"Hey there!"
Olivia's head snapped toward the voice. A tall, striking young man stood beside her, dressed in an orange T-shirt tucked neatly into black suit trousers. Light brown eyes gleamed beneath soft curls of brown hair, his full lips parting to reveal a perfect set of teeth.
Handsome was an understatement.
Olivia gave him a fleeting glance before turning back to the set. Brian was already walking out of the room to change his outfit, his tall frame disappearing behind the curtains.
The crew had begun switching the background again, this time, an ice cream truck painted against a summer street scene. The detail was impressive: children in school uniforms, two adults chatting, a vendor serving cones. Even a real box of ice cream had been brought in for the prop table.
"I'll be trying to snatch you from him," the man said, his tone playful, as he gestured at the script in his hand.
Olivia froze for a moment. Was he flirting with her?
In her world, men didn't dare. They admired from afar, but none had the courage to approach.
"Oh… am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked, cheeks tinting pink.
His shy expression made Olivia smirk inwardly. Can any man resist me? she thought. Brian wouldn't be any different.
"Hi," she finally replied, her tone light but commanding.
"I'm new here too," he said quickly, his smile widening. "I heard you just joined the project. If you ever need help with anything, don't hesitate to ask. I'm Dylan."
He spoke with genuine enthusiasm, clearly captivated by her poise.
"How old are you?" Olivia asked suddenly.
Dylan blinked, startled. "Excuse me?"
"Stop acting like a high schooler when you're this tall," she said coolly. "It's unsettling. Like an antelope pretending to be a cat."
Without waiting for his response, she stood. "I'm sure you already know my name," she added and walked toward the director, who was motioning for her to get on set.
The scene came back to her, Emma's script. A romantic photo concept: Brian feeding her ice cream while both looked blissfully in love. The background painting would later be edited to make them appear like a couple on a city street.
As Olivia waited for instructions, she noticed the director's gaze linger on her a little too long. Maybe she was imagining it, but she doubted it. Men always stared. Even in this world, her beauty drew attention.
The previous scene, Emma's last before her death, had been postponed. Sammy, who was supposed to play the second female lead, hadn't shown up. She'd probably hoped to see Emma humiliated and then swoop in as the replacement.
So much for that plan.
Dylan watched Olivia from a distance, smiling to himself. She was sharp-tongued and clearly out of his league, but that only intrigued him more. He decided to play it slowly, patience always paid off.
Then Brian walked back in.
He wore a simple white T-shirt and blue jeans, but somehow looked devastatingly good. Olivia straightened instinctively, watching him stride toward the set with quiet confidence. The cameraman barely needed to guide her, she slipped into elegant poses naturally.
Brian's jaw clenched as he watched her. How dare she look so composed? So proud? She'd made him feel guilty since their encounter, and now she acted as though she owned the world. The arrogance made his blood boil.
"Alright, everyone, let's get started!" the director called, clapping his hands with excitement. His gaze flickered to Olivia again, appreciation obvious.
A teenage crew member approached, handing both Brian and Olivia ice cream cones.
Olivia smiled faintly. Acting didn't seem so difficult. If anything, she could turn it into her advantage, charm Brian, disarm him, make him fall at her feet.
Too bad that slut already let him see her body, she thought bitterly.
"Don't even start," Darling's voice chimed in.
"Shut your mouth or get out of my head," Olivia snapped mentally. The system in the stories she had read was never this annoying. Wasn't the system supposed to be robotic or whatever…..
The air around her shifted, everyone could feel it.
And then, with practiced ease, she slipped into her role. Olivia's expression softened, her lips curving into a bashful smile. Brian's eyes, cold seconds ago, turned tender on cue.
"Yes!" the director exclaimed, nearly bouncing with joy. "Perfect expressions, both of you!"
Brian lifted his cone, pretending to feed her. Olivia leaned back playfully, raising her own to offer him instead. The timing was seamless, the camera clicked at just the right moment.
"How was it?" the director asked.
"Got it," the cameraman said, flashing a thumbs-up.
The next shot required a synchronized motion: both of them raising their cones to lick at the same time, faces lit with pure happiness.
They did. Olivia's tongue brushed against the ice cream, and she threw in a quick wink, unscripted, impulsive, but devastatingly charming.
Brian froze. That wasn't in the script.
The behind-the-scenes camera was still rolling, but her wink had been so quick, he doubted it would even be caught. Still, his concentration broke instantly.
"Brian?" the director called out, noticing his hesitation.
Brian glanced at Olivia, who was now giving him the same innocent look everyone else saw.
He narrowed his eyes. Was she playing with me?
"Are you okay, Brian?" Olivia asked sweetly.
He inhaled deeply. "Let's go again."
They repeated the pose. Olivia could barely hide her smirk. If one small wink could throw him off, then taming him would be easier than she thought.
She had only a few weeks to make Brian fall, and she intended to enjoy every second of it.
Brian, however, wasn't admiring her boldness. Watching the shift in her demeanor, that sly smile, that teasing glint, he felt something colder.
So Emma Williams wasn't innocent after all.
She was just another actress wearing a perfect mask.