Chapter 115
Dorian had a fleeting urge to explain himself—that he was merely comforting Zara, and nothing else happened, but the words got stuck in his throat. He couldn’t keep indulging Lila.
This time, he would wait for her to come begging him. It wouldn’t take long.
Lila nodded. “That spot over there is more private. If you two cuddle there, no one will see.”
“Are you done talking?” His expression darkened.
Her lips curled into a faint smile. “I’m done. I won’t disturb you two anymore.”
With that, she turned and walked away just as she said she would, not sparing a glance at the frustrated man behind her.
Dorian took a deep breath, but the mood was ruined. Lowering his head, he met
Zara’s gaze.
Her eyes were filled with admiration and dependency, carrying a hint of something more. It satisfied the ego of a successful man like him.
Lila’s gaze in the past had been warm and full of love, even tender when they were alone. But it never carried admiration. In her eyes, they were always equals.
He let out a faint laugh. Equals? How naive.
“Dorian?”
Dorian rubbed his temples, snapping out of his thoughts. “Zara, head back for now. I’ll figure out something for your work. I’ll bring you in when I join the next production.”
Without waiting for her response, he turned and left.
Zara watched his merciless back as he walked away and clenched her teeth in frustration, barely holding back her anger.
When Lila passed the same hallway corner again, Dorian and Zara were gone. Her expression remained indifferent as she continued walking back.
As she returned to her seat, she found that Jamie was no longer there. The camera she had carefully placed earlier, as well as a bag containing miscellaneous items, lay messily on the ground.
“Oh dear, what happened here?” It was Leyla Salas from Nexus Entertainment. She was the third female lead and was still in costume. Accompanying her were several extras Lila recognized but couldn’t name.
Lila scanned the scene, her tone neutral. “Who did this?”
Leyla frowned. “What’s with your tone? Do you think we touched your junk?”
Lila’s gaze fell on the camera, its edges visibly damaged. Junk? She couldn’t help but laugh at the ignorance.
Lila pointed to the surveillance camera mounted under the eaves, its red light clearly blinking. She said calmly, “I’ll give you one more chance.”
The camera was a New Year’s gift from Kieran. Even without considering the sentimental value, the camera itself was expensive enough to make this no trivial matter.
“Who are you trying to scare? So what if I did touch it? It’s just a camera. Tell me how much, and I’ll pay for it,” Leyla sneered dismissively. “Lila, who do you think you’re impressing with that high-and-mighty attitude?”
The others chimed in from behind. “Why are you still acting like you’re Dorian’s prized associate?”
“Exactly! You’re just a clown now, with no one to back you up.”
“Stop acting all high and mighty!”
Their commotion soon caught the attention of Leonard, who had been overseeing a scene nearby. The actor in the scene had repeatedly failed to hit the right emotions, and he was already losing his patience.
Noticing Lila in the middle of the chaos, he grew even more frustrated. This was going to give him a headache. What were these people thinking, stirring up trouble over nothing?
Slamming the script down, he stormed over. “Ms. Hart, what’s going on here?”
Then, turning to the troublemakers, he snapped, “What are you all squabbling about? If you don’t want to work, get lost!”
His booming voice drew the attention of most of the crew.
Leyla couldn’t understand why Leonard was siding with an outsider like Lila.
Jamie hurried over to Lila, looking at the mess on the ground with a frown. “What happened? Everything was fine when I left just a few minutes ago.”
She carefully picked up the camera, examining it closely. “It’s damaged.”
Lila had just mentioned earlier how much she loved this camera.