Twisted Ties of Love
Chapter 384

Lately, they've been mainly shooting scenes with Izabella and Garen, which means starting work really early. Because Kristin needed some downtime, they tried to schedule her for the afternoon. This didn't sit well with Brad York, who started giving her the cold shoulder.

When Kristin showed up after getting her makeup done, she only knew that the investors wanted to see her act but had no clue which scene she was supposed to perform.

She was nervous as hell, too scared to ask anything. From the moment she came in, she just glanced at Izabella, keeping her head down the entire time. It was nothing like her usual self.

The producer noticed her weird behavior, but he had other fish to fry now. He turned to Brett and Nathaniel and said, "President Windham, Mr. Krueger, Kristin is here."

Nathaniel shot her a casual look, half-closing his eyes as he sized her up. He seemed pretty interested in her.

"All right, let's start. You'll be acting the scene where you're insulted by beggars."

"What?" Kristin cried out in surprise. She knew the script like the back of her hand, so she knew exactly which scene Nathaniel was referring to. In the original script, Malia was attacked by a bunch of beggars, her clothes ripped, and her hair messed up. She looked like a total mess. Kristin was not comfortable acting out this scene with these strangers. The mere thought of their filthy hands touching her made her feel sick.

She had similar scenes in her previous films, but they were always performed by a stunt double. She wouldn't mind faking it till making it.

"Don't feel like filming?" Nathaniel took the cigarette handed to him by his assistant and held it in one hand while dusting off his suit pants with the other, all the while looking at Kristin's stiff expression. Nathaniel was quite intimidating, and coupled with Kristin's respect for him, she found it hard to argue.

No one on the set could help her, either.

The extras were all set, dressed in beggar clothes, their faces caked with grime.

The makeup artists did an amazing job - they looked like real beggars and smelled like them.

At this point, Brad York finally sprang into action, immediately directing the crew to prepare for filming.

He didn't know much about Kristin before but had a pretty good idea of what she was like now. She had a reputation for being professional, but he now thought she was just lazy. If the investors hadn't specifically requested her to shoot this scene, she would've definitely used a stunt double.

"Get ready, Kristin. We're starting soon."

"Action!"

Kristin had to get her act together as Brad York's voice trailed off.

The beginning seemed pretty straightforward until she walked into the ancient alleyway set up by the crew.

Brett couldn't care less about Kristin's acting skills, but Nathaniel moved his position to the director's seat.

On the surface, he was enjoying the scene. In reality, he was watching the footage previously shot of Izabella.

Hearing some noise, Brett hesitated momentarily before he went over to watch.

As the smell of Nathaniel's cigarette drifted over, he couldn't help but cough a few times, finally understanding Izabella's struggle.

The assistant director handed him a cup of warm water, which Brett took.

The Izabella in the film was vastly different from the real Izabella. Even though he knew her very well, seeing her act still left him in deep thought as if she really was the character in the film. Kristin stole a glance, her nose crooked in anger. If they were making her act, why weren't they watching her?

The scene smoothly entered its climax. The beggar extras reached out for Kristin, who shrieked and fell to the ground.

Her voice was so shrill like the annoying cicada cries in the summer.

Nathaniel frowned and looked over. He nearly laughed out loud. What on earth was she acting?

Despite the awkwardness, Nathaniel stopped filming until the director called cut. Everyone turned to look.

"This is how you film? Just randomly yelling? Such a terrible actress is the lead; I'm starting to regret investing."

The producer's heart sank. He gave Kristin a blaming glance and tried to explain to Nathaniel, "Mr. Krueger, Kristin might not be in her best state today. How about we try a different scene?"

"No," Nathaniel lazily leaned back in his chair, "I want to see this scene today. Keep filming until I'm satisfied. I'll cover today's loss. Mr. York, you may proceed."

Brad York also thought that the previous take wasn't good enough. If they had to reshoot, so be it. After all, someone was willing to pay, which could also help improve Kristin's acting skills.

The makeup artist quickly touched up Kristin's makeup, barely giving her a breather. Kristin clenched her teeth, her nails digging into her flesh.

She was forced to act out the scene again. Even though she wanted to adjust and continue acting quickly, Nathaniel constantly interrupted her.

"Do it again; the slap wasn't hard enough."

"The spit didn't land on her face."

"Seems like the slap was too light. She's not even screaming?"

It's not that she wasn't screaming, but that her voice was gone. Kristin was a hot mess, having been slapped a few times. In the scorching summer heat, Kristin was drenched in sweat, her lengthy hair sticking to her back, having to repeat the scene repeatedly.

Everyone could tell that Nathaniel was intentionally making things difficult for Kristin.

Seeing Kristin's state, everyone frowned. It was strange. Kristin was a well-known actress. How could she let Nathaniel bully her like this and not fight back?

It wasn't that Kristin could tolerate it, but instead, she had no choice. This little bit of humiliation was nothing compared to Nathaniel's torment. She had to act out this scene repeatedly until Nathaniel was satisfied.

People on the set started whispering.

"Didn't they say that this investor invested in the movie because of Kristin? Doesn't seem like it."

"Kristin even indirectly admitted at the opening ceremony that the investor was courting her. This kind of courtship is unprecedented. No ordinary person could handle it."

"Man, she's got a face thicker than a wall, maybe?"

Garen frowned, finding it hard to watch Kristin's red, slapped face. He whispered to Izabella, "Thank god we don't have to act with her. I would've quit on the spot, can't stand that kind of humiliation." Izabella didn't respond, but she had to admit Kristin's perseverance in this situation was either stupid or commendable.

One thing Izabella didn't get was why Nathaniel was targeting Kristin.

Was it to avenge "her"?

Izabella snorted, thinking about how pointless it was now that she was dead. These two brothers were so alike, only cherishing what they had lost.

She glanced over but was caught by Nathaniel's gaze.

Nathaniel was not as patient as Brett; he was here today to take Izabella away.

"Call Izabella over, have her sit next to me."

Brett's fingers circled the rim of his glass. He was always good at controlling his emotions, but Liam knew Brett was simmering.

Brett had many regrets, including not accepting the substitute Nathaniel had sent to his bed.

If he had allowed the substitute to stay from the beginning, Izabella might still be with him.

Not like now, so close yet so far apart, and in such an awkward relationship.

He was afraid she would leave if he stayed away, but worried she would be in danger if he got too close.

Nathaniel's words were heard by everyone around, including Izabella hiding in the corner. She didn't move, but the people beside her seemed even more agitated. "Izabella, the investor wants you over there." The jealousy was evident in his tone.

Garen, seeing Izabella's expression growing worse, started to worry.

Izabella knew she couldn't avoid it today. She was worried she wouldn't be able to escape later, so she sent a "help" text to Casey.

"I'm having trouble on set; need someone to bail me out."

After hastily sending the text, she put down her phone.

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