The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 578

Chapter 578: Chapter 578 Zen’s Sharp Tongue
Trusting Betty’s judgment and having caught snippets of the earlier discussion between Betty and Director Nick, Hera gave the document a cursory glance before adding her signature to the final page.

When everything was finalized, Betty handed one signed contract back to Director Nick and carefully placed the other into the folder she had brought.

She then flashed Hera a warm smile and a playful wink before striding out of the room.

Betty was headed back to her office, where she had a full agenda—reviewing the numerous offers sent to Hera for advertisements, scripts, variety show invitations, and more.

She intended to select only the best opportunities that would genuinely benefit Hera’s career.

After all, not every invitation was advantageous; many were simply attempts to capitalize on Hera’s rising popularity for their own gain.

It wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea to accept some of those invitations, provided the companies behind them had good reputations, their products were credible, and the variety shows were of high quality, and so on.

However, that was before Hera’s other identity as Phantom was revealed.

After her identity became public, the offers surged like a flood.

Hera’s recent participation in the race had drawn massive attention, bringing significant revenue to the local area and inspiring countless companies to seek her out—either as a spokesperson or simply to associate their brand with her name to boost attention and sales.

That’s why Betty became more confident.

After the contract signing was complete, Director Nick wasted no time in addressing the room.

“Good morning, everyone,” he began, his wide smile sweeping across the group as he made eye contact with each person.

“I’m thrilled to welcome all of you to our crew, and I’m proud to announce that filming will begin very soon.”

“For now, we’ve brought the complete script for everyone to review and get familiar with. We’ll schedule a reading in a few days.”

“Later, the staff will take your measurements for the props and costumes we’ll be using during filming,” Director Nick announced, his tone both welcoming and efficient.

“In the meantime, feel free to get to know one another, as we’ll all be working together for a while.” With a final warm smile, he excused himself and headed off to coordinate with the staff, ensuring all arrangements for the locations, props, and other details were on track.

As soon as Director Nick left the room, the other actors began chatting among themselves, occasionally sneaking glances at Hera and Xavier.

“Yo! I never thought I’d see you again!” Zen exclaimed, jumping up from the far corner of the table.

His sudden movement drew everyone’s attention, including Hera’s. She hadn’t noticed him earlier, as his head had been lowered, and Xavier’s tall frame had blocked her view when they entered.

“Zen?!” Hera exclaimed, her voice a mix of surprise and excitement. It had only been about more than two weeks since they last saw each other, but it felt like much longer.

Zen hadn’t changed at all. His trademark boyish smile was still there, giving him the air of an older brother ready to tease his little sister.

The moment he saw Hera, he flashed the same grin, but then his gaze shifted to Xavier, his smile widening mischievously.

“It looks like our top actor, Xavier, is doing his best to win someone’s heart, huh?” Zen teased, hands on his hips as he flashed a playful grin. Xavier shot him a look, but then smiled in return.

“I have been,” Xavier replied nonchalantly. “There are so many bees and butterflies around.”

Zen burst out laughing at the remark before finding a seat and joining the conversation with Hera and Xavier.

The three of them had really hit it off during their time on the variety show ‘The Quest’, and their easy camaraderie made them seem like longtime friends.

The atmosphere in the room softened, and before long, everyone was listening in on their lively conversation, laughing along.

This natural banter helped everyone get to know each other, breaking the ice with ease.

At first, everyone assumed Xavier would keep his distance, considering he was a multiple award-winning actor and many of them were lesser-known, with most accustomed to playing supporting or second lead roles.

However, when they heard Xavier engaging in conversation and even joking around with Zen and Hera, their perceptions quickly shifted.

His warmth and approachability drew them in, and curiosity about him and Hera grew.

Gradually, they began to join the conversation, eager to be a part of the camaraderie.

Of course, there were still those who didn’t like the attention shifting away from them—those who were used to being the center of the spotlight.

But no one paid them any mind, leaving them to stew in their corner.

They didn’t make any effort to join in either, as they were accustomed to being the ones admired and adored.

“Tsk, what a pretentious woman,” someone from behind the crowd muttered, clearly aimed at Hera, as she was the easiest target among those at the center of attention.

After all, Xavier was an influential figure, and Zen had strong backing, but Hera didn’t have the same power.

Many believed Xavier was merely keeping her by his side temporarily, either out of curiosity or for the novelty of it. As a result, they didn’t see Hera as a threat and dismissed her accordingly.

“Sister, please don’t say that. People might think you’re trying to bully a newcomer, but I know that’s not true.”

“You were so kind to me when I am also a newcomer, and I can’t let anyone misunderstand your kindness.” The voice softened. “I know you’re just concerned for Brother Xavier and don’t want his good intentions to be taken advantage of.”

A familiar female voice spoke just beside the harsh tone from earlier, and even without looking, Hera immediately recognized who it was.

‘So, Alice still made it into this movie.’ Hera thought, a little surprised.

It was this very film that had launched Alice to stardom, and while Hera had already taken the female lead role away from her, she assumed that was the end of it.

But to her surprise, Alice had still managed to secure a part. So, what would her role be? Second female lead? Supporting character?

Hera didn’t want to waste any more energy on Alice; her tactics hadn’t changed, and it was starting to bore her.

Pretending to be the innocent, fragile white flower had lost its charm, especially after Hera had played that part herself for so long.

She had grown tired of constantly acting pitiful and weak.

In a way, she couldn’t help but admire Alice’s resilience—how could she continue with this act for so long without getting exhausted?

“Ha! Why are you even defending her when she’s taking the role that was supposed to go to one of us?” the woman sneered, her tone dripping with arrogance and confidence.

However, when Hera glanced at her, she couldn’t recall seeing her at yesterday’s audition.

That meant she either hadn’t made the cut for the female lead or had been placed into a lesser role—likely a supporting character—thanks to some investor influence.

The others remained silent, pursing their lips as they subtly shrank into the background.

Hera couldn’t help but think her guest might be right—this arrogant woman had likely been parachuted into the role by an investor.

There was only one major investor in this movie, who had put in a hefty 30 million, while the other investors were smaller players, just looking to get a piece of the pie.

That meant only one person could have given this woman the audacity to act so arrogantly—the major investor.

And while the director might have yielded to the investor’s pressure, he wasn’t one to give in easily.

Even when he compromised, he could only offer her a minor role. That alone was already a significant concession to the major investor.

The woman’s discontent with Hera stemmed from the fact that, despite having a powerful backer, she only landed a minor role.

That frustration made her eager to target Hera.

And of course, who wouldn’t be envious of the attention Xavier was lavishing on her?

Naturally, the woman’s jealousy festered, fueling her desire to make Hera’s life difficult.

As for her alliance with Alice, the reasoning was simple: in their circle, who didn’t have a loyal follower hanging on to their every word and whim?

She wanted that same power, and Alice, eager to please, served as the perfect tool for her.

The constant flattery only boosted the woman’s ego, making her feel more smug and confident about herself.

“Oh! Alice, I thought you auditioned for the female lead. Are you here for the second female lead?” Hera asked, feigning surprise as if just noticing Alice.

Xavier and Zen both followed her gaze, looking toward the small circle a little farther from them.

Aside from Alice and the woman from earlier, there was a man who had initially been considered for the male lead, but now, with Xavier taking the role, he had been relegated to the second male lead.

Beyond them were a few other actors who had secured supporting roles.

Zen let out a snort, a sneer curling on his lips. “Second female lead? The real second female lead is this girl,” he said, pointing to a simple girl sitting beside Hera.

She was beautiful, radiating youth and energy, but when Zen pointed at her, she immediately blushed and looked down, clearly uncomfortable with the attention and unwilling to engage with the people from the other side.

“As for Alice,” Zen continued with a taunting chuckle, “she’s playing the villainess — the kind who’s great at pretending to be the innocent white lotus. Seems like a perfect fit for her, doesn’t it?”