[Chapter 51: Luck-Transfer Seal Changes Fate]
Natalie Portman.
Another former child star.
The female lead of Leon: The Professional.
She also starred as the lead in the prequel trilogy of Hollywood's hottest franchise, Star Wars.
In terms of fame, credentials, and experience, how could she possibly be weaker than Amanda?
Amanda had entered the day with some confidence, but standing beside these three women, all that confidence instantly vanished.
Her only hope was a seal Daniel had burned for her earlier that morning.
Daniel called it a Luck-Transfer seal.
It was supposed to bring her future good fortune into the present, allowing her to use it today.
However, the catch was that afterward, she would inevitably suffer a streak of bad luck.
Amanda didn't care -- if it meant securing this female lead role, she was willing to accept the consequences.
Besides, if she really landed the part, the headlines would shout that Amanda Seyfried had beaten out the Star Wars lead, a Golden Globe nominee, and a former child star from The Grinch. Her career would skyrocket overnight.
The benefits were obvious.
...
"Ms. Bryce Howard, please proceed to Audition Room 3," a staff member called politely.
Watching Bryce Howard get up and walk away with the assistant, Amanda's anxiety deepened.
She'd always been prone to nerves, and now it felt overwhelming.
'Is the luck transfer seal really going to work?' she wondered.
'Daniel is amazing; he wouldn't lie to me. But he did say it's not 100% guaranteed. It all depends on fate.' Amanda tried to reassure herself.
Curiosity gnawed at her: How exactly will this good luck show up?
She looked sideways and saw Scarlett Johansson quietly reading a script page. Natalie was softly chatting with her agent.
Neither of them made eye contact with Amanda or showed any intention of interacting. The only greeting exchanged between them had been a quick nod earlier.
...
After a few tense minutes, the staff member returned.
"Ms. Scarlett Johansson, it's your turn."
Amanda glanced behind but didn't see Bryce; she must have already left.
Scarlett rose and followed the staff member alongside her agent.
With fewer competitors left in the room, Amanda's nervousness worsened.
"It's okay, Amanda," Wendy, her agent, whispered from the side. "We never had much hope. Just treat this as practice to get more experience."
Wendy had never believed Amanda could snag the role.
None of those other women seemed less suitable than Amanda -- it was hard to see how she had any chance.
Amanda glanced at Wendy but didn't reply.
...
"Ms. Natalie Portman, it's your turn," the staff member announced twenty minutes later.
Like Bryce, Scarlett didn't come back.
Natalie and her agent stood up, but as Natalie started to move, her foot caught on the leg of a chair.
She tripped and fell to the floor.
The sudden accident stunned everyone into silence.
"Ah..." Natalie cried out, clutching her knee in pain, unable to get up.
Her agent was immediately at her side, helping her back to the chair.
"Are you okay?" her agent asked, worry lining her face.
"It hurts -- my knee hurts so much," Natalie groaned, her expression twisted in agony.
Without hesitation, the agent pulled out her phone.
"I'm calling an ambulance."
Natalie's fall sent shockwaves through the V for Vendetta production's senior staff.
Even a Warner Bros. executive came over to check on her and offer comfort.
Amanda wanted to step forward and express concern, but she felt frozen, unable to get a word in.
...
Over half an hour later, the ambulance arrived and took Natalie away.
Only then did the atmosphere in the room begin to disperse.
Could this fall be the result of my good luck? Amanda wondered silently, though unsure.
Wendy sighed and said, "Portman's really unlucky. She managed to trip on flat ground and hurt her knee badly. That kind of injury can take a month or two to heal."
She looked at Amanda again, more seriously now. "However, our chances are still slim. Even if Portman drops out, there's still Scarlett Johansson and Bryce Howard. Don't get your hopes up too high -- if you get rejected, it won't hurt as much."
Amanda nodded, keeping quiet.
"Ms. Amanda Seyfried, it's your turn."
The staff member called again, breaking Amanda's thoughts.
She and Wendy stood.
Before getting up, Amanda peeked down at her feet carefully -- no chairs in her path this time.
She followed the staff member without hesitation.
...
More than half an hour later, Amanda and Wendy's car rolled out of the Warner Bros. parking lot onto the main road.
No one expects a call about audition results that quickly.
Wendy was driving; Amanda sat in the backseat.
The audition had gone smoothly.
In fact, Amanda felt it was one of her best performances ever.
Whether it was her improved acting skills after Mean Girls or the luck transfer seal working, she wasn't sure.
Could I really land the female lead in V for Vendetta?
Her nerves still bubbled beneath the surface.
At one point, she wanted to call Daniel for reassurance, but she held back.
Then suddenly, bang.
The car jolted violently.
Amanda's body surged forward, only to be yanked back by the seatbelt.
Her head spun.
Wendy's face went blank, shocked by the sudden crash.
After a brief moment, she realized they'd been rear-ended -- and then pushed into the car ahead of them.
"Are you okay, Amanda?" Wendy asked.
Amanda quickly checked herself.
"I'm fine. You?"
"Okay," Wendy said, visibly shaken.
She stepped out and started assessing the damage.
...
Amanda still felt foggy.
'Wasn't I supposed to be riding a wave of good luck? How could I get into a car accident now?
Did the seal fail?'
She grabbed her bag, pulled out her phone, and called Daniel, recounting the crash.
"You were in a car accident?" Daniel asked, his voice steady.
"Yes. We were rear-ended and then pushed into the car in front."
"Is it serious? Are you hurt?"
"No, I don't think so. Wendy's checking things out."
Daniel's voice was light, almost cheerful.
"Well, congratulations."
Amanda blinked, startled.
"Con... congratulations?"
Daniel didn't explain further.
"Just wait."
And then he hung up.
At that moment, Amanda heard a phone ringing from Wendy's bag on the passenger seat.
Rolling down her window, Amanda called out, "Wendy, your phone!"
Wendy opened the driver's door, retrieved her phone, and answered.
Within seconds, she froze, staring at the screen with wide eyes.
*****
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