Chapter 499 - 495: The Vest, Finally Dropped

And so, they waited until it was nearly four in the afternoon.

Yuna went out for a bit and came back to tell Lily Sterling, "Lily, the director called in other actors to shoot the missing scenes. It looks like your scenes for today will be pushed back."

George Lowe’s attitude was unyielding, and Lily Sterling refused to back down. The situation was at a stalemate. It would probably be the same tomorrow and the day after.

"Lily, let’s not shoot," Finn said indignantly, looking at Lily Sterling. "He’s single-handedly turned this whole set into a toxic mess. If any rumors get out later, we won’t even be able to explain ourselves properly."

Lily Sterling certainly wasn’t going to give in. She nodded and said, "If there’s still no resolution by tomorrow, I’ll tell Connie."

But no sooner had she spoken than a staff member ran over and knocked on the door. "Ms. Lily, you have a visitor! She says she’s your sister!"

Hearing this, Lily Sterling shot up from the sofa, her eyes wide with pleasant surprise. "Really? Where is she?"

Outside the set, beyond the security line, Cecilia Sterling and Blair waited, curiously looking around.

Soon, a call came from a distance, "Sis!"

Cecilia Sterling focused her gaze and saw Lily running towards her. The smile on her face couldn’t help but widen.

"Sis!"

As she got closer, Lily Sterling dove into Cecilia Sterling’s arms, hugging her sister tightly. The moment she felt that familiar sense of security, the strong front she had maintained for so long shattered. A torrent of grievances surged in her heart, making her eyes and the tip of her nose sting. She clung to her sister and began to cry.

One moment, Cecilia Sterling was immersed in joy; the next, she realized her sister was crying.

And it wasn’t tears of joy. Her sobs were full of grievance and suppression; she had clearly run into some trouble.

Her expression immediately darkened, and she subconsciously looked toward Yuna.

Yuna sighed silently and gave Cecilia Sterling a slight nod, confirming her suspicion.

Beside them, Blair also frowned and gently patted Lily Sterling’s back. "What’s wrong, Lily? What happened?"

Lily Sterling looked up, quickly wiped her tears, and forced a smile at Blair. "It’s nothing, Blair. I’m just happy you’re here. Let’s go inside."

Cecilia Sterling said nothing, but she knew something was definitely wrong. Her sister was a terrible liar.

The group went to the lounge, and Cecilia Sterling gave it a quick look.

The lounges on a film set were usually simple. Even the lead actor’s accommodations wouldn’t be much better, but a sofa and air conditioning were enough.

"Sis, why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I could have had Finn pick you up. Did Estelle and Jane come too?"

The moment she sat down, Lily Sterling spoke, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. Her red, swollen eyes were heartbreaking to see.

Seeing her like this, Cecilia Sterling was in no mood for small talk. Her face grew serious as she asked directly, "What exactly happened? Tell me."

Lily Sterling’s expression faltered, and she instinctively wanted to deny it. Unaware of her sister’s true identity, her first thought was to avoid worrying her family. If they saw the dirty, chaotic side of the entertainment industry, that worry would become a permanent fixture.

As long as she was in this industry, they would never stop worrying about her.

But she was a terrible liar; her words would get jumbled the moment she tried.

"Don’t worry, I won’t tell Mom," Cecilia Sterling said. "But you have to tell me. I’ll handle it."

"Lily, we’re all here. Don’t be afraid," Blair added, encouraging her to speak up.

Lily Sterling sat there with her head down. Just thinking about it broke her heart, and fat tears rolled from her eyes like pearls from a broken string, falling one after another.

Yuna grew anxious and immediately stepped forward. "Let me explain..."

Lily Sterling didn’t say a word. It was too humiliating to tell her sister about something like this, even though she’d done nothing wrong.

Yuna gave a summary, but it was enough to explain the whole incident and paint a clear picture of that old lech, George Lowe.

After hearing the full account, the expressions on both Cecilia Sterling and Blair’s faces turned utterly frigid.

"So, Lily was supposed to have scenes this afternoon, but because of this, the entire production is now stalled?" Blair asked.

Yuna nodded, her gaze subconsciously shifting to Lily Sterling’s sister.

But then, Cecilia Sterling suddenly smiled. It was a terrifying smile—just a twitch of her lips, with no emotion whatsoever in her eyes.

"Yuna, please go get the director," Cecilia Sterling said suddenly.

Yuna froze for a moment. Lily Sterling also looked at her sister and said hurriedly, "Sis, I’ll let Connie handle this."

Cecilia Sterling just raised a single finger, signaling for her sister to be quiet. "Connie can’t handle this. No matter how capable she is, she’s just a manager. I have to be the one to deal with it."

With that, she gave Yuna a look. "Go."

Yuna nodded and ran out.

Cecilia Sterling casually picked up a new script and began flipping through it. As she read, she asked Blair, "Do you know who this George Lowe is?"

She watched so little television, and even when she did, she never remembered the actors’ names.

If she’d asked Estelle, she would have known for sure. Blair, however, had to think for a moment before answering, "I think he starred in a hit show back in the nineties, but he wasn’t exactly young even then, was he?"

"You know about a show from the nineties? You weren’t even born yet, were you?" Cecilia Sterling asked, surprised.

Blair threw up her hands in resignation. "My master loves watching those old shows, so I’ve seen quite a few with him. But George Lowe was genuinely famous back then."

"Not young even in the nineties? Then how old is he now?" Cecilia Sterling murmured.

Blair had already looked him up on her phone. Her eyes widened in shock. "Sixty-four!"

Hearing that, Cecilia Sterling’s face twisted in disgust. "What an awkward age. You can’t hit him, you can’t curse him out... Don’t want people accusing me of elder abuse!"

Lily Sterling watched her sister and Blair chatting so casually and felt a bit lost. But just seeing her sister sitting right there also gave her a strange sense of peace.

Soon, the director returned, looking eager.

He thought Lily Sterling had changed her mind but was surprised to walk into the lounge and find two unfamiliar faces.

He froze. Before he could speak, Cecilia Sterling beat him to it, offering a polite smile. "Hello, Director. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cecilia Sterling. I’m Lily Sterling’s older sister..."

"And also the sole investor of ’March Alley,’ the show you’re currently directing."

As soon as she said this, everyone in the room, except for Blair, was stunned.

Including Lily Sterling!

’My sister... she’s...’

Cecilia Sterling looked at her sister with a reassuring smile. Her cover as an investor had finally been blown in front of her sister.

"You... You are..." The director’s brain short-circuited. He knew the show had only one major investor.

A sole investor.

This young, beautiful woman standing before him? And she’s Lily Sterling’s sister?

So why hadn’t Lily Sterling said a single word about it?

Cecilia Sterling nodded slightly. "If you doubt my identity, you can call President Lockwood at Goldman Golding to verify."

Goldman Golding was the show’s production company.

"N-No, that won’t be necessary." The director quickly waved his hands, having recovered some of his composure.

But the next second, Cecilia Sterling tossed the script onto the table. Still smiling radiantly at him, she said, "As the investor, I’m demanding that you replace George Lowe."

"What?" The director’s heart, which had just begun to settle, leaped into his throat again. He blinked in disbelief. "Replace Mr. George Lowe?"

’Someone actually dares to replace Mr. George Lowe in the middle of a project?’

"As the investor, is there a problem with me making such a request?" Cecilia Sterling asked, tilting her head slightly.

"N-No... It’s just..."

But Cecilia Sterling had no interest in hearing his excuses. With a gentle, pleasant smile, she said in a soft, slow voice, "If you don’t replace him, then I’ll replace you."