With that simple affirmation, Balfour sprawled out on the bed and soon drifted into a rare comfortable slumber.
This particular night, Balfour found the elusive embrace of restful sleep.
Ivy waited for Balfourâs breathing to even out, signaling he was asleep, before she quietly lay beside him, eventually succumbing to her drowsiness.
The next morning, Balfour was already off to the office.
Ivy gazed at the empty space beside her, lost in thought, then quickly freshened up and headed out the door. Today, she had a photo shoot for the costume fitting of âBallad of Valor.â
The production had hired the best styling team in the business, and they already had some looks prepared for Ivy.
Thanks to the prep work, the fitting went by swiftly.
Since it was a still photo shoot with no need for an emotional range, Ivy found the process relatively smooth.
A week later, âBallad of Valorâ officially started filming.
As the lead actress, Ivy got up at the crack of dawn on the first day of shooting. After getting through hair and makeup, she showed up on set.
âI knew it, youâre the perfect fit for âBallad of Valor,â Colton said, eyeing her transformation with sheer satisfaction.
When Ivy walked onto the set, Colton felt like the heroine had stepped right out of the script.
Following the crewâs cues, the kick-off was formal, and Ivy felt the responsibilityâs weight settle on her shoulders.
The film was a vessel of hope and hard work, carrying the expectations of many.
As the face of the production, Ivy feared she might not live up to the hype.
However, as is often the case, anxiety only breeds mistakes. Once filming officially commenced, Ivy could not even nail the most straightforward entrance scene. Take after take was flubbed, leaving even the director, Colton, at his witsâ end.
âIvy, are you too tense?â He asked.
Embarrassed by the delays she was causing, Ivy apologized.
âIâm sorry, Director. Itâs my first time acting, and Iâm justâ¦really nervous in front of the camera.â
âDonât worry about it. I told you before, no need to be nervous. Letâs take a half-hour break. Relax a bit, and weâll start again. Youâll be fine,â Colton reassured her with a pat on the shoulder before heading toward the break area.
Despite Coltonâs lack of blame, Ivy knew the slow progress was on her.
The other actors had been ready since early morning, fully made up and waiting to film their scenes.
But they all had to wait because Ivyâs scene was not wrapped up yet.
Feeling defeated, Ivy wondered if she was really cut out for acting or if taking this role for the money was a mistake.
âHey, everyone, you must be exhausted, right? How about some iced lattes?â
âI was just shooting nearby and thought Iâd swing by to check on everyone and see Colton!â
Just as Ivy hit her lowest point, as if cursed by bad luck, Giselle appeared.