Twisted Ties of Love

The filming of "Blood Ties" officially kicked off, and Izabella was up early, slipping into a comfy casual outfit, throwing on a baseball cap, and heading out the door. Compared to the other actresses with their immaculate makeup, she was practically incognito in this getup.

Brad had intended to pick her up, but Izabella turned him down. She thought it best to keep a low profile for now, given that the biggest controversy surrounding her was her rumored affair with director Brad. It would be better for the whole crew if they kept some distance.

Izabella called her assistant Rachel and handed over her cat to her for safekeeping when she arrived on set.

Rachel would normally do odds and ends for Izabella, like fetching water or clothes, but she wasn't exactly a standout in the company. Even though she was Izabella's assistant, anyone could boss her around. This time around, Izabella used her influence to have Graham officially assign Rachel to her. Even though her pay didn't change, Rachel felt her life had become much easier. Izabella took care of her own affairs very well; the only thing she was really concerned about was her cat, Nikki. Nikki was very clingy, and Izabella couldn't bear to leave her alone, so she brought her to the set for Rachel to look after her. Rachel had no objections to her new duty of cat-sitting since she was a fan of animals in general.

As soon as Izabella arrived, Rachel jogged over with her bag.

It was the end of July in R City, and the outdoor temperature was a sweltering 38 degrees, unbearably hot. As Rachel ran over, she pulled a parasol out of her bag, hoping to shield Izabella from the sun. After all, actors are quite particular about their skin, and with the strong UV rays, even with sunblock on, it's best to have an umbrella.

"No need for the umbrella; I've got a hat on. Your main job now is to take good care of it; don't worry about anything else," Izabella said.

Rachel quickly nodded. It would be inconvenient for her to hold an umbrella while carefully cradling the cat. As she put the umbrella back in her bag, she eyed the cat that Izabella brought. "Izabella, is this your cat?" Rachel asked.

"Mmm." Izabella looked at Rachel's strange expression and casually asked, "What's up?"

"Nothing; I just didn't think you were the type to keep a cat. I mean, you don't earn much, and you seem to dislike hassle," Rachel said.

"I will never find keeping her a hassle," Izabella said, hoping that Nikki could accompany her for a much longer time.

Rachel felt that Izabella seemed like a completely different person now. She had felt this way since the audition a month ago.

The old Izabella wasn't bad, but she was always agreeable and didn't like to talk. Whether people were present or not, she preferred to stay in inconspicuous corners with a deep sadness in her eyes. But the current Izabella was much more confident and a tad less human. Comparatively, Rachel preferred the current Izabella, who no longer let people push her around and started living for herself.

Rachel carefully took the cat and held it in her arms. The cat was much lighter than she had imagined. "What breed of cat is this?" she asked.

"A Ragdoll," Izabella replied.

Rachel took another covert look. Except for its eyes, it was really hard to tell that this cat was a Ragdoll. Adult Ragdolls usually weighed around 10 pounds, but Nikki only weighed 5 pounds, which was really light.

Rachel gently put the cat in her backpack and said, "Izabella, let's go. The director and his crew must be arriving soon." If they were late, they might get snapped by the paparazzi and have rumors spread online that she was acting like a diva.

There were many fans cheering outside the set, the majority being Kristin's fans.

Izabella arrived at the filming location exactly at ten and entered with the crew. She was wearing a mask and a hat, with sunglasses clipped to her collar. As soon as she walked in, she heard a click. She turned towards the sound and spotted a gossip journalist hiding behind a flower bed. Seeing her turn around, the journalist quickly snapped another picture.

Izabella still wasn't used to being snapped at random. She held back her frown, pulled down her mask, and gave the paparazzi a small smile: "Your ambush photography skills are not up to par; I spotted you right away."

Izabella's outfit was very ordinary, but it made her face look even more delicate and pretty. Izabella had a naturally photogenic face, but she looked even better off-camera.

The paparazzi were initially hoping to catch Kristin off guard, but instead ran into Izabella. Izabella was quite popular at the moment, so he wanted to capture a few unflattering shots of her. He didn't expect Izabella to suddenly turn and look at him.

She was good-looking, pleasant voice, and was easy-going; she didn't even lose her temper when she was being photographed sneakily. The paparazzi's face turned red, and he quickly ran off with his

camera.

It was only then that the crew around her noticed the paparazzi nearby and looked at Izabella in surprise, saying, "Impressive, how did you spot him?"

"I have good hearing."

"I know quite a few celebrities who despise the paparazzi but dare not offend them. You seem to not care."

"We're all just doing our jobs. If I let my emotions get out of control, wouldn't that be playing right into their hands?"

"That's the right way to think about it; don't bother about it. In the end, the only thing that gets ruined is your own mood."

After waiting for a while, Izabella finally saw Brad. He gave her a red envelope that said, "Good luck with the filming."

During the photo-taking on stage, she, being the second female lead, stood next to the male lead.

After the opening ceremony was over, it was noon, and the crew invited everyone for a meal. As Izabella followed the crowd, she could hear the various cheers from the fans. Izabella preferred quietness, and overly noisy places made her feel uncomfortable. She took out her phone and texted Rachel while walking, telling her that she would be at the hotel soon. Just then, a sudden cheer came from the crowd of fans.

"Knowing all about you and loving you as before! Welcome back, Izabella!"

The cheer was so loud that it broke through the noise and reached Izabella's ears. Not only did Izabella hear it, but the crew and actors in front also heard it. It was as if someone had shouted it through a loudspeaker.

A sudden pang hit Izabella right in the chest. She held back the urge to rub it; this mysterious surge of emotion wasn't hers but belonged to the original "Bell". Bell was still grieving even after her death. Izabella licked her dry lips, following the voices towards the crowd, finally spotting three girls in the last row, tucked away in a corner. They wore golden headbands with light-up signs that read "Izabella". Seeing her look their way, the three girls got all excited and yelled in unison, "Go Izabella!"

They shouted until their voices were almost hoarse.

"I'm sorry, Izabella!"

With that, tears streamed down one girl's face.

A staff member by Izabella's side reminded her, "They're your fans."

Izabella nodded. Yes, her fans.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

The noise was deafening, and Izabella didn't like to yell. She fell silent, seemingly pondering what to do next. After a while, she stepped out of the line, took off her baseball cap, placed her right hand over her heart, and gave a bow in the direction of the three girls.

At this moment, the previously bustling crowd fell silent, all eyes converging on her.

After bowing, Izabella faced them with a smile, then continued to follow the staff away from the scene.

Izabella was seated at a table with the director. She scanned the people already seated: lead actress Kristin, third actress Vivian, and the actors playing the male leads Garen and Bruce were all there; no problem then.

When Izabella arrived at the private

room, there was only one seat left. She sat down next to Vivian. Despite not knowing each other well, they gathered around the table as if they were long-lost friends. Watching the bustling table, Izabella remarked, "What a bunch of actors; they're acting even off work."

The waiter came in to take orders. After a round of ordering, the waiter asked if anyone had any dietary restrictions.

Brad, wanting to show some care for Izabella, asked her, "Izabella, do you have any dietary restrictions or anything you'd like to eat?"

"No."

With Brad's question, it seemed everyone had finally noticed Izabella. The assistant director said, "I've been watching your variety show, Here Comes the Superstars; you're really good."

Never underestimate Izabella's acting skills and tactics. She was once targeted by Harper and Ariana but managed to bounce back with a single video recording. What's puzzling was where Izabella got that video was she always wearing a surveillance device?

"Thanks, Director Lee."

"Let's have a good time working together for the next six months."

The assistant director led a toast, and the others followed suit.

"Kristin, you and Izabella are from the same company, right? How are you two getting along?"

The one asking was Vivian. Everyone knew there was a rift between the two, and Vivian was clearly stirring the pot.

"We get along great," Kristin replied. "After all, there's no competition."

Izabella just looked at Kristin's somewhat stiff face and smiled, not saying a word.All rights © NôvelDrama.Org.

Everyone at the table was eating and chatting when Brad remembered some good news and decided to share it.

"Recently, there's been lots of great news. Mr. Krueger from the Windham Group and President Windham both invested in our drama. The total investment is almost 400 million now."

"400 million?" someone asked in surprise.

Brad was quite satisfied to see everyone's surprised expressions. This 400 million didn't even include the actors' wages. Blood Ties was a big-budget historical drama, and Brad was all about the details. The reason his past productions were well received was not only because of the story and camera work but also because of the details like the actors' costumes and makeup. The embroidery on the costumes was meticulously done, stitch by stitch. The most valuable was the phoenix robe custom made for Izabella's character, Megan. The phoenix was embroidered with gold thread.

If it were auctioned off, it would surely fetch an eight-figure price.

J City had two Windham Groups, each ruling half the city. One was Nathaniel, the other Brett. Their relationship wasn't a secret, but no one dared to openly discuss it. They were half brothers, and although Nathaniel successfully inherited the Windham family's wealth, he never changed his name, clearly indicating his illegitimate status.

"Nathaniel investing in film and television makes sense, but why Brett?"

"Nathaniel first invested 40 million, then Brett invested 100 million, and later added another 60 million."

Brad's original fundraising target was 200 million, and it was tough. He didn't expect these two to help him reach the target so easily, and the whole crew's treatment got upgraded as a result.

They were really willing to invest, almost to the point of being unwelcome.

"Is there someone they know in our crew?"

"I bet it's Kristin. Most investors would look at the lead actress's strength before investing; it couldn't possibly be some minor, unremarkable supporting character."

"Yeah, Kristin is an award-winning actress, and we have Mr. York; they must have seen the potential in this drama."

"Kristin, what do you think? Did these two invest because of you?" Vivian asked curiously.

Kristin was holding a glass of water. Hearing the conversation turn towards her, she took a small sip and said "I'm not sure. I've met them a few times, and I heard from the company a couple of weeks ago that someone would be investing in the crew, but I didn't expect it to be them."

"I knew it was Kristin. She's beautiful, talented, and has won many awards. If I had the money to invest in a crew, I'd definitely choose Kristin."

"I can't believe two big shots in J City are shelling out for you. Mr. York, you better treat Kristin well in the crew from now on."