Ryan cast a cautious nce at Dorian and gave a small nod, signaling Julian to tread carefully. He tried to hint that Dorian was in no mood to discuss the matter further.
Unfortunately, Julian either missed the cue orcked the sense to heed it. With indignation, he blurted out, "How could someone with Dorian''s acting skills not be chosen? There must be something fishy going on!"
Dorian shot him a cold re. He couldn''t fathom how thepany had saddled him with such an oblivious agent. Rowan wasn''t one to be influenced by outside forces. Landing a role depended purely on talent, and Dorian knew his own failure had nothing to do with any conspiracy.
It was his own fault for letting L throw him off bnce.
If he hadn''t encountered her at the airport, hadn''t heard Michael''s taunting remarks that used L as leverage against him, or hadn''t noticed Michael''s audition emting L''s habits, Dorian wouldn''t have lost hisposure.
Julian, however, grew more incensed upon learning that Michael had secured the role. "Everyone knows how talented Dorian is. His acting skills are undeniable. Could it be that Magi Pictures pulled strings through the Morgan Group''s deep pockets to give Michael an unfair edge? Everyone''s aware of how simr their roles are, and the rivalry between the twopanies over resources. It''s obvious they threw money at this just to one-up Dorian!"
Julian''s voice grew louder with every word, and he seemed increasingly
convinced by his own reasoning. He failed to notice Ryan''s visible difort and hesitations.
Ryan couldn''t say if backdoor dealings were involved, but based on their audition performances, it was clear to any observer that Michael had outshone Dorian. He nced at Dorian, whose expression remained stormy, and tugged at Julian''s sleeve. "That''s enough. Stop talking."
"Get out!" Dorian snapped, his icy gaze cutting through them.
Ryan awkwardly left the room, and Julian, after a moment''s hesitation, seemed to have a sudden idea and followed suit.
The next morning, Michael and Lnded in Northridge City.
"Good thing Mr. Morgan flew back a day earlier. Just imagining being on the same flight as him makes my back ache," Michael remarked, pulling two suitcases as they made their way out of the airport.
"Let''s grab a meal first, then we''ll head to the office," he announced enthusiastically.
"Huh?" L raised a brow. Since when was that decided?
Michael ignored her confusion, bounding ahead like an unleashed puppy wagging its tail. The thought of beating Dorian at something left him feeling triumphant. That idiot didn''t realize what a gem L was and had thrown her away like she was nothing. One day, he would regret it so badly he would want to punch himself.
"Don''t worry, it''s on me. I''m not short on cash."
"Liam is going to scold you again," L pointed out.
"If neither of us says anything, who''s going to know? Besides, wended the role -we deserve to celebrate!"
She thought about it and decided he had a point. The dark cloud over her mood lifted, and she followed him to the restaurant.
While waiting for their food, L habitually checked thetest entertainment news. As soon as she opened the app, a particr headline made her frown.
"What''s wrong? Are those two rookies of yours causing trouble on a variety show?" Michael asked, sensing her shift in mood.
L shook her head, taking a deep breath before replying. "The news of younding the role is out in the open."
"And that''s a bad thing? Free publicity," he replied cheerfully, buttering a slice of toast and taking a bite.
"You got the role, but Dorian didn''t
1.n
His agent posted a vague yet insinuating Twitter post suggesting foul y and implying that your casting wasn''t above board."
Michael paused mid-bite, his fork hovering over a te of scrambled eggs. "How
would I even pull off something shady like that?"
"We know that, but his fans are in
uproar. Thements are
overwhelmingly filled with
an
usations. Now the bacsh has
reached the directors has
you."