Love Me Or Leave Me

CHAPTER 126

Stacey barely waited a week before Vicky called her in for a makeup test. The male lead had been locked down–Malcolm, he former co–star.

Stacey was caught off guard for a second, but then she figured it made sense. They’d worked together on Lovey Princess for months and knew each other’s mettle.

She thought, Just like Charlie said, Malcolm’s good–looking, can act, and isn’t afraid of hard work. What he’s been missing is just a bit of luck. Without those unspoken rules, it’s totally normal for Malcolm to ace the audition with his real skills. From now on, let’s work hard together.‘

As Stacey thought this through, she considered Charlie’s company. She wouldn’t be in showbiz for long and felt that if she could make Malcolm a hit before she left, it’d be a nice contribution to Charlie.

With that, Stacey texted Vicky back. [Sure, I’ll be there tomorrow.]

Her mother had rented a villa close to the shooting base, where the whole family now lived happily, close to the set.

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Vicky replied: [Okay, see you tomorrow.]

Stacey responded cheerfully: [Okay.]

Just as Stacey hit send, there was a noise at the door. She looked up and saw Charlie.

Lily and Kevin, hearing the noise, scrambled up from the rug in front of the couch and rushed toward Charlie at the door, hugging his legs like little puppies wagging their tails.

Charlie squatted down, hugged one with each arm, and in one swift motion, lifted both kids up.

Marie and Gwen watched anxiously, ready to catch the kids if Charlie stumbled. But Lily and Kevin were smart. As soon as Charlie picked them up, they wrapped their little arms around his head, one on each side.

“Charlie,” Kevin and Lily called out in tandem. Kevin’s sweet voice trailed off while Lily’s voice sounded crisp and cute.

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Just then, Debra came down the stairs and spotted them, quickly warning, “Chuck, don’t drop them.”

Charlie, of course, wasn’t about to drop the kids. He carried them to the couch, gently put them down, and gave each a kiss.

“Lily, Kevin, I’ve been gone all day. Did you miss me?” Charlie put on a serious face and asked the kids.

“Of course,” Kevin said and nodded, his voice sweet.

Charlie’s eyes smiled instantly, and he gave Kevin a noisy kiss on the cheek.

“I missed you, too.” Lily, seeing him kiss Kevin and not wanting to be left out, spoke up.

“Alright, I missed you a lot, too.” Charlie grinned and kissed Lily, clearly delighted.

Lily reached out, still trying to snuggle into her uncle’s arms.

Then Charlie hugged Lily.

Kevin, not wanting to be left behind, tried to crawl over.

ひ

Stacey reached out and picked him up so he wouldn’t feel left out.

Stacey leaned down and kissed Kevin, who immediately focused on his mother, beaming.

“Mom,” Kevin said in his cute little voice.

“Oh, my good boy,” Stacey said, praising him.

Kevin was instantly overjoyed, hugging his mother tightly.

“Charlie, Vicky just told me to come to the set tomorrow for a makeup test,” Stacey said, looking up at Charlie while holding Kevin.

Charlie looked at his sister and said happily, “Yeah, I invested 20 million dollars in the production. If you need anything on set, just ask. Don’t hold back. And tell the costume and makeup department to go all out and spend when it’s needed. Don’t

cut corners.”

Stacey nodded in agreement. She was all for Charlie’s investment because the entertainment industry could be very lucrative. If a show was well–made and

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became a hit, earning back the money was no problem. The key was for the actors to perform well and not mess up, to avoid ruining the show. There also shouldn’t. be any issues later on. Otherwise, if the show got taken down, the investors would lose everything.

The following day, Stacey arrived on set for her makeup and costume test, where she bumped into Malcolm.

It had been half a year since their last encounter, and their faces lit up with smiles. upon reuniting.

“Becky,” Malcolm said, approaching her with a hint of shyness. With Stacey being the older of the two by a year, Malcolm regarded her with a brotherly kind of respect.

“Malcolm, here’s to working well together, Stacey said cheerfully, offering her hand to Malcolm.

Malcolm hesitated for a moment and then caught on quickly, shaking her hand with a grin. “Becky, here’s to a great partnership.”

Vicky emerged from inside the set, her eyes lighting up when she saw the two of them. “Becky, Malcolm, you both made it. Great! Come on in, the stylist is ready. Let’s create a look for you,” she said, her mood instantly lifted by their presence.

Stacey’s features were a clear inheritance from the Carter family–striking and adaptable. Back on the Iovey Princess set when she played Elizabeth, the stylist had taken only half an hour to apply a sweet makeup look that turned her into a charming lady.

Now, on The Empress set, the stylist managed to give Stacey a regal makeup look in just over forty minutes. As she stood up, Stacey immediately exuded the grand presence of Charlotte.

Yet, as Stacey gazed at her reflection, she felt there was potential for more. She thought about the clothes in the Carter Manor and those at her home in Hivalis- there were each season’s latest collections from various brands, and many of them were limited editions, ordered for her by her parents and brothers. And the accessories were far superior to what the crew had provided.

It wasn’t that the crew’s offerings were subpar. It was just that comparisons

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highlighted the differences. No matter how diligent the crew was, their efforts. couldn’t match the selections made by her parents and Charlie.

“Can I use my own jewelry and clothes?” Stacey advised the director and stylist. She thought, “Those clothes back home are just gathering dust. It’s better to put them to use. If the show does well, the profits will be shared with Charlie too, considering how much he’s invested.”