When Lilia walked into the lobby, she saw Adele stepping out of the elevator. The middle-aged woman was dressed like an executive, with a white blouse and light blue coat. Adele also saw Lilia and immediately walked over to her.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lilia." Adele said with a warm smile.
She looked at the clothes Lilia was wearing with great interest. The young woman wore a simple gray dress that reached her knees, combined with a black cardigan. Her elegant appearance was complemented by a belt made of silver chain.
"No, I just got here, really." Lilia shook her head. She spoke in a relaxed tone, as if she were dealing with an old friend.
Adele's smile grew wider. She had always liked Lilia's calm personality since they first met. The model was never arrogant or curvy. Lilia treated others with a calm and respectful attitude, regardless of who the other person was.
"Shall we talk at my office?" Adele led Lilia to walk towards the elevator.
"Of course." Lilia nodded while following the woman.
"Ah yeah, Louis Spark called me two days ago. This is the first time I've heard that guy so enthusiastic. He highly praised your acting skills and I was quite surprised by then so I'm looking forward to the release of the music video." Adele said with a chuckle.
Lilia joined in the laugh, but she was actually surprised. She didn't think Louis would rate her that high.
*****
They entered the editor-in-chief's room and Adele closed the door before telling Lilia to sit down.
Lilia looked around the office room. The first impression she got was that the room looked very neat and tidy. The walls were white without a trace of blemish. Shelves of various kinds of magazines covered one side of the room, but the contents of the shelves had been carefully arranged.
Adele sat across from Lilia and began to rummage through the pile of magazines on her desk.
"Ah, here it is." Adele pulled out a magazine and handed it to Lilia, "Do you like the cover? It will go to printing soon." Adele explained, "After seeing the sample, the editorial team is sure that this magazine will sell well."
Lilia accepted the magazine and looked at the cover. The figure of Lilia wearing a typical gangster outfit on the front page of the magazine reminded her of the photo shoot at the abandoned warehouse. She opened and glanced through the contents of the magazine.
"I don't really know about magazines, but I'm sure that this magazine can be extraordinary because of the efforts of Adele and the team." Lilia said politely as she put the magazine back on the table, "I really thank you for being given the opportunity to work with this amazing team." Her gaze was filled with gratitude.
Adele poured a cup of coffee and offered it to Lilia, "You are too humble! I am the one who is happy to work with you!" Adele said.
Lilia received the coffee while nodding.
Adele cleared her throat before changing the topic, "Lilia, I actually invited you here to talk about something." She said with a serious face.
Lilia straightened her body, "Looks like something important." She commented.
"You can say that." Adele then nodded, "I asked you to come today at someone's request."
Adele's serious expression made Lilia tense even more. The editor-in-chief was silent for a few moments, causing silence to envelop this room. The silence became even more unbearable until—
"Hahaha!" Adele suddenly laughed out loud, "I'm just kidding, you don't have to be so tense. I invited you here to show you this."
Adele opened her desk drawer and took out a folder. She handed the folder to Lilia who looked confused.
"Louis has given it a lot of thought since seeing your acting in the music video. He wants you to play a side character in the film he's working on." Adele explained.
Lilia looked at Adele in surprise. She didn't think Louis valued her abilities that much. She received the folder and opened it. The folder contained the outline of the film script.
Lilia scanned the document, which was only a few pages long. When she was done, she looked at Adele and was about to share her opinion. But Adele immediately got ahead of her.
"Before you refuse, let me explain first." Adele raised her hand and stopped Lilia, "I've contacted your manager personally. Harold, is that right? He said you weren't interested in getting into the movie industry right now."
Lilia nodded.
"I respect your opinion, but on the other hand, Louis' manuscripts are always of high quality. I think this is a rare opportunity for you. Why don't you think about it carefully before giving your answer?" Adele offered.
Adele sounded sincere when she said that. Her eyes were filled with trust and appreciation towards Lilia. The model looked back at the script in her hands before sighing.
"I never thought that Director Louis really appreciated my acting skills." Lilia said bluntly.
She had no prior acting experience. The role in the music video was her first. Naturally, Lilia felt that she wasn't good enough to attract Louis's attention.
Adele shook her head, "Louis has a talent for discovering hidden talents! As soon as filming for his music video is over, he comes right up to me and tells me a lot about you. The man asked me to help him get your cooperation."
Adele reached out and grasped the younger woman's hand. Her eyes looked really serious.
"Lilia, to be honest I've never seen Louis insist on like this. I've also read the script for the film he was making. Even though you got a side character, that character suits you and has a happy ending. I hope you will think about this offer carefully, okay?" Adele said solemnly.
After reading the outline of the script, Lilia had to admit that Louis' ability as a director was unmatched. The film had the theme of ancient kingdoms and was entitled "The Chosen Kingdom". Lilia did feel a little interested in the script, but she needed to consider this offer first.
Then Lilia looked at Adele in surprise. The middle-aged woman looked very serious when she asked Lilia to consider this offer. Adele acted as if the success of this film meant a lot to her.
"Adele, looks like your relationship with Director Louis is very good, huh." Lilia mentioned that.
Hearing that, Adele lowered her gaze. She looked hesitant, but finally the middle-aged woman looked back at Lilia. There was determination in her eyes.
"Louis is my husband." Adele replied briefly.
Lilia nearly dropped the script in her hand. She never heard the news that Adele was married. But on the other hand, she knew that Louis Spark was married.
Adele read Lilia's surprise and smiled faintly, "I'm telling you this because I trust you. I hope you can keep this a secret." She said while tucking her short hair behind her ear.
Lilia immediately nodded, "Of course, Sister Adele. I won't tell anyone."
She felt that she had a lot in common with Adele. Lilia began to understand why a tough and competent woman like Adele was willing to lower her ego to persuade Lilia. That woman must really love her husband.
*****
Lilia left the iKoN Magazine office at around half past two in the afternoon. She parted ways with Adele after having lunch together at a nearby restaurant. The model then hailed a taxi and headed towards the agency office. The folder with Louis' film script inside was still in her hand. She intended to discuss this offer with Harold as soon as possible.
After a long journey, Lilia finally arrived in front of the agency office building. She got out of the car and was immediately greeted by the cold monsoons. Lilia tightened her cardigan while feeling a little sorry that she didn't bring a jacket.
Lilia walked towards the building's entrance while stealing glances around her. Due to the cold air, there were very few pedestrians around here. They all walked quickly so as not to linger in the cold air. But Lilia couldn't get rid of the strange feeling clinging onto her. She felt a pair of eyes watching her every move.
As Lilia approached the steps leading to the front door of the office, she heard footsteps heading her way.
"LILIA PANGESTU!!"
Accompanied by that scream, Lilia felt her body being hit by someone from the side. She dropped her script and staggered backward. Lilia almost fell to the ground, but she managed to balance herself. She looked up and saw Rina standing in front of her. Lilia's gaze immediately turned cold.
The woman was breathing and seen wearing only a short sleeved shirt and jeans in the cold air. Her hair looked disheveled in the wind. Her current appearance looked a lot different from her glamorous appearance at any awards ceremony.
"Rina, what do you want?" Lilia asked in a tired voice.
The woman glared at Lilia with a gaze full of hatred. She pointed at Lilia and shouted loudly, "Lilia Pangestu, are you not satisfied ruining people's lives?! Because of you, I've lost my reputation and my career in entertainment! Isn't that enough for you?!"
Several pedestrians stopped hearing Rina's scream. They began to watch the play with great interest.
Lilia sighed when she heard Rina's accusation. Compared to Rina's impulsive and explosive attitude, Lilia remained calm as usual.
She raised her eyebrows and asked coldly, "I made you lose your reputation?" Her tone sounded scornful.
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