Chapter 14 Acting Skills

Olivia's heart danced with joy as a Twitter notification popped up on her phone. Nicholas had retweeted a new post. "Excited to join the Jones Family Entertainment! Let's move forward together in the future. Thank you to my old company for supporting me over the past decade. Without New Clothes Entertainment, there would be no Nicholas today." Most of the responses were supportive of Nicholas' move to the Jones Family. Nicholas had always been active in the television industry, and the Jones Family Entertainment was known for its strong movie resources. Industry insiders had long hinted at Nicholas' intention to switch to the film world. Joining the Jones Family would undoubtedly give him a boost. Olivia covered her mouth in excitement, realizing that she and Nicholas would now be artists under the same company. This must be fate. "What's got you looking so happy?" David noticed Olivia's excitement. Olivia stamped her feet in delight. "Brother! My Nicholas brother has joined the Jones Family, and we'll be colleagues now! I'm so excited, brother!" David rolled his eyes. Calling him "brother" so sweetly, had Nicholas given her pocket money, cleaned up her messes, or served her meals? Already, Nicholas was "Olivia's brother"? What an ungrateful little brat Olivia was. She'd definitely forget about her brother once she had a boyfriend. The car sped past and, ten minutes later, arrived at the gates of the Jones Family mansion. "Brother, I can go by myself. You can go back." Olivia had thought her brother was just passing by, but when she turned around, she found that he had gotten out of the car. It was now 10:30 AM, well past David's usual work time. Olivia reminded him, "Brother, you're late." David replied, "I don't need you to tell me that." "What's got into you?" He had been fine just a moment ago. Women's moods were like the sea, deep and unpredictable. She thought her brother's mood was as unpredictable as a woman's. After more than two decades of being siblings, David didn't even need Olivia to speak to know she was cursing him in her heart. "Ungrateful brat," David muttered. Olivia: "..." Such a meanie. John had arranged for someone to greet Olivia at the reception. "Follow me," Ashley led them to the elevator. He couldn't help but take a couple of glances at David. These siblings had excellent genes. If David weren't already in a high position, Ashley would have loved to recruit him as an artist. Look at his face, perfect for a leading man. Noticing the intense gaze on his face, David glanced at Ashley, who stumbled in her thoughts. She dared not stare at David anymore. David had been so pleasant with Olivia just now that Ashley had forgotten he was a very successful businessman. He wished he could slap himself for staring so boldly at David. The Jones Family's CEO office was on the 36th floor. The three of them took the express elevator, which didn't stop along the way. When Ashley and the others arrived, John was standing by the window on a phone call. He turned around upon hearing their voices and waved them over. David nodded and sat down with Olivia on one side. Olivia felt a bit constrained. Looking down at her phone, she realized someone had added her on Facebook. It was John, and she hadn't accepted the request yet! She wasn't worried about the repair costs for the Bentley. Her family had money, but she felt bad about scratching her boss's car before even starting work. What kind of omen was this? David ignored Olivia's inner turmoil and noticed a photo frame on John's desk. However, it was too far away for David to see who was in the photo. "Sorry for the wait," John said as he walked over with his long legs. His secretary brought in three cups of coffee and placed them on the table. John handed Olivia the actor's contract. "This is the contract. Please review it and sign on the last page if everything is okay." David also received a copy. He was slightly surprised. It seemed that John knew about his opposition to Olivia coming here. Otherwise, there was no need to give him a copy. David was a seasoned businessman. Even if he hadn't seen an acting contract before, he had seen other contracts. The contract terms were very clear and didn't contain any traps. David flipped through it quickly and extended his hand to John. "I'll leave my sister in your care, Mr. John." "She'll be a great actress," John replied as they shook hands. ... John was watching casting videos, but the poor acting skills annoyed him. He simply couldn't bear to watch anymore and turned off the computer. He leaned on the desk and picked up the photo frame. It was a picture of him and Sophia, taken during their first trip to San Francisco. The wind in San Francisco was strong, and Sophia's hair was blown all over the place. But she was still the most beautiful girl to him. John touched her face. His phone buzzed with a Facebook notification. It was his mother's usual daily greeting, asking if he had eaten. "Yes," John replied before noticing that Olivia had finally accepted his friend request. "Mr. John, how much do I owe you for the car repair?" Olivia's message came almost immediately. He replied, "You don't have to pay." He had no intentions towards Olivia. He signed her because she looked like Sophia and had impressive professional skills. In a few days, it would be his anniversary with Sophia. He had booked a restaurant at Castle in the Air. John lowered his head and touched the red string around his neck. ... The Jones Family had bought the rights to a new suspense and horror novel. The casting director favored Nicholas for the male lead and wanted to use a young actress from Starry Entertainment for the female lead. John read the script and felt that the role would also be perfect for Olivia. Both Olivia and Nicholas were now under Ashley's management. The Jones Family had made significant concessions in the contract to sign Nicholas, giving him a high degree of freedom. When Olivia learned that she would be part of "Game of Thrones," she couldn't sleep well. Game of Thrones was a major IP written by her favorite author. Two years ago, by chance, she added the author on Facebook and had always wanted to meet them in person but hadn't had the chance yet. Today, the script was in her hands. The author learned about the casting and reached out to Olivia. They set a time to meet. On the day of the meeting, Olivia brought paper, a pen, and the script, like a student going to class. ... The car had been stuck in traffic for three minutes. Bored, Olivia looked out the window at an interview playing on a large screen. It was a financial interview with John. Meanwhile, Emily's name appeared at #47 on the trending topics. Olivia wanted to click on it, but the car moved forward, and she left her phone aside without checking. So she didn't see that Emily had been released from prison. Emily trending was because John had finally come into the public eye as the president of the Jones Family Entertainment. Some insiders posted rumors on a forum, sparking a thousand-comment thread. Digging into the past of the Jones Family's president. The post mentioned Emily and her theft of John's deceased wife's jewelry. Informants left comments, piece by piece, uncovering Emily's background. Emily's stepfather was currently serving a prison sentence, and her mother worked in a factory. Including Emily's claim that she would marry John. The fact that Emily and John's deceased wife were best friends was also revealed. Olivia wasn't paying attention to this, but David was. He had someone investigate the Jones Family because of his sister's contract. The assistant sent him the information, and everything seemed normal until— David saw the section about John's wife. His heart skipped a beat. John's deceased wife looked so much like Olivia! "Jason," David turned to his assistant, "Set up a meal with the CEO of Jones Family Entertainment for me." What was John's intention in signing Olivia? Was he looking for a replacement? He wouldn't allow it! As expected, John accepted David's invitation. They met at the Glittering Golden. David arrived first. He stared at the entrance, his lips tightly pressed together. What if John really had ulterior motives towards Olivia? He narrowed his eyes. No matter the penalty, Olivia must be released from her contract with the Jones family. The door opened, and in walked John. Dressed impeccably in a suit, his long legs were encased in tailored trousers. John took a seat across from David, who beckoned to the waiter. He glanced across the table. "The Sharon Steak here, glittering like gold, is out of this world. Would Mr. John care to try it?" "Mr. David, I prefer to get straight to the point," John replied. David closed the menu and said, "Let's have one of each." As the waiter left, David rubbed his knuckles thoughtfully. "Mr. John, have you set your sights on my sister?" John was taken aback, his eyes chilling slightly. "I have a wife, and I love only her," he stated. David looked skeptical. "Don't worry, I have no interest in Miss Olivia," John assured him, fingering the red thread around his neck. "Mr. David, you needn't think too much of it." David nodded, but for some reason, he felt uneasy. David had learned that John's wife, Sophia, had passed away from colon cancer over a year ago. Since then, John hadn't been seen with any other woman. David feared his naive sister might be seen as a replacement. ... The car pulled into the garage. David glanced outside; the villa was dark. He frowned. Was everyone out? But David didn't dwell on it and entered the house by punching in the code. "Mr. David, we've won the bid for the TR project," came a voice. David looked down and replied, "Good." Squirt! Olivia doused David with party confetti. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,happy birthday to my dear brother, happy birthday to my big brother~" Today was David's birthday. He had forgotten all about it. "Brother, here's your gift. May you stay young forever and find a sister-in-law soon," Olivia said, presenting David with a Patek Philippe watch. David tapped her forehead playfully, "You're such a mischief." After eating cake, David changed into his loungewear and, after some thought, went to find Olivia. In her room, Olivia was thrilled watching a popular series featuring Nicholas. David looked at Nicholas' handsome face on the screen and suddenly wondered if his worries were unnecessary.