Once Sarah Lee finished directing the filming of Yuri and Shawn, she spent some time reviewing the edited footage. Reviewing the footage that had been recorded so far, she was pleased with the chemistry and the acting that she saw.
Although Shawn and Rio were not professional actors like Yuri and Valentina. They had done passably well, and nothing looked out of place.
She was especially pleased with Valentina. When she had first seen the girl, although she thought she was beautiful, she wasn't expecting a lot from her even though her friend Director Cranston had recommended her. The girl had a pleasant enough personality and seemed to be focused on work. She hadn't lost any professionalism when interacting with Shawn and even Rio.
When she had first seen her in full costume, she was fully entranced. With blond hair and a completely white outfit, she believed she had seen an angel on earth. Her expression was soft but firm and she gave off an ethereal aura as if she was from a different plane. Sarah Lee even swore that she could see wings behind her.
Valentina had executed every scene perfectly with no notes, and as she reviewed the footage, she found herself drawn to scenes with her in them. And watching the scenes she had filmed with Rio; she could see the chemistry and emotional tension between them. An angel who willingly corrupted herself and a demon unaware of his feelings who would sacrifice everything to save her. The ultimate love story.
It was hard to believe that this was a girl with bad rumors about her and almost zero acting experience. Compared to Yuri who was a bit more well-known, Valentina had something that just attracted people. It was something intangible that separated good actors from the truly great ones.
Sarah Lee nodded to herself in satisfaction. Cranston had discovered a gem and she just knew her film would surprise everyone.
Thinking that enough time had passed, she decided to go check on her actors.
First, she went to check on Rio in his private dressing room but realized he wasn't there. She then went by the women's dressing area. Yuri was still in the process of costume removal, but Valentina wasn't there either.
Confused, Sarah Lee went to find a staff member to ask where the two were. Although she had complete trust in Rio, it was a bit curious that the two of them couldn't be found. Additionally, he seemed to be moderately interested in Valentina. It didn't take much for rumors to start between a handsome man and a beautiful woman. She wanted to protect the integrity of the people working for her.
"Director!" a voice called out.
Turning, Sarah Lee saw that it was the coordinator Gia running towards her.
"What's wrong?" Sarah Lee asked her.
"Director, I've been looking for you. Uhm I have something to show you and I'm not sure what to do." Gia confessed.
Sarah Lee was confused but she gestured for Gia to lead the way.
Gia led her to a remote corner where a partition screen had been placed around a sofa.
Immediately wary, Sarah Lee turned to look at Gia for clarification.
The woman gestured for her to be silent and quickly led her to the sofa for a clearer look.
It was Rio and Valentina taking a nap on the couch. Which wouldn't be a problem except that Valentina was lying on his chest while his arm was around her.
No matter how she looked at it, this was an intimate position.
Did these two know each other?
Sarah Lee started going through the two's interactions these past couple of days. Rio expressed approval of her, sitting next to her, removing her shoes, him carrying her, Valentina's casual way of treating him, the chemistry on film.
!!!!!!!!!!!!
Were they dating???
"Uhmm director? What should I do?" Gia whispered.
"First good job blocking it off." Sarah Lee told her coordinator with her thumbs up.
"Just let them sleep and continue to keep people away from them. Better yet go get me a camera let me record this. This is great behind-the-scenes footage."
The coordinator just looked at her in confusion, but Sarah Lee shooed her away.
Sarah Lee wasn't a director who believed artists should put their love lives on hold for their careers. It tended to cause a buildup of frustration and usually led to reckless actions. Everything should be done in moderation.
Pulling out her cell phone, she leaned over the two and took a couple of pictures and a video.
If she didn't know any better she would have thought it was a planned shot.
Rio was lying on his back in his standard all-black outfit with one hand behind his head. His dark hair gently fell on his forehead while his long lashes cast shadows on his high cheekbones. His generally stoic expression had softened while he slept.
In contrast, Valentina's blond hair was splayed all around her and draped on his chest and body. Her small face was resting on his chest while one arm held onto his shirt in a tight grip. Her body was tucked against him firmly as he held her and the contrast of her white clothing and blond hair with Rio's darkness really was like
an innocent angel and a demon resting together.
Valentina's face was flushed pink, and her cherry lips were slightly open, while her long curly lashes quivered as she moved around a little bit as if she was uncomfortable. Before Valentina could move too much, Rio's hand that was wrapped around her shoulders patted her back until she settled down again with a sigh.
Looking at the romantic scene in front of her convinced Sarah Lee that the two were definitely dating. Look, it was a stoic demonic man comforting his sweet angelic girlfriend.
It was a secret that only a few people knew, but Sarah Lee was a secret die-hard romantic at heart. From rom coms to romantic fantasy, to even fanfiction. She was a fiendish consumer of all things romance. Anytime she saw romance, she immediately lost her head and was engrossed in capturing the moment.
Lost in her own delusions, Sarah Lee continued taking more pictures and videos until she noticed that Rio's eyes were open and staring at her coldly.