director Beck could see it all clearly, even counting the letter of each word-she had drawn each word with perfect precision.
After the scene ended, Sarah gave a bow to the director’s table, her face expressionless.
Before she ended up in the book, Sarah had been filming a period drama where she played the second female lead. Although she had the looks of a popular star, she wasn’t one of those celebrities who relied on looks alone-she had no connections, no wealthy backers, and only her acting skills to make a name for herself in the film industry. It wasn’t easy, but she had managed to carve out a bit of recognition.
Every time she got a role, she would spend months in training, learning everything from the character’s mannerisms to the skills the role required.
Sarah felt confident about her performance just now, thinking it went well.
The way Director Beck looked at her was like a talent scout discovering a prodigy; he wanted to lock her down immediately.
A staff member escorted Sarah out, saying, “We’ll let you know the audition results within two days.”
Sarah nodded and left.
Director Beck watched her leave and said, “She’s the one!”
The assistant director seemed worried. “But she’s too beautiful. Do you think that might be a problem?”