Chapter 321: A Flawed Performance
A Flawed Performance
Then she looked directly at her father before delivering the final sentence that left him utterly speechless.
"If you really fancy him, let that girl marry him and stop bothering me."
Bianca De Dominicis waved her hand dismissively, her tone firm and leaving no room for negotiation.
That girl was her cousin.
Although undeniably beautiful, she was somewhat plump, weighing nearly one hundred and twenty kilograms. More importantly, the two cousins had never been on good terms since childhood. They disagreed on almost everything, and every family gathering inevitably turned into another quiet rivalry.
If the household truly wanted to arrange a political marriage, Bianca honestly thought sending her cousin would be a perfectly acceptable solution.
At the very least...
It certainly wouldn’t be her.
"They wouldn’t want her."
Luka De Dominicis sighed helplessly. His shoulders slumped slightly as he rubbed his forehead, looking years older in that moment.
"I don’t want him either. I only want Julian."
Bianca answered without the slightest hesitation.
Her crimson eyes were calm and unwavering.
There wasn’t even the faintest trace of embarrassment in her voice.
To her, this wasn’t something worth hiding.
She had already accepted her own feelings.
There was no reason to deny them.
Luka stood frozen for several long seconds.
He opened his mouth, intending to continue persuading her.
Countless arguments flashed through his mind.
The D’Aurelius household already had an engagement with the Aurevale household.
Political marriages strengthened alliances.
The Ashbourne household possessed unimaginable wealth.
Every reason sounded perfectly logical.
Yet...
When he met Bianca’s determined gaze, every prepared speech died in his throat.
He knew his daughter too well.
Once she made up her mind, changing it was nearly impossible.
Within the De Dominicis household, only Patriarch Henrik De Dominicis truly possessed greater authority than Bianca.
Ironically...
Even the patriarch often listened to her opinions.
Because of that, Luka’s position as her father became rather awkward.
He could advise.
He could worry.
But forcing her...
That simply wasn’t possible.
A helpless sigh escaped his lips.
In the end, he could only leave with a disappointed expression.
His footsteps echoed quietly through the hallway before gradually disappearing.
The room became noticeably quieter after his departure.
Bianca remained standing where she was for another moment before the serious expression on her face slowly melted away.
A bright smile returned naturally.
It was almost as though the unpleasant conversation had never happened.
She adjusted a loose strand of her long crimson hair behind one ear before walking back toward the temporary filming area.
The studio was still bustling with activity.
Crew members moved lights into new positions.
Several assistants organized props while discussing the next filming schedule.
Director Miss. Svensson stood nearby reviewing footage on a monitor, occasionally pointing at the screen while speaking with the editor.
Bianca approached with relaxed steps.
"Director Miss. Svensson," she called with a friendly smile, "how’s the commercial?"
Director Miss. Svensson looked up before letting out a helpless chuckle.
"It’s good..."
She paused awkwardly.
"...but we can’t use it."
Bianca blinked in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
She genuinely couldn’t understand.
"If it’s good, why can’t it be used?"
Director Miss. Svensson rubbed her temples before giving a resigned smile.
"It didn’t pass the review."
She turned the tablet around and replayed the raw footage.
"Mr. Julian’s eyes weren’t exactly honest."
There wasn’t a trace of anger in her voice.
Only complete helplessness.
She handed the unedited footage to Bianca with a speechless expression.
Bianca accepted the tablet curiously.
The recording began playing from the start.
The elegant dance looked every bit as graceful as she remembered.
The lighting was perfect.
The choreography flowed beautifully.
Their movements matched surprisingly well.
Then...
She noticed it.
Julian was clearly trying to behave himself.
Every time the dance required close contact, he would force himself to maintain eye contact.
Unfortunately...
Every few seconds his gaze would unconsciously drift downward before hurriedly snapping back upward.
The movement was incredibly subtle.
But under a high-definition camera...
Nothing escaped notice.
Watching him repeatedly struggle to keep his eyes under control made the entire scene unexpectedly hilarious.
Bianca bit her lip.
Then another clip played.
Again...
His eyes wandered for a split second.
Then another.
Then another.
Finally...
She couldn’t hold it anymore.
A burst of laughter escaped her lips.
Her shoulders trembled slightly as she laughed.
She could practically imagine the battle taking place inside Julian’s mind while filming.
He was obviously trying very hard to act like a proper gentleman.
Unfortunately...
Human instinct occasionally won.
Rather than looking shameless, the finished footage made him seem unexpectedly honest and even a little adorable.
Director Miss. Svensson folded her arms.
"I’ve directed advertisements for years."
"I’ve worked with countless celebrities."
"But this is the first time I’ve watched someone’s eyes ignore every instruction I gave."
She shook her head with a helpless smile.
"The camera catches everything."
Bianca laughed even harder.
"I know."
She replayed one section again.
This time she paused exactly when Julian’s eyes shifted downward before instantly returning to her face.
The tiny movement looked incredibly funny once noticed.
"No wonder..." she murmured with amusement.
"He really was trying."
Even remembering his usually composed expression made her want to laugh again.
After calming herself, Bianca handed the tablet back.
"Forget it."
She smiled warmly.
"Send this to my email later."
"I’ll have him reshoot it."
Her tone remained confident.
She had no intention of replacing Julian.
If anything...
She found this version even more memorable.
Turning toward the crew, Bianca clapped her hands lightly to gather everyone’s attention.
"Everyone, please stay a little longer and work overtime."
The busy room instantly quieted.
She continued with an elegant smile.
"Today’s pay will be triple."
The moment those words left her mouth...
The atmosphere exploded.
Cheers erupted throughout the studio.
Several staff members grinned from ear to ear.
Someone even quietly pumped a fist in celebration.
Long hours were nothing unusual in the advertising industry.
What people truly disliked wasn’t overtime itself.
It was overtime without proper compensation.
With triple pay...
No one had the slightest complaint.
Instead, the entire crew became noticeably more energetic.
The lights were adjusted faster.
Equipment was repositioned with renewed enthusiasm.
Smiles spread across nearly every face as everyone prepared for another round of filming.
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