Chapter 35 She Really Loved It
Mackenzie, worried, continued to speak to the closed door, "Jessica, are you alright? Could you open the door and let me in? I'll promise I'll find you another show soon. I promise it won't be one of those trashy shows with no substance. We missed out on this one, which is regrettable, but there's still a long road ahead."
There still needed to be a response from inside.
Mackenzie shook her head and sighed outside the door, "I was even thinking of finding another role for you in the show. If not the female lead, then another character would have been fine, too. But then they said someone had made it clear that you weren't right for the production at all and asked you to leave the cast."
"At first, I thought they just wanted to squeeze someone else in, but then I realized the hidden meaning in their words—someone was deliberately targeting you."
"I know you so well. I've watched you navigate your career these past two years since you came back from abroad. You've always been measured in your actions. How could you possibly offend someone, especially since you barely have any dealings with people outside of work"?
"Can you open the door, Jessica?"
There was still no response from the inside.
Mackenzie furrowed her brows, her hand slowly falling away from the intent to knock again.
Jessica was never this stubborn; locking herself away could only mean she was deeply hurt. It was best to give her time to be alone and collect herself.
Mackenzie hoped that she just needed some quiet time and didn't have any darker thoughts.
Jessica returned home, first instructing Danielle to wash her hands, and then she began to organize the groceries she had bought.
She went on to prepare a beef stew with the items she had purchased, calling Gabriel to join her for dinner.
Once again, like earlier in the day, Jessica took a few bites of her meal and then hovered her gaze over the script by her side as if deep in thought about a particular scene.
Mackenzie's words were still unknown to her at this time.
Gabriel looked at her for a moment and asked, "Do you really love acting?"
Jessica's gaze shifted away from the script as she reached over to serve another bowl of soup, answering, "It's going alright. I never intended to get into this business, but when I was abroad, a film director discovered me. I did a few scenes, and then, coincidentally, Mackenzie saw me while she was overseas for a business trip. I don't know what she saw in me, but she wanted to sign me on as a talent. I was planning to return home with not much in the way of funds, and the signing bonus was quite substantial, so I went for it."
As she spoke, she lifted her eyes to meet his, "Since coming back home these past two years, I've been working with her, picking up minor roles here and there, but I don't really have any standout works yet. Compared to those real stars with solid works and fan following, I'm definitely different."
"If you had the chance to choose, would you prefer to be the lead actress or be content with being the second lead?"
His sudden question caught Jessica off guard. She had been busy with dinner preparations, and her thoughts were preoccupied with the script's story, so her mind slowed for a moment before she instinctively answered, "I'd stick with the second lead. which has a more substantial character design. It's quite challenging, and I like that."
When Jessica talked about the character design in this drama, her eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement.
Gabriel's eyes were cool and detached, giving the impression he could effortlessly dissect a person's heart.
It was clear she truly loved the role.
As night fell, Gabriel didn't call Nicholas. Instead, he reached out to another person.
After three rings, the person on the other end of the phone picked up. His voice was cautious—after all, only one person knew this number and was allowed to call him at any hour.
A few seconds later, the voice questioned, "Gabriel?"
