Chapter 713

Joe lowered his head and kissed Skylar deeply. The kiss lingered, a long, lingering moment. When it ended, he leaned close, whispering, "Do you dare to fall in love with me?"

Skylar's eyes widened. Already dizzy from the kiss, his question left her bewildered. But Joe didn't wait for an answer; he kissed her again. Skylar wondered if she'd misheard; the male lead in their recent movie had said something similar.

The next day, after breakfast, Skylar remembered she hadn't contacted Charles in a few days. He'd mentioned on WhatsApp that he'd landed the male lead in a new production. Although the film was female-driven, securing the lead male role was a significant achievement. Charles was determined to make the most of it. She called him.

"Skye, I was just about to call you," he answered quickly.

Skylar chuckled. "Seems we're on the same wavelength."

"Of course! We've been inseparable since childhood. I always took you with me, everywhere. I never worried about Steven or Harvey, only you," Charles joked. Then, his tone turned serious. "I'm heading off to film in a few days. I'll be away from Jipsburg for about three months. Call if anything comes up. And if Joe gives you any trouble, let me know. Even though I'm an actor, I can still throw a punch."

Charles might not match Joe in every way, but in a fistfight, he was confident. If Joe hurt Skylar, Charles would confront him, regardless of the cost.

Skylar laughed. "It's really good to hear from you. Don't worry. Take care on set, and call me first if anything comes up. Once I'm less busy, I'll visit. Just focus on acting, my future Oscar-winning brother!"

"Haha! I'll become an Oscar winner sooner or later!" Charles was filled with dreams, the driving force behind his anticipation for the future. Skylar was already shining in her field, and as her brother, he was determined to achieve his own success.

Charles ended the call with a satisfied smile as his agent, Freddie Welch, entered. Seeing Charles grinning at his phone, Freddie's instincts kicked in. "Are you dating someone? Don't get distracted. Your career is taking off. You're joining a new set, the female lead is Felicia Ingram. This collaboration could boost your career. Several projects are interested, and I'm considering a few reality shows. A couple of appearances, and you might break into the B-list."

Charles's lips twitched. "What are you thinking? My focus is entirely on my career, not love. That's a distraction." He'd always found relationships uninteresting, once considering them a waste of time, now viewing them as career obstacles.

"Really? Because it didn't seem that way just now. You were smiling so affectionately," Freddie said skeptically.

The entertainment industry was full of complications and temptations. Competition was fierce; stagnation resulted from a lack of striving. Freddie had high hopes for Charles, believing he could be the next Austin Powell.

Charles's lips twitched again. "I was on the phone with my sister. How could I not be affectionate with her?"

Freddie's eyes widened. "Oh, your sister! The antique expert?"

"Yes," Charles said proudly.

Relieved, Freddie was about to enlist Charles's sister's help when a phone call interrupted. "Hello? Yes, this afternoon? Let me check Charles's schedule and get back to you. Yes, he's quite busy preparing for the new project. Okay."

After the call, Freddie turned to Charles. "Felicia wants to discuss the script with you. She has ideas about the male lead's character, and Mr. Madron will be there too."