Chapter 422: It’s All a Script

Chapter 422: Chapter 422: It’s All a Script

Stunned by Arabella Donovan’s words, the two men exchanged a glance and couldn’t help but laugh.

"That’s just for show, to placate the viewers who don’t know any better. When you’re out on a job, you never have that much freedom."

"..." ’That sounds so grim. Thank goodness I’m just a slacker, always ready to lie back and do nothing.’

As this thought crossed her mind, Arabella Donovan couldn’t help but give her older brother a sympathetic look.

Hector caught her gaze and chuckled. "Thinking it’s unfair and disrespectful? It’s fine. They did pay a hefty price to have me, after all."

’Tsk, tsk. For my brother to bend the knee like this, I wonder what astronomical price they offered him?’

Hector awkwardly rubbed his nose. ’It was decent,’ he thought. ’Just a seven-figure sum for a single episode.’

’But that’s not the main point. The point is...’

"That’s not why I feel sorry for you."

"If it’s not that, then..." Hector’s gaze drifted to the two photos in Arabella’s hands. "Is there something wrong with this kid?"

"Thick brows, beady eyes, too much white showing, and a hostile glint in his gaze. He’s clearly a domineering, willful, and short-tempered brat who’s been spoiled rotten. Hector, if you really pick him, you’re going to have a rough few days."

Hector’s expression darkened, and a cold, forbidding aura emanated from him.

Sheldon Webb cursed inwardly. ’This is bad.’ Others might not know, but he was keenly aware that the one thing his client detested most was an uncontrollable brat—the kind that smashed things, caused a ruckus, refused to listen to reason, and would throw themselves on the floor, wailing and kicking, the second something didn’t go their way.

If what Arabella said was true, this boy would hit every single one of his triggers.

"Calm down, calm down! Think of the paycheck. Think of the cancellation fee..."

Hector shot him a glare and sneered, "You think I care?"

Sheldon Webb was speechless. ’You may not care, Young Master, but I’m just a working stiff! I have to care!’

But they were already here, and Hector couldn’t just pack up and leave. He turned his attention to the other photograph.

"What about this girl? Is she a brat too?"

"Not at all. This girl... she seems quite well-behaved." Arabella tapped the photo on her phone, a puzzled look on her face. "Webb, didn’t you just say this girl is Mr. Coleman’s biological daughter? So why is the production team insisting that my brother pick the stepson? Did they invite another celebrity, someone even more famous than Hector, to pair up with this little girl?"

"The production team did arrange for another artist. It’s a newcomer pushed in by another investor, with no fame and no buzz. They’re just on this show to test the waters."

"If that’s the case, then why..."

Sheldon Webb sighed heavily. "Hey, with a new stepmom comes a new stepdad, right? You know how it goes."

Arabella was silent. ’Got it.’

’No wonder. The girl’s forehead is full, a sign she was born into wealth, yet her Palaces of Wealth and Parents are incredibly dim. That means her parents are either gone or she isn’t doted on; her bond with them is weak. Furthermore, her own fortune is susceptible to being stolen, like a cuckoo taking over a magpie’s nest.’

Didn’t that align perfectly with the girl’s current circumstances? Hector’s brows furrowed. In his heart, the scales were already starting to tip.

"However, strictly speaking, I wouldn’t recommend you choose her, Hector. Unless you bring me along to participate in the show with you."

Her words stunned both men, especially Hector.

He knew his little sister had no desire to chase clout or break into the entertainment industry. With how much their family doted on her, if she truly wanted to be a star, she would only need to say the word. People would be lining up, begging her to accept their resources. She certainly didn’t need to ride the coattails of her "Best Actor" brother.

"And why is that?"

"The girl’s glabella is slightly sunken and the root of her nose is slightly displaced. It’s the face of someone destined for a violent death. And it will likely happen in the next two days."

The color drained from both Webb’s and Hector’s faces. They exchanged looks filled with terror and disbelief.

"How can a perfectly healthy child just... just..." Webb couldn’t bring himself to say the word when thinking about a child. "Besides, if it’s in the next two days, that’s right in the middle of filming! How could the production team allow such a huge oversight? Are you sure you didn’t see it wrong?"

Hector, however, believed Arabella unconditionally. He furrowed his brows in thought. "If... I mean, if I pull out of the show now, cause some trouble to get it temporarily suspended, can that change her fate?"

"Hector, you..." Sheldon Webb wanted to advise him not to be rash, but a life was at stake. And after calming down and thinking about it, if someone really died during the filming, the show would be finished anyway. The words on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.

The two men turned to look at Arabella expectantly, only to see her shake her head in regret. "Her facial features are set. Even if she doesn’t participate in this show, it won’t change her fate of a violent death."

To put it simply, the show wasn’t the primary cause of her impending death. Even if she were to escape this particular fate due to the show’s cancellation, something else would happen to claim her life.

The truth was terribly cruel, and a long silence fell inside the car. Soon, they arrived at the filming location.

As a top-tier celebrity of the new generation and the youngest actor in history to win the "Triple Gold" awards for Best Actor, Hector Donovan’s arrival was met with a warm welcome from everyone on set.

As Hector’s assistant, Arabella stood on the sidelines with Webb, observing the scene while he filled her in on the "colleagues" Hector would be working with for the next few days.

"This parenting show has six parent-child pairs in total. Apart from your brother and one other guest celebrity, the other pairs are all regular cast members. And they’re all biological parents with their own kids."

Webb said this while pointing to a father and daughter sitting under the parasol closest to Hector. "That’s Milton Lambert, the famous screenwriter, with his daughter. His wife is supposedly not in the business and he’s kept her very private. She’s barely ever been photographed over all these years."

Of course, a screenwriter is a behind-the-scenes professional, so the paparazzi wouldn’t normally pry into his family’s private life. Still, it’s hard to stay completely out of the spotlight in this industry, so his ability to protect his family was quite impressive.

"The reason he’s bringing his kid on this variety show this time is mainly because he owes the show’s director a favor. You know how it is—a debt of gratitude is the hardest to repay. You can’t refuse, so no matter how unwilling you are, you have to bite the bullet and do it."

Arabella was surprised. "Webb, how do you know all this in such detail? You’re really well-informed, aren’t you?"

"Ha, it’s hardly a secret. We all move in the same circles, and since we’re about to be on the same show, everyone gives each other a heads-up in advance. It helps to have each other’s backs. You don’t actually believe the world is full of so many coincidences and you just happen to stumble upon them, do you? It’s all scripted. All of it."