Chapter 16 Keiras Aloof Act Menu Marlee was taken aback . She bit her lip tightly , looking like she wanted to cry but was holding back . I … Keira , what exactly do you want to do ? Why are you acting so aggressive ? Andres got angry , clenching his fists tightly . Marlees gentle and didnt mind your attitude , but if you keep this up , dont blame me for not going easy on you . We should work things out by ourselves . But why does Keira always go after Marlee ? Does she think I can only have her by my side ? thought Andres . With that thought in mind , he said , In your eyes , I can only have you by my side , right ? If thats How it is , I might as well quit acting and just stay home with you every day , never seeing anyone else ! Andress voice was loud . The anger on his face made it seem like he was facing his longtime enemy . Keira couldnt help but snicker at the sight of him desperately trying to protect Marlee . And he was clearly changing the subject . But he seemed to forget one thing . They had already broken up and she didnt love him anymore . Faced with such a threat and questioning , she would no longer reflect on herself , nor would she apologize to appease Andres . Their dispute caught the attention of a few people nearby . A girl whispered , Isnt that Mr. Finley and Marlee ? Yeah , see how close they look ? Theyre definitely together ! The sandalwood bracelet in Marlees hand is the one from Mr. I used to think he was so aloof . I almost suspected him of being frigid . I never expected him to actually reveal his love affair . But they seemed quite a perfect match . Their voices were soft , yet distinct enough to catch . Keiras eyes fell on Andress empty left wrist , and then gradually shifted to the conspicuously larger bracelet on Marlees left hand . What once mattered the most to her now appeared as a worthless piece of junk in her eyes . The contempt and apathy that shone through her gaze sent a shiver down Marlees spine . At the weight of that glance , Marlees back involuntarily tensed up . Andres , however , frowned . When did I reveal my love affair ? he thought . When he glanced at Keira again and caught sight of her smirk , a weird sense of annoyance started bubbling up inside him . He thought , This reaction isnt right . She should have darkened her face and told those people to stop spouting nonsense , right ? Or she should have gotten angry at me and asked me to clarify , right ? 12.9 % Chapter 16 Keiras Aloof Act Why is she reacting like this ? The discussion over there was still going on . Menu Who is that girl sitting across from Mr. Finley ? Are they arguing ? She looks so pretty . Dont you know her ? Shes Keira , his ex agent . Im not sure about her current role , but shes always around Mr. Shes a seasoned veteran on Mr. Finleys team , having been with him since the very beginning of his career . Seasoned veteran ? Then why does it look like Mr. Finley is getting mad at her ? As they chatted , the three of them over here had different expressions on their faces . With a frown , Andres asked sternly , Keira , have you also been swayed by these outside rumors , leading you to act this way ? Marlee also chimed in , Ms. Hardin , youve got it all wrong . Andres and I grew up together . If we were meant to be , we wouldve gotten together ages ago . Keira smiled , So what you mean is that I picked up is that I picked up something you didnt want ? I … Because the place was packed with people , Andres had to keep his cool and said , Keira , watch your attitude ! She raised her hand and casually brushed aside the stray hair on her forehead . With a half smile , she said to Marlee , I dont want it anymore . You can have it back . In her words , Andres seemed like a worthless item , picked up by her on a whim and now tossed aside without a second thought . Andress face turned livid with anger . Before he could get a word in , the girl on the other side , who had been discussing , touched her chin and spoke with a puzzled look , Yeah , its weird . Does Keira think Mr. Finley shouldnt announce his relationship right now ? Wouldnt that be bad for his career ? Does she want him to wait a bit longer ? One sentence made Andress scolding words catch in his throat . He bit back his temper and glanced over at those girls . Several girls were completely oblivious to the fact that their words could be overheard . They suddenly noticed Andres looking at them and greeted him in surprise . Finley , we watched your movies before . Your acting skills were really impressive . Another girl said , Dont worry . We wont blab about your love affair , even though many people online are waiting for you to make it public . We all think you and Ms. Walter are a perfect match . They kept chattering away , not giving Andres a chance to get a word in , and then they all scattered in a hurry . Words failed Andres . Keira chuckled , Congratulations . I have something to attend to , so I wont chat with now . She walked forward , carrying a canvas bag in her hand . Andres frowned , feeling like she had been goaded into a frenzy . you for 12.9 % hapter 16 bauds About Aud Menu thought , Didnt she used to hate it the most when I got close to other women ? Hack then , even the slightest issue would have Keira sulking and acting coy , or pouting her lips in feigned grievance , prodding me to get an explanation . She was unbelievably adorable back then . Her constant questions used to annoy him sometimes . Now she was quiet , but Andres wished she would ask him questions again . Even anger would be better than silence . At least it made it clear to him that she cared about him a lot . Andres , how did this spread online ? Now Keira must have misunderstood . Thats why shes so upset . What do you think I should explain to her ? Marlee looked at him , her long eyelashes quivering . Her eyes were welled up with tears . Andres felt a pang of heartache . Marlee used to be the happiest girl in his memory . Now she seemed constantly targeted by Keira , always looking wronged with red eyes . He had just experienced a slight shift in his feelings toward Keira , but it quickly turned back into anger . Andres thought , To get back together , Keira even humbled herself to seek help from Mr. Watkins , but then in front of me , she started putting on airs again . When did she become so hypocritical ? He reached out and gently pinched Marlees cheeks , saying , Dont worry . You dont need to stress about this . Ill handle it . Your job right now is to focus on the audition and not get distracted , so you can work with M Watkins and also act with me . Marlee visibly relaxed and smiled , Dont worry , Andres . Ive been practicing hard and even hired a teacher since you told me about this chance . There wont be any problems this time . However , you have to explain it to Keira . Dont get angry . Girls need to be soothed . You cant be too harsh , okay ? Andres nodded and escorted her to the lounge . As soon as he turned his head , his face darkened . He thought , Its sweet girls like Marlee who need soothing , not women like Keira who are all about making a fuss and being pushy ! I want to see what Keira can do on the set . Auditions had already started here . Markus was sitting in the middle , with Keira sitting next to him , and Everett sitting next to her . For a moment , there was a slight illusion that Keira was in the main seat . When Andres arrived and saw this scene , he couldnt help but frown . Is Everett planning to follow in Mr. Watkinss footsteps and become a director ? he wondered . Then Andres scoffed softly . Keira hadnt really been involved in directing for years . The investors were interested in her movie project not because of her skills , but because of his influence and his teams abilities . Keira was unrealistic and stubbornly believed that they valued her for her abilities . 12.9 % Chapter 16 Keiras Albot Act was simply ridiculous . Menu What would she do when Mr. Watkins finds out she has long lost that ability ? Andres thought . Andres stood calmly a few steps behind them . Once the two actors on this side wrapped up their audition , Everett asked , Keira , do you think that actress just now is suitable for this role ? In "Cross My Heart and Hope to Die" by CrushReel, Zoe Hale takes a daring step by marrying Ashton Cross, a man under suspicion for her sister's mysterious demise. As their relationship evolves, hidden truths unravel, intertwining love and suspense in this captivating romance novel. Exploring the complexities of loyalty and deception, the story delves deep into Zoe's quest for justice while navigating the unexpected twists of her heart. 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