---
The director, his assistant, and the screenwriter clapped.
"Good, very good! This is her—this is the second female lead's life!" the screenwriter said, standing up with excitement.
Maria bowed politely.
"You've been chosen. We'll meet next week with the rest of the crew," the director said with a nod.
Maria bowed once more and quietly left the room. The remaining contestants were told to go home some who didn't have the chance to audition cried
the internet had already picked up the scent as some of the angry people that didn't audition thinking Maria made the director angry and posted that she went to audition for the drama the golden cage second FL
#MariaAudition started trending not long after she left.
"She auditioned for that web drama? She better not be serious."
"Love her music, but acting? Nah."
"She should stick to singing and playing violin. This isn't her lane."
"LMAO, if she gets cast, I'm switching to a different show."
"Does she knows what she is doing does she think the golden cage web drama is a joke "
"For a dram that already have up to five million people attention someone just woke up and said he wants to act inside joke much'
"She's pretty, sure—but the second FL needs more than just a pretty face."
Some even bet money: "I give it one week before they kick her out."
A few clips, likely leaked from someone at the studio, showed only seconds of her walking in and reading a few lines. It was enough for the haters to gather.
"See? She's stiff."
"Looks like she's reading from a textbook."
"She's just trying to blow up again after fading for a bit."
"She first said she wanted to make a song now this what a joke "
"Maybe she flop at making a song so she wanted to do this"
But not everyone was cruel.
"She hasn't even debuted in the drama yet. Why judge?"
"Have you seen her live performances? She can act with emotion. Don't sleep on her."
"She's the kind of person who surprises people when no one's paying attention."
Some fans were softer: "She works too hard… I hope she doesn't burn herself out again."
"She should just chill. We love her for who she is."
Maria scrolled through the chaos while waiting in a cab. Her name, again, was in everyone's mouth. She blinked, tossed her phone onto the seat beside her, and leaned back.
By the time the sun went down, her newly released song had already dropped.
Five minutes.
One million views.
The beat? Addictive.
The lyrics? Catchy, smooth, just a little haunting.
People were already looping it. Sharing it. Adding it to playlists. Even those mocking her earlier were unknowingly humming her chorus by midnight.
And Maria?
She was already home. No reactions, no explanations. Just a dim lamp, her rented apartment, and the faint sound of her own song playing from a neighbor's phone.and her novel also got published too
---
Meanwhile, in another part of the city...
Neo stepped into his family mansion.
Crash!
A vase flew at him.
He dodged easily.
"Trying to kill your son, old man?" Neo asked dryly as he walked further into the living room. The servants, already used to the chaos, silently cleaned up the broken pieces.
"You brat! Useless child!" his father roared. "What do you mean you won't work with your brother?!"
Neo dropped lazily onto the couch, threw his legs on the table, and snatched the grape plate meant for his father. Popping one in his mouth, he leaned back smugly.
"I'm talking to you! Zack told me you refused to work with him the moment you found out he was in charge of the project!"
Neo yawned. "If you keep screaming like that, your hair will turn gray faster than your blood pressure can rise. Sometimes I wonder… why did Mom even marry someone so loud? Maybe she needed a human alarm clock." He scratched the back of his neck, half-mocking, half-bored.
His father's eyes bulged. "What did you just say?!"
He grabbed a cup, ready to throw it—but Neo shouted:
"MOM!"
His father froze, lowering the cup with a grimace.
"How old are you, calling for your mother? Disgusting," the man grumbled.
Neo smirked. "And yet you're scared of her. Embarrassing."
He removed his feet from the table and leaned forward, arms resting on his thighs. His tone changed—calmer but sharper.
"Dad, I'm not accepting Zack. End of story. Let him cry to you all day long. I don't care. If he wants to lead something, tell him to start his own business."
His father sighed heavily and sat down. "Don't behave like this. He's your brother."
Neo raised an eyebrow. "Brother? Funny. For as long as I can remember, I've been your only child."
He leaned back.
"You took Zack in as your disciple because his father was your best friend, let him stay here more than his own home, invited his aunt and cousins to visit like it's a second family. Then, you made him your adopted son because his father died saving you—and you didn't want him living with his remarried mom. You even send money to his step-siblings."
Neo tilted his head.
"Dad, be honest—are you sure he's not your illegitimate son?"
Thwack!
Neo clutched his head. "Ow! Are you trying to damage my genius-level IQ?"
"You know I'm the only reason Mom is still in this marriage, right? Show some respect." He rubbed his head and stood.
"You said Zack would never get a share in any of your companies. Yet now, you expect me to let him manage a major project in my business—a company I built from scratch? What's next? Let him inherit it?"
Neo's gaze turned cold.
"And FYI, working for my maternal family's mafia business hasn't made me stupid. I know the difference between manipulation and partnership."
He picked up a glass of wine and smiled calmly. "If you want your adopted son to stay alive, stop pushing him toward me."
Thwack!
Another hit to his head.
"Brat! How dare you threaten me?"
His father stood up, seething. "Fine. Since you think you're the boss, you'll handle the AIM Corporation's branch expansion abroad. I want to see triple profits. If you fail, I'm sending you to military school."
He stormed out of the living room.
Neo blinked, stunned. "Wait, what?!"
He looked up—and there stood Zack, looking at him with hatred but smile when he met neo gaze from the hallway.
Neo narrowed his eyes and smile at him .
"Watch your steps," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Stop looking at what's mine. Otherwise… you and your mom can share the same grave."
Then, Neo stood and walked out.
---
The room was dim, heavy with smoke and tension. Men in suits surrounded a long conference table, their expressions grim.
"It seems like everything's moving faster than expected," one of them muttered. "New people are stepping in. Strange pieces are shifting. Do you think Chris is aware?"
Chris didn't respond. He leaned back, eyes half-lidded, unbothered.
The man continued, frustration creeping into his tone.
"Mike's getting serious. All our spies have been wiped out. His empire's spreading—connections, power, even into our own network. It's like someone's backing him from the shadows."
He turned sharply to face Chris.
"Why don't you help us?"
Chris let out a quiet laugh, lips barely curving.
"Aren't you funny," he said coldly. "You're cracking jokes… but you're dead serious."
He shifted, resting his chin lazily on one hand, his gaze sharp.
"Can anyone even stop Mike now? You'd be lucky to survive, let alone benefit. You want my help—but you also suspect me. If I were helping Mike… do you think I'd still be sitting here?"
The man flinched slightly but pushed forward.
"Then… maybe we calm him down. We get his girl. Doesn't she like you? Why don't you use that?"
Chris narrowed his eyes.
"You're desperate," he said. "Why should I lift a finger for you? Just because I'm sitting here, you think we're allies? Don't confuse manners for loyalty."
He stood slowly, slipping his hands into his pockets, voice dropping into something far colder.
"You've already investigated Maria, haven't you? You can't sit still anymore. Your chessboard's collapsing. Your pawns are disappearing one by one. And now you're crawling to me because the leash you put on me is slipping."
Chris walked to the edge of the railing and looked down, calm and composed. Then he turned his head slightly, a glint of amusement in his eye.
"Normally, I'd just sit back and enjoy the chaos. But now… why don't I speed things up?"
The man's face darkened.
"If you stand against us, you won't survive."
Chris chuckled.
"Standing in the shadows makes you feel like the villain in some overhyped action movie, doesn't it?" he said mockingly. "And the audacity… A third-hand mutt like you trying to threaten me?"
He turned fully now, his voice sharp as glass.
"Talking to Sophia must've gone to your head. Your boss is in hibernation, which makes you nothing but a headless snake. Are you trying to take his place now? How foolish."
Chris stepped forward, one step at a time, the pressure in the room spiking.
"Even your boss thinks twice before speaking to me. And you… from the Cleric family? No wonder you're all venom and ego. That family's poison—destroyed once already. Maybe you forgot why."
He gave a low chuckle.
"Though I'm guessing you're assuming the 'boss' I'm talking about is Red... aren't you?"
The man froze.
Chris turned his back again. "Shame. I thought maybe you were worth the effort to leave my sleep and visit you bad very bad .
The man sneers anything that doesn't work with me…works against me."
He looked over his shoulder.
"You think I'm weak cause I let you buzz around my ear
Suddenly—
Red dots locked onto Chris.
Snipers.
Guns.
A beat passed.
The man smirked. "Goodbye, Chris."
Bang. Bang. Bang—
But the shots didn't hit Chris.
They hit the snipers.
Then the guards.
All of them.
Falling like dominoes.
Chris stopped walking. He turned around slowly, the light hitting his face just right to show the calm fury beneath.
"I hate being threatened," he said softly, almost whispering. "Makes me… irritated."
With a flick of his wrist, a blade gleamed through the air.
Thwip!
It landed dead center in the man's forehead.
He dropped instantly.
Chris turned without another glance, walking away as silence fell. The only sound left was his footsteps echoing against the cold marble floor.
---