The large meeting room seemed crowded when all of the actors, their assistants, and the film crew had assembled. Lilia looked around while frowning. She noticed that there were many crew members standing at the back of the room. They all carried notebooks and pens, as if they were going to attend a lecture seminar.
Lilia felt that this situation was strange. Why did they need to gather everyone here just to discuss a film script? She didn't voice her suspicions, but Lilia kept glancing around her warily.
Ten minutes later, everyone gathered. Louis and his assistant were the last to enter the room. They were followed by two newcomers.
One of them was a middle-aged man around fifty years old. The man with the pot belly was wearing a white T-shirt with blue stripes and jeans. His casual attire stood out among everyone.
When Lilia's gaze shifted to the other comer, the corner of her mouth lifted into a cold smile. She wasn't surprised to see Sasha walking in with Louis. That woman must have come here as a representative of the investors!
Their appearance caused whispers among the crew and actors. They were all excitedly discussing the identity of the two.
Louis stepped onto the podium and swept across the assembled crowd, "Everyone, please calm down a little. I will definitely introduce the two of them, so please be patient for a bit." She said in a dry tone.
His words caused laughter here and there, but everyone obediently closed their mouths.
After Louis confirmed that they were all paying attention, he continued, "This handsome man beside me is Mr. Sonny. He serves as head of the tourism department for the Magetan district. Please give him a big welcome!"
Everyone in the room applauded politely. Louis waited for the sound of their applause to die down before turning his head towards Sasha. The director smiled, but the look in his eyes was not friendly at all.
"And this beautiful woman next to me is an investor representative for the filming of 'The Chosen Kingdom'. Everyone, please give a warm welcome to Miss Sasha Hiroshi." Louis said.
The sound of applause filled the room again, though it was less enthusiastic than before. Louis cleared his throat and invited Sonny to say a word or two.
The head of the tourism department took Louis's place on the podium, then began delivering his speech. The man told the history and culture in Magetan, then he bragged about the various natural beauties in the district. Sonny repeatedly stressed that Magetan was the best place to shoot a movie.
The man's lecture took a long time, yet no one tried to stop him. Lilia suspected that Sonny's position was important enough to even make Louis have to be polite to him.
When Sonny's lecture finally ended, the man stepped off the podium and sat down at the long table without waiting to be invited. It seemed he didn't expect any applause or response from the audience who had only stared blankly ahead during his lecture just now. The pot bellied man deliberately sat in the middle of the table, as if showing off his high status.
For a moment, there was only silence in the meeting room.
Louis coughed awkwardly and turned to Sasha, "Miss Sasha, would you also like to say a few words for us?" The director offered politely.
Today, Sasha was wearing a very formal dress, just like when she visited the studio in Jakarta. Her slender body was clad in a dark blue shirt, which was lined with a gray blazer. An emerald brooch was attached to her chest, adding a refreshing impression to her elegant look.
Sasha chuckled and said, "Thank you, but I will refuse the offer. As you all know, I'm just a newcomer here. There are still a lot of things that I don't understand regarding film making and the interpersonal relationships between the crew."
The daughter of the Hiroshi Family looked around with a friendly smile.
"I myself wouldn't be happy if there was a newcomer who acted like she knew it all. I trust Mr. Louis to lead this meeting as usual." Sasha continued.
After saying all that, Sasha sat in the front row seat. Her decision to sit down with the rest of the crew just strengthened her words just now.
Seeing that, everyone's gaze towards her turned warmer. Sasha was an investor with a position far above them, but she was not arrogant. Her polite and humble demeanor made the film crew like her immediately without hesitation.
Sasha smiled slyly in her heart. She could already guess that her performance just now would definitely win everyone's heart. Sasha was enjoying all the attention and admiration that was pouring on her. She believed that this was her right as a daughter of the Hiroshi Family— to be adored by everyone!
Sasha turned over her shoulder, then turned her gaze over the crowd seated behind her. She smiled and nodded whenever she met someone's eyes. Then her eyes saw the person she had been looking for.
Sasha's eyes flashed with anticipation when she found Lilia. She wanted to know how that annoying woman would react when Sasha caught everyone's attention so easily! Would Lilia look at her with hatred while gritting her teeth? Or would the woman just pretend she didn't hear anything?
But Lilia's reaction betrayed all of Sasha's expectations. The model did not look up from her phone screen at all. Lilia didn't pretend she didn't hear the conversation just now— she really wasn't interested in what's going on in this room!
Sasha clenched her fists so tightly that her nails pierced her palms. She was the biggest investor in this film, but Lilia dared to ignore her?!
Meanwhile, Louis was standing on the podium and explaining the shooting arrangements they were going to do. But Louis's words only entered Lilia's right ear and came out of the other. Lilia's attention was focused on her conversation with Jean in the Other app. The man finally replied to the message Lilia sent before tonight's meeting.
[Jean]: "Since you guys are not blood related, you don't need to care about that woman in the future. Don't waste your time thinking about her."
Lilia smiled a little while reading the message. Even though they were far apart, she could feel the man's concern for her. Jean's next message made Lilia's smile even wider.
[Jean]: "I'll be arriving in Magetan tomorrow night."
Lilia remembered that Jean previously said he could only come here in three days. But hearing that that man could come sooner filled Lilia's heart with excitement and anticipation. The woman opened a search page and looked for the nearest route from Magetan to Sarangan. Then she screenshotted the page before sending it to Jean.
[Lilia]: "I've already found a route to Sarangan! It's said the trip there by car would take about half an hour. I can't wait to go with you!"
[Jean]: "Yes, I'll be right after you. Be patient a little more."
Lilia closed her phone while smiling broadly. Her heart was blossoming as she imagined that she would be able to see Jean again tomorrow night.. Lilia's mind was filled by the thoughts of her husband that she barely caught a word from tonight's meeting.
New novel 𝓬hapters are published on fre ew𝒆bnovel.com