Chapter 42

Trevor moved through the set with purpose,checking the last of the arrangements before the cameras rolled. At Yvonne's words, he only curved his lips into a faint smile and let the moment pass in silence.

Jealous words had reached his ears plenty of times before, and he had long since learned to dismiss them. Instead of dwelling on it, he gave Yvonne's shoulder a light pat and said warmly, "Don't lose heart.I'm counting on you."

With that, he headed off to track down Rocco.Yvonne lingered, whispering encouragement to herself until her resolve steadied, then she made her way into the costume room.

The sound of cheerful chatter filled the space. Rita stood among the others, speaking with practiced sweetness, her face lit up with a gentle smile that never failed to charm outsiders. Yet the instant she spotted Yvonne at the doorway, her expression faltered, and the smile dissolved.

For the briefest second, stiffness pulled at Rita's features, and annoyance flared in her eyesalongside surprise.

The memory of last night's phone call still haunted her. Yvonne's sharp tone had unsettled her, and she hadn't been able to shake the unease long after the call ended.

But Rita was quick on her feet. She smoothed over the crack in her composure and stepped forward with an air of delight. "Yvonne! What a nice surprise.What brings you over here?" she exclaimed as though nothing unpleasant had ever happened.

Yvonne's thoughts turned sharp. She longed to expose Rita's shamelessness, the way she dared to claimn the lead role without even the talent to back it up. Yet unlike Rita, she couldn't bring herself to speak so boldly. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she said nothing. The crew, eager to join in, turned their attention to Rita with voices thick with flattery. "Rita, you know her? She's just helping the director, running errands for this project."

Rita's eyes gleamed with calculation as she tilted her head. She stressed her words, making sure the sting landed."So you're only handling the errands around the set then..."

The group shared knowing looks, their smirks carrying a hint of mockery. Almost everyone remembered Yvonne's dazzling entry, Brock himself giving her a personal welcome. Yet within minutes she seemed to offend him, and her once-bright standing crumbled into dust.

Those who didn't know the details weren't openly cruel, but they never bothered to treat her kindly either.

Rita's gaze lingered on Yvonne, and then she softened her tone, pretending to be sincere."Yvonne, my assistant isn't here today. Why don't you help me instead? It'll be much easier than running errands all over the place."

Whispers rippled through the room the moment Rita made the suggestion. Several pairs of eyes darted toward Yvonne, some glittering with envy, as though she had stumbled into a rare fortune by working alongside Rita.

Yet Yvonne alone understood the truth behind the offer, and there was nothing generous about it.

Mockery and jealousy buzzed around her like gnats,but she kept her composure and didn't flinch. When she finally spoke, her tone was even and steady."Ms.Adams, I think you should ask someone else. My responsibility is to assist with filming, not to run personal errands."

Narrowing her gaze, Rita locked eyes with Yvonne,the silence between them heavy with challenge. Her expression softened foran instant, but then her smile twisted sharp.

"In that case," she said coolly, "I'll have no choice but to tell Mr. Duncan we need to postpone filming. Without an assistant, things will slow down, and if we lose a day, you might be the one blamed for the damage."

The words hit like a slap, and Yvonne's jaw tightened as anger flared in her eyes. She hadn't thought Rita would stoop so low.

Around them, the crew broke into restless muttering.

"Why fight it? Working for Rita is something most people would kill for. You're just running small errands anyway."

"Yeah, do you even realize what a delay costs? We're talking hundreds of thousands. Can you cover that?"another chimed in.

The murmur of voices grew louder, painting Yvonne as selfish and ungrateful.

Meanwhile, Rita basked in the moment, her lips curving with smug delight as she watched Yvonne struggle under the weight of their stares.

Clenching her fists at her sides, Yvonne forced down the fury boiling inside her. A smile tugged at her lips at last, and she gave a short nod. "All right. I'll do it."