Xavier took a staff-only passage that led directly to the director’s location, where the key personnel were gathered.
He had been briefed on the route long ago so he could visit to inspect the location if he decided to take a look at the female lead’s audition.
Since he was there to personally inform the director of his availability and express his desire to join the filming, he felt it was important to demonstrate his sincerity by showing up in person.
As Xavier arrived at the back of the audition room, the staff couldn’t hide their surprise.
Whispers and murmurs spread quickly, causing the director, who had been intently focused on evaluating the current candidate, to glance back.
"What’s going on—?" He stopped mid-sentence when he caught sight of Xavier, his handso figure drawing closer. The director’s expression shifted to one of excitent.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were too busy?" The director exclaid excitedly as he rushed to the back.
The candidate, who had been performing, faltered when she saw the sudden interruption.
anwhile, the second-choice male lead, who had already arrived and claid the spot for the main male protagonist, glanced up as the director rushed off.
His expression darkened with silent anger as he watched Xavier stride in, greeted warmly by everyone.
Xavier walked in with an easy, carefree deanor, completely unfazed by his surroundings.
The second-choice lead, now simring with jealousy, couldn’t help but feel a pang of resentnt.
When he had arrived earlier, his reception had been far more subdued—nothing like the enthusiastic welco Xavier was getting.
He scoffed, a hint of disdain in his tone. "So, you finally decided to show up? I thought you were going to ignore this film altogether." His words were sharp, deliberately stirring the pot as his simring resentnt boiled over.
The comnt caught the attention of everyone in the room, and they turned their eyes to Xavier, curiosity flickering in their gazes as they waited to hear his response.
Xavier, a man who had long since proven his talent and whose sole reason for being there was his desire to act alongside Hera, dismissed the snide remark with the ease of soone unfazed by petty provocations.
Instead, he turned his full attention to the director, calmly explaining the recent changes to his schedule.
Though his voice was asured and quiet, the ever-savvy Director Nick seized the opportunity to clear the air.
He repeated Xavier’s explanation aloud, as if confirming the details for everyone present. The move was deliberate, silencing any lingering doubts or disappointnt in the room.
With the atmosphere shifted, Director Nick smoothly redirected the focus, sidelining the second-choice actor without ceremony.
He invited Xavier to sit beside him to assist in choosing the female lead who would act alongside him.
After all, Xavier’s skills were beyond question—his reputation as one of the best in the industry preceded him.
For Director Nick, the choice was clear: Xavier was his top pick, even if it ant offending the other actor initially brought in to fill the role Xavier had almost turned down.
Xavier took the ti to subtly and patiently explain his scheduling conflict, ensuring that no one misinterpreted his presence as solely an act of support for Hera.
He was determined to prevent anyone from dismissing her talent by attributing her success to his influence.
By framing his arrival as a re coincidence, he aid to align perfectly with Hera’s goal: to earn her role through her own skills and rit, free from the shadow of his reputation.
Hera, anwhile, had arrived at the waiting area where the other candidates were gathered.
A staff mber guided her to her seat and handed her the final number, marking her as the last to audition due to her last-minute addition.
Scanning the room, Hera’s eyes landed on Alice, seated a little farther away.
Despite being the target of subtle harassnt from a few of the other actresses, Alice maintained her composure, quietly engrossed in her script.
Her deanor, while reserved, exuded a quiet grace that starkly contrasted with the petty antics around her.
The actresses trying to provoke Alice seed more focused on unsettling their competition than preparing for their own auditions.
Unlike Alice, who was fully imrsed in her script, these won had long since morized their lines and were using the remaining ti to distract others rather than refine their performances or calm their nerves.
Their attempts to unnerve Alice, however, seed to have little effect, as she remained steadfast in her preparation.
However, not everyone resorted to underhanded tactics. So candidates focused entirely on their preparation, exuding confidence in their readiness.
These were the well-established actresses with strong connections or impressive backgrounds, making others wary of crossing them.
Their status alone seed to shield them from petty distractions, ensuring they could concentrate fully on the task at hand.
Their tactics were underhanded but undeniably effective in diminishing so of the competition.
Hera, however, chose to remain unobtrusive. She quietly slipped into a seat hidden from view, ensuring she remained out of the spotlight.
Without drawing any attention, she opened the script and imrsed herself in it, her focus intense and undisturbed.
Fully imrsed in the script, Hera shut out everything around her, her focus honing with each turn of the page.
She didn’t simply morize the lines—she stepped into the character, imagining herself as the female lead.
Every line, every emotion, was carefully considered, as though she were rehearsing a scene that was taking place inside her head.
As she breathed life into the role in her mind.
Hera tried to envision what it would be like to be the female lead in a world consud by desperation, where danger lurked at every turn—not only from the zombies roaming the streets, but from other humans, unrestrained by law or morality.
How would she react in such a world? How would she fight to survive?
Lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t realize that Alice had noticed her arrival. Without a word, Alice subtly directed the won who had been harassing her toward Hera’s quiet corner.
"Why don’t you just stop? What do you hope to gain from targeting ? I’m just a newcor with no connections, likely to be eliminated anyway without your distractions." Alice’s voice was steady, but her eyes sharp as she continued.
"Instead of bullying , why don’t you focus on that woman over there, the one who’s clearly been parachuted in by her suitors?"
She pointed toward a corner of the room, partially hidden by a large indoor plant and the pillar.
The others followed her gesture, but when they looked, there was no one to be seen.
Confusion swept over them, followed by frustration and anger. They exchanged glances, their faces twisting with irritation, as if Alice were mocking their intelligence.
"Behind the pillar," Alice added, her tone unwavering.
Among the candidates, only a handful were newcors—most were established, veteran actresses.
So wondered if these newcors had been hired just to stir up trouble, perhaps with the promise of so benefit in exchange for causing chaos and distracting the competition.
After all, there was only one female lead role, and many were desperate to claim it.
While so would continue to fight for their chance, others might seize the opportunity to sabotage the rest, knowing they stood little chance themselves.
With no staff around—everyone was inside the room attending to the needs of the other contestants—there was no one to intervene.
Reviews
All reviews (0)