"Second Young Master, I want the resources for the female lead."
Faye Vaughn didn't beat around the bush and made her request directly.
Vincent Hawthorne scoffed. "Miss Vaughn, you have quite an appetite. But you'd better show me that you're worth it."
"You may have heard, Second Young Master, that *Mysteries of the Republic*, the film Eldest Miss Windsor starred in, is being remade."
Faye Vaughn said unhurriedly, "The production team plans to cast a newcomer, and they're looking for a girl who resembles Eldest Miss Windsor."
She curved her lips into a smile and pointed to herself.
No one knew better than Vincent Hawthorne just how much she could act like Vivian Windsor.
Behind his glasses, a flicker of heat sparked in Vincent Hawthorne's eyes.
When Vivian Windsor was filming *Mysteries of the Republic*, he had been abroad handling a major case and couldn't get away.
He didn't even make it to the set until the very last scene had wrapped.
In his heart, it was an immense regret.
But now, an opportunity to fulfill a dream seemed to be right in front of him.
"Alright."
Vincent Hawthorne only considered it for a few seconds before agreeing. "If you can pass the audition on your own merit, I guarantee no one will be able to take the role of the female lead from you."
Faye Vaughn smiled and mentioned, as if in passing, "Your older brother doesn't want me in the entertainment industry."
Vincent Hawthorne saw right through her little scheme.
He lazily lifted his eyelids. "My older brother doesn't get to tell me what to do."
He owned shares in the Hawthorne Group, but he didn't rely on them to make a living.
Faye Vaughn knew he was self-made. The law firm he'd founded on his own had an annual revenue in the tens of billions, and his resources and connections were top-tier.
"That's wonderful."
Faye Vaughn beamed, extending a slender, fair hand. "Second Young Master, here's to a pleasant collaboration."
Vincent Hawthorne glanced at her hand but didn't touch it.
He was a germaphobe.
Other than the one person in his heart, he saw everyone else as unclean.
...
Not even two days later, Faye Vaughn received a call from her agent, Talia Kensington.
"Faye, I have incredible news!"
"The production team for *Mysteries of the Republic* has specifically requested you to audition for the female lead!"
Talia Kensington was ecstatic on the other end of the line. "Was it that master from the Hawthorne Family? Is this the opportunity he gave you after... you know?"
Faye Vaughn sighed softly. "No. He takes without giving."
Talia Kensington fell silent for a moment.
But she quickly perked up. "It's fine! If we just seize this opportunity, you might just become an overnight sensation!"
「On the day of the audition.」
Faye Vaughn received a message from Second Young Master Vincent Hawthorne.
[Record the entire thing for me to watch.]
'What a perverse request.'
Of course, it wasn't Faye Vaughn he wanted to see.
He wanted to catch a glimpse of Vivian Windsor's grace through her, finding some sort of consolation.
Accompanied by her agent Talia Kensington, Faye Vaughn completed her audition smoothly. The director was very satisfied.
"I never expected someone without formal training to have this much talent."
Director Coleman was a middle-aged man with a thick beard.
He had initially been furious when the producer informed him that an investor wanted to shove a newcomer into the cast.
The investor even had the nerve to demand the female lead role.
He was about to explode with anger.
He had come today just waiting to find fault with this newcomer.
He never would have imagined that when this timid little girl put on a cheongsam and twirled, she would exude such endless allure.
For a moment, he even had the illusion that he was in The Starlight Lounge in Old Veridia.
"How does she compare to Vivian Windsor back in the day?"
The producer leaned in and whispered to Director Coleman.
Director Coleman gave a six-word assessment: "She's even better than the original."
Faye Vaughn was in high spirits after landing the role and sent the audition clip to Vincent Hawthorne.
Vincent Hawthorne watched it an unknown number of times before replying a long while later: [I'll be there on set for your first scene.]
...
To join the production, she had to request a leave of absence from school.
Third Young Master Finn Hawthorne soon caught wind of it.
He cornered Faye Vaughn on her way back to the women's dormitory.
"Are you really planning to go against my older brother?"
His dark eyes gleamed, and he looked thrilled by the idea.
Faye Vaughn pressed her pink lips together and hummed softly in agreement.
"Then I'll help you."
Finn Hawthorne took out his phone and, with a few quick taps, sent a message to his older brother—
[Big bro, your little canary is about to fly the coop.]
As if that wouldn't cause enough trouble, he added a voice message: [She doesn't want you anymore.]
Faye Vaughn stood beside him, a helpless expression on her face.
Half a minute later, her phone rang.
It was a call from Wyatt Hawthorne.
"Are you just ignoring everything I say?"
The man's deep, gloomy voice was tinged with clear displeasure.
Faye Vaughn walked a little farther away while holding her phone before speaking. "It's what *I* said that you didn't take to heart."
The other end of the line went silent for a moment.
Wyatt Hawthorne seemed unaccustomed to the usually docile and obedient girl suddenly talking back to him.
"Faye Vaughn, my patience has its limits."
Wyatt Hawthorne suppressed his temper and said slowly, "Are you done throwing a tantrum?"
Faye Vaughn said softly, "I'm not throwing a tantrum. I told you, I can live just fine without you."
Wyatt Hawthorne was in Valois at that moment.
Not far from him, Vivian Windsor was in the middle of a major photoshoot.
Seeing him on the phone, she lifted the hem of her skirt and trotted over with small steps, smiling brightly. "Wyatt, are you busy with work?"
"The zipper on the back of my dress is stuck. Could you help me with it?"
She turned around, revealing her half-bare back.
Wyatt Hawthorne glanced at his phone and ended the call.
"Of course."
He replied.
'She's just a little girl throwing a fit. When I get back, I'll bring her a few limited-edition handbags, and she'll get over it.'
'He knew full well how much she had loved him these past three years.'
'Talk of leaving was just that—talk.'
When the call was disconnected, a trace of sadness showed on Faye Vaughn's face.
Finn Hawthorne walked over and tutted. "Can you have a little self-respect? Other men can give you what my brother can."
Faye Vaughn bit her lip, nodded, and agreed with him for the first time. "You're right."
Finn Hawthorne's eyes widened, his handsome face filled with astonishment. "Did the heartbreak make you stupid?"
Faye Vaughn lowered her gaze. "Loving someone who doesn't love you back is what's stupid."
'Love that comes too easily is never cherished.'
'Wyatt Hawthorne must think I can't leave him.'
'It's better that he thinks that. It will make the reversal all the more thrilling.'
After getting her leave-of-absence slip, Faye Vaughn packed her things and joined the film crew.
The first day was for shooting the promotional photos in costume.
The moment the crew's official social media account posted them, it caused a massive uproar.
[Is that Vivian Windsor?]
[No, the actress's name is listed as "Faye Vaughn."]
[Is she a newcomer? She looks so much like Vivian Windsor.]
[If you look closely, they're not exactly the same. The new actress looks more pitiful and delicate.]
[Can someone so frail and pitiful really play a strong female lead? Don't let her ruin our Vivian's classic film!]
Controversy breeds buzz.
The production team had discussed it with Faye Vaughn, wanting to deliberately make the promotional photos look more delicate and gentle.
Faye Vaughn thought it suited her own plans perfectly and immediately agreed.
She also registered a new social media account with the username "Actress Faye Vaughn."
Vivian Windsor's fans quickly caught wind of it and flocked to her comments section, leaving passive-aggressive remarks—
[The girl probably had plastic surgery, right? Our Vivian doesn't have any sisters with the surname Vaughn.]
[She's a nobody newcomer, trying to ride our Vivian's coattails right after her debut. Shameless.]
[She must be backed by some sugar daddy, right? No wonder she looks so cheap and classless, nothing like our elegant and graceful Vivian!]