Sweetheart, Do You Still Love Me

In his office at Damoria, Hank sat on the leather couch, his eyes skimming the headlines of Damoria News. As he read, a subtle crease formed on his brow.

Meanwhile, his assistant, Noel, had grown accustomed to such moments, yet a touch of unease still lingered as he observed Hank's reaction. "Should we take down this news, Mr. Damazio?"

How can this keep happening? The future Mrs. Damazio has already made the headlines for the 38th time this month. Last time, she was captured blowing a kiss to a male actor on the set, igniting a significant controversy. The time before that, she teased the new hot actor, only to be attacked by his legion of fans, and the time before that… However, as Noel stared at the sensational headline that read 'Passionate Kiss' in the newspaper, he felt like he was about to lose his balance.

"We've already taken down so many for her before, so let her handle this one herself," Hank remarked, his exasperation evident as he massaged his temples.

While observing his boss' unexpected calm, Noel plucked up the courage to ask, "Mr. Damazio, why aren't you furious despite all these incidents?"

"Because these are nothing but her tricks to provoke me."

Her tricks to provoke you? Sweat rolled down Noel's forehead at the thought. Why do I feel it's nothing like that? "So, are you still planning to ask Miss Sullivan for dinner tonight?"

Hank's gaze turned cold, and he responded, "Yes, why not?"

…

Thirty minutes later, Yelena glanced at her phone and sighed. The message was as predictable as ever, and a faint pout formed on her lips. Seriously, the same question every single day? Doesn't he realize how monotonous this is getting?

'No. I'm not interested in having dinner with you.'

After typing these words, she decisively turned off her phone and threw it into her bag.

Then, she raised her head and looked at Kyle Palmer, the newly crowned best actor, gazing at her with wide eyes. She playfully curved her lips into a sly smile and asked, "Kyle, can you do me a favor?"

Kyle gazed at Yelena as his anxiety made him swallow hard. "What favor can I do for you? Oh, by the way, the director asked me to come over and discuss it with you. It seems the scene we just shot didn't quite hit the mark, so they're thinking of reshooting it."

Immediately, she wailed, "Why? Weren't we told that the scene was okay? I was going to have dinner with my babe."

"It's mainly about the positioned kiss. The director mentioned you were a bit too distant," he explained as he scratched his head with a slightly helpless look.

Yelena let out a deep sigh in response. "Well, if that's the issue, why don't we make it more genuine this time?"

"Huh?" Kyle was taken aback upon hearing this. "The director mentioned that the positioned kiss was sufficient, so we don't need to kiss for real."

"I get that, but nailing the perfect distance with positioned kisses can be tricky. A real kiss, just for a moment, might solve the problem. It's not like it's a big deal."

However, his cheeks reddened, and he tried to find excuses to avoid the situation. "Maybe we should focus on perfecting our positioning first. I'll do my best to nail that aspect. Moreover, we don't have to keep reshooting like this."

"What's wrong?" Puzzled, she looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze. "Do you have an issue with me? Kyle, I think there's something wrong with you. You seem perfectly at ease kissing your co-stars naturally during filming, but when it comes to me, you always insist on precise positioning."

Someone who has been crowned the best actor can't possibly be a timid novice, but his reaction seems as if he's averse to kissing me. As Yelena pondered, she let out a faint snort. "If you genuinely have reservations about me, let's talk to the director and cancel this scene."

"No, that's not what I meant. I'm just saying…" Kyle's hand moved in a dismissive gesture, but his words faltered.

"Since that's not what you meant, let's nail this scene properly." Suddenly, she stood up and grabbed his collar before walking toward the camera crew. "You have to kiss for real this time, whether you want to or not. Let's finish this quickly. I want to get off work."

When the director saw her drag Kyle over, he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Alright, in this scene, the two of you must convey a profound affection, especially you, Yelena. When you kiss, close your eyes and focus on the emotion. Don't fixate on his face, or the authenticity will be lost."

"Yeah, got it," Yelena responded nonchalantly.

Then, the director turned around to look at Kyle behind him. "And you, you need to calm your nerves while acting."

After a nod, Kyle's face displayed indescribable embarrassment. "I understand, director. I'll do my best to fully immerse myself in the scene."

"Alright, let's give it another take."

The two of them quickly got into position. However, Yelena seemed to be testing Kyle's composure purposefully by edging closer. The subtle fragrance of her perfume enveloped his senses, momentarily leaving him a bit bewildered.