The office building was unusually quiet, with hurried footsteps echoing as Amanda Seafried climbed up the stairs.
Earlier, she had gone down to the first floor to leave but found the "Cleaning in Progress" sign blocking her path, so she had to return to the second floor. She moved swiftly, her golden ponytail swaying behind her.
In her hurry and preoccupation with her urgent need, Amanda didn't notice a woman silently approaching from the opposite direction, nearly bumping into her.
"Sorry," Amanda apologized with basic courtesy.
The woman, however, was not as polite. "Can't you watch where you're going?" she snapped.
Amanda paused for a moment, looked up at the blonde woman, rolled her eyes, and continued towards the restroom.
The woman followed closely behind, as if heading to the restroom as well.
Exiting the restroom, Ronan had just finished washing his hands when he caught a familiar figure entering.
"Hello, Mr. Anderson," the blonde bombshell greeted, her chest puffed out.
Ronan had a good memory and nodded in acknowledgment. "Hello, Miss Blake."
Assuming she was heading to the restroom, he didn't pay much attention. However, to his surprise, the blonde bombshell took a few steps forward and suddenly asked, "Can I get that role?"
Thinking about the female lead with a public budget of $11 million, it was exciting just to consider.
Ronan pulled out a tissue from the side, dried his hands, and replied vaguely, "The casting decision hasn't been made yet."
This was true; the role of the eighteen-year-old daughter hadn't been cast yet.
The blonde bombshell chuckled suddenly. "I understand, I understand."
As she spoke, she took two more steps forward.
Ronan furrowed his brows slightly, feeling puzzled. What did she understand? He hadn't directly told her that she hadn't passed the audition, giving her some face.
Approaching within three feet of Ronan, the blonde bombshell suddenly bent down.
Her movement was slow, her upper body leaning forward. The tight-fitting blouse she wore, already low-cut, slipped down further, revealing the surging waves beneath.
Ronan wasn't a saint; he glanced instinctively. Must be 36D? And they seemed natural.
"Here?" The blonde bombshell seemed experienced, reaching out to grab Ronan's belt. "Anywhere works for me."
Deals like this were too common among aspiring actresses, and with her naturally ample assets, she had succeeded several times before.
Ronan quickly stepped back, reminding her firmly, "Miss Blake, please restrain yourself."
The blonde bombshell chuckled and pointed towards the men's restroom behind Ronan. "How about in there? Lock the door, and no one will see."
Taking another step forward, she attempted to grab Ronan's belt again.
Julia Roberts had managed to secure roles like this back in the day; she believed she could do the same.
In the corridor, Amanda Seafried reached the entrance of the restroom, only to see what was happening inside. She couldn't help but cover her mouth to stifle a gasp.
The blonde woman behind her also turned around, her gaze shifting inside the restroom, landing on the bending figure of the woman. She smirked suggestively.
Both were seasoned in Hollywood and understood exactly what was going on.
Ronan firmly pushed away the blonde bombshell's hand, his expression stern. "That's enough! This ends here. You can leave now."
The blonde bombshell looked at Ronan in surprise, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Was there a Hollywood producer who didn't indulge in such behavior? Unbelievable! With her looks, she had been rejected? Could it be… Could it be...
Her gaze towards Ronan changed, wondering if he didn't like women?
It was possible; there were plenty of Hollywood producers who preferred a more masculine style.
But she wasn't giving up yet, attempting to test the waters again. "I…"
Ronan didn't bother with sparing her feelings anymore and interrupted her bluntly. "No need to say more. I can tell you now; you didn't pass the audition. That's it."
The blonde bombshell's face turned ugly instantly, as if she hadn't noticed the two women at the door. She quickly turned and left.
Amanda Seafried watched the blonde bombshell, then glanced at Ronan, greatly impressed by this young producer.
For an American girl, thirteen years old meant she knew quite a lot, especially someone who had been a model for advertisements from a young age. She had seen some producers' despicable behavior and heard many rumors about Hollywood.
This Ronan Anderson seemed different, appearing decent and self-respecting.
As Ronan walked towards her, Amanda hurriedly greeted him. "Hello, Mr. Anderson."
Ronan nodded to Amanda and stopped, speaking directly. "Amanda Seafried, right?"
Amanda nodded quickly. "Yes."
"Tell your mother that you passed the audition," Ronan said calmly. "I won't be calling you again. Let her come tomorrow to discuss the terms."
Amanda Seafried smiled happily. "Really?" She took a deep breath, feeling ecstatic. "That's fantastic!"
Feeling curious eyes beside her, Ronan glanced over. It was a tall blonde woman, probably in her early twenties, with a figure not as curvy as the blonde bombshell's but still shapely and proportionate.
He just gave her a glance before turning back to Amanda. Amanda quickly expressed her gratitude. "Thank you, Mr. Anderson."
"No need to thank me," Ronan waved his hand.
He didn't linger and went straight to his office.
"Oh my!"
Amanda seemed to remember something, quickly crossed her legs, and hurried into the ladies' room.
The blonde woman glanced at Amanda Seafried's direction with a hint of disdain, then looked towards Ronan. The disdain disappeared instantly, replaced by curiosity and contemplation.
This seemed to be a producer; could there be such a young producer in Hollywood? Was he the producer of the horror film crew on the same floor?
They said it had a $10 million budget, a medium-cost film project.
Such a project was beyond comparison with TV dramas like "Roswell."
It wasn't until Ronan turned the corner that the blonde woman leisurely entered the restroom, opened an empty stall, sat on the toilet, and continued to ponder over her thoughts.
The door of the adjacent stall opened, and Amanda Seafried walked out quietly. She glanced at the blonde woman's stall, snorted softly, and then looked toward the direction Ronan had gone.
"Not watching where I'm going?" she muttered to herself indignantly. "You're the one not watching!"
As Amanda reached the entrance of the ladies' room, she found the mop she had observed earlier, went back to the stall entrance, picked up the mop handle, passed it through the stainless steel handles of the two stalls, and immediately ran out of the restroom.
"Enjoy the smell in there!" she thought gleefully. "If you're capable, crawl out from underneath."
As she turned out of the restroom, Amanda heard banging from inside the ladies' room, followed by a woman's angry shout, "Damn it! If I catch you..."
Amanda walked toward the staircase as if nothing had happened.
Why should she endure such arrogance?
Back in his office, Ronan thought about the blonde bombshell and felt that he needed to adjust his approach. This wasn't the reserved East; sometimes, being direct worked better.
As for what the blonde bombshell had done, he wasn't surprised; such behavior was common in the entertainment industry worldwide.
Having a glass of water, he took out a professional book and started reading, making the most of his time to enrich himself.
In the afternoon, Ronan continued to oversee auditions with James Huang. By now, only the role of the eldest daughter remained undecided.
In the end, Ronan chose an eighteen-year-old American actress named Michelle Williams.
After the auditions ended, he handled some paperwork and prepared to leave. The sky had already turned completely dark, and the office building was quiet; most people had left.
As he turned into the stairwell, a blonde woman happened to come down from the third floor, and he couldn't help but glance at her.
She was tall and attractive, and although he had seen her once at noon, it seemed she had changed her clothes.
They had only met briefly, but with her natural beauty, when the blonde woman also looked his way, Ronan nodded to her.
The blonde woman nodded back with a smile and greeted, "Good evening."
Ronan smiled in return. "Good evening."
The blonde woman introduced herself voluntarily. "I'm Katherine Hager."