“That’s enough,” Caspian said quietly to his manager. “Find me a quiet place to cool off. Bradley nearly blew my eardrums out just now…”
“Oh, don’t take it personally, Caspian,” his manager replied, trying to lighten the mood. “You know how he is—he yells at everyone. Your performance wasn’t bad at all. He’s probably just stressed about something else.”
Meanwhile, in a deserted corner of the set, Stella sat alone, flipping through her script with a determined furrow in her brow. She’d rehearsed the lines several times already, focusing hard to get into character. The challenge today wasn’t in delivering emotional highs or dramatic outbursts. Instead, it was the everyday, ordinary scenes that demanded the most finesse.
Simple scenes, void of dramatic intensity, often revealed an actor’s true skill. Stella had to act natural—speak and move like she wasn’t performing at all. For a newcomer, it was anything but easy.
After some time, Bradley wrapped up two scenes and sent his assistant to fetch Stella. Her pulse quickened the moment she saw him approaching. Just as she was about to step forward, the assistant paused beside her.
“Just hurry up and get these scenes over with,” he whispered under his breath. “Guinevere Cohen’s on her way.”
Stella’s eyes widened. “Guinevere Cohen? Isn’t she done filming?”
“She was,” the assistant replied, glancing around nervously. “But she suddenly decided to drop by. Says she wants to check on our progress. That’s why Bradley’s been on edge all day. If you mess up and get fired, he’ll have to recast again—and fast. And we’re already racing the clock.”
“When’s she showing up?” Stella asked, her anxiety rising.
“She could walk in any minute now. If she finds out a supporting role still isn’t finalized, she’s going to flip. And if there are more delays, we won’t make the Spring Film Festival deadline. That would mean massive losses.”
Everyone had already been paid—especially Guinevere, who received her full sum the moment she wrapped her part. Her name alone carried enough weight to attract attention, but that fame came with a price. The pressure to succeed now fell squarely on the director, Bradley Lane.
If the film bombed, no one would blame Guinevere. Instead, people would whisper that Bradley had lost his touch. That was the pressure hanging over his head like a storm cloud.
Stella happened to pass by Bradley just as he muttered under his breath, “If I ever work with superstars again, I must be the king of fools.”
He’d once admired Guinevere for her talent. But he hadn’t anticipated how meticulous—and demanding—she could be. She was a perfectionist, and so was Bradley. Working together had been like setting two flint stones side by side: friction was inevitable.
The assistant, who had taken a liking to Stella, leaned in and offered her one last word of advice.
“Remember this,” he said gravely. “There are two people on this set you can’t afford to offend—Bradley Lane and Guinevere Cohen.”
Stella nodded quickly. She had only acted alongside Caspian once, but that short experience had taught her a lot. Even though they hadn’t rehearsed together again, she felt more confident this time. Her delivery was smoother, more natural, and it showed.
Bradley’s scowl slowly began to ease.
The shoot carried on through the morning, and to her relief, Stella got through it without a hitch. She didn’t have any scenes scheduled for the afternoon, so Bradley dismissed her early.
“Go home, rest up,” he told her. “Big day tomorrow.”
As luck would have it, Stella still had one last class to teach at the dance training center. She packed her things quickly and rushed off.
When she arrived, the place was bustling. Yvonne was swamped and wouldn’t be around until later, so Stella got changed and headed straight for the dance studio.
That’s when she bumped into Joyce Duxton in the hallway.
“Oh… you still have a class today?” Joyce asked, her eyes darting suspiciously.
Stella nodded politely and walked past her without another word.
Once she was gone, Joyce’s pleasant expression twisted into a sneer.
“You arrogant b***h,” she spat under her breath. “Just wait. I can’t wait to see that smug little face of yours crash and burn.”
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