Frank pauses to discover the subtle giggles leaving the people present in the room other than Lucy. He returns to a corner to wait while Lucy got ready for her next scene.

**

"But you did so well, Lucy."

Lucy thought that Frank repeated the phrase for the nth time as the two strode together to their next location. She slowed her steps to call her manager, letting him take a break from praising her suddenly. They were inches apart with Frank ahead, as he stood facing Lucy's bewildered state.

"Tell me honestly, do you think I can do this?" she asked him worriedly.

Frank paused to examine the confusion appearing on his client's countenance despite his outspoken criticisms.

"Do you think I lie for your sake when it comes to your career?" Frank said, his demeanor returning to his old stern self.

Lucy denies.

Frank has never lied to her and kept his opinions quite straightforward when it comes to Lucy. His austere observations and subtle care are what made her push forward to reach great heights. Seeing Lucy strive for her best, Frank also accepts her more suitable jobs and even surprising ones that could open her to new possibilities. Therefore discrediting his words is never a likelihood for Lucy.

She denies it again.

"Then?" Frank says to intimidate his uptight client.

"Nothing, I just-"

Seeing Lucy still concerned endlessly, troubled the manager.

Frank stops Lucy for a minute. He grabs her to an empty s.p.a.ce nearby, away from other's view. His eyes sternly gawk at her, up close, Lucy could see his bulging eyeb.a.l.l.s.

He went on to explain how there are a few in this production crew, hoping to see Lucy fail at any moment because of her lack of experience in acting. Nonetheless, Lucy had a great start to the upcoming tiresome journey. He warns about the number of people going to appear in her life, randomly, only to pa.s.s weak comments to their poor judgments. But what matters during this time is whether one can believe in themself or not.

"I know you had it in, and that's why I told you about the auditions. If I didn't believe in you, then trust me, I would directly tell my boss that you are not fit for the job! So when I say you did great, accept it. And I learned that I shouldn't praise you often, so expect fewer compliments from me now on," he states to take the lead.

Lucy glanced around to see different faces, a few staring back at her while the rest minded their business. She understood what Frank meant. Despite the returning fear of bombing this new opportunity, Lucy trusted in her manager to follow him. They reached for the next scene, and Lucy entered with brand new confidence. Along with Frank's support, she looked to find Ivy expecting for her.

'I'm not Lucy. I'm not Lucy.'

Lucy whispered to herself while marching to her mark.

"My name is Claudia."

Taking a deep breath, she heard Ivy yell Action and Lucy, no longer waited. Claudia came out to live her life in front of the camera.

****

Ivy kept the dinner date to be the final scene to wrap the first-day shooting. She had let the main cast practice before the actual take.

The production crew recreated a restaurant setup that reflected most of the famous hotspots for lovers in the city. Some of the crew members even snuck into the scene along with the extras as casual couples already dining.

Lucy and the male actor, arrived ready in their costumes, loosely went through lines together. Until now, both had individual shots, and since this would be their first scene together, Ivy let them take time into rehearsing. The male actor who plays Mitch.e.l.l gave suitable pointers to portray more realistic emotions. Lucy gratefully listened to him and learned several ways to express these sentiments. She had learned better with him during the practice, and after feeling confident, the two decided to go for it.

The loud cry of Action set the scene from its start, and Lucy suddenly felt the overwhelming silence accompanied by dozens of eyes anch.o.r.ed on the two. She gulped air from the sheer intimidation. However, remembering that she is no longer Lucy but Claudia, a ray of confidence surge inside of her. Along with Mitch.e.l.l, Claudia grew prominent than Lucy, and the actors initiated their play. Mitch.e.l.l arrives early at the restaurant and waits for his girlfriend. Claudia enters the scene sharp to the said time and gets surprised by Mitch.e.l.l's timely appearance.

"You're early!" Claudia sounds genuinely impressed by the pleasant surprise. Mitch.e.l.l stood to receive his gorgeous girlfriend with a soft kiss and gestured her to a seat before he sat.

"Well, I'm usually the one who's late, so I wanted to make it up to you!" Mitch.e.l.l sweet-talks to make her blush more. Claudia smiled from the continuous astonishments, and the two went on to place orders.

Ivy closely watched them, and so far, the two perform well. However, soon after placing their orders, Claudia seems to be out of context. She lacked the glow in her acting but did a decent job in delivering the dialogs. Ivy wondered but informed Parker to keep shooting while had her eyes focused on them. The crew surrounding the set had no clue on this subtle tension. They had their eyes fixed on the dialogs, hoping that it ends with a single take. Not only Ivy and Parker but the male actor who plays Mitch.e.l.l also noticed the change in Lucy's gaze. He got concerned about what caused the transformation.

Lucy was doing fine during rehearsals, yet her acting lacked something essential during the real take. It was not bright like the spirit of a warrior.

Yes, Lucy was doing great, confident in herself in pulling this shot with perfection until it actually began to collapse. Upon hearing Ivy yell Action, Lucy noticed the environment very similar to her real life. She got reminded of the time she spent with Lillian Grey. The little embers of love that were remaining in her heart blossomed to the beat of the current situation. Ever since the breakup, Lucy had been doing nothing but work. She never set aside time to entertain romance. However, being put in such a tight spot after running away, Lucy couldn't help but peek out during the performance. She could hardly stay as Claudia anymore, for the dull face glitched during her act.

At one point, everything fell apart when she could hear Mitch.e.l.l say something that sounded similar to what Lillian could potentially utter already. It triggered Lucy to imagine Lillian Grey instead of Mitch.e.l.l, and Claudia disappeared that instant. Her act dropped, and the watchers panicked to her abrupt silence.