When the Script Changes

Chapter 3: Enter the Rival

The sun was already high when Becky arrived on set the next day, sunglasses perched on her nose and a milk tea in hand. She had barely gotten any sleep—not with last night's thoughts running in circles through her mind.

She had tried to convince herself that she was overthinking things. That Freen wasn't actually flirting. That the almost-kiss scene was just an extension of their good acting.

But her body knew better.

Because even now, as she spotted Freen on the other side of the room, chatting with the crew, her heart did that stupid little stutter again.

Becky exhaled sharply, forcing herself to focus.

This is fine. Everything is normal.

At least, that's what she told herself—until a new presence entered the room.

A woman. Tall. Elegant. Confident.

And walking straight toward Becky.

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"Hi," the woman said, smiling warmly as she extended her hand. "You must be Becky. I'm Lena."

Becky shook her hand, her brow furrowing slightly. "Nice to meet you. Are you with the production team?"

"I'm a consultant," Lena explained. "I specialize in character development and script flow. P'Tan thought it might be useful to have a fresh perspective on set."

Becky blinked. "Wait, so you help rewrite the script?"

Lena laughed. "More like I give input on chemistry, interaction, and pacing. Anything that makes the relationships feel more natural on screen."

Something about that made Becky pause.

So Lena had a say in their scenes? Had she added the almost-kiss?

Before Becky could ask more, Lena tilted her head. "I have to say, you and Freen have incredible chemistry. It's rare to find something that effortless between co-stars."

Becky felt her face warm. "Well, we've worked together for a while now."

Lena nodded. "That makes sense. But even so... I can tell it's something more."

Becky stiffened. "What do you mean?"

Lena smiled knowingly. "Let's just say I have a good eye for these things."

Before Becky could respond, the director called for everyone to gather.

And just like that, Lena strolled away, leaving Becky standing there with a hundred new questions.

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Becky tried to brush off the encounter, but the moment they started filming, something felt off.

Or rather—someone felt off.

Freen.

They were rehearsing a simple dialogue scene—just an exchange between their characters in a quiet study room. But Freen was different today.

Her tone was sharper. Her gaze lingered less.

And her usual teasing? Completely gone.

Becky frowned. What was going on?

During a break, she decided to find out.

She made her way over to Freen, who was scrolling through her phone at the edge of the set. "Hey," Becky said casually.