After the three-hour drive, they finally arrived at the set.
“We’re here, ma’am…” Louis informed Ivy, as her mind was distracted. He got out and opened the door for her. When she came out, she glanced at the car parked behind them, the one which had the security professionals in it. She hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with media about that subject if they noticed another car was following closely behind her everywhere she goes, especially now that they are probably on the set waiting for her.
While the film set gets ready to bustle with activities for the day, the reporters mingled with the crew, trying to gather more information about the Ivy scandal and the crew members’ individual thoughts towards Ivy’s professionalism.
They approached the less busy ones, firing questions at them.
“Where is the lead actress today, hasn’t she returned for her shoot?”
“Is it true she has been sick for the past few days?”
The crew members brushed them off, offering vague statements or “no comments.” But the reporters persisted, seeking any tidbit to fuel their story.
Director Tim finally came into sight, and the reporters then approached him for his round of questions.
A particular reporter, Rachel Ravel, a seasoned journalist with a reputation for tough questions, took the initiative.
“Can you confirm the exact nature of the lead actress’s illness? We’ve received tips suggesting it might be more serious than initially reported.”
Director Tim casually responded, “I understand your concerns, I’m sure she will arrive soon to answer your questions…”
After he said that, he walked away, leaving the reporters standing.
“I’m here now, let me give you answers to your questions…”
They heard a voice behind them, they turned around to find the lead actress they’d been so adamant on getting a scoop about her absence on set.
Ivy flashed them a slight smile the moment their eyes locked. She didn’t wait for them to repeat the question; she quickly threw her answer to them, there was other things more important to worry about order than wasting time with the media.
“Thank you for your concerns, but it was just a routine health issue, and as you can see now, I’m fully recovered and ready to continue filming.”
The reporter Rachel Ravel stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Ivy, it was obvious she was ready to ask another question, it looked like she wasn’t satisfied with Ivy’s answer.
“Mrs. Anderson, a photo was captured by a paparazzi, it shows you had a meeting with the CEO of Omega Entertainment at an upscale restaurant the same time you were away from the set. May I ask the reason for this meeting, and is that why you were really absent from the set?”
Ivy frowned, caught off guard by her claim. When did she have a meeting with a CEO, and besides, he was the CEO of the same agency who blacklisted her years ago. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Meanwhile, Susan and Joan had just arrived, they heard the reporter’s question. Susan quickly walked to Ivy and stood beside her. “Where the heck did you find such photos you claim to have seen.”
The reporter completely ignored Susan.
“Please be honest, Mrs. Anderson, it’s clearly you in this photo,” she said, taking out a photo from her bag and handed over the photo to Ivy.
Ivy’s eyes scanned the photo, her gaze lingering on the person assumed to be her. She was so tempted to roll her eyes at the reporter’s obliviousness.
“Miss, I think you are forgetting something,” Susan said after looking at the photo. “There are two Ivys, and they look the same. Who doesn’t know that, and what are you implying by bringing this up.”
“Look at the hair color and length despite it being tied up in a bun, it looks as long as hers. That’s why…”
“Oh please, I think we are done here, I’ve got shooting to do,” Ivy said, fed up with the reporter’s drama. She has a lot on her plate, a threat looming at the corner, and some scenes she has to complete as soon as possible to meet up with the filming schedule.
She whispered to Susan, “This is certainly a scheme by that impostor, I don’t know what she is up to by doing all of this.” Ivy assumed that because of the text she received from Irene.
Susan nodded. “It’s a waste of time arguing with the media, keep them hanging so they could go investigate her personally.”
Ivy then turned to the reporters. “You are mistaken, that’s not me, you can go ask my replica.” She smiled tersely and added politely, “I hope I have cleared up all misunderstandings about my commitment to the current project, and I would like to continue my work. Thank you.”
“One more question, please…”
“Please, one more question…”
Ivy walked past the reporters in the direction of Director Tim, so did Susan and the other crews got back to work, ignoring the reporters as it seems they still weren’t satisfied.
“I’m glad you’ve recovered,” Director Tim smiled. “I hope this has satisfied their curiosity a bit because my statement didn’t.”
Ivy chuckled as now she understood the reason the reporters were so curious, they must have thought she was getting signed by the same agency who blacklisted her, they were definitely looking for a scoop.
Filming for the day kicked off immediately. Ivy completed a few simple scenes before noon, so during the lunch break, Anna approached her for chit-chat.
“Hey, what kind of health issue got you away from the set for such a long time.”
“It was only a few days, Anna,” Ivy responded as they sat down together to eat.
“Yeah, I thought you were pregnant when I heard the crew talking about how sluggish you were that day…”
Ivy furrowed her eyebrows. “What. So out of everything, pregnancy was what you came up with.”
“Well, you’re married, so that’s what I guessed.”
They both laughed and ate, chatting happily. Anna’s jokes made Ivy feel a bit more lively compared to before.
****
Zack was currently at his office when he received a phone call from Bryan.
“Hello, Sir, there is some unpleasant news.”