Although Clarissa had been comforted by Matthew, there were still ill sentiments that lingered in the air.
Her words had revealed implications that he had to address. With one hand, he forced Clarissa to look at him icy gaze.
“Clarissa, choose your words carefully. Are you saying that you’ll not choose me over your friend?”
Clarissa was shocked. A teardrop formed and fell delicately onto the back of his hand as she stared at him, teary-eyed.
Her face burned. Hot, it was scorching hot as if his question had branded itself into her heart.
“Out with it.”
Matthew frowned and urged her again.
Clarissa sighed. “No, that’s not what I said.”
“But that is what you think.”
“N-no…
Clarissa shook her head vigorously. Under Matthew’s deep-set gaze, she went silent for a while.
Suddenly, she stretched out her arms and hugged Matthew with all her might, and nuzzled her face against his.
With a voice as soft and coquettish as a kitten’s mewl, she said, “I didn’t say I would cast you aside. I was just a bit greedy, and want both you and Ellie, Uncle Matthew. You’ve misunderstood.”
Again, Matthew tilted her chin and examined her expression to see if she was telling him the truth.
Clarissa did not back down from his gaze. Her face bore no trace of guilt or any other emotion as he stared at her.
Granted, she was in low spirits, but she was not heartless.
“How can I not want someone as good as you are? Do you take me for a fool? I mean, look at how smart I am!”
There was something about her expression that seemed smug.
Out of things she was good at, self-confidence would have been at the top of the list.
Finally, Matthew’s grim expression loosened as he let out the softest of sighs.
Very gently, he traced his thumb over her cheek. Clarissa looked up at him and beamed.
Silly girl.
The ghost of a smile formed on Matthew’s mouth as he kissed the edge of her lips. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of things.”
Obediently, Clarissa hugged him again and hummed in response.
Ellie’s odd behavior towards her favorite uncle puzzled everyone in the Tyson family. Especially since what she said sounded very serious.
However, Ellie was reluctant to spill the beans.
Several of her family members tried to coax her into speaking, but she retreated into a shell of her own making and refused to say a word.
The next day arrived, and Matthew decided to drop by the Tyson residence early in the morning.
Ellie had been on her way out. When she saw Matthew, it was obvious that the anger she had towards him had yet to dissipate.
She quickly walked past Matthew to avoid him, only for Matthew to catch her before she could go any further.
“Ellie, get in the car, let’s talk.”
Despite the annoying click of her tongue, she got into his car. She wanted to see what he had to say for himself.
While the pair were in the car, Matthew remained silent for a long time. Ellie, on the other hand, stared impassively into space. In the end, it was Matthew who ended the stalemate and spoke first.
“Clare kept crying last night.”
Ellie’s expression stiffened, but it was a faint reaction. She angled her head and looked out the car window as if she could conceal her emotions better that way.
“Ellie, you’re Clare’s best friend, so you know exactly what she’s like. I initiated this, not her.”
Ellie finally got annoyed enough to remark on this. “Yes, she is my best friend. That’s the point. Don’t you think you went overboard?”
“What do you mean, overboard? She’s a young, beautiful, talented, and attractive woman. I’m just a man.”
Ellie stuttered but could not get the words out. It was as if she had truly seen Matthew for what he was, and she dared not believe it.
I always thought that despite being aloof, you are pure of heart and righteous. You’re an elder, for f*ck’s sake. I never expected you to go after a younger girl, especially since she is my friend.
The doubt and surprise that Ellie emanated seemed to strike a chord in Matthew.
He leveled his gaze directly at Ellie and sighed. “Look, Ellie. The person you assume I am is a myth. I’m but an ordinary man, not a saint. I like Clare and wanted to have her. That’s what men do.”
Now Ellie was shocked into utter speechlessness.
Something about his admission made it difficult for her to react.
Matthew then brushed aside her reaction and continued. “If you want someone to blame, blame me and not Clarissa. Your relationship with her shouldn’t change just because she has a boyfriend.”
Having said that, the remainder of the ride to Ellie’s studio was silent.
Ellie absent-mindedly looked at her surroundings but could not shake off the unease.
She needed the closure but did not even respond to Clarissa’s attempts to contact her. Ellie had shut out all of the phone calls and text messages, much to Clarissa’s disappointment.
Clarissa had yet to do one thing—to seek out Ellie personally. She was most afraid that Ellie was still angry at her. Clarissa had always been a passive person. In her relationships with both Ellie and Matthew, she was never the one to take the lead.
All she could do was wait patiently for Ellie to meet her halfway.
After Justin returned to the D City, he took the time to start casting.
As a screenwriter, Clarissa was a very highly regarded person, especially towards Justin. If there was a casting call, she was bound to be called in to supervise.
As a major director in the film and television industry, Justin represented everything. From the awards, the fame, and box office. When he made a movie, A-list actors would make a beeline to respond to his casting calls. However, his one condition was that every person had to audition regardless of how big of a name they made for themselves. He wanted to level the playing field, and nobody could bend his ironclad rules.
Of course, the allure did not just spread among A-list celebrities. Many upcoming hopefuls would participate as well.
Compared to the set she worked on before, this one seemed to be spectacular as it was.
Clarissa walked towards the location but stopped to marvel at the long lines. And here she thought she had come early.
She observed the many beautiful people who had gathered in attendance. Everyone suddenly observed the beautiful woman who had shown up with no makeup on. Immediately she could sense them sizing her up as they determined whether or not she was suitable competition.
However, the fact that she was invited in immediately also aroused everyone’s curiosity.
It wasn’t until the audition began that they realized she was a screenwriter named Ms. Quigley.
“What do you think, Clarissa?”
In between each audition, they stopped to discuss the people who had come in so far. Justin, who sat next to Clarissa, would ask her for her opinions whenever he got the chance.
Clarissa smiled. “Everyone is good. I would not expect any less from professionals, of course. They’ve all managed to express so many different things.”
Justin shook his head and laughed. “Don’t be that vague! Tell me what you’re really thinking! Who do you think is suitable so far? Who can’t make the cut? Just tell me.”
Clarissa bit her lip shyly. “Well, Director. Let’s just say that…”
She then launched into a very long conversation, to which Justin paid careful attention to.
The two were so engrossed in their discussion that they did not notice that the big-shots had arrived to perform as well. As they walked in, they noticed that a certain Mr. Yates was chatting animatedly with a gorgeous-looking woman.
However, being relatively well-informed, they deduced that she was the screenplay writer. While they had heard about her beauty, they did not expect her to be that beautiful. She had certainly exceeded their expectations.
Yaala and Quentin shared a look before they walked over to say hello.
Clarissa, having noticed the two, immediately turned into a starry-eyed fan, eager to take pictures and ask for autographs.
Justin couldn’t help but make fun of her. “Come on now, since you’re all here, you should give Clarissa your autographs and pictures. I’ll help her take them!”
Clarissa smiled sheepishly, but the two of them were good-natured enough to grant her request.
As for the audition, Clarissa found their performance to be a joy to watch.
That was until Shermaine’s arrival, of course.
Shermaine was familiar with everyone, given how she greeted everyone. Her attitude towards both Yaala and Quentin was pleasant enough. What was even better was the fact that she shared a close, almost familial bond with Justin.
“I went to see Mr. and Mrs. Yates as soon as I came back. They were complaining that you didn’t even go see them the moment you arrived at D City. Your dad jokingly threatened to sever family ties with you as well. Your mom also asked that I help you find a girlfriend while you’re filming. But let me clarify, this is not my intent, so leave me out of it!”
Everyone watched the conversation unfold with mild interest except for Clarissa, who spaced out fairly quickly. Yaala was quite interested in Clarissa and kept her occupied with polite banter about some simple topics. A few minutes later, Shermaine had finally finished her rounds before she latched onto Clarissa.
“Ms. Quigley, it’s great to see you. Don’t you think it’s fate? I just finished filming ‘The World’ and I think I might be working on ‘Princess’ next. Great stories, by the way. I’m just really happy to work together with you again! Your help was really valuable, so I hope to go through the scenes together with you again. It’s merely a humble request on my part, so what do you say?”
One might have assumed that Shermaine sounded humble and sincere, but Clarissa was not fooled. They all recalled the drama that ensued on the set because Clarissa had to step in.
Whether she means it or if she’s being a b*tch, Shermaine knows best.
In the midst of the conversation, Shermaine had ended up holding Clarissa’s hands as a sign of mock kinship. Clarissa promptly withdrew them and looked at Justin instead. “I wouldn’t dare interfere with a professional,” she said mildly. “Are we auditioning now, Mr. Yates?”
An expectant look at Justin then spurred him into action as the pair then prepared for Shermaine’s audition.
Shermaine lowered her eyes. A hint of malice flashed in them, but it was not noticeable enough.
She then looked up again to study the script she had to read.
An audition? I still need to audition for this? Even so, with Clarissa sitting next to Justin like that, it was as if Shermaine’s fate was sealed. This made her seethe.
The scene being read was that of a princess whose country was in ruin. Shermaine had to channel the right amount of anger and frustration for this.
Halfway through her audition, she was interrupted by Justin.
He frowned, seemingly dissatisfied. “Shermaine, try this instead.”
He wants me to play the usurper?
Shermaine was not too happy about that either. “Justin, I don’t think the usurper’s role suits me at all. I don’t like it. I think I’m better suited to play the princess herself. Having just read the scene, I thought of something as well. Why not take a look and see if this works?”
Justin looked at Clarissa in silence, who nodded gently.
Shermaine then clasped her hands together and began her acting again. Only this time, she decided to put a lid on the unkindness and anger in herself.
