Being burnt by the sun for two days was like a torture Irene didn't ask for.

True to her words, after the episode in the mall, Riley dragged Irene to the beach and stayed there for the rest of their break. Everything went well. However, the moment Riley proposed to go scuba diving, things started going south.

Another common thing between the original and Irene was that both of them couldn't swim.

Yet, it was much worse for Irene.

She used to watch a lot of documentaries about the ocean and how most of it was uncharted, even at this age. Instead of making her curious, it only made her terrified of it.

A place where the daystar couldn't even shine, where humongous creatures swam under your feet, and a frontier that has forever been in the bucket list of human civilization—all of this was unbearable for Irene.

For two hours or so, the two of them played tug of war with each other.

In the end, no matter how frustrated Riley got, she couldn't budge Irene out of the rattan chair in the room.

Riley departed the resort with a hunched back. A defeated soldier.

The victor, Irene, feasted on her spoils of war—leisure time for herself.

Beside that hiccup and the scorching sun, their stay there was fun.

***

It was three o'clock in the afternoon when she arrived at her apartment.

Irene fell flat on the couch, tired from the trip.

Akin to a lazy sloth, she stretched out her hand to grab the documents on the coffee table. She wasn't about to forget her mission.

Though groaning, she still scanned through the files. Found it.

Sandwich amongst the papers was the script for the movie directed by Vince Ball himself.

After his win, Vince Ball became the hottest director in town and any actor and actress would fight to be a part of his next project. Thanks to her talent, Irene clinched the female lead role without sweat.

Reading through it, Irene reveled in appreciation for the plot of the story. This would be a big hit for sure, and a great way to introduce the female lead to a broader scope of audience.

The following day, Irene left for the company early in the morning.

En route to Alex's office, multiple pairs of eyes would occasionally stumble upon her. Her detached facial disposition caused hesitancy for the owners of those eyes to greet her. While some averted their stares altogether when they met her gaze.

Irene was accustomed to this.

Despite that, she saw a peculiar individual among them. One of the staff waved her hello. What a brave soul. Irene revered such courage. In return, she gave him a subtle smile.

A young man's ears were tinted red when Irene acknowledged him.

Out of the corner of his eyes, his friend exclaimed as she shook his shoulders excitedly. "She looked at me!"

As he heard the sentence, the man thought in discontent, It was obviously directed at me. She was not the one who waved at Irene. It was me! So it's me she was looking at!

He petulantly turned his back against his friend and departed without glancing back.

The girl stood there and watched her friend walk out. She moved and caught up with him. "Wait for me!" She thought about messing with her friend a little. But instead, an angry child materialized.

She internally giggled.

***

Irene walked straight to Alex's office.

She presumed that what had occurred was already the climax of her day, but she was in for a bigger surprise.

Garbed in a fitted white long sleeve, Alex raised his head from the papers that he was reading. He saw Irene enter and sat opposite to him.

Alex warmly greeted her. "Good morning."

He stood up to make a cup of coffee for her.

Irene's eyes followed his every move. She watched how his nimble fingers grasped the cup, and how that very same hand carefully weighed the coffee grounds, carrying out each procedure in a meticulous approach. He looks d*mn ravishing.

The gentleman in front of her was in line with her taste. But, no! He was only, purely, for the eyes. Nothing less, nothing more. No touchy, touchy. She still has some sanity left, you know. Nevertheless, it was a shame. What. A. Shameeee....

She nonchalantly answered him. "Morning."

Alex placed the freshly brewed coffee before Irene. He took a peek at her when making it and was relieved and at a loss. So it wasn't a one time thing. Irene had become more perceptive of her surroundings.

He wasn't sure of the cause of such abrupt change, but as long as nothing was wrong, he would overlook it. Besides, it would be beneficial for her to act like this.

"So, you had fun?" an indulgent voice sounded.

His words alluded to how he pulled the strings from behind. No schedule remained a secret with a snitch, not that Irene hated it. This pretty face was still considerate.

Irene gave off a short laugh. What a big mouth.

With people close to her, she would instinctively lower her guard, even if it was just a fraction. And Alex here was part of the original's, and now, her inner circle.

In a delighted mood, Irene said, "Amazing. Should've been longer."

Alex didn't take her words seriously and laughed. "No can do. Just suck it up and work." Irene's smile became inverted, and she shut her mouth. She held a teensy bit of hope that her dejected look would inspire pity in the innermost crevice of his heart. In the end, it was all a fantasy.

Irene sighed. She brought the coffee near her lips and blew on it. She wasn't really expecting to get an extended vacation. For a profession like hers, time was money. But it didn't hurt to try. Cause maybe... just maybe... hehehe.

Alex digressed as he continued on. "Oh, by the way, did any of the scripts catch your attention? I think this movie directed by—" Irene cut him off and said, "This." She reached into her bag and grabbed the papers in it.