Right then, Kaylee lingered outside the house. The air carried a faint chill, yet a restless thrill surged through her chest.
At last, she had cut herself free from her loathsome so-called "family", and from this point forward, her life belonged solely to her.
Still, before stepping into that new beginning, there was something she needed to take back—the shares her grandfather had left behind.
By the time she had finally united with her family, her grandfather's health had already begun to crumble, and before his final breath, he had entrusted her with twenty percent of the company shares he had owned.
In the life she had lived before, she had clung to the idea of family and handed those shares over to the Harris family to manage. Now, with her mind sharpened and her vision clear, there was no chance she would allow them to profit off her again.
First things first, she needed somewhere to stay.
She slipped her phone from her pocket, thumb gliding over the screen before selecting the contact of her friend—Karl Hopkins, a well-known producer.
The call connected almost instantly. "Hey, sweetheart, what's going on?" he asked.
Kaylee didn't bother with small talk. "I need a place to stay. Can you sort out somewhere quiet for me?"
Karl answered without hesitation, "You can crash at my brother's empty villa. Just so happens, I've got a little favor to ask…" He cleared his throat lightly. "Next month's show is a big one, and I need you to come up with something breathtaking for me."
The corner of Kaylee's lips twitched.
If she had known there'd be strings attached, she might have just checked into a hotel instead.
Karl had been the same man who dragged her into acting for films before.
Truth be told, in this lifetime, Kaylee could have walked away from the entertainment world altogether, but remembering how Joyce had snatched away the roles meant for her in the past, she had no intention of stepping back just yet.
After a moment of quiet thought, she agreed. "Fine, I'll design something for you, but I've got an audition this afternoon. If it works out, I'll be tied up filming, so you'll have to wait," she said.
"That's fine, you're worth waiting for," Karl said before giving her an address. "He won't be staying there for a while, so make yourself comfortable. I'll leave the key with property management."
Kaylee flagged down a cab, stowed her luggage, and headed straight for the audition venue.
The film she was trying out for, "Finale," was the very project Joyce had later used to secure the Best Actress award. The director had actually personally invited Kaylee to audition for the role, and if things hadn't fallen apart in her previous life, that role should have been hers.
This time around, she would not let anyone snatch it away.
The taxi pulled up quickly, and the moment Kaylee stepped out, she saw a crowd already gathered outside.
She had arrived rather late, nearly at the tail end of the auditions.
To her surprise, inside the room, not only were the director, Evan Moss, and the producer present, but Declan was seated among the panel of judges as well.
Her hands curled into tight fists at once, a chill settling deep within her gaze.
The instant Declan noticed her, his expression darkened. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.
Before she could respond, he went on, irritation sharpening his tone. "Who told you I'd be here? Kaylee, can you quit hovering around me? I'm working. Why are you making a scene?"
Evan stiffened slightly, clearly caught off guard by the fact that the two of them knew each other.
The Harris family had kept Kaylee's status under wraps, so hardly anyone knew she was engaged to Declan.
Kaylee steeled herself, burying the loathing in her gaze, shot him an icy look, and said, "Mr. Edwards, we're not exactly acquainted. Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm here on business as well."
She turned, dipped her head toward the director, and said, "Good day, Mr. Moss. May we begin?"
Evan jolted back, gathering himself. "Certainly. Choose a scene and let's get started."
Declan stared, utterly taken aback.
His uncle had funded the production, which was how he'd landed a seat on the audition panel, yet he hadn't followed the casting and never imagined Kaylee would be called in.
On top of that, he knew Joyce had her sights set on this film, and Kaylee ought to have given the opportunity to her.
Still, Kaylee's abilities couldn't possibly measure up to Joyce's; this was likely nothing more than a formality.
Kaylee didn't spare Declan so much as a glance as she picked up the script.
In her former life, she had committed the script to memory long before auditions were held and revisited this film countless times after the release even though she didn't get the role.
"Finale" was a wartime story in which the heroine, Alexandra Gill, a celebrated opera singer as well as a patriot with unyielding resolve, moved through hostile territory while relaying intelligence to her side and providing funds and supplies. Along the way, she developed feelings for the male lead, Sam Davies, an army officer. In the end, Sam fell on the battlefield, and the enemy arrived at the theater to revel in their victory. Upon the stage, she delivered one last performance before locking the theater from within and setting both herself and the enemy ablaze.
"Mr. Moss, I'll take the closing scene." She shut the script. "I'm prepared. Shall we start?"
Evan hadn't anticipated her decision, considering it was the most demanding scene. The actresses before her had steered clear of it because of the difficulty of performing without props during the audition and the lack of young performers trained in classical opera-style singing.
Noticing the resolve in her eyes, he didn't press further and gave a small nod. "We'll begin."
