Chapter 299

Damien Vaughn suppressed a laugh, his tone unwavering. "I wouldn't joke about something this serious, Mr. Thornton. I regard you as a friend, which is why I'm dropping this bombshell on you."

"Truly appreciate it," Gregory Thornton replied, gratitude lacing his words before ending the call. A wave of disbelief washed over him. Stepping into the hallway, Gregory couldn't resist telling every staff member he encountered that kindness always gets rewarded. He credited his sudden stroke of luck to his past generosity and felt certain the upcoming episode would shatter ratings records. Vivian Hartley's acting debut! She was starring in her own screenplay, playing the lead opposite Sebastian Hartwell. Any single one of these facts could dominate entertainment headlines.

When his initial excitement subsided, Gregory still felt it wasn't sufficient. He grabbed his phone and tweeted, "Spotlight Night has landed a superstar guest this week. Prepare for record-breaking viewership."

Miranda Graves opened Twitter and saw Gregory's post.

Remembering what Gregory had hinted earlier, she mused, "Who's coming?"

Having collaborated with Serena Whitmore on multiple shows, Gregory had developed a strong personal connection with her. He privately messaged Miranda, "Sebastian Hartwell's drama team is joining Spotlight Night. Both Sebastian and the female lead, Vivian Hartley, will appear." The episode hadn't aired yet, so he kept Vivian's secret identity under wraps but couldn't resist mentioning her name.

Assuming Sebastian was the major guest Gregory referenced, Miranda didn't dwell on it. She simply handed her phone to Serena and announced, "Vivian's appearing on Spotlight Night."

"Vivian?" Serena froze momentarily before snatching the phone. She narrowed her eyes at the screen, her voice turning razor-sharp. "I want to go too."

Miranda blinked in surprise. Serena's abrupt change of heart meant she needed to backtrack with Gregory, whom she'd just rejected. Before Miranda could respond, Serena thrust the phone back and strode toward the exit, calling after Gregory. "Wait up, Gregory!"

Gregory halted, his irritation still evident. Miranda caught up with Serena, mentally preparing to smooth things over. "Gregory, Serena wasn't herself earlier and spoke out of frustration. Please don't take it personally. She regrets her words and wants to apologize. We're absolutely committed to joining the show."

The weight of recent frustrations pressed heavily on Gregory's shoulders. These days, he'd watch helplessly from the monitor as Serena botched nearly every scene. Her line delivery remained flat and emotionless, her expressions as stiff as the set pieces surrounding her. It wasn't just the subpar acting - Serena couldn't even be bothered to memorize longer lines. During filming, she'd lazily mouth "1, 2, 3, 4, 5," relying entirely on post-production dubbing to salvage her performance. The thought of facing inevitable online backlash made Gregory's stomach churn.

Though he didn't trust Miranda's repeated assurances, he had little choice but to proceed. Serena's name still carried weight, and her presence would undoubtedly generate buzz. That didn't mean he had to make it easy for them.

With a stern expression, Gregory addressed Miranda sharply. "First she says no, then she changes her mind. What if she flip-flops again in three days? How do I explain that to production? Internal crew adjustments are manageable, but messing with a show's lineup is catastrophic. I can't fix that kind of disaster."

Serena, oblivious to Gregory's frustration, barely paid attention. Her eyes darted around the room while she schemed ways to humiliate Vivian during the live broadcast.

Visibly exasperated, Miranda stepped forward to mediate. "She won't back out," she insisted, tugging at Serena's arm for emphasis. "Serena, tell the director yourself. You're definitely participating, right?"