"Director Sylvia, we’ve been shooting nonstop, and we only have two days left to shoot at this location before we have to move," Lyra said, flipping her hair casually. "Why don’t we go somewhere to have fun at night? Like a bar or maybe eat out? It’ll help everyone relax."
Sylvia, who had been going over some notes, paused and considered the suggestion.
"Oh, that’s not a bad idea," she finally said, nodding. "We could use a break after all this filming."
Hearing her agree, Lyra’s lips curled into a smile.
"Alright," Sylvia turned to her assistant. "Let everyone know we’re heading to a bar after shooting hours."
The assistant quickly nodded and left to spread the word.
Lyra’s smile deepened.
This night was going to be very interesting.
Lyra’s eyes darkened with hidden resentment.
She would make sure Ruby wouldn’t have it easy tonight.
That witch took her editor job!
And now, instead of working on important scenes, Lyra was stuck doing insignificant tasks—minor background edits, sorting simple clips, and handling low-level film adjustments.
But tonight, she would make sure Ruby regretted it.
Meanwhile, Ruby, Vera and Celeste had just finished their editing tasks.
The trio sat together, reviewing the final footage, scanning through each frame to make sure nothing was left unfinished.
"This transition looks clean," Vera noted, adjusting her seat.
"Audio is well-balanced too," Celeste added, stretching her arms. "We did a solid job."
Ruby nodded, her sharp eyes moving over the scenes carefully. Everything had to be perfect.
For now, she had no idea that Lyra was planning something against her.
"You’re really great, Ruby!!!" Celeste said cheerfully, beaming at her. "We hadn’t even thought that much about how to do it, but you came up with such creative ideas! It’s great working with you!"
Ruby smiled slightly, feeling satisfied with their teamwork.
Vera seemed more relaxed than before. "Yeah, these footages look even better than some high-budget films. You’ll surely get a raise for this. Director Sylvia is very strict when it comes to work, but if you do a good job, she’s really generous."
Ruby tilted her head slightly, her red eyes gleaming with amusement. "Oh really?" she asked, smiling.
"Yes, yes!" Celeste nodded excitedly.
Then, she let out a sigh. "But thank the gods you came, Ruby. You have no idea how hard it was to work with Lyra before..."
Vera rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "She wants everything done her way. She never listens to others and keeps changing things last minute. We just couldn’t handle her sometimes."
So, Lyra wasn’t just difficult—she was a control freak.
"Hey, Vera, Celeste, and Ruby! We’re going to the bar after shooting hours!" A passing witch called out quickly before disappearing.
Celeste’s face instantly lit up.
"That’s great! We can finally enjoy outside!!" she cheered, practically bouncing in excitement.
Vera simply nodded, looking unbothered.
Meanwhile, Ruby hesitated.
Something in her gut told her not to go.
She wasn’t someone who ignored her instincts. If her gut told her something was off, she was going to listen.
"I’m not going," Ruby sighed, leaning back.
Celeste’s grin immediately dropped. "What?! Why?" she asked, disappointment clear in her voice.
"I thought this would be the best way for us to bond, get to know each other, and become friends." She reached forward, grabbing Ruby’s hands in a dramatic plea.
But Ruby pulled her hands back.
"No, you two can go. I’m fine by myself," she said firmly.
Celeste, however, wasn’t having it.
"No way. You are coming with us, no matter what!!" she declared, her face stubborn and unyielding.
Ruby exhaled deeply. Seeing Celeste’s determined expression, she had no choice but to say yes.
"Fine," she muttered.
Celeste cheered immediately.
"Yay!!! You’re coming! You have no idea how happy I am!" she grinned, practically bouncing in excitement.
Vera glanced at Celeste and simply shook her head, smiling softly. She wasn’t as expressive, but even she seemed pleased that Ruby had agreed.
Ruby, however, still felt a strange feeling creeping in the back of her mind.
She only hoped this wasn’t a mistake.
"Brother Karl, Adi, and Milo... I suddenly need to go to the market," Julian said, clearing his throat as he looked at the others.
Milo tilted his head, confused. "But Brother Julian... I don’t think there’s anything we need. We already bought everything with Wife when we went to see the warehouse."
Adrian nodded in agreement, crossing his arms.
Julian paused for a second before quickly coming up with an excuse. "Well... you know, I want to buy something for myself. Umm... like inners."
He refused to meet anyone’s gaze.
Milo and Adrian immediately exchanged suspicious looks.
Karl, however, was lying lazily on the sofa. He barely glanced at Julian and waved dismissively. "Oh, it’s alright. You can go."
Adrian wasn’t convinced.
"Can we come with you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No! No, I’ll be fine alone!" Julian quickly blurted out, shaking his head.
Milo and Adrian exchanged another doubtful glance.
Something wasn’t right.
However, Adrian simply shrugged and said, "It’s alright."
Julian sighed in relief. Finally, he could leave without further questioning.
He quickly grabbed some money and left the house.
As soon as he walked a few distances away, he spotted Levi waiting for him.
His green eyes turned cold as he stopped in front of him.
"I didn’t come here because I don’t trust my wife," Julian said sharply. "I came to prove you wrong. To show you how mistaken you are."
Levi’s smirk only widened.
"Of course, we’ll see," he said smoothly, his voice dripping with amusement. "Let’s go quickly, hmm? Otherwise, we might miss something interesting."
His eyes glistened with anticipation, already imagining the pain he was about to cause Julian.
Julian was weak-hearted.
And if his plan worked... Julian would break.
"I won’t miss anything because there’s nothing to see," he said firmly, his cold gaze not faltering. "You think you can shake me, but you won’t."
Levi chuckled darkly, tilting his head. "Oh, Julian, you’re so innocent." His tone was almost mocking. "The pain isn’t in what you see—it’s in what you realize afterward."
Julian ignored him, his steps quick and determined. Levi fell into stride beside him, his presence suffocating, but Julian refused to let him get into his head.
Still, doubt was a dangerous thing.
—To be continued...🪄