As Emily stood on the set, completely absorbed in the scene and the energy of work, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She glanced at it quickly, a smile forming as she saw Matthew's name on the screen. It was a photo he had just sent her, showing his immaculate office at Lancaster Corp, with his desk tidy and his computer open. He was focused, as always, on his business, but it seemed like he wanted to share a moment with her.
The caption was simple: "Great work today. See you later." He accompanied the message with a smiley face and a heart.
Emily, without hesitation, smiled and quickly responded with her own affectionate touch. "Good work, love."
She couldn't help the smile that widened as she stared at her phone screen. The world around her seemed to disappear for a moment. She was completely immersed in the exchange with Matthew, and the lightness of his gesture, something as simple as a message, brought an unexpected warmth to her heart.
She put her cell phone in her pocket and, for a moment, the recordings, Artur's looks, and even the tension of the scene she had just filmed disappeared from her mind. Instead, she felt connected to him in a way that few things on set could do. The work continued, but now she had a genuine smile on her face, fueled by a moment of simple and sincere affection.
Emily sighed, forgetting for a brief moment the busy world around her, feeling closer to Matthew, even if from a distance.
Gabriela entered the set with her usual confident smile, her attentive gaze taking in everything around her as she walked towards Emily. It was an unexpected visit, but something she knew Emily would appreciate. They greeted each other with a quick hug and an exchange of smiles. Gabriela was always excited about Emily's projects, and the new phase of the actress's singing career was especially exciting for her.
"Hey, how's filming going?" Gabriela asked, fixing a strand of her hair, curious about the progress of the work.
Emily smiled, but a gleam of excitement appeared in her eyes when she talked about the new songs. "They're going well, but you know, that's not what I want to talk about. I brought something for you." Emily took the flash drive from her bag and handed it to Gabriela. "Here are the new songs, all finished. All we need now is to schedule a day at the production company to record."
Gabriela looked at the flash drive with excitement, her eyes shining. "I've been waiting for this! These releases are going to be amazing, Emily. The songs are incredible, I'm sure they'll become huge hits. Let's schedule everything as soon as possible, you deserve the best release."
"I trust you with all of this," Emily replied with a smile, relieved to have Gabriela by her side, taking care of the strategic part of her music career. "I just want to do something that really connects with people."
Gabriela nodded, feeling the excitement growing inside her. "Let's set a date for the recording, and soon we'll have everything ready for the release. People won't know what hit them!"
The two looked at each other, both feeling the same contagious energy.
The director interrupted the conversation between Emily and Gabriela, calling the actress back to the set. "Emily, we're ready for the next scene. Please!" The director's authoritative tone left no room for refusal. Emily sighed, reluctantly, and walked away from Gabriela with a quick goodbye smile.
As she headed to her position on the set, Emily couldn't help but notice, once again, the discreet and persistent glances of Artur Mars, the actor who played Léo. He was focused on work, but whenever he had the opportunity, his eyes would go to Emily. It was something she had been noticing in the last few days, and honestly, it was starting to bother her.
The chemistry between the characters was intense, but Artur was crossing boundaries in an unwanted way. Emily took a deep breath, trying to stay focused on the scene. She knew that her professionalism was the most important thing, but inside, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
When she finally got home later that day after a long day of filming, Emily collapsed on the couch, exhausted, and couldn't hold back her outburst. "Matthew, you're not going to believe this…" She turned to him, seeking comfort in the familiarity of his presence. "Arthur… he keeps looking at me during filming. I know he's just trying to be professional, but it's uncomfortable. I don't know what else to do."
Matthew, who was sitting at the table with his work papers, looked up at her, listening intently. He walked over, setting the papers aside, and wrapped her in a comforting hug. "I know this must be hard to deal with, love," he murmured, stroking her hair. "But you're doing a great job. Just ignore it. You have more to offer than he can see."
Emily felt a slight tension melt away as he wrapped her around her. But even in the comfort of his embrace, she still felt anxious. "It's just that he won't leave me alone, Matthew. I just want to do my job, without this. It's getting annoying."
Matthew looked at her with a serious look, the softness on his face disappearing for a moment. "I understand, and you shouldn't have to deal with this." He paused, his eyes fixed somewhere in the distance, as if he was already thinking of a solution. "Leave it to me. I'll take care of it."
Before Emily could question him, Matthew stood up, grabbing his cell phone and walking to the corner of the room, where their conversation wouldn't be overheard. He quickly dialed his assistant's number. "Daniel," he said firmly as soon as the call was answered, "I want you to find Arthur Mars and teach him a lesson. Make it clear that he needs to keep his distance from Emily, or the consequences for his career will be… severe."
He paused, listening to his assistant's response, before continuing in a colder tone. "I want him to understand. This is not a suggestion, it's an order. He won't bother my girlfriend anymore. Keep it."
Matthew hung up the phone, his expression returning to normal as he turned to Emily. She watched him silently, a little surprised by the intensity of the situation, but also relieved to know that he was taking matters into his own hands.
"You don't have to worry about this anymore, love. I'll make sure no one bothers you like this again," he said firmly, returning to sit beside her.
Emily looked at him, touching his hand with a grateful, if somewhat curious, smile. "Are you really going to… do this?"
"I'll do whatever it takes to protect you," Matthew replied with a determined look, squeezing her hand back. "Right now, you need to rest. Tomorrow we have more work to do."
Despite the tense night, Emily felt comforted by Matthew's action. She knew he would protect her at any cost, and although it brought a bittersweet feeling, she couldn't deny that she felt safe in his arms.