Chapter 192
Owen sent over a screenshot of Grace’s latest Twitter post. It was a lengthy spiel full of poetic-sounding lines about how much she adored playing the role of “Evangeline” and how deeply she loved working with the Battle Hymn crew.
But then came the bombshell—she claimed she’d been assaulted and injured, and for the sake of not delaying filming, had reluctantly stepped down from her role as the second female lead.
To most fans and netizens, it read like a heartfelt work update. But between the lines, it was clear she was doing more than just expressing gratitude—she was painting herself as the considerate one, while subtly hinting at being ostracized by the crew. Even more, she seemed to be blaming the new second female lead for the assault.
Victoria.
Lisette stepped away to a quiet corner and called Owen. “So she’s basically throwing Victoria under the bus p>
“Obviously,” Owen replied.
He was getting his makeup done and mumbled a few words to the stylist. After a series of rapid footsteps faded, he added, “You and VistaSphere have Gabriel and me covered. Even with Vernon pulling strings on their end, they wouldn’t dare mess with us p>
“And after the mess on New Year’s Day, when they got slammed for tricking Gabriel into cross-casting—that PR disaster you turned around? They’ve learned to be more cautious now p>
“But Victoria? Totally different story. No status, no backers, no hit works. Just a newbie. One wrong move from Grace, and the internet’s already framing her as some manipulative schemer p>
“Grace steps down, Victoria steps in. That alone would stir up suspicion. Add in the fact that Victoria doesn’t bother to explain herself after the drama—stays silent, and there’s no one sticking up for her—it’s open season p>
“Grace knew she’d be the easiest target, that’s why she went after her like this p>
Lisette frowned. “How’s Victoria holding up p>
Owen sighed. “Same as always. Cold, aloof, barely says a word unless necessary. Mostly just stays in her room and works on acting p>
“She’s dedicated, I’ll give her that.” Even someone like Owen, who usually didn’t pay attention to that sort of thing, couldn’t help but respect her focus.
Lisette responded with a soft “Mm.” “She’s always been like that. Acting’s her top priority, and she’s never lost sight of that.” Even if she becomes an A-list actress one day, Lisette knew she wouldn’t change.
Owen raised a brow. “Huh? You sound like you really know her p>
“Not really. She’s kinda easy to figure out—simple temperament. After a few interactions, you get the gist of it p>
Owen gave a short laugh. “Wow. You’ve been around her long enough to know her quirks, but still haven’t signed her? When Gabriel and I first met you, one serious look from you and bam—contract signed. You’ve got moves with guys, but can’t close with a woman p>
What the hell was that supposed to mean? Why did that sound so off?
Owen kept mumbling under his breath before concluding, “Lisette, are you, like, allergic to other women p>
“For real though, I barely see you with female friends. Kinda proves my point, doesn’t it p>
“Shut up. Seriously, shut up. Now p>
Your words had her so fired up she wanted to stomp you flat. Owen couldn’t help but laugh. “Aw, don’t be mad. Just trying to cheer you up, sis p>
“Well, thanks a lot. Now I feel even worse p>
Lisette said, “Uncle Scott called me yesterday—said you’ve been behaving yourself lately and even showing some effort. So I helped myself and asked him to send over two assistants for you. They should reach the set by tonight. You have them keep tabs on everything going on there and call me if anything comes up p>
Owen stared blankly.
“You serious right now?” he blurted. “Lisette, aren’t assistants supposed to be assigned by the company? You’re pulling two people from my dad’s staff—how’s that even make sense p>
She didn’t flinch. “They know you better. Easier to work with,” she said matter-of-factly.
Owen snorted. “Just admit you’re trying to save a buck for the company. Why pretend p>
Lisette smiled like she’d been waiting for that. “Takes one to know one p>
Speechless, he rolled his eyes. “Being your artist is a pain. My dad has to pull strings for roles, now my dad has to provide assistants too? And these assistants aren’t even for me—I’m just loaning them to you to keep an eye on the production team p>
“That just proves your value p>
Lisette grinned and threw him a few half-hearted words of encouragement. “Come on, golden boy. You’ve got this p>
With a manager squeezing him dry from all sides, Owen seriously considered quitting on the spot.
So he said it out loud: “I’m done. Not doing it p>
Lisette’s smile sharpened. “Oh? That reminds me, my husband still doesn’t know you tried to set me up on a blind date p>
She leaned in, smug. “Didn’t you even give my mystery guy a nickname? What was it again p>
“Classmate Scott, maybe you’ve got a better memory than me p>
That did it.
Owen folded immediately, full surrender in his eyes. “Don’t worry, Lisette. I’ll make sure they stick to their mission. Their number one job is to keep you updated on everything happening in that set p>
“Appreciate it p>
“Heh… Don’t! Mention! It p>
Now that Owen’s assignments were squared away, Lisette turned her attention to something else—smacking back for Victoria’s sake.
Sure, Victoria hadn’t agreed to sign with her yet, but it didn’t matter. Lisette had already mentally added her to her protection list. “You wanna come after my girl? Better go through me first p>
“Grace, I’ve still got a whole folder of your dirt just waiting to go public—and you really had to poke the bear p>
“Tsk p>
“Fine. You asked for it p>
Without hesitation, Lisette dialed the one and only king of tabloid gossip—CelebLeak.
“Miss Cavendish,” said CelebLeak, his voice slick yet cautious.
People in the circle called him the All-Knowing for a reason—his crew was everywhere, and he himself was sharp as a blade. He’d heard of the Cavendish family. Enough to know when to keep his mouth shut.
He didn’t need her to spell it out.
Lisette cut straight to the chase. “I’ve got dirt on Grace p>
Back when someone started trashing her on a school forum, she’d had her second brother dig up the culprit. Not only did they unmask the troll, but they also hacked into his computer and uncovered way more than expected.
Originally, she’d planned to drop Grace’s scandals ahead of the Battle Hymn premiere. But fate shifted—Owen and Gabriel landed the leads, and VistaSphere backed the whole production. It was now her turf to protect. Grace’s mess had to wait.
Until now.
Now Grace was officially out of the Battle Hymn cast. Out, loud, and dragging Victoria down with her indirect tweets. Lisette no longer had any reason to hold back.
She sent all the files to CelebLeak. “As soon as the buzz over Grace quitting hits max level—drop it p>