"I saw what's happening online," the man's deep voice said through the phone.
Olivia Wynne felt a sting in her nose. She touched it lightly and replied in a low voice, "Mm."
"I'll have people take it off the trending topics," the man commanded.
Olivia Wynne clutched her phone, a warmth spreading through her chest. 'Uncle William really is good to me. No wonder the original Olivia had special feelings for him.'
She had her own plans for the trending topic. If it was taken down now, the things she wanted to do later would be far less effective.
"No, don't. I want to handle this myself."
The man on the other end of the line was silent. After a moment's hesitation, Olivia said, "Uncle William... well, there's something I need your help with. Can you help me?"
The man on the other end seemed to be stewing over Olivia's refusal. He was silent for a long moment before finally saying, "Speak."
"Do you know anyone who could get me a role in a series? Preferably a well-known, major IP production."
'First, I'll land a role. Then I'll work on my online presence to salvage my shattered public image and change the audience's perception of me. I'll clear my name online, bit by bit, and expose the people pulling the strings behind the scenes while I'm at it.'
...
「The next morning」
Golden sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains. The woman in bed rolled over, trying to go back to sleep. A moment later, she rubbed her eyes and sat up.
Her phone was ringing incessantly on the nightstand. She reached over and answered it.
"Hello?"
Her voice, adorably drowsy, made the person on the other end of the line pause for a moment.
"Hello, is this Miss Olivia Wynne? I'm calling from the production team of Phoenix. Director Shepherd has asked me to invite you to the audition."
Olivia was instantly wide awake, her mind flashing back to her call with Uncle William yesterday.
"Hello, where is the audition, and what time does it start?"
After getting the time and location, Olivia hung up.
Olivia set her phone aside, got out of bed, and freshened up. She changed into a simple, elegant dress, applied some light makeup, and grabbed her phone and purse before heading out the door.
After grabbing a bite at a breakfast shop near the military compound, Olivia took her purse and headed to a nearby bookstore.
Phoenix was a major IP production based on a web novel. 'Before the audition,' she thought, 'I should read the original book and get a feel for the story.'
After buying the book she needed at the bookstore, Olivia didn't go straight home. Instead, she went to a nearby supermarket.
An hour later, Olivia emerged from the supermarket carrying a large bag of groceries and started walking back toward the military compound.
Liam Lanier was in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead, when a familiar figure on the crosswalk up ahead caught his eye.
Liam whipped his head around to look at the back seat. "Sir, I think that's the woman from yesterday."
Zachary Fairchild closed the file in his hand and lifted his gaze, just in time to see the woman's receding figure.
The man slowly drew his gaze back. His eyes, as deep and still as a well, glanced at Liam, and his voice was chillingly detached.
"Are you bored?"
"Not at all, sir. I'm very busy," Liam said, immediately sitting bolt upright and fixing his eyes forward.
'Yesterday, Sir let that woman get in the car. He didn't even seem annoyed by her. I thought he was interested... Did I read the situation wrong?'
Liam was lost in thought, completely missing the fact that the man in the back seat had, upon hearing his words, closed his file. His fingers were tapping a light rhythm on his thigh, his expression unreadable.