Chapter 215 Putting Him in His Place
Chapter 215 Putting Him in His Place
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“No need. I actually like the crew lunches,” Freya said, smiling. “There’s no way I could finish all those pastries anyway. Plus, it’s going to be a busy afternoon–1 won’t have time to enjoy them. You should just eat them yourself. Or share them with someone else.”
“What a waste.” Thomas said, still trying to keep the conversation going–but someone else jumped in before he could say
more.
“Thomas, seriously? That’s not cool, Clara said as she strolled over, still dressed in her costume for the heroine role. Her voice was casual, but her words cut sharp. “You walk right past me like I don’t exist just to hand Freya some pastries? What is this–your way of angling for more screen time? Kind of obvious, don’t you think?” She dropped into the seat next to Freya and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Sure, Freya’s tiny–maybe she could use a snack or two. But pastries? Seriously? Sugar’s the enemy if you want clear, glowing skin. Honestly, Thomas, what kind of trap is this? Even if she’s a screenwriter, you can’t just sabotage her like that.”
In two sentences, Clara killed the awkward tension. Her first comment spun Thomas‘ gesture into an obvious attempt to cozy up for more scenes–something everyone in the crew could relate to. With Mr. Daniel being so hard to approach, it wasn’t Jsurprising someone might try sucking up to the assistant writer to get ahead. People got it. They didn’t even blame him.
But her second comment? That one hit differently. Giving pastries to someone who’s trying to keep their skin in good shape? Yeah, no. It made his gesture look clueless at best and shady at worst.
Thomas kept a smile on his face, but he was seething inside. Clara had shut him down once before when he’d tried to flirt with her. Now she was sticking her nose in again when he was making moves on Freya. What the hell was her problem? He hadn’t done anything to her. And Freya wasn’t even her friend! Was she just looking for something to do?
“Well, Clara, look at you–didn’t peg you for the nurturing type. I didn’t realize you and Freya were such good friends, especially with the age gap and all,” he said with a smooth smile, slipping in a not–so–subtle dig at her age.
“Oh, you know how it is with girls,” Clara replied easily. “Friendship just happens. Freya and I have been working really well together these past few days. She even helped me rewrite some of my lines. Total lifesaver.”
With that, Clara made her position clear–she was publicly backing Freya and wasn’t about to let Thomas play games.
Of course, she wasn’t about to tell them why she was suddenly playing friendly. That morning, she overheard Mr. Zane telling the assistant director to take special care of Freya and not to upset Kendrick. She didn’t know exactly what Freya’s connection to Kendrick was, but if someone like Kendrick had given that kind of instruction, it meant something.
Whatever was going on between Freya and Kendrick didn’t really matter. If Mr. Zane was going out of his way to say something like that, it was pretty clear Kendrick had given him direct instructions. And if Freya had actually been into Thomas, Clara would’ve minded her business. But this was clearly one–sided–Thomas was all over her, and Freya wasn’t biting. So why not use the moment to get on Freya’s good side? Clara didn’t make it this far in the industry without knowing when to play it smart.
Thomas couldn’t exactly push back with everyone watching. All he could do was laugh and say, “Well, I’ll leave you lovely ladies to your chat. I don’t want to be the annoying guy hovering around while the girls talk. What can I say–I’m just a clueless dude, huh?”
Clara rolled her eyes. Ugh, this guy. Even when leaving, he had to stir the pot. What, was he trying to make the other guys
resent them now?
“We don’t mind it you hang around,” she said with a teasing smile. “As long as you’re okay being the only guy in the conversation. Totally your call” She laughed out loud.
Thomas waved them off, still smiling. “Nah, you girls enjoy. I’ll go see who else wants to help me eat these pastries.” Once he was gone, Freya turned to Clara with a grateful smile. “Thanks for that, Clara. Really.”
Freya actually had a good impression of Clara. Even though she played a supporting role, her acting skills were top–notch. She was straightforward and honest–never rude, just real. If she’d had the backing, she could’ve easily landed a lead role.
In fact, tons of casual viewers had already said they wished Clara were the female lead. Freya agreed–Clara had way more talent and presence than the actress who actually got the part.
Too bad that’s not how the industry worked. Talent wasn’t enough. You needed backing resources, and the right connections.
Chapter 215 Putting Him in His Place.
The thought passed through Freya’s mind, but she didn’t dwell on it. It wasn’t e
Still, it didn’t hurt to be kind to someone like Clara when she could.
her problem.
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“No need to thank me.” Clara said, handing her a bottle of water. “This is just what it’s like being pretty–people are drawn to beauty. If it ever gets annoying, just remember how many people probably envy you. Kind of helps keep things in perspective.” She smirked. “Here–grabbed this on my way over. I thought you might want it so you wouldn’t have to go back for one. There are not a lot of folks I feel like talking to around here. You’re the only one I actually trust enough to have a real conversation with, so… I hope I’m not bothering you”
“Not at all. Freya said sincerely. “Honestly, I don’t have anyone to talk to either. I just want to focus on writing: keep things quiet. But even then, people still find reasons to overthink everything. It gets exhausting sometimes.”
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