Moreover, no one had spoken up to cover for the troublemakers, as no one wanted to be dragged into their mess.


    If anyone spoke against Hera now, it would only sound like victim-ming and expose their own ws for not standing up for her when it was clear she was being targeted.


    Hera’s responses, no matter how sarcastic they might have seemed, would be viewed as a defense mechanism—a way for her to protect herself.


    Everyone understood that, even if the words sounded sharp. And apart from the troublemakers, no one had witnessed how Hera had appeared earlier when she was facing them down.


    They didn’t see how quickly her expression had shifted, how she had gone from sarcasm to vulnerability in the blink of an eye.


    So, even if the troublemakers tried to exin themselves, it would only hurt their case. Their excuses would seem like attempts to shift the me, avoiding ountability for their actions, and only furthering their downfall.


    With a final,forting pat on Hera’s shoulder, the female crew member turned and headed back inside.


    Sending a stern warning was only the first step; there were other measures to take.


    They needed to send a clear message to the entire industry—to ensure that actors knew the consequences of crossing the line on their production.


    It wasn’t just about this incident; it was about setting a precedent. Everyone had to understand that such behavior would not be tolerated.


    After hearing theforting words from the female crew member, Hera nodded without looking up, but inside, she was struggling to hold back a wide grin.


    Her shoulders trembled slightly, betraying the effort it took to maintain herposure.


    The female and male crew, noticing this, could only pity her more, unaware that Hera was fighting the urge tough out loud at the absurdity of it all.


    Meanwhile, Alice, who had tried to redirect the trouble to Hera, bit her lip in frustration.


    Her eyes burned with hatred as she red at the pir blocking Hera’s figure, as if wishing she could burn a hole through it.


    If only she had known how this would turn out.


    She regretted not enduring the harassment on her own, thinking that if she had, she could have secured a more favorable impression of herself—one that would surely reach Director Nick’s ears.


    Now that the atmosphere had quieted, Hera returned to reading her script in silence.


    No one dared to stir up trouble again, and the audition process continued smoothly as candidates, both newbies and veterans, entered and exited the room.


    Each audition typicallysted between 15 to 20 minutes, and soon, Alice had regained control of her expression, redirecting her focus back to her goal.


    Although Hera had earned a favorable impression, Alice was determined to secure the role for herself.


    To her, Hera’s gain would only amount to a fleeting impression, nothing more.


    With that resolve, Alice silently immersed herself in her script and character background, preparing herself to ace the audition.


    Soon, it was Alice’s turn. As she entered the room and saw Xavier sitting beside the Director, her expression softened, and she straightened, waiting for the Director’s signal.


    Each candidate was assigned a different scene based on the Director’s direction, so no one knew what scene they would be performing.


    As the Director observed Alice, her face exuded a perfect bnce of innocence and fiery confidence.


    Her striking red hair only amplified her strong, edgy presence. The Director nodded, clearly impressed by her appearance, signaling her to begin.


    "Please start with scene 26," the Director instructed. After Alice helped his daughter, the Director had developed a positive impression of her.


    He appreciated that Alice had only asked for the opportunity to audition and hadn’t made any outrageous demands.


    In fact, he admired her character for not taking the easy route by asking to be cast as the heroine in his film—a request he knew many others would have made.


    Her decision showed both courage and alignment with his own values of integrity.


    Because of this, when the Director saw Alice, he couldn’t help but show a little leniency. Understanding that she was still a neer, he decided to assign her a slightly easier scenepared to the others, especially since he didn’t have too much of an expectation.


    Scene 26 was a moment in the script, where the heroine and the male lead, having spent the entire day running through the city trying to survive, finally found a moment to rest and converse.


    They exchanged their experiences and tried to make sense of the zombie apocalypse, discussing what had happened and where they should go next.


    Since this scene involved a dynamic conversation between the two leads, Alice would need to act alongside the male lead.


    This meant that, even if she didn’tnd the role, the interaction would still be a valuable learning experience for her.


    Alice looked at Xavier expectantly, hoping he would take the lead, but Xavier remained motionless in his seat. It was clear that he had no interest in participating.


    Seizing the opportunity, the second-choice male lead stood up with a confident air, eager to demonstrate his skills and prove to the director that he was not only a better team yer but also a more capable actor than Xavier.


    He stepped onto the small stage, his gaze fixed on Alice with a hint of admiration in his eyes.


    It was clear he was captivated by her beauty, but there was also an underlying sense ofpetition in his demeanor as he prepared for the scene.


    When Alice heard the cue to start, her innocent and gentle expression quickly morphed into one of exhaustion.


    She panted heavily, her face filled with a mix of fear and confusion, unable toprehend the chaos unfolding around her.


    Despite the terror, she knew she had to keep running, had to survive.


    She dropped to one knee, taking a moment to steady her breathing, her body still trembling from the physical and emotional strain of the scene.