"Anyway, let’s not argue about that," Stephanie said quickly, waving a hand dismissively before pulling out her phone with sudden excitent. "Here, look at this!"
She shoved the screen right into Ethan’s face, grinning like she’d just solved the world’s biggest problem.
"How about a blind date with this model? You know her, don’t you?" Her eyes twinkled with anticipation, as if she were certain she’d hit a ho run this ti.
Ethan leaned back, eyebrows lifting as he glanced at the photo. Of course, he recognized the woman — a model he’d once worked with during a campaign. She was beautiful, successful, confident... and completely not his type.
"No."
The answer ca flat and instant, wiping the smug grin off Stephanie’s face.
"What do you an, no?" she pressed, frowning. "She’s gorgeous, successful, and already familiar with your industry. I’m sure you two would make a perfect pair!"
Ethan just sighed. He could practically hear the gears in her head turning — the sa ones that had led her to set him up with Fiona once upon a ti. That disaster was still fresh in his mind.
"She might be all that," he said calmly, setting his juice down, "but guess what? She’s not my type."
Stephanie’s smile wavered, her excitent deflating like a balloon.
Her son was twenty-five, handso, scandal-free, and utterly uninterested in romance. To her, that combination was nothing short of tragic. ’How does he survive being this emotionally rusted?’ she thought in exasperation.
Ethan crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly. "Why are you so desperate to make fall in love, Mom?"
There was no irritation in his voice this ti — just quiet curiosity.
Stephanie blinked at him, the humor in her expression softening into sothing far gentler. "Because..." she began, her voice dropping. "I don’t want you to be alone."
Ethan’s gaze softened despite himself.
After her separation from his father, it had taken Stephanie years to find love again — real love. But even when she finally did, she had realized sothing painful: in chasing her own happiness, she’d left her son to figure out solitude on his own.
And that guilt had never truly left her.
She smiled faintly, trying to lighten her tone. "You might be fine with your own company now, but one day you’ll realize how quiet the world feels when there’s no one waiting for you at ho."
Ethan didn’t respond right away. He simply looked at her, his sharp expression fading into quiet thought.
"Maybe," he said at last, "but I think I’ll wait for the right person instead of the one who looks good on paper."
Stephanie sighed, a blend of pride and frustration softening her expression. "You really are my son," she said with a resigned chuckle. Then, without missing a beat, she swiped her phone again, her eyes lighting up mischievously. "But still—how about this one?"
Ethan groaned, leaning back as another photo popped up on the screen. "Mom..." he muttered, dragging out the word as if it physically pained him to keep rejecting her choices.
***
[Film Set]
Anna had just wrapped up her final take of the morning. As she made her way down the corridor toward her changing room when she slowed, her gaze catching on a familiar figure standing nearby.
It was him—the sa man she had stumbled into a few days ago.
He looked completely out of place among the bustling crew and flashing lights. Calm, composed, yet oddly watchful.
"Un," Anna murmured, stopping in front of him, a hint of curiosity flickering in her tone. "Mister, what brings you here?"
Kevin and Betty, who were following closely behind her, also ca to a halt. The two exchanged a wary glance, both instantly on alert.
"Mister," Kevin said sharply, stepping forward. "You do realize you can’t just wander around here like this? This area’s restricted to staff and cast only."
His voice carried the authority of soone who took his role as her manager very seriously. One wrong move from the stranger, and Kevin looked ready to have security drag him out.
anwhile, Betty stayed quiet, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied the man’s face.
’Why does he look so familiar?’ she wondered, a faint crease forming on her forehead.
The tension in the air was thick enough to cut—until Anna’s voice broke through, calm and composed.
"Kevin, it’s okay."
Both Kevin and Betty turned toward her in surprise.
Anna’s expression was neither alard nor cautious. If anything, there was a strange calm in her gaze — the kind that ca from recognition.
Betty blinked, her mouth parting slightly. ’Wait... she knows him?’
"Big Sis, do you know him?" Betty asked, her brows drawing together as she watched Anna’s calm expression.
Anna nodded once. "He works here," she said simply.
That answer only deepened Betty’s confusion. She didn’t rember ever seeing this man on set before. If he really works here, how co I’ve never seen him around?
While Kevin and Betty exchanged uneasy looks, the man suddenly spoke.
"Madam," he began, his voice low but steady, "I just ca to apologize to you."
Anna’s eyes widened slightly, caught off guard.
"That day, I couldn’t do it," he continued, "but now... I wanted to say sorry properly."
Kevin and Betty glanced at each other again, both equally lost. ’What day?’ they seed to ask silently.
Collin — as they would soon learn his na — smiled faintly, the corners of his wrinkled eyes creasing as he looked at Anna with sothing close to sincerity. "My daughter is a fan of yours," he explained. "When she heard I was working here, she asked to take a picture of you."
Anna blinked, her lips parting slightly in surprise. It wasn’t the apology itself that startled her — it was the request behind it.
He smiled, his expression gentle, but there was sothing in his eyes that made her uneasy. It wasn’t malicious exactly... just unsettling. Too intent. Too fixed.
She caught herself tensing and ntally shook it off.
’You’re overthinking again, Anna,’ she told herself. He’s just an old man. Don’t read too much into it.
Still, as she offered him a polite nod in response, a faint chill crawled down her spine — one she couldn’t quite explain.
"If you don’t mind... may I?" Collin asked softly, his voice carrying that faint, polite tremor of an older man trying not to overstep.
The request snapped Anna out of her brief daze. She hesitated for a heartbeat, then smiled faintly and nodded.
"Of course."
Though sothing about him made her uneasy, she brushed it aside. After all, it wasn’t much — just a photo for his daughter, who happened to be her fan.
Betty, however, didn’t look convinced. Her hand twitched slightly, as if she wanted to step in, but Anna caught her eye and gave her a small, reassuring smile before turning back to Collin.
They posed quickly, Anna holding her phone up for a selfie. Collin smiled gratefully, though his eyes — calm and unreadable — lingered on her a second too long.
"Thank you so much, Madam," he said, stepping back with a polite bow. "My daughter will be thrilled."
Anna returned his smile, keeping her tone light. "I’m glad. Tell her I said hello."
Collin nodded once before turning away, disappearing into the corridor.
Betty exhaled, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched him leave. "That man seems... scary," she muttered under her breath.
Anna didn’t disagree, though she forced a small laugh. "He’s just old, Betty. Don’t be paranoid."
Still, she couldn’t deny the faint chill that lingered as she turned toward her room.
She was halfway there when a sharp, familiar voice echoed behind her.
"Glad I found you. The people here are so clueless they couldn’t even tell where you were."
Anna froze mid-step. Her brows furrowed, and she turned slowly — her gaze landing on the one person she least expected to see here.
Her mother.
Rosiline Bennett.
With her usual air of confidence and elegance, Rosiline strode toward her daughter as though she owned the place — heels clicking, chin high, every inch the charitable queen she was known to be.
Betty’s jaw dropped. Of course. Of all people, this was the woman everyone gushed about at public events — regal, graceful, untouchable. And now she was casually walking onto a filming set as if it were her living room.
Instinctively, Betty stepped aside to make space, while Kevin’s expression darkened. He didn’t even bother hiding the exasperation in his sigh.
’Why does everyone think this set is a public park?’ he thought bitterly.
Rosiline’s perfectly manicured smile turned toward them. "If I’m not wrong," she said smoothly, "you must be Kevin — Anna’s manager, yes?"
Kevin straightened imdiately, professionalism taking over. "Yes, ma’am," he said, nodding respectfully.
Rosiline extended a hand, her tone as polished as her appearance. "I’m Rosiline Bennett. Anna’s mother."
Kevin accepted the handshake, though his polite smile was more strained than friendly.
Then Rosiline’s gaze shifted to Betty. "And you are, young lady?"
Before Betty could open her mouth, Kevin cut in swiftly. "She’s my assistant."
Rosiline’s lips curved faintly. "Good," she said, her tone light but her eyes observant. "It’s nice to see my daughter surrounded by capable people."
Her words were kind, but Anna knew better. Behind that pleasant smile lay calculation. Her mother’s visit wasn’t a coincidence — it never was.
To others, Rosiline’s presence might have seed charming, even graceful. But to Anna, it was a warning.
Because her mother never appeared without a reason.
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