"Looks like they've arrived." Louis got up from his chair.
Lilia immediately closed the script and stood up as well. Louis had told her that there would be five main characters in this film, including himself.
The five actors consisted of three actors and two actresses.
Another female lead was Shirley Pierre, who won the title of 'Queen of Movies' in Berlin. Lilia remembered meeting her at the Genesis Company celebration party. The woman's reputation in the entertainment world was quite the opposite. She had a huge fanbase that spread all over the world, but her haters were no less. But they all agreed that Shirley's acting skills were second to none.
The actress was the first to enter the room. The two women's gazes met for a moment.
The Italian woman wore a white skirt that was knee length and a plain black shirt with long sleeves. Her simple clothes highlighted her beautiful and exotic face. Shirley was followed by three other actors, who trailed behind her like ducklings.
Shirley looked Lilia up and down, her gaze sharp and appraising. The actress had world-class acting skills and many fans, so it's no wonder that she had a great pride of herself.
Lilia seemed to have passed her assessment, so Shirley smiled and greeted her, "Hello, Lilia Pangestu."
Before Lilia could answer, one of the actors behind Shirley immediately rushed at her while exclaiming, "Lili! It turns out that you also played a role in this film!"
Lilia's gaze turned cold when she saw that man. She ignored him and turned her gaze to Shirley, "Hello, Miss Shirley." Lilia said with a polite smile. She knew her position as a newcomer, so she didn't want to offend the other cast.
Louis told everyone to sit around the table. Lilia deliberately chose a chair as far away from the man she didn't want to meet the most. The presence of six people at once made the table look crowded.
The director took turns looking at the cast with a satisfied look. Then he clapped her hands, grabbing everyone's attention, "I was planning to introduce the main characters to each other, but I think you all already know each other. After all, everyone here is a celebrity in the entertainment world." Louis explained, smiling broadly.
His remarks drew chuckles from several people.
"Therefore, today I ask you to come together to talk about shooting standards ..."
Lilia tried to focus on every word Louis said. This was her first shoot, so there would be a lot she needed to learn. Lilia felt that it would be easier for her to concentrate if that man stopped staring at her intently.
*****
After the meeting ended, Louis asked Lilia to stay and talk about something first. The rest of the cast could return to the hotel or enjoy their free time.
Shirley walked out with the other cast, but her steps were stopped outside the room door. She turned to Lilia and squinted her eyes.
Her assistant who was waiting with the other assistants walked over to the woman, "Sister Shirley, what's wrong?"
Shirley glanced at her assistant and shook her head, then resumed her footsteps. She wondered what Louis wanted to talk about privately with Lilia that the director told her to stay a little longer.
After they were far enough from the meeting room, Shirley called her assistant over. She whispered, "Go and find out if there is any news regarding Lilia Pangestu's relationship."
Shirley's assistant, Lisa, looked confused when she heard the instructions. But she still nodded. "Alright, just leave it to me, Sister Shirley."
Shirley watched Lisa walk away before turning back towards the meeting room. If she didn't see it wrong, she was sure that Lilia was wearing the ring on the ring finger of her left hand. Shirley could only hope that this guess was wrong.
*****
Meanwhile, Louis went back to reading some parts of the manuscript before returning it to Lilia.
"Lilia, I asked you to stay for a moment because I have something important I need to discuss with you." Louis said softly.
The model nodded, "What does Mr. Louis want to talk about?"
Louis was silent for a few moments before finally pointing to a passage in the manuscript, "I'll talk to you frankly, because no one else is here. I've heard about your past relationship with William Anggara. You may be wondering why he's here."
Lilia nodded. She didn't expect to see William here. Still, Lilia felt that she reacted quite well the first time she saw William appear behind Shirley. At least, she didn't outright show her hatred for William.
"Let me first tell you that the investor for this film asked William Anggara to take part in it. This is a secret between the two of us, okay? This time investors have a lot to do with the filming. If I had a choice, I wouldn't put the two of you in the same film." Louis continued.
The man watched Lilia's expression closely. She felt a little relieved that the woman did not react negatively to William.
"In this film, your role and William's role will intersect a lot. I'm afraid you will have a hard time being professional because of it." Louis explained, "This is your first shoot, so I want you to keep in mind that all the scenes we do are fiction. As long as you can stay professional, I won't need to worry. Do you understand?"
Louis knew there were many actors and actresses who messed up their careers because they couldn't tell the difference between reality and fiction. They were affected by their feelings in the real world and could not act according to the script's demands.
Lilia's gaze was fixed on the part of the manuscript Louis was pointing at. However, the woman still smiled calmly. Lilia wasn't the type to let personal feelings or problems interfere with her work.
"Mr. Louis doesn't need to worry. I've prepared myself for this kind of problem. I will remain professional during filming." Lilia promised him.
Hearing that, Louis secretly let out a sigh of relief, "Fine, I trust you, Lilia."
"Oh yeah, I just remembered there was something I wanted to ask you. I haven't auditioned at all. When will Mr. Louis want to…?"
Before Lilia could finish, Louis had cut her off.
"No need, I've seen your acting." He said, waving his hand, "But if you want to try what it feels like to act in front of the camera, I won't stop you. How about we try it tomorrow morning, so you can get used to it sooner?"
Lilia smiled and agreed to Louis's suggestion. After the two had a bit of casual remarks, Louis finally let Lilia back to the hotel. The director's expression seemed calmer than before.
When Lilia was gone, the deputy director for the film approached Louis. The man glanced at the door that Lilia had passed before tapping his finger on the film script.
"Mr. Louis, are you sure that Lilia Pangestu really fits the role of supporting female number two?" Asked Ben, the deputy director.
Louis did not answer immediately, but lit a new cigarette and exhaled the smoke. A few moments later he replied, "Suitable or not, we do not make the decision." Louis's voice sounded bitter.
Ben understood Louis's point and stopped asking any further. They all knew that this time investors had?been involved a lot in the filming process. The investor was also the one who asked Lilia to play this side role.
But the role of woman number two was not a fun role. The role for this character was described as a likeable good woman who'd then turn into a bad character. All the actresses who were offered the role declined after reading the script.
Ben became suspicious that the investor was deliberately trying to tarnish Lilia's reputation through this film.
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