When Love Breaks (Josephine)

"Arthur?" Josephine was taken aback. "What are you doing here?"

Even as she asked, her mind was already racing with several possible reasons. Maybe, as a professional cinematographer, he wanted to be involved in the casting process from the start to find inspiration for the shoot. Or perhaps he was just being meticulous, making sure everything was handled fairly.

However, he casually rocked in his chair and said, "I came with a friend who's auditioning. He was feeling a little nervous, so he asked me to come along to help him relax."

"Your friend?" Her eyes lit up. "Ethan?"

Arthur grinned. "Oh, you call him Ethan now? Nice, things are going way better than I thought."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Josephine was puzzled. "Wait... Did you just say Ethan's nervous?"

He smirked. "He's not just nervous; he's very nervous."

Really? No wonder he'd been sitting there so stiffly earlier, looking like a perfectly sculpted statue. She had assumed he was just keeping a low profile to avoid drawing attention, but it turned out he was nervous.

However, she was still perplexed. "He doesn't seem like the type to get nervous."

Arthur's smirk deepened. "Yeah, he's not usually nervous. I've known him forever, and I've never seen him nervous. But here he is, tense as hell. Strange, huh?"

"It is strange." Josephine was genuinely puzzled. With his skills and their relationship, his chances of landing the lead role were practically guaranteed. So, why was he so nervous?

Arthur suddenly burst into laughter. "It is oh so strange! Ever since-" He stopped mid-sentence and laughed even harder. "He's just been getting weirder and weirder. But you know what? I like it. It's entertaining as hell!"

Josephine, along with the three assistant directors, turned to look at him like he had completely lost his mind. Their collective expressions screamed, "You're nuts."

Just then, Mason walked in and said, "Everyone, we're ready to begin. Should we start the auditions now?"

Josephine nodded. "Let's do this."

The room was a bit warm, so she took off her jacket, revealing a soft pink V-neck cashmere sweater underneath. Her long hair was loosely tied up with a scrunchie giving her a casual yet effortlessly elegant look. The combination of her cool, focused gaze and her relaxed, almost lazy grace made for a striking contrast-one that was impossible to ignore.

Arthur noticed her outfit and immediately let out a low whistle. "Well, someone's about to get even more nervous now."

Josephine shot him an unimpressed look. "Behave."

The group went outside and took their seats. When the eight actors saw Arthur, they instantly grew nervous. Even those who had come in confidently now looked visibly anxious.

Unlike Josephine, who had stepped

away from the limelight three years ago, Arthur was still at the peak of his career. A living legend. His fees were sky high, his reputation even higher and his presence alone carried an almost intimidating weight. He was the kind of industry figure that young actors dreamed of impressing-but rarely had the

chance to meet.

Josephine couldn't help but smile. Arthur had unknowingly done Ethan a huge favor. By making himself the center of attention, he had diverted a good portion of the nerves away from Ethan-while simultaneously making everyone else twice as nervous. It was like he'd come to boost Ethan's chances.

her ownnoveldrama

Mason picked up the microphone, gave a brief introduction, and then started calling the actors up one by one to draw their audition prompts. When it was finally Ethan's turn, Josephine felt something she hadn't expected nerves creeping in.

For a second, she didn't know where to look. Josephine hesitated before finally glancing up. And the moment she did their eyes met. Without realizing it, her usually cold gaze. softened for a brief moment. But just as quickly as it happened, Ethan looked away, pulling a card from the audition draw before stepping aside to prepare.

The assistant director whispered, "Ethan's got the look, no doubt about it. That face, that build... even if he wasn't auditioning for our film, he could land a lead role in any drama and be an instant hit."

Josephine arched her brow. "I agree. He's definitely got the visuals to be an idol."

"But his face doesn't just look good. It tells a story. Especially his eyes. There's something there-something deep. It'd be a waste if he didn't do film."

Josephine glanced at him. "What exactly are you trying to say?"