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The<b>lead</b>actor,Oliver,hadopenlyquittheproductionbecausehedislikedhis<b>co</b>–star.Everyoneinthecrewknewthisbynow,itwasn’texactlyasecret.
Buttobringitupsotantly?Thatwasafirst.
Millykeptacalmexpression,unaffectedbythesarcastictone.Sheasked,“Oh,really?ThenIwishyouluck<b>in</b>gettingtherole.I’veheardtherearemorecandidatesontheirway<b>.</b>Don’tcelebrate<b>too</b><b>soon</b>.Youmightendupempty–handed.”
Neal’sfacedarkened.Hehadn’texpectedthegirlinfrontofhimtobe<b>so</b><b>sharp</b>–tongued.
Sensinghisshiftinmood,Stephaniequicklysteppedin,protectingNealbehindher<b>and</b>lookingteary-eyed.Sheused.“Milly,howcouldyousaythataboutNeal?”N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.
Millyfrowned.Shedidn’tthinkshehadsaidanythingparticrlyharsh.
Stephanielookedasifshehadsufferedagreatinjustice,tearsstreamingdownherface,makingherlookincrediblydelicate.Nealwasn’ttheonly oneaffected;eventhebystanderswhohadbeenmockingthemstartedtothinkMillymighthavegooГаг.
Thismovewas<b>a</b>masterstrokeinanyPRscenario.
WithStephanieprotectinghim,Nealfeltarushofsweetness.Hefelthisdreamofmarryingintowealth<b>was</b>withinreach.Feelingrighteous,hesteppedforward,shieldingStephanie behindhimandconfrontingMilly.
“Ifyouhaveanissueeatme.BullyingadefenselessgirllikeStephanie isbeneathyou.NowonderOliverdoesn’twanttoactwithyou.Yocktalentandintegrity.Peoplelikeyouruintheactingprofession!TM
Hisvoicewasloudandforceful,echoingaroundthem.
ItwasasifMillyhadforciblyseparatedalovingcoupleratherthanmerelyspokenafewwords.
JoywasstandingbehindMilly.Shefrownedat<b>this</b>point.What’swrongwiththesetwo?Initially,theysoughtattention,andnowtheyaretheonesmakingtheusations.Thesetwogetallthebenefitsforthemselves,whichwasconvenientforthem.
Suddenly,<b>a</b>voicefullof<b>anger</b>rangout,asking,“Whoareyoucallinckinginintegrity,Toasty?”
EveryurnedtoseeOliverwithhissignaturepinkhair.
ButToasty?
MillyncedatNeal.Hewasthetypeofmanthatwomenpreferredinthepresentday,withawell–tonedphysiqueandsun–kissedskin.However,hedidnotappeartobetoasted,correct?
Predictably,Neal’salreadydarkenedexpressionbecameevendarker,buthedidn’tdarearguewith<b>Oliver</b>.Hisfanswerenotoriousfortheirfierceloyalty.
Hebithislipandexined,“Mr.Oliver,weweren’ttalkingaboutyou.And…asacelebrity,isn’tgivingpeoplenicknamesabitunprofessional?”
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Unexpectedly,Oliver<b>raised</b>hischinandsteppedforward.HeshieldedMillybehindhimandsaid,“She’sundermyprotection.Insulther,andyou’reinsultingmel
“AndwhosaidIwasjustgivingoutnicknamesonawhim?Ithoughtlongandhard aboutthatone.What?Youdon’tappreciateit?”
Nealwasspeechless.
Isthatreallythepoint?
Evenifyouthoughtaboutitlongandhand,it’sstinickname!
HencedbackatStephanie,hopingshe’dbackhimup.GiventheButs‘influence,Stephanie<b>should</b>havenothingtofearfromOliver.
Stephaniejuststoodthere,unwillingtohelp.
ShefrownedandlookedatOliver,whopoppedoutofnowhere.Thisisodd.Isn’tOliversupposedtodislikeMillyenoughto<b>quit</b>aproject?Sowhydidhesuddenlydefendher?–
Stephaniewasn’ttheonlyonepuzzledbythis.Millyherself<b>was</b>justasconfused.
What isthisKEYMO
tonow?
Shesaidcoldly.“Sorry,butwearen’tclose.IfIremembercorrectly,halfanhourago,yousaidyou’d<b>quit</b>themomentIjoinedthe<b>cast</b><b>.”</b>
Hiss!
WhenthecrowdheardwhatMillysaid,theycouldn’thelpbutgaspinsurprise.
Itwaswellknown<b>that</b>Oliverabsolutelydespisedbeingcontradictedbyhisface.Itwassaidthatawhileback,arookieactressfeltsmugbecauseshehadfundingtojointhecast.TheactresshadarrogantlylecturedOliver.Unexpectedly,Oliverdidn’ttakeitlyingdown.Hewentliveonsocialmedia,exposingtherookie’saffairwithawealthybenefactor.Nooneknewwherehegottheevidence,butheeventhoughtfully<b>sent</b>acopytothebenefactor’swife.
Theconsequenceswerepredictable.Theindustryneversawtherookieactressagain.
Simrincidentshadurredmorethanonce,eachendingwithOliverpresentingirondevidence.
As<b>a</b><b>result</b>,everyoneintheindustrywouldshowOliversomerespect.Hewasformidableandseemedtohavedirtoneveryone.
Inthisindustry,nothingisfearedmore<b>than</b>ascandalbeingexposed….
Whointhisindustrydoesn’tharboursecrets?
StephaniewaswewareofOliver’stemper.She couldn’thelpbutsmirkandgloatatMilly’smisfortune.
MillyhadjustjoinedtheButsandhadn’thadmuchexposuretotheentertainmentindustry.<i>She</i>probably<i>didn’t</i>knowaboutOliver’snotorioustemper.Thiswasgoingtobeinterestingtowatch.
However,Oliver,whowasusuallybrashandarrogant,nowshowednoneofhisusualbluster.Instead,hestoodbyMilly’sside,desperatelytryingtowinherfavour.“Mas…Boss,<b>what</b><b>are</b>voutalkingabout?We
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didn’tknoweachotherwellthefirsttimewemeet,butbythesecondtime,we’reconsideredfriends.Yourconcernsaremyconcerns,butmyconcernsarestillmine,right?
“I’msorryfornotrecognisingyouearlier.Pleasebethebiggerperson<b>and</b>don’tholditagainstme.”
Oliverloweredhisstancetothepointwherehewasalmostkneeling,
Stephanie,whohadbeensecretlymockingMilly,couldnolongermaintainheposureatthescene.SheredatMilly,hereyesfilledwithjealousy,
What’sgoingon?OliverissupposedtodetestMilly.Whydidhedefending hernow?
Drivenbyjealousy,Stephaniecouldn’tholdbackanylonger.Sheaskedsternly,“Mr.Oliver,didn’tyouquitbecauseofMilly?Youeven<b>said</b>…”
“Rubbish!WhosaidIquit?!”Olivercuther<b>off</b>andjumpedtohisfeettodefendhimself.“<b>Boss</b>,youmustbelieve<b>me</b>.Ilovethisrole,andI’mdelightedtoactalongsideyou.Ifanyriestostopme,I’ll<b>fight</b>them!”
Hehadfinallymanagedtoprovehisloyaltytohismaster,andnowsomecluelesspersonwastrying<b>to</b>messthingsup.
Ifthispersonangeredhismaster,Oliverwoulddefinitelykillthetroublemakerbeforehis<b>master</b><b>could</b>orderhisownexecution.Andhetrulymeantit–thekindwherethevictimgetsskinnedanddismembered!
Humph!
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