After grumbling inwardly, Arabella Donovan secretly peeked out from behind Hector Donovan, curiously sizing up Edward Pierce.
'A-listers must have packed schedules. To be able to seamlessly juggle so many relationships without getting caught… he really is a time management master! But for someone who plays around so much, he doesn't even have dark circles. I guess you could say young people just have good stamina, huh?'
Hector Donovan's eyelid twitched. 'No,' he thought, 'it could also be a thick layer of foundation.'
"I know, I know! I'm a huge fan of yours, Donovan. I've seen all your work. I even brought several of your DVDs with me this time. Could you maybe sign them for me later?"
Completely unaware that his entire persona had been exposed the moment they met, Edward Pierce offered a shy smile. His eyes sparkled as he gazed at Hector Donovan, looking for all the world like a little fanboy meeting his idol.
Even Hector Donovan, who prided himself on being accustomed to the entertainment industry's deception and backstabbing, had to admit that if it weren't for Arabella Donovan's tip-off, he probably would have misjudged the man today, just like the director.
Who would have thought that a young man with such a clean, boy-next-door look was secretly such a player—a human-shaped horndog!
'Asking for an autograph to get close to someone so smoothly… he's probably used that line on a lot of people, hasn't he? As expected of someone navigating the world of fame and fortune, his acting is much better than that "white lotus" Claire Bishop. Too bad he's not using his skills for anything good. He's bound to crash and burn sooner or later.'
Hector Donovan...
'She's not wrong,' he thought. 'It's a good thing he isn't using his talents for anything legitimate, or I, a member of the old guard, would have been washed away by the new wave.'
"No need to be so formal. We'll be working on the same set, so we should look out for each other."
Hector Donovan's words were polite, but he didn't respond to the request for an autograph, his courtesy tinged with a clear sense of distance.
Edward Pierce naturally noticed this as well. A flash of displeasure crossed his eyes but was quickly hidden as he shifted the topic to Arabella Donovan.
"Is this young lady a new actress on our set, too? I don't think I've seen her before."
'Why is he suddenly turning to me? Don't tell me he's targeting me now?'
By "targeting her," Arabella Donovan meant that Edward Pierce wanted to use her to get closer to Hector Donovan. But Hector clearly misunderstood. His face instantly darkened, and he yanked Arabella behind him.
"My sister's on break recently with nothing to do, so she's here to be my assistant for a few days and do some sightseeing."
"Oh, so she's Donovan's sister. My apologies, that was rude of me."
At this point, the rather slow-witted director finally seemed to sense the subtle tension between them and hurriedly tried to smooth things over.
"Alright, alright. You two have a lot of scenes together, so you'll have plenty of time to chat. Payne, go get ready; you're up next. Hector, you should go over the script, too."
The director and Edward Pierce had just left when a friendly-looking middle-aged man, holding an enamel mug, leisurely strolled up to the Donovan siblings. "You're here," he said in a familiar tone.
Hector Donovan was clearly familiar with him, and his expression softened slightly. "Young."
"Kids these days have a lot on their minds. The methods they use to climb the ladder aren't always above board. Don't mind him. You're only on this set for a few days anyway. No need to get on the bad side of the investors behind him over something so trivial."
Hector Donovan's eyes glinted. 'As they say, age brings wisdom. I had to rely on my sister's 'cheating' to see the guy's true colors, but this man probably figured it out, more or less, at first glance.'
Seeing that Hector Donovan had taken his words to heart, Ken Young didn't press the matter. He changed the subject with a grin. "So this is the dear sister you've been hiding away from everyone? She's so cute, no wonder you're so protective. Still in school? How old is she this year?"
"She'll be eighteen in a little over a month. Serena, this is Ken Young, or Young. He's a senior from the same company. My very first project was with him, and he's always looked out for me."
'Right, his first project was the one where he played that simpleton, which Arabella Donovan remembered so vividly. Ken Young had played the simpleton's father in it.'
Hector Donovan's reminder jogged Arabella Donovan's memory.
"Hello, Young. I've seen your movies; your acting is fantastic. And thank you for taking care of my brother all these years."
When Ken Young heard that Arabella Donovan wasn't yet an adult, his expression grew even kinder. "You're about the same age as my daughter. It's not quite right for you to call me 'Young' like your brother does. You should probably call me Uncle."
Arabella Donovan gave a sweet smile. "My brother calls you Young. If I called you Uncle, wouldn't that mess up the seniority? Besides, you only look like you're in your early thirties. Who would guess you have a daughter my age? Calling you Uncle would just make you sound old."
Ken Young let out a hearty laugh, holding his mug. When he finished, he teased, "Hector, your sister is much more of a sweet-talker than you are."
Hector Donovan and Arabella Donovan laughed along, but halfway through her laugh, Arabella seemed to remember something, and the smile on her face suddenly froze.
'Wait, Ken Young? *That* Ken Young?'
Hector Donovan froze, a sudden sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
Sure enough, the next second, Arabella's shrill, panicked voice echoed in his mind.
'Ken Young, the poor old sod who gets backstabbed by his wife and her younger brother! They run off with all his life savings, leave him with a mountain of debt, and he almost ends up homeless on the streets with his daughter!'
Hector Donovan: !
"What's wrong? You look awful. Are you not feeling well?" Ken Young noticed Hector Donovan's strange expression and asked with concern.
"N-Nothing. I just caught a bit of a chill this morning. I have a slight headache." Hector Donovan seemed to be talking to Ken Young, but his mind was completely focused on Arabella Donovan.
'Ken Young's story was from a Gary Stu power fantasy novel set in the entertainment world. In it, he was just an insignificant background character.'
'He had a brief connection with the male lead, who had just entered the industry, because they were in the same show. They exchanged a few words, but unfortunately, before filming even wrapped, Ken Young disappeared from the industry without a trace after a family emergency.'
'Ken Young's wife is named Daisy Hale. They met when he was a struggling actor in Beijing. They supported each other for years before finally tying the knot and having a daughter. But unfortunately…'
'Giving a girl a name like that… the intention was self-evident.'
And that was indeed the case. Daisy Hale was born into an extremely sexist family that favored sons over daughters. Not only did she suffer all kinds of unfair treatment growing up, but she was also brainwashed by her parents into becoming an ATM for her younger brother.
Before getting married, she worked like crazy to earn money for her brother. After getting married, she took it even further, roping her husband into subsidizing him as well.
The situation escalated even more after she gave birth to their daughter. It wasn't that Ken Young hadn't tried to stop it, but it wasn't something he could easily prevent.
'Young just said his daughter is about my age, which means his brother-in-law should have started gambling by now. Before long, his wife is going to steal his ID to act as a guarantor for her brother, and then she'll run off with him after cleaning out all their family's money.'
'Tsk, tsk, tsk. Are women who worship their brothers this crazy nowadays? Abandoning her husband and child all for her brother's sake. Her brother is her own flesh and blood, but aren't her husband and daughter her family, too? In her past life, that brother was probably her father!'