"Yvonne, we meet again." Cynthia smiled politely, her expression always gentle and appropriate.
"Ms. Scott." Yvonne also nodded a polite greeting before taking the empty seat beside Cynthia.
The actors rmended by various agencies auditioned one after another. They were all popr leading men in the industry, their status a good match for Yvonne.
By the time all the actors had finished their auditions, it was already evening. Director Davis suggested they all have dinner together, an offer Yvonne couldn''t easily refuse, so the group went to a nearby upscale restaurant.
Cynthia seemed to be a regr at this restaurant; the owner and the waiters were all very familiar with her.
Cynthia didn''t even look at the menu, simply ordering a few of the restaurant''s signature dishes. Then, with perfect etiquette, she smiled and asked the other three, "Is there anything you particrly like, or any dietary restrictions?"
Director Davis waved his hand with a smile, saying he wasn''t a picky eater. However, he did have a fondness for wine and ordered a nice bottle of dry red.
Sandra spoke up directly, "Yvonne is allergic to seafood, so just a couple of non- seafood dishes will be fine."
Cynthia took this in and asked the waiter to add a roast duck and some sweet and sour short ribs.
The table was soon filled with avish spread of food. Director Davis swirled the wine in his ss as he discussed the day''s auditions.
Quite a few actors had shown up today, all with good looks and considerable standing, and some were talented. But none of them seemed to be a perfect fit for the role.
"Actually, I think the award-winning actor, Thomas, would be a great fit for this role," Cynthia remarked casually, as if the thought had just urred to her.
Director Davis''s eyes lit up. "You''re right, the role does seem tailor-made for him. I just wonder if he''s avable."
Hearing this, Sandra instinctively nced at Yvonne. Though Yvonne said nothing, a slight frown had formed between her elegant brows.
"Let''s not get ahead of ourselves. A small-budget production like ours could never afford an actor like Thomas," Sandra said with augh, trying to steer the conversation away.
Cynthia smiled, her gaze sweeping over Yvonne as she teased, "If Thomas were to join the cast, I imagine someone would get quite jealous.”
"You''re joking, Ms. Scott," Yvonne replied tly.
Sandra was busy serving herself and didn''t chime in. Director Davis waspletely lost but knew better than to ask questions.
Halfway through the meal, Sandra stepped out to take a call, and Director Davis, having had a bit too much to drink, excused himself to the restroom.
This left only Cynthia and Yvonne in the room.
Cynthia used the serving utensils to ce a chicken wing on Yvonne''s te.
"Try this. It''s their specialty. You can''t find it like this anywhere else."
Yvonne took a token bite and nodded. "It''s good."
Cynthia, unfazed by Yvonne''s indifferent attitude, continued, "You don''t seem very happy to have me here, Yvonne."
ет
"You''re overthinking it, Ms. Scott. You''re a renowned screenwriter in the industry, most people would be thrilled to work with you." Yvonne replied politely.
Cynthia''s lips curved into a smile at her response. She reached for the bottle of red wine and slowly poured some into her ss.
As she poured, she said in a mild tone, "I know you look down on me. In your eyes,
I''m just a homewrecker with no moralpass."
Yvonne listened, her lips pressed together in silence.
Strictly speaking, Cynthia''s actions
so far didn''t quite make her a homewrecker. But she was maneuvering carefully and her ultimate goat was clearly to break up Noah''s family and steal another woman''s husband.
"When I went abroad all those years ago, I genuinely wanted to let go. I''ve spent all this time trying to forget, trying to make peace with myself But after so long, I still can''t sever my feelings for him. When an obsession runs this deep, right and wrong, ethics and morals... they all start to seem less important."