Aster stepped onto the set with a calm, measured breath.
The cameras hadn't started rolling yet, but the atmosphere was thick with that quiet hum of anticipation—technicians adjusting lights, actors murmuring lines under their breath, a boom mic drifting overhead. It was his first filming day, and while a sliver of nerves stirred in his gut, his body remembered exactly what to do.
He wasn't just an actor returning to the screen.
He was a man who'd lost everything once.
And now, with every steady step, he was taking it all back.
"Aster, ready?" the director called out.
He nodded. "Yes, Director."
The scene began.
He slipped into character easily. The role was intense, melancholic—a war hero grieving the loss of his comrades and struggling to face a new life in peacetime. Aster moved with the weight of someone haunted, his eyes glassy with well-controlled sorrow. His lines came out naturally, not just memorized but felt.
When the scene ended, the director clapped.
"That was gorgeous. Let's keep going."
The next few takes flew by.
And then, in a brief lull between scenes, while Aster was sipping water and brushing lint off his sleeve, he heard the footsteps approaching before the voice.
"Aster," Lianne said softly.
He didn't flinch.
He'd seen her name on the call sheet for the extras. Her sudden reappearance wasn't a surprise. Not this time. She was costumed in a maid's uniform for a background role, but her expression was full of something else—hesitation, longing, and a touch of performance she probably didn't even realize was there. How had he even believed this bad acting before?
Aster didn't bother to smile. "Lianne."
"I'm glad you're here. I was hoping we could talk again," she said, hands twisting together like she was rehearsing vulnerability.
Aster took one step to the side, casually checking no one was listening nearby. His voice dropped, polite but clipped.
"About what? How you 'accidentally' ended up cast in the same film? Or how Evan must've worked hard to land you a one-day spot?"
Lianne's eyes widened. "It's not like that. Evan just wanted to help. He's—he's looking out for me."
"Mm," Aster said, tone dry. "Such a good manager. I'm sure he'll be great at managing your entire little family."
She flinched.
Aster leaned in just a little, his words like silk-wrapped knives. "So. What was the plan?"
Lianne's lips parted, but nothing came out.
"Let me guess," he continued, voice still casual. "Seduce me. Evan will put drugs in my drinks. Probably we'll suddenly wake up naked. You'll instantly get pregnant. Get me to marry you. Pretend it's my baby. Then, while I'm working hard to feed your tiny fake-perfect family, you and Evan run off with everything I've earned?"
Her face drained of color. "How do you—?"
"Hmm?" Aster tilted his head mockingly. "Did I get it right?"
Lianne took a shaky breath. "It's not like that. T-there's no plan like that. I—I do like you. Evan is just like a brother to me—"
"Stop." His smile was sharp and humorless. "You already tried this at the audition. I let it slide because I didn't want to make a scene."
He stepped forward. "But this isn't your little playground anymore. I'm not the same guy you thought you could fool."
Lianne visibly wavered. "You're being unfair. I haven't done anything."
Aster's voice lowered. "Not yet. But I know what you're planning. And I'm telling you now—don't even try."
He took a step closer, and Lianne instinctively stepped back.
"If either of you come near me again, if you try to use me, manipulate me, or drag me into whatever pathetic game you're playing—I won't be merciful."
"Aster—"
"I will destroy you." He utter between gritted teeth.
She froze, throat bobbing as she swallowed.
Aster took one final look at her trembling figure. "Leave me alone. Consider this your one and only warning."
And with that, he turned and walked back toward the set, where the crew was prepping for the next scene.
Behind him, Lianne stood still—like someone who had just seen the mask fall off a monster, only to realize it wasn't a monster at all.
It was the man they had made.
And this time, he wasn't going to let them win.