âOh, itâs no surprise you donât recognize me; I joined just a few months before you did. I came in with Ivy,â Margot said with a sly grin, her words laced with undisguised sarcasm.
Diana rolled her eyes, âWith that sharp tongue, how come you havenât sweet-talked Ivy into giving you more screen time?â
Margot feigned surprise, âIn Coltonâs productions, everyone knows you canât just write yourself a bigger part. Are you projecting, Diana? Using your little tricks to pressure the screenwriter and director into beefing up your role-tsk, tsk, tsk. If I were you, Iâd be too ashamed to show my face around here, let alone strut around like a cat who got the cream. Unbelievable.â
âYou!â
No matter how understanding Diana appeared now, her past actions of stirring up a bullying scandal among the cast and crew were undeniable.
In this moment, she felt the weight of hostile glares directed at her.
Diana stepped forward, her face set in a cold mask, and hissed a threat at Margot, âKeep up that smart mouth of yours. Next time we cross paths, Iâll be curious to see what sort of âflowersâ you can talk then!â
With that, she stormed off without looking back.
Margot was well-liked in the crew, and her close friends quickly gathered around her with, concern, âOh dear, why did you have to stick your neck out for Ivy? Both of those women are a force to be reckoned with. What if you canât find work because of this? After all, Dianaâs got the might of Starlight Entertainment behind her.â
Margot shrugged, âCanât help it; I just canât stand by and watch. Itâs just who I am. Besides, it wasnât Ivyâs fault. She refused to use a stunt double out of consideration for the production. How did it end up being her own doing?â
Last time, she couldnât restrain her thoughts and had spoken up for Ivy, and it was no different now.
Even though she was used to seeing all sorts of sleazy behavior in the industry, she still believed in maintaining a shred of integrity.
âI hope when Ivy gets back, hearing that you spoke up for her helps clear up any trouble,â someone remarked. âAfter all, sheâs got her own connections.â
Margot took her friendâs arm and steered her to the side, âI didnât speak up for her because expected anything in return. I just want her to come back safe and sound.â
They both sighed. No one had expected a simple case of near-drowning to result in such a severe coma.
âWe really need to clean house,â Colton muttered, frustrated, particularly with Dianaâs smugness. He needed to find a way to deal with her.
Some of the crew remained on set, waiting for the directorâs instructions.
âColton, no one wanted this to happen. All we can do now is pray Ivy wakes up soon. Just let us know what you need, and weâll be ready,â they offered.
âDonât worry, just keep the gear well-maintained. When weâre back, Iâll make sure our leading lady returns safe and sound,â Colton assured, bringing a sense of relief to the crew.
When Colton had been away, everyone had been anxious, unsure of the productionâs future. However, with his promise, a sense of security settled in among them.
âHave you figured out what to do with Diana?â the producer asked, wary of a direct confrontation with Diana.
That woman was ruthlessly ambitious, the kind whoâd stop at nothing to get what she wanted, even if it meant mutual destruction.
The producer wasnât fond of Dianaâs smug attitude either, but they had to prioritize the bigger picture.
âDonât worry about it,â Colton said. âMr. Howard is back. What do we have to fear? With Ivy in such a critical condition, heâll certainly get to the bottom of it. We wonât have to lift a finger.â