The party had finally ended. Back at home, Amanda kicked off her exquisite heels and curled her legs up on the chair. Quentin watched her for a moment before gently reaching out to massage her feet.
"Are you exhausted?" he asked, noting the fatigue etched between her brows.
Amanda was indeed tired, but more than that, she felt drained and shaken. She stretched her legs out across Quentin's lap and looked at him curiously. "Do you and Derrick really know each other?"
From their interaction tonight, it was impossible to believe this was their first time collaborating.
Quentin massaged her feet with one hand while propping his head up with the other, watching her with a fond smile. "Yes. We were friends while studying abroad; we've known each other for years. Why do you ask?"
Amanda pouted, lightly kicking her tired legs. "Don't get too close to him. He's a bad person!"
Quentin raised an eyebrow, genuinely amused. "A bad person?"
Amanda nodded vigorously. "Yes!" Anyone who dares to kill people is definitely a bad person, she thought.
Quentin laughed softly, pulling her into his arms and poking her forehead playfully. "And who told you that?"
"My brother, who else?" At the critical moment, Amanda didn't hesitate to use Diego as her shield.
Quentin considered this. The Solis family's intel was always sharp; it seemed Diego had been telling her quite a few stories. He kissed her forehead gently. "Even if Derrick isn't a 'nice' person, I trust him. Unlike Javier, who is sinister and treacherous, Derrick doesn't use underhanded tricks. He has a sense of loyalty."
Amanda frowned, but the steadfastness in Quentin's eyes made her reconsider her stance. Before she could finish the thought, he added, "So you don't need to be afraid of him. I'm here."
Amanda's throat tightened. she crawled into his chest and mumbled, "I'm not afraid of him!"
Quentin just smiled, choosing not to expose her. He'd seen the way she avoided Derrick's gaze all night. However, there was someone else on his mind.
"Mandy, stay away from Jasper in the future."
Amanda looked up, confused. "Why? We're colleagues. How can I avoid him?"
Quentin narrowed his eyes and squeezed her cheek with mock ferocity. "Because I hate that kid."
He wasn't about to tell her that he'd noticed the subtle gentleness hidden behind Jasper's teasing. Out of respect for Derrick, he wouldn't pick a fight with a "brat," but keeping Amanda away from him was a top priority.
"I'll try," Amanda promised, "but if work forces us together, I can't guarantee anything."
As the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes. Between filming and post-production, the movie Love is Tested was scheduled for release in two months. After a week of rest, Amanda rushed to the studio for the promotional photo shoot.
Naturally, a shoot for the female lead required the male lead—who happened to be a certain someone with a sullen, unhappy face whom Amanda had to coax for a long time before he let her go to work.
Elena Lewis was also at the shoot. They hadn't seen each other in a while, and though Quentin had ordered Amanda not to work with her, some promotional activities required the presence of the supporting cast.
After a grueling day of styling, Amanda finally finished her set. In the dressing room, Jasper sat on the sofa playing games, while Amanda was surrounded by Winter and the makeup artist, Celia.
Elena sat nearby with only a single assistant, looking rather isolated. Celia, who clearly didn't like Elena, finished up quickly. "Winter, I'll let you handle the rest. I'm going to pack up so we can head home."
As Celia left, Elena glared coldly at Amanda, who was resting with her eyes closed. A sinister light flashed in Elena's eyes. She stood up, pretending to look for something on the table. Seeing that no one was watching, she "accidentally" swept a hot hair curler off the table toward Amanda's lap.
A scream rang out. Amanda snapped her eyes open to find Winter crying out in pain beside her. By the time Amanda realized what happened, Winter's wrist was already turning a bright, angry red.
"Winter!" Amanda stood up instantly, grabbing Winter's hand. "Are you okay?"
Winter had tears in her eyes but bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm... I'm fine."
She had seen the curler falling toward Amanda and had instinctively reached out to catch it. The sharp pain made her hiss through her teeth. If that hot iron had landed on Amanda's legs, the damage would have been devastating.
A spark of fury ignited in Amanda's chest. She turned toward Elena, who looked disappointed that her plan had failed. Elena felt a pang of guilt under Amanda's icy stare and tried to step back.
But Amanda was faster. She reached out, grabbed Elena by the hair, and slammed her head down onto the dressing table.
"Ah! Amanda! What do you think you're doing?!" Elena shrieked.
"Weren't you trying to be arrogant?" Amanda hissed. "Let me help you with that!"
Without another word, Amanda grabbed the hot hair straightener from the table and brought it inches from Elena's face.
"Miss Amanda!" Winter and Elena's assistant cried out, paralyzed by the terrifying scene unfolding before them.