Chapter 448
Ronald felt a twinge of embarrassment as he saw Vivienne''s forthright manner. The troubles of the
Brooks n were not her fault after all; she had merely been the one to lift the veil on those unsightly
scars.
They had no right to me her. In fact, they should be thanking her. Without Vivienne''s intervention,
who knew what would be of the Brooks family in the future?
Yet, it was hard to digest such a dramatic shift. The Brooks n had been a thriving and harmonious
household, and to see it change so abruptly was unsettling, like a sudden shift in the weather.
Take Ashley, for instance—she still grumbled about Vivienne''sck of tact.
Since Scott had been taken away, Baron had checked himself back into the nursing home, asionally
bickering with Richard. He spent his days leisurely sipping tea and admiring the view—content, it
seemed.
Timothy,cking a knack for business, had delegated a significant portion of thepany operations to
Ronald. Now, he was practically a co-patriarch of the Brooks family.
As a potential future leader capable of shouldering the Brooks family’s legacy, Ronald could not afford
to be as petnt as Ashley.
Now that Vivienne had cleared the air, he let bygones be bygones.
"Dawson, after you," Ronald gestured with a hand, inviting Dawson to enter first.
At the dinner table, Vivienne and Anna focused on their meal, staying silent. On the other hand,
Dawson was engrossed in a subtle back-and-forth negotiation with Ronald over drinks, which
concluded with a $600 million deal for that coveted piece ofnd.
A few rounds of drinkster, and with Ronald feeling the buzz, he inquired, "Dawson, what''s your n
for that plot ofnd? If you''re thinking of building a mall or a residential area, how''s the sales channel?
ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
I’m quite interested myself."
Ronald was indeed shrewd. Selling hisnd for others to develop, then reinvesting in it, was a win-win.
He not only offloaded a piece ofnd he could not develop himself but also stood to make a profit from
the deal.
Dawson nced at Vivienne. "Oh, that''s a gift for Vivienne."
Ronald was taken aback, his eyes flicking to Vivienne in surprise. Spending $600 million onnd only
to give it away rather than develop it? That was not how one should spend money, even if one had it to
burn.
Ronald chuckled. "Vivienne, got any ns for it? Need a hand?"
Vivienne paused before replying, "I''m considering building a film studio."
Dawson nearly choked on his drink. A film studio?
Ronald nodded, opting out of this venture. Speaking of film studios, Vivienne recalled K.
"How''s K doing? Has the production for ''Betrothed Understudy'' started yet?"
During thest TV show recording, Percival had promised K a significant role. But with so much
happening since, Vivienne had not had the chance to follow up.
"It has, but there have been some hups with the agency," Ronald said, bing chattier with the
alcohol kicking in.
Plus, there was a touch of guilt and concern for K. Her agency would not mistreat her if he were
more capable."
"What''s the issue?" Vivienne inquired.
After the TV show aired, K''s career had seen a resurgence. Even with Scott''s arrest, it should not
have affected her much. What could have gone wrong?
Ronald took a sip. "Her contract with the agency was nearing its end, and she renewed it. Initially, they
were prioritizing her, but then she got undercut."
"Undercut?" Vivienne''s brow furrowed.
"Yeah, the agency signed a new actress with good connections up high. Plus, with all the Brooks family
drama, they feared a bad influence, so they n to sideline K. She''s fighting it, but the penalty fee is
steep..."
Ronald stopped short, realizing he might be sounding resentful towards Vivienne.
He quickly added, "I''m sorry, Vivienne, I didn''t mean that. It''s the agency''s fault for using the Brooks
family issues as an excuse. K and I don''t me you."
Vivienne brushed it off. "No need to exin. I understand."
After dinner, on the ride home, Vivienne called Stephen.
The phone connected quickly, "Boss, you remembered me! What can I do for you?"
The background noise suggested Stephen was amidst a fan event.
"You at the set?" Vivienne asked.
"Yeah," Stephen found a quieter spot. "I''ve been meaning to tell you, I''m on the set of ''Betrothed
Understudy.'' I''m fine, but K''s struggling. Her scenes are getting cut drastically, and the second
female lead''s role is overshadowing hers."
Vivienne''s frown deepened. "Your word doesn''t count for anything?"
Stephen exined, "I can only ensure that my close-up scenes remain untouched by the second lead,
but we follow the director for everything else. I''m a singer, not an actor by trade. And yeah, the second
lead, Lucia—you know her. She''s the new star at K''s agency."
Vivienne paused, "Lucia?"
Who was that?
Did she know her?
Stephen''s voice betrayed a hint of exasperation, "Boss, when did your memory get so bad? Lucia''s the
one you and K met during thest show."
"Oh, right." Vivienne''s expression sharpened.
It was someone she barely remembered. However, how was Lucia, with all her scandals still facing the
public?
Vivienne mused briefly. "Take care of her on set. Don''t let her get bullied."
"Will do, boss. And boss, can I get a raise for..."
Click.
Vivienne hung up the call.
Sry raise? In your dreams!
Stephen yelled inwardly, “Boss, you''re so heartless. My life is such a drag!”
As soon as she hung up the phone with Stephen, Vivienne texted Matthew. [Buy out the agency
representing K.]
Matthew replied promptly, [Understood.] New ch?pter av?ble o? Draмаnоvеls.cоm
On the set.
K was poring over the script. Her lines shed and shortened to the point where she could barely
remember them.
And with Lucia''s charm, which had the director wrapped around her finger, his agreement was a
foregone conclusion.
"Sure, sure, everything you want. I''ll revise the script right away."
Lucia shot K a smug look.