The Billionaire And His Son Want Me Back (Paisley) novel Chapter 4

It had taken everything in Paisley to steel herself and leave Serena behind. She rushed to the temporary studio she rented in Harrowfell for work. But as soon as she stepped inside, her assistant, Lucy Green, brought her some bad news with a grim expression.

"Mr. Anderson just texted me," Lucy said hesitantly. "The lead role in the new drama has been finalized. They picked Brittany Sullivan."

Paisley's brows furrowed sharply, her voice cold and resolute. "Absolutely not. We had an agreement before signing. Brittany Sullivan was never an option."

Although casting wasn't within her jurisdiction as the screenwriter, Paisley had made one thing crystal clear from the start—Brittany was not to be involved.

It wasn't just about this drama either. In every project Paisley had ever worked on, Brittany had been a hard no, no matter how insignificant the role was. It was an unspoken rule that every production team collaborating with her had agreed to respect.

"Get her replaced immediately," Paisley ordered, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Lucy hesitated, her unease evident as she pulled out her tablet and opened Instagram. "I think it might be too late for that... The production team's already announced it on Instagram."

Without a moment's pause, Paisley picked up her phone and dialed the director, Gary Anderson.

The first call went straight to voicemail, then the second. On her third attempt, he finally answered, his tone mockingly jovial, "Ms. Vaire, what a surprise to hear from you."

Her voice was sharp, every word striking with precision. "Spare me the pleasantries, Mr. Anderson. I don't approve of Brittany being cast in any role for this project. We discussed this and you agreed."

On the other end of the line, Gary's guilty chuckle betrayed his unease as he said in a dismissive voice, "Well, yes, we discussed it. But, you know, verbal agreements don't hold much weight in this business."

Paisley let out a short, incredulous laugh, her tone biting. "If that's your stance, then don't blame me for what happens next."

"Wait, wait, Ms. Vaire. Let's not escalate things," Gary said hastily, his sigh heavy with frustration. "Look, it's not that I wanted this. If I had any say, Brittany wouldn't be anywhere near this project.

"But this isn't about creative control—it's about power. I won't stand a chance against them. The investors demanded her as the lead. If I refuse, they pull funding and blacklist me across the industry."

"What?" Paisley's breath hitched, her mind racing. She had encountered producers and investors who had tried to influence casting decisions, but never with this level of force. The audacity of it all took her completely by surprise.

To think that even a renowned director like Gary could be swayed and threatened with his career to the point of having to comply was almost laughable.

And what shocked her even more was the fact that she knew the investors in this project. None of them had the kind of power to make such sweeping decisions.

"Which investor?" Paisley asked, her voice calm but her mind already spinning, strategizing. She thought she might be able to go straight to the source, have a word with whoever had made this call. She had the connections, after all.

Gary's tone was deflated, as if he knew he was powerless in the face of it all. "It's not just one. All of the investors are insisting on Brittany as the lead."

Paisley's heart sank, and a cold knot of tension formed in her chest. The weight of the situation hit her hard. She could feel her blood pressure rising, her grip tightening on the phone.

Gary sighed again, his voice heavy with resignation, "Ms. Vaire, I'm sure you've figured it out by now. Brittany has someone powerful backing her—someone so influential that all the investors are simply following this mysterious figure's orders. Please, just take pity on me and let it go this time."

Paisley didn't press Gary further. She understood that this was out of his hands now, no longer a matter he could control.

"What's the deal with Brittany anyway?" Lucy asked, her confusion plain. "How could someone like her possibly know such a powerful figure?"

Brittany was nothing more than a D-list actress, the kind who barely scraped by starring in obscure soap operas. She had no business landing a lead role in a major production like this one.

Paisley frowned in thought. The Sullivan family she knew certainly didn't wield that kind of influence.

"Are we just going to let this slide? Really let Brittany take the lead role?" Lucy asked, unwilling to accept the situation. Paisley's scripts were always top-notch, and the actors chosen for her leads were usually either A-list superstars or brilliant character actors.

The idea that someone as insignificant as Brittany could land such a prestigious role felt like a slap in the face. Lucy thought in frustration, 'She's gonna ruin everything.'

"Absolutely not," Paisley said firmly. She refused to let it end like this, but for now, she couldn't think of a way around it. After all, she couldn't exactly let Gary get blacklisted from the entire industry.

Lucy hesitated before voicing a question that had nagged at her for a while. "Speaking of Brittany... why do you dislike her so much? I get that she's not lead material, but she's harmless enough for minor roles. Yet you won't even allow that. Why?"