At that moment Everyone on set froze, the weight of Ethan''s words hanging heavily in the air. The director''s face turned pale, his grip tightening around the clipboard as he stepped forward nervously.


    "Sir," he started, his voice thin with unease, "there was… a little change at the final hour. The team agreed that Vanessa—uh, the first FL—should take the main part." Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire


    Hearing what the director just said.


    Ethan raised an eyebrow, pretending to absorb this as if hearing it for the first time. His tone, however, remained controlled.


    "A little change?" he repeated softly, his voice calm butced with a quiet edge. He let the silence linger for a beat before continuing. "That''s strange, because ording to what I read, you said Emily—the second FL—was magnificent for this role. That everything about her performance was on point."


    At that moment the room grew colder.


    Immediately the director swallowed hard, his eyes darting nervously between Ethan and the two actresses. Vanessa shifted ufortably, her earlier defiance starting to waver, while Emily looked down at the floor, as though unsure how to react.


    Ethan pressed on, his words carrying weight like lead.


    "All the contracts were signed. Thepany paid a significant amount of money to finalize the paperwork for Emily''s role," he said, his gaze unwavering as it locked onto the director.


    "Now, out of nowhere, the role is swapped, and I assume thepany is going to pay another absurd amount to correct this… ''drastic change.''"


    He emphasized thest two words with a pointed stare.


    At that moment the director stammered, clearly trapped.


    "Well—sir, there were… factors we had to consider… uh, the feedback, the presence—"


    Immediately Ethan cut him off with a dismissive wave.


    "Presence? Interesting. Who exactly agreed to thisst-minute change? Were the executives involved, or was this something decided on set?"


    His voice remained calm, but his tone was sharp enough to make the director sweat.


    The crew stood frozen, their faces tense as they watched the exchange unfold. Vanessa''s face flushed crimson, her frustration simmering beneath the surface, while Emily looked up hesitantly, hope flickering in her eyes for the first time.@@novelbin@@


    At that moment Ethan folded his arms, waiting, his calm exterior masking the storm of thoughts in his mind. He knew the answer already—this wasn''t just about talent; it was favoritism. And favoritism, he thought coldly, had no ce in hispany.


    However The director stood frozen, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, but no words came out. The tension in the room thickened as everyone looked at Ethan, who remained cool andposed, his sharp gaze never wavering.


    Again Ethan''s voice broke the silence, calm but heavy with authority.


    "It seems," he began slowly, "you don''t understand your role properly. Or maybe the responsibilities of it are too much for you."


    His tone sharpened.


    "Perhaps someone new would do a better job of understanding how things should work here."


    Hearing Ethan words The director visibly flinched, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He shifted nervously but still didn''t dare respond.


    Ethan continued, his words deliberate and final.


    "I want everything redone as it was in the original document sent to the board. The second FL—Emily—takes the lead role, effective immediately."


    At that moment there was a stunned silence as all eyes turned to Emily. She looked shocked, her lips parting slightly, as if she couldn''t quite believe what she''d heard. Vanessa''s face turned red with fury, her hands curling into fists at her sides.


    At that moment Ethan''s gaze shifted briefly to Vanessa, his tone now dismissive.


    "As for the current FL," he said, his words cutting, "I have no idea how you ended up here." Then he paused, letting the words hang in the air.


    "If you''re willing to ept the second lead role, then carry on. If not, the door is right there."


    Upon hearing Ethan words Vanessa''s jaw dropped.


    "You can''t be serious," she hissed, her voice trembling with rage. "Do you know who I am? I—"


    Ethan raised a hand, cutting her off mid-sentence. His expression was unbothered, almost cold.


    "I don''t need to know who you are," he said. "What I know is that you aren''t delivering what''s required. This isn''t a negotiation, if you''re ready to ept the second female lead then I have no issues."


    Immediately the room fell into an uneasy silence again. The crew exchanged nervous nces, and the director looked like he wanted to disappear.


    Emily stood rooted to the spot, still processing what had just happened, while Vanessa seethed silently, her face a mix of disbelief and humiliation.


    Then Ethan turned to leave, his steps calm and deliberate, when the director scrambled to follow him, his voice rising with desperation. "Sir, please wait!" he said, his words rushed.


    "You don''t understand—Vanessaes from one of the top entertainment families. Her presence alone brings—"


    Before he could finish, the sound of a towel hitting the ground cut him off.


    Immediately Everyone''s eyes darted toward Vanessa, who had flung the towel she''d been using to wipe her face onto the floor. Her face was flushed with rage, and her voice cracked like a whip as she barked, "Enough! I''m not doing this anymore."


    At that moment the crew stood frozen, the air tense as Vanessa jabbed a finger at Ethan.


    "If this is how JSK Entertainment treats superstars, then I''m out. I refuse to y any role in this joke of a production."


    She spun on her heel and stormed toward the door. But just before stepping out, she stopped, turning slowly to re at Ethan with fire in her eyes.


    "Mark my words," she said with a venomous smirk.


    "Tonight, you''ll be on your knees at my family mansion, begging for forgiveness."


    The threat hung in the air like a storm cloud. She tilted her chin up confidently, her thoughts as clear as her expression.


    "My family sponsors thispany. If they pull out, no one will dare invest, and JSK Entertainment will crumble."


    But Ethan didn''t flinch. He simply tilted his head slightly, his voice calm, almost amused.


    "You and your family can do your worst," he said with a faint, dismissive smile.