Chapter 23 She Had Just Emerged from That Car
Inside the vehicle, Jessica looked at the driver and asked as if to confirm, "Sir, are you sure you cover your gas money by driving this type of car for clients?"
The driver paused before answering, "Yeah, I suppose so."
Inwardly, the driver thought, How would I know what Gabriel is up to, suddenly having me drive to such a place to pick someone up and insisting on pretending to be a regular ride-hail driver?
Meanwhile, Nicholas sneezed at home, wiped his nose, and glanced at his cellphone.
He was even less clued in on what his brother was thinking!
Yet here he was, unexpectedly calling him not to discuss business matters or check on family affairs but to instruct him to send a car for someone. What was all that about?
The black Rolls-Royce delivered Jessica to her destination precisely at 9:00 AM.
Jessica did not bother with niceties. She thanked the driver and hurried out, dashing into the studio space arranged by the film crew.
The martial arts instructor had arrived just a minute earlier and saw Jessica rushing in. With a frown of displeasure, he said, "Which role are you playing? Didn't I say to be here before nine? Do you have any sense of punctuality? After we start filming in a few days, are you going to have the director and the entire crew waiting for you?"
Jessica had entered right on schedule, not a minute late.
Without offering much explanation, she quickly nodded an apology to the action instructor: "Sorry, it was tough catching a ride with the weather like this. I barely made it on time, and not preparing some wiggle room was my bad."
The action instructor sized her up from head to toe, his gaze lingering. She was beautiful, with skin that was so fair and tender. He had seen many female stars in the industry, but naturally beautiful women with such fine features and fantastic skin were not so common.
He lit a cigarette on the spot, blowing smoke rings through squinted eyes, and asked, "Which role?"
"The female lead in 'Charles II,' playing the role of Katarina."
"Oh, the female lead..." The action instructor exhaled another smoke ring, taking a file from the hand of an assistant nearby. Initially, his gaze held some importance because being cast as a lead in this play usually indicated some influential background.
After skimming through it for a moment, he suddenly snubbed his cigarette, scoffed, and said, "You're fourth on the call sheet. What lead are you talking about? Don't inflate your status; the three leads ahead of you have more fame than you'll ever see."
Without any backing, resources, or fame, being cast below others was normal for any low-budget production, let alone one with an established cast.
Jessica kept her smile polite and did not respond.
"Wait over there," the action instructor said dismissively, pointing her toward a waiting area outside of the set.
She saw several featured extras, whose names she couldn't recall, already seated there. It was cold and raining, and they had no option but to sit and wait.
They were asked to arrive before 9 a.m., but she knew that waiting until nine at night could mean she would still not be sure of getting her turn in front of the camera.
Jessica was used to this kind of treatment and couldn't be bothered to argue. She was about to head towards the waiting area.
Suddenly, the assistant tapped the action instructor on the back, "Lincoln, look over there."
The action instructor followed the assistant's gesture and saw a black Rolls-Royce parked outside.
Having been around this glitz and glamour for a while, the action instructor had seen his fair share of luxury and instantly recognized the car as a limited-edition Rolls-Royce—not something any wealthy person could just buy!
The owner of such a car wasn't just rich or noble but often a significant public figure whose name was well-known.
He asked, perplexed, "Nice car, what about it?"
The assistant pointed discreetly toward Jessica, who had walked some distance away, and whispered, "She just got out of that car."
The action instructor's expression froze, and his eyes showed a flurry of emotions as he quickly called out to Jessica, "Hey, I just forgot. All your leads have lounges inside. Jessica, you go in and wait!"
