"Yup," Hera answered simply, her tone calm and collected.


    Her straightforward reply made Xavier raise an eyebrow, curiosity sparking in his eyes. He hadn’t expected such nonchnce, especially considering that Director Nick wasn’t just a big name in the industry—this zombie apocalypse film was rumored to be a career-defining project.


    Being invited to audition, let alone being part of the cast or crew, was a monumental opportunity, something most would proudly boast about.


    But Hera remainedposed, her demeanor suggesting she knew more than she let on, yet she wasn’t inclined to make a spectacle of it.


    "Then let’s go together," Xavier said casually, his gaze fixed on Hera, gauging her every reaction.


    "I was invited to y the male lead. It wouldn’t be surprising if I sat with the director during the auditions for the female lead. After all, whoever gets the role will be working closely with me."


    He added thest part with a slight smirk, leaning back in his chair. Hera, too caught up in her own excitement, momentarily forgot to school her expressions.


    Xavier was taken aback. Hera’sck of surprise at hearing he was cast as the male lead was unexpected.


    The actor lineup for the movie had been tightly guarded, with even inside rumors subtly swirling that his rival actor might take the role. Many spected that Xavier, being notoriously busy, had declined the offer, leaving the part open for the second choice.


    And now, realizing Hera might be auditioning for the heroine’s role, Xavier’s perspective shifted. His interest in the project heightened. He wanted to be part of the film, ensuring that only he, the director, and the staff were privy to this revtion for now.


    The rumors about the male lead role were circting only among the elite actors and actresses—those already well-established in the industry.


    Many of them were vying for a chance to be cast in this film, doing whatever it took to gather insider information.


    However, this intel had not leaked to lower-tier celebrities, let alone the general public.


    That’s why Hera’s calm andposed reaction baffled Xavier. Most would have been shocked or at least intrigued by hearing such ssified information mentioned so casually. Unless... she already knew about it beforehand.


    The reason Hera wasn’t surprised was obvious—she already knew. It had been mentioned in the novel that Xavier’s schedule would soon open up due to unforeseen dys in some of his ongoing projects.


    The shooting locations for a few of his dramas had been canceled because of disputes over rights and contracts, which would take time to resolve.


    While waiting, Xavier’s agency was set to ept Director Nick’s offer for the male lead role in his film.


    Rafael, ever strategic and money minded, recognized the potential. He knew this project could once again catapult Xavier to global recognition, especially with Director Nick nning to submit the film to the Oscars.


    This information was supposed to be confidential, but Rafael had paid a hefty sum to uncover it.


    Thus, Xavier became the male lead, while Alice secured the role of the female lead. This was how Alice grew closer to Xavier in the novel—not solely because of Rafael and Minerva.


    While it was true that Alice met Xavier through Rafael, their connection deepened through this project.


    Working together on the film required them to share several intimate scenes, which naturally brought them closer.


    And this would be Xavier’s ever first romance action genre movie in the market which would attract all kind of fans which would highlight him and Alice to the point that both their fanbase would grow significantly, especially their loveteam shippers.


    After all, after Xavier stayed in the entertainment industry for a long time, this would be the very first time he would be acting in a romance action movie with someone, even when he has been asked to do it from day one but he stubbornly refused and so, many has thought that Xavier did it for Alice and that they are romantically involved.


    And because of this, Alice’s poprity skyrocketed and since they are working in the same entertainmentpany, their agency never cleared this misunderstanding up as it became a part of their marketing strategy to rile up the public to increase the visibility of the movie and make the general public be hooked up and invested to know how the movie will unfold, along with their on screen love team.


    All of this had beenid out in the novel, serving as a pivotal development in their rtionship.


    Hera was already fully aware of the developments surrounding the film, including the fact that the audition was invite-only—a highly confidential event where everything was kept under wraps.


    Given this, her calm reaction to Xavier’s question was unusual. She should have been surprised, or at least more guarded, but instead, she remainedposed. Fortunately for her, Xavier didn’t press further for details.


    "But don’t you have othermitments? Your schedule should be packed by now," Rafael’s deep voice called out from across the room, prompting Xavier to lift his gaze and meet his eyes.


    "Well, I can always request to postpone those projects for a special reason—they’re not that important anyway," Xavier replied with a smirk. "Besides, wouldn’t you be pleased if I joined the film? It could generate a lot more ie for thepany."


    Xavier knew exactly why Rafael was bringing it up—he didn’t want him involved, especially since it would mean more time spent with Hera.


    <i>Ring...</i>


    Xavier’s phone rang, its persistent tone cutting through the quiet room.


    Hezily pulled it out of his pocket, clearly uninterested in answering, but the ringing didn’t seem to stop. With a sigh, he stood up and walked a little farther away to take the call.


    Momentster, his expression shifted from boredom to a wide, mischievous grin as he nced back at Rafael. After hanging up, he returned to his seat, still wearing that yful smile.