A woman with an impressive figure appeared before John.
Long legs, clad in black boots, led up to smooth, rounded thighs that were partially exposed. Above her thighs, she wore cuffed denim shorts, with the hem of her black shirt tucked neatly into them, emphasizing the soft curves of her waist.
Her face was oval-shaped, with willow-leaf eyebrows, a sharp nose bridge, and striking, three-dimensional features. On any scale, her beauty would easily score above 9.6.
Such a woman would catch anyone's eye on the street.
But in John's mind…
Bah!
Could any ordinary woman compare to his sisters?
Even if a fairy from the heavens descended, in John's eyes, they would be no more than a passing fancy. His sisters—each of them unique and unparalleled—were the only ones who could be compared to fairies. No one else even came close.
So, despite her beauty, John didn't give her much thought. He didn't know her, but he wasn't too surprised.
Why not surprised?
Because during his time visiting the set, it wasn't unusual for women to approach him. Most of them were attractive, and they came to see him only because of his connection with Anita—hoping to catch a glimpse of fame by association.
In that sense, John was accustomed to such encounters, so it didn't faze him much.
But still… why was he slightly surprised?
Because, unlike the others, this woman didn't hesitate to approach him even though Anita was sitting beside him. John admired her courage.
So, naturally, he decided to give her a glance.
And, of course, his gaze wandered down to where it was most tempting: between her long legs.
But just as John started to lift his eyes, Anita, who had been sitting next to him, suddenly stood up with excitement.
"Sophia! What brings you to New York?" she exclaimed.
The woman—Sophia—smiled and replied, "Amelia told me you recently recognized a younger brother. I wanted to come and see for myself."
John felt his face flush with embarrassment.
It turned out that she was a friend of Anita, not one of those women who came to flirt with him as he had initially thought. If he had known earlier, he would have refrained from staring at her like that. He felt like he had sinned.
With a sheepish smile, John stood up and said, "Nice to meet you, Sophia. My name is John."
"She's my brother, John," Anita explained. "We've known each other since childhood, though we were separated for a while."
She continued, "This is Sophia, from the Long family in Houston."
Anita wasn't particularly close to the Long family, but there had been a time when the Longs thought Anita might have an interest in Perry Moreno, hoping to form a connection through marriage. But when Anita remained cold and distant, they backed off, realizing their approach wasn't going to work.
Since then, they shifted tactics, trying to establish a friendship with Anita instead. Sophia, being a woman herself, was a more natural fit for this plan.
After Anita's introduction, Sophia sized up John with a quiet, almost assessing gaze. Then, she extended her hand with a smile. "It's wonderful that you two could reconnect after so many years. Hello, I'm Sophia."
John took her hand, shaking it with politeness, and they quickly separated. His demeanor was courteous, and his expression neutral.
The moment their hands parted, Sophia's face remained unreadable. The trio stood in an awkward silence for a while. Meanwhile, the director, Sivan, hovered in the background, unsure whether to interrupt.
Anita noticed this and, with a soft smile, turned to John and Sophia. "Why don't you two get to know each other a little more while I finish my scene?"
With that, she walked off toward Sivan.
"Don't worry, Miss Anita," Sivan said politely. "We can wait."
"No, no!" Anita shook her head, smiling. "You all have a job to do. Don't wait on me."
As the makeup artist came over to touch up her look, Anita's beauty was evident even in the briefest of moments. Her makeup was minimal—just enough to highlight her natural features. A real beauty needed no heavy layers of cosmetics.
Within moments, Anita was ready to continue, slipping into her role as easily as slipping on a glove.
John, still in awe, couldn't help but praise her. "Anita is really a natural actress. Her skills are beyond words."
During his time on set, he had observed her shooting. Most of the time, Anita nailed her scenes on the first take, while other actors often needed multiple retakes. The few times there were NGs were because Anita herself wasn't satisfied with the shot.
It was pure talent.
"You're not bad yourself," Sophia remarked suddenly, drawing John's attention.
He blinked in surprise. "I'm not bad? What do you mean?"
Sophia smirked. "You're a gentleman. That was a good performance, too."
Earlier, when Anita had been sitting with John, her demeanor had been friendly, but not overly warm. However, now, Sophia seemed to have changed. She eyed him coolly, with a hint of disdain.
John frowned, a little confused. "Miss Sophia," he began, "You're mistaken. My gentlemanly attitude wasn't an act. It came from the heart."
"Shameless!" Sophia scoffed, her tone biting. "If your eyes hadn't betrayed you earlier, I might have been fooled by your performance."
A wave of realization washed over John.
She knew.
Sophia had noticed his earlier peek. Her intuition was sharp—he hadn't even realized it at the time, but she had sensed his inappropriate gaze.
John couldn't help but admire her perceptiveness.
But, honestly, could he be blamed? When he had first seen Sophia, he had assumed she was like the others—interested in flirting with him for personal gain. But now, knowing she was a friend of Anita, John was genuinely respectful toward her.