Ava Sterling stopped in her tracks and turned around to look. Eric came in from outside, a faint trace of fatigue on his face. Ava raised an eyebrow: "What’s wrong? What happened to make you look so worn out?" This sounded a bit severe, but in her impression, Eric had always been full of energy, someone who dealt with everything swiftly and decisively, never appearing . She was somewhat curious. Eric shook his head: "Nothing, just a headache, didn’t sleep well last night." Ava frowned, scrutinizing Eric from head to toe, trying to discern if his headache was due to some problem or just physical discomfort. Eric didn’t answer Ava but looked at her face, then asked, "Are you okay?" She always felt that Ava seemed a bit off lately, but couldn’t pinpoint exactly what. As the second in command of the company, models as important as Ava Sterling required special attention. Otherwise, if any issues arose later, it could be troublesome. So now she had to ask, to prevent any unexpected incidents from happening later. Ava blinked and immediately withdrew her scrutinizing gaze: "What could be wrong with me?" "I’ve been taking good care of myself lately; except for the office and home, I haven’t gone anywhere else." "What about you, did something get to you?" Ava crossed her arms, speaking without a flush or a pause for breath, then tossed the question to Eric. Eric laughed: "No, I’m just worried about you." "Worried you might come across something and not mention it." After saying this, Eric’s expression turned serious, speaking earnestly: "Ava, we’ve been friends for many years. If something happens, you must tell me." "You know your profession is glamorous on the surface, but in reality, it’s high-risk. Anything that happens could impact your entire career." Eric was almost directly referring to the incident from two years ago. Ava’s face darkened slightly, and she said, "Don’t worry. As long as I’m with the company, I will do right by the company and myself." "What you’re worried about won’t happen." Eric smiled: "That’s good." "But if there’s anything you can’t handle or find troublesome, you must tell me, and I’ll absolutely help you solve it so you won’t be troubled." Having said almost everything, Eric had other matters to attend to, so she went to handle her business. But before leaving, Eric spoke up: "By the way, that director hasn’t bothered you again, has he?" Ava’s brow furrowed slightly, recalling the man who seemed like he came from a mental institution: "No." If Eric hadn’t mentioned it, she wouldn’t have remembered that person. "But, Ava, Director Zhou is a very talented person who values quality and substance. I even specifically had someone investigate; Director Zhou is trustworthy." "I think, personally, that you might want to give working with Director Zhou a try." "People, you know, it never hurts to plan more for themselves." "More paths lead to more choices." "Especially since some opportunities are really rare." The source of thɪs content is novel⸺fire.net Eric spoke with complete sincerity, fully considering Ava’s best interests, making her an excellent boss. Ava understood; she wasn’t someone who didn’t get it. However, she truly had no interest in acting. Since she hadn’t studied acting, was it appropriate for her to jump into a role? She’s always held high standards for herself. Once she decided to do something, she had to do it well. As an actress, she couldn’t do well. Seeing Ava’s face turn sour, Eric quickly said: "Don’t be mad. I was just suggesting, with no other meaning." "You make your own decision." Eric left, while Ava stood there, not entering the elevator. Though her expression was unpleasant, a contemplative look was in her eyes. She had many reasons not to pursue acting, mainly one significant reason. But just now, Eric’s words made her feel that those reasons seemed irrelevant. She wanted to have children, make plans for her future, and couldn’t do everything on a whim. If she truly became an actress, achieved greater exposure, even became successful, then if she and Poe Vaughn parted ways later, took her child, and went off, it’s possible that one day Poe might discover she unlawfully took his offspring—would he fight her for custody? If he truly fought her for custody, what would she do? Could she win? In such a scenario, would her status as a celebrity make it easier to win? At that moment, Ava squinted her eyes, her heart made a resolution. Just like Eric said, more paths lead to more choices. Since there’s an opportunity right now, why should she give it up? Why let some past reasons cut off one of her paths? There’s no need, absolutely no need! In an instant, Ava understood, everything became clear. She immediately took out her phone to search for that director’s number. About to call that director. But very quickly, Ava recalled one thing: she didn’t have that director’s number. He had seemingly given her a business card, which...she lost? Ava furrowed her brows, but she wasn’t anxious. She texted Lauren Howell right away, then turned and walked briskly into the elevator, heading to the training room. No rush, take it slow. Lauren Howell had a slow start today, still in bed past eight o’clock. It wasn’t until a colleague called about work matters that she finally woke up. After hanging up, Lauren intended to flop back onto bed for a nap when suddenly a message buzzed in. The phone was still in Lauren’s hand, not letting go. Frowning in annoyance, she looked at the screen. She thought it was yet another unresolved issue but, upon seeing it, she instantly sat upright. Ava Sterling: [Send me that director’s number.] Lauren questioned whether she read it wrong, rubbing her eyes to ensure the message wasn’t a figment, but after confirming its reality, she immediately called Ava. Ava had just exited the elevator when the phone rang. She picked it up and saw the caller. Then she answered: "Hello." "Ava, are you really going to act?" Lauren’s trembling voice came through, not with fear but with excitement. Like winning the lottery jackpot. Ava kept moving forward: "Mhmm, send me the director’s number; don’t ask anything else." Finishing the words, Ava abruptly hung up. She had arrived at the training room. The busy signal came back from the phone, leaving Lauren momentarily stunned; then, she leapt on the bed. Finally, Ava decided to act! This is simply fantastic!!! Lauren, utterly devoid of sleepiness, quickly got herself together and called Eric. She didn’t have the director’s number because she knew Ava wouldn’t listen, so she hadn’t asked around. Lauren was extremely sure about this. Soon, the call connected, and Eric’s voice echoed: "Lauren." "Eric, Ava wants to act!" Eric was reviewing the company’s financial report, and hearing Lauren’s exhilarating excitement, she was so startled that the pen slipped from her hand. How long ago did she say it? And now Ava’s changed her mind?