Fans of two celebrities were duking it out online, with Casey's fans saying in comments that Izabella wasn't good enough for him.
However, Izabella's fans shouted, [Casey himself hasn't said anything. Who are you fans to judge?]
None of this really mattered to the people involved, though. As time went by, the production crew's work had been going swimmingly.
They wrapped up the entire movie in just two months. The progress was unbelievably fast, largely thanks to the seamless acting between Izabella and Casey.
The early completion of the movie shocked the fans. It felt like just yesterday, the fans were still arguing, and then the movie was done.
Although the production was a bit of a mess and the filming schedule was tight, it's done now. Complaining wasn't going to make a difference. All they could do was wait for it to hit the theaters.
With Casey as the box-office magnet, even if the movie sucks, people would still watch it because of him.
A few movie review accounts started to doubt the film, saying it could be the low point of Casey's career.
Two months of filming was indeed the shortest movie production period in history. Horror movies were tricky to shoot, requiring actors to have a strong imagination. Domestic horror movies usually took two to three years to produce.
Excluding the time spent on makeup and set design, the actual shooting time was only about 40 days.
Izabella had just finished one movie and immediately started shooting another. Won't she mix up the characters? Did she even understand the script?
But no, she didn't confuse the roles. Izabella's acting skills were top-notch, and she didn't have any problems during filming.
The lead actors' performances drove the entire crew, hence the fast progress. If the leads can get it in one take, the supporting actors naturally wouldn't lag behind.
The crew threw a celebration at a hotel on the day the movie wrapped up.
In December, the weather was already chilly. Izabella got cold easily, so Casey warmed her hands.
Whenever Izabella looked cold, Casey would hold her hands or put them in his coat pocket.
Casey's hands were always warm. His hands were much bigger than Izabella's, so when he held her hands, they would instantly warm up.
The two directors were used to it. They reminded the crew in the group chat if they saw it, they saw it. Don't go blabbing about it. Just think of it as Casey and Izabella getting too deep into their roles.
Jerome was very enthusiastic, calling everyone to drink and eat. A bit of alcohol in winter warmed the body, and they were drinking wine, which wasn't too strong.
But Casey, sitting there, kept staring at his glass.
He only picked it up to drink when Izabella did.
By the time Izabella realized Casey was drunk, it was too late. She didn't expect him to get drunk so quickly.
Drunk Casey was even quieter than usual. He looked down, his eyes unfocused, ears flushing red from the alcohol, and eyes clouded over like they were covered with a thick fog, his brow furrowed.
When Izabella looked at him, she didn't realize he was drunk. Not until she called out to him and didn't get a response. She got worried. She wondered how could Casey's alcohol tolerance be so poor.
"Is Mr. Dempsey not moving?"
"He seems to be drunk." Izabella gently patted his back. When Casey looked up, his eyes were empty. Izabella held up her fingers, trying to tease him, "How many fingers am I holding up?"
Casey grabbed her hand and started to nibble on it, like a puppy gnawing on a bone.
He was gentle, and it didn't hurt. It just tickled a bit. When Izabella pulled her hand back, Casey furrowed his brow and grabbed her hand to continue nibbling.
Izabella was taken aback. This time, she tried to yank her hand back. But Casey held her wrist tightly, his eyes watery as he looked at her. He started to nibble on her fingers again and mumbled, "Don't move."
Drunk Casey turned into a puppy. Izabella wanted to laugh, but she held it in.
Suddenly, she noticed that the atmosphere had turned awkward. She looked up to see both directors staring at her in surprise. She felt embarrassed and looked down.
"He's drunk, I'll take him back."
"Is Casey's alcohol tolerance that poor?" Jerome was very surprised.
Not just Jerome, Izabella was surprised, too. He got drunk after just one glass.
The directors didn't try to stop Izabella. As she got up to leave, they also got up to see her off.
"Izabella, it's too hard for you to help him walk out alone. Let us help." Casey was tall and strong. Even a man would struggle to help him walk, let alone a woman like Izabella.
The directors moved to help, but before they could touch Casey, he pushed them away, "Don't touch me."
He was like a snarling dog baring its teeth. Although he didn't look scary, anyone who wanted to touch him paused.
Izabella stood up, and Casey, clutching her hand tightly, stood up, too. Every two steps she took, he would follow. A drunk Casey became very clingy.
Once Izabella was sure Casey could walk, she turned to the directors, "You guys keep eating. He can walk on his own, and he doesn't need help. I'll take him out first."
Izabella helped Casey with his mask, buttoned up his coat, and put on his scarf. Casey let her fuss over him.
The night lights shone on Casey's face, highlighting his handsome features.
His deep eyes were like sparkling gems, radiating warmth. Izabella couldn't help wanting to touch his face, but people were still around, so she held back.
"Let's go."
Casey naturally grabbed her hand and followed her. Even though he was staggering, he could still walk.
Once they were outside, the wind was strong. Izabella shivered.
The confusion in Casey's eyes cleared a bit with the wind. He took off his coat and put it over Izabella.
Izabella quickly said, "I'm not cold. Put it back on. I don't want you to catch a cold."
"But you're cold," Casey ignored her, forcing his coat onto her, bending down, and patiently buttoning each button.
Izabella was speechless, but luckily, the car she had ordered on her phone was almost there.
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