Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism
Chapter 284 The Story

Luckily, the production team secured the location. It allowed Violeta to depart earlier to get familiar with the venue.

The female lead in the spin-off series was Layla, who was the lord of Dianthus Castle. The drama described Layla as a person who rarely leaves her castle because of her physical limitations. However, to maintain eternal youth, she commanded her men to leave the castle and commit heinous acts, capturing young boys and girls so that she could practice dark magic. Therefore, the castle served as the setting for the majority of Violeta's scenes.

The seven-episode storyline includes how Layla became the lord of the castle and eventually transformed into the black witch with an unpredictable mood.

This undoubtedly demanded strong acting skills, as she transitioned from an innocent and naive girl to a later ruthless and cruel persona. Those were two very extreme ends.

Entering the estate.

Ward was discussing camera angles with the director.

Several crew members were setting up the scene.

When Violeta arrived, Wade beamed at her and said, "Our leading lady is here."

A shy smile flashed across Violeta's face, but she greeted them politely. "Hello, Mr. Howell and Director Rufus."

It was Rufus's first time meeting Violeta. Wade handpicked her, lavishing her with high praise. Before meeting Violeta, Rufus had developed a keen interest in her.

When he saw Violeta today, his gaze discreetly assessed her. At the very least, he was satisfied with her appearance.

Layla's character was the bewitching beauty of the realm, and though she was a black witch, the villain was often extraordinarily beautiful.

Violeta's looks indeed matched the title of the most beautiful woman.

Wade asked, "Did you get motion sickness on the ride here? Would you like to sit down and rest for a bit?"

Violeta replied, "I'm fine. I could use some stretching."

Rufus added, "How about having the crew show you around? The scenery here is truly beautiful."

Just then, a crew member brought over the customised wheelchair for Layla.

Wade asked Violeta to give it a try.

Violeta set aside her crutches and sat in the wheelchair. She remarked, "It's very comfortable."

Watching Violeta in the wheelchair, Rufus already envisioned the scenes of 'Layla' sitting in it after a costume change.

He secretly thought to himself that Wade's eye for casting was indeed sharp. After all, no one knew his characters better than he did.

Then, a crew member pushed Violeta around the castle.

It was hard to imagine that the initial shooting time for a mere seven-episode story was planned to span four months, even longer than the dozens of episodes of Nolan's 'Spring in Moon City'. Wade's meticulous attention to detail for the scenes was sometimes so extreme that even rain scenes couldn't use water trucks but had to employ high-cost artificial rain.

Besides the female lead, only the third female role was cast.

All other roles required the actors to come to Crurgh's Veilmist Lake for auditions, which took a whole-day round trip.

Despite these demands, a plethora of actors still flocked to Crurgh.

A week later, half of the entertainment industry flooded into Crurgh. Some even jokingly called Veilmist Lake a mini-Hori Studio.

Violeta stayed at Veilmist Lake for nearly half a month. She had memorised the script thoroughly.

During this half-month, Wade and

Rufus auditioned thousands of actors together, from the second

female lead with many scenes to minor characters with only a few lines.

Violeta alone had nearly eighty sets of costumes made for her.

Finally, Wade selected the ten most satisfying sets to use during filming.

That evening, they had a gathering.

At the same table were industry big names, with Violeta being the only new actress. She sat next to Wade.

The second and third female leads and the supporting male actors had all been decided.

They were all seasoned actors in the entertainment industry.

Many at the table were senior actors Violeta had worked with as an extra in her previous life, all with excellent reputations, solidly B-class actors and above.

Violeta was most surprised by Jaime Ingram sitting next to Rufus.

Jaime had just won the Best Actor award last year.

A newly crowned best actor is willing to take on a supporting role.

With such a lineup, the 105 million investment was well spent.

Beyond the money, Wade's connections were extraordinary.

Even a web series script could attract so many talented actors willing to participate. Everyone was confident that this series would be remarkable.

hardly contain her excitement. Sitting with these people was something she never dared to dream of in her previous life.

When toasting them, Violeta net

To debut in a role written by Wade, and as the female lead, no less, was the kind of thing that would make one smile even in their dreams. And now, it has all become a reality.

At first, Violeta was a bit reserved, but these people were so kind and approachable, without any airs.

Everyone happily chatted and drank together. Due to her leg discomfort, they took special care of Violeta, treating her like a younger sister.

Raising her glass, Violeta said, "It's an honour to meet you all. I look forward to working with everyone in the coming months."

Sybil Carlson was the actress who played the second female lead.

She smiled and said, "Violeta, it's a pleasure to meet you."