Amelia opened the envelope.
Inside lay a single photo.
She pulled it out, glanced once, and froze.
Her lips parted, color draining from her face.
Valentina and Noelle leaned forward, eyes narrowing at her reaction. They both peeked at the photo.
Valentina’s body stiffened, breath caught.
Noelle clapped her hand over her mouth. "H-How? Who took them?"
The photo wasn’t just one frame. It was a collage.
In the first, Callen held Jace up in the air by the lapels.
In the second, Callen’s fist smashed across Jace’s face.
And in the third, Callen’s hand hung inches from slapping Noelle.
The tent fell silent.
Jace leaned back in his chair, frowning faintly.
His voice came calm, almost too calm. "I still can’t find the reason why Callen attacked me, but the most concerning part is that this photo was sent to me by a hotel staff—demanding a ransom of one million."
The three women froze. Their shocked gazes flicked between the photo and Jace.
His lips twitched slightly, enjoying their faces, before his tone turned heavier. "And if I don’t send the money before midnight... he threatened to release the full CCTV video online."
Valentina’s chair scraped faintly as she shifted. "T-Then..."
Jace’s expression darkened. "Yes. If that video gets out, the entire webseries will become a target of boycott."
"No..." Amelia’s voice cracked. Her hands trembled, clutching the paper cup of coffee. "This was... my grand project. I poured my everything into it..."
Her eyes brimmed with tears as she lowered her head, shoulders shaking.
Valentina quickly wrapped an arm around her. Noelle slid close too, taking Amelia’s hand. They both tried to comfort her.
Jace’s tone softened, every word crafted to sound sincere. "I actually wanted to keep quiet, even if rumors spread. I thought I could brush it off as acting practice. But I didn’t account for the CCTV..."
He lowered his head, shoulders drawn in like he carried the blame. "I’m really sorry."
A faint smirk ghosted his lips, unseen.
"No!" Noelle’s voice rose. "Sir, please don’t say that. It’s not your fault. It was all..."
Her hand clenched, fingers curling shut, then pressed tight against her chest.
Across from her, Valentina suddenly pushed her chair back. She rose to her feet, fists balled.
Startled, Noelle asked quickly, "S-Senior, where are you going?"
Valentina stood by the tent’s flap, fire in her eyes. "I’m going to bring the person responsible for this mess."
Her voice burned with rage.
Noelle flinched, lowering her gaze.
Then Jace’s voice cut through. "I have one solution."
Amelia lifted her head weakly. "R-Really?"
Jace turned slightly. "Kyra."
Like a shadow peeling from thin air, Kyra appeared right in front of Valentina.
Valentina flinched at Kyra’s sudden manifestation.
Without a word, Kyra stepped inside and handed Jace a file.
He opened it, pulling out a script.
He passed it to Amelia.
Her hands shook as she read the title. "A Dark Destiny... Revise?"
"Please read," Jace said evenly. His gaze lingered on Valentina until she returned and sat again.
Together, Amelia, Valentina, and Noelle began reading.
At first, their brows furrowed with curiosity. Then, their expressions darkened to frowns.
Page by page, shock overtook them. By the final line, they stared wide-eyed, awed.
"This is..." Noelle’s voice trailed, her throat dry. "This is brilliant."
Jace leaned back, a faint smirk hidden in his tone. ’It should be. I had to spend twice than acting to learn writing.’
Amelia blinked. "M-Mr. Jace... who wrote this?"
Jace shrugged casually. "I just tried. And it came out well."
Valentina murmured under her breath, "What can you not do..."
Their awe only deepened at his casual tone.
The revised script reshaped everything. Jace’s role shifted from a one-dimensional villain into a layered character. Callen, instead of being the hero, now carried flaws like anger issues, and obsession. Providing the audience with a big twist, while still capturing the core concept of the series.
Amelia’s lips curled into a smile for the first time that day. "If all episodes are released before the video leaks, then the backlash won’t ruin us, as Callen isn’t portrayed as the main character."
Valentina exhaled hard, shoulders relaxing.
But Noelle’s gaze fell low, her lips pressed tight. Her heart ached. She still loved Callen.
"We still... have to inform Callen," Amelia said quietly.
A silence pressed down, no one spoke.
Finally, Valentina’s jaw tightened. "I’ll inform him. I was already going to confront him. And..."
Her eyes blazed. "I’ll fix his anger issues."
"B-But..." Amelia stammered.
The two women went back and forth, voices clashing.
Noelle stayed silent, head lowered, fingers twisted together.
Then Jace spoke. "How about letting me do it?"
"NO!" Amelia and Valentina snapped together, without pause.
Jace blinked at their perfect synchronization.
Valentina glared. "He already assaulted you. We can’t risk another incident."
Amelia nodded firmly. "Absolutely not."
Jace chuckled awkwardly. "Don’t worry."
He turned, smirk pulling faintly. "This time I’ll go with Kyra. You’ve already seen what she can do."
Kyra stood quiet in the corner, nodded.
Jace’s tone hardened. "Besides, it’s time he came down from his pedestal and faced reality."
Amelia and Valentina exchanged uneasy glances.
Outside, Callen sat in the van, still bitter from yesterday’s incident. His makeup was being applied by the same crew member who had rushed earlier for Jace’s autograph, her cheeks still pink with excitement.
Suddenly, her hands trembled slightly. The makeup kit slipped, foundation spilling across Callen’s white shirt.
"I-I’m so sorry, Sir!" she bowed quickly, flustered.
Callen’s face twisted. He shot up from the chair, veins bulging. "Do you have any idea how expensive this is?!"
"I-I’ll clean it right away—" She trembled.
"You skinny-ass bitch." His spit flew with the words. "Do you think sorry solves everything?!"
Her breath caught. The insult stabbed deeper than the shout. Her eyes flicked up, sharp glare flashing instinctively, before she could stop herself.
His rage spiked. "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TO LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT?!"
She froze, lips pressed tight, hands shaking.
He jabbed a finger at her face. "I can get you kicked out with one word—"
The door burst open, both turned.
Jace walked in, then touched her shoulder gently. His voice came low, calm, protective. "Go outside. I’ll take care of this."
To her, it felt like a knight had stepped in. She nodded and slipped out.
Callen’s jaw clenched, vein throbbing in his neck. "WHAT?"
As the girl left, his fury snapped. "Who the fuck are you to say that?"
Jace’s faint smile curled into a smirk.
Callen’s fist rose. "You bastard. I should have put you in the hospital."
Jace chuckled, voice sharp. "Fucking retard."
Callen’s vision blurred with rage. He lunged, fist cocked back.
But before it landed—
A boot slammed into his stomach.
Kyra had stormed in, her kick sending him crashing into the makeup mirror. The table split under the force, glass shattering across the floor.
Jace stood, eyes glinting, a menacing smile spreading across his face.