When Love Breaks (Josephine)

The assistant director finally laid his cards on the table. "I just think that if we

could get Ethan to play the lead in our movie, even if it's not a mainstream hit, he'll still attract tons of young women to the theaters. That alone could drive up the box office."

Her gaze turned cold. "If that's what you think, we might as well just make another project, find a generic script, hire a bunch of pretty faces, focus on the visuals, film it in two months, release it in six, and rake in a few hundred million before walking away."

The assistant director immediately shut his mouth. He knew Josephine never put box office numbers above the film itself. In fact, it probably didn't even make her top three priorities.

Soon, the audition began. One by one, the eight actors took the stage.

Josephine barely spoke during the process, her gaze sharp and analytical, occasionally jotting down notes. Every now and then, she'd ask an actor to show a different emotion, but otherwise, she was focused-watching, assessing.

When it was Ethan's turn, the air in the room shifted. Even Arthur, who had been lounging around, straightened up a little. The other actors noticed too and could only sigh.

His outstanding looks truly set him apart, even among this group of top-tier actors. In an industry where appearances mattered, sometimes talent wasn't even necessary—a face like his was already a winning lottery ticket.

Ethan handed his prompt card to Josephine. He was supposed to perform "playing the saxophone on the street and getting hit by a car."

Josephine leaned back in her chair, eyes locking onto Ethan. Surprisingly, he didn't start by playing the saxophone. Instead, he began by acting as an elderly

man.

He hunched over, moving as if struggling to walk against the cold wind, coughing in a way that seemed like it might tear his lungs out. It was heart-wrenching to watch.

Shivering from the cold, his hands stiffened, and he struggled just to lift his instrument case. After much effort, he finally took out the saxophone. He placed it carefully on his lips, and when he tried to play, the sound was weak and broken.

The sound was intermittent, and he couldn't catch his breath, making it incredibly painful to listen to. But he had used up every ounce of his strength.

Just then, a few coins clinked into his case, and he was overjoyed. He took off his hat and bowed, holding onto the last shred of dignity he had left. But the moment the donor walked away, he couldn't contain his excitement and rushed to pick them up.

His fingers trembled, almost as if they were out of his control, and one coin even rolled onto the road.

Traffic was relentless, but he didn't

hesitate and quickly ra ardit.

He knew it was reckless, but he needed that coin so badly.

Just as his fingers brushed the coin, a deafening horn blared. In an instant, he flipped and fell to the ground, coughing up blood. His fingers curled, and he strained with all his might to reach that coin.

The performance ended, and everyone in the room was stunned. He even managed to do a flip during the car accident scene who the hell could top that?

Arthur was also taken aback. Man, it

was just an audition. There was no need to go all out like that. He instinctively glanced at Josephine who was quietly watching Ethan adjust his clothes. Then, she

lowered her head, scribbled ve

something onto her notes, then said flatly, "Next."

Arthur blinked. Next? Why even bother? What was the point?

Sure enough, it was pointless. There were still two actors left to audition, but everyone in that room already knew that Ethan had it in the bag.noveldrama

After the auditions ended, the panel compared their scores. All four judges had given Ethan the highest possible rating-ten out of ten.

The assistant director threw his hands up. "Do we really need a second and third round? Just cast him already!"

Arthur stretched lazily. "Man was nervous and still killed it! If he wasn't nervous, he'd probably win an Oscar right there."

Josephine chuckled. "We still need to follow protocol. It's only fair to the other actors. Besides... You sure he was actually nervous? He was probably just messing with you, right?"