Chapter 62
Before Zack could finish, Quiana was already gone, her hat pulled low, hands in her pockets, walking away without a backward glance.
+5
Zack looked at Hugo, who was blinking back at them with wide, innocent eyes, and he couldn’t help but grin. “Our car must be cursed or something. Quiana never gets in.”
Julius didn’t respond, his eyes following Quiana until she was swallowed by the night. He then glanced down at his legs, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.
Shane let out a soft sigh. “We missed our shot with The Seraphic.”
Hugo’s eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief.
*****
Xavier got back home after taking Keith to the hospital. Winona Mandy, were out like lights.
still deep into her scenes, and his folks, Simon and
Quiana walked in, and Xavier saw her grimace, her arms and back still aching from whatever happened earlier. His gut told him something was off, and he blurted out, “Did you swipe the Core Stone from the Liberty Star?”
He wasn’t sure what the Core Stone was, but its enough importance was evident since it caused the ship to dock early and instigate thorough searches of everyone.
Quiana froze mid–step on the stairs, casting a sly glance back at him. “Just a friendly tip,” she drawled, her smirk a mix of mischief and menace. “Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”
“Quiana…” Xavier started, but she interrupted him.
“Zip it if you want to keep breathing,” she snapped, her tone as frosty as a winter’s night, before she disappeared upstairs.
Even though the Larson family had dug deep into Quiana’s past, after that ride on the Liberty Star, Xavier felt like he was seeing a whole new side of her–one he couldn’t quite figure out.
*****
Quiana’s alarm was Alina’s call, jolting her awake with a friendly nudge. “Got a big day ahead,” Alina chirped, her voice bright and early.
Evelyn was laid up in the hospital, but the show couldn’t afford a break. John and the crew huddled up and decided to keep rolling, shooting other scenes first and coming back to Evelyn’s when she was ready to return.
The web was ablaze with the film accident. The comments were a mess of arguments.
Quiana was taking the heat. Stellar Entertainment wanted to hire a PR team, but they were on a tight budget. With Evelyn a big star and Winona from a wealthy family, both had powerful backers, and no PR firm was willing to take the risk.
“Mr. Lovett’s got your back,” Alina said, her voice reassuring. “He’s taking care of the trolls. Your focus should be on acting.” She was in the middle of a ritual, lighting incense at the company’s shrine. “Let’s hope this drama stays in the script.”
*****
Quiana stepped onto the set the next morning around eleven.
Cassie spotted her and jogged over, a sheepish grin on her face. “I totally spaced on the filming that day. My mom came by, and I got caught up with her. I heard there was some drama with you and Winona…”
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Chapter 62
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Quiana just shrugged it off. “No biggie.” She hadn’t even cracked open the script yet. “So, what’s the game plan for today?”
“Quiana, your script,” Jack, the director’s assistant, called out, breaking into her thoughts.
Cassie’s brow furrowed. “We’re about to roll. Why are you handing her the script now?”
Jack glanced at her, his tone casual to the point of being dismissive. “Quiana here? She’s got a memory like a steel trap. She could read it now and nail her lines.”
+5
Cassic had heard about Quiana’s knack for remembering lines. But Jack’s tone was off, and she didn’t like it. “Quiana’s a guest star. Even with her memory, she deserves better than this.”
Jack rolled his eyes and thought, ‘Who do you think you are to talk to me like that? An extra who just climbed up the ranks, no big backers.”
He sneered, “Quiana? She’s only here because of Evelyn’s pull. And if it weren’t for Winona’s influence, this role would have been a no–show for her.”
“You…” Cassie started, but Quiana interrupted.
“Better worry about yourself,” Jack jeered, tossing the script carelessly to Quiana before striding away.
Cassie’s cheeks flushed with anger. “What’s with that attitude?”
