?Chapter 486:


    Elyse nearly lost her cool. What was this man’s problem? She hadid out her case so clearly. Wasn’t he supposed to be grateful, siding with her against Elena by now?


    Devonte scoffed silently, his thoughts brimming with a retort. What was this woman thinking? Elena wasn’t just anyone. She was the celebrated author Lena herself. Who else could im to understand Lena better than her? Moreover, to openly defame Lena right in front of him was nothing short of a tant insult.


    Ignoring Elyse’s flirtatious attempts to catch his eye, Devonte moved toward Elena with a demeanor filled with respect. “I apologize, boss. I should have apanied you earlier to fend off these baseless usations and prevent them from ruining your mood for selecting the cast.”


    At Devonte’s words, Elyse’s face crumbled as she spun around in disbelief. There stood Devonte, cautiously cozying up to Elena, speaking as though walking on eggshells.


    Elyse’s mind buzzed with confusion. What was happening? Why did this man just call Elena “Boss”? And did he just insult her?


    Grinding her teeth in fury, Elyse snapped, “Hey, did you just insult me?”


    Devonte responded with a smirk, “Not toote to catch on.”


    Elyse’s expression darkened instantly. “And who exactly do you think you are? You’ve got no right to speak here!” Never in her life had she been so brazenly disrespected by a man, and she lost herposure.


    Devonte chuckled, “Who am I?” He swept a hand around the room. “This is Starlight Studios, and you’re asking who I am?”


    Without wasting breath on Elyse, Devonte turned to Kenton. “Kenton, do I have a say here?”


    Kenton, sweating bullets, nodded. As the CEO of Starlight Studios and the main backer of A Dream Within a Dream, Devonte’s word was practicallyw. Kenton cleared his throat. “Mr. ke, you’re the CEO of Starlight Studios, and this project falls under your banner. The final call is yours.”


    Devonte shook his head, wagging a finger. “Nope. Elena calls the shots.” Devonte had gone out of his way to recruit Elena to oversee casting, and no one could afford to ruffle her feathers—not even him.


    Hailey, a seasoned yer in the industry, immediately recognized Devonte.


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    The moment Devonte addressed Elena as “Boss”, Hailey fell silent. She realized she had been reckless. She shouldn’t have antagonized Louis and Kenton, and certainly not Devonte, the CEO of Starlight Studios. Her career was on the rise.


    She couldn’t afford to burn bridges.


    Even at this point, Elyse was still making a spectacle of herself.


    Devonte turned his full attention to Elyse. His gaze sharpened. “So, did you justbel Elena as arrogant and a fraud?”


    Elyse froze, the gravity of the situation finally dawning on her. Her face lost all color as she stammered, lips trembling, “I…”


    Devonte had no patience for excuses and yanked the script from her grasp. “I don’t work with people whock integrity. No need to audition—you’re out.”


    Elyse’s voice cracked as she protested, “Wait! Theo rmended me—you can’t just dismiss me!”


    Elyse was desperate. Without this part, how could she make her big break? She couldn’t afford to lose this chance.


    Elyse hissed, “If you cut me now, how will you exin it to Theo? Besides, I’m the perfect Rylee! If you pass me up, you’ll never find anyone better.”


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