Chapter 196: Support or Retreat

"Kate, Duke sought you out personally in the beginning, which means he's already leaning your way."

As soon as Catherine Zeta-Jones walked out of the changing room and into the outer makeup room, she heard her agent, Vivian, encouraging her. "As long as you perform at your normal level, you'll definitely get this role. This will be the start of your Hollywood career!"

Standing before the full-length mirror and looking at her tight black miniskirt, Catherine Zeta-Jones appeared extremely confident.

"I will definitely succeed, Vivian."

Taking off her shoes, Zeta-Jones walked barefoot over to the high-heeled dance shoes the costumer had laid out earlier. Instead of slipping them on immediately, she picked them up and felt them all over, inside and out. She wasn't a fresh-faced newcomer; she knew the underhanded tricks that went on during auditions, and she knew how to protect herself.

Only after making sure the dance shoes were safe did Catherine Zeta-Jones put them on.

A knock sounded on the door, and a female assistant pushed it open and stepped inside.

"Miss Jones, please head to the audition room in five minutes."

Without waiting for a reply, the assistant turned and left.

"Kate, since you arrived in Los Angeles," Vivian asked, checking her watch as she stepped closer, "have you contacted Duke?"

"I called him twice."

Having slipped on the dance shoes, Zeta-Jones stood before the full-length mirror again. After ensuring everything was perfect, she said, "The people who answered were always his assistants. I tried to ask him out, but he seemed very busy. I didn't succeed."

"Keep trying." Vivian looked at the beautiful, sexy Zeta-Jones in the mirror. "Kate, I'm sure you know that when audition performances are roughly equal, outside factors and personal connections can sometimes play an unexpected role."

She pondered for a moment before adding, "The auditions for Roxie have already concluded. Even though the results aren't out yet, most people know Naomi Watts is bound to get the role."

"Aren't there big stars like Julia Roberts and Demi Moore in the running?"

Seeing Zeta-Jones looking a bit puzzled, Vivian shook her head.

"Do you know why? Naomi Watts was rumored to be involved with Duke a few years ago. Their relationship is definitely not as simple as it looks, and most rumors in this circle are actually true."

"I know what to do."

Pulling open the makeup room door, Zeta-Jones strode toward the audition room.

Inside the audition room, Duke, Zack Snyder, Sofia Coppola, and Lily Fred were discussing the audition that had just ended.

"Beautiful, sexy, tall..." Zack Snyder offered his opinion. "She also has the natural passion and wildness of a Spanish girl. Her appearance basically fits the role's requirements."

"According to her file, she came to North America last year," Sofia said, flipping through the documents. "Even though Penelope Cruz isn't a newcomer, she is only twenty-one, which is a bit young. Moreover, she has a noticeable accent when speaking English. With only a few months left until filming, even if she takes accent reduction classes, she wouldn't be ready in time."

"Lily, what are your thoughts?" Duke asked.

As the dance instructor, Lily Fred's opinion was highly valued.

"Her Latin dance foundation is decent, but her performance while dancing..."

She shook her head. "Compared to Salma Hayek from earlier, she has an advantage in singing and dancing, but her acting skills are far too green."

The casting director running the audition from the side remained silent the entire time. He knew very well that he had absolutely no say when it came to a heavyweight role like this.

The others all had the right to offer suggestions, but the only person who truly decided the casting was Duke. Not only was he the director and producer, but he was also the film's sole investor.

"Sofia, notify Miss Cruz's agent tomorrow."

Seeing Duke shake his head, Sofia Coppola casually made a note in her notebook, then asked the casting director to call the next candidate in.

This was not Zeta-Jones's first time participating in a Hollywood audition, and she had no desire to return to Britain a failure once again.

After a brief self-introduction, she looked behind the camera at the people who could decide her future. Some were strangers, others familiar. Zeta-Jones's eyes swept over them subtly, ultimately landing on Duke.

Revealing the charming, reserved smile she had practiced countless times in front of the mirror, Catherine Zeta-Jones gave Duke a slight nod. As those dark eyes turned toward her, she took her first dance step.

Zeta-Jones had clearly come prepared. While demonstrating her basic dance skills, she sang a classic excerpt a cappella—All That Jazz.

Inside the spacious audition room, only Catherine Zeta-Jones's singing voice echoed. Duke rested his chin on one hand, watching her performance intently. Compared to the past, Zeta-Jones's acting was a bit green and lacked maturity, likely because she hadn't fully transitioned away from stage plays and was still relatively young. However, her singing and dancing were full of explosive power, making her appear remarkably vibrant.

The few short minutes of song and dance concluded.

Lily Fred leaned over from the side and whispered, "Out of all the auditions, she has the best foundation in singing and dancing I've seen, and her acting is decent as well."

Although there were many differences between film and stage acting, someone who performed in stage plays year-round certainly wouldn't be a poor actor. Often, they were even more capable, since stage plays offered no chance to call 'cut' and start over.

"Is this the actress you specifically brought over from Britain?"

Sofia Coppola, on the other side, also whispered, "Good eye. She's even more outstanding than Naomi Watts, who passed her audition the day before yesterday."

The audition lasted for over forty minutes. Catherine Zeta-Jones was panting slightly, her eyes sweeping over the group one by one again. She could feel their approval.

"Miss Jones..." Sofia said while noting something down in her notebook, "we will notify your agent as soon as possible."

"Thank you."

She revealed a sweet smile, turned around, and walked out of the audition room.

"Lily, let's hear your opinion," Duke said.

After whispering a few words with Zack Snyder and Sofia Coppola, Duke was certain that her image and acting were not an issue. He left the assessment of her specialized skills to the expert.

"What do you think of her singing, dancing, and temperament?"

"Sexy, beautiful, and charming. Miss Jones is much prettier than the female lead in the newly revamped Broadway production."

With that praise out of the way, Lily Fred turned to the main topic.

"She perfectly captured the character's straightforward, fierce, and unbridled temperament, which is very rare. In terms of dancing, Miss Jones has the most solid basic skills of any actress I've seen in the auditions. As for her singing, while she can't compare to Black singers, the explosive power of her voice and her clear enunciation are definitely worthy of recognition."

Finally, she said, "I lean toward choosing her to play Velma."

"There's no rush," Duke said, looking at the audition list. "There's still one more candidate. We'll make our decision after seeing her."

Perhaps because Catherine Zeta-Jones's outstanding audition came first, the subsequent actresses failed to draw much attention from Duke and the others. It took less than half an hour to wrap up the auditions.

Bringing up Zeta-Jones's audition tape and playing it once more, Duke tapped gently on the table. After drawing the attention of everyone in the audition room, he said, "Naomi Watts for Roxie, and Catherine Zeta-Jones for Velma. What are your thoughts?"

"I agree," Sofia Coppola was the first to chime in.

"Agreed."

"Agreed..."

With the casting choices unanimously approved, Duke checked his watch. He still had to attend an awards season party that night.

Turning to Sofia, he said, "Remember to notify Zeta-Jones's agent. Have Robin start negotiations with them as soon as possible, and keep her salary as low as possible."

After giving his instructions, Duke left the audition room, returned to his office to grab his mobile phone, and walked into the modest front lobby of Duke Studio.

From the sofa in the lobby's reception area, a young woman with shoulder-length black hair immediately stood up and walked straight toward him. Hearing the clatter of high heels, Duke turned to look. It was Catherine Zeta-Jones, who had finished her audition not long ago.

"Hi, Duke," she greeted with a smile after walking over.

Duke nodded at Zeta-Jones. "Long time no see, Kate."

"I called you a few times after I got to Los Angeles."

Catherine Zeta-Jones tucked her long black hair behind her ear, showing a perfectly measured look of complaint on her exquisite face.

"It seems incredibly difficult to get you on the phone..."

"Sorry, work has been very busy lately."

As if he hadn't noticed the expression on her face, Duke deliberately raised his wrist to check his watch. Catherine Zeta-Jones immediately understood what he meant.

"If you have something going on, we can chat next time," she said tentatively.

"I have a party to attend."

Looking back up, Duke waved at her. "Let's talk next time."

With that, he walked toward the exit of the studio, but the sound of high heels clicking against the floor echoed behind him again. Zeta-Jones had followed him. Without waiting for Duke to ask, she quickly explained, "I was just about to leave as well."

"Are you heading to the parking lot?"

Seeing Duke nod, she smiled and said, "Let's go together then."

She stuck close to Duke's side, lagging about half a step behind him, a faint smile constantly lingering on her face. If anyone unaware of the situation saw them, they would undoubtedly assume the two were incredibly close friends.

Catherine Zeta-Jones was a very smart woman. From beginning to end, she didn't utter another word. When they reached the parking lot, she politely shook hands with Duke to say goodbye. Leaving behind a sexy silhouette, she was the first to drive away from Duke Studio.

Just after driving out of the parking lot, Zeta-Jones received a call from her agent. After listening to just a few sentences, she stepped on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road. She tossed the mobile phone aside with her right hand and clutched her rapidly heaving chest with her left, the excitement on her face beyond words.

Things were completely different from what she had expected. Relying solely on an outstanding audition, she had won the role of Velma!

A black Bentley drove past her. In a fleeting glance, Catherine Zeta-Jones seemed to spot a familiar figure. A trace of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. A rather unconventional director, wasn't he?