CHAPTER 4 - NO!

The shoot and watching over Brave kept me extremely busy for the subsequent two weeks. Currently, he has his eyes open and is making baby movements. The doctor assured me that he would be alright during the last check-up, and he seemed to be in good health. For the first couple of days after that day, I attempted to look for the person who had helped me, but I was unsuccessful. Maybe he was a local and didn't work with our team. Considering how many people came to watch the shooting, it was plausible. He quickly faded from my memory, and other, more urgent issues took over.

"I need the area to be cleared in fifteen minutes and tell the art team to recheck the continuation."

I semi-whispered to my assistant, and he gave me a thumbs up before amusingly shaking his head at Nathaniel, who was napping next to me. He appears to have been slacking off a lot recently, handing me all the work. He only gives me general instructions, leaving the rest for me to deal with. I was apprehensive at first, but now I am kind of getting used to it.

When I sensed movement beside me, I knew the sleeping beauty had woken up. I scowled at him, but the old man returned my stare with a toothy smile.

"How's it goin', kid?"

I rolled my eyes, well aware that he was taunting me.

"Are you serious, Nathaniel? I recommend you go back to sleep without bothering me."

He chuckled pleasantly and sipped his mint lemonade before throwing me a wink.

"This is the first time I felt so relaxed during a shoot. I propose that we make movies together in the future. You're an excellent partner."

I scoffed and playfully poked him in the arm.

"I'd rather not."

Though he didn't say it, I sensed Nathaniel was training me to be independent. He carefully examined all of my ideas and discreetly assisted me in improving them. He wanted me to succeed in my career, and I wasn't going to whine about it.

Nathaniel summoned everyone to the conference room once the shoot was done for the day.

"The last two weeks have been stressful, and I appreciate everyone's efforts. There will be no shooting for the next three days, so you can relax."

There was a mixture of cheers and claps, with everyone welcoming the director's decision wholeheartedly.

I, too, for once, was happy. Lorraine and I took Brave out, and we spent the evening shopping and eating local food. It felt nice to finally get some time to myself.

......

"Shit, are you all right? Why didn't you call me right away? How long will you be in the hospital?"

I paused typing and exited my room, only to find Lorraine looking at her phone, her right palm covering her lips, and tears flowing down her cheeks. I seldom intervene in her personal problems, but when I heard the word hospital, I couldn't help myself.

"What is it?"

I inquired, but she was too overcome with emotion to respond. Instead, she passed me the phone, and I saw Matt lying in a hospital bed, one arm in a cast, and gauze wrapped around his forehead. He gave me a shy wave with an embarrassed smile on his face.

"Hello, River. How are you?"

Matt was about the same age as Lorraine, but he was much more mature. His red hair made him stand out in a crowd, and what I liked best about him was that he was a wonderful boyfriend who treated Lorraine as if she were a child. Despite the fact that our contact was sparse, I loved the guy. So I allowed myself to be concerned about him.

"What on earth happened to you?"

I questioned him, stepping into the role of an older sister.

"I kind of fell from the stairs."

"Were the stairs in the Burj Khalifa?"

I wondered out loud, seeing how much damage a stairwell fall had caused him. It looked as if he almost died.

He gave me a chuckle but winced in pain.

Lorraine was still sobbing slightly when I handed her the phone after wishing him a quick recovery.

I booked the next available flight to Florida and made the necessary arrangements for Lorraine's departure while simultaneously warming some milk for Brave. I know she will never ask for a leave because she is too concerned about her responsibilities, and she may even act as if she is alright, but I know better.

She insisted on remaining, which was understandable considering the exceedingly hectic schedule for the next few weeks. But I persisted, and by evening she was ready to leave with half a heart of worry and half a heart of relief. Matt needed her more than I did, and I wasn't a total asshole to ignore how much she was suffering.

"Don't skip any meals, and don't stay late."

Lorraine gave me a list of instructions, and I nodded my head, agreeing to whatever she said.

"God, I am torn between you two."

She whined as the driver started the engine, and I just patted her head.

"I am not a kid, Lor. Take care of Matt. Whenever you are ready to return, call me. Okay?"

In response, she squeezed my palm, and I could see the gratitude in her eyes.

"Where is Lorraine going?"

I turned around to meet Carla staring at the retrieving car.

"Her boyfriend had an accident."

I answered, my gaze drifting to her face, which was wrapped in a fruit mask. How long has it been since I did some self-care?

"She has a boyfriend? I thought you guys were a thing?"

She actually had a look of astonishment in her eyes, and I smirked. Who can blame her? Everyone assumed that Lorraine and I were romantically involved. She was with me wherever I went, and she was the one I spent most of my time with. Moreover, we didn't act in a way that a typical superior and subordinate would.

"She is more like a sister to me."

I stated, leaning against the minivan parked behind me.

Carla remained there while she processed my words.

"Really? I believed you were dating her. Damn, that's why I didn't give Kim your contact details."

My eyebrows almost touched my forehead in surprise.

"Kim, as in Kim Ji-Hoon?"

Kim Ji-Hoon was one of our lead actors. A young Korean artist who was extremely famous for his good looks and deep voice. He was older than me and an ex-idol. Sure, I was attracted to him the first time we met. Anyone would be. Even Lorraine was swooning over him.

"Why does he need my number?"

I asked, not wanting to jump to conclusions.

"To hit on you, duh! You are actually a magnet. The more you are trying to push them away, the more they want to get into your pants."

This was one of the reasons I liked Carla. She didn't hesitate to speak, and she voiced her thoughts without regard for the consequences. Her bluntness, on the other hand, has landed her in some messy situations and earned her quite a few enemies in the industry.

"Don't give anyone my phone number, Carla."

She rolled her eyes, as if I were an idiot.

"You're still young. How long do you think this fame will last? Take advantage of it while you can."

I chuckled as she nudged my shoulders as though we were teenagers.

"I am having enough fun now. What about your magistrate boyfriend?"

Carla recently declared her relationship with a high-profile magistrate, and the media went nuts over it. Apparently, everyone is calling her an attention seeker and saying that he made a mistake by choosing her. She was classified as a beauty with no brains by the so-called netizens.

"We're holding up. He is a novice to these social media attacks, so he wants to keep our encounters a secret. But I am sure he'll grow used to it."

Being a celebrity, or simply dating one, puts your private life in jeopardy. I have two social media profiles for this very reason. One is used for my marketing, while the other is a private account that only includes people I trust and personally know. I don't post personal information on the public account, and it has proved beneficial on several occasions.

"Well, I'm sure he's lucky to have you."

For a split second, I thought I saw uncertainty in her eyes.

"He says the same thing."

She said, her voice toning down a notch. The public's opinion was definitely starting to have an effect on her. We parted ways after some light chat, and I spent the following day completely in bed and taking care of Brave.

Another week flew by, and I felt like I was the only director on set. While I worked my tail off, Nathaniel enjoyed leisure trips around the village. He literally handed over the script to me.

"Cut! Break!"

I yelled into the microphone, and a chorus of groans and 'finally' erupted around the crowd.

We were filming a challenging scene that required numerous takes to get right.

"It's exhausting."

I mumbled to myself as I gulped down my espresso.

"Ma'am, you need to sign this."

Without even turning to look at the guy, I took the clipboard from him and began looking over the list of supplies needed for the upcoming shot when someone sat down in the empty chair next to me.

"It looks like you are doing a great job."

I turned to face Kim Ji-Hoon, whose almond-shaped eyes sparkled with mirth. He was considered a gentleman and was certainly handsome, but I never felt the desire to date him. He was just an eye candy to me, and that was all.

"Thank you. That was a great shot."

I was referring to the recent scene. His character was that of an antagonist, and he was excellent at it. This role was guaranteed to earn him some critical acclaim.

"It's all thanks to my director."

I could tell that he was attempting to flirt, but I had no interest in it.

"I will pass the message to Nathaniel."

I commented as I returned to the notepad, immersing myself in the letters so he would realize I wasn't interested. But he wasn't buying it.

"So, how are you spending your weekend? Do you want to go someplace nice?"

There was nervousness in his voice, and I observed how he kept shaking his legs. I felt bad for rejecting him, but I didn't have an option. I don't want to go on a date with him and lead him on. That was the type of nonsense I despised.

"I have to complete some work. Sorry."

I said it as casually as I could, and he nodded in disappointment.

"It's alright. Just call me when you're convenient."

Even though I knew that would never happen, I still agreed.

I signed the end of the paper once I was certain that all the items were in it and handed it back to the guy.

"Thank you."

I scrunched my nose as I thought I recognized that voice and lifted my head. But the man had already left.

That night, I came back home drained and eager to crawl into bed. I went to check on Brave first, but I was stopped in my tracks when I noticed that he had fallen out of his carrier and was lying on the floor. White foam was gushing out of his mouth, and his eyes were wide open.

No!

........