Chapter 193

When Morris and Cheryl’s makeup photos were posted, they garnered the attention of a group of fans. However, most of them still criticized the pair. Elvira didn't care at all. She was busy dealing with other company matters and only diverted some of her energy to the production team.

Judy had poured all her energy into her new drama. Every day, she would bring her actors to show off, seizing trending topics. Her popularity was unprecedented.

No matter how enthusiastic Judy’s drama was, Elvira remained calm. Cole hesitated before reporting to her, “Should we increase the funding? I’m afraid the audience rating will not be high when it’s released.”

“No need,” Elvira said nonchalantly. “Someone will promote it for us. How are Morris and Cheryl doing recently?”

“The two of them aren’t in a good state. They must have been influenced by the internet. When they were reading the script, they were a little distracted and didn’t seem to have any confidence,” Cole answered truthfully.

“I understand. I’ll talk to them.” Elvira didn’t care about anything else; she only cared about their acting skills.

In the afternoon, Elvira asked Morris and Cheryl out for dinner. Zach also wanted to have dinner with his wife, so Elvira brought him along. She arranged for dinner at a restaurant with good privacy, worried it would be more troublesome if Morris and Cheryl’s fans recognized them.

Morris and Cheryl arrived first. They had already met, being the male and female leads and needing to work together. Their expressions were identical; they looked like they had nothing to live for.

Elvira brought Zach in. Morris and Cheryl quickly stood up and greeted him. Elvira gestured for them to relax. Cheryl, having met Zach before, took the initiative to greet him. Morris, never having seen Zach, was surprised to learn Elvira was the wife of the CEO of the Gilbert Group.

After the four of them sat down, Elvira asked the waiter to bring the dishes. The food arrived quickly, and they ate and chatted. Elvira asked Morris and Cheryl about their understanding of the script.

The two of them spoke weakly. Elvira listened attentively without interrupting. Zach acted as her babysitter, attending to her food and not participating in their conversation.

“Do you two think this drama will definitely fail?” Elvira asked after eating some shrimp Zach had fed her.

Cheryl lowered her head and didn’t speak. Morris nodded.

“We’re outdated actors now. Not many people know us; even more are insulting us online. Moreover, we haven’t acted for a long time, and our acting skills are rusty. Perhaps…” Morris couldn’t continue. He’d thought he could make a comeback, but now he felt it was a dead end; he’d been too naive.

“What about you? Do you think so?” Elvira looked at Cheryl.

Cheryl raised her head and nodded. Seeing the online comments scolding her, she was frustrated and couldn’t calm down; she was impetuous.

“Let me ask you, do you two have any other way out other than trying your best to act in this movie?” Elvira questioned them.

Zach silently placed the peeled prawns on his wife’s plate and continued peeling the next ones.

Elvira’s question stunned them both. They looked at her.

“If it wasn’t for me finding you, how long would you have lasted? No matter how miserable you were in the future, would you still be in the same situation as before?” Elvira continued.

Cheryl thought about almost committing suicide. Morris thought about Vivian’s situation; if Elvira hadn’t found him, he might have died in that rented house.

“So, what do you guys have to worry about? Even if the movie really fails, will your situation be worse than before? Do you have any other way out?” Elvira asked, eating a prawn Zach had passed over.

A tacit understanding formed between Morris and Cheryl. They sensed what the other wanted to do. Two distinct atmospheres filled the private room: gloomy on Morris and Cheryl’s side, warm and tacit on Zach and Elvira’s.

“Other than fighting to the death, what other choice do you have?” Elvira added.

When Morris and Cheryl heard Elvira’s words, they felt enlightened. They looked at each other. ‘That’s right, what was there for us to worry about? We were people forced to a dead end, with nothing left to lose. What was there to be afraid of?’

Cheryl suddenly burst out laughing. Her expression changed from gloomy to sunny. “I’m really out of my mind. Honestly, when I was forced to go to the company last time, I thought I wouldn’t be able to escape, so I jumped off the building. Even if I die, I’ll disgust those scumbags! I’m not even afraid of death. Why am I being pretentious now?”

Her mood improved. The food tasted good again, unlike before when she couldn’t eat because of the internet’s negativity.

“Ms. Willis, you’re right. I’ve already been forced into a dead end. I’ve lost everything. Even my life is in someone else’s hands. I actually started to cry because of a few words online. From now on, I won’t think about anything else. The only thing I want to think about is how to act in this drama. No one can affect me anymore.” Morris picked up his wine glass firmly.

“It’s good that you think that way. Also, look at me. Do I look like the kind of person who would fight a battle without confidence? You guys don’t trust me too much. Since I said I would make you popular, I will definitely do it!” Elvira raised her wine cup.

Cheryl quickly picked up her glass and promised, “I will do my best. I’ll think about how to act well every day.” Zach also raised his glass of water.

“Furthermore, my husband is the CEO of Gilbert Group. I just don’t want to borrow my husband’s power. If I were to borrow my husband’s power, my enemies would have long been crushed like ants. We still have to rely on ourselves!” Elvira knocked her cup against Zach’s.

Zach looked at her helplessly and dotingly, smiling. What a naughty little thing.

Cheryl and Morris felt the same. They realized they had been foolish and had overreacted; they had been muddle-headed.

After thinking it through, they both felt that the world was beautiful. They began to eat heartily.

The sound of an argument came from the next private room. When Elvira heard a familiar voice, she looked at Zach.