Because she had arrived at the set early, Amanda didn't have any immediate scenes. The crew was currently focused on the minor supporting characters. Bored, Amanda was half-lying on a folding chair, scrolling mindlessly through her phone.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. Jasper stood over her, his hand hovering just above her head as if measuring the air.
Amanda looked up, her eyes meeting his. She frowned and batted his hand away. "What kind of seizure are you having now, Jasper?"
Jasper shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Just checking to see how much longer the horns on your head have grown. You know... since the news broke."
Amanda kicked at his shins. "Watch it, or karma is going to hit you ten times harder."
Jasper dodged the kick with practiced ease. "I thought you'd be half-dead from a broken heart, but you look surprisingly well-rested. Marriage must suit you."
Amanda was too lazy to argue with his foul mouth. She stood up to stretch her stiff muscles when Winter rushed over, her face flushed with excitement.
"Miss Amanda! Come quickly! Elena Lewis is fighting with someone near the trailers!"
Before Amanda could even respond, Winter was dragging her toward the commotion. Amanda couldn't help but laugh at her assistant's enthusiasm. This girl definitely isn't afraid of Elena anymore. Jasper, never one to miss a spectacle, pouted and followed close behind.
They didn't find a physical fight, but the air was thick with verbal venom. Elena, usually the image of soft-spoken grace, was practically roaring.
"Celia Lugo! Don't think you can use your family's influence to bully people!"
Amanda froze. Celia Lugo!
Her heart hammered against her ribs. She craned her neck to see the girl facing Elena. Celia was petite with energetic, shoulder-length hair. She stood with her hands on her hips, her chin tilted up in a classic "don't mess with me" stance.
"So what if I am?" Celia retorted. "You ruined my things and expect me to just get over it? Do I look like an easy target to you?"
"I accidentally touched it! It wasn't on purpose!" Elena cried, looking pitiful as a crowd gathered. "I said I'd pay you back. Why must you be so cruel?"
Elena looked like a victim, but Amanda knew better. Elena had likely provoked the argument and "accidentally" smashed Celia's makeup case to get under her skin. She was trying to turn the crew against Celia by making her look like a spoiled rich girl.
Director Mark hurried over to play peacemaker. "Celia, if it was an accident, let's just drop it. There's no need to disrupt the set."
Mark clearly sided with Elena, and the surrounding staff whispered their disapproval of Celia's aggression.
Celia let out a cold laugh. "Pay me back? Fine. This is the latest limited-edition set from Hermès. If you're so sincere, go buy me a replacement and have it here within three days. If you can do that, I'll apologize."
Elena's face turned from white to a sickly blue. Even with the money, those sets had a year-long waiting list. There was no way to get one in three days.
Seeing Elena's desperation, Celia smirked, looking like a proud peacock. Elena turned to the crowd, hoping for a defender, but Amanda stepped forward first.
"Cece," Amanda said, her voice clear and calm. "There's no need to waste your energy on someone who doesn't have eyes to see who they're messing with."
The crowd gasped. The drama of the "Love Triangle" was fresh in everyone's minds, and seeing Amanda side with the newcomer was a twist no one expected.
Celia pouted but dropped her hands. "You're right, Mandy. I don't want money from a 'poor person' who spends all her time pretending to be high-class anyway."
"Miss Lugo!" Elena looked like she might actually faint from rage. This time, there was no Amanda to play the fool and defend her.
Amanda didn't give Elena a second glance. She grabbed Celia's hand and pulled her toward a quiet corner of the set. Once they were alone, she asked softly, "When did you get back?"
Celia pulled her hand away, still stinging from their past argument. "Just got back."
In her previous life, Amanda had cut ties with Celia because of Elena's manipulative lies. Celia had left the country in a rage, yet she was the only one who returned to help when the Solis family fell. Tears welled up in Amanda's eyes. She grabbed Celia's hand again and sobbed, "Cece, please don't be mad at me. I was such an idiot. You're my only real friend."
Seeing Amanda's genuine tears, Celia's tough exterior crumbled. She reached out and smacked Amanda's arm. "You absolute moron! I told you she was a snake! You were being tricked and probably counting the money for her while she sold you out!"
Celia's words were harsh, but her heart was soft. She had rushed back the moment she saw the marriage news. Amanda hugged her tightly, laughing through her tears. "I know. I'm stupid. I'm so, so stupid."
As the sun began to set, the two friends were still inseparable, talking as if the last two years of silence hadn't happened. They eventually ended up in the makeup room, where Jasper sat watching them with deep displeasure.
"Are you two ever going to stop talking? It's been hours," Jasper grumbled.
Amanda and Celia shot him a synchronized look of annoyance. Celia leaned in and whispered to Amanda, "Since when did you start hanging out with this nasty, rotten-faced guy?"
Amanda's lips twitched. If Jasper—the man obsessed with his own beauty—heard that, he'd have a heart attack. She quickly covered Celia's mouth. "Hush! We're all friends here. Keep your mouth shut."
Celia was a world-class makeup artist in the making, and Jasper was a future Film Emperor. Amanda was already imagining the "Dream Team" they could form.
Celia swatted Amanda's hand away and winked. "Mandy, I've been out of the country for way too long. My feet are itchy. Let's go out tonight."
"Cece, I have a scene tomorrow afternoon."
"Exactly! Tomorrow afternoon," Celia begged. "You can sleep all morning. Please? Just one night out?"
Amanda, who hadn't felt this lighthearted in years, finally gave in. "Fine. Let's go."
"I'm coming too," Jasper announced, standing up and smoothing his jacket. "If you try to leave me behind, I'm calling Vance Walters and telling him you're out clubbing."
Amanda and Celia exchanged a look of defeat. But mention of Vance made them both look toward the corner of the room, where Winter was peacefully munching on a bag of potato chips.
Winter felt the weight of their gazes and froze, a chip halfway to her mouth. She had a very bad feeling about this. She looked at the door, considering a run for it, but she knew she wouldn't make it.