Ch. 2031..2040

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2031-Melody spent a long time on the balcony before finally taking a shower. She immediately fell asleep the moment she got to bed, possibly due to the day's hectic activities.

The next day, the family gathered for breakfast.

Life went on as usual. Lucas left for the office after breakfast, and Melody turned on her computer to find a friend request from Shaun. She clicked 1 accept' and immediately received a message from him.

[Melody, I'll have my assistant bring the script to you. Please provide me with your address.]

"Address?" Despite knowing that Lucas had talked to Shaun for her sake, Melody was unsure if Lucas had disclosed the details of their relationship and to what extent.

'If Shaun doesn't know about my relationship with Lucas, then giving him the Riveras' address will expose everything,' she thought. 1 After much hesitation, Melody finally replied to the message, [Mister Shaun, I happen to be going out today, so 'II come and pick up the script myself.] [Okay. Just look for my assistant when you're here.] [Alright.] After replying to Shaun's message, Melody changed her clothes and was ready to go out.

Beatrice knew she was about to go out, so she arranged for a driver. ’ Melody, do you have a driver's license?"

"Yes, Grandma. Why do you ask?"

Beatrice smiled and shook her head. "No particular reason. I just wanted to know. You may go now."

Melody did not think much about it. She said goodbye to Beatrice and left in the car.

Once she arrived at Breeze Entertainment, she explained her purpose to the receptionist and soon met Shaun's assistant.

The assistant handed her a document, saying, "This is the script for the entire movie. Please remember to keep it confidential, and under no circumstances can you leak it to the public."

"Okay, I understand." Melody took the script with two bold words printed on it- 'War Song'.

"Miss Jelena, when is the filming going to start?" asked Melody.

Jelena took out another sheet of paper. "This is our approximate filming schedule. Everything is almost ready, and we'll start shooting in a week."

"A week? Should I read through the script and memorize the lines by then?"

Melody, lacking experience as an actress, could only inquire patiently.

Jelena nodded. "That's a given. Mister Shaun hopes you can memorize your lines by then."

"Okay, don't worry. I'll do my best." Melody attached great importance to this job and would naturally approach it with utmost gusto.

With everything settled and no other matters to attend to, Melody went back home, she then holed herself up- in her room and began to memorize the script.

Shaun's judgment was indeed accurate; Melody's image did fit the female lead perfectly. Even their personalities Shared some similarities. She even felt that she did not need to act much. Sometimes, just being herself would be enough.

While she was initially discouraged about the role, she started to gain some confidence that she would do well in her job after going through the script.

"I heard from Grandma that you've been working hard at memorizing the script lately." Lucas suddenly walked into the room and sat down on the bed.

He had been busy for the past few days and had not come back much.

On that day, he returned early while Beatrice and Cedric were still awake. He could not go to the study, so he had to come to the room to sleep.

"Yeah, I've been reading it a lot lately." Melody set aside the script, feeling a bit uneasy. "Grandpa and Grandma haven't gone to bed yet?"

Lucas, exhausted from working long hours, laid down on the bed. "Yeah, they're still downstairs."

"Oh." Melody felt somewhat sympathetic to see him so exhausted. "You should go to sleep first if you're tired."

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2032-"Okay." Lucas laid down on the bed and drifted off to sleep. That night, he had an unusually good sleep.

Melody waited until he fell asleep before lying down beside him, also drifting off not long after.

Lucas had gone to the office by the time Melody woke up the next morning. She fell into deep contemplation as she looked at the empty space beside her.

She freshened up and headed out. On that particular day, she was going to shoot the character stills for 'War Song'.

The project had hired the best makeup team, and they had designed some of Melody's looks in advance. With the pre-production preparations, the process of shooting the character stills went effectively quick.

Since shooting stills was static and did not require much emotional expression, Melody was able to do quite well.

A week later, 'War Song' officially started filming.

As the female lead, Melody woke up early on the first day of shooting, got ready, and appeared on set.

"I knew it! You're absolutely perfect to play the female lead for 'War Song'," said Shaun, looking particularly satisfied with her appearance.

Shaun truly felt like the female lead had walked out of the script when Melody appeared on set.

The opening ceremony was very formal, and Melody followed the staff through each procedure, suddenly feeling a lot of pressure. A lot of people had poured their efforts and hopes into the film. As the female lead, Melody was worried that her performance might disappoint them.

Nonetheless, fearing something would only make it more likely.

Melody was so nervous that after the official shooting began, she could not even handle simple scenes such as walking into the room.

In one particular scene, they had to do numerous retakes, and even Shaun was starting to question his choice.

"Melody, are you nervous?" Shaun asked.

Melody felt very embarrassed at being a drag to everyone's hard work; everyone was waiting for her under the scorching sun.

"Sorry, Mister Shaun. It's my first time acting, and I feel a bit nervous with the cameras pointing at me."

"It's okay. As I said before, no need to be nervous. Let's take a half-hour break so that you can collect m yourself We'll resume shooting later, and everything will be fine." Shaun patted her shoulder reassuringly before heading toward the rest area.

They had to wait since Melody's scenes had not finished shooting yet.

Melody felt disheartened, thinking that she should not have taken pm this role just for the money. After all, it seemed like she was not cut out to be an actress at all.

Even though Shaun did not blame her, Melody knew that she had slowed everyone saw that day! The actors. and actresses for the subsequent scenes had arrived at the set early, ready in their makeup, waiting for their scenes to be filmed.

Even though Shaun did not blame her, Melody knew that she had slowed everyone saw that day! The actors. and actresses for the subsequent scenes had arrived at the set early, ready in their makeup, waiting for their scenes to be filmed.

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"Hey, everyone! You all must be tired, right? Come have some coffee! I happened to be filming nearby, so I thought I'd come and see how everyone's doing."

Stella suddenly arrived just when Melody was at her lowest point.

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2032-Stella and her assistant brought a lot of coffee, delivering cup by cup to the crew and cast. "Great job, everyone! It's such a hot day, so I'm sure a nice cup of iced coffee will do wonders for you.” "Oh Stella, you're so kind and beautiful!"

"As expected of an award-winning actress! Not only is she professional, but she's approachable too."

Everyone, upon receiving the coffee, was very happy. They kept piling praises on Stella.

Some of them turned to look at Melody and said, "Unlike some people who clearly can't act, yet still insist on taking the female lead role. Sigh! We would've wrapped up filming quickly if it weren't for her."

"Yeah! She doesn't deserve the role at all!"

Although their conversation did not explicitly mention the person they were talking about, those in the know knew.

Melody felt a tightness in her chest when she saw how happy they were. She stood up and decided to take a break alone in the car.

"Melody."

Stella grabbed a cup of coffee and walked over to Melody when she saw she was about to leave. She happened to be filming nearby and heard that' War Song' had started filming as well, so she instructed her assistant to keep an eye on the situation there.

Melody had been struggling with the first scene of the shoot. Upon hearing this news, Stella promptly had her assistant buy some coffee and bring them over.

She wanted to make sure Shaun and all the staff knew that the rightful female lead for 'War Song' should be her, not some newcomer like Melody.

"Melody, have some coffee," Stella said with a smile, placing the coffee in front of her. "How does it feel on the first day of filming?"

Melody did not know whether Stella's question was intentional, so she replied casually, "Thank you. It's my first time filming, and I don't have much experience yet…"

"Stella, you have no idea. We've been at it for so long, and we still haven't nailed a single scene." A staff member approached Stella ingratiatingly and glared at Melody.

They were unaware of the relationship between Melody and Lucas, treating her merely as a newcomer who got the role because she was lucky and not because she was talented.

Their shock was first directed at Shaun for choosing a newcomer as the female lead in 'War Song'. However, after what happened during filming, they completely lost the belief that Melody earned the role based on her own merit.

After all, it was inconceivable to choose someone incapable of acting as the female lead for such a crucial project like 'War Song'.

Stella mentally laughed when she heard the crew members' assessments of Melody.

'She managed to make everyone hate her within just half a day. This is too perfect!' thought Stella. 'Looks like I won't have to do much to make Shaun realize his mistake and fire Melody in favor of casting me!'

"Oh, you guys must be really working hard," said Stella sympathetically.

She then turned to Melody But don't She then turned to Melody C But don't blame Melody. Its her first time acting. She hasn't had any prior experience, so it's normal to struggle in the beginning."

Stella walked up to Melody and affectionately took her hand. "Melody, don't be embarrassed I's typical to face challenges in your first film. I was fortunate to have a good team and director, which made my first filming so much easier."

At first glance, Stella might seem like she was comforting Melody, encouraging her not to be tog hard on herself, However upon closer inspection, it became apparent that she was subtly using this situation to showcase that she had little to no trouble in her acting career from the very beginning.

It was a way of praising her natural talent in acting. Implicitly, Stella was guiding Melody to understand the difficulty of the situation and to consider stepping back.

Despite knowing Stella’s intention, Melody could not find a way to refute since reason was not on her side.

"What's your first scene? How about I help you take a look?" Stella looked at her with a seemingly sincere expression as if genuinely wanting to assist.

Before Melody could refuse, a nearby crew member immediately chimed in, "Wow, Stella, you're truly amazing. Filming your own scenes and still taking the time to guide others? You're truly beautiful inside and out."

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2034-"It's no big deal," Stella said pretentiously.

A domino effect began to take root. The surrounding staff started to praise Stella one after another. Stella was like the brightest star in the crowd, constantly receiving praise from those around her. As for Melody, it seemed like her only function was to serve as a contrast to Stella.

"Melody, let me see the script," Stella said, reaching out to take the script from Melody's hands.

Melody hesitated for a moment, then placed the script down, avoiding her hand.

Stella scoffed in her heart, feeling that Melody was unappreciative. However, she maintained a pleasant smile on her face and said, "Melody, are you not allowed to give the script to others to see? No problem. You can read it out to me, then!"

"Thank you, Miss Stella, for being willing to explain the film to me.

However, I'd like to ponder over it myself a bit more, to see if I can bring out my own style in the performance," Melody politely expressed her gratitude and declined Stella's offer.

Melody's refusal caused Stella's expression to darken slightly, but she did not need to say anything. After all, the people around her said everything that needed to be said.

"You still want to do it on your own? It's already been the whole morning, and not a single scene has been shot well."

"A big celebrity is willing to explain the script to her, and she still refuses. How arrogant can she be?"

Melody felt the words stabbing into her as she stood still. Needless to say, she was embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Just when she felt utterly ashamed-wishing she could find a hole to crawl intoJelena appeared in front of her, saying, "Melody, Mister Shaun is looking for you."

Jelena brought Melody into Shaun's dressing room.

Shaun let out a resigned sigh when he saw Melody.

"I heard about what happened outside just now."

"Sorry, Mister Shaun." Melody had not handled things well and could only bow in apology.

Shaun asked her to sit and spoke with a weighty tone, "Don't worry about it.

There are inevitably issues when filming for the first time. Even those who come from a professional background make mistakes, let alone a newcomer like you."

She understood that Shaun meant to comfort her, but she found herself unable to feel better. She felt really guilty for taking up everyone's time.

Seeing her in this state, Shaun spoke again, "Stella's first film was directed by me. Don't be fopledby.How nonchalantly she talks about it now.

She had just as many retakes in her first film as you did."

Melody blinked at this, and she looked up at Shaun. "Mister Shaun, you don't have to lie to me just to comfort me."

"It's true. I'm not making up stories about her just to comfort you." Shaun took out the script and flipped to the scenes where Melody appeared!"

Melody, this movie is called War Song', and the name of the female lead is Athena, symbolizing the Goddess of War. She is the soul of this film. That's why my expectations are a bit higher. Let me explain this scene to you properly now."

Shaun earnestly explained to Melody the concept he had when coming up with the scene, as well as the meaning it should convey. He even had Melody act it on the spot, providing one-on-one adjustments.

After Melody was called away by the director, Stella was left with nothing to do. She wanted to showease her acting skills by explaining the scene.

to Melody in front of everyone. She did not expect that Shaun would take Melody away, thereby embarrassing her.

Frustrated, Stella lost her composure and made up an excuse to have the crew take her to the makeup room to rest. Sitting in the makeup room, she became more upset as she thought about the situation.

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2035-Stella still could not understand why Shaun would choose Melody as the female lead. Melody had no acting experience at all, and she did not have any fan base. How could she handle the role of the female lead in a movie? Surely no one would go watch 'War Song' then?

'Shaun must be regretting his decision now after all the commotion that happened today,' thought Stella. She was sure that Shaun would give her the role of the female lead if she came to the set another time to kick up a fuss.

Melody performed poorly. Instead of regretting his decision, however, Shaun took the time to coach her in acting. This was something Stella had not

expected.

After all, when Stella acted in her first film, Shaun gave her an earful for every mistake she made. He never took the time to coach her himself.

'Ugh! What exactly makes Melody so special?' thought Stella.

Stella's eyes wandered, and she saw the makeup table next to her with 1 Melody' written on it, and a bag placed on the chair.

'That must be Melody's bag.' She stood up, picked the most expensive eyeshadow palette from the makeup table, and discreetly placed it inside Melody's bag.

'Melody's so proud of being Lucas' wife… Well then, I'll make sure everyone sees her as a thief who even steals makeup in broad daylight!' Stella was too excited to see how Melody would continue filming after being labeled a thief in the cast.

After Shaun finished coaching her, he noticed that Melody's acting and mood had improved a lot. Thus, he instructed the crew to continue shooting.

After Melody arrived on the scene, the makeup artist called her into the makeup room for touch-ups.

"Sorry for troubling you again. The makeup done this morning has already faded."

Although the makeup artist felt a bit annoyed inwardly, she did not want to offend anyone. Thus, she merely smiled and said it was 'okay' before touching up Melody's makeup. After all, Melody was an actress, and she was just a makeup artist.

Melody's skin was in good condition, and the makeup process was quick.

However, because she was a newcomer, the makeup artist-who was used to working with big-name actresses-felt a bit uncomfortable. She could not help but feel like she was lowering her standards.

"Wait. Where's my eyeshadow palette?" When it came to applying eye makeup, the makeup artist searched the makeup table over and over again but could not find the eyeshadow palette she needed.

Seeing that the makeup artist was getting a bit anxious, Melody spoke up,"

"I can't find a certain eyeshadow palette. We used it for setting the makeup, and I used it this maming.

Why can't bind it now?" The makeup artist was quite worried as the scenes involved Melody, and everyone would have to wait again if her makeup was not done.

What's wrong? Is something missing?"

Shaun hated waiting the most, and if he found out it was because of the makeup that was not ready, he would blame the makeup artist.

"I'll help you look for it." Seeing that she was very nervous, Melody stood up to assist in the search.

Before they could find the eyeshadow palette, the door was pushed open from the outside, and the on set director walked in, asking, "Is everything ready? Can we start shooting?"

"The eye makeup hasn't been touched up yet, but we can't find the eye shadow palette. i m Sorry. Please give me a little more time," explained the makeup artist nervously.

The on-set director's expression turned grim, and after urging them once more, he left.

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2036-"Which makeup artist is so unprofessional?" came Shaun's displeased voice in the makeup room before he did. He angrily pushed the door open, saying, "Do you guys realize that we're all waiting for Melody? Does the entire crew have to wait for you to find this eyeshadow palette?"

The makeup artist, already frustrated for not finding the item, became even more upset with Shaun's remarks. "But Mister Shaun, we used this eyeshadow palette for Melody's character still. The effect will be different if we use another eyeshadow palette."

"So everyone has to wait just for you to find this eyeshadow palette?" Shaun became even angrier. "Do you know how much money this production costs every day?"

Tears welled up in the makeup artist's eyes after being yelled out.

Seeing that the argument was about to escalate between the two, Melody quickly stepped forward to comfort the makeup artist. "Mister Shaun is just too anxious. How about we go to the nearby mall to buy the same eyeshadow palette?"

The makeup artist already disliked Melody, and she was scolded again because of her. She shoved Melody away.

"This eyeshadow palette is a limited edition. You can't find it anywhere else. I pulled a lot of strings to get it, and now it's gone."

At that moment, Stella walked through the crowd and approached Mister Shaun, saying, "Mister Shaun, don't be angry. The makeup artist must be really anxious about losing something so precious, and I'm sure she didn't mean it either."

Her gaze kept shifting toward Melody's bag. Taking advantage of everyone's distraction, she reached behind her and pulled at Melody's bag.

The bag fell to the ground, and a round container rolled out from it, catching the attention of everyone present.

"Uh…" The makeup artist stared intently at the container on the ground, feeling a strong sense of familiarity. She walked over, picked up the box, and exclaimed, "Isn't this the eyeshadow palette I lost? How did it end up in this bag?"

The makeup artist looked at the bag on the ground, lifted it up, and held it in front of everyone. "Whose bag is this?"

"Now that we've found it, hurry up and do the makeup so we can start shooting as soon as possible." Shaun was very anxious. All he could think about was fixing Melody's makeup and getting the shoot underway.

The makeup artist, already upset from Shaun's scolding, was unwilling to just let things slide.

"Mister Shaun, the fact that the eyeshadow palette was hidden in this bag indicates that it wasn't lost. It was stolen! The culprit must've wanted it for herself."

The makeup artist raised the bag in her hand once again, asking, "They owner of this bag is the thief who stole the eyeshadow palette. Whose bag is it?" The content is on.

Seeing that she was unwilling to let the matter go, Shaun sighed. "Whose is it?

Come forward quickly so you don't waste everyone's time."

Melody, who had been silent up till then, slowly raised her hand. "This bag is mine, but I haven't taken that thing."

"It was you!" The makeup artist frowned and looked at Melody disdainfully. "Huh! But gan o m understandwhy you did it. You're a newcomer who hasn't come in contact with a lot of high-end stuff, so it's only normal that you'll steal my eyeshadow palette."

"Melody?" Shaun could not believe that Melody would sneakily take the eyeshadow palette, After all, She Was Lucas wife? Why would she need to steal a used eyeshadow palette when she could easily obtain any limited edition one?

"Melody, has this bag been here the whole time?"

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2037-Melody nodded. "My bag has been here all along. Anyone can come in here, and someone might've put this eyeshadow palette in my bag. I was with Mister Shaun. He was giving me some pointers about acting, and I haven't come back at all."

"Are you suggesting that someone is framing you?" The makeup artist dismissed her explanation and eyed her in disdain. "One might think you've watched too many dramas! Not everyone is out to get you, you know? Just who do you think you are?"

Melody felt that she could not explain things clearly to the makeup artist. The makeup artist refused to listen.

"Just think about it calmly. Would I put the eyeshadow palette in my own bag if I wanted to steal it?"

"That's enough. I'm pretty sure Melody didn't steal the eyeshadow palette.

Anyway, you've found it, so hurry up and do her makeup," said Shaun.

Shaun knew Melody was Lucas' wife, even though Lucas had told him to keep it a secret. He could only try to downplay the situation as much as possible.

The makeup artist, feeling even more upset with Shaun's favoritism toward Melody, decided to ask bluntly, "Mister Shaun, what exactly is your relationship with Melody?"

Shaun was taken aback by the question. "What do you mean? My relationship with Melody is purely a professional working relationship. What else could it be?"

"Is it really? Who'd believe that?" The makeup artist sneered. "She's a newcomer, inexperienced and unprofessional. Just how did she get the female lead role in such a big project on her first acting gig?"

In fact, all the crew members had been wondering that ever since Melody was chosen for the role. After all, even Stella had tried for the female lead role and failed. The role ended up going to a newcomer with no experience, which seemed odd to everyone.

However, no one dared to voice their concerns since Shaun himself chose Melody.

At that moment, all the crew members started whispering amongst themselves since the makeup artist had spoken up. Melody looked around to see everyone looking at her strangely.

Perhaps, in their eyes, Melody had lost her clean image. To them, she was a woman who obtained this role through illegitimate means.

Witnessing this scene, Stella-who had been playing the role of an onlooker - smiled triumphantly. Originally, she just wanted everyone to think of Melody as a thief, to make them dislike her. She did not expect the makeup artist would ask what the others did not with just a little pressure exerted on her.

'Now, everyone thinks Melody is in an improper relationship with Mister Shaun!

Melody stood still, enduring the scrutiny of everyone, and remained silent for a long time before saying, "1 didn't take Your eyeshadow palette, and I have no improper relationship with Mister Shaun."

Let's see how she can turn this around,' thought Stella.

Though he could not reveal Melody's identity as a wealthy woman, he could not let himself be falsely accused of having an improper relationship with her either.

"I've said it many times. Melody earned her role through her own efforts. The entire casting process was known to the staff from the company and even my assistant's assistant. Stop spreading baseless accusations," Shaun asserted.

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The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2038-The makeup artist concluded that Melody and Shaun were having an affair of sorts, and she would not listen no matter what explanations they provided.

Although the others did not openly say anything, they silently agreed with the makeup artist's words.

Unfortunately, human nature dictated that people would enjoy hearing taboo and sensational things, even if those things were completely untrue.

"Alright, we've explained everything that we've needed to explain. The innocent have nothing to hide. Let's all get back to work now. We’re already behind schedule as it is."

Despite the lingering doubts and suspicions in everyone's minds regarding their alleged improper relationship, Shaun had spoken, so nobody dared to say anything more. They could only get back to work.

The makeup artist, having offended Shaun this time, had no intention of continuing to work there. She packed up and left immediately after everyone dispersed.

After everyone left, Mister Shaun sighed. ’Melody, I apologize for not handling things well this time. But don't worry, we haven't done anything wrong, so we don't need to be afraid of what others say."

Melody forced a smile. "Sorry, Mister Shaun. I've caused trouble for you again.

We wouldn't be dealing with all these complications if I didn't take up the role of the female lead."

"I chose you because you meet my requirements for the female lead." Even in this situation, Shaun still believed in his judgment. "Other people's comments don't matter. Just focus on acting well. Then they'll have to eat their own words after they see how well you did."

Melody, with no better way to prove her innocence at that moment, could only nod. "Yes, Mister Shaun. I'll definitely do my best."

"Okay, I've already had Jelena contact the new makeup artist. It's going to take some time for her to get here, so use this time to prepare yourself. We'll start filming later," said Shaun before he turned and left.

Melody nodded. She sat alone in the makeup room, taking out the script to review it carefully. Since no one believed she could perform well in 'War Song', she was even more determined to excel in her role. Only by doing so could she prove that she earned the role based on her skills, not through any improper means.

The new makeup artist arrived approximately an hour later. After touching up Melody's makeup, the filming finally began.

With Shaun's one-on-one coaching and her own thorough preparation, the filming went much more smoothly for Melody. As the shooting progressed, Melody was also able to relax slightly. In other words, she was no longer as nervous as before.

After the shooting concluded, she returned to the hotel and went to the assigned room to rest. She laid down on the bed and quickly fell asleep.

Not knowing how long she slept, Melody woke up in a daze. She picked up her phone and found several missed calls from Lucas.

Rubbing her eyes, Melody sat up and messaged Lucas. [I just woke up.

What's up?] [Lucas: Open the door] Melody stared at those three words for a long time before realizing what they meant. She stood up and opened the door to her hotel room.

Lucas was standing outside.

"What… What are… What are you doing here?" Startled by Lucas' appearance, Melody struggled to speak coherently.

"Oh." The groggy Melody still felt light-headed.

"Uh… How do you know everything?" Melody sat on the chair, opened the food container, and found a delicious-looking meal inside.

Lucas sat nearby silently, sporting a stern expression.

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2039-Melody did not have much appetite, but after taking a nap, she felt a bit hungry.

Her appetite opened up even more when she saw the delicious food in front of her. She began to eat in silence.

Lucas watched her quietly.

After finishing the meal, Melody rubbed her stomach and said, "Oh, no. Mister Shaun said I need to control my weight during the shoot…but this food is too delicious! I couldn't help but finish it."

"Just eat whatever you want. I'll go talk to Shaun about it." Lucas was accustomed to solving problems in the simplest way possible, and the first

solution he could think of was to find Shaun.

Melody quickly declined. ' No, no, no. You better not go talk to him."

After all, there were already rumors going around that she had climbed up through connections. Those rumors would undoubtedly become more substantiated if Lucas stepped in again to secure special treatments for her.

Lucas did not insist since Melody was unwilling. However, his expression did darken a little. Seeing that she had finished her meal, he stood up to leave.

"I'm going now. Focus on your filming. Call Edmund if you need anything."

Before Melody could say anything, he walked out of the room, leaving only the sound of the door closing.

Melody looked dazedly around the empty room, unsure if seeing Lucas was real or just her imagination.

After a good night's sleep, Melody was awakened by a phone call the next day.

"Miss Melody, Jelena here. Take a look at VeeTube, please."

Upon hearing Jelena's less-than-pleasant tone on the phone, Melody instantly woke up and opened VeeTube. When she saw the trending topic, she became fully awake.

The makeup artist who resigned yesterday posted on VeeTube, complaining that a new actress had stolen her eyeshadow palette and forced her to leave the crew by taking advantage of her improper relationship with the director.

Shaun had prepared everything for 'War Song' to be the best, and the makeup artist was quite well-known in the makeup industry. She even had some fans among celebrities. As soon as she started causing a stir online, it quickly escalated.

By the time Melody saw it, someone had dug up the identity of this new actress, and people were fervently criticizing her online.

[So it's her who forced out the famous makeup artist!] [Seems like she got her role by sleeping with the director after all!] [Huh, even a thief can become an actress now.]

News about the incident was generating a lot of buzz, and numerous gossip outlets were m publishing articles about it. Gossip outlets, known for seeking attention, naturally came up with particularly sensational headlines.

Melody opened the comment section, and the comments from netizens were even harsher.

Il was there. The director supported her throughout, and the makeup?

artist leftlout of frustration.!

[Hah! This person is really despicable for stealing and forcing people out of their jobs!]

[What's the relationship between the airector and her to haye him support her all the Way? Could it really be…]

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2040-[The relationship between the two is quite unusual indeed.] While Melody was reading those comments in her hotel room, Lucas was also looking at the absurd online news in his office. He knew that the entertainment industry was not easy to navigate, but he did not expect Melody to encounter such rumors right after she freshly delved into the world.

"Edmund, go and look into that makeup artist. Get rid of the false news online immediately."

"Melody?!"

Wendy, who had been holed up at home for half a month, came across the VeeTube post as well. It was only then she found out Melody had also entered the entertainment industry and even secured the female lead role in 'War Song'.

Wendy had been struggling to find job opportunities, let alone star in a leading role in a major film, ever since losing that advertising shoot.

"No wonder Melody is so arrogant now. She's been sleeping with the director!"

said Wendy indignantly.

She casually forwarded the VeeTube post. Even though she was not a hugely popular star, she had some degree of fame.

Initially, the public was skeptical about the authenticity of the news. After all, there were many unsubstantiated rumors floating about the entertainment industry. However, after an insider like Wendy forwarded the VeeTube post, it indirectly confirmed the truth of the matter to social media users. Online discussions about the incident intensified.

Melody watched the development of the situation from her sofa. Feeling particularly anxious, she hurriedly went to explain to Shaun.

"Mister Shaun, I really haven't stolen anything, and now you're being dragged into this mess too!"

"Don't worry about it. I believe you," said Shaun with a helpless sigh. The situation had escalated to a point where Melody's words would not solve the problem.

Jelena, sitting beside him, looked at the messages on VeeTube and suggested, "Mister Shaun, how about changing the actress for the female lead? There will be other opportunities to work with Miss Melody in the future."

"No, it's not possible." Shaun quickly shot down the idea. "She's the most suitable. We can't replace her. If we change her, 'War Song' won't be 'War Song' anymore."

Jelena seemed somewhat defeated at Shaun's insistence. 'But the backlash is going to affect 'War Song' as well. We've been preparing for this movie for several years. None of US wants this project to fail like this."

Melody felt discomforted at seeing them argue. She valued the job a lot but did not want her presence to ruin the efforts of so many people.

"Mister Shaun, how about…"

"Alright, let's start filming first. We can deal with the news later," said Shaun.

He did not want to replace Melody, but the situation was indeed affecting the film, and they needed to find a solution as soon as possible.

Jelena, unable to change his mind, could only sigh.

The film officially began shooting, and when Melody appeared, everyone pointed and whispered about her. Due to the online.

incidents, almost everyone assumed there was an improper relationship between her and Shaun.

She could not get into the right mindset with so many eyes an her.

mindset with so many eyes on her.

The state she had managed to find yesterday was completely gone.

"Melody."

Just when she wanted to find a hole to crawl into, she heard a familian voice. Lifting herhead, Melody saw Lucas: She stood still, her feet frozen, unable to take a step forward.

'Lucas? What… What is he doing here?' 1 Shaun, on the other hand, reacted first. He stood up and walked toward Lucas.

"Mister Lucas, why are you here?"