Chloe had always given everyone on set the impression of being soft and gentle, like a docile little lamb.

  No matter who spoke to her or made a request, her responses were invariably "Okay," "Sure," "No problem." No one had ever seen her frown or refuse anyone.

  So when Chloe didn't immediately agree and even asked if it was Bryan's idea, Marcus was caught off guard.

  He'd assumed she'd say yes without hesitation.

  After all, when it came to kissing scenes, you'd think the female lead would be the more concerned one.

  Recovering himself, Marcus offered an awkward smile and licked his lips before speaking. "It's our team's decision. You know Bryan has a lot of 'girlfriend fans'—they're very possessive. And we're not just thinking about Bryan. We're worried you might get backlash too."

  Chloe rarely said no to anyone and had never learned how to refuse others. She was willing to accommodate on many things—but never when it came to acting.

  So even though it was difficult, she forced herself to speak up. "Marcus, you don't need to use 'for your own good' as an excuse. I've been incredibly nervous about today's kissing scene and have been preparing all day—but it never once occurred to me to do a fake shot."

  "This scene is crucial for both Daisy and Helix. It's an important emotional turning point for both characters. If even the kiss has to be faked, then I can't believe in the characters—and neither will the audience."

  She picked up the script and continued. "And the key words marked in red for this scene are 'lingering,' 'passionate,' and 'emotional release.' That means it's a multi-angle long take. There's no way to fake that."

  Marcus countered, "Couldn't we shoot each angle separately and composite them together? Wouldn't that still be a multi-angle long take?"

  Chloe was getting angry now, her voice louder than usual. "And the emotion? If we piece together a kiss scene from separate shots, how do we connect the characters' emotions? You might as well just bring a wooden dummy for me to kiss and photoshop Bryan in later."

  Apparently not expecting Chloe to be so assertive about this, the usually eloquent Marcus found himself momentarily speechless.

  Taylor stepped forward, visibly displeased. "Marcus, why don't you go back and discuss this with your team? Our Chloe has principles when it comes to acting. This is something she won't accept."

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  Marcus nodded silently and left.

  Taylor couldn't help but scoff quietly. "What a weirdo. If you don't want to film kissing scenes, why become an actor?"

  Back in Bryan's dressing room, his team was laughing and chatting. No one noticed Marcus's sour expression. One of the female assistants, Linda, smiled and asked, "Marcus, did you talk to her team?"

  Marcus was frustrated at having been rebuffed—especially by Chloe, of all people. The whole situation felt humiliating.

  He snorted disdainfully. "Hmph. She refused. She wants a real kiss."

  "What?!"

  The team's smiles vanished instantly, replaced by matching expressions of surprise.

  Linda hurried over to Marcus, frowning. "Did you talk to Chloe directly? Or just her assistants?"

  "Chloe herself refused. She wants to be a 'real actor,' talks about 'immersing in the character.' Hah. A rookie who just entered the industry, lecturing me about professional integrity."

  Marcus's tone was dripping with contempt. The others' faces darkened as well.

  Someone grumbled, "She signed with Wendy and now thinks she's a big shot? Does she not realize how much of her online popularity comes from being associated with Bryan?"

  "Maybe she just wants to kiss Bryan," another speculated. "That's probably it. Bryan's done so many dramas without giving up his on-screen first kiss. If it went to Chloe, that's guaranteed buzz. Might even be Wendy's idea—she's the best at marketing her artists."

  Their voices rose unconsciously as they grew angrier, forgetting that the temporary artist dressing rooms on set had poor soundproofing.

  So when Bryan reached the door, he caught snippets of his team bad-mouthing Chloe.

  He pushed the door open abruptly, startling everyone inside.

  Before anyone could speak, his cold expression preceded his icy question: "What were you just saying?"

  Bryan was also known for his easygoing nature. He was introverted but always treated his team well; he rarely lost his temper.

  So facing his current frosty demeanor, everyone tensed up instinctively. Their eyes turned to Marcus.

  With Faye absent, Marcus—as the lead assistant—was the highest-ranking person present.

  "Bryan, don't be angry. We were just defending you." Marcus stood, softening his tone.

  Bryan's brows knitted together as he stared at him. "Defending me? What 'injustice' do I have that requires you to defend it by humiliating Chloe? Do you have any idea how vile what you just said was—saying things like that about a woman?"

  Seeing Bryan genuinely angry, Marcus quickly admitted fault. "You're right, you're right. We spoke without thinking. We were wrong."

  The others chimed in with apologies, their sincerity questionable but their attitudes sufficiently deferential.

  Bryan's gaze swept across each of their faces before settling back on Marcus. "What actually happened?!"

  Marcus found it hard to speak. He hemmed and hawed, not knowing how to explain—because Bryan had no idea about the "fake shot" request. It was entirely the team's unilateral decision.

  Of course, their intentions were to protect Bryan's interests—they just hadn't bothered to consult him.

  But if Marcus didn't explain, Bryan wasn't going anywhere. He just stood there, watching.

  Unable to withstand the pressure of that intense stare, Marcus finally confessed. He edited out some details, but the core issue couldn't be avoided.

  When Bryan finished listening, his eyes went wide. An inexplicable fury surged straight to his head.

  "You... all of you..."

  His lips trembled with rage. It took him a moment to find his voice. "So all those 'the other party requested a fake shot' excuses from previous dramas were lies, weren't they? You went to the female leads' teams and asked them to fake it, didn't you?"

  Marcus smiled bitterly and nodded, scrambling to explain. "Bryan, we were thinking of you. Your on-screen first kiss is crucial. You're at a critical point in your career—one step away from being a top star. We can't afford to trigger your fans right now."

  "Crucial my ass!"

  Bryan's outburst included a rare curse. His face red with anger, he pointed at the people in the room. "I'm an actor! If I didn't want to film kissing scenes, why would I have accepted this script? Did none of you read it before agreeing? You knew there was a kiss scene! You accepted it and then decided I shouldn't actually do it—how do you think that makes me look to others? You call this 'for my benefit'?"