Chapter 211

Chapter 211

On a lazy Sunday afternoon at Heartland College, the old campus grounds were usually deserted, with few scheduled classes and fewer reasons for anyone to wander through.

But this particular weekend was an exception because Lundy, a local heartthrob and social media sensation, was on–site for a shoot, and despite advance notice to the college authorities by his manager, Miller, the place was heaving with fans, their screams echoing in a continuous, tumultuous wave.

Natalie and Rosie stepped out of their SUV and were instantly struck by the massive crowd.

“Good grief,” Rosie murmured, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Natalie hadn’t realized Lundy’s popularity was this extreme. She did know he was a top–tier celebrity back home, but at twenty–nine, his star power was impressive.

“How are we supposed to get through this?” Natalie frowned, scanning the crowd.

Lundy had arrived earlier, and his fans had effectively created a human blockade to the set.

The SUV parked about a mile from the location, on a heritage–listed avenue closed to vehicular traffic. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say they got stuck a mile out. The road was jam–packed with people as far as the eye could see.

Natalie felt a headache coming on. Without any other options, she resorted to calling the director for help.

The shrill screams of the crazy crowd made it nearly impossible for Miller to hear what Natalie was saying on the phone.

“What’s up, Natalie? Is there a problem?” Miller shouted back.

Lundy glanced over, noticing Miller struggling to hear over the noise. Miller walked further into the set to continue the call, wishing he hadn’t alerted the college beforehand. His courtesy had likely backfired, leaking Lundy’s schedule to the public.

Lundy paused mid–autograph, concern flickering in his eyes. Borrowing a megaphone from security, he addressed his fans. “We’ve got cast members trying to get through. Please make some room and cooperate a little. We can’t delay the shooting schedule.”

“Sure thing, honey!”

“Anything for you, sweetheart!”

Natalie looked at the few male students screaming, “My man is the hottest!” feeling startled and out of place. Is this level of chaos just par for the course with young folks these days?

Unfazed by then, Rosie remained silent.

Due to Lundy’s intervention, the fans conscientiously cleared a narrow path, allowing Natalie and the crew to walk through.

Chapter 211

Walking past, Natalie felt the weight of envious and resentful stares. The pressure was undeniable.

She even overheard some fans whisper, “Is Lundy that concerned about this actress?”

“Who is she? I’ve never seen her around before. Did Lundy bring her onto the set?”

“Is she being so diva–like on purpose to catch our guy’s attention?”

After a few snippets of such talk, Natalie felt overwhelmed. She had been on set for days and could count her exchanges with Lundy on one hand, most of which were to relay messages from the director.

Lundy was known for his aloof demeanor, barely interacting with Natalie and even less so with the leading lady. He would perform his scenes and keep to himself, his presence in behind–the–scenes footage always cool and detached.

Despite starring in a romantic comedy, Lundy had no interest in fueling on–screen romances or exploiting the fandom for popularity. He steered clear of scandals and off–screen romances, and Natalie had to admit that his ability to remain a sensation without them was impressive.

As Natalie approached, Lundy asked indifferently, “You alright? Not hurt, right?”