Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism novel Chapter 284

Luckily, the production team secured the location. It allowed Violeta to depart earlier to get familiar with the venue.

The female lead in the spin-off series was Layla, who was the lord of Dianthus Castle. The drama described Layla as a person who rarely leaves her castle because of her physical limitations.

However, to maintain eternal youth, she commanded her men to leave the castle and commit heinous acts, capturing young boys and girls so that she could practice dark magic.

Therefore, the castle served as the setting for the majority of Violeta's scenes.

The seven-episode storyline includes how Layla became the lord of the castle and eventually transformed into the black witch with an unpredictable mood.

This undoubtedly demanded strong acting skills, as she transitioned from an innocent and naive girl to a later ruthless and cruel persona. Those were two very extreme ends.

...

Entering the estate.

Ward was discussing camera angles with the director.

Several crew members were setting up the scene.

When Violeta arrived, Wade beamed at her and said, "Our leading lady is here."

A shy smile flashed across Violeta's face, but she greeted them politely. "Hello, Mr. Howell and Director Rufus."

It was Rufus's first time meeting Violeta. Wade handpicked her, lavishing her with high praise. Before meeting Violeta, Rufus had developed a keen interest in her.

When he saw Violeta today, his gaze discreetly assessed her. At the very least, he was satisfied with her appearance.

Layla's character was the bewitching beauty of the realm, and though she was a black witch, the villain was often extraordinarily beautiful.

Violeta's looks indeed matched the title of the most beautiful woman.

Wade asked, "Did you get motion sickness on the ride here? Would you like to sit down and rest for a bit?"

Violeta replied, "I'm fine. I could use some stretching."

Rufus added, "How about having the crew show you around? The scenery here is truly beautiful."

Just then, a crew member brought over the customised wheelchair for Layla.

Wade asked Violeta to give it a try.

Violeta set aside her crutches and sat in the wheelchair. She remarked, "It's very comfortable."

Watching Violeta in the wheelchair, Rufus already envisioned the scenes of 'Layla' sitting in it after a costume change.

He secretly thought to himself that Wade's eye for casting was indeed sharp. After all, no one knew his characters better than he did.

Then, a crew member pushed Violeta around the castle.

It was hard to imagine that the initial shooting time for a mere seven-episode story was planned to span four months, even longer than the dozens of episodes of Nolan's 'Spring in Moon City'.

Wade's meticulous attention to detail for the scenes was sometimes so extreme that even rain scenes couldn't use water trucks but had to employ high-cost artificial rain.