The air on the set of Shadows of the Past felt impossibly thin that morning. Despite the Manhattan sun blazing brilliantly overhead, the aura radiating from Julian Theodore Caldwell made the crew feel as if they were treading on a sheet of ice, fragile and ready to shatter at any moment.
Julian sat in his private chair, his dark sunglasses masking a piercing, predatory gaze. He had no scenes to film today, his major project with Chloe wasn't scheduled to break ground until next month. Yet, here he was, ignoring the mountains of paperwork piling up in his executive office just to sit behind the director's monitor, tracking Scarlett's every move.
"Action!" shouted Director Han.
In front of the lens, Scarlett was immersed in a pivotal scene. Sean, with his practiced, manipulative charm, pulled her into a tight embrace. His arms coiled around her waist as he leaned in, whispering lines of devotion directly into her ear.
