Chapter 43

"Yvonne,would you bring me some water?" said Rita when a shoot finished.

"Yvonne, can you pass me my jacket?" said Rita when break came.

From morning until noon, Rita's spiteful demands for Yvonne echoed nonstop around the set.

By lunchtime, Yvonne hadn't even found a spare minute to sit down and catch her breath.

It was obvious Rita was retaliating for last night's call,pushing her limits and hoping to see her snap in front of everyone.

But Yvonne refused to let Rita get the upper hand.She bit her tongue, kept her head down, and handled each task Rita threw her way, no matter how petty.

With every order Yvonne dutifully fulfilled, Rita's frustration only grew, and her attempts to embarrass Yvonne became more creative and more malicious.

Watching Yvonne scramble around the set, Rita's eyes sparkled with a hint of satisfaction. Suddenly,she stood and addressed the team, "You've all worked so hard today! Coffee's on me!"

The crew erupted into cheers, falling over themselves to praise Rita's generosity and charm.

With a practiced smile, Rita turned to Yvonne,pretending to look troubled. "Yvonne, everyone's swamped right now. Would you mind grabbing the coffee for everyone?"

Yvonne lifted her eyes, her expression unreadable,as the crew exchanged uncertain glances.

There were more than a hundred people on set, how could anyone expect Yvonne to carry that many coffees alone?

Anyone watching could see that Rita was making things as difficult as possible for Yvonne. Seated behind the monitors, Rocco recalled Brock's earlier tip and decided to play dumb, pretending not to notice.

Most of the crew kept quiet, unwilling to risk Rita's wrath.

Only the camera crew looked uneasy, and Trevor's frown deepened as he prepared to intervene. But before he could, a calm and friendly voice cut through the tension. "I'll go with you."

The man who spoke up was Braden Hanson, the film's leading actor and currently the industry's hottest star, who had just snagged a Best Actor nomination and was the heartthrob every woman on set whispered about.

His unexpected offer left the crew stunned, and Rita's eyes narrowed with irritation.

Yvonne hadn't expected Braden to step in, but she also knew that as long as Rita had a chance to stir up trouble, she'd keep finding new ways, and Braden wouldn't always be there to shield her. With a polite smile, Yvonne turned him down. "I appreciate it, Mr. Hanson, but filming's about to start.We shouldn't disrupt the schedule. I'll be fine on my own."

Braden looked momentarily surprised, ready to offer more help, but Yvonne simply flashed him a polite smile, bowed her head, and walked away. He stood there,silently watching her go, deep in thought.

Seeing Rita's sour expression, Rocco quickly tried to restore order, urging everyone back to their places so filming could continue.

But the shoot was anything but smooth. Just as Yvonne had anticipated, Rita's inexperience was obvious-no matter how patiently Braden tried to guide her, she couldn't slip into character. Scene after scene, she switched between exaggerated innocence and stiff vulnerability, forcing everyone to redo the takes over and over.

After severaI failed attempts, even Braden's patience wore thin. "Ms. Adams, did you even read the script?" he finally asked. "The lead is supposed to be strong, not helpless. That look doesn't fit the character at all."

Tears gathered in Rita's eyes, threatening to spill,when the sudden sound of rolling wheels drew everyone's attention.

Instead of the humiliating scene Rita had imagined,Yvonne fumbling with dozens of coffee cups, Yvonne appeared with a small cartloaded neatly with drinks.

Breaking the awkward silence, Rocco stood up and clapped 'his hands. "Alright, everyone's earned a break. Help yourselves to coffee!"

The crew broke out in cheers and swarmed around Yvonne,grateful for the treat.

Trevor joined Yvonne, handing out coffee cups, and murmured under his breath, "Smart thinking. Looks like Rita's run out of tricks for now."

Yvonne's smile was bright and genuine as she glanced at him, sharing an unspoken understanding.

All the while, Rita stood off to the side, glaring at Yvonne with thinly veiled resentment simmering in her eyes.