Chapter 408: Chapter 409

“At the backstage lounge, Mr Lane,” one of the assistants replied. Bradley nodded quietly and headed to the backstage to look for Guinevere. “Miss Cohen… I heard you’re refusing to shoot?” he asked the instant he stepped inside Guinvere’s private room, opening the door without flinching unlike Guinevere’s wimpy assistants. “Or perhaps you have another opinion to offer?”

Guinevere was caught by surprise and looked up to see that it was Bradley. Her gaze changing right then, she said, “Why would you say that? Wasn’t my body double doing just fine?” “She is, but I heard from others that you don’t actually agree.” “… Who, me?” Guinevere rose to her feet. “How so? And who said that?”

Bradley certainly could not point fingers, and simply fixed his gaze upon her. “I hope you’ll be forthright if you have any opinions. You know that my film schedule has been packed recently, and I won’t be aware of your mood swings 24/7.” His words were sharp, but actually tolerant-Guinevere could tell that he was offering her a stool to get off her high horse. If she kept on acting like this, he might have to swap actresses. Be that as it may, Guinevere only felt burgeoning grief. She had merely taken maternity leave, and Ella Steele immediately popped up in the film crew after that.

Who did she think she was?! She just had a face that resembled Guinevere’s!

So why was she everywhere? Was Guinevere fated not to escape her for the rest of her life?

“I’m just curious-why would you take an interest in my stunt double when she has no experience in acting, director?”

Guinevere said then, and as if genuinely interested in their connection, she brazenly asked,” You’re single at the moment, right?”

Bradley did a double take, and scowled when he realized what Guinevere was getting at. “Ella Steele, your stunt double, may be inexperienced, but her performance today was plenty enough to show that she has surpassed seasoned actors. While experience is an established metric, it is not the only metric that matters, because overall performance takes priority.” While Bradley did not name anyone in particular, it was obvious to Guinevere that he was talking about her-she could have played the martial arts sequence if she was willing to push herself, but the point is she refused. In fact, it was likely that after winning the best actress award and being fawned upon made her less driven to prove herself than before. One might say that she had become lax. In reality, everyone working with her could see that, but none of them had the guts to tell that to her face. “I’m not here to discuss Ella with you,” Bradley said then, cutting to the chase. “I may have no grounds to dismiss you since you’re one of the investors, but your attitude could prevent me from working on this film seriously.” Guinevere’s face dropped. “What are you talking about?” “Just letting sleeping dogs lie,” Bradley replied. “If I am forced to direct a film that is not up to my own standard, I would not call it my work-just an assignment I was paid to do.” And knowing that Bradley would come good on his threat, Guinevere glowered. “You’re siding with Ella Steele as well, aren’t you? Just because she got a little hurt filming a sequence as my stunt double, every last one of you is coming for my head?!”

Bradley realized right then that Guinevere was not thinking straight, but countered regardless, “Why would I side with Ella? Or perhaps you’ve actually realized that you were bullying her just now?” It was not the first time that Bradley sensed the grievance between both women. He had been surprised to find out that Guinevere and Ella were acquainted, but while he did not dwell on the matter at the time, was it not obvious that there was some history between them?

He asked about it once that possibility crossed his mind, only for Guinevere to laugh icily in return. “Are you joking? Why would I have a grudge against her? As if she could be mentioned in the same breath as myself!”