Chapter 189
189 Behind the Curtain
She stumbled backward several steps, nearly falling to the ground.
“Who told you to do this? ”
Alice didn’t bother with small talk. She went straight to the point.
The makeup artist clung to the nearby wall, trembling, saying nothing.
Alice gave her a warning.
“I’m only going to ask this once. You’ve got five minutes to answer.”
She added coolly, “Of course, you’re free to stay silent.”
The woman looked terrified, still hesitating. Her breaths were shallow, her knuckles white from gripping the wall.
“M–Ms. Spencer … I–I don’t know. I just…
Alice had no patience for her crap.
“You used to be Darlene’s personal makeup artist, right?”
Risa had hired her team for safety reasons–but who would’ve thought Darlene Porter, the rising star, always trying to cozy up to Risa, would send someone with bad intentions?
This time, the woman stopped denying.
“Ms. Porter … she … she has a crush on Mr. Boston.”
Boston’s reputation in the industry was decent–low–key, private, and never flaunting his background.
Only a handful of people even knew who he really was, and Darlene was one of them.
Alice gave a dry, sarcastic laugh. “I’m his sister.”
In other words, if Darlene wanted to stir up trouble for Boston, she’d have done it in secret–she wouldn’t get the dirty work done with her own hands.
The makeup artist looked stunned.
She’d been told Alice was just some small–town girl Risa had taken in as charity–an outsider who happened to know someone powerful but didn’t really matter.
Nobody said she was smart. Or sharp. Or frighteningly well–informed
it the industry.
It almost felt like Alice had once been part of show business and had played the game far better than most .
“Ms. Spencer … Can you guarantee my safety?”
Alice didn’t answer that directly. “You have a daughter, don’t you?”
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189 Behind the Curtain
The woman froze.
That was exactly why she’d been forced into this. They had her child.
Alice glanced at her watch. “You’ve got 60 seconds.”
Then, almost casually, she added, “But just so you know, I always help people who help me.”
The woman caught the hidden promise in her words.
“It–it was Eliza Lawrence. She’s not quite an A–lister yet, but she’s at the top of the B–list.
Alice’s mind quickly pieced the puzzle together.
Eliza wasn’t a stranger–she was the younger sister of Kayla, Sandy’s best friend.
And the Lawrences were a powerful family in Mapleford.
Eliza had all the best resources handed to her.
Unfortunately, her acting chops didn’t quite match.
Still, she had Kayla backing her, and the two sisters were known to be extremely close.
It all made sense now.
“Your daughter is in the basement,” Alice said, tapping her phone to show the location. “My people are feeding her.”
The woman didn’t even bother packing up. She bolted out of the room like her life depended on it.
Alice sighed as she looked around at the untouched makeup kit.
It had been a while since she’d done her own makeup. Her hands felt rusty.
On Set.
Actors and actresses who were already in full costume gathered around in small groups, chatting and gossiping.
“Eliza, that countryside drama you did recently? I saw a few clips–seriously impressive. You’ll probably win something for that.”
With her high ponytail and soft, round cheeks full of baby fat, Eliza looked effortlessly sweet and youthful.
She had the classic princess persona in the industry.
When complimented, she just smiled modestly.
“Oh no, not at all. I had the privilege of working with some amazing seniors. I learned a lot from them.” “Eliza, you’re so humble! But honestly, you’re already amazing and still pushing yourself to improve.
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189 Behind the Curtain
Someone chimed in, “Is it true that your family is funding a new period drama?
Eliza nodded, still smiling, “It’s actually for my sister, She’s a fan of that genre and asked me to help scose some of the most talented actresses. We’re trying to gather a strong cast for it.”
Period dramas about royal women always attracted actresses–female–heavy scripts means more screen time for them.
Naturally, all the actresses were interested.
Even a minor but likable role could skyrocket someone’s popularity overnight .
At the very least, it doubled your appearance fee.
As soon as she said that, a cluster of women eagerly crowded around her, each angling to get noticed.
No one wanted to be left out.
Boston walked in alongside Levi and a few other actors here to audition.
As soon as Eliza saw them, she couldn’t help but speak up, her tone tinged with bashfulness.
“My sister actually prefers Boston’s acting. She’s hoping he’ll play the male lead.”
Though Boston’s acting skills hadn’t matured, his good looks had earned him a solid fan base within the industry.
If he were cast as the lead, it would draw in a swarm of actresses eager to play opposite him.
But then someone noticed something odd. “Wait… why are Boston and Levi standing together ? Weren’t they sworn rivals?”
The sight sent a strange chill down everyone’s spine.
In the entertainment world, rivalries were common–but outwardly, everyone still had to play nice.