Behind The Spotlight

[HellFire28]

I didn't expect it (in a good way).

 

[Pujimaki]

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 112

As much as Lawrence hated Jolyne, it never reached the point where he wished the actress would get kidnapped or suffer any serious harm in real life. Besides, even though Jolyne seemed to be doing fine, Lawrence could see that she was still troubled beneath her carefully rehearsed smiles. They were both great at acting, and Lawrence could easily see through her facade.

So, even when Jolyne made fun of him and bragged about her increase in box office share, Lawrence didn't bother fighting back. He was mature enough to understand that the actress was just coping.

But Lawrence was wrong about one thing, Jolyne wasn't worried about the kidnapping incident, nor was she suffering from any lasting trauma. Sure, the kidnapping was scary, but she could have prevented it by hiring a bodyguard.

What Jolyne was truly worried about was her relationship with Arnold, a relationship she had carefully kept for years, only to slip up in a moment of weakness. She had made the mistake of showing her feelings too openly, letting her heart take control over her usual calculated demeanor. Now, things between them felt awkward, and she didn't know how to fix it without making matters worse.

As for the kidnappers, a father and son duo, they were sentenced to long prison terms with no chance of early release due to the severity of their crime. Producer Perberto and his son, a failed actor, would never appear in any respectable production again, their names forever tainted in the industry.

.........
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"Why are you looking at me like I'm some kind of hidden ace?" Collin asked, slightly tilting his head in confusion.

"So you're telling me you're not?" Axel asked seriously, without breaking eye contact. He was staring at Collin with awe because of the heroic deed Collin had done to save Jolyne, a deed Axel considered more fitting for a movie script than real life. Axel, a retired soldier, wasn't even sure if he could have done what Collin did under the same pressure and danger.

"I'm not," Collin said firmly with a small shrug, his tone flat, as if trying to downplay the whole thing.

After the incident, Collin became famous, and even his co-workers looked at him with respect whenever he walked past in the agency hallways. At first, he was happy and even amused by the sudden change in how people treated him. But as time went on, he began to feel uncomfortable being placed in the spotlight.

Unfortunately, he had to play along because this was the PR strategy the agency used to prevent the issue from spiraling out of control and to manage the narrative before gossip magazines twisted it further. Wash Dismay Studio also joined in on the PR effort to avoid being blamed for negligence on set and lapses in security.

Because of that, Collin was interviewed by TV reporters multiple times, answering the same repetitive questions until he could practically recite his responses in his sleep. His face ended up in newspapers across several regions.

Collin eventually spoke with the CEO, Lila Seraphina, who promised him a two-week vacation in December as a thank-you for cooperating with the publicity campaign. December was still eleven months away, but Collin was happy to get something positive out of the ordeal. Ah, the life of an agent, you have to negotiate for everything.

In truth, Collin preferred a longer vacation over money, since time away from work was priceless to him. He was already wealthy; what he needed more was time to rest, recharge, and live quietly. In his case, time was far more valuable than money.

'Money is useless if you don't have the time to use it... Bars.'

Today, Axel and Collin were once again in the hallway on the 3rd floor of Uni-versus Pictures. Axel was going to audition for one of the lead roles in Frightening Movie, looking both eager and nervous at the same time. He didn't care what role he got, as long as he could get back on screen.

He hadn't had a job for half a year because studios were afraid to hire him, worried about possible scandals. On top of that, his sponsors and brand deals had dropped him.

With no income, Axel was forced to cut back on expenses. Yet, just like before, he had no regrets. If he could go back in time, he would still make the same choices and face the same consequences without hesitation. Fighting for custody of his son was a battle worth everything.

Fortunately, Axel was friends with Wyatt, and the director personally invited him to audition for one of the lead roles despite the risk of backlash. Axel was grateful to have friends like Wyatt who supported him.

"What you read in the newspaper isn't true. I didn't kung-fu the assailant. I just threw my phone at him and kicked him in the stomach hard enough to make him faint," Collin explained.

"That's still impressive, especially when the assailant had a knife and the situation could have ended badly."

"... Yeah, I have to agree with that," Collin admitted reluctantly, realizing Axel had a point. It was impressive.

"Anyway, let's not talk about me. How's John? Is he doing alright?"

"Yeah, he's attending kindergarten. I also hired a maid to help me take care of him while I'm working. She's been a huge help in keeping things organized at my place," Axel said with a smile.

"The Asian woman I saw last time, that's the maid?" Collin recalled seeing a woman in Axel's apartment during a visit and remembered her polite demeanor.

"That's right. She's Filipina, a mother who has to work overseas to provide for her family back in the Philippines. She's nice and very dedicated to her job."

Collin nodded slowly, his expression softening. He didn't sense anything suspicious about the woman, so she was probably not a bad person at all.

"Collin, you don't have to worry. I know you're concerned about me, and you want to talk to Henry and Wyatt, but I'm confident this time. I've memorized every line in the script and rehearsed them countless times."

The movie had six lead roles, and Axel was aiming for the role of the tall character named Steve, a role he felt suited him perfectly.

He knew he wouldn't get a huge salary because of his scandal last year, but in his current situation, this was better than nothing. As long as he could star in another movie, he had no complaints. He was willing to start again from the bottom.

Besides, he wasn't lying about his confidence. Lately, he felt his acting skills improving, and he believed he could convince the production to cast him based on talent alone.

Collin nodded but remained silent, his thoughts shifting to the upcoming conversation with Henry. He knew Axel had awakened a talent, but that wasn't the main issue. The real problem was his recent scandal, Collin had to convince Henry that Axel wouldn't cause trouble during production and that everything would go smoothly.

'Henry has trauma with scandals, so I have to convince him hard and make him see that Axel is worth the risk. I also have to talk to Wyatt to help me.'

A few minutes later, the door opened, and the production crew announced a lunch break. Crew members stepped out to eat and stretch their limbs after a long morning of work.

Collin spotted Wyatt and Henry talking nearby. Henry glanced at Collin and Axel, sighing with a weary expression. He wasn't naive, he knew exactly what was going on and why Collin had approached him now.

"If you have something to say, follow us to the cafeteria. Let's talk while we eat, we all need a break."

"Of course."

Collin nodded and followed the producer and director, leaving Axel a bit nervous behind.

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