Once Us, Now Dust

Chapter 2

The crew erupted into cheers and whistles. Mia leaned into Christopher with a coy smile.

"Oh, come on, guys! There's nothing going on between Chris and me."

Christopher didn't deny it. Didn't explain. Just held her tighter.

I clenched my jaw and pushed the wooden beam off my leg, biting back a cry as splinters tore into my skin. No one noticed as I limped away.

I cleaned my wounds alone. By the time I made it back, everyone was gone.

Darkness had swallowed the set. In the distance, wild animals howled.

I curled up on a rock beneath a massive tree, gripping a branch like a weapon. Every rustle in the bushes had me on edge. I didn't sleep. I just waited.

At dawn, I started making my way down the mountain.

Halfway down, my phone finally caught a signal. It barely had time to register before Christopher's name lit up the screen.

The moment I answered, his voice cut through like a whip.

"Sophia, you've really outdone yourself this time! Ignoring my calls and going AWOL?"

I barely had time to process his anger before he snapped again.

"Mia got eaten alive by mosquitoes last night. Go to the pharmacy and get her some ointment. Now."

Mia, the nation's sweetheart. The "humble" actress who never hired an assistant because she did everything herself.

What the public didn't know was that Christopher handled all her personal affairs. And when he couldn't be bothered, he dumped the job on me.

I stayed silent.

Christopher's patience snapped. "Are you deaf, Sophia? You have thirty minutes to get your ass back here!"

I exhaled slowly. "Christopher, I'm still on the mountain."

Silence.

For the first time, he hesitated. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter.

"You spent the night up there? Alone?"

I swallowed hard, glancing around. Even in daylight, I could still feel it, that eerie sensation of being watched.

Something inside me cracked. The fear I'd shoved down all night suddenly surged up, hot and suffocating. My whole body trembled as silent tears slipped down my face.

Christopher's tone softened, almost instinctively.

"Stay put. I'm coming to get you. Give me an hour."

The sun climbed higher. One hour passed. Then two.

Christopher never showed.

I dragged my battered body back to set.

By the time I got there, I had just finished a phone interview for a new assistant when Christopher strode into the tent.

His sharp gaze landed on my phone. "Who were you talking to?"

I shut it off and said flatly, "No one you know."

He didn't press. Probably assumed it was spam. I didn't bother to correct him.

Instead, he tossed a takeout container onto the table.

"I figured you'd be hungry," he muttered.

The lid was half open. The second the smell hit me, my stomach twisted. The food inside was barely edible, cold, greasy leftovers with a faint, sour odor.

Christopher quickly yanked it back, clearing his throat.

"There were too many people in line. Must've mixed up my order."

Sure. Like the A-list actors dining with him would ever get the wrong order.