"Mandy, what's so funny?"
Amanda was in such high spirits that she was still hugging Winter. Hearing Quentin's voice, her eyes lit up; she practically pushed Winter aside to leap into his arms.
"Tin! I'm going to be in a movie!"
Quentin caught her easily, tucking her securely against his chest. He looked at her with a gentle, questioning gaze. "Someone invited you to star in a film?"
Amanda grinned and shook her head. "Well, no. I was given an audition!"
Quentin chuckled helplessly. It turned out she was just so excited she had misspoken.
Standing nearby, Derrick watched the display with a look of mock annoyance, but when his eyes caught the cover of the script, his eyebrows shot up. Wait, didn't I see that same script at Jasper's place?
Quentin began walking toward the table, still carrying Amanda as if she weighed nothing. He waved a dismissive hand toward Derrick. "If there's nothing else, you can see yourself out. I won't be seeing you to the door."
Derrick stared at the hand waving him away as if he were an unwanted ghost. His lips thinned. This guy... now that he has a wife, he's completely forgotten his friends.
Not wanting to stick around for any more of their sickeningly sweet display, Derrick snorted coldly and turned to leave. After two steps, he paused and barked at Winter, who was trying to act invisible in the corner. "You! Follow me."
Winter's eyes widened. She looked at the finger wagging at her as if she were a pet and felt a surge of indignation. However, seeing Amanda and Quentin in their own world, she knew it wasn't her place to stay. She gritted her teeth, stood up, and followed Derrick out.
Inside, Amanda was too happy to notice anything else. She sat on Quentin's lap, flipping through the script and chattering non-stop.
"You don't understand, Director Maxwell is famous for being incredibly strict. But out of every ten actors he chooses, nine of them become superstars!"
Quentin gently stroked her hair, his eyes briefly scanning the pages. "Which character are you auditioning for?"
Amanda raised her chin proudly. "The female lead!"
The smile on Quentin's lips remained, but his brow furrowed slightly. "And has the male lead been cast yet?"
"Yes! It's Jasper!"
Amanda was so caught up in her excitement that she didn't catch the underlying warning in his question. It wasn't until she felt the body beneath her go rigid and saw his smile turn stiff and cold that she realized something was wrong.
Quentin's face darkened. He tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her flush against him. "Didn't you promise me you'd try to avoid Jasper?"
His voice wasn't loud, but to Amanda, it sounded icy. She bit her lip, looking at him with pained, pleading eyes. "I remember... but I really, really want to do this movie."
Quentin ignored her puppy-dog eyes and asked firmly, "Did he give you the script?"
Amanda nodded obediently, causing the shadows in Quentin's eyes to deepen. Just when she thought he was going to explode, he reached out and gently tried to take the script from her.
"Mandy, forget this movie," he coaxed in a low, persuasive voice. "Tell me what kind of role you want. I'll find you a better script with a world-class team."
She can act with anyone as long as it isn't that brat Jasper, he thought. It seems Derrick has spoiled that kid so much he doesn't know his place anymore.
Amanda frowned, clutching the script to her chest and refusing to let go. "No! This is the one I want!"
"Mandy!" Quentin's voice held a sharp warning edge.
Amanda wasn't intimidated. She raised her chin and snapped back, "Stop being unreasonable! Jasper isn't a bad person. Besides... this script doesn't even have a single kiss scene!"
As she spoke, she began to wriggle, trying to climb off his lap. Quentin, who had been holding his breath for the last five minutes, immediately surrendered.
"Alright, alright! I won't be petty about it. Just don't be angry!"
The news that there were no kiss scenes was enough to satisfy him for now. He pulled her back into his arms and asked softly, "When is the audition?"
Seeing his compromise, Amanda stopped struggling. "I only have one week to memorize the lines and study the character," she said, sounding a bit overwhelmed.
Quentin took the opportunity to steal a kiss from her cheek. "Is that enough time? How about I contact the director? We can negotiate for more time... or I could just invest in the project."
Amanda tilted her head, looking at him with a flat expression. "Why do you always want to throw your money around to pressure people?"
Quentin laughed, pinching her cheek before kissing her again. "I have the money. If I don't spend it on you, what am I making it for?"
Amanda put her hand over his mouth to stop the kissing, though she couldn't hide her smile. "Save it for our future children. I want to earn my success with my own strength. I'm not so shameless that I'd use your money to pave my way."
Quentin's eyes sparked with joy. Since his mouth was covered, he settled for kissing her soft palm. Amanda quickly withdrew her hand and glared, but Quentin just laughed and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"As my wife commands."
Hearing him call her "wife" made Amanda burst into laughter, and she threw her arms around his neck, holding on tight.
While the two inside were basking in romance, the two outside were locked in a silent battle of glares.
"Show me your hand!" Derrick ordered coldly.
Winter remained stubborn, her watery eyes glaring back at him.
The trouble had started the moment they walked out; Derrick had wanted to find something to tease her about, but in his haste, he had accidentally grabbed her injured arm. The pressure had caused her blistered burn to burst, leaving her groaning in sharp pain.
Derrick had felt a rare flash of guilt and tried to examine the wound, but she had ruthlessly pushed him away. It was the first time Derrick had ever been rebuffed like that, and he was not happy about the feeling.
Winter was both hurting and furious. She knew her status was nothing compared to this man, but she couldn't suppress her anger. She gritted her teeth, didn't say a word, and simply turned on her heel to walk away.
Derrick watched her defiant, angry back and let out a cold snort. "Damn. I must have forgotten to check my horoscope before I left the house today."