Mia clung to Ashley, her breath hitching as the kiss deepened. For a moment, the script, the lines, and the practice all faded away, leaving only the palpable tension between them. Ashley's grip on Mia's waist tightened, pulling her closer, and Mia's fingers instinctively ran through Ashley's hair, tangling in the soft strands.

Ashley finally pulled back, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. "Mia..." she murmured, her voice laced with both confusion and longing.

Mia opened her eyes slowly, her cheeks flushed. "That... wasn't in the script," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Ashley swallowed hard, her golden-brown eyes searching Mia's. "You kissed me first," she countered softly, her lips curving into a nervous smile.

Mia blinked, realization dawning on her as she tried to gather her thoughts. "I—I was acting," she stammered, though the words felt hollow even to her. Her hand still rested on Ashley's shoulder, reluctant to let go. "You... you weren't supposed to kiss me back like that!"

Ashley raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Oh, so now it's my fault?" she teased, her voice soft but teasingly confident.

Mia huffed, crossing her arms as she stepped back. "Yes, it is! I was trying to practice, and you made it... weird." She looked away, her face still crimson.

Ashley chuckled, taking a step closer. "Weird? Or unforgettable?" she asked, her tone playful but her gaze sincere.

Mia shot her a glare, though the corners of her mouth twitched as if fighting a smile. "You're insufferable," she muttered, bending down to retrieve her fallen script.

Ashley watched her with an amused expression, her hands slipping into her pockets. "Maybe," she admitted, her voice dropping to a softer tone, "but you didn't hate it."

Mia froze, clutching the script tightly. She turned to face Ashley, her eyes narrowing but glimmering with uncertainty. "You're impossible," she mumbled, brushing past Ashley and heading back to the couch.

Ashley let out a quiet laugh, her gaze following Mia. "You're welcome to practice with me anytime," she called after her.

Mia sat down, flipping through the script with exaggerated focus, refusing to meet Ashley's gaze. But the soft, almost shy smile tugging at her lips betrayed her attempt to feign annoyance.



Mia tilted her head, watching her co-star, Meier Laurent, who was playing the role of her love interest. She sipped from her tumbler as Meier sat beside her. Blinking, Mia glanced at Meier, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you doing?" Mia asked, her gaze fixed on Meier.

Meier smiled mischievously, pointing her lips toward Ashley. Hastily, Mia turned to look at Ashley, who was sitting with her arms crossed, staring at them. "Is she your girlfriend or something?" Meier asked, her voice light with laughter. "She's been glaring at me like..." Meier adjusted her tone, "Hey, take your damn hands off Mia, or I'll kill you."

Mia chuckled, then looked back at Ashley, shaking her head. "That's just your imagination, Mei," she said, though not directly answering her question.

Meier leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Nice work earlier, you really nailed it," she said, nodding in approval.

Mia chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, maybe practice makes perfect," she said, lowering her gaze, biting her lip as the memory of Ashley's lingering kiss played through her mind.

Meier glanced at her, a teasing glint in her eyes. "So, you're practicing without me?" she joked. "You should've told me—I could have shown off my skills too!"

Mia blinked, chuckling. "Why would I practice with you?" she scoffed.

"Because I'm your love interest in the movie, duh!" Meier clutched her chest dramatically.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Mei," she said, shaking her head.

"But seriously," Meier continued, peeking at Ashley, "If you're practicing alone, let me join in sometime, so we can check each other's acting," she added, leaning forward toward Mia.

Mia leaned back, instinctively creating distance between them. "Next time," she said, pushing Meier's face away playfully. "And don't lean in so close."

Mia's gaze shifted back to Ashley. She swallowed nervously as she watched Ashley roll her eyes and turn away. Is she jealous? Mia wondered, her thoughts racing.

She looked back at Meier, knowing her co-star was a rising star, a versatile actress who could really bring her character to life. "Right," Meier mumbled, flipping through her script. "Have you checked this part?" she asked, pointing to a section of the script.

Mia peered at Meier's script, her eyes widening. "W-wait," she said, leaning closer to get a better look. "What...?" she mumbled, blinking in confusion.

"Oh, you haven't read the whole script yet?" Meier laughed, glancing at Mia.

"I did! I swear, I didn't see..." Mia flipped open her own script, scanning the pages. "What?!" She frowned as she realized one page was missing.

She quickly glanced up, noticing a piece of paper swaying in front of her. "Ash," she murmured, recognizing the paper that Ashley was holding. "Where did you find that?" she asked.

Ashley shrugged nonchalantly. "Picked it up last night," she said, as if reminding Mia of what happened the previous evening.

Mia swallowed hard as Meier looked back and forth between her and Ashley. "Wait—" Meier began, but Ashley cut her off.

"I was with her last night because I'm her bodyguard," Ashley said, her tone flat and nonchalant.

Meier pointed between Ashley and Mia, confused. "You're Mia's bodyguard?" she asked, her eyes flicking between them. "You're not—"

Mia quickly covered Meier's mouth, laughing awkwardly. "Thanks, Ash. Heh, heh," she said, trying to smooth over the situation.

Ashley nodded curtly, excusing herself with a frown at Mia's awkward gestures toward Meier. "It's not like we're in a relationship," she muttered to herself as she walked toward her car. "But why do I feel so irritated?" She clicked her tongue, trying to shake off the feeling.

"Oh, Ash," Maya called, her voice carrying. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Just gonna take a breather," Ashley replied, giving Maya a faint smile before excusing herself.

She walked to the smoking area and sat on the garden plot box, pulling out a cigarette. After lighting it, she sighed, puffing on it and muttering to herself. "Why am I so irritated? It's not like Mia and I have a label or anything." She messed with her hair in frustration.

"I should've just stayed at her place instead," she mumbled, staring at her cigarette. She hadn't smoked much since she started working for Mia.

"God, you're the worst, detective," Ashley heard a familiar voice, she glanced up, meeting Mia's gaze. "You really like to talk to yourself, don't you?" she asked.

Ashley sighed, glancing up at her. "What are you doing here?" she avoided Mia's gaze as she pressed the lit end of the cigarette into the pavement and flicked it into the nearby bin.

"I'm looking for you," Mia responded, her voice light and teasing. "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?" Ashley frowns, confused but still not looking at Mia.

"That, throwing your cigarette whenever I'm around," Mia said.

Ashley chuckled, putting her hands in her pockets. "Just out of habit," she muttered. "Maybe you don't like the smell of it. Or, I don't know," she added, clicking her tongue.

Mia smiled softly. "Should I be flattered that you're being considerate of me?" she shook her head as she walked toward Ashley. "Say, Ash," she lowered her voice, glancing around. "Are you... jealous?"

Ashley froze, blinking. "What?" she scoffed. "Why would I be jealous? It's not like we're dating..." she mumbled, her gaze dropping.

Mia tilted her head. "Oh? I thought you were skipping the whole dating thing?" she teased.

Ashley gulped, looking at Mia in shock. "What?"

Mia smiled, reaching out to gently touch Ashley's cheek. "You know, you can just admit you're jealous," she said, her voice soft.

Avoiding Mia's gaze, Ashley chuckled awkwardly. "Fine," she said with a sigh. "Just... a little."

Mia clicked her tongue. "Okay, just a little..." she mumbled, standing beside Ashley. "What do you want us to be, Ash?"

Ashley met her gaze, her voice quiet. "What do you want us to be, Mia?" she asked, emphasizing the 'you'. "I told you, I like you," she murmured almost to herself.

"I know," Mia said in a low voice. "But do you want to pursue someone like me?" she asked softly.

"Not someone like you. Only you," Ashley corrected quickly. "Let's date—or whatever you want us to be. Let's do it," she said, her voice firm.

Mia laughed, her expression calm. "I don't usually date just for fun, Ash," she said. "I date because I want to settle with that person. So if you're not going to—"

"And I told you, I want to start something real," Ashley interrupted, her voice firm and resolute. "Because I want to settle too."

"I'm a celebrity, Ash. Can you keep up with me?" Mia asked, her eyes searching Ashley's for a reaction.

"That's your job. It doesn't define who you are as a person," Ashley said. "It's not like you have to stop working if you end up with me. I can give you everything you need," she added with a hint of confidence.

Mia chuckled, impressed. "Wow," she murmured.

"If you love what you're doing, then go for it," Ashley said, her voice softening. "I won't stop you. I'll never ask you to stop doing what you love. All I'm asking for is—"

Mia cupped Ashley's face gently and glanced around before leaning in and kissing her lips. "Let's skip the dating part," she whispered, pulling back slightly. "I'm yours, and you're mine."

Ashley froze, blinking in surprise. "W-what?"

Mia smiled, still cupping Ashley's face, and then leaned in again to kiss her gently on the lips before stepping back with a playful grin. "Gotta go, honeybunch," she said teasingly.

Ashley's mind raced, trying to process what had just happened. "Wait... What?"

Mia laughed, her voice light with teasing energy. "Catch you later," she called over her shoulder as she walked away, leaving Ashley standing there, still stunned.