Colton had been hesitant to share the news with Ivy. Balfour had warned him not to stir the pot by mentioning Diana.
Despite Ivyâs cool exterior, Colton knew the betrayal had left a scar. But when Margot brought it up, he bit his tongue and nodded.
âOh, I see,â Ivy sighed, her voice tinged with a mix of emotions.
It had only been a few weeks since theyâd last seen each other, and now Diana had from co-star to prisoner. Ivy couldnât help but feel a pang of sympathy and curiosity. She wanted to confront Diana, to ask why she harbored such resentment and why she had tried so viciously to sabotage her. But Balfour would never condone it.
Ryan listened in silence as they discussed the perfect moment to clarify the matter would be when it had festered to its worst, so that everyone would realize that they had been completely misled by Diana before.
âNow is not the right time,â The producer said.
âWhenâs the right time?â he pressed, frustration evident in his voice. âWe canât keep delaying the shoot.
Arenât we going to finish this film?â
Colton chuckled. âYou think youâre anxious? Iâm the director. Iâm on the edge of my seat here. But as for setting the record straight, weâll hand over the evidence to Mr. Howardâs assistant when itâs time. As for the movie, we pick back up tomorrow-â
âReally? Weâre back on set tomorrow?â Ryanâs eyes practically sparkled with excitement, and Ivy and Margot shared his surprise. They hadnât expected to resume so soon.
âDo you think Iâd lie to my cast?â Colton quipped. âWeâre starting bright and early. Weâll invite a few media outlets to capture us back in action-itâll stir up quite the buzz online.â
Ivy nodded in understanding, but Ryan looked puzzled. âArenât we just going to catch more flak?
Shouldnât we keep a low profile?â
Margot agreed, âLike slipping into a village unnoticed, without alerting the guards.â
âItâs only when the online outrage peaks that our clarification will have the biggest impact,â Ivy explained. âBesides, weâve done nothing wrong. Why shouldnât we have the media spotlight?â
Clearly, Colton and the producer had a plan.
âIvyâs right,â Colton added. âWeâre making a comeback, and weâre going to make some noise about it.
Let the whole world know weâre back in business. Iâve poured years into this project, never guessing it would be mired in such chaos. But thankfully, I have you all-my cast. Youâre my ace in the hole.â
âThe revised script will be in your rooms shortly. Use the time left today to prep for tomorrowâs scenes.
And Ivy, your ankle will fit right in-weâve got a sick scene coming up that Iâve bumped to the front.â
The directorâs words ignited a fire in their hearts. For them, the essence of their craft was performance.
The drama off-screen was for Colton and the producer to handle.
With shooting resuming the next day, Ivy was more thrilled than anyone. Clutching the new script, her eyes gleamed with renewed purpose.
âWho wouldâve thought we could spin it this way?â she mused, a hint of excitement in her voice.