Chapter 126
That name struck a dark chord within me. I remembered “Echoes of Ember“, though not from this. lifetime–no, from my past life. In that timeline, the film never saw the light of day.
It had ended in tragedy, with flames engulfing the set, a disaster that left multiple cast and crew. members injured or worse.
The original female lead had been disfigured in that fire, her career effectively destroyed. The whole project was scrapped and went into industry legend as a cursed production.
What was more disturbing was that Linda wasn’t part of the original cast either. She hadn’t been slated for the female lead role.
That had been given to someone else–a rising star who had quickly fallen after that horrific incident. I could almost feel a chill crawl up my spine as I tried to shake off the memory.
It was clear to me that fate had realigned for Linda and me to end up in the same place, but was history about to repeat itself?
Days passed without incident. I continued filming, half–hoping that maybe this time the movie. would escape the curse, that this rebirth had changed something crucial.
One day, as I walked back to my trailer between scenes, I happened to glance across the adjacent lot and froze mid–step. There, amidst a small and rather chaotic set, stood Linda, unmistakable even in her modest costume.
She was adjusting her dress, her face a mixture of irritation and forced cheer as a harried director gestured for her to move into position.
It took me a moment to absorb what I was seeing. Linda, once the proud center of attention, was now reduced to playing the third female lead in a low–budget drama, a stark fall from the pedestal she had once fiercely guarded.
A part of me almost pitied her, but I couldn’t deny the small, bitter satisfaction curling within me. The roles she’d lost due to her constant manipulation and schemes had left her in this position–an Irony I couldn’t ignore.
Because she hadn’t competed with me for our current project, Arman’s hefty investment and high–profile projects were no longer within her reach. Without those resources, she was left *scrambling for whatever work she could find.
tet 126)
And here she was, her crew cramped together in the drafty corners of the Amazon building, while our production team bustled with high–tech equipment and bustling staff, occupying the main floors and receiving all the attention.
I watched as Linda glanced over, her gaze briefly settling on me, a flicker of something dark and envious crossing her face before she forced a smile.
“Oh, look who it is.” Linda called out, her voice dripping with a bitterness she barely disguised. “Here to gloat?”
“Gloat?” I replied, lifting an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “Linda, this is the first time I’ve even seen. you around. It’s.. surprising, that’s all.”
Linda’s forced smile wavered, her eyes narrowing. “Surprising? Don’t act so high and mighty just because you’ve got a fancier set. You’re here because of luck, nothing more,” she sneered. “Enjoy it while it lasts. It’s only a matter of time before everyone realizes you’re just a pretty face with no substance.”
I held her gaze, refusing to let her words get under my skin. “Luck, you say?” I replied coolly, a hint of a smile curving my lips.
“Maybe, maybe not. But I’ve got a feeling luck isn’t really the issue here. You didn’t need to go after every role that wasn’t yours, Linda. Perhaps if you’d spent a little more time working and a little less ime scheming, things would be different for you now.”
Her expression hardened, a flush of anger rising to her cheeks. “Don’t be so smug. You won’t last forever, and when you fall, I’ll be there to watch,”
she snapped before whirling around, striding back to her set. As I watched her storm off, a strange sense of both victory and unease settled over me.
I knew I had to stay on guard; Linda was like a storm gathering on the horizon, unpredictable and dangerous, and I couldn’t help but wonder what her next move would be.
Something about Linda’s sinister warning unsettled me, not because of her words themselves, but because of the memory they stirred of the fire that had once claimed this very set.
Later that afternoon, as our crew gathered in the main lobby for a short meeting, I hesitantly approached the director.
“Mr. Niles, I know this may sound strange, but would it be possible to run a fire inspection for this building? It’s been feeling off lately.”
The Alpler’s Sudebante Dana A Heart Clamed A Soud Reborn
