Chapter 52

Evelyn's POV

"Evelyn, aren't you at the studio yet?" Ian' voice with a slight irratation.

"I have a short video to shoot today, brother. I'll come tomorrow for the promotional ads and posters," I replied, keeping my voice light despite my impatience.

"Couldn't you have told me earlier?" Ian's disapproval was clear.

"I just got the notification." The lie slipped easily from my lips. "Look, I have to go. We're about to start shooting." Truth was, I hadn't just received the notification - I'd completely forgotten about it.

I stabbed at the red button on my phone, ending Ian's call with more force than necessary. My brother could be so annoying sometimes with his constant hovering.

The fact that I was shooting this video at Eleanor Yates's film location only made my mood worse. Just thinking about how she'd snatched that role from me made my blood boil.

"Miss Whitmore?" A timid voice interrupted my brooding. One of the assistants hovered in the doorway, clipboard clutched to her chest. "They're ready for you on set."

I gave my reflection one last appraising look. "Fine. Tell them I'll be there when I'm ready."

The assistant scurried away, but not before I caught the whispered conversation outside my door: "Did you hear Eleanor Yates signed with StarRiver? They say she's brilliant in the new..." The voices faded, but the irritation remained, sharp as a paper cut.

The lighting crew bustled around, adjusting equipment while the director's chair sat conspicuously empty.

"Where's Lee?" I demanded of no one in particular.

"Director Lee had an emergency." A familiar voice, cool and professional, made me stiffen. "I'll be handling today's shoot."

Jace Gillard. Of course it would be him. I remembered all too clearly how he'd dismissed me at the Harrington gala, barely acknowledging my presence despite my family's status. He stood there now in his typical casual attire, looking more like a college professor than a director, reviewing something on his tablet.

"Places, everyone!" He called out, not even looking up. "Miss Whitmore, if you could take your mark."

The first take went exactly as I'd rehearsed. I knew my angles, knew how to make the camera love me. I'd been doing this since I was sixteen.

"Cut." Jace's voice cut through my concentration. "Let's try that again. This time with actual emotion instead of poses."

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "Excuse me?"

"Your eyeline is wrong, your movements are calculated rather than natural, and there's zero genuine emotion in your expression." He finally looked up from his tablet, his gaze clinical. "You're performing for the camera instead of inhabiting the character."

"I've been acting professionally for years," I snapped, my perfectly manicured nails digging into my palms. "Who are you to-"

"I'm the director," he interrupted, calm as still water. "And right now, what I'm seeing is a model trying to act, not an actress bringing a character to life."

The heat in my cheeks spread to my entire face. How dare he? In front of the entire crew? I stormed toward him, my voice rising with each step. "You know nothing about-"

My heel caught on a cable. I stumbled, grabbing at the nearest support - which happened to be Jace's arm. He staggered backward, colliding with the scaffolding behind him. There was a horrible metallic groan from above.

Time seemed to slow. I looked up to see a steel pipe breaking free from its mounting, falling directly toward me. My body froze, my mind blank with sudden terror.

Then something solid slammed into me from the side. I hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from my lungs. A sickening thud, followed by a sharp cry of pain.

When I managed to push myself up, I saw Jace lying beside me, his face contorted in pain, the fallen pipe across his leg. Blood was already seeping through his jeans.

"Someone call an ambulance!" voices shouted around us. The set erupted into chaos.

But I could only stare at him, my mind struggling to process what had just happened. This man who I'd been ready to tear into moments ago had just thrown himself between me and danger without hesitation.

I lay trembling beneath Jace, his body shielding mine from the fallen metal scaffolding. Tears streamed down my face as the reality of what just happened began to sink in. My heart was racing, and I couldn't stop shaking.

"Director Gillard, Miss Whitmore!" The crew members rushed forward, concern evident in their voices.

Jace let out a small cough as they helped him up. I noticed him wince slightly, though he tried to hide it. The crew then helped me to my feet, my legs still unsteady.

"Let's get you both to the hospital right away-" one of the crew members started.

"That won't be necessary. I'm fine," Jace said firmly, though I could see him testing his movements carefully. The scaffolding hadn't been too high, but the metal poles that had fallen could have caused serious damage if not for his quick thinking.

"I-I'm okay too," I managed to say, my eyes fixed on Jace. Thanks to him, I hadn't gotten so much as a scratch. Looking at him now, I noticed things I hadn't before - the sharp line of his jaw, his striking features that could rival any leading man in the industry. Something stirred in my chest, an unfamiliar feeling I couldn't quite place.

"Take care of this," Jace instructed the crew, already moving toward the adjacent set. As he walked away, I caught a glimpse of Eleanor Yates in her costume heading in the same direction.

I stood there, my hands still trembling slightly, watching Jace's retreating figure. The man who had just saved me was nothing like the image I'd had of him before.