My Beloved Has Risen from Death’s Embrace

"Ding—"

Reaching the 66th floor, Hans stepped out of the elevator and knocked on the door to the CEO's office. A cold, deep voice called from inside, "Come in."

Holding a folder, Hans entered the office. "Mr. President, you instructed us to intercept any negative media exposure concerning Miss Xanthea. Today, the company intercepted a set of photos, but I'm not sure if they qualify as negative news?"

At the mention of "Xanthea," the man signing contracts behind the desk suddenly paused.

Orion slowly lifted his head, "What?"

Hans took out the photos from the folder, placing them neatly before him.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

In the photos, Xanthea was seen giving Benjamin a gift, the two of them looking at each other and smiling; Benjamin courteously shielding Xanthea from a car door, careful not to let her bump her head; at a cast dinner, Benjamin making his way through the crowd, his gaze towards Xanthea filled with ambiguous affection, and more.

Orion picked up the last photo of the two sweetly embracing. His dark eyes brewed a storm, almost piercing a hole through the man's silhouette in the photo.

"Have they been verified?"

His voice made the entire office seem encased in ice, chilling Hans to the bone.

"Yes, they have been authenticated by our tech department. The photos are unaltered originals, and the whistleblower is April, who plays Vivian in the 'Realm of Illusions' series."

The man's low chuckle was hoarse and terrifying, his fingers white-knuckled around the photo.

That night, at Sunset Hills Estates, apartment 3002

"Rule 47, when looking into each other’s eyes."

"Isn't this too much?"

Xanthea looked at the notebook full of "key points" she had written, tossed the pen away in despair, and slumped over the desk.

Acting was indeed harder than scientific research!

Why did she ever enter the entertainment industry? Why did she agree to act in a romance drama? She despised Isabella for this!

Seeing her despondently muttering with her face down on the desk, Benjamin couldn’t help but smile, "Rome wasn't built in a day."

"The acting profession may seem glamorous and receives a lot of attention, but it's not easy to excel—it requires continuous learning and practice."

But she didn’t need to excel; she just needed to get through this romance scene.

Yet now, not just a scene, but even understanding the key points of one scene seemed overwhelming.

Xanthea suddenly regretted not having a few more romances in the past; experience would have made this so much easier!

"Ring, ring, ring."

Benjamin replied, "It's Okay. Being with you, time seems to fly."

Xanthea frowned, probably because she was forcing herself to study—it felt like an eternity.

"No need, my driver is downstairs. You should review what we discussed a few more times. Remember to apply it tomorrow during the shoot and see if it works."

"Sure." As Benjamin stepped out, he suddenly paused, "Can I come over tomorrow to continue helping you?"

Xanthea, feeling like a student kept after class, was inwardly miserable but showed gratitude, "Of course, as long as you don't mind that I don't know much."

Mid-sentence, Benjamin's gaze suddenly fixed directly behind her.

"Right."

Benjamin slowly entered the elevator. As the doors were closing, and she was waving goodbye with a smile, he suddenly put his hand out, stopping the elevator doors.

Xanthea quickly hit the open button, "What’s wrong? Did you forget something?"

"Nothing." Benjamin smiled, "I just noticed something on your head."

"Something? What is it?"

Xanthea brushed her hair, and Benjamin approached, gently removing a pink feather from her head, "It's a feather."

"Oh, I must have brushed against the feather lamp in the room."

"Be more careful next time." Benjamin patted her head affectionately and stepped back into the elevator, "Goodnight Xan, see you tomorrow."

Xanthea stared as the elevator doors slowly closed, stunned.

Why did he pat her head?

And why was there a creepy creaking sound in her ears? Was the elevator malfunctioning?

Turning around in confusion, she was taken aback by the sudden sight of a tall, imposing figure at the opposite elevator entrance.