Chapter 174
The sun sank toward the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant shades of red and gold.
Lexi got out of the car and waved goodbye to Dominic. But when she reached her apartment building and went upstairs, she found Lila standing outside her door with an unusually serious expression.
Lexi’s heart sank.
She hurried over, took out her keys, and spoke softly.
“Whatever you have to say, let’s go inside and talk p>
Lila followed Lexi into the apartment and watched as she changed her shoes.
“Are you going back to the set to film tomorrow?” she asked, her tone cool and detached.
Lexi nodded casually. “Just make the arrangements as you see fit p>
Seeing how indifferent Lexi seemed, Lila felt a surge of anger well up inside her.
Lexi had returned to America without telling her. She had even hidden her broken leg from her.
Was it because Lila was close friends with Sebastian and had helped him deceive Lexi once that Lexi no longer trusted her?
The thought sent a chill down Lila’s spine.
Lexi was stubborn and never hid her likes or dislikes. Those were admirable qualities.
But that kind of personality wasn’t particularly suited to surviving in the entertainment industry.
“Do you even understand the situation you’re in right now p>
Lila leaned against the doorframe, her gaze serious as she studied Lexi.
Lexi smiled faintly. Of course she understood that things weren’t looking good for her.
She’d been away for so long that all the good opportunities had already been snapped up. On top of that, she’d spent weeks recovering from her fracture, practically disappearing from public view.
By now, her audience and fans had probably forgotten she existed.
“I don’t know what happened between you and Sebastian while you were abroad, and honestly, I don’t need to know. You’re my signed artist, and I have a responsibility to help you go further and reach greater heights in this industry. That’s why I hope you’ll p>
Before Lila could finish, Lexi interrupted her.
A faint smile played on Lexi’s lips as she met Lila’s stern, icy gaze.
“From the moment I decided to enter this industry, I never once considered giving up. Don’t worry. I’ll take every role seriously and give every scene my best. I intend to become a real actress p>
As she spoke, Lexi raised the script in her hand. Confidence radiated from her face, and even Lila, who was notoriously difficult to persuade, found herself gradually drawn in by it.
Perhaps Lexi simply had that kind of power.
Lila smiled slightly. Looking at Lexi now, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
Her gaze drifted toward the coffee table in the living room. She noticed the assortment of nutritional supplements piled on top and frowned.
“Lisa came to see you p>
Lexi had been reading her script. At the question, she looked up and glanced at the colorful assortment of supplements stacked on the table.
“Yes. She stopped by, told me a little about Carterna, and then left. There’s no way I can finish all this. Why don’t you take a few boxes home p>
Lila let out a long sigh before sitting down opposite her.
“Don’t concern yourself with Carterna. After starring in that kind of film, she’ll never be able to shake the label of an erotic-film actress. Now that Lauren has withdrawn from acting, a lot of the best opportunities have fallen into Carterna and Lisa’s hands. Competition between those two is inevitable p>
She paused, her expression growing more serious.
“Be careful. Don’t let Lisa use you p>
The smile gradually disappeared from Lexi’s face. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the script, and she struggled to respond.
“Lisa wouldn’t do something like that. She’s not interested in fighting to become the queen of the entertainment industry. The person she cares about is Logan p>
Because of Logan, Lisa had always been at odds with Lexi. But their clashes had never amounted to anything serious.
If Lisa really intended to use Lexi to deal with Carterna, that would be a frightening prospect indeed.
“How many relationships in the entertainment industry are genuine? And how many actually last?” Lila asked bluntly. “Even if a few do, they’re the exception, not the rule. Besides, Lisa and Logan are both young, and their careers have only just begun to gain momentum. If they want to stay ahead of everyone else, they have to be one step ahead of the competition p>
Her jaw was tense, and she emphasized every word.
Having spent so many years in the entertainment industry, Lila naturally had a better understanding of people than Lexi did.
The industry was full of traps. They couldn’t afford to let their guard down.
Still, Lexi wanted to believe that genuine affection existed in the world.
After all, Lisa had once rejected Lauren’s offer to join forces against her.
Lexi was grateful for that, and she couldn’t simply dismiss Lisa’s character based on speculation.
Lila had no proof. Her concerns were only assumptions, and Lexi wasn’t prepared to believe the worst without evidence.
Time would tell.
Time was the fairest judge in the world. Eventually, it would reveal the truth and give Lexi the answer she needed.
After taking a little time to get herself back on track, Lexi returned to the set.
The other actors had already finished filming their scenes. Only the scenes between Lexi and Logan remained.
Most of them were romantic scenes.
Lexi had her makeup done and changed into her costume.
She waited for nearly an hour before Logan finally arrived at the set with his assistant.
He seemed unchanged.
In front of fans and audiences, he was always smiling and approachable, making everyone feel as though they were old friends.
Behind the scenes, however, he was cold and distant, keeping everyone at arm’s length.
Lexi disliked people who arrived late, especially someone as difficult to read as Logan. She had no idea when he’d started acting like such a diva.
“I heard you were sick. Is that why you haven’t been able to film for so long?” Logan asked quietly after finishing his costume and makeup.
Lexi’s heart skipped a beat.
“Yes. I needed some time to recover, so filming was delayed. I’m better now, though, which is why I’ve come back as quickly as possible p>
So Lila had handled everything with the production team by telling them Lexi was on medical leave.
She really had thought of everything.
“Oh?” Logan raised an eyebrow and gave her a sidelong glance. His tone was laced with sarcasm. “Then the woman I saw in Paris must have been Carterna, not you p>
In fact, not long after Lexi had gone to Paris, Logan received an invitation to shoot a photo collection there.
While sitting in his chauffeured van on a Parisian street, he’d seen Sebastian riding past on a bicycle with Lexi sitting behind him.
For a moment, he’d genuinely thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Determined to make sure he’d seen correctly, he’d deliberately postponed his shoot and secretly followed Sebastian and Lexi.
Watching them together, looking like a couple straight out of a fairy tale, had filled him with jealousy.
It wrapped around his throat like a venomous snake, squeezing until he could barely breathe.
He’d finally made up his mind.