Chapter 75

Caught up in her thoughts, Yvonne barely noticed when someone brushed hard against her shoulder,making her stumble and almost lose her balance.

The passerby turned quickly as if to apologize, but the moment they recognized her, their face twisted with contempt.

"Why are you here? Looking for more trouble?" the passerby sneered.

Yvonne's gaze flicked toward Rita's set. Cameras were already rolling and nobody seemed to care about her.She lowered her eyes, keeping her tone steady. "Just picking up something I left. I won't be long."

"Then grab it and get out. You're nothing but bad luck," the person muttered, throwing curses over their shoulder as they walked awvay.

Yvonne's fists clenched at her sides, but she swallowed her frustration. She understood their hostility. Her reputation had been shattered, and her earlier misstep had nearly derailed the entire production. The resentment from the crew was only natural.

The last thing she wanted was to watch Rita flaunt her triumph. The smartest choice was to take her bag and leave as quickly as possible.

But when she entered the lounge, the bag she had left behind was nowhere to be found. Clearly, someone had moved it.

At that moment, the door opened, and a man stepped in-a colleague she recognized from the set.

Keeping her tone polite, Yvonne approached him with a small smile."Callum, I left a bag here earlier, but now I can't find it. Do you know where it went?"

Callum Ashton, responsible for logistics, had a reputation for being timid and soft-spoken, rarely raising his voice to anyone. Yet when his eyes landed on Yvonne, something cruel sparked in them, as though he had finally found someone weaker to trample.

"Oh, look who it is-the famous home-wrecker. Still got the guts to show your face here?" he taunted, voice dripping with mockery. "You must be desperate for attention, crawling back in like this. Some nerve you have."

Yvonne's jaw tightened. She shot him a cold look. "That's enough."

He flinched but puffed himself up quickly, barking, "Who do you think you are, talking tough? Aren't youjust selling yourself? If that's the case, why not sell to me-"

The words were cut short by the crack of a slap ringing through the room. Yvonne's hand trembled faintly,but her voice was cold, saying, "Keep your mouth shut, or you'll regret it."

Panic flashed across Callum's face. He clapped a hand to his cheek and bolted from the room, yelling down the hall, "Mr. Duncan! That troublemaker's at it again!"

Yvonne shut her eyes for a moment, weariness sinking into her bones.

All she wanted was to collect her bag quietly. Why did they all need to grind her down just to puff themselves up?

The shout carried far, and soon the lounge door burst open, revealing Rocco with several crew members trailing behind.

Whispers spread quickly, heads bent together, and even without hearing, Yvonne knew the gossip was about her. A dull irritation gnawed at her chest.

Rocco spat on the floor, anger twvisting his features. "What the hell are you doing here, Yvonne? Isn't it enough that you almost tanked my entire production? I nearly lost my funding because of you!"

Steadying herself, Yvonne forced a breath. "I'm just here to find my bag. I'll be gone as·soon as I have it-"

Rocco sneered, exposing his stained teeth. "What's so important, huh? The whole movie nearly went up in smoke just because you batted your eyelashes at the right man. If you want something, why not go beg your sponsor? Women like you always find the shortcut. Directors like us work our fingers to the bone, kissing up to sponsors, and you-just a wink and a promise, and you're set for life."

His words set off crude laughter among a few of the men, while most of the women exchanged uneasy looks.

Yvonne's expression iced over, her gaze locking on him with quiet fury.

Then,out of nowhere, an object came flying, striking her forehead and making her stagger back in shock.

The sting bloomed slowly, the pain delayed by the surprise.

In the restless crowd, there was no way to know who had thrown it. But the noise swelled quickly, voices layering over one another.

"Yvonne, youI shameless home-wrecker, get out of here!"

"Leave the company!"