Chapter 40

Julian's features hardened as his grip on his phone tightened. After a long moment of silence, he responded in a cold, flat tone, "Understood."

As the calI ended, Julian stayed rooted in place,eventually rubbing his forehead in exhaustion.

He should have figured it out sooner-no one but Rita would have the nerve to pull a stunt like this.

But at the moment, there was nothing he could do to stop Rita.

A sudden brush of fur against his leg pulled him from his thoughts. Glancing down, Julian spotted Snowy wagging its tail, tongue hanging out in anticipation.

A rare laugh slipped out as Julian crouched to give Snowy a scratch behind the ears. The memory of Yvonne insisting he sleep on the sofa flashed through his mind, and with a hint of mock jealousy, he grumbled, "She probably thinks more of you than she does of me now."

Snowy, unaware of Julian's words, only nuzzled in closer That night, Yvonne enjoyed the most restful sleep she'd had in years since her marriage.

By the time morning arrived, Julian had already left.Still, Yvonne barely had a moment to notice his absence, and one look at the clock sent her rushing,realizing she was about to be late for work.

She sprang out of bed, hurried through her morning routine, and dashed out the door for work.

Luckily, she made it just in time to clock in.

Yvonne breathed a sigh of relief, but there was no time to relax. Edwin strode over with a serious look and told her, "Head to the meeting room. The director's waiting for you."

Just yesterday, Edwin had told her she was no longer needed on that film. Not long after, he'd returned with a different story, this time, offering her the role of the director's assistant.

Getting the chance to work on the script was a huge step up from running errands in the studio. Yvonne knew it wouldn't be easy, but she had no intention of turning down such an opportunity. Yet the moment she walked into the meeting room,she couldn't help but wrinkle her brow. Heavy smoke hung in the air, the sharp scent making it almost impossible to breathe. Brock sat across from a man in dark sunglasses, who lazily puffed away on his cigarette

The man had a rugged look, a scruffy beard, and an air about him that warned everyone to keep their distance.

Fighting the urge to cough, Yvonne managed a greeting. "Mr. Fuller, I've arrived."

Brock gave Yvonne a brief glance, then faced the man again, his smile almost flattering. "Mr. Duncan, here's the assistant I mentioned. She's new, so I hope you'll help her get settled in."

His face turning stern, Brock added, "Yvonne, meet Mr.Rocco Duncan. He's one of the industry's most respected directors. This is a big break for you, so don't waste it!"

Rocco exhaled a swirl of smoke and fixed Yvonne with an icy, appraising glare that made her skin crawl.

He scoffed, voice dripping with sarcasm, "What's a young woman like her going to accomplish? She's just eye candy, isn't she? Fine, I'll let her stick around and see if she learns anything, but only because you asked."

(vonne's temper flared, and for a moment, she was ready to snap back. But the memory of that five-million-dollar bet made her grit her teeth and hold her tongue.

She forced herself to stay calm, reasoning that at least being a director's assistant was better than fetching coffee on set. If the movie succeeded and Julian got his five million, every bit of this would be worth it.

On top of that, Rocco was practically a legend in the industry. No matter how difficult he was, Yvonne knew working under someone with his experience would be a valuable learning opportunity.

Before Yvonne could collect herself, Rocco tossed a project sheet in her direction. "I've already picked out the main cast and some key roles. There's not much left for you to do. Just make sure the leads get fitted for their costumes when they show up."

Yvonne accepted the papers and glanced over them.But as soon as her eyes landed on the name of the lead actress, her expression changed

Rita's name jumped off the page. She was the star of the film.