Chapter 27 They Are Alike
“What’s up with you!” Lara shot back. Oscar had been fine just moments “go, but his mod shifted as unpredictably as the
weather.
To Lara, Oscar was an enigma, as hard to grasp as a needle lost at sea. But in reality, he was an open book, his heart as straightforward as a child’s innocent gaze.
After being siblings for over twenty years, Lara didn’t need him to say a word–she could tell exactly when he was mentally. cursing her.
Oscar narrowed his eyes. “You little rascal.”
Lara remained silent.
So petty.
Donovan had arranged for someone to meet Lara at the reception. “Follow me.” Kelly led Lara and Oscar into the elevator
As they stepped inside, Kelly found himself stealing glances at Oscar. The Ross siblings truly had an impressive genetic pool If Oscar weren’t already a powerful businessman, he would have seriously considered scouting him as an actor
That face he was the textbook definition of a leading man.
Sensing her stare, Oscar turned toward Kelly. Their eyes met for a split second, and his heart skipped a beat.
He quickly looked away, embarrassed. Just moments ago, he had seen him treating Lara so warmly, and for a second he Bain forgotten what kind of man Oscar was–powerful, intimidating.
He cursed himself. How could he have been so obvious?
The CEO’s office was on the thirty–sixth floor, and the three of them rode the express elevator, which didn’t stop along the
way.
When they arrived, Donovan was standing by the window, speaking on the phone. At the sound of their arrival, he turned and motioned for them to take a seat.
Oscar nodded in acknowledgment and led Lara to sit down. Lara felt slightly tense.
She distracted herself by checking her phone and noticed a new friend request on WhatsApp. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name–Donovan.
She had left the request sitting for a day.
She had no idea how much it would cost to repair a Bentley. Not that she was worried about the money–the Ross family was more than capable of covering it. What frustrated her was that she had managed to scratch her boss‘ car before even officially starting work.
It was pure bad luck.
Oscar wasn’t paying attention to Lara’s internal panic. Instead, his gaze landed on a photo frame sitting on Donovan’s desk.
But the distance was too great–he couldn’t make out who was in the picture.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Donovan said, walking over with long strides. His secretary followed behind, carefully placing three cups of coffee on the table.
Donovan handed Lara a contract. “This is the actor’s agreement. Look it over, and if everything
page.”
Oscar received a copy as well.
in order, sign on the last
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For a brief moment, he was surprised. It seemed Donovan was well aware of his initial resistance to Lara joining the company. Otherwise, there would have been no reason to hand him a copy.
Oscar was a seasoned businessman–contracts were nothing new to him. A quick scan confirmed that the terms were clear, with no hidden traps in the clauses. After flipping through it a couple of times, he set it down and extended his hand to Donovan. “I’ll be entrusting my sister to you, Mr. Mayer.”
Donovan shook his hand. “She’ll make a fine actress.”
Later, Donovan was reviewing casting videos, but the poor acting on display only frustrated him. Out of sight, out of mind. He shut the computer down. Leaning back at his desk, he picked up the framed photo,
It was from his first trip to Qutbridge with Shelby. The wind had been strong that day, making her hair a tangled mess. But to him, she had still been the most beautiful woman in the world.
He gently traced a finger over her face in the photo. His phone vibrated with a WhatsApp message–his mother checking in, as she often did: Have you eaten?
He replied: Yes. Only then did he notice that Lara had accepted his friend request.
Almost immediately, a message from her arrived: Mr. Mayer, how much is the car repair?
He replied: No need to worry about it.
To him, Lara meant nothing special. The only reason he had signed her was because she reminded him of Shelby. That, and her undeniable talent.
In a few days, it would have been his anniversary with Shelby. He had already booked a private restaurant in a skyscraper Fir the occasion. Lowering his gaze, he absentmindedly touched the red string around his neck.
Mayer Group had recently acquired the rights to a new suspense thriller novel. The casting director had initially eyed Chace for the male lead, while the female lead was set to go to an up–and–coming actress from Redhole Entertainment.
Donovan had read the script and thought the role would actually suit Lara better. Both Lara and Chace were now under Kelly’s management.
Mayer Group had worked hard to secure Chace, making significant concessions in his contract. He had been given an unusual degree of freedom in his projects.
The Red was a major intellectual property, written by her all–time favorite author.
Two years ago, by some lucky twist of fate, she had managed to add him on WhatsApp. She had always wanted to meet him. but never had the chance. And now, she was holding a script adaptation of his novel in her hands.
The author, upon receiving the casting details, reached out to Lara himself. They set up a time to meet.
On the day of the meeting. Lara arrived with a pen, notebook, and script in hand–looking every bit like a diligent student attending class.
Traffic had been at a standstill for three minutes. Out of boredom, Lara glanced out the window. A massive screen was playing an economic news interview–Donovan was the guest.
At the same time, her phone buzzed with a trending notification. Lila was ranked forty–seventh on trending topics.
Lara had intended to tap on it but got distracted as the car in front started moving. Tossing her phone aside, she missed the news entirely. She had no idea Lila had just been released from prison.
Lila had gained traction online because of Donovan. Ever since Mayer Group entered the entertainment industry, Donovan had stepped more into the public eye. Soon, insiders started leaking information onto gossip forums, fueling an enormous discussion.
They were all eager to expose Donovan’s personal affairs.
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The post mentioned Lila–specifically, how she had stolen jewelry that once belonged to Donovan’s late wife. Someone claiming to be an insider left a cryptic comment.
One discussion led to another, and before long, Lila’s entire background was being dissected. Her stepfather was in prison. Her mother worked in a factory.
And once upon a time, Lila had boldly declared she wanted to marry Donovan.
That wasn’t the only revelation–the post also claimed that Lila and Donovan’s late wife had been best friends.
Lara remained unaware of all this, but Oscar didn’t. Because his sister had signed with Mayer Group, he had taken the time to investigate the company.
His assistant had sent over a report, and everything seemed ordinary until he saw the section detailing Donovan’s late wife.
Oscar’s heart clenched. Why does she look so much like Lam?
