Holden gave a little smile. “Just kidding. I actually want a drink.”
Sarah ran off to grab one for him.
Right then, someone gave her a pat on the back.
She turned around and saw Mr. Karl, who, even without her heels on, was shorter than she was.
Mr. Karl grinned. “Miss Sarah, why aren’t you with Crystal?”
Sarah, focused only on getting Holden his drink, answered absentmindedly, “Crystal’s busy with something.”
Mr. Karl chuckled. “Oh, that’s how it is. Miss Sarah, you should really think about joining our company. We’ve got way better resources than what you’re working with now. With your looks, I can make you the lead actress in a big film.”
Sarah brushed him off casually. “Sure, sure. I’ll discuss it with my husband later.”
Mr. Karl raised an eyebrow. “You’re married?”
Sarah nodded. “Yup.”
Before he could probe further, she hurried back to Holden and handed him a glass of cola.
If you didn’t look too closely, the cola’s color wasn’t that different from red wine.
Holden had said he felt like biting someone, so Sarah figured it’d be crazy to give him alcohol.
But oddly enough, Holden didn’t seem that interested in the drink. He looked distracted, like his mind was elsewhere.
After taking a sip, he told her he was leaving and gestured for her to do her business.
Just then, Crystal finished her phone call and returned, looking around for Sarah.
Meanwhile, Mr. Karl, whose middle-aged body couldn’t quite keep up with the booze, was on his way to the restroom when someone motioned for him to come over.
In his position, almost no one dared summon him like that.
Irritated, Mr. Karl walked over and found the man looked vaguely familiar-like he’d seen him somewhere before. But with so many faces passing through his life, and his mind clouded by food and alcohol, he couldn’t quite place him.
Based on his looks, Mr. Karl figured the guy might be an actor. He was certainly handsome, but way too tall and exuded far too much presence-like the alpha wolf in a pack.
Mr. Karl preferred signing actors who were soft, and easy to control. Someone with Holden’s commanding presence? Definitely not his type.
Holden smiled, his voice smooth and pleasant. “Which hand did you use to pat her just now?”
Mr. Karl frowned, confused. Who did this kid think he was? Did he not know who he was talking to?
Mr. Karl could bring down an entire career with a snap of his fingers. No matter how good this guy looked, blacklisting him would be a piece of cake.
With his brows knitting together, Mr. Karl demanded, “How dare you talk to me like that?”
Holden’s smile didn’t waver. “Guess I’ll have to figure that out myself.”
Sarah and Crystal mingled with a few producers and directors, then found a spot to sit down and enjoy a slice of cake. Crystal savored the sweetness but made sure not to overindulge.
Suddenly, a commotion rippled through the crowd, with people whispering like something serious had happened.
Crystal grabbed Edward, who was passing by, and asked what was going on.
Edward replied casually, “Mr. Karl’s hands are completely busted-every bone shattered. He’s being rushed into surgery.”
Crystal blinked in surprise. “What? How did that happen? Did they call the cops? Did they catch who did it?”
Edward shrugged. “He told them not to call the cops. First, he claimed he fell, then said it was an accident with a bathroom door. Either way, he insisted no one else was involved, just needs surgery to fix it.”
Crystal clicked her tongue. “Must be a genius to break both hands like that.”
Edward had always found Mr. Karl disgusting-everyone knew he’d ruined countless young actresses. In Edward’s mind, the guy had it coming. Though he and Sarah had clashed before, that was ancient history. As a seasoned pro, Edward felt it was his duty to give Sarah some advice.
“Listen, Sarah,” he said seriously, “you’ve gotta stay sharp in this business. Even when you’re on top, you can’t afford to make enemies. Look at Mr. Karl-he’s big-time, yet one wrong move, and even he got crushed.”
But Sarah wasn’t paying much attention to Edward’s little life lesson. Her mind was preoccupied with Holden.
From the way Crystal had reacted, it was clear Mr. Karl was one of the top dogs in the industry. But both hands shattered? There was no way anyone believed it was just a fall or a door accident. Getting stomped was far more likely.
The real question was-who at this event had the guts to beat Mr. Karl like that and still make him cover it up?
Ronald? Not a chance. Sure, he was the male lead, but he didn’t carry that kind of weight. If anything, he’d probably bow his head to Mr. Karl.
The only person Sarah could think of… was Holden.
But in her mind, Holden was always the epitome of elegance-a perfect gentleman with no hint of violence.
Would he lay a hand on someone just like that?
Of course not.
And even if Holden did get into a fight, could anyone really blame him?
Definitely not.
It had to be that idiot Mr. Karl who crossed the line and triggered Holden.
Sarah’s biggest flaw was her bias-when it came to people she liked, she always sided with them, no matter what.
Edward noticed Sarah zoning out and waved his hand in front of her face. “Hey, Sarah! Are you even listening to me?”
Sarah bobbed her head. “Yep, yep! Got it! I’m writing down every single wise word from you.”
Edward almost choked on his drink.
Just then, Director Beck strolled over with a couple of familiar directors, and both Crystal and Edward greeted him warmly, “Hi, Director Beck!”
With the latest box office success, Director Beck was all smiles, clearly pleased with the cast. His gaze landed on Sarah, and the admiration in his eyes was unmistakable-like he was looking at a goldmine.
In front of the other directors, Beck didn’t hold back his praise. “Though Sarah’s new to the game, her acting skills are excellent.”
Sarah’s greatest strength was her beauty-but ironically, it was also her biggest flaw.
In the film industry, being too pretty often got her labeled as eye candy, making it harder for people to take her acting seriously.
For this princess role, both the general audience and industry insiders had the same first impression of Sarah-her beauty. As for her acting skills or emotional depth, hardly anyone noticed; her looks overshadowed everything else at first glance.
Now, with Director Beck singing praises about Sarah’s performance while introducing her, the other directors became curious. They exchanged business cards with her, eager to stay connected.
Not far away, Elisa stood with a group of actors she knew, including Grace, an up-and-coming star. In the recent hit drama that skyrocketed Elisa’s fame, Grace had played the female lead.
With a look of envy, Grace glanced toward Sarah. “Wow, her first project, and she’s already working with A-list actors and making connections with Director Beck. Why couldn’t I get that kind of luck?”
It was a well-accepted fact in the industry that film directors held more prestige than TV directors. Movies were seen as having higher artistic value, and TV actors almost always aimed to transition into film. But building connections and gaining resources in the film world wasn’t easy.
Elisa bit her lip. “What’s so great about that? She’s only got a little over a million followers on Twitter. You’ve got more than thirty million, and even I have over seven million. She doesn’t even have as many followers as I do.”
Grace shook her head. “You don’t get it. As long as she doesn’t make enemies in the industry, she’s got way better prospects than we do.”
“Oh, really?” Elisa’s eyes flickered with a sly look. “No wonder she looks down on us. I heard from a friend that she mocked the dramas we acted in and even said you’re kind of ugly. She claimed the only roles we’re suited for are mindless fluff.”
Grace’s face froze instantly.
Truth be told, Grace was beautiful. But like every popular actress, she’d been criticized for her looks-there was no escaping it.
She had plenty of fans, but her haters were just as numerous.
The makeup in her last show had been less than flattering, and every time she searched her name online, she’d come across comments calling her ugly. Over time, this became a sensitive topic she couldn’t stand anyone bringing up.
Elisa nudged her again. “Should we go say hi? We’re both way more famous than her. The directors can’t just ignore us, right?”