REBIRTH : Chasing The Limelight

Chapter 109: Mrs Vale wants to see you

When Elara and Ziva finally went downstairs that morning, most people were already gathered in the dining hall.

Elara had dark circles under her eyes, and it was obvious at a glance that she had not slept the whole night. As she passed by a few people, some of them could barely hold back their laughter.

Well, it doesn’t kill.

Elara did not seem to care much. She simply walked to an empty seat and sat down with Ziva taking the seat beside her.

That morning, a few actors and singers complained that it had really looked like someone was walking through the corridors the previous night. Others also shared what they had experienced, and it turned out that most of them had not slept at all.

After breakfast, the filming schedule was shared. Elara only had two scenes to shoot. One was with Relanie, and the other was with a supporting character. She could only hope she would not cause any trouble during filming, because she was extremely tired and only wanted to sleep.

When filming started, however, there was nothing physically obvious about her lack of sleep. Makeup had covered that part well.

They filmed the morning scene six times.

Elara was playing the role of Sera, the second female lead, who has red hair and was Vaelindra’s younger sister. Vaelindra, the first female lead played by Relanie, was a soft hearted lady with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Elara had not expected things to go smoothly with Relanie during filming, but apart from a few small mistakes due to it being her first time acting, there were no real problems with their chemistry.

By four o’clock, the crew finally released her.

Relanie still had another scene to shoot with Carris Riole, and Ziva was asked to stay behind to assist with a few things.

Thinking about Carris, Elara wondered how he will manage to travel back and forth every day since it was said he would be staying at his condo in Lorien.

***

The residential building was not far from the filming site, so Elara got there within minutes. A few other people were already there, which made the place feel warmer. There was no trace at all that this was the same building that had nearly driven people crazy the previous night.

Elara went straight to her room to freshen up. As she entered, a thought suddenly crossed her mind, and she walked toward the window. She reached out and pushed it open.

A tall tree stood just outside, and one of its long branches hung close to the glass, swaying softly.

Elara’s lips lifted into a small smirk. She couldn’t believe that something as ordinary as that had kept her from closing her eyes the entire night.

She shook her head pitifully, then turned and went into the bathroom to freshen up. After she was done, she stepped out again and decided to walk around the building to keep boredom away. As she passed by a small hall, she slowed down when she noticed a piano placed inside. She paused for a second, then turned and walked in.

She sat down in front of the piano and placed her fingers gently on the keys. It looked old, but when she pressed it gently, the sound came out very clear.

Elara stared ahead unblinkingly, and without realizing it, a small smile appeared on her lips. It was only when her phone rang that she came back to herself. She lowered her head and glanced at the phone she had placed on the piano.

Harris.

Her brows lifted in curiosity.

Why was he calling?

A thought suddenly crossed her mind, and her hands paused midway before slowly dropping to her sides. The ringing stopped, and she turned back to the piano.

Then the phone rang again.

She let out a small sigh before picking it up.

"Miss Veyne," Harris’s voice quickly came from the other end. "I’m coming to pick you up at six."

Elara paused.

Pick her up? For what?

It took her a moment before she finally spoke.

"For what reason?" she asked calmly. Then she added, "And just so you know, I’m not in Starfall. I already reported to Voice before leaving."

She said it in case Adrian was trying to trouble her again.

"Actually, it’s Mrs Vale who wants to see you."

Elara’s lips pressed together as she processed the words.

Of course. She shouldn’t have expected Mrs Vale to simply ignore what she had seen that day in the hospital. Maybe the reason she hadn’t reacted then was because Adrian had been there.

"Miss Veyne, are you listening?" Harris’s voice came again.

"Yes," Elara replied calmly. "Why does she want to see me?"

"She didn’t say. She only mentioned that she would like to see you."

Elara’s lips pressed together again. "This isn’t my decision. I can’t–"

"Don’t worry, we’ve already informed the director."

Elara raised her brows slightly, wondering if that was really the case. Would the director not be concerned about the filming schedule?

"Okay," she said anyway and ended the call. She took a deep breath and stared ahead for a moment, then shook her head as if to dismiss the thought. She sent a message to Ziva before placing the phone aside and turning back to the piano.

After a long while of playing a random chord, she finally stopped and let out a soft sigh.

A string of claps suddenly sounded from behind her.

Elara turned at the sound and saw Carris Riole standing by the entrance. He was already dressed in his regular clothes, so she guessed he had finished filming his scene with Relanie.

He stopped clapping and looked at her. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt," he said as he walked toward her.

Elara pressed her lips together briefly before replying, "You’re not interrupting." Then she turned back to the piano, wondering how long he had been standing there.

Carris glanced around and, when he spotted a chair, he walked over, picked it up, and brought it to her side without asking.

Elara did not think much of it.

"You play well," he said.

"Thanks," Elara replied simply.

After watching her for a moment, he spoke again. "Diamond Skin... I didn’t know you were the ’Elara’ who sang it."

Elara only gave a small nod in acknowledgment.

"The song is great. It was everywhere in Valmont when it was released. I heard it three times in a single day."

Elara gave another small nod.

Carris did not say anything for a while after that. He just sat there quietly, listening as she played another chord. Then he spoke again.

"I’ve been wondering about something," he said. "The first day we met... Relanie said you came for a minor role. Why didn’t you say anything?"

He paused before adding, "I was really surprised when I found out you’re playing a lead role."