Page 74 of Cast to be Mine

She walked away. I forced myself not to watch her go. Instead, I focused on finishing my lunch and mentally running through the afternoon’s shot list.

The afternoon went smoothly. Jack emerged from his trailer looking chastened, and whatever Chantilly had said to him seemed to have worked—he kept his eyes firmly on Grace’s face for the rest of the day, not letting them wander even once.

We got everything on the list and then some. The golden hour shots were even better than I’d hoped. Grace was luminous, her performance nuanced and heartbreaking in ways that made me forget I was supposed to be directing and not just watching.

By the time I called wrap, we were all beat and sunburned despite the gallons of sunscreen that had been spread around.

“Vans leave in twenty,” I announced. “Great job, everyone. Same call time tomorrow.”

The ride back to the hotel was quiet, everyone too tired for conversation. I sat near the front, deliberately putting distance between myself and Grace, who was somewhere in the back chatting with one of the costume assistants.

Professional distance. That was the key.

The van pulled up to the hotel entrance, and I immediately knew something was wrong.

There were people everywhere. Not hotel guests—photographers. At least two dozen of them, crowded around the entrance, and cameras at the ready. The moment our van came into view, they surged forward like sharks scenting blood.

“What the hell?” Toby muttered beside me.

The van doors opened, and the chaos hit us like a wave.

“Grace! Grace, over here!”

“Is it true you’re having an affair with Jack Montana?”

“Grace, how long has this been going on?”

“Does Chantilly know?”

“Jack! Jack, any comment on the affair?”

The questions came rapid fire. Flashbulbs popped like strobe lights. I saw Grace freeze in the van doorway, her face going pale.

I was out of my seat before I consciously decided to move.

“Everyone back to the van,” I ordered, my voice cutting through the noise. “Now.”

I grabbed Grace’s arm and pulled her back inside. The crew piled in behind us, everyone looking shell-shocked.

“Drive around to the service entrance,” I told the driver.

The van lurched forward, photographers scattering out of the way. I could still hear them shouting questions as we pulled around the building.

Grace sat wide-eyed, clearly uncomfortable.

“It’s fine,” I said quietly, keeping my voice steady. “We’ll figure this out.”

She nodded, but I could see the fear in her eyes.

This had gone too far.

I needed to put a stop to it. Fuck the studio and Chantilly.

25

GRACE

The rainforest set was a masterpiece of controlled chaos. They’d transformed a section of the botanical garden into something that looked genuinely wild. The dense foliage, hanging vines, and mist machines created an eerie atmosphere that made the whole place feel otherworldly. The crew had been working since dawn to get the lighting right, and now everything was bathed in this dappled, filtered sunlight that looked absolutely cinematic.