CHAPTER 24: CHAPTER 24: SLAPPING ARIANA LYNCH

It really does resemble... how I looked back then!

Originally, Quinn Lockwood’s acting skills were quite poor, but at that moment, seeing that deceitful and hateful face of Ariana Lynch, her delicate face instantly turned incredibly sinister.

"Why? Ha... When I asked you why you betrayed me back then, you looked just like you do now! But did you ever show me an ounce of mercy?"

Ariana Lynch shook her head in pain: "No, it was all a misunderstanding, listen to me explain..."

"Enough!"

Quinn Lockwood’s sharp reprimand carried a cutting hostility, making Ariana Lynch’s body tremble in shock, wondering when Savannah Lowell had become such a good actress!

Even the director, who initially held little hope and thought it was good enough, was equally astonished.

At that moment, Savannah Lowell perfectly embodied the character he had envisioned!

The director’s expression turned serious, and even those around cast unbelieving glances, stunned by the overwhelming hatred from Quinn Lockwood.

"Misunderstanding? I saw with my own eyes you in bed with my man! You caused my mother’s tragic death! And in the end, you were even vicious enough to try and eliminate me as well! How about now? Living under my identity with a life no less than mine, aren’t you afraid that those you killed might come for you at night to claim their lives?"

Quinn Lockwood spoke every word in blood, unleashing the resentments buried in her heart uncontrollably.

But the director did not call cut, even though this was not in the script, he was completely captivated by Savannah Lowell’s realistic performance.

It took him a long moment to come back to his senses and realize that Savannah Lowell was not speaking the lines from the script, so he quickly stopped her, but his attitude was much more appreciative: "Savannah, your performance was excellent, emotions were spot on, but the lines were a bit off."

Quinn Lockwood lowered her eyes upon hearing this, covering the redness within: "I’m sorry, director, I remembered wrong, these are lines I found on the internet while practicing last night, I lost control and accidentally spoke them."

This single statement expressed her apology and also revealed to the director how hardworking she was in private, leaving no room for criticism.

Lying on the ground, Ariana Lynch remained in that position because with her back to everyone except Quinn Lockwood, no one could see her expression.

Ariana Lynch’s face was ashen, seemingly recalled something, her hands clenched tightly on the floor, even her shoulders trembled visibly.

Quinn Lockwood deliberately squatted down, pretending to be concerned: "Ariana, what’s wrong? You look unwell."

Ariana Lynch looked at her in shock, but inside she was in turmoil.

This Savannah Lowell, how could she...

Those words she just said, about killing her mother, even assuming her identity, they all sounded so much like what happened with that dead woman!

Could it be...

No... It couldn’t be, no one knows about that incident, and she’s already dead!

Ariana Lynch stared intensely at Quinn Lockwood, as if trying to confirm something, but the person before her had a completely different face from that woman, and she did say she found those lines on the internet, was this really the case?

Other sycophantic staff and supporting actors, seeing Ariana Lynch not getting up for a long time, came to check on her, and she quickly hid her emotions, forcing a smile: "Nothing, I just feel a bit unwell, it’s nothing..."

The director finally said: "It’s all good then, let’s continue."

Because that previous scene was great, the director feared reshooting might not capture that feeling again, given the tight schedule, he decided to move forward, intending to add dubbing later.

The next scene involved Quinn Lockwood mistreating Ariana Lynch, slapping and nearly drowning her.

Being a close-up scene, a body double wasn’t feasible, so the director arranged for them to cooperate well, even with fake movements, but Quinn Lockwood, having caught such a chance for revenge, wouldn’t let it go.

She intentionally acted out of sync with Ariana Lynch, either a beat early or late, causing the director to grow anxious after several takes.

Seeing the sweat on Ariana Lynch’s forehead, Quinn Lockwood suddenly said: "Director, it’s my fault, I couldn’t sync properly, but I was afraid of accidentally hitting Ariana, so..."

She spoke with such grievance, acting totally as if for Ariana Lynch’s sake, leaving the director in a dilemma, wanting real strikes, yet fearing Ariana Lynch’s father.

Ariana Lynch watched Quinn Lockwood’s innocent side profile and felt her anger rising, but with so many people watching, she held it in.

To maintain her image, she bit the bullet: "Why not let go, Savannah, it’s okay if you hit me, after all, it’s basic professionalism for actors."

Quinn Lockwood looked grateful: "Really? Thank you, Ariana!"

The director rejoiced immediately: "Let’s start then!"

As the clapperboard sounded, Quinn Lockwood suddenly smiled strangely, stretched out her hand, and with a loud slap, hit Ariana Lynch solidly on her face!

Ariana Lynch looked at her in disbelief, even forgetting her lines, but Quinn Lockwood didn’t give her a chance, delivering several more harsh, precise slaps, then grabbed her hair and dunked her into a nearby basin.

Ariana Lynch struggled hard, swallowing several mouthfuls of water, bringing the director out of his shock, but he had to admit that the scene just performed was truly outstanding!

To prevent any incident with Ariana Lynch, he quickly called cut.

"Cough cough... Savannah, you did it on purpose!"

Quinn Lockwood looked bewildered at the drenched, furious Ariana Lynch, saying: "Didn’t you say I could let go? I’m sorry, Ariana, I didn’t know you were just saying it, I thought..."

What Ariana had said was so firm, yet now she was at a loss for words.

She previously assumed Savannah Lowell wouldn’t dare hit her! Who would’ve thought...

Biting back her rage, Ariana Lynch wished she could devour Quinn Lockwood whole, but with so many people present, she clutched the wet hem of her garment tightly at her side: "No problem... you acted really well!"

While the director was very pleased with Savannah Lowell’s unexpectedly superb performance today, he could also see Ariana Lynch’s dissatisfaction, so he didn’t dwell on it, moving on to the next scene.

But surprisingly, this Savannah Lowell seemed to revert to her previous inattentive state, her acting even worse than before.

The director spoke with her several times, but Quinn Lockwood wasn’t the least bothered, as today she was elated beyond words!

She discreetly glanced up at Ariana Lynch, who was resting, and her pink lips curled slightly.

Ariana Lynch, we’re only just beginning!