Susan, is it serious?” Ivy asked, her voice laced with concern as she gazed at Susan’s furrowed brow and deep lines etched on her face.
Susan lifted her phone, the screen glowed with the harsh light of the news article. Ivy’s eyes scanned the headlines, her gaze lingering on the bold font:
[Ivy’s Diva Antics: Actress Refuses To Return To Set, Delays Production]
Ivy rolled her eyes at the article and slumped back on the plump headboard. “I thought it was news about my abduction.”
“But it’s been less than a day since we left the set, how could they publish fake news…?” A frown still settled on Susan, obviously displeased by the media tactics. Ivy, on the other hand, knew it wasn’t just the media behind her scandal; someone else was fueling the media scrutiny toward her.
“After you complete your role in this production, I’ll get you signed under an agency…” Susan said, still upset. She then called director Tim to explain the reason for Ivy’s absence from the set, of course excluding the abduction part.
With Ivy’s sluggishness on set, the crew already informed director Tim. So when Susan was explaining and making excuses for Ivy’s absence, he wasn’t too bothered. In fact, he said she should get some rest and return to set when she makes a full recovery.
Susan thanked him and disconnected the call, turning to Ivy. “You should get enough rest, at least for a few days before returning to set. As for the scandal, I’ll try to contain it.” Her voice was filled with determination as she shoved her phone into her purse.
Ivy nodded, her expression calm and collected. Despite the chaos that seemed to follow her everywhere, it was like her name was a magnet for controversy and drama, and she had grown accustomed to the public scrutiny.
The door to the room suddenly flung open, with Zack marching in. His gaze immediately landed on Susan, his eyes piercing her without faltering, and the unease she felt resurfaced.
She smiled awkwardly, not daring to look him in the eyes. Instead, she grabbed her purse beside Ivy and stood, preparing to leave. “I should get going. Take care of yourself…”
Ivy stared at Zack for a while. ‘This man,’ she shook her head before shifting her gaze to Susan. “Goodbye.” Then she leaned closer and whispered, “I’m sorry, don’t be offended. He is very possessive of me; he probably wants me to get some rest…”
Susan winked and whispered back, “I understand. That’s why I’m leaving. Take care of yourself…”
“Ahem…” Zack cleared his throat, leaning on the wall. It was evident from his face that he wanted Susan gone in an instant. His legs were drumming a staccato beat on the floor, while his hands were dipped in his pockets, still with his gaze fixed on her.
Susan, with a faint smile, bowed slightly and made her way to the door, stealing one more glance at Ivy before leaving.
“Really, hubby, you just chased my manager away…” Ivy crossed her arms, scowling, her brows knitting together in feigned displeasure.
Zack sauntered towards the bed and sat beside her. “You should be resting and save the banter for later.”
Just as she thought, his affection was now palpable; it was evident in his tone, his countenance, and every part of him revealed a different sentiment compared to before, and she simply couldn’t ignore it. Her eyes wandered all over him as she reflected on his past impression of her. Though he had helped her in many ways, there was something different this time around. In the past, she thought Dave loved her. Was that really love? Did she even know the meaning of love? She now began to doubt that. The warmth she felt in her heart was way too different from the time she was with Dave.
Now, she began to see her marriage with Zack in a different light. It wasn’t just a lucky encounter; maybe it was fate.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Zack’s face was inches from hers. His gaze was steady on her features. She didn’t realize this until his voice broke through her line of thoughts. Her eyes locked with his, sending a surge of familiar sentiments all over her brain. She held her breath, biting her lips, while her heart throbbed slightly in her ribcage. ‘What the heck is happening to me?’ She felt hypnotized and captured to do the opposite of what her body commands. Her eyes wandered around his prominent features, appreciating his uniqueness. ‘How could one man be so perfect?’
“Hello, are you there?” Zack lifted his palm, waving it at her face. “Ivy…”
She snapped out of it, looking away from him, her expression awkward as she realized her behavior had been strange.
“Is there something you want to tell me? I’d love to hear it…” He said, a small smirk playing on his lips as he came closer to her face.
His warm breath fanned her cheek, causing her to involuntarily look at him again. His eyes pierced deep into her, sending her back to her earlier state of hypnotism. It seemed her mind was becoming more fuzzy with each passing second. She shook off from her daze and pulled back from the snare of infatuation.
“You should be at the office. There’s no need for you to watch over me; I’m not a baby…”
Zack narrowed his eyes, his gaze never wavered, and it was giving her more discomfort than he realized. “Why are you so adamant about making me leave?”
Ivy let out a quiet sigh and collapsed on the bed, covering herself in a blanket.
She shut her eyes tight, in deep meditation to calm her pulsing heart, shutting herself out from those lingering thoughts clouding her head.
Still, it wasn’t easy to shake off the feeling. She didn’t know how long she remained lying on the bed, but at least the amount of time paid off.
She then unwrapped herself from the blanket and sat up. Her eyes fell on the spot Zack was sitting on, but it was empty.
“Where did he go?”
Her eyes scanned the whole room, yet there was no sight of him. She began to feel bad about what she said earlier.
“Did I drive him away?