Chapter 168: 'Surprise'

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: “Surprise”

"Buy them," Irene said, her voice edged with exhaustion and impatience. "I don’t care how much it costs. I don’t want to be bothered by this, and I definitely don’t want it interfering with the film’s auditions or pre-production."

She wasn’t heartbroken—not exactly. Any sadness she felt was buried beneath the crushing weight of work. She had no energy to dwell on betrayal; she just needed to clean up the mess in front of her.

Shelly had just nodded in agreement when the phone in his pocket rang. He glanced at the caller ID, and his expression shifted. He stepped toward the door to answer, his brow furrowing after only a few words. When he hung up, he turned to Irene.

"There’s a problem. Britney blocked it on her end. She said she won’t let us buy the photos."

"Britney?" Irene blinked. "How did she even find out?"

As if on cue, Irene’s own phone rang. Britney’s name flashed on the screen. Irene pressed answer, and Britney’s furious voice exploded from the receiver.

"Irene! Don’t you dare listen to Shelly. You are not buying those photos! I’m the one who had Bella leak them!"

Irene froze. "What did you just say?"

"I hired someone to take those photos," Britney said, anger and a trace of grievance threading through her voice.

"I was going to tell you when the time was right, but I didn’t expect the paparazzi to catch wind of it too. I’ve suspected Loren and Ellie for a long time, so I had someone keep an eye on them.

I wanted you to see his true colors. He already betrayed you, and now you’re going to spend money to cover for him? Why should you?"

Irene tightened her grip on the phone, her mind reeling. She never expected Britney to prepare this kind of "surprise" for her.

Listening from the side, understanding dawned on Shelly’s face. He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Irene, Britney actually has a point." He paused, his tone serious.

"Even if we buy these photos, there’s no guarantee something worse won’t surface next time. Loren’s father, Beard, is in a delicate position right now. If Loren gets dragged into a cheating scandal, it will affect you in the short term, but long term, it’s better than you staying in the dark. And—" He glanced at her.

"Britney isn’t trying to embarrass you. She wants you to see who Loren really is. She’s afraid you’re being deceived, and she wants him to pay for his betrayal.

If you spend money to bury this, you’re doing him a favor. He’ll think you’re easy to manipulate. It’s better to let the photos come out, cut ties cleanly, and let everyone see his true colors."

Irene said nothing. She looked down at the photos of Loren and Ellie in an intimate pose. Her chest felt tight. Based on everything she knew about him, Loren shouldn’t have been the type to cheat.

Sensing Irene’s hesitation, Britney shouted through the phone,

"Irene! Wake up! A scumbag like him isn’t worth protecting! Let it out! Let him go! I’ve already contacted the best PR team for you.

When the photos drop tomorrow, we’ll release a statement breaking up with him and put all the blame where it belongs. I promise it won’t hurt you or your movie."

Shelly met Irene’s eyes and gave a small nod. "I agree with Britney. As your agent and your friend, I don’t want to see you keep suppressing yourself. Exposing this now is better than having it blow up after filming starts. That would cost us a lot more."

Irene drew a deep breath and tossed the photo onto the table. It slid off the edge and fluttered to the floor, Loren and Ellie’s ambiguous silhouettes staring back at her.

She closed her eyes. Whether Loren actually cheated or not, the fact that he’d been photographed like this meant he hadn’t been careful enough.

If it happened once, it could happen again. She refused to let this become routine, and she refused to end up like Britney hounded and cornered by paparazzi. She already had too much on her plate to keep cleaning up after him.

When she opened her eyes again, the confusion was gone. Only calm resolve remained.

"Fine. Don’t buy the photos. Let them come out. Shelly, I’ll leave PR to you." She looked at him, her tone steady.

"Send out the notice. Tomorrow’s auditions proceed as scheduled. No one is to mention this, and no reporters are allowed on set. But don’t make it uglier than it has to be. Loren... never mind. Just downplay it."

"Understood."

At nine the next morning, Irene drove to the Disney studio. She noticed the security guard on duty at the entrance. His odd expression and the way he hesitated told her everything—he was hiding something.

She knew then that the photos had been released exactly as planned.

When she walked into the audition room, the noise level dropped by half. Jerry, Martha, Amy, and the others sat at the judges’ table. Their glances held sympathy and curiosity, but no one dared speak first.

When a staff member handed her coffee, their fingers were stiff with caution, and even their footsteps were lighter than usual.

Irene acted as if she didn’t notice the tense atmosphere and went straight to the main seat. She sat down, opened the script, and tapped her fingers on Elizabeth Swann’s character profile. She wasn’t in the mood for small talk today, and she had no interest in anyone’s pity. It was just a failed relationship. The sky hadn’t fallen.

"Is everyone ready?" She looked up, her tone as composed as any other audition. "We’ll start according to the list. Let’s not fall behind."

The assistant nodded and stepped out to call the first actor. Moments later, the audition room door opened and Bryce Dallas Howard walked in.

She wore a light blue dress, her long hair pinned into an elegant bun. There was a spirited grace to her expression—a noble young lady’s poise that fit Elizabeth’s initial characterization perfectly. "Irene, hello, judges," she said with a polite bow, her voice bright and clear.

The last time Irene had seen her was when her sister, Sophia, was prepping The Virgin Suicides. She hadn’t expected time to move so quickly, or that Bryce would appear at her own film’s audition. In a way, they were fated to cross paths.

Irene nodded. "Let’s begin. Perform the scene where Elizabeth says goodbye to Will on the deck before the pirates take her. Henry, help her run the scene."

Henry nodded and moved to the center of the room with Bryce. They had just found their marks when the phone in Irene’s pocket vibrated. She pulled it out instinctively. The name "Loren" flashing on the screen was jarring.

The room went silent in an instant. Every eye fixed on the hand holding the phone. The air seemed to freeze. Everyone waited for her next move.

Onstage, Bryce and Henry halted, standing there awkwardly, unsure whether to continue or wait. Jerry cleared his throat, ready to break the silence, but Irene stopped him with a look.