Chapter 165: Time Will Tell

Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Time Will Tell

"At the same time, acting training cannot stop." Irene’s tone softened a bit.

"Your performance during the audition was already very impressive, but Will Turner’s internal conflict is complex—his deep affection for Elizabeth, his resistance to his identity as a pirate, his commitment to justice—these all need further polishing.

Continue to work deeply with your acting coach. If you have any questions about the character, you can talk to me at any time, and we will dig deeper into this role together."

Saying this, a faint smile played on the corners of her lips, and a glimmer of craftiness flashed in her eyes:

"There is another important task I want to entrust to you. In a while, we will launch auditions for the female lead, Elizabeth Swann, and I hope you can come to help read lines.

Elizabeth is the soulmate of Will Turner, and the chemistry between you two will directly determine the emotional tension of the film. I don’t want to see the somewhat reserved you of now.

I hope that when you stand in the audition room, you will be more shining, more confident, and completely integrated into the soul of Will Turner, capable of handling any actress’s performance and making everyone instantly recognize that you are the one for whom Elizabeth would risk everything."

The night wind gently tousled their hair. Irene’s voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable strength:

"I have never forgotten the light in your eyes that night in Hawaii. Now, I am giving you a chance to let that light illuminate the big screen. Sign the contract, train, and hone your acting skills. Don’t let me down, and more importantly, don’t let the version of yourself who rushed to Los Angeles for his dreams down, okay?"

Henry looked at the sincerity and expectations in her eyes, and the worries, anxiety, and unwillingness that had been building up for a year dissipated at this moment. He nodded heavily, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and his voice carried an uncontrollable tremor, yet it was exceptionally firm: "I won’t. Thank you, Irene."

When Irene opened the car door, Shelly was sitting in the driver’s seat reading a newspaper.

"Finished talking?" He looked up at Irene, who was getting into the passenger seat, threw the newspaper in his hand to the back seat, and asked curiously, "When did you two meet?"

Irene paused while fastening her seatbelt. "Before filming Mean Girls, didn’t I go to Hawaii for a vacation with Britney and Edward? That’s where we met."

"Hawaii?" Shelly raised an eyebrow and stepped on the accelerator.

"A man and a woman alone on a tropical island. It sounds like the beginning of a romance movie. Once the film starts shooting and you meet on set every day, spending all your time together, isn’t there a possibility of rekindling old flames?

Let’s be clear, although I don’t approve of artists under my management becoming couples, you are the exception. Directors always have privileges."

Irene couldn’t help but smile. "Shelly, do you think I’m still a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl who can’t resist temptation?" Her voice was calm but firm. "I am not someone who acts on impulse, and besides, I have Loren now."

Shelly gave an "hmm" and didn’t continue the topic, though a trace of complexity flashed in his eyes while he was focused on driving.

He never actually looked favorably upon the relationship between Irene and Loren, but there was no need to point that out to her face.

After all, Irene was currently in a period of career growth, and a stable relationship was helpful for her emotional state. Directing was not an easy job, and as her agent, he only needed to provide subtle reminders where necessary.

"Loren is indeed quite good, gentle, polite, and attentive to you." Shelly spoke slowly, his tone devoid of much emotion.

"It’s just that his father, Beard, hasn’t been having an easy time lately."

Irene frowned upon hearing this. "What do you mean?"

"Last year, Fox poured a lot of money into Battlefield Earth and Titan A.E., and you know the results." Shelly’s voice carried a hint of lament.

"Both films flopped at the box office and with critics, losing everything. As the lead person in charge, Beard almost had to resign in disgrace. If it weren’t for him helping you secure Disney later to facilitate the three-party cooperation for Pirates of the Caribbean, it would be questionable whether he could keep his current position."

"Isn’t the box office for The Italian Job also quite good? Combined with Pirates of the Caribbean, that should help him recover, right?" Irene said uncertainly.

Shelly shook his head.

"It only provides a temporary reprieve. You know how intense the internal competition is among the six major film studios.

There are plenty of people wanting to drag him down from the top, and the success of one film cannot support a long-term position.

Beard is now in urgent need of another hit to stabilize his situation, but he doesn’t have many good projects in his hands, and the cards he can play are pitifully few." He paused, turned to look at Irene, his gaze carrying some deep meaning.

"What do you think he wants to do most right now?"

Irene fell silent. She was not a fool. Shelly’s words were already very clear. Beard needed her and Pirates of the Caribbean, and he also needed the stable relationship between her and Loren to bind the interests of both parties.

After all, Irene was not sold to Fox. In principle, it would only take one word for her to decide who she wanted to work with, but the reason she hadn’t changed partners until now was not that she didn’t want to, but that she found it troublesome.

But what did Loren think? Was Loren’s affection for her pure, or was it mixed with his father’s expectations and these intricate entanglements of interests?

Although he did not work at Fox, if one day there was a conflict of interest between her and Fox, what would he do?

The evening breeze blew into the car, carrying a hint of chill, and Irene suddenly felt a bit restless.

She had always thought her relationship with Loren was a pure land far from the vanity fair of Hollywood, but now it seemed that perhaps from the very beginning, this relationship had been branded with the mark of self-interest.

Shelly didn’t continue. Knowing when to stop was his discretion as an agent. He looked at Irene’s silent profile, knowing in his heart that some things ultimately had to be figured out by herself.

Irene returned home, her mind still occupied with the things Shelly had mentioned. She took a deep breath, found Loren’s number, and pressed the call button.

The "beep-beep" busy tone came through the receiver, like an invisible barrier, blocking the probing question she was about to blurt out.

She froze, her fingers gripping the phone tightening slightly. In fact, she hadn’t even sorted out what she wanted to probe by calling Loren.

Was she trying to ask where she stood in his heart, or was she trying to ask if he was with her because of her status?

The busy tone continued for a long time, until the system prompt said, "The number you are calling is busy, please try again later." Only then did Irene seem to snap back to reality and abruptly hung up the phone.

The restlessness in her heart gradually subsided, replaced by an inexplicable sense of relief. Some things didn’t need to be brought into the open.

Everyone was an adult, and there was plenty of tacit understanding. Why bother struggling with whether the feelings were sincere or not? Time would prove everything.