Chapter 443

"Earlier, you mentioned abandoning 'Spotlight Night,' and I've been searching for the perfect opportunity to unveil your pen name, Vivian Hartley, to the public. But who could have predicted such a chance would appear so abruptly?"

Damien Vaughn's words made Vivian Hartley pause mid-step. She tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

A knowing smirk played on his lips as he gestured toward his phone. "Check Instagram."

The moment he said "Instagram," Vivian groaned. "Please don't tell me I'm trending again?"

Sebastian Hartwell, who had just exited the makeup trailer, overheard and let out an amused chuckle. "Vivian, you were born for this industry. I've been in the business for over a decade, and I've never trended half as much as you—and every time, it's a full-blown scandal."

A realization struck her. "This isn't about that plagiarism accusation, is it? I recently took on a new script under a different name, and halfway through, someone claimed I copied Vivian Hartley's work. Before I could even respond, I got blocked."

Damien simply nodded in confirmation.

Sebastian leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Do you know who bought that script?"

Vivian shook her head. "I didn’t bother looking into it."

Damien’s lips curved. "It was Serena Whitmore."

At the mention of Serena, memories of past schemes from the production company resurfaced, pieces clicking into place.

Vivian pulled out her phone, which had been silenced on "Do Not Disturb." She hadn’t checked Instagram in hours, and when she finally opened the app, notifications flooded in like a tidal wave. It took her nearly five minutes just to navigate to the main feed.

The headline dominating the platform read: "Vivian Hartley Plagiarism Scandal."

Both Serena’s and Vivian’s fans were locked in a brutal online war. Given the gravity of plagiarism accusations, even neutral bystanders were joining in, skewing the backlash overwhelmingly against her.

Gossip accounts spun tales of Serena purchasing a script, only to discover it was stolen from Vivian Hartley. The real shock? The alleged plagiarist was none other than a rising starlet who had been making waves on social media. Though they didn’t name Vivian outright, the clues were glaring—a female lead with a last name starting with "H," a rising actress moonlighting as a screenwriter, who had supposedly copied the legendary Vivian Hartley.

The breadcrumbs led straight to her.

Vivian skimmed through the vitriolic comments before locking her phone with a sigh. She turned to Damien, her voice steady. "Should I clarify things from Vivian Hartley’s official account?"

She hadn’t expected Serena to be the buyer. Life had a way of being stranger than fiction. Maybe in another universe, it wasn’t Adrian Blackwood she was entangled with, but Serena.

Damien met her gaze. "Let’s wait and see how this unfolds."

Sebastian smirked, leaning in. "Business is business, right? Mr. Vaughn here is just cutting down on PR expenses."