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Chapter 224: A Few Peculiar Things

Nanzie reached the 10th floor. 

She headed for Evangeline's apartment, listing out tasks to do inside her head. The stunt double inside spared her a glance. They worked silently together and spoke only when necessary. Since Nanzie opened the door whenever they had visitors, they avoided chances that could reveal their ruse.

It had been going well.

They developed a routine along with the security team.

Strange noises came from the door.

Nanzie, after changing her clothes, stood outside the door. She had one hand on the doorknob. Then, she looked at the peephole. Her cyan eyes popped out. Outside of the apartment was none other than the woman Eve met earlier.

Her grip on the doorknob tightened. She waited patiently if the woman would knock. The latter frantically stood in front of the door and stared at it. It seemed like the woman came alone. The longer time passed, the more suspicious the situation became. 

The question was why was she outside of Evangeline's apartment. The bodyguard reached for her pager and sent a quick message to the security team. She gestured for the stunt double to hide in the bedroom.

Then, she cracked the door open.

A voice boomed from the elevator. Nanzie paused and lingered to hear more.

"Hey! Are you a resident around here?"

Mikael jogged up to the woman, his eyebrows knitted to a scowl. He took one glance at the apartment door. Then, his attention shifted to the mysterious person lurking in the hallway. He recognized the luxury brands she wore. 

As far as first impressions were going, she wasn't off on a good start.

"Oh!" The woman exclaimed. She shook her head and waved her hands in front of her. "No! No, I am not. I was just looking for an apartment."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Mikael narrowed his radiant blue eyes. He didn't buy a single syllable out of her mouth. "And where is your agent? Or the landlord? I have never seen you before. You're not allowed in here unless you have an apartment key."

Should he suggest a change in security? The apartment complex was taken exclusively by Lotus Agency. Paparazzis weren't allowed. Visitors needed special permission. Other non-residents weren't allowed to be alone when inside the building.

"I'm apartment hunting," the woman repeated. Her smile struggled to stay up.

"And I clearly stated that is not possible because the landlord would be accompanying you to empty apartments. Not occupied ones," Mikael shot back. He stepped aside and pointed to the lift. "This floor is full. So I suggest you leave before I report you."

He rooted his feet to the floor, unmoving. If she even tried to walk anywhere else but the elevator, he would follow her. She should have learned to be a better liar if she wanted to loiter around the buildingespecially this floor.

The woman bared her teeth and sucked in a breath.

"Just you wait."

She dashed for the elevators, fuming to herself. If she hadn't hesitated then, she wouldn't have been thrown out. The money she used had just gone to waste. Her fingers smashed the elevator button. She had to succeed next time.

Mikael sighed, closing his eyes.

The door closed beside him. He flickered his gaze towards it. Then, he glanced over his shoulder. An ominous feeling hovered above his head. Was it coincidence that the woman chose Evangeline's apartment? 

It seemed that he would need his guard up.

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Two days later, Mikael admired the new studio site of Eros Productions. The director seemed happier to have relocated. The buildings were new. The streets were at its cleanest. The change of scenery matched the setting of the shoot.

Today would be his last scene for the first seasonplayed as a clip on television while the characters switched channels. They were going to film inside because it was going to be an entire outfit and accessories.

A BMW M3 parked near the set. 

Eve climbed out of the driver's seat.

"Ms. Hart!" Director Sam blurted out when he spotted her. He scrambled to his feet and met her halfway. Pulling down the hem of his flannel shirt, he ran. "Is there anything you need? Water, perhaps?"

"Don't worry about it, director." Eve smiled. She caught Mikael's eye and waved. Then, her gaze turned back to Sam. "I'm just here for Athon Luxury's scene. We had done really well last time that Sir Hathaway thought it would be enough if I only went. He's really busy. I hope that is okay with you."

"Of course, of course. Please head this way."

Mikael stayed at the foot of the stairs. He took her left side while the director took her right. They walked into Studio Z. The crew rushed last minute set arrangements. They had no time to waste since filming resumed right after relocation. Their deadline loomed in minutes.

Sam provided Eve with a chair. Mikael left them alone to condition himself. 

He thanked his good luck that Luna agreed that he'd only take his shirt off. 

Eve worked on her phone while the rest checked the lighting and cameras. A small smile curled on her lips, making heads turn. The hype of her recent appearance on the news hadn't died down quite yet. Having seen her and Mikael together before, their curiosity spiked up.

But neither of the two seemed to be talking to each other.

They checked on Mikael, his nowhere to be seen. He stood in front of a mirror and paced. His arms moved to mimic his actions later on. He wanted to perfect it so that he could finally leave this behind. The runway was still his preference.

"Alright! Places, everyone!" Sam barked into the megaphone.

Eve put her phone away.

Mikael unbuttoned his dress shirt.

The room went quiet as the male model walked out of a bathroom door. He had his head bowed, the bangs of his blonde hair swaying from side to side. A dark blue dress shirt hung in his hand. He headed for his full-length mirror and shrugged on the garment.

Light reflected behind him from a fake window. The golden hue made his skin glow, adding shadows and highlights to his exposed torso. He fixed his cufflinks and his collar. Then, he ran his fingers through his hair.

If a stranger walked in on set, they would have thought he was the main character.

"Cut!" Director Sam yelled after the scene finished. "Again!"

"Is something the matter?" Eve asked as she tapped his shoulder.

He lowered the volume of his phone, double checking that the megaphone was off. "We just need a few more takes so we can choose the best parts. I think I'll make a suggestion to Ms. Athon once I see how it looks. It might be a waste to just have it as a passing scene on television."

Eve nodded and leaned back. 

Just like Sam mentioned, they redid the shoot around five times before calling it a wrap. The crew cheered at the finished product placementwhich meant less reschedules and overtime. They could now focus solely on the main storyline.

"It was a pleasure working with you, Mikael," Sam said, offering his hand for a shake. "If you ever think about becoming an actor, I'd gladly give you a recommendation letter."

Mikael blinked. It took a second before he understood what the other party meant. He accepted the handshake. "That's a lot coming from you, director. Thank you so much."

"I'll be looking forward to the final cuts, Director Sam," Eve cut in. She smiled gently at the director. "Thank you for having me during this film process. I'll be sure to tell the CEO all about it as well as your direction."

Sam straightened his spine. He didn't know how to feel about that.

Before he could say anything, screams pierced through the air.

"FIRE! FIRE!"

"What the" Eve's voice faded as smoke came from the second floor. She hitched her breath. People ran out of the room in fear as the flames grew bigger. Eve yelled at the top of her lungs. "Everyone, evacuate! Use the emergency exits!"

No one needed to be told twice. 

They all escaped and left the equipment.

"Eve!" Mikael called out. "Eve, we have to leave!"

Unable to hear him above the noise, Eve glanced up the ceiling. Neither the sprinklers nor the fire alarm went off. She ran for the switch and pulled it. Loud sirens echoed in and out of the building while the sprinklers stayed up.

Eve yanked off the fire extinguisher, running towards the source of the fire.

Mikael followed behind her. He muttered out curses. Smoke fogged the studio. He pressed his nose against the crook of his arm. His lungs burned from the fumes. His vision began to fog. He trudged on, unable to leave Eve alone.

'Was she crazy?!' He exclaimed in his mind, saving his breath. 'The fire alarm was more than enough. She wasn't obligated to put out the fire.'

A silhouette materialized a few meters away. His legs sprinted the rest of the way. Taking a deep breath, his cheeks puffed out and he held it. His arms snaked around the slim figure waving the nozzle of the fire extinguisher.

"Hey! What are you" Eve thew a coughing fit. The grip in her hands weakened and the fire extinguisher fell to the floor. She panted for air, only to breathe in smoke. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

Then, her body became weightless.

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