Asher frowned, his hand reaching out to hold mine.
But Nora was quicker, grabbing his arm first and pouting. “It is all my fault! I didn’t know Miss Rose was on her period. I shouldn’t have asked her to shoot the underwater scene.”
She turned to me, feigning innocence. “Miss Rose, the next scene is where you fall in the fire. Can you handle that one?”
Ignoring her, I fixed my gaze on Asher. My voice was weak but firm. “I have a high fever, Asher. I did what I promised you. Can you just let me go?”
A flicker of guilt crossed his face, but before he could speak, Nora interrupted, her tone saccharine. “Oh no, that would not do! I have already told the fans how professional Miss Rose is. If she leaves now, would not that make me look bad?”
I glared at her, my voice ice cold. “What will it take for you to be satisfied? Do I need to die for you to let this go, finally?”
Feeling shocked, Nora hid behind Asher like a frightened child.
Immediately, Asher stepped in front of her protectively, his tone harsh. “I called you here to apologize to Nora and now you are pulling this? You are finishing today’s shoot. No excuses!”
I let out a hollow laugh, the last shred of hope I had in him shattering. “And if I refuse?”
His face darkened. “You don’t have a choice. David, take her to the set.”
David dragged me to the following location, his grip rough and unrelenting. He shoved me onto the set with such force that I stumbled and almost immediately, the props team lit the torches around me.
In seconds, flames roared to life, surrounding me. I yelled out in fear.
In the afterglow, I caught a glimpse of Asher's worried eyes and he must have remembered that I was once locked into a hut and almost burned to death. That time, he was the one who crashed through the gate and rescued me.
“Help! Somebody help me!” I screamed, my voice cracking.
“Asher, this is just part of the scene. Miss Rose will be fine,” Nora said, her voice sugary sweet.
The flames crept closer, the heat searing against my skin. My body gave out and I collapsed to the ground, sobbing. “Please… someone, help me…”
Just as the fire threatened to touch my clothes, a figure rushed through the smoke. A heavy, dark blue coat was draped over me, shielding me from the flames as strong arms lifted me out of the chaos.
Shaking, I clung to the stranger, the fresh, clean scent of his cologne grounding me.
“Who are you? Do you know we’re filming here?” The director’s angry voice rang out.
But as the man turned his face toward the director, the indignation melted away into an almost servile tone.
“Young Master of Brooks family! What brings you here?”
Asher’s confusion was evident as he turned to the assistant director. “Who is Young Master Brooks?”
The assistant director leaned in to whisper, “He’s Austin Brooks, the son of the richest man in the country—and the main investor in this project.”
At the mention of Austin Brooks, Nora’s eyes lit up. Ignoring Asher entirely, she stepped forward with a coy smile and invited Austin to dinner in front of Asher.
But Austin didn’t even glance at her. Instead, he knelt down beside me as I coughed violently, gently patting my back. “Take it easy. Here, have some water.”
His voice was calm and soothing.
Asher stood rooted in place, his face darkening as he took in the scene. He knew precisely who Austin Brooks was—heir to the Brooks family fortune and someone the Monroe Family had desperately tried to align with, only to be repeatedly turned away.
Watching Austin’s gentle care for me, Asher could not hold back any longer. “Lily, what’s your relationship with him?”
I was physically and mentally exhausted and didn't want to answer Asher's words.
As a result, this look of mine became a weakness in his eyes and he sneered in anger, “So this is why you dared to bring up divorce. You have found yourself a better backer.”
He sneered, his words cutting. “Tell me, Austin, does someone like you really enjoy secondhand goods?”
Asher looked like a crazy dog that was really angry and anxious if anyone dared to bite.
“You ...... shut up, don't talk nonsense.” I forced myself to endure the pain and yelled at him.
Austin turned to the director, his tone indifferent but commanding.
Asher's face became even darker: “You are still protecting him! What exactly is his relationship with you?”
“Noisy.” Austin placed me lightly on the padded chair and directly slapped Asher on the spot.
Everyone was stunned, including me.
“I heard that the underwater scene was originally Nora’s responsibility. Film it again. One hundred takes. Send every single one to my phone.”
The director nodded frantically, his earlier bravado replaced with trembling obedience. “Yes, yes! One hundred takes, not a problem!”
Nora’s face turned ghostly pale. “Asher, I am afraid of water.”
Asher immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her protectively as his voice thundered, “I’d like to see anyone dare!”
He turned to Austin, his tone sharp and defensive. “Mr. Brooks, Lily Rose is a liar. She’s done every kind of scene imaginable—why would she be scared of a little fire? She even pretended to have a fever earlier, just to get out of shooting. I caught her red-handed.”
I never thought that the most painful wound would come from the man I had loved for two years. His love and care had once felt so real, yet now, for Nora’s sake, he cut me deeper and deeper without hesitation.
Austin glanced at me, his face darkening at the sorrow etched into mine. “Everyone present will participate in the fire scene,” he declared coldly. “One hundred takes. Not one less.”
