"I came to give you this."
Seeing Amanda momentarily speechless, Winter handed over the document that Jasper had tossed to her the day before. Amanda reached out and took it, but the moment her eyes fell on the title, they widened in shock.
"This...!"
It wasn't just a document; it was a script. Amanda's breath caught as she read the title: Deep Friendship.
Her fingers trembled as she touched the cover. She looked up at Winter, her voice urgent. "Where did you get this?"
Seeing Amanda so worked up, Winter began to feel nervous. "Mr. Jasper told me to give it to you! Is... is there something wrong with it?"
Amanda shook her head absent-minded. So, Jasper was the one who gave it to her?
In her previous life, the script for Deep Friendship had also found its way to her. But back then, she was being ostracized by the entire online community; her spirit was broken, and Javier was constantly whispering in her ear, leading her astray. Ultimately, she had been talked into giving the script to Elena Lewis.
Elena had used that script to audition, secured the female lead, and catapulted herself to become the number-one star in the world. While Amanda had struggled just to find a foothold in the industry—scolded for every move she made and afraid to even step out of her door—Elena had become a goddess worshiped by millions. Back then, Amanda was nothing more than the mud in the gutter.
Thinking of this, Amanda's fists clenched. Taking a deep breath, she dialed Jasper's number. After a few rings, he answered with a groggy shout.
"Who the hell is calling me this early?!"
Amanda's sentimental mood vanished instantly. She rolled her eyes and shouted right back. "Jasper! You bastard, it's noon!"
Jasper didn't back down. "Yeah, well, some of us didn't fall asleep until dawn!"
Amanda let out a snort of contempt. "You're still out of breath just from sleeping late? Do you have too much air in your lungs or just a total lack of stamina?"
Jasper was practically panting with indignation. "Tell me why you called! Otherwise, I'm hanging up!"
Realizing she shouldn't push him too far if she wanted answers, Amanda cleared her throat. "What is this script you gave me?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by the sound of sheets rustling. Jasper was clearly rolling out of bed. A moment later, he was standing on his balcony, lighting a cigarette, his voice much calmer.
"The director is an acquaintance of mine. He invited me to play the male lead, but he couldn't find a female lead that suited his vision, so production hasn't started yet. I think your acting is decent, and mine is obviously great. It seemed like a good match, so I recommended you."
Amanda took a silent, shaky breath to suppress her excitement. "Jasper... thank you."
Hearing her use his name so softly brought a rare, genuine smile to Jasper's lips. It flickered for a second before he reverted to his usual prickly self. "Don't thank me yet. The audition is in a week. Whether you can actually land the role is a different story."
At the challenge, Amanda pouted and felt her competitive spirit ignite. "Just you wait. I'm going to nail it!"
The opportunity she had once lost was back. No one understood the weight of that regret better than her, and she wasn't about to let it slip away a second time. Deep Friendship—that role was hers.
Jasper let out a short, melodic laugh. "I'm tired of waiting."
Waiting for you to play my lover on screen again...
Jasper didn't really know when his feelings for Amanda had changed. His first impression of her had been summarized in one word: disgust. She was arrogant, bossy, and her reputation was so bad that more people hated her than loved her.
But then came the day she had looked at him with those clear, curious eyes, and he realized they weren't tainted at all. They became friends—the kind who couldn't go a day without a loud argument. When she was being cheated on, he had been both gloating and furious—gloating because she was blind enough to fall for a jerk, but furious that the jerk was blind enough to abandon a girl like her.
When he saw her fall into that lake, knowing she couldn't swim, he felt like his heart had stopped. And seeing her lying in someone else's arms afterward... it had been unbearable. He knew he had been moved, but he was a step too late. That hard-mouthed, soft-hearted girl belonged to someone else now.
Jasper let out a long sigh, crushed his cigarette into the trash can, and hung up.
The moment the call ended, Amanda was so ecstatic that she jumped up and pulled Winter into a crushing hug.
"Winter! I love you! I'm giving you a massive bonus this month!"
Winter didn't quite understand the significance of the script, but she understood the word "bonus." She beamed and hugged Amanda back just as tightly. "Haha! Really? Thank you, Ms. Amanda!"
When Quentin and Derrick walked into the garden, they were met with the sight of the two girls spinning around and laughing with pure joy.
Derrick crossed his arms, his gaze lingering on Winter. She actually has dimples, he noted with interest. "What are those two so happy about?"
Quentin's expression was unreadable, his eyes fixed on Amanda. "Let's go find out," he said coldly.
As Quentin strode forward, Derrick touched his nose and followed, chuckling under his breath. "Is it just me, or did the air suddenly get very sour? I think I smell vinegar."