Forbidden Passion

In just a few days, the legal teams from Superstar Entertainment and the Ice and Fire crew sealed the deal, locking Wesley in as Nicholas. Phoebe finally let out a sigh of relief.

Wesley was listed second among the lead actors, with Finnegan from Queen Entertainment coming in fourth.

After spotting the announcement on Facebook, Phoebe turned to Lori and asked, "Where's Wesley?"

"He's downstairs in the gym. He's been hitting the weights hard and diving into the script whenever he gets a chance," Lori replied.

Phoebe grabbed her phone and said, "Let's go check it out."

Lori and Phoebe headed to the gym downstairs. The gym, a high-end members-only establishment, required a hefty $200,000 membership fee just to work out there.

The place was spotless, with equipment shining under the lights. Only a few people were working out, mostly just strolling on the treadmills.

Lori led Phoebe to the personal training area, which was buzzing with one-on-one sessions. The trainers, all in dark gray uniforms, looked super professional.

But what really showed off their skills were their ripped bodies.

Phoebe noticed a few trainers who were not only fit but also pretty good-looking, and she couldn't help but sneak a few extra glances.

Lori chuckled softly beside her."Ms. Ziegler, the way you were eyeing those pecs, you'd think you've never seen a guy before," Lori teased in a low voice.

Phoebe cleared her throat, her cheeks turning a bit pink. She shot Lori a look and said, "You've gotten pretty bold lately, haven't you?"

"No way," Lori quickly replied, but the laughter in her voice made it hard for Phoebe to believe her.

Phoebe remembered when she first got back to Kedora. Lori used to act like she was facing a lion when she reported to her. But now, just over a month later, her authority in front of Lori had totally disappeared. They reached the personal training area, where Wesley was lifting weights. Each rep made his arm muscles pop, showing off his strength.

Seeing Phoebe approach, Wesley gave her a shy smile and said, "Ms. Ziegler."

The fitness trainer looked at Phoebe in surprise. She looked so young, yet she was the tough woman Wesley referred to.

"Are you Ms. Ziegler?" the fitness trainer asked.

Phoebe smiled and nodded, "Yep, I'm Phoebe. How's Wesley's training going? Can he get an eight-pack in a month?"

The fitness trainer quickly hid his surprise. He'd seen Phoebe a few times in the elevator but never realized she was the young boss of Superstar Entertainment.

"He can definitely do it. Wesley already has muscle definition; we're just making it more pronounced. A month is plenty of time," the fitness trainer said. "That's a relief."

Seeing Phoebe looking around, the fitness trainer quickly called over a female trainer to show her around.

Phoebe sensed that Wesley was a bit self-conscious with her there, so she decided not to bother him and followed the female trainer to the equipment area.

The female trainer was also super fit and gave professional explanations.

Phoebe listened, feeling a sudden urge, and asked, "How long would it take for a woman to get abs?"

The female trainer, sensing a potential client, quickly said, "It depends on how hard you work out. If you come three to five times a week and focus on strength training, you could see abs in about six months." Phoebe thought for a moment.

"If I'm not looking to bulk up but just want to stay healthy, how many times a week should I train?" Phoebe asked, glancing at a female trainee working out with a trainer nearby. The trainee was in a sports bra, showing off a slim waist with visible abs, looking super fit.

"Ms. Ziegler, your company is just upstairs, so it's really convenient to come down for a couple of hours each week," the female trainer suggested, noticing Phoebe's interest. Phoebe had been swamped lately, and even finding two to three hours a week was tough.

"I'll think about it. Please take good care of Wesley," Phoebe said.

"Of course, Ms. Ziegler. Add me on WhatsApp, and let me know when you've decided. We can go upstairs to discuss the courses and discounts," the female trainer said. Phoebe added her on WhatsApp and left with Lori.

Vanessa did some digging and found out that Theodore personally picked Wesley for the role of Nicholas.

Vanessa was so furious she smashed her favorite cup on the table. The shards flew up and cut her hand, the blood drops reflecting a sinister red in her eyes. Madison, who was standing nearby, quickly dodged to avoid the shards.

Madison looked at Vanessa's twisted face and said, "Vanessa, don't be mad. Finnegan getting the fourth male lead is still pretty good. After all, his popularity isn't as high as Wesley's." Vanessa glared at Madison, saying, "Madison, you knew Theodore invested in 'Ice and Fire.' Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you fight for the role of Nicholas for Finnegan?" Madison felt a chill under Vanessa's stare and explained, "I put in a lot of effort to get Finnegan the fourth male lead. Besides, Hank's movies always have him decide the male leads." Madison felt really wronged.

When Finnegan auditioned, he performed much worse than Wesley. Hank's assistant had even hinted that Hank intended to cast Wesley as the fourth male lead. After returning to the estate, Madison tried to gain Taylor's sympathy. Taylor spoke to Theodore, and they managed to secure the fourth male lead.

Vanessa's face was extremely grim, saying, "I thought I could push Phoebe's people out of this crew, but they turned around and got a dual male lead. It's infuriating."

Madison pursed her lips. Losing to Phoebe was also hard for her to accept. But since Theodore still had feelings for Phoebe, he naturally favored her, leaving them with no other options. She said, "Vanessa, let's look on the bright side. At least we got someone into the 'Fire and Ice' crew. When the movie becomes a hit, we can benefit a lot from this."

They had already lost Ernest. The most important thing now was to create a star even bigger than Ernest, or Queen Entertainment would eventually go bankrupt. Madison felt exhausted thinking about all this.

Madison had spent almost the first half of her life enjoying herself, and now she couldn't believe she had to gear up and get things done.

"I don't care. If Finnegan is in the 'Fire and Ice' crew, then Wesley can't be!" Vanessa said angrily. She had to find a way to keep Wesley out of the crew. Madison looked at her warily and asked, "Vanessa, what are you planning to do?"

Vanessa gave a sinister smile and said, "Phoebe always wants to compete with me. Let's see if she's always so lucky."

Madison felt a chill in her heart. She wanted to persuade Vanessa but feared she would take out her anger on her, so she kept quiet.