Night had fallen, and another full night of filming was underway.

  The set was ablaze with lights and buzzing with chatter, punctuated by bursts of cheers. The occasion? Veronica's birthday. The production team had prepared a surprise for her.

  There was cake and flowers, and the entire crew sang "Happy Birthday" together, capped off with a big group photo.

  Veronica was absolutely thrilled. If she posted this group photo, the hashtag "Destined to Be Queen Crew Celebrates Veronica's Birthday" would surely trend. Another chance for exposure.

  Chloe got a small slice of cake—her favorite taro flavor. She'd barely taken two bites when Taylor whisked it away. "That's enough, Chloe. First scene tonight has you running. Too much food and you'll feel sick."

  It wasn't about controlling her diet or weight—Taylor genuinely didn't want Chloe to be uncomfortable later.

  Chloe blinked, pouting slightly.

  Nearby, Bryan watched the scene, his eyes soft and warm. Then Marcus stepped in front of him, blocking his view. "Bryan, time to prep."

  Marcus's expression was grim. What are you looking at? You stare every day. Your gaze is practically dripping with longing. Faye was way too trusting—hadn't visited the set in over a week. Her soon-to-be top star was getting his soul stolen right in front of her. If he actually fell for Chloe for real, how would the team explain this to the company and the fans?

  Bryan frowned at Marcus. "Have you been in a bad mood lately? You've looked off for days. You feeling okay?"

  Marcus exhaled heavily. "You know what I am? Terrified."

  "Terrified?"

  "Yeah. Terrified. I feel like my job's about to vanish."

  Bryan blinked, confused. Then he remembered losing his temper at Marcus for going behind his back to ask Chloe about faking the kiss scene. Was that still haunting him?

  "That's in the past. Just don't do it again. Don't dwell on it." Bryan patted Marcus's shoulder reassuringly.

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  Marcus's eyes widened slightly, but he felt powerless. He couldn't just spell it out—it was still hypothetical. Bryan had added Chloe on LetsChat but hadn't made any further moves.

  If he so much as thought about taking another step, Marcus would report it to Faye immediately.

  "Next scene actors, prep on set! Equipment check!"

  This scene involved being chased by assassins in black robes at night. Numerous extras would be running and chasing along walls and rooftops—with no safety harnesses. Consequently, the extra fees were higher.

  The director had specifically selected extras with relevant experience. The chase itself wasn't the only challenge; the scene was set during a rainstorm.

  Tiles, once wet, became treacherously slippery, dramatically increasing the danger.

  Crew members applied anti-slip tape to the extras' soles—better than nothing.

  "Everyone get in position. Safety first!"

  Four water trucks stood ready. Everyone got into character. Chloe had Bryan on one side and her idol Jennifer on the other. The original novel described this scene as tense and dramatically charged.

  Chloe was both nervous and excited.

  "Start the water trucks!"

  The four trucks began their artificial downpour, soaking the entire set to ensure continuity. Then the clapperboard fell, and the protagonists sprinted forward. Cameras raced along tracks, capturing the action.

  Aerial cameras simultaneously tracked the black-clad assassins leaping onto walls and rooftops. The extras were committed—they chased with everything they had, moving faster at height than the ground-level actors.

  "AHHH—!" Suddenly, an extra on a rooftop beam slipped and fell. With the rain scene's dim lighting, no one noticed until his cry of pain rang out.

  "Ah... it hurts!"

  The extra writhed on the ground. The director immediately called cut. The on-set medical team rushed over.

  Chloe strained to see, worried. This was the first serious injury since she'd joined the production. Judging by his cries, it was bad.

  Bryan caught her arm from behind. "Don't go over. I'll check."

  Before Chloe could respond, Bryan strode over.

  The extra was a young man in his early twenties. He'd apparently injured his ankle—possibly the bone. He was curled up, trembling with pain. His ankle was visibly deformed, probably dislocated from the awkward landing. A hairline fracture or even a break was likely.

  Bryan's brow furrowed instinctively. Good thing Chloe hadn't seen this—she'd be terrified.

  The crew quickly called an ambulance. This needed immediate hospital attention.

  "How bad?" Chloe hurried over as Bryan returned.

  Bryan didn't hide it. He nodded grimly. "His ankle. Might be serious."

  Chloe's face fell. "What now? Will he be able to act again?"

  Jennifer overheard and said gently, "When I first started, I was like you—couldn't stand seeing crewmates get hurt. But you slowly realize injuries on set are completely normal. Even with safety measures, nothing's foolproof."

  Bryan nodded. "Jennifer's right. Injuries happen all the time. Don't stress so much."

  Chloe wasn't stressed—she was just genuinely worried. Extras pushed themselves that hard to chase opportunities. If an injury ended their career...

  The ambulance arrived quickly and took the young man away. The harsh reality: no one had time to dwell on it. Delaying the schedule wasted money—the four water trucks alone weren't cheap.

  So there was no time for emotional recovery. The set returned to normal almost immediately. Filming resumed.

  Chloe's performance that night wasn't her best, but she got through it professionally.

  Back in the dressing room during a break, she couldn't shake the thought. Finally, she turned to Edward. "Edward, could you go to the hospital tomorrow and check on that guy who got hurt? Buy him some supplements—things that help bones and tendons."

  Edward replied, "Chloe, don't worry. The production will handle it. Medical bills, compensation—it's all covered."

  Taylor shot him a look. "You know Chloe. She just cares about him. Just do it."

  Edward nodded reluctantly.

  Their conversation was overheard by Bryan and Marcus, standing just outside the door.

  Bryan turned to Marcus. "You're going too."

  Marcus: ?