Under Charlotte Vaughn’s aggressive questioning, the director, at Mason Lawson’s prompting, responded, "Who said Mia Kendall didn’t perform? Her prompt was to act out nervousness! From the moment she introduced herself, she was already in character. Who among you got into character faster than she did?"

After the director’s explanation, not only Charlotte Vaughn but even Eve Vaughn was completely stunned. ’That actually worked?’

She quickly glanced at the back of her number card. The prompt really was ’Please act out the emotion of nervousness.’

A cold sweat broke out on Eve Vaughn’s back. She hadn’t expected to have completed the "performance" just by stumbling through it.

But how could Charlotte Vaughn accept this?

She had spent hundreds of thousands to go to Calypsos for a masterclass, undergoing intensive acting training.

Her own meticulously prepared audition was ruined by Eve Vaughn, and now she was being eliminated in the first round.

Charlotte Vaughn was seething with hatred.

Just then, the director said to a crew member, "Alright, Mia Kendall has made the cut. Give her a callback card and call in the next group. Let’s not waste any more time."

Eve Vaughn felt a thrill of excitement. She had somehow fluked her way into securing a spot in the next round for Mia Kendall.

’What kind of dumb luck is this?’

’I just wonder if they’ll get suspicious during the next round when they see that Mia Kendall and I aren’t the same person.’

Just as the crew member handed the callback card to Eve Vaughn, Charlotte Vaughn suddenly shouted, "I want to report her! This person isn’t Mia Kendall at all! She’s an imposter!"

Eve Vaughn’s heart leaped into her throat again.

She was just about to speak up and ask the director to give Mia Kendall a chance when she heard Mason Lawson say directly to Charlotte Vaughn, "You’ve been the loudest one here this whole time. Not much of an actress, but you’re a real pro at stirring up trouble. You two, get her out of here. From now on, she is banned from auditioning for any film I invest in."

Charlotte Vaughn stared at Mason Lawson in disbelief. She never imagined that the person she thought was most likely to help her would end up being more ruthless than a stranger.

’After all, we’re about to be family.’

"Uncle, how can you do this to me? Are you really Julian Lawson’s uncle or not? I’m about to become Julian’s wife! It’s one thing not to help me, but you’re going to kick me while I’m down?"

Charlotte Vaughn decided to play her card. She was the future young mistress of the Lawson Family. She’d like to see who dared to blacklist her.

Hearing her shout, the director quickly looked at Mason Lawson and said, "Mr. Lawson, this is...?"

Mason Lawson frowned. "I don’t know her."

The director immediately understood. He turned to the crew and the security guards maintaining order. "Quick! Drag her away! Get the next group in! How much time have we wasted because of her alone?"

And just like that, no matter how much Charlotte Vaughn screamed, she was dragged out. Her name was permanently added to the blacklist for all film and entertainment projects invested in by the Lawson Group.

Meanwhile, Eve Vaughn held the precious callback card and waited for Mia Kendall outside the audition room.

She had just messaged Mia, and the girl was still in the restroom, saying this bout of diarrhea was brutal.

Eve Vaughn found it a bit strange. ’Could it be that the boba tea shop I bought from wasn’t clean?’

She sat quietly outside, waiting for Mia, her gaze fixed on the callback card in her hand as she fell into deep thought.

’Just now, Mason Lawson was clearly helping me.’

’Although there was an element of luck, if it weren’t for Mason Lawson, the other judges would have definitely pursued the matter when Charlotte Vaughn exposed me.’

Eve Vaughn felt an inexplicable turmoil in her heart. ’I’d already made up my mind to leave him, so why does fate keep making us meet?’

She wasn’t a person who was easily moved, but Mason Lawson had given her far too many touching moments and surprises.

After a long while, Mia Kendall finally emerged from the restroom, clutching her stomach.

Her face was sallow, and she looked like she was about to collapse.

"Mia, are you okay?"

Eve Vaughn hurried forward to support her, saying with concern, "Why don’t we go to the hospital?"

Mia Kendall shook her head sadly, not concerned about her health. Instead, she asked, "The audition... it was a failure, wasn’t it? Ai, well, I can’t blame you. After all, you’ve never studied acting."

Eve Vaughn suddenly smiled and handed her the callback card. "It was a success!" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Mia Kendall stared at her, finding it absolutely incredible.

After all, even she hadn’t been confident about making it to the next round.

But Eve Vaughn had actually done it.

She hugged Eve Vaughn happily, and in that instant, her stomachache seemed to disappear.

Eve Vaughn quickly said, "Don’t get too happy just yet. I was impersonating you, and Charlotte Vaughn almost exposed me. Since you’ll be doing the next round yourself, we have to explain things to the director. Otherwise, it’ll be found out sooner or later, and won’t people mistake us for frauds then?"

"Right, you’re right."

Mia Kendall nodded. "I also want to get into the next round on my own merit. Besides, I thought this audition was a lost cause. I’m already thrilled with this result."

So, the two of them waited until the last group of auditioners came out of the room before they went inside.

By then, the staff and judges were already preparing to pack up.

The director was bowing and scraping, thanking Mason Lawson for gracing the auditions with his presence despite his busy schedule.

Just then, Eve Vaughn and Mia Kendall appeared in the audition room, catching the attention of a few judges.

A crew member said to them, "The auditions are over. Please leave the room immediately."

Eve Vaughn said, "Excuse me, could you give us a few minutes? We have something we need to explain to the director."

The crew member looked at the director, who was quite annoyed.

After all, he had no desire to waste time on nobodies like the ones in front of him.

But he recognized Eve Vaughn. She was the one Mason Lawson had specifically asked to keep.

Therefore, the director looked to Mason Lawson for his opinion. "President Lawson, what do you think...?"

Mason Lawson said to the director, "Didn’t you say you had something else to attend to? Why don’t you go ahead? I’ll handle things here."

The director had been in the industry for over a decade; he was naturally perceptive.

He immediately understood what Mason Lawson meant and quickly said, "Then I’ll leave it to you, President Lawson."

With that, he left with the other judges.

Eve Vaughn watched as the director walked away right before her eyes, without even giving them a chance to explain.

Now, Mason Lawson was the only one left at the judges’ table.

The man looked at her from afar, his deep gaze fixed on Eve Vaughn. "Whatever you want to explain, you can explain it to me. I have the final say on all matters concerning this drama."

Mia Kendall was stunned for a long moment before she came to her senses. Then, she whispered to Eve Vaughn, "No wonder you passed! If I had known the investor was my best friend’s man, I would’ve just coasted. He could’ve given me a role no matter what."

Eve Vaughn broke into a sweat and whispered back speechlessly, "I just broke up with him three days ago."

"Ah... what..."

Mia Kendall felt this twist was a real test of one’s composure.

She was still trying to figure out why Mason Lawson would help Eve if they’d broken up, when Eve twisted the knife. "I seem to recall someone just said she wanted to get into the next round on her own merit. So, whether I’m with him or not shouldn’t affect you, right?"

Mia Kendall shot her a look. "You’re a real pal!"

Mason Lawson watched the two girls whispering to each other, a playful smile gracing his lips.

Eve Vaughn looked up and met his meaningful smile, instantly feeling so embarrassed she wished the ground would swallow her whole.

’He must have seen me as nothing more than a performing clown from the moment I stepped into the audition room to take Mia’s place.’

’The two of us went through all this trouble, but in reality, the outcome was decided by a single word from Mason Lawson.’

Eve Vaughn suddenly felt that in the face of power, sincerity and hard work had become nothing but empty talk.

She lowered her head and said dejectedly, "Mr. Lawson, could you please give Mia a chance? She had diarrhea during the audition, which is why I came in for her. I didn’t mean to impersonate her; I just didn’t want to see my friend lose this opportunity."

Mia Kendall, standing beside her, nodded her head like a chicken pecking at grain. "It’s true, it’s true, Mr. Lawson! Please give me a chance. Let me perform for you again. I’ve been practicing at home for so long."

Mason Lawson had no interest in watching her act. His thoughts and his gaze were all on Eve Vaughn.

Besides, a spot in the next round of auditions was a trivial matter to him.

Mason Lawson made the decision on the spot. "You don’t need to perform. Just prepare for the next round and come then."

Mia Kendall’s mind was a mess. ’Did Mason Lawson really break up with my best friend?’

’They broke up, but he’s still pulling strings for her?’

In the end, she still thanked him profusely. After all, broken up or not, her spot in the next round was now set in stone.

However, before she could even start celebrating, she fainted. The severe diarrhea had left her dehydrated, and her vision went black as she collapsed.

"Mia!"

Eve Vaughn was terrified. ’Did she use the bathroom so many times that she has an electrolyte imbalance?’

Panicked, she hastily pulled out her phone to call an ambulance.

Mason Lawson walked over and said to her, "Take my car. Waiting for an ambulance will take too long."

Eve Vaughn didn’t think twice and agreed.

She asked awkwardly, "Mr. Lawson... could you... help me carry Mia?"

Mason Lawson felt a bit helpless. ’This girl really has some nerve.’

...

On the way, Mia Kendall showed signs of waking up. Leaning on Eve Vaughn’s shoulder, she said, "Evie... I... I’m so dizzy."

Eve Vaughn comforted her, "Just hang in there a little longer. We’re almost at the hospital."

Mia Kendall mumbled an "oh" and went back to leaning on her shoulder with her eyes half-closed, her head lolling.

Eve Vaughn looked at the man driving in front of them and suddenly asked in a low voice, "Mr. Lawson, why did you... help me during the audition today? I didn’t perform well."

The corners of Mason Lawson’s lips curved up. "I give you whatever you want. Isn’t that a good thing?"

"No, I... what I mean is..." Eve Vaughn bit her lower lip and said dejectedly, "We’ve already broken up."

The implication was that he didn’t have to be so good to her anymore, and she wouldn’t blame him if he wasn’t.

If he kept being this good to her, it would only make her heart ache more.

Mason Lawson glanced in the rearview mirror at the girl in the back seat, her eyelashes lowered.

He said faintly, "Who agreed to a breakup?"

Eve Vaughn looked at him, stunned, her clear eyes filled with confusion.

Mason Lawson continued, "Eve Vaughn, you were the one who said we were breaking up. I never did."

In that moment, a strange sense of comfort welled up in Eve Vaughn’s heart.

But soon, reality intruded, reminding her to be rational.

The problems between them were far from resolved. Continuing to be with Mason Lawson meant she would have to watch as his family found one outstanding woman after another as a candidate to be the next Mrs. Lawson.

...

「At the same time.」

Charlotte Vaughn returned home.

Lana Chambers walked over with a wide smile. "Charlotte, how did the audition go today? It went well, right?"

Charlotte Vaughn’s eyes were bloodshot with hatred. "Well? What’s well about it? That bitch Eve Vaughn... why am I so unlucky every time I run into her?"

"What happened? How did you run into Eve Vaughn?" Lana Chambers was suddenly worried and asked quickly, "You didn’t get into a fight with her, did you?"

After all, she knew that Eve Vaughn was Mason Lawson’s woman, but she hadn’t told Charlotte. They were afraid Charlotte wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut. If she caused trouble for Mason Lawson, wouldn’t the man retaliate against them with everything he had?

Besides, if they maintained a good relationship with Mason Lawson, a single gift of prime real estate from him would be enough for them to rake in a fortune.

Therefore, Lana Chambers was terrified that her daughter would clash with Eve Vaughn again and offend Mason Lawson, who stood behind her.

But Charlotte Vaughn said resentfully, "Mom, why are you starting to be afraid of that little bitch now?"

"You silly girl, isn’t Mom just looking out for you?" Lana Chambers could only say with a hidden meaning, "I just think there might be someone powerful behind Eve Vaughn. You should just avoid provoking her for now. You’re about to be the young mistress of the Lawson Family, so why bother with a little bitch?"

Charlotte Vaughn was seething. "It’s not that I want to provoke her, she provoked me first!"

She then told her mother what happened at the audition. By the end of her story, Charlotte was so angry she swept everything off the table.

She said through gritted teeth, "What’s even more hateful is that I exposed Eve Vaughn as an imposter, and Julian Lawson’s uncle had me thrown out! He even had the Lawson Group blacklist me, permanently banning me from participating in any film or TV show they invest in. Isn’t he backing me into a corner? I’ll never have a chance to make a name for myself!"

"What?"

Lana Chambers’s expression changed instantly. She hadn’t wanted to go after Eve Vaughn again anytime soon.

But she never expected that Mason Lawson and Eve Vaughn would dare to team up and bully her daughter like this. They were going too far!

Therefore, Lana Chambers decided to come clean. "I’ll tell you the truth. Eve Vaughn is Mason Lawson’s little mistress. No wonder he targeted you like that!"

Charlotte Vaughn’s eyes widened in disbelief. "What... what did you say? Eve Vaughn is Mason Lawson’s mistress? Are you sure?"

Lana Chambers said adamantly, "Of course, I’m sure! We probably had it wrong before. Eve Vaughn was Mason Lawson’s woman from the very beginning. That’s why she dared to be so defiant with us!"

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Lana Chambers opened the door, her expression instantly changing to one of motherly affection. "Julian, you’re here!"

Charlotte Vaughn took a deep breath, not wanting Julian Lawson to see her furious expression.

When Julian Lawson came in, he saw Charlotte Vaughn sitting on the sofa, crying pitifully. She was a truly heart-wrenching sight.

Lana Chambers recounted the day’s events to Julian Lawson, saying, "Charlotte is just too honest, she’s always being bullied. Julian, you should comfort her. The poor girl prepared for this audition for so long, only to have it ruined by Eve Vaughn."

Charlotte Vaughn cried even more sorrowfully, throwing herself into Julian Lawson’s arms and sobbing, "Julian, you’re all I have now. From now on, I’ll just be your Mrs. Lawson. I won’t go to any more auditions, and I won’t let myself be bullied anymore, okay?"

Julian Lawson’s expression shifted. He knew this wasn’t the time to add fuel to the fire.

However, the wedding date was getting closer and closer. If he didn’t say what he needed to say now, he might not get another chance.

He gently pushed Charlotte Vaughn out of his embrace and looked at her guiltily. "Charlotte, our wedding... can we postpone it for now?"