Stella’s thoughts once again drifted to Weston. The very thought made her palms start to sweat. She needed to step outside for some fresh air, but she couldn’t leave Ruby alone here. It wasn’t like she could just walk away.
About half an hour later, it was finally Ruby’s turn. The assistant rushed over, gently guiding Ruby toward the stage.
Stella remained at the edge of the stage, watching Ruby nervously step under the spotlight. The set was enormous, and there were plenty of people around her. It was a real production, a big set with lots of hustle and bustle. No one had paid them much attention when they arrived, but all that changed once Ruby stepped onto the stage.
Stella had assumed that with Mr. Smith’s wealth, Ruby would be treated like a princess in such a place. But it seemed she was wrong. Even though Mr. Smith was rich, he was practically a nobody in the entertainment industry. There were countless people here far wealthier and more powerful than him. Only someone with the stature of Weston Ford would receive special treatment wherever he went.
Ruby was just a young girl, and her role was that of a noble character’s daughter. Though she didn’t have many lines, the role still required a certain liveliness, and since it was a period drama, the lines were challenging for someone her age. For Ruby to deliver her performance naturally, she would need to memorize the lines perfectly.
Earlier, when they were backstage, Ruby had practiced her lines with Stella. Everything had gone smoothly at first, but as Ruby grew more nervous, she started to stumble. She forgot large portions of her lines, which had a serious impact on her performance.
“Stop! Stop! Stop!” The director’s frustration was palpable as he yelled out, clearly irritated. “Where did this child come from? She doesn’t fit the role of a noble girl at all! A noble girl should be confident, proud, not shy and stuttering like this!” Ruby stood frozen on the stage, looking like a doll, her face drained of color. She turned toward Stella, who could only watch helplessly.
The director, still angry, took off his earphones and threw them onto his desk with a sharp motion. “This is pointless!” he shouted, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
The crew exchanged nervous glances, clearly intimidated by the director’s outburst. Stella was stunned, too, caught off guard by how quickly things had escalated. But more than anything, she was worried about Ruby.
Tears welled up in Ruby’s eyes as she stood there, visibly shaken.
“Don’t worry,” the assistant whispered in Stella’s ear. “Ruby’s performance wasn’t that bad. With a little improvement, she’ll do just fine. The director is upset about something else…”
Sure enough, moments later, Stella overheard a conversation that confirmed the assistant’s words.
“How many demands exactly does Guinevere Cohen have, anyway?” the director grumbled, his irritation clear as he returned from a short break. “At this point, I’m not sure who the director is – her or me!”
The assistant director, trying to calm him down, whispered, “The investors insisted on having her. There’s nothing we can do.”
Guinevere Cohen was a bona fide superstar, and with her fame came the power to make demands. The director was frustrated, but he had no choice but to comply.
But what really vexed him wasn’t just Guinevere’s personal demands regarding her role. It was the fact that she had insisted he replace an actress he had already chosen for a supporting role. Though Guinevere was the lead of the movie, the director hadn’t planned on her interfering with the other roles, yet she had pushed for a change. As irritated as he was, he had no choice but to give in.
Stella didn’t respond to the assistant’s explanation; she simply absorbed the information in silence. But just then, her phone rang.
She glanced at Ruby, who was still standing on stage, and quietly stepped out of the set to find a quieter corner to take the call.
“Hello?” she answered.
“When will you be back?” a calm, deep voice asked from the other end of the line. “I’m already home.”
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