"Ellie, look at me. Again, but with hesitation," Tristan said, leaning forward from behind the monitor. His voice carried across the set, steady, coaxing.
Ellie adjusted her grip on the script. "I know the note, Tristan. Hesitation, not indecision."
"That's the difference between good and great," he teased, walking onto the set. "Want me to show you?"
She shot him a glare, half playful. "You'd love that, wouldn't you?"
He grinned, slipping into the co-star's Mark. "Always."
The camera operator lifted a hand. "Rolling."
Tristan spoke the line meant to tempt her. His voice was lower than usual, softer, like he wanted it to be personal. Ellie drew a breath, ready to respond then froze.
From the corner of the set, Kyla's eyes locked on hers.
Ellie's stomach dropped. Kyla leaned against the wall near the craft table, sipping from Ellie's water bottle like she owned the place. She didn't look away.
Ellie stumbled over the line. "I… I..."
"Cut," Tristan barked, though his mouth twitched like he was suppressing a smile. "Ellie, what's going on with you?"
"I don't know," Ellie muttered, rubbing her temple.
Tristan studied her, stepping closer. "That's not you. You don't forget lines. Want me to clear the set?"
Before Ellie could answer, Kyla's voice cut across the silence. "Or maybe she needs the right partner."
Every head turned.
Ellie spun around. "Kyla, what are you doing here?"
"Bringing you your water." Kyla set the bottle back on the table, lips curving. "You're welcome."
"That's mine," Ellie said tightly.
"Of course it is," Kyla replied, her eyes daring Ellie to challenge her.
The crew chuckled under their breath. Tristan crossed his arms, tilting his head. "You want to audition, Kyla? Because that line delivery wasn't bad."
Kyla smirked. "You wouldn't be able to handle me, director."
Ellie groaned, turning away. "This isn't funny."
Tristan leaned closer, his tone softer. "But you like when it's messy, don't you?"
Her cheeks warmed. "Shut up."
Kyla's smirk faded into something sharper. "She liked messy with me first."
The air thickened. Tristan's grin thinned, but he didn't argue. He looked at Ellie instead, eyes searching.
Ellie's voice cracked as she said, "Can we reset? Please."
"Five-minute break," Tristan called, though his eyes never left her.
Ellie walked fast toward the hallway, Kyla following at her own pace. Outside the set, Ellie spun around. "Do you get some thrill out of sabotaging me?"
Kyla leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "No. I get a thrill watching you squirm. It's been a while."
"You're impossible," Ellie snapped.
"You loved impossible," Kyla whispered, stepping closer. "And don't lie, you still do."
Ellie's breath caught. She wanted to push back, but Tristan's voice called from inside. "Ellie, we're ready!"
She backed away, her pulse racing. "Stay out of my line of sight, Kyla. I mean it."
Kyla smiled faintly, not promising anything.
In Cassandra's apartment, silence stretched heavy. Kira sat at the edge of the bed, her hands twisted in her lap. Cassandra stood by the window, her arms locked around herself.
Kira's voice was a whisper. "So this is how it ends?"
Cassandra flinched. "Don't say it like that."
"How else am I supposed to say it?" Kira's eyes shone. "You don't look at me the way you used to. You don't laugh with me anymore. You stopped letting me in."
"That's not fair." Cassandra's voice cracked.
"What's not fair is you pretending," Kira said, tears slipping free. "Pretending you still want this. Pretending I can't see the distance every time I reach for you."
Cassandra's shoulders trembled. "I never wanted to hurt you."
"Then let me go." Kira's whisper broke apart.
Cassandra rushed forward, clutching Kira's hand against her chest. "You'll always be here. Do you hear me? Always."
Kira pulled away, shaking her head. "That's not enough anymore."
The silence was louder than any scream. When Kira walked to the door, Cassandra's knees buckled, but she didn't stop her. The door closed, and Cassandra folded into herself, sobbing into the quiet.
While at the hospital, the room smelled of disinfectant. Astrid sat by Claude's bed, the machines beeping in steady indifference. She reached for his hand, her own trembling.
"Claude," she whispered. "It's me. I don't know if you can hear me, but I need to say this."
Her voice cracked. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for every time I pushed you away. For every time I pretended you didn't matter. You mattered more than anyone."
Tears slid down her cheeks. "If I hadn't been so stubborn, maybe you wouldn't be here. Maybe you'd still be laughing at me, teasing me like always."
Her grip tightened around his hand. "I thought I was strong keeping everything inside. But I was weak. And now you're paying for it."
She leaned closer, her forehead against the mattress. "Please wake up. Give me one more chance to tell you. That I love you. That I've always loved you."
The machines kept their rhythm, merciless, unchanged. Astrid's sobs filled the sterile room.
"I'll wait," she whispered through tears. "No matter how long it takes. I'll wait."
While Astrid wasn't looking a slight moment of Claude's finger touch Astrid's skin.
Back at the studio, Ellie forced her way through the next take. Her voice shook at first but steadied as she pushed through. Tristan nodded approvingly, but Ellie's eyes drifted.
Kyla stood in the shadows now, her stare softer, not teasing.
Ellie spoke her line, meant for the script but laced with truth. "I can't keep pretending. Not anymore."
Tristan raised his hand. "Cut." His brow furrowed. "That was it. Keep that."
Ellie's chest rose and fell, her eyes fixed on Kyla. For once, Kyla didn't smirk. She only held Ellie's gaze, steady and quiet, as if the line had been meant for her all along.
The cameras stopped, but the tension stayed.
"Okay let's proceed to the next scene." Tristan flicked.
"Ellie you were as good as before," Mark praised her.
Ellie was sitting beside Mark, talking, laughing, and even whispering things on eachother and Kyla saw it. The jealousy sparked again inside her. But then a voice broke her silence.
"Kyla, did I make you wait," Axel running towards her.
"Not too long to see that guy over there flirting with my baby girl," She points her finger on Ellie and Mark eating together.
"Ellie, you were flawless in that last scene," Mark said, handing her a fresh bottle of water. His smile was practiced, but his eyes lingered with a warmth that wasn't scripted.
Ellie gave a polite smile back, twisting the cap. "Thanks, Mark. You weren't bad yourself."
"Not bad?" He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "You wound me. I thought I made your heart skip."
Ellie chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Save the charm for the camera. Tristan doesn't want mistakes."
"Charm comes naturally with you," Mark murmured, stepping just close enough that she had to lean back a little.
From the sidelines, Kyla's arms folded tighter. She watched the exchange, her jaw tense, foot tapping against the studio floor.
Tristan noticed her staring and smirked but said nothing. Kyla, though, felt a fire burning under her skin. Every laugh Ellie gave Mark tightened the knot in her chest.
Axel slipped in quietly from the back entrance, adjusting the lapel of his blazer. As the series' new sponsor, he had every right to be there, but he didn't come for contracts. He came because he saw Kyla's expression.
He leaned beside her. "You look like you want to throw that camera at him."
Kyla didn't glance at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure you don't." Axel grinned. "You're jealous. And honestly, it's kind of fun to watch."
Kyla's eyes snapped to him. "Mind your business."
"I could," Axel said casually, "or I could help you. You want Ellie to feel what you're feeling, right? A little taste of jealousy?"
Kyla hesitated. "That's childish."
"Maybe," Axel admitted, leaning closer, "but it works."
Ellie laughed again at something Mark whispered. Kyla's face hardened. She turned to Axel. "Fine. What's your plan?"
"Simple," he said. "Make her notice you're not hers."
When the next break came, Ellie slipped to the side table for coffee. From across the set, she froze. Kyla was perched on Axel's lap in a casual sprawl, one arm draped over his shoulder, laughing at something he said.
Axel's hand rested lightly on her waist, his grin lazy, as if he knew he had an audience. Kyla tilted her head back, hair falling over her shoulder, eyes flicking toward Ellie for half a second before she leaned closer to Axel.
Ellie's stomach dropped. The coffee nearly spilled in her hand.
Tristan caught her expression and lifted a brow. "Focus, Ellie. You're not supposed to be jealous off-script."
Ellie snapped her gaze back to him. "I'm not."
"Sure," Tristan muttered with a smirk.
Mark appeared at her side again, oblivious. "You ready for the next run-through?"
Ellie forced a smile, though her eyes kept darting back to Kyla. "Yeah. Ready."
But when the director called "action," Ellie's voice faltered. Her co-star's lines washed over her, meaningless, because all she saw was Kyla laughing on Axel's lap.
She clenched her fists, forcing the words out, but the emotion came out raw, jagged. Tristan's eyes lit up behind the monitor.
"Cut," he called. "That was good. Keep that edge. Whatever you were thinking don't lose it."
Ellie pressed her lips tight, avoiding Kyla's eyes.
Across town, Cassandra's apartment was dim again. The fight from the night before hadn't ended, it had only paused. Now, the silence was sharp enough to cut skin.
Kira sat curled on the couch, arms around her knees. Cassandra stood at the sink, running the tap though she didn't need water.
Kira broke first. "Cass, how long are we going to keep doing this?"
Cassandra turned, her face drawn. "As long as it takes."
"As long as it takes for what? For us to break each other completely?" Kira's voice trembled.
"We've been through worse," Cassandra said quickly, like she wanted to believe it.
"Have we?" Kira's tears slipped free. "Because I don't feel loved anymore. I feel tolerated."
Cassandra's breath hitched. "Don't say that."
"Then tell me I'm wrong," Kira begged. "Look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong."
Cassandra's lips trembled, but no words came.
Kira's sob was sharp. "You can't, can you? Then what are we even holding onto?"
Cassandra stepped forward, grabbing her shoulders. "Because I don't want to lose you!"
"Then fight for me!" Kira shouted through tears. "Stop waiting for me to beg you."
They stared at each other, breaths ragged, neither moving. The distance between love and breaking was a razor's edge.
In the hospital, Astrid sat where she always did, her hand wrapped around Claude's. The steady beep of the heart monitor had become a cruel lullaby.
Her eyes were red from lack of sleep, but she refused to leave. She rubbed her thumb gently over his knuckles. "Claude, if you can hear me, please… don't give up."
She lifted her head when she felt it. The faintest twitch under her fingers. She froze, holding her breath.
"Claude?" she whispered.
His eyelids fluttered, once, then stilled. The monitor didn't change, but her heart surged.
She leaned closer, tears spilling. "I saw that. I swear I did. You're fighting. Please keep fighting."
Her forehead pressed to his hand. "I'm here. I'm not leaving you again. Not ever."
The faintest movement pulsed in his hand again, and Astrid sobbed into the quiet, her hope fragile but alive.
Back at the studio, the tension hadn't broken. Ellie delivered her next scene with fire, her eyes sharp, her voice tight. Tristan clapped once from behind the monitor.
"That's it, Ellie. That's the spark I wanted."
Mark grinned, slinging an arm lightly over Ellie's shoulders. "Told you we'd make a good team."
Ellie stiffened under his touch, her eyes flicking instinctively toward Kyla. Kyla was still on Axel's lap, though now her laughter had faded. She was watching Ellie instead, her smile gone.
Ellie swallowed hard, the script trembling in her hand.
Tristan leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing, like he saw the unspoken war no one else could name.
And for once, he didn't interrupt.