"Anna, yesterday a really good palace drama script ca to our company. The director is Sean Nash, a towering figure among palace drama directors. I didn’t miss a single episode of his hit show from last year, ’Concubine’s Story.’ That drama didn’t just make the lead actress famous; even the supporting actors’ salaries multiplied several tis over. Amazing!"
"But these leading lady dramas are extrely sought after. I heard that the popular young and mid-tier actresses in the industry are all eyeing it. The director’s team has invited us to audition, and the competition on the audition day will surely be intense. But if we can land this role, it would be a direct ascent to fa."
Mary previously hesitated about whether to have Anna Thornton film another similar idol drama to accumulate popularity and stabilize her career.
However, after experiencing Wyatt Jagger’s constant airs of a leading man in the last production crew, it spurred them to quicken their pace.
Leading lady dramas are extrely sought after, and there are many artists in the circle with greater influence and fa than Anna Thornton. The opportunity is rare!
Anna Thornton can only first set the ti, audition first, and it’s still uncertain whether the director will choose her.
Additionally, Mary has her eye on a martial arts fantasy drama script, and the casting director from that side has called her several tis, expressing great anticipation for Anna’s martial arts fantasy look.
Mary thinks this one can also be worth auditioning for.
In any case, while they were eating at the restaurant, they were scheduling the future arrangents.
After finishing their al and walking out of the private room, they happened to run into Marilyn Ford... and soone familiar.
At first, Mary didn’t dare to recognize him, so she nudged Anna Thornton’s arm: "Anna, look, doesn’t the man dining with Marilyn Ford look like Quinn Locke?"
Anna Thornton glanced up: "He does look similar. A greeting will clarify it."
"Director Lucas!"
Anna Thornton called out, and the man walking with Marilyn Ford imdiately turned around.
Quinn Locke had just had a haircut, looking much fresher compared to his previous down-and-out artist appearance. After tidying up, he looked much more handso, though he still wore his perpetually unchanged white shirt under a cal coat.
Quinn Locke was pleasantly surprised to see Anna Thornton and Mary, but Marilyn Ford showed no emotion: "Since you have friends, let’s talk another day."
"Sure thing, Ms. Marilyn, I’ll treat you to a al next ti we et."
"We’re about to be partners, no need to distinguish so clearly!" Marilyn Ford stated.
After Marilyn Ford left, Anna Thornton and Mary approached Quinn Locke.
"Director Lucas, how co you’re having a al with Marilyn Ford?" Mary asked.
"Ms. Marilyn contacted proactively, intending to collaborate."
"Collaborate? Hasn’t she already taken another movie? How is she collaborating with you?" Mary wondered.
Mary was sowhat inford about Marilyn Ford.
Not for anything else, but because Marilyn Ford’s agent, Sharon Langley, considered Mary a mortal rival in industry competition. Adding the fact that they had tead up with Wyatt Jagger last ti for so sneaky operations behind the scenes, Mary always sought to know both side well.
"Yeah, Ms. Marilyn intends to invite as a co-scriptwriter for her next film."
Marilyn Ford never admitted that Anna Thornton’s low-budget movie was in any way superior to her own, but she did acknowledge Quinn Locke’s writing skills.
So for this new film she’s accepting, to be safe, she specially invited Quinn Locke to oversee it for her.
With the explosive success of his last film, Quinn Locke’s status now has massively increased.
His new film project hasn’t landed yet, but countless investors have actively approached him.
Nowadays, he’s no longer the unlucky little director stuck in the dead-end of failing to secure investnts.
He no longer needs to be one among the credited scriptwriters for soone else’s film.
"Did you agree to it?" Mary felt like she asked an obvious question.
Judging by Quinn Locke’s obsequious manner while walking with Marilyn Ford, it was clear he must have agreed.
After all, he’s a fan of Marilyn Ford!
Quinn Locke’s mood was fairly calm; he had little concept of fa and status. Even with a change in his position, he hadn’t beco arrogant.
As long as he can produce good films, he doesn’t care about his standing in the production crew.
Moreover, this ti it’s his goddess personally inviting him!
"Yes!" Quinn Locke nodded, completely oblivious to Mary’s displeasure.
He seed quite excited: "Ms. Marilyn invited to a al herself, she’s very sincere. I have no reason to refuse!"
"Ha! If she’s sincere, why doesn’t she directly accept your script? Why go through the trouble of taking another big director’s film, then ask you to be the scriptwriter? She’s clearly using you!" Mary bluntly rebutted.
"That’s not the right way to put it. Regardless of director or writer, I like both, and Ms. Marilyn acknowledging my skills as a writer is good in itself."
Quinn Locke, seemingly still floating from dining with Marilyn Ford, was completely starry-eyed.
His face clearly expressed the excitent of a little fan eting an idol, his expression was entirely—’My goddess personally invited ; who cares if it’s writing or directing, who needs anything else?’
"Quinn Locke, don’t bla for not warning you; Marilyn Ford isn’t as noble and pure as you think. She’s quite devious, even instructs her agent in scheming against others. It’s best for soone as naive as you to stay away, lest you’re sold by her and still count money for her."
Faced with Mary’s kind-hearted reminder, Quinn Locke furrowed his brows, confused: "You shouldn’t say such things."
"I’m not lying, everything I said is true! If you don’t believe , ask Anna? When we were filming in Veridia, we almost fell for her tricks. Do you know? Marilyn Ford actually instructed a male actor in the sa group as Anna to drug her drink, trying to fra Anna! Thankfully, we were prepared, or Anna’s reputation would be ruined."
After Wyatt Jagger’s mishap, Mary didn’t want Quinn Locke to follow suit, so she warned him.
However, Quinn, the fool, didn’t get it: "No way, Miss Marilyn has been traveling recently, and Anna was in Veridia. There’s no feud between them, how could there be a setup? It must be a misunderstanding!"
"Misunderstanding, my ass!" Mary, who presented herself as a professional career woman and a cordial broker in the circle, couldn’t help but swear.
The main problem is that there are many insider details she couldn’t explain to Quinn Locke at once.
Moreover, after Anna almost got frad by Marilyn Ford, it left her with bottled-up frustration.
Besides being skilled in storytelling, Quinn Locke’s emotional intelligence was completely negative; who could explain to him to recognize what a manipulative bitch is?
Mary’s fierce words startled Quinn Locke.
He backed up two steps, and actually ducked his head and ran away... ran away...
Mary: "..."
"Anna, why didn’t you say anything just now? Are you really going to let Quinn Locke be a screenwriter for Marilyn Ford?"
"What can I say? She had her agent collaborate with Wyatt Jagger to fra , can I prove it?" Anna Thornton retorted.
Yeah, Wyatt the fool actually steadfastly protected Marilyn Ford, without even revealing her agent.
But the more Mary thought about it, the angrier she got: "Marilyn Ford didn’t care for Quinn Locke before, but as soon as people’s movie beca a hit, she imdiately had Quinn Locke be her screenwriter."
"Quinn Locke is indeed very talented, and deservedly should be seen by more people."
Anna Thornton was quite open-minded, not wanting to claim that after Quinn Locke’s success, only she could film his stories.
Quinn Locke’s talent destined him to be seen by more people, stepping onto a bigger platform.
Marilyn Ford indeed has an eye for talent!
...
As they stepped out of the restaurant, Mary’s anger hadn’t subsided yet, when a familiar car drove past them.
"Anna, wasn’t that President Sterling’s car?"
Specifically, a whole fleet of luxury cars swept past them.
Bugatti Veyron, Maserati, Lamborghini, all colorful luxury sports cars gathered, the sound of their top-quality engines piercing the air, impossible to ignore.
Aethelgard lacks neither wealthy people nor luxury cars, but even among second-generation riches, there are hierarchies. Just looking at such a top-tier luxury fleet drew many passersby’s attention, both curiously and yearningly peeking.
As a yellow sports car passed in front of Anna Thornton, it intentionally slowed down.
The window rolled down, Ethan Hawthorne in the driver’s seat waved at Anna Thornton.
Their convoy stopped right at the entrance of the club opposite, the car doors opened, and out ca a group of intimidating second-generation riches.
However, the most conspicuous among them was Conrad Sterling, stepping out of the second car.
As a self-made first-generation rich, President Sterling carried undisputable weight among these second-generation riches.
Especially, with Ethan Hawthorne as the lead, they all looked up to him.
Ethan Hawthorne hopped off the car and ran to Conrad Sterling to say sothing, pointing in the direction of Anna Thornton.
Conrad Sterling glanced at Anna Thornton, yet she didn’t look at him.
Lately, it’s been like this, even if Anna Thornton no longer makes a fuss about divorce, she hasn’t been paying attention to him.
Conrad Sterling moved back to the Sterling Residence, although they would see each other frequently, Anna Thornton acted like she didn’t see, turning away whenever he’s around.
Conrad Sterling deliberately stood at the door for two minutes, hoping she would co to find him.
Instead, Anna Thornton turned away and walked off!
Mary, on the other hand, looked back twice: "Anna, why would President Sterling hang around with Ethan Hawthorne, the playboy?"
"Yeah, he seems to be close with Ethan Hawthorne lately."
Anna Thornton also found it strange.
While Henry Willow is a playboy too, standing with Conrad Sterling looked sowhat odd but not overly so.
But Ethan Hawthorne and his crew were completely carefree, ignorant second-generation riches.
With these people gathered around Conrad Sterling, it’s... very strange!
Like they are from two completely different worlds!
It’s even stranger that Conrad Sterling is willing to associate with them!
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