Twisted Ties of Love

Chapter 319

"Clear your schedule and start prepping for the role of Megan."

Had she made the cut? Izabella had the confidence to play Megan, but it never crossed her mind that Mr. York would pick her outright.

Showbiz was all about capitalism, they didn't give a hoot about your acting chops, they just cared if you can rake in the dough.

Izabella's rep was in the gutter, and her reviews sucked. If she were a producer, she probably wouldn't even cast a gal like Izabella as the most likable character of a TV show.

Megan's character was just too alluring, more fleshed out than the lead Malia. It would probably be difficult for the audience to accept Izabella taking on the role.

The producer was still reeling from Izabella's audition. Almost fell to his knees and shouted 'Hail to the Queen' when he saw Izabella sitting on that chair.

Upon hearing Brad's decision to cast Izabella as the supporting female character, he was jolted awake. Scared awake, more like.

If it weren't for the setting, he could've throttled Brad there and then. He lowered his voice and cautioned, "Mr. York, have you lost your marbles? You do remember who she is, right? That's Izabella!"

"I know she's Izabella."

"She's got scandals by the truckload."

Brad replied nonchalantly, "But she's a damn good actress."

"Her haters are relentless!"

"She's a damn good actress."

"She has zero fans. Literally zero."

"She's a damn good actress."

"She even had an affair with a director for a role. Don't you loathe those shameless, string-pulling actresses?"

Brad paused, stroking his chin. Izabella had an affair with a director? Now that was juicy.

He retorted, "You reckon her acting chops need to be bought with a roll in the hay?"

"Doesn't matter what I believe. it's all about what the audience thinks." The producer still tried to put up a fight. "Mr. York, how about giving her the third female character? She did a pretty good job with Anna." This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

"No, she's Megan in my book."

"I think she did a fine job with Anna. This isn't a one-man show, you've got investors breathing down your neck. You really want to piss them off for her?"

A flicker of impatience crossed Brad's face. He didn't hold back, and just blurted out, "Tell me, why does Anna become the villain? Why's she jealous of Malia from the beginning?"

In the initial stages of the script, Anna's character was a bit twisted. She was jealous of Malia's looks and tried to ruin her face later on.

The producer finally got the picture, his gaze flicking from Kristin to Izabella.

Seeing his awkward expression, Brad scoffed, "What, she's jealous because Malia is uglier than her?"

Kristin heard the exchange, her face turned sour. Brad's last comment felt like a slap to her face. Even though he didn't name names, everyone knew Kristin was the actress playing Malia.

The producer kept mum, and the room fell silent. Brad turned to Izabella, "You're officially our supporting actress. Go home and rest. We'll be in touch."

Izabella nodded, thanked him, and left the audition room.

Kristin was seething. As soon as Izabella was out of sight, she challenged Brad, "Mr. York, why on earth did you give Izabella the supporting role?"

Brad looked surprised. He crossed his arms and leaned back, "Weren't you the one who recommended her? I thought you two were tight. Aren't you happy for her?"

Kristin was at a loss for words. She forced a smile, "Anna has a larger part in the show. And, I was looking forward to working with her."

Brad wasn't born yesterday. He'd seen all sorts in his years as a director. He saw right through Kristin's fake camaraderie with Izabella. She played nice but was setting traps behind her back.

He didn't give a damn about an actress's ego. No matter how high and mighty, everyone was equal in his eyes.

"You should stop working with her. Time is money on set. Can't you see she's outperforming you? Don't tell me you've actually bought those flattery and thought you did a pretty good job."

"I sent you the script a week ago. Izabella only got it an hour ago. Yet, you couldn't even keep up with her lines. This makes me question your commitment. If you can't pull off this role, we'll find

someone else."

Brad was known for his blunt words and actions. Her agent, Graham, was sweating bullets. He quickly apologized for Kristin, "Mr. York, we've signed the contract. We'll give this role our best shot. I'll clear Kristin's schedule so she can study the script at home. She won't let Izabella overshadow her."

Brad scoffed and dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

Kristin was dragged away reluctantly. Back at the studio, she lost her temper and slapped her assistant.

Graham was used to this kind of tantrum. He gave the assistant some money for hospital fees and stayed with Kristin.

"What's up with Izabella? When did her acting get this good?"

"Who knows? If her face hadn't stayed the same, I would've thought she'd been replaced." Graham tried to soothe her, "Don't let it get to you. You're still the leading actress. Just work on your script and lines at home. Don't let her outshine you."

"Speaking of her face." A chill ran through Kristin's eyes, "Why didn't she wear makeup today? Doesn't she usually follow your instructions?"

Graham frowned, "I have no idea what's going on in her head. She just changed for no reason."

"It's your mess, handle her. I don't want to see her on set." Originally, the plan was to use Brad to get rid of Izabella for good, but it backfired, leaving her humiliated and unable to hold her head up in public.

"Don't worry, I'll sort it out for you," Graham promised, but he couldn't help asking, "Why do you have such a beef with her?"

If Izabella had shown her true skills earlier, he wouldn't have ditched her. After all, who didn't like to make an extra buck? But he and Kristin were in the same boat and Izabella had become a useless pawn.

Izabella's stained reputation wasn't something she could wash away with her acting skills. So, he had to stick with Kristin, the money tree, and deal with her problems.

Mentioning Izabella, Kristin's face contorted in rage, a stark contrast to her usual gentle and generous demeanor.

"Because of her face, and her name, Izabella. She's my born enemy!"

......

Meanwhile, Izabella finished her audition and came out to find Rachel waiting for her with a bottle of water. "Have some water, Izabella. You must be tired."

"Thanks." Izabella took the water and took a sip. The dryness in her throat was instantly relieved.

Rachel watched her drink the water and couldn't help asking, "How did the audition go?"

"I didn't make it."

"Ah..." Despite expecting the bad news, Rachel was still disappointed. Izabella had finally got a chance to audition for a TV drama. They thought her luck was turning around, but it was still a no- go.

"Usually, the results are announced a week later, right? Are you sure there's no chance at all?"

Izabella capped the bottle and looked at Rachel's gloomy face. She cracked a smile and flicked Rachel's forehead. "Didn't get the third female lead, but got the supporting actress role."

"Supporting actress is fine, as long as there's a part... Wait what? Supporting actress!"