Filming for *Letters from Yesterday* was set to begin in just five days, when Mr. Frost happened to call her.

“Amara, there’s something I need to discuss with you,” Mr. Frost said as soon as she picked up. “Antonia Everly’s backer has contributed additional funds, and they want Antonia to play the second female lead. Are you okay with that?”

Mr. Frost was always remarkably blunt-he didn’t hesitate to say things like “backer” directly, while most other directors would have phrased it more diplomatically.

“The second female lead?”

Amara paused in surprise.

It was certainly odd.

Antonia came from a prominent family-her relatives could easily finance another production and have her cast as the female lead. So why insist on playing the second female lead in *Letters from Yesterday*?

After all, the second lead was a less prominent role, and *Letters from Yesterday* was primarily a male-driven story. Even the female lead didn’t have many scenes, let alone the second female role. Why would Antonia go out of her way to compete for a supporting part? Why was she so determined about this show?

“Who knows, maybe she’s just being contrary,” Barry Frost said breezily.

Amara considered it for a moment and said, “If she wants the part that badly, let her have it.”

The decision to remove Antonia from the top female lead had just been a warning to Emma, nothing more.

Now that her goal was accomplished, letting Antonia have the second lead was no big deal.

Besides, as a director, Barry had to take investors’ opinions into account.

Amara didn’t want to make his job any more difficult by always prioritizing her own wishes over the investors’, so she was willing to let it go.

After hanging up, Amara went over the script again, this time focusing on the second female lead’s scenes. After making sure that Antonia’s appearance and personality would be a good fit for the character, she felt relieved.

Just then, her phone vibrated with a message from Larry: Amara, have you thought about your father’s proposal yet? Your baby must be about four and a half months along now.

Her mood, which had just lifted, sank instantly.

Of course there was still the situation with Larry.

Larry probably didn’t yet know that the baby she was carrying was Finnian’s. If he did, he might react differently.

Amara let out a sigh, didn’t reply to Larry, and set the phone aside before lying down on her bed.

She stared up at the ceiling, gradually losing herself in thought.

Larry kept pressing her to terminate the pregnancy, but she truly wanted to keep this child. What was she supposed to do?

Letting things drag on wasn’t a solution; as Larry said, her pregnancy was already well advanced. She would have to make a decision within the next month…

Meanwhile, Elowen had been having an especially tough time these past few days.

Ever since Amara showed up at the house with those incriminating photos-and her father slapped her across the face right in front of Amara-Larry had put her under house arrest.

She spent her days at home, with the freedom to move around inside but forbidden from leaving the estate.

There were security guards

stationed at the villa’s entrance, and if they say her trying to leave, they’d

immediately call Larry, who would

reprimand her Because

return didn’t dare stepoutsideTM

this,

anymore.

Her close friend Amelia Abbott found herself in a similar predicament.

That evening at Finnian and Liliana’s dinner party, after Amelia publicly confronted Amara, Mrs. Walker had dragged her away and slapped her in from of everyone. When they returned to the Walker home Mrs Walker also put her under house arrest.

She was forbidden to leave the house for an entire month. Unable to bear it, Amelia sobbed as she complained to her husband, hoping he would plead with Mrs: Walker for leniency, but her husband paid her no attention.