Today marked the last day that Maria had agreed to stand in for Mia during the filming.Ever since that day, Luna had been accompanying Maria to the set daily. Partly to forge a good relationship with Maria, and partly to win over Charles.So, she waited early outside Charles' room. She arrived early but chose not to ring the bell, opting to wait quietly by his door instead.In a short while, the door opened and Maria emerged.As usual, Luna peered into the room and didn't see Charles, so she grabbed Maria and shut the door behind them."Maria..."She began in a hushed tone, leading Maria towards the elevator while she spoke, "Can you finish filming this movie for Mia?""Huh?"Maria paused in surprise, "Where's Mia? Has she...?"The thought of Alexander, the man with the seductive eyes who had Charles, filled her with rage.Luna licked her lips, whispering, "No, she's been in her room doing nothing. But Maria, your performance on set has been exceptional lately. If Mia suddenly replac
Luna and Charles didn't try to stop her. Luna even chuckled, "Poor Mimi, she's beaten."She didn't want to keep them waiting, so Maria made a beeline for the restroom. But about ten meters out, she saw a man at the entrance -- a man she knew.A rush of anger surged within her as she recognized him under the dim streetlight."Alexander, you're guarding the restroom now?"She didn't run away but went toward him. On her wrist was a monitor bracelet from Charles . Even if Charles was not watching now, she could use this as evidence when she told him about Mia’s matter later.To his surprise, Alexander had not expected "Mia" to approach him. He gave a slight smirk, his eyes full of lewd amusement."Miss me, Mia?""In your dreams! Bastard!"Maria cursed, yet she stopped when she was about ten feet away from Alexander.Even if she intended to gather evidence, she had to ensure her safety first."Oh, the pianist has a potty mouth..."She didn't move, so Alexander did, closing the distance be
At that very moment, Maria, who had previously been nervously twirling the corner of her dress, suddenly grabbed one of Alexander's arms. With a lightning-fast move, she performed an over-the- shoulder throw on him!Under normal circumstances, with Alexander's height, it would have been impossible for Maria to pull off. But he was distracted, messing with his belt, and didn't see her attack coming.Moreover, Maria's throw was swift, accurate, and brutal, and she didn't hesitate for a second.All Alexander saw was a blur, and then he felt weightless. He was harshly slammed by Maria onto the ground."Ah..."A cry of pain slipped out from him, but Maria wasn't about to let him off that easily.Just as he hit the ground. Maria let go of his hand.She lifted her foot and stomped down on him with all her strength."Holy crap!"Alexander was so shocked and in pain that he couldn't even yell. The shock and intense pain made him swear.But after his outburst, all that followed were squeals of
Maria watched him slowly get closer, her hands clenched tightly at her sides.Now, she had no other options. She won't let Alexander humiliate her, so she could only...Slowly, she closed her eyes, her resolve growing stronger. She knew the bracelet on her wrist would tell Charles what had happened that day.She believed that Charles would save her.Her lips slightly parted, her tongue poised to take a bite, when suddenly, a strong wind blew by her. The next moment, she heard Alexander's painful scream.There was a thud as a body hit the ground. Maria’s eyes shot open just in time to see Charles pull back his powerful kick. He stood there, like a warrior stepping out from the underworld, not even looking at her as he walked directly towards the thrown Alexander.At this moment, Luna, Director Grant, and the deputy director, approached.Luna gave Alexander a stern look as Alexander writhed in pain on the ground, and then extended her hand to Maria, "Mimi... are you okay?"Maria bli
They were like two statues, sitting on the bed in total silence, neither brave enough to break it.Finally, Maria let out a sharp breath, piercing the quiet. "You knew everything, right?" She asked.Charles, his eyes shadowed, replied with an icy undertone. "Did Alexander confuse you with Mia?"Maria knew that Charles would deduce the truth. His quiet, she noticed, was probably him dealing with the blow this revelation had given him.Putting her sorrows aside, she reached for Charles' arm, her voice turning gentle. "Charles, don't be angry..."His lips twisted into a bitter smile. "What man wouldn't be angry about this?"Hurt by his frosty attitude, she jiggled his arm gently, trying to get through to him. "Maybe Mia didn't want this. Maybe Alexander forced her?"Charles said, "Ria..." His eyes were filled with pain. "Do you know why I came here?"Maria blinked, thinking about the bracelet she wore. Has Charles seen something on it?Charles laughed, but it was bitter. "Twice... And it
After Alexander was whisked off to the hospital, Director Grant was straight onto the phone with the Caine family, relaying Charles exact words. But Alexander's dad muttered a vague "ok" instead of a fiery outburst and hung up."What the heck does 'ok' mean?" Director Grant wondered, shaking his head in confusion.He looked over at Alexander, who was out cold on the hospital bed with two broken ribs and a minor concussion. Alexander was in for a rough couple of weeks.Handing over the job to a crew member, Director Grant left for the day. Given the drama, the next day, he expected Maria to be a no-show. But to his surprise, Maria arrived on time, and Charles was with her. Yesterday's incident had made Charles more vigilant.************Alexander woke up in the hospital in a world of pain, the anesthetic having worn off. He noticed the man in the room and barked, "I need water!"When he finished speaking, a man appeared with a cup of water, offering him a straw.Butler Collins was th
Maria finished her filming three days later, and Director Grant threw a party to celebrate.Luna was seated to Maria left, Charles to her right, and everyone was toasting to them.When a man raised a wine glass to Maria, Charles quickly blocked it. "Mimi doesn't drink," he stated.Director Grant and the rest of the crew were speechless...This wasn't what Charles had said before.He had claimed then that Mia could hold her liquor.But Director Grant was wise enough not to challenge him and quickly pulled aside those about to toast with Maria.Given Charles poker face, no one dared to offer him a toast. All people's eyes instead turned to Luna.Sighing, Luna stepped up to lighten the mood."Since Mimi and Young Master Smith aren't drinking, I'll drink with you," she declared.Maria smiled faintly and peeled a shrimp from the dish before placing it on Charles' plate.Ever since the event, Charles had been a bit down. Maria had been looking after him, forgetting she was the one wronged t
The following day, Maria woke up early for her flight. She packed swiftly and was soon on her way with her luggage.When she got to the car, Mia and Luna were already there.Luna glanced at her knowingly, but her greeting was not as warm as usual.Maria got the message. After loading her suitcase into the trunk, she climbed into the car next to Mia.Mia looked awful, like someone who hadn't slept well for days. She had lost weight, and her eyes were sunken, evident signs of emotional distress.Maria just glanced at her, and then stared straight ahead, "Maria, you're a real superstar now," Mia spat out, breaking the silence with venom. "How did it feel, playing the movie star? Bet you loved being queen bee on set."She scoffed, her green eyes filled with envy. "Don't get ahead of yourself. Just because you had a role in a film doesn't mean you're my equal. You're nothing. Without my name, you'd be less than nothing to them."Those words hit like a punch to the gut.Anyone else would ha