My Beloved Has Risen from Death's Embrace novel Chapter 166

Xanthea immediately pulled out her phone and dialed Oliver's number.

"Hello? Xan, about the shoot today with Director Smith, he—"

"Uncle!" Xanthea cut him off with an urgent voice. "Was the rights to 'Realm of Illusions' transferred to you by Orion for free?"

Oliver paused for a few seconds before slowly responding. "You found it out?"

Xanthea's pupils constricted momentarily.

It was true, then. The contract was real.

"Why, Uncle?"

"Xan, I told you the other day; Mr. Lockwood really appreciated your performance. The mishap during the audition was just a misunderstanding, but you were too upset to listen or forgive him. So Mr. Lockwood proposed using the guise of a 'high-value transfer' to give 'Realm of Illusions' back to you, and I agreed.

Don't be mad at me for deceiving you, sweetie. I knew that deep down you still wanted that script. And honestly, if Mr. Lockwood had just handed 'Realm of Illusions' over to you right then, would you have accepted it?"

No, she wouldn’t have.

She had been too blinded by anger. If one second he had told her she was out, and the next he tried to hand her 'Realm of Illusions', she would have thought it was another trick.

"I’ve never seen such an expression on his face."

After he finished, Xanthea’s mind quickly flashed back to the day she surfaced from the water, and saw Orion at the shore.

He stood by the lakeside, staring at the burnt-out motorcycle at the end of the track; his eyes remained void and lifeless, until he heard the sound of water and turned to see her.

When he saw her, he smiled the way he did beside her gravestone in the cemetery, which was so unreal and desperate. He plunged into the lake and held her so tightly that she almost couldn’t breathe; he cried out "Xan" instead of the usual distant "Ms. Nightshade."

"The president was terrified, Xan. 'Realm of Illusions' contains many dangerous scenes and stunts. He feared that you’d encounter another accident like during the audition, which is why he had to eliminate you. But seeing you upset afterwards, he still went out of his way to ensure the script reached you, and he even arranged for the top stunt and safety coordinators in the industry for your production."