Arabella Donovan's words struck like a bolt from the blue, leaving the two men involved utterly shell-shocked.
Seeing Hector Donovan's reluctance, and fearing he might lose his temper and offend this influential investor, Grant quickly tried to smooth things over. "It's just a meal. It won't take long. Besides, I'll be there, right? If you really do have a few drinks, I'll personally drive you home. How does that sound?"
Grant's words were, in fact, a roundabout way of assuring Hector Donovan that tonight was truly just about dinner—nothing more.
Now that he'd put it like that, Hector Donovan couldn't very well refuse.
"In that case, I'll impose on you, Mr. Rhodes. Webb, you can take Serena home first."
When Arabella Donovan heard that Hector wanted someone to take her home so he could attend the dinner alone, she grew alarmed. "Hector, can't I go with you?"
'No way. For the sake of my brother's chastity, I have to go. Brave Serena will protect Hector! Down with the unscrupulous capitalist! Charge!'
Caspian Rhodes, the unscrupulous capitalist in question: "..."
Hector Donovan: "..."
'Good grief, with those skinny arms and legs of yours, if something really happened, would you be protecting me, or would I be protecting you?'
"This is Best Actor Donovan's... sister?" Caspian Rhodes quickly smoothed his expression and offered with a faint smile, "Why don't you join us? The more, the merrier."
Hector Donovan furrowed his brow but remained noncommittal, which only made Arabella Donovan more certain of her suspicions.
'This guy really *is* after my brother. Why else would he be so agreeable? I definitely have to tag along. If need be, I can just throw my brother over my shoulder and make a run for it. I guarantee no one would be able to catch us.'
Hector Donovan: "..."
'Well, thank you so much for that!'
Caspian Rhodes: "..."
'Is it possible that I *do* have ulterior motives, but my target is someone else entirely?'
In the end, they all decided to go together. Hector was genuinely worried that if he had Sheldon Webb take Arabella away, she would just sneak out and follow them right after.
Caspian Rhodes had chosen a private kitchen. The restaurant wasn't large, but the decor was exquisite and tasteful, full of classic, antique charm.
To keep the misunderstanding from getting any worse, Caspian Rhodes began to explain as soon as they were all seated. "Honestly, today was just about meeting Best Actor Donovan and having a meal. In fact, you all might not know this, but my cousin, Melody Lynch—the original author of the show you're filming—is a die-hard fan of Best Actor Donovan."
"The role of the 'Master' in the story was actually written with Best Actor Donovan as the model. After the book unexpectedly blew up and the adaptation rights were initiated, my cousin had only one request. She didn't care about the other characters, but the role of the Master absolutely had to be played by Best Actor Donovan."
Neither Hector Donovan nor Grant had any idea there was this kind of backstory, and for a moment, they were both taken aback.
Grant was the first to snap out of it. "No wonder! I was wondering why, out of all the people she could have chosen, the original author decided to sell the rights to me. So that was it..."
While Grant was a well-known director, he had mostly filmed historical and wuxia dramas. He'd done a few xianxia series as well, but none of them had been major hits.
The show he was producing now, however, already had a huge following and the strong backing of a major platform—it was a bona fide big IP.
Several xianxia directors, more famous and experienced than him, had shown interest in working with her. He never imagined that in the end, this golden opportunity would land right in his lap.
Before this, Grant had just assumed he'd won because he had offered a high price and voluntarily given up a great deal of creative control.
Now, after Caspian Rhodes's explanation, he realized she had probably known all along that he was acquainted with Hector Donovan. Once she was sure he could actually get him for the role, she ignored better options and chose him.
Clearly, the author was a true stan of Hector Donovan!
After hearing all this, Arabella Donovan was left in awe of the original author's slick moves.
'Well, damn! Is this the legendary "If fate won't bring us together, my money will"? Are all rich fans this... straightforwardly manipulative these days? First, write a character based on him, then cast the man himself when it gets adapted, and finally, use that as an in to get an autograph. It's a chain of perfectly linked steps. Genius. Absolute genius!'
Seeing that Arabella's attention had been diverted to Melody Lynch and she was no longer fixated on her brother's chastity, Caspian Rhodes breathed a sigh of relief.
"My presumptuous visit today is also related. My cousin is still studying abroad. She's so swamped with her coursework that there's no way for her to come back anytime soon. When she heard filming had started and that I happened to be nearby, she begged me to come take a look on her behalf and get an autograph from Best Actor Donovan. I was wondering if Best Actor Donovan might do me the honor later? It would allow me to report back to my cousin that I've completed my mission."
What Caspian Rhodes said was half-true. Melody Lynch's request was real, but this dinner tonight had not been part of his original plan.
He had originally planned to just snap a few candid photos of Hector Donovan on set, get a couple of autographs from the director, and call it a day.
Who would have thought he'd run into Arabella Donovan here? What was once a reluctant chore had suddenly become the perfect excuse to get closer to her.
Hector Donovan, unaware of all these machinations, realized he might have truly misunderstood the man's intentions, and his expression grew a little awkward.
"It's an honor to have earned Miss Lynch's admiration. I'll have my manager put together a small gift package for her. I hope you can pass it along for me, Mr. Rhodes, and please thank Miss Lynch for her support and affection."
"Of course." Caspian Rhodes smiled faintly and raised his glass to Hector Donovan.
Arabella Donovan watched this unfold while gnawing on a chicken foot, her heart a mix of relief and disappointment.
'Thank goodness. I was starting to think my brother's charm was so powerful it could captivate men and women alike, turning the whole world on its head. It seems there's still room for improvement.'
Hector Donovan: "..." 'How am I supposed to improve? By becoming charming enough to captivate both men and women?'
'But speaking of which, this fan of my brother's is also a Lynch, the same surname as our fourth sister's family. Wait a minute. Melody Lynch... Melody Lynch... Hold on!'
Arabella froze mid-chew on her chicken foot. She tentatively raised her hand. "Pardon my asking, Mr. Rhodes, but what did you say your cousin's full name was?"
'Finally,' Caspian Rhodes thought. 'She noticed.'
That was right. He had mentioned the name on purpose, specifically to test whether Arabella knew about the connection between Melody Lynch and her own family.
Outwardly, however, he feigned the perfect amount of confusion. "Melody Lynch. Does Miss Donovan know my cousin?"
"...I don't know her. I just think the name... is rather pretty."
After saying this, Arabella lowered her head and went back to gnawing on her chicken foot, as if it had just been a casual question.
Only Hector Donovan and Caspian Rhodes knew that, internally, her thoughts were scrolling by at a frantic pace.
'The *Yue* of precious gems, the *Sheng* of harmonious pipes... it really is her! Melody Lynch! Melody Lynch! One of the fraternal twins from the main branch of the Lynch Family! Our fourth sister's nominal cousin! To think I searched high and low for a connection, only to have one fall right into my lap. I was just wondering how I was going to meet the Lynch Family, and one of them just gets delivered to my door?'