Realizing he couldn't dodge the truth any longer, Tyler sighed, laying bare the situation with complete honesty.

"It's Cole. He's been acting strangely. The event script initially didn't involve any interaction between us, but he deliberately approached me, using suggestive actions to stir up the fans’ imaginations.

Off-camera, he goes out of his way to irritate me, babbling nonsense and instigating conflicts. I can't understand his motives, maybe it's his idea of a revenge plot. In any case, it's a hassle."

By the end of his revelation, Tyler's tone had grown noticeably agitated. Ariana paused for a moment before asking, "And what about Mr. Salazar? I had a discussion with him previously, didn't he intervene?"

Silence ensued from Tyler's end before he finally spoke, a note of resentment creeping into his voice.

"Mr. Salazar has been endorsing promotional videos with suggestive scripts. It was too much for me, which is why I refused to participate on-camera."

Now, Ariana had the full picture. She had always believed Tyler to be compliant and agreeable with the crew. Of course he avoided on-camera interaction with Cole for a reason.

“I understand, don't worry. Leave it to me."

After giving further instructions, Ariana ended the call and immediately dialed Francis’ number.

Francis picked up quickly.

"Ah, Ariana, it's been quite a while. How have you been?"

Bypassing the pleasantries, Ariana cut to the chase.

"Mr. Salazar, is this how you manage the actor I assign to you? I recall clearly stating that I don't want him involved in any scandals."

"I assure you, I have no clue about these rumors. Everything's based on the standard script, but Tyler just refused to comply. Ariana, surely you can't expect Tyler to join a new movie and disregard the promotion of the existing one."

Hearing him deflect and blame her for Tyler's new movie deal, Ariana's irritation flared. Without hesitation, she countered, "Whether Tyler complies with the script or not, we both know the reality. Let's not forget, Mr. Salazar. Initially, Tyler's contract was as the fourth male lead. However, later he was promoted to second lead, with no increase in pay despite the additional responsibilities. He accepted the terms without any protest. And you label that as diva behavior?"

"Isn't all this for his benefit?” Francis responded with unwavering confidence, "I gave him opportunities. All these steps were taken to enhance his public image."

Implicitly suggesting that Ariana and Tyler were ungrateful, Francis banked on the fact that Tyler, having gained popularity through his film, wouldn't openly criticize the production team of his breakthrough work. As such, he began to play dirty.

Ariana's keen perception sliced through Francis’ intentions like a hot knife through butter, leaving her simultaneously frustrated and amused. That sly old fox!

Suppressing her anger, she couldn't help but let out a sarcastic laugh before questioning Francis, "Well, well, Mr. Salazar, do tell me, what grand scheme have you concocted?"

Caught off guard by Ariana's tone, Francis interpreted it as a sign of surrender, causing his complacency to swell.