Clarissa had felt better about the casting of the male lead since the incident had passed. However, she was unaware that Matthew was still attempting to reverse her decision of the male lead’s casting.
Thankfully, the official announcement did not report this incident. If they ever decide to recast the male lead, the reaction that it would provoke might be catastrophic.
Clarissa had begun casting the other roles with Justin. As for the court case regarding the assistant director, not a word had come up after the matter had been resolved with a settlement offer.
It was a big burden off her shoulders to have finally put the matter to rest.
They had decided to cast a young actress for the role of the female lead. There were some hotshots who had put in their resumes to the manager and the studio, but none of them was deemed suitable for the role by Clarissa.
Truth be told, her expectations were high as the role was a reflection of herself. As she had absolute authority over the entire project, she was determined to select the leading actress with great care.
Due to the absence of pressure from the investors, Clarissa had complete creative freedom in every aspect. As a result, things became much simpler to manage.
The actors she had picked were not only young and good-looking, but they were also skillful and accommodating as well.
Justin had teased Clarissa during the casting process for her ridiculously high demands. By imposing such high standards onto the actresses who would be playing her, she would have to struggle to live up to them.
Clarissa gave it a thought and couldn’t help agreeing with him.
“Actually,” Justin added. “You’re a very beautiful and capable woman, Clarissa. You’d be hard-pressed to find a girl like you.”
With such generous praise upon her, Clarissa’s heart fluttered with delight.
Back at home, she showed Matthew headshots of the actresses who had auditioned that day.
Perhaps Matthew would have some insight into the kind of a woman I am.
Matthew was lost in thought as he browsed through the headshots of the actresses.
Clarissa stood hovering over him, glancing nervously over his shoulder. “Which one do you like?” she asked as she clutched his arm.
Matthew frowned. His long fingers tapped on the stack of headshots before him as he turned to look at Clarissa with a strange look in his eyes.
Clarissa blinked confusedly. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, flustered. “Are any of these actresses not good enough? I’ve gone through them myself and find them acceptable. Of course, there aren’t many who are as perfect as I am.”
She did not seem abashed at praising herself. Rather, she smiled mischievously, displaying a perfect set of teeth.
Matthew couldn’t help smiling himself. Stroking her cheek with a long finger, he said, “Clare, I’m afraid that I wouldn’t be of much help in choosing the actress that would be playing my wife. In my opinion, nobody in the world could measure up to you. The decision to select who to play you would be your own call to make.”
Clarissa was mollified. She blushed as she smiled somewhat shyly, but the sparkle of joy in her eyes revealed how much his praise had pleased her.
Clarissa was fond of hearing affirmations of her value from her husband, as was the nature of married women.
She threw herself into his arms in affection as he received her embrace.
With a chuckle, Matthew kissed Clarissa on the forehead as he wrapped his arms around her waist to lift her up and gazed upon her face affectionately.
“You seem awfully happy!” Matthew commented.
Clarissa did not express her joy verbally but her actions were more than sufficient to prove it.
It would only stoke his ego if I told him how much his words had pleased me.
Content with merely pouting, she ran a finger over his thick and masculine eyebrows. “I thought you would be offering some constructive criticism instead of sweet-talking me like that,” she chastised in feigned annoyance. “I’m serious. We need to cast an appropriate actress for the role, or I’ll be forced to play myself.”
Matthew laughed. “That could work. I could play myself too, as your husband. As the male and female leads of your film, it couldn’t get more authentic than that.”
Clarissa shook her head. “I wouldn’t want you to be the male lead.”
“Why not?” Matthew demanded, his eyes glinted dangerously for an instant as he held her chin. “Am I not suitable for the role? Is Ryler a better fit than I am?”
He’s jealous again, Clarissa thought resignedly, though the smile on her face remained.
“All right, we’ve established that neither of us could play ourselves. I won’t be asking for your opinion anymore. I’ll make the decisions myself.”
At that, Clarissa freed herself from Matthew’s arms and gathered up the stack of headshots. Mumbling softly to herself, she vocalized her thought process as a means to think clearly.
“I’ve seen her in a play before. She’s pretty professional, but not too good in other aspects…”
“Hmm, good acting skills, but looks a bit plain…”
“This one… Ah!” Clarissa gave a little scream as Matthew grabbed hold of her from behind as they both fell backward.
Her exclamation of surprise was promptly stifled with Matthew’s lips as they pressed up against hers. The next instant, she was drunk on the spell of Matthew’s kiss.
After a long while, Matthew finally let go of her. He touched a finger gently on her flushed lips, still grinning despite receiving a frosty glare from Clarissa.
“Clare, I thought we agreed to let work remain at work.”
Clarissa stared. He’s bringing this up now?
She recalled with a twinge that guilt that Matthew had never talked about work when she was in his company. Even if he did, it was when they were not conversing or busy with their respective tasks.
“I’m sorry, it was wrong of me.” Clarissa tossed the headshots aside. Turning around to face Matthew with his arms still around her, her body remained firmly pressed up against his.
“I say, Matthew!” Clarissa exclaimed, seized by sudden excitement. “What did you like about me the first time we met? Also, I want to know if you think any part of me stands out. Do you like my fashion sense? My temperament? What?”
Matthew was draped against the couch with one arm around Clarissa’s waist and the other on his brow as he smiled contentedly. The faraway gaze in his eyes exuded love and affection from the presence of his wife.
Clarissa watched as Matthew allowed his gaze to sweep across her slowly. He was either considering her question seriously, or he was gathering his thoughts regarding the aspects of her that he was fond of.
As Clarissa was about to burst with expectation, Matthew’s lips moved at long last, only to form a single word.
“Perfection!”
Clarissa couldn’t decide between feeling happy or helpless.
His answer is perfect too. Perfectly helpful.
He’s probably worried that if he had said anything else, he’d be in trouble.
Clarissa chuckled. “Come on, you can do better than that. I’m not trying to bait you or anything, you know? It’s just a casual conversation that we’re having. Would you like me to do you first?”
Matthew raised his eyebrows. “Let’s hear it.”
“The first time I met you, you behaved like a perfect gentleman, but there was something distant about you. I only saw derision whenever you looked at me. You’ve rescued me and courted me without ever taking advantage of me. I thought at that time that you were afraid that I would cling to you. However, as we got to know each other more, I had wanted to be as far away from you as I thought that you didn’t want me using you for your wealth. To be honest, I was always afraid and nervous around you as my self-esteem was low. I was always in denial that I am very attracted to you,” Clarissa smiled sweetly as she concluded.
Reaching out to touch Matthew’s cheek, she added, “You’re tall and upright, stylish, gentlemanly, self-sustaining, with the wisdom and magnetism that only comes with age. Who wouldn’t want a man like this? I consider myself lucky to have met you before anyone else. Perhaps someone else had met you before I did, but I was the one you wanted, not them.”
Clarissa looked very pleased with herself. Matthew said nothing, content with gazing at her affectionately.
“A man like you is loyal to his wife. Most ordinary men would not be able to escape from the clutches of their lustful nature. Besides, I’m sure somebody with your status and looks would have been able to have any woman he desires, yet you have never done that. This trait of yours had made me decide to be your wife. Is that better?”
“Yes,” Matthew concurred. “I am also the best one out of all the men you’ve dated, aren’t I?”
Clarissa chuckled in response. “I’m not comparing you with anybody.”
In an instant, her smile vanished, which was replaced by a look of seriousness. She leaned over to initiate a kiss on him. “To be honest, the best trait of yours is how attractive you are. That’s the real truth.”
Clarissa had fantasized about her future many times in her youth. She had thought about the kind of man she would be spending her life with, and what kind of life that would be.
Every aspect of her future life had been planned right down to the minute details.
However, before love came knocking on her door, Clarissa never had a reason to consider and construct her fantasy when Matthew had appeared in her life.
Despite wanting to reject him, Clarissa was unable to.
Even if she had tried, it must have failed because Matthew ended up marrying her.
Her decision to accept his love with open arms no matter what the future held was the epitome of following one’s heart wherever it led.
Unknowingly, Clarissa had been gazing deep into Matthew’s eyes in her reverie of love. She started and smiled. “All right, I’ve said mine. Now it’s your turn.”
Clarissa is relentless. Matthew held her and spoke deliberately and softly. “You’re beautiful, demure, stubborn, timid, sexy, intelligent, simplistic…”
“Eh?” Clarissa glared at him indignantly. Why does it sound like he’s reciting from somewhere?
However, she understood why instantly.
These were the impressions Matthew had had of her through the entire time of knowing her. He must be going through the memories we have shared together.
Clarissa smiled in content as she listened to him.
“Nubile, fair of skin…”
“Stop!” Clarissa said in a panic, beginning to feel embarrassed with where the descriptions were heading. With one hand over Matthew’s mouth, she looked coquettish and girly.
“Where are you going with this? That’s not what I meant when I said tell me what you liked about me.”
Matthew laughed as he spun her around to press her against the couch. “Didn’t you want to hear the things I felt about you? Your body is an integral point of that. Wasn’t your body the first thing I saw when I met you, Clare?”
