Chapter 558

Dominic Kingsley smirked from the sidelines. His lips twitched with amusement.

Those endorsements were leftovers no one wanted. So Dominic packaged them for Xavier Delmont at a bargain price.

Xavier had started with low-level ads. Shooting high-end products would be a challenge for him.

But no one had warned him about that.

Evelyn Sinclair smiled. "No need to thank me. You should be grateful to Mr. Kingsley for his... generosity."

Xavier hesitated, then asked, "Ms. Sinclair, why don't I treat you to dinner?"

Perfect opportunity to get a paparazzi shot, he thought.

Evelyn shook her head. "I need to drop my brother off at the set. Rain check."

The words "Horizon Media" flashed in Xavier's mind. If he landed a role in this film, his career would skyrocket.

Evelyn glanced at him. "Yes, it's still in pre-production."

Xavier's excitement was palpable. "Can you put in a word for me?"

Evelyn was his investor—and Lucas Sterling's sister.

Family connections should make this easy.

Xavier didn't think his request was unreasonable.

Dominic remained silent.

Evelyn sighed. "Fine, I'll mention it."

Just one word. That's all it would take.

Xavier nearly hugged her in excitement, but Evelyn's icy stare stopped him.

Lucas didn't react. Neither did Dominic.

Because they knew—even if he got the role, if his performance was lackluster, he'd be cut from the final edit.

Xavier's ambition had narrowed to one goal: Get this role.

Time was running out.

Xavier gave it his all.

He hovered around Evelyn, offering fruit and drinks, ensuring her comfort.

Lucas and Dominic had long since left for the set.

Xavier trailed smugly behind Evelyn.

With his investor backing him, stardom was inevitable.

Evelyn lingered, settling into a gazebo to observe the shoot.

Suddenly—

"Natalie!"

Natalie Beaumont turned, spotting Evelyn. She approached with measured steps.

"President Sinclair, aren't you swamped with work?"

Evelyn arched a brow. "I'm here with my brother. Why are you here?"

Natalie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, nodding toward an actor.

"My team's artistic director is working on this. Adrian Prescott is also here as the third lead."

Evelyn nodded. Natalie's business ventures were diverse—this wasn't surprising.

Then Natalie's smile froze.

"Who's that woman with your brother?"

The woman was nestled against Lucas, laughing as he playfully tugged her hair.

Evelyn shrugged. "His new girlfriend. She's the lead actress."

Natalie's expression flickered before she regained composure.

"Mr. Superstar changes girlfriends like socks."

"It's just publicity. All fake," Evelyn explained.

Natalie's lips twitched. Fake? Or did it start that way?

But it wasn't her place to care.

The second lead actress rushed over to Natalie and Evelyn.

The female lead's iconic prop sat on a nearby table.

As the second lead reached for it, she didn’t notice the car keys with a teardrop jade pendant beside it.

A sharp clink echoed as the keys hit the ground.

The jade shattered.

Evelyn and Natalie's faces darkened.

"Stop right there!"