Charlotte finally nodded.

"Then help me look into it," she said, meeting Clara’s gaze seriously.

Looking away, she added, concern slipping back into her voice, 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"I would have looked into it myself, but if I do —your father would find out. And that will only make things worse."

Clara smiled, before nodding in understanding.

"Mom, I know. You don’t need to worry. I won’t let Father find out. He and Adam are overseas for work —they don’t need to know anything until we have everything confirmed on our end."

Charlotte nodded again.

Benjamin, her husband, and their eldest son, Adam —often stayed overseas, handling the business there.

Though they were an inseparable part of the family, over the years, their absence had made the rest of them accustomed to handling matters on their own.

Unless absolutely necessary, Charlotte never let them be disturbed by issues at home.

"Clara, you’ve really grown up," she said, smiling at her daughter.

Though the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, it still carried a sense of satisfaction from deep within her heart.

It had taken years—

But she was glad that Clara had finally learned to accept them.

If only Adelyn hadn’t been acting out—

They might have finally become the family she had always wished for.

She would have had both her daughters.

—————

Back at ZX Media—

Taking the elevator down to the basement, Adelyn went straight to Freya’s office.

Knocking lightly on the door, she pushed it open.

"Sister Freya."

Freya was on a call.

Hearing Adelyn’s voice, she lifted her gaze and met hers.

Raising a finger, she gestured for a moment before pointing toward the chair across from her desk.

Adelyn nodded and quietly pulled out a chair for herself.

Her gaze wandered briefly around the room—

But returned just as Freya ended the call.

"Looking for Amelia?" Freya asked with a knowing smile.

Adelyn didn’t deny it.

She returned the smile and said casually,

"Nope. I was just checking whether this peaceful atmosphere is going to last ... or if it’s about to be disrupted again."

Freya raised a brow slightly at that.

But in the end, she simply smiled and shook her head.

"She’s out confirming your practice venue," she said.

Then, glancing at the time on her watch, she added,

"She should be on her way back. You might run into her before you leave."

Adelyn nodded.

Freya then reached for a file beside her, opened it, and slid it across the table toward Adelyn.

"Here’s the contract," she said, adding, "I’ve already checked everything. You can go ahead and sign it."

Adelyn didn’t read the contract in detail.

She simply skimmed through it before signing her name.

Then, pushing the file back toward Freya, she asked, "Weren’t Producer Polson and Director Rhodes having issues with the investors? How were they able to resolve it so quickly?"

It had only been a few days—

And they had already sent the contract, finalizing her place in the project.

It felt far too smooth.

Freya’s expression turned slightly serious as she explained, "Even I’m not sure what’s going on at their end. But the last time I spoke with Producer Polson, he said that as long as you sign the contract, they’ll find a way to make the investors relent."

Adelyn didn’t ask further.

She simply nodded before placing the pen back in the stand.

Freya, however, seemed like she still had something more to say.

After a brief pause, she continued ...

"Director Rhodes seems very certain about casting you. If not for his insistence, you wouldn’t have secured this role so easily.. You must have impressed him quite a lot."

Camden Rhodes was known for his impartiality when it came to his films.

But that very impartiality had never led him to openly clash with investors just to cast a particular artist.

Since he was doing so for Adelyn—

It only proved her capability.

Freya might not yet fully understand the extent of Adelyn’s strength—

But seeing Director Rhodes so firm in his decision, she was certain of one thing—

Adelyn’s strengths didn’t lie in her looks alone.

Her acting must be exceptional as well.

But if that was the case—

Why had she stepped back in the past, offending so many people?

Adelyn put on a polite smile and responded simply,

"I just performed the scene he asked me to. Maybe I managed to do it the way he wanted."

Though she said it lightly, Freya knew it wasn’t that simple.

If impressing Director Rhodes were easy—

Then, over the years, countless actors and actresses would have done so.

But they hadn’t.

Which meant—

There was something extraordinary about her.

"Have you taken any formal training in acting?" Freya asked, not out of suspicion, but genuine curiosity.

Adelyn shook her head.

"Nope. I just developed an interest in acting at some point in life ... and somehow, things progressed naturally."

Freya nodded and didn’t press further.

"Alright," she said, casually reviewing the file before adding, "Since you’ve signed it, I’ll send it to Producer Polson. Also, the filming might begin sooner than we expect. But before that happens, you need to get yourself prepared in every aspect."

Adelyn nodded, watching as Freya put the file aside.

"As for your training," Freya continued, "you can start from tomorrow. Everything has been arranged. I’ll personally take you to the training grounds."

While they discussed her upcoming schedule in the basement—

Upstairs in the building—

A wave of shock had already begun to spread. The entire building was buzzing with whispers.

Although ZX Media might not be as large as Fusion Entertainment or Starlight Entertainment—

It was still well-known in the industry for representing a strong roster of popular actors.

It held significant potential—

And that was exactly what attracted many artists to join the agency.

Under normal circumstances, representatives from production houses coming in to sign contracts wouldn’t be surprising.

But today—

It had still managed to stir a noticeable ripple of shock among the staff.