The Billionaire's Maid Bride novel Chapter 651

Valerie knew Wade was a no-nonsense director. He didn't care about appeasing production companies or stroking egos. But when Lucy said it, it still felt like a jab. Valerie wanted to defend herself, to set the record straight, but before she could get a word out, Lucy grabbed her designer purse and strutted off.

Minutes later, her agent Sandy walked in, looking frazzled. Sandy hadn't expected the PR disaster to blow up like this. After a frenzy of damage control, she’d managed to quiet the storm on Twitter, even shutting off the comments under the studio's tweets.

"Look, Valerie, I've got a handle on the Twitter mess, but it cost us a pretty penny. Let's just focus on the shoot, okay? You've got two months left on this film. Riding on the coattails of the supporting role, the scripts coming your way have improved a ton. Let's keep it low-key and avoid any more run-ins with Allison, alright?"

Valerie understood the stakes, clenched her teeth, and nodded. "Got it." Still, she couldn't swallow her pride! Only a week into shooting and she'd already been humiliated. She was used to being the darling of the spotlight, but on the set of "Fragments of Truth," she felt like just another extra.

There was a saying about not being able to bend steel with your bare hands, and Valerie knew it. As much as it galled her, she wouldn't dare cause more trouble; Lucy was right. If Valerie walked, a line of actresses were ready to claw each other's eyes out for her part.

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"Cut!" Wade's voice boomed, his eyes glued to the monitor. "Good work, very good. Your expression in that last take was spot on."

Allison approached, a smile spreading across her face as she heard Wade's praise. After wrapping up for the day, she often prepared for tomorrow's scenes in her hotel room, practicing her lines and facial expressions in the mirror.

Playing a role wasn't just about being good – you had to be captivating, too. Every little emotion, every nuance, had to be performed beautifully. After all, no audience enjoyed watching an actor's expressions fall apart.

Wade rarely doled out compliments, but Allison had genuinely impressed him. He hadn't expected much from her, frankly. As a newcomer, all she needed to do was not mess up her role as Irene. He was prepared to slowly refine her acting skills. But after a week, he was more than satisfied with her performance.

Allison was relatively unknown; Wade had never seen her act before, and she hadn't even auditioned. In essence, Wade had zero expectations of her. But now, his opinion was beginning to shift. Allison's acting might not have been flawless, but her grasp of Irene was spirited.

Wade didn't hold back his praise. "Moving forward, I have confidence in you and this film. 'Fragments of Truth' will be a milestone for our network's mystery movies!"

Allison felt a surge of encouragement from his words, delighted to be recognized. Wade continued to discuss the character with her, pointing out areas for improvement and exploring Irene's psyche. Allison listened intently.

Wade's guidance was incisive, his few words pulling her out of the fog. Irene was a character full of life, with eyes full of determination, fresh out of college, and a naturally timid demeanor. These kinds of everyday characters were all too common in real life, and they were the most challenging to portray convincingly. The simpler and more mundane the role, the more it demanded an actor's full dedication to capture its essence.