The past few weeks had been a whirlwind—most of my time consumed by preparations for the screening. Thankfully, I was close with the directors, so I wasn't too anxious about which scenes needed to be kept or which ones we had to cut.
"Are you keeping this scene?" Catherine asked, pointing at the page in front of her.
The table was covered with piles and piles of papers—we were deep in review mode. I adjusted my reading glasses as I leaned in to see what she was referring to.
I blinked a few times when I saw which scene it was.
"Actually, that's a good one. Looks like it's something the viewers are really looking forward to," Aries chimed in.
Catherine and I both turned to look at him—he was busy typing away on his laptop. He was in charge of monitoring all the scenes that had gained traction online, especially those my readers loved most. For this adaptation, it wasn't just about what we liked or what the budget allowed—we were also considering the readers' wishes.
"It got a lot of likes and comments—look," he said, turning the screen toward us.
'What are we, Emillio? Sometimes I feel like you love me… that I matter to you. But most of the time… most of the time, I feel like you just want me around because I'm already here. And you've grown used to having me beside you.'
That was the highlighted line in the post. I sighed and looked back at them.
"Of course it's included. That's the scene where Emillio confesses."
I quickly tried to push aside the memory that threatened to resurface. Focus, Azaleiah. Focus.
"Uhuh, and it's also where their first kiss happens—"
I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up abruptly, surprising both of them. My cheeks felt flushed.
"I-I'm just going to grab something to drink," I mumbled, leaving the table. I could feel their eyes following me, but I didn't bother looking back.
I headed to the small kitchenette in the corner. This place was actually my studio—it was quiet and private, so we decided to work here instead.
I bit my lip and shut my eyes tightly."Breathe… it's been six years. Breathe," I whispered to myself.
When I returned to the living room, I was instantly met with an awkward silence. I didn't know why, but the air felt colder. The two of them were quietly reviewing papers, barely saying a word. Was it really because of work?
And then it hit me—I almost smacked my forehead. Right. These two used to date… and now they're director and co-director. Oh, the irony.
"So what if they were?" a voice inside my head asked.
I shook off the thought. The casting hadn't even started yet, and I was already irritated by Emillio. Even though Catherine had helped ease my nerves a little, I still didn't feel fully at ease.
I knew him too well. When he wants something, he'll do whatever it takes to get it.
"Hey, come over here—quick. Look at this chapter."
I walked over and placed my juice beside her before sitting down to see what she was pointing at.
My eyes widened the moment I read it. How could I forget that I actually wrote this scene?!
"Don't include that!" I blurted out.
Both of them looked at me, startled by my outburst.
"Let's… let's not use that one. It's… too cheesy," I said, turning away.
"But this is the female lead's confession—"
"I can just rewrite that part, right? I'll do it. It's just… too cringey," I reasoned, quickly grabbing my glass and taking a long sip to avoid their scrutinizing stares.
"No, no, no." Catherine shook her head."Didn't you say you wouldn't rewrite any scenes? You said it might confuse the readers—so we can't."
And just like that, my will crumbled. She was right. I had promised that unless absolutely necessary, I wouldn't rewrite scenes for the adaptation. We could add new ones—but not cut or rewrite, so readers wouldn't get lost watching the series.
"Fine, fine," I gave in.
"Let's keep it."
It's not like it'll cost me anything to keep it in... right?
We didn't finish cutting scenes or reviewing chapters—there were just too many. I'll admit it—the novel had almost 100 chapters, and there were far too many to sift through in one sitting.
"Let's call it a day," Catherine said as she stood, gathering the papers around her.
I stretched my arms and glanced across the table. I looked over at Catherine—she caught my eye, and I nodded toward Aries.
She looked confused until she followed my gaze.
"Oh wow, he's fast asleep," she muttered in annoyance.
I chuckled and turned to see Nathan slumped over the table, snoring softly. He really could fall asleep anywhere, anytime.
"You two go ahead. I'll clean up here," I smiled, waving her off."Wake him up, will you?" I added.
She sighed and poked his shoulder."You'll need to shake him. That won't be enough," I said, gathering the cups from the table and bringing them to the sink.
When I returned, Aries was finally awake—but something was different. Catherine was grinning from ear to ear, while Aries looked ruffled and a little grumpy.
"What happened?" I whispered to her as I approached.
"I shook him," she whispered back, grinning mischievously.
I rolled my eyes. We both watched as Aries shut down his laptop and gave us a look before heading out.
Catherine and I burst out laughing."He's such a sore loser," she said, still giggling.
"What did you do to him?" I asked, laughing along.
She simply shrugged."Nothing serious."
Still chuckling, I walked her to the door where Aries was waiting—arms crossed and clearly still sulking.
"In a bad mood, huh?" I teased.
Aries shot me a glare—but it disappeared the moment Catherine looked at him. Like magic, he was soft again—like a puppy around her.
"You two take care, okay? No arguing on the way home," I reminded them.
"You're not coming with us?" Aries asked.
I shook my head."No, I'm staying here a bit longer. Hey, drive safe, alright? Don't speed," I said, turning to Catherine."And you, be good—don't make him drop you off at the wrong stop," I teased, gently pinching her side.
"Ay ay, maám!" Aries chimed in mockingly.
I laughed and watched them get into the car, waving as they disappeared from view.
The silence that followed wrapped around me—and that's exactly what I loved most about this place. I went back inside the studio and began compiling all the papers on the table.
Exhausted, I slumped onto the couch. I figured I'd just sleep here tonight—going home would be too much of a hassle with everything I had to juggle. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the couch—letting myself float for a moment.
This peace… it felt so good. But I couldn't help fearing that in the coming days, it would all be shattered—by him.
I exhaled heavily and shut my eyes, but found myself glancing at the box beneath the drawer. My eyes narrowed slightly, and before I knew it, I stood up and reached for it.
I placed the box on the table, covering my nose as I brushed off the dust from the top.
When I opened it, I was greeted by a pile of old papers—story drafts I once considered adding to the book, but never did. They remained as they were—unpublished, untouched.
I picked up a stack and returned to the couch—lying down with my head on the armrest, my legs stretched out across the seat. That was always my favorite reading position.
"Hmm… let's see..." I muttered as I flipped through the pages. Some I skimmed, others I read carefully—looking for anything that might be worth adding to the adaptation.
I wasn't going to take anything away—just maybe add something new. That wouldn't alter the story.
I yawned as I reached the halfway mark—none of it had really caught my attention so far. I was about to stop.
But then… I sat up straighter.
I found the page.