Chapter 287: Sister-in-law, please come and save me.
James suddenly felt a surge of hope.
If Adelyn really was a Scott, things would become much easier for her. With a family as influential as the Scotts backing her, people in the industry would think twice before making things difficult for her or trying to bully her.
And in turn, that would also help the filming progress smoothly without unnecessary drama.
So when Liam mentioned his sister, James had naturally assumed he was referring to Adelyn.
Liam paused for a second before saying, "You misunderstood me again, Producer Polson. I’m talking about my sister, Clara Scott." His fingers curled tight as he continued,
"I only have one sister, and that’s her. Clara Scott."
"Oh ...," James slowly responded.
Although a trace of disappointment flickered through him, he didn’t let it show.
"Clara Scott ... wasn’t she the recipient of last year’s Most Popular Actress Award?"
Liam smiled and nodded. "Yes, that’s her."
James nodded in quiet acknowledgement. However, his expression not long after turned serious again.
"We truly appreciate your trust in us, CEO Scott, ..." he said, "but as I have mentioned earlier, the female lead has already been finalized. Rhodes has finalized her. And not even I can ask him to replace her."
He stared directly at Liam before continuing,
"So ... even if you’re investing one hundred million, I’m afraid I still won’t be able to help you with that."
"Producer Polson, I understand," Liam replied politely. "But ... I am not asking for the female lead’s position."
He briefly paused before adding, "I was just hoping you could consider my sister for the second female lead role instead."
"Second lead?" James repeated, slightly surprised.
As far as he remembered, Clara Scott had attended the auditions. And she had auditioned specifically for the female lead.
Why would she suddenly be interested in the second lead now?
Liam smiled and nodded once more. "Yes. Actually, she’s been looking forward to working with Director Rhodes for a very long time. Especially for this script."
He smiled faintly.
"She has practiced for this for over a year now. As her brother, I really can’t bear to see her disappointed."
James understood.
That explanation made sense.
Camden Rhodes had made an impeccable reputation in the industry. Countless actors dreamed of working with him.
So it wasn’t strange that someone as popular as Clara Scott would want the same opportunity.
However ...
He clasped his hands behind his back and thought quietly for a moment before finally replying.
"I understand where you are coming from, CEO Scott." He paused before continuing, "But I also hope ... you’ll understand our position too."
"The cast has already been finalized, and none of them earned their roles because of bias or previous achievements."
"They all auditioned fairly and secured their positions through merit."
He slowly shook his head before he added,
"Asking someone to give up their role simply so your sister can take it ... wouldn’t be the right thing to do."
Liam had expected that answer. After thinking for a brief moment, he asked, "What if the actress who was selected is willing to give up the role herself?"
He looked at James.
"If that happens, would you and Director Rhodes consider letting Clara step in?"
James smiled —immediately understanding what Liam was implying by that.
He nodded.
"If that really happens, then I don’t think there would be any issue." He shrugged lightly.
"We would need someone to fill the vacancy anyway. If Ms. Scott is willing, then we’ll naturally consider her."
"I got it, Producer Polson." Liam then extended his hand to him.
James smiled at him before taking it.
After the firm handshake, the two of them moved on to discussing the investment in detail.
——————————————————
Meanwhile—
Outside the meeting room, the investors all wore ugly expressions.
Only now did they realize they might have just lost one of the greatest investment opportunities.
Although they had been skeptical before, Director Rhodes’s reputation and such an outstanding script had still given them confidence in the project’s future.
But now ...
That opportunity was gone.
The more they thought about it, the more they regretted acting so arrogantly.
Because of their arrogance, someone else had managed to step in.
And if someone was willing to fill such a massive investment gap, it could only mean one thing.
They had seen the project’s value.
The value that should have belonged to them.
"Who do you think the new investor Polson found is?" one of them couldn’t help asking.
"He said they’re both capable and powerful. There aren’t that many people like that, are there?"
The others slowly shook their heads.
No one had any idea.
Then, after a moment, someone suddenly spoke up.
"Director Rhodes has always had a good relationship with the Second Young Master Warren of Fusion Entertainment."
He sounded uncertain at first, but the more he spoke, the more convinced he became.
"I’ve even heard Second Young Master Warren respects Director Rhodes for his work." His eyes widened slightly. "Could he be the new investor?"
The possibility alone made everyone’s expressions change.
If Fusion Entertainment really invested ...
Then this project must truly have enormous value.
Otherwise, why would Jasper Warren bother investing?
But then, someone quickly shook his head.
"I don’t think so," he said, adding, "Even if Director Rhodes is respected by many, Jasper Warren never mixes his biases with his work. He aims for only profits, and he wouldn’t support him after learning who he’s insisting on casting."
"A rookie ... a complete nobody."
Another person immediately added, "Besides, I heard Fusion Entertainment has already allocated this quarter’s investment budget. It can’t possibly be him."
To them ...
Just Adelyn’s name alone should have been enough to make Jasper Warren reject the project outright.
But little did they know—
It was precisely Adelyn’s name ...
...that had made him seriously consider investing, even if it meant going out of his way to do so.
——————————————————
Elsewhere—
The sun was already sinking below the horizon, painting the sky in warm shades of orange and gold as the city slowly prepared itself for a peaceful evening.
Adelyn had just walked out of the law firm with the finalized draft of the letter of severance in hand when the phone inside her pocket suddenly rang.
She stopped in her tracks and pulled it out. Her brows knitted slightly when she saw an unfamiliar number displaying on the screen.
"Hello?"
She answered, and the moment she did—
A panicked cry immediately came from the other end.
"Sister-in-law! You finally picked up! Please ... come and save me."