Behind The Spotlight Chapter 77
Lawrence woke up from an amazing and deeply satisfying sleep. He opened his eyes and found Ellie Bridget next to him. She was sleeping naked under the sheet they shared.
Lawrence gently smiled, a mix of disbelief and warmth on his face as he stared at the actress.
Last night, they had a party to celebrate the completion of every island scene scheduled in Bora Bora. The production still had a few scenes left to film, but those would be shot in the United States.
Furthermore, all of Jacky's scenes had been completed and finalized. That meant Lawrence had no more scenes left to shoot. No more late-night shoots or exhausting days under the tropical sun. He was free. Naturally, Lawrence was happy about that.
Since it was the final filming day in Bora Bora, the production team decided to throw a party. The cast and crew drank, ate, and had fun without any reservations. Producer Balthazar Harper and Kayla Martin disappeared not long after the party began and never returned. The two probably fucked somewhere.
Lawrence and the cast felt like Producer Harper had spent most of his time doing nothing work-related and just enjoyed himself on the island. Especially whenever Kayla had no scenes to film, the producer would always invite her to go "sightseeing" around the island.
Everyone knew what was going on behind the scenes, but no one confronted them. After all, both Balthazar and Kayla were adults who could do whatever they wanted. But the noticeable age gap between them made things feel a little questionable.
The one who handled most of the work and carried the burden of leadership was Director Thomas Summerbelt. Eventually, he realized the real reason why Producer Harper had given him full authority early in the project: the producer never intended to work at all. He spent most of his days playing around with women in bikinis.
Director Summerbelt was so livid he privately ranted to his assistant and vowed never to work with Balthazar Harper again on any future film.
Perhaps the producer assumed that Thomas Summerbelt's movie would flop at the box office without big-name stars, so he didn't bother investing his energy into managing the production seriously.
Fortunately, despite the lack of proper oversight, the filming didn't suffer any major problems.
In fact, both Lawrence and Ellie gave outstanding performances. They surprised and delighted the entire crew, especially in the emotional scenes they acted together. Everyone could see the chemistry between them, both on and off camera. It was incredible, as if they were watching two people genuinely falling in love in real time.
"Mnn."
Ellie's eyes fluttered open. She slowly looked around, her expression still sleepy.
"Good morning, princess," Lawrence teased with a playful grin and a warm voice.
"Lawrence...?"
Ellie looked confused at first, but her memories gradually returned. She remembered how flirty she had been during the party. She even kissed Lawrence in front of everyone. She was also the one who boldly invited him to her apartment and shared a passionate night that neither of them would soon forget.
It had been amazing. The two of them realized they were compatible, physically and emotionally.
What they had acted in the movie, they had now experienced in real life, with real emotions and physical intimacy. More intense and raw than any script could capture.
"Oh, shit."
Ellie bit her lip and pulled the sheet closer to her chest. She knew she fucked up badly. Even though the night had been incredible, she also knew she had made a mistake that could cost her everything.
The alcohol had made her mind hazy and clouded her judgment. She wanted to blame it all on the alcohol, even though deep down, she knew it wasn't just that.
She wanted to pretend she forgot what happened last night, but with so many crew members having seen their flirting and public display of affection, there was no way to dismiss it.
"Ellie, is there a problem?"
Lawrence reached out to her, concern filling his eyes. But Ellie sat up and turned away from him, avoiding his gaze.
"Lawrence, I... I think we made a mistake."
"What do you mean?"
Lawrence immediately felt something was wrong. Deeply wrong. He had thought things were finally falling into place. That he and Ellie had taken the next step and were now on the verge of something serious.
"Lawrence, let's forget this happened. Let's act like nothing happened between us," she muttered weakly, still avoiding his eyes.
"I think I deserve an explanation, at the very least. You can't just say that after everything. So everything you told me last night was a lie? Is that it?"
"No! What I said was real. I like you. But... I can't. I have a boyfriend."
"You have a boyfriend? What the fuck, Ellie? Why am I only hearing this now?"
"Because I've been hiding it. Even from my agent! I have a boyfriend, and he's my childhood friend. We've been together for four years, but my agency doesn't allow me to date, so we keep it a secret."
Lawrence was speechless. Completely blindsided. It didn't sit well with him at all. His heart ached like a knife twisting deeper into his chest. Even breathing was hard.
So Ellie had cheated on her boyfriend with him, right under everyone's nose?
Lawrence took a deep breath to calm the storm inside him. Despite the pain, he fought to maintain control. He remembered the training he had as a theater student in high school, where he learned how to suppress emotion and control expression. That skill only grew sharper when he met Collin, who helped shape his career.
Especially now, while acting on Passionate Island, he had been performing at a level that felt effortless. It was masterful.
"Okay. You're right. Let's act like nothing happened. If the crew asks, we'll say I just took you back to your apartment and nothing happened. Whether they believe it or not doesn't matter. We just have to maintain the facade."
His career was finally gaining momentum, and he refused to let a scandal destroy everything he had worked so hard to build. He stood up and found his clothes scattered across the floor. He didn't bother showering despite the stickiness he felt. He just wanted to leave before his emotions overwhelmed him.
"Lawrence, you're not mad, right?"
Ellie's voice was sweet but full of guilt, and Lawrence nearly faltered when he heard the vulnerability in her tone.
"Ellie, let's just agree that nothing happened. We have great chemistry on screen, and I don't want to ruin that over one mistake," Lawrence replied, his tone robotic and emotionally detached.
"You're right... I'm sorry, Lawrence. You're an amazing guy, and I'd love to have you as my boyfriend, but I love my childhood friend more than you. And that's the truth."
"…"
Lawrence dressed in silence, his teeth clenched in anger he couldn't release.
"You're right."
That was all he could manage to say before gathering what little dignity he had left. He walked out of the room, leaving Ellie and all the emotions behind.
When he exited the apartment, he ran into Ellie's personal assistant. The woman had a guilty look on her face and avoided eye contact, as if she couldn't bear to face him.
'Heh, so the assistant knew about Ellie's boyfriend but didn't bother stopping her from doing what she did last night. For fuck's sake! Ellie was the one who invited me! So why do I feel like shit right now!?'
He screamed internally, rage and disappointment boiling over as he stormed down the hallway, walking fast like he was late for a business meeting.
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[Two chapters today.]