I passed Mr. Idris’s test and officially joined the crew; but Aiden, of course, didn’t trust me to be there alone. He insisted on staying with me. “Aiden, aren’t you hot standing out there in the sun?” We were filming at an artificial beach that day, and the heat was brutal. Aiden stood tall and lean under the blazing sun; somehow, his usual striking look carried a hint of pitiful vulnerability in that light. With temperatures pushing nearly a hundred degrees, even I was starting to feel it. “I’m fine. I want to watch you film.” Aiden refused flatly. I had no choice but to let him be. Not long after, we started on a new scene—one that called for my character to kiss the male actor who had a crush on the supporting female lead. I slipped into character quickly; emotions welling, I was just about to lean in when Aiden suddenly strode over and yanked me away. Everyone on set froze. So did I. “Aiden, what are you doing?” His expression didn’t waver. “No kissing scenes.” I let out an exasperated sigh. “But it’s just acting; it’s not real.” “No.” His eyes locked on the actor I was about to kiss, sharp and hostile. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Mr. Idris looking as if he was on the verge of a meltdown. “What if we fake it? Just shoot it from an angle,” I suggested, trying to negotiate. Aiden’s voice turned even colder. “No.” “Then what do you suggest? There are twenty-three kissing scenes from now till the end. Do you plan on cutting them all?” I was beyond speechless. He’d been the one to push me into joining the cast, and now here he was, sabotaging the shoot.“Cut them all,” Aiden said, unyielding. I thought Mr. Idris was about to pass out. “But Mr. Aiden, this is a sweet, lighthearted campus drama. If we take out every intimate moment, no one’s going to watch it!” Aiden dropped his gaze, a flicker of something—conflict, maybe—passing through his eyes. “I’ll take his place,” he said. Aiden was acting? This time, not only Mr. Idris but even I was stunned. Then I burst out laughing. “You? Acting? Don’t joke like that!” “What’s so funny?” Aiden looked at me, completely serious. I stopped laughing and stared back at him. “You can’t just swap out an actor on a whim. Mr. Idris—” “I invested a hundred million in this drama,” Aiden cut me off smoothly. “Pretty sure that gives me the right to join the cast.” Mr. Idris, who had been looking utterly miserable a moment ago, lit up like a Christmas tree. “Of course, of course! If Mr. Aiden wants to act, we’ll make it work. It’s just…” Aiden arched a brow. “Just what?” “It’s just… we only have the third male lead role open. I don’t know if Mr. Aiden would be okay with that…” Aiden’s brows relaxed. “That’s fine.” I stared at him, utterly speechless. The man’s control issues were next-level. Since it was a campus romance drama, Aiden had to swap his usual tailored suits for the blue-and-white school uniform. The moment he walked out in that uniform, looking effortlessly youthful, it was game over. He completely outshone Adam. Even Mr. Idris looked a little regretful. “Mr. Aiden, maybe you should play the male lead instead. Your presence completely overshadows Adam, and that could affect the dynamic.” Aiden shot him a sharp look. “Is Raelyn the female lead?” Mr. Idris hesitated. “No…”“Then don’t ask me again.” After getting brushed off like that, Mr. Idris turned to me. “Ms. Beck, if both your and Mr. Aiden’s presence overshadow the original leads, the dynamic of the show might suffer.” I gave him a thin smile. “It shouldn’t be a problem. The whole hook of this show is the couple; no one cares if the original leads get sidelined. Besides, who exactly are we competing with?” With no other choice, Mr. Idris reluctantly let us continue shooting. Filming with an actual couple was smooth sailing; especially during the kissing scenes. Every single one of the twenty-three kisses, Aiden delivered with deliberate, unhurried precision; the way he kissed me had everyone around us blushing furiously. The final scene was set in an old castle. Since the crew didn’t have a location like that, we had no choice but to borrow a set from "The Wolf’s Call" team. “They’re not going to agree to it,” Mr. Idris muttered nervously. “Not after the fight last time.” I narrowed my eyes. “Geraldine’s in the hospital now. Their crew isn’t even filming; why should they get to hog a public location?” Mr. Idris shifted uncomfortably. “Because technically, they rented it first. It’s not ours.” “It’s fine. I’ll handle it.” I flexed my wrist, a slow smile curling my lips. “Besides, no one’s apologized for what happened last time.” Aiden fixed his gaze on me. “You’re looking for trouble again?” Tammy, on the other hand, looked thrilled. “I’m coming with you, Raelyn! The two of us together—unstoppable!” Adrian promptly hooked a finger through the back of her collar and hauled her back. “Tammy, what exactly are you trying to do?” “Adrian, if you keep treating me like this, I’ll break up with you!” Adrian let out a sharp laugh. “I never agreed to be with you in the first place. You’re dreaming.” Tammy’s eyes went wide. “You liar!” “You didn’t seriously think we were together, did you?” Adrian stared at her in disbelief. “No wonder everyone in the crew’s been whispering and pointing at me. Turns out you’ve been spreading rumors?” His laughter turned sharp and dangerous as he reached out and pinched her cheeks. Tammy pouted, her voice small and aggrieved. “I just like you, okay? I thought you meant it when you said that last time.”