Stars of My Heart

Filming began days later after the brief incident in the dressing room, and the set was abuzz with activity. The technical crew was adjusting the cameras, the assistants were rushing to make sure everything was in place, and the actors were preparing for the next scene.

Emily was calm in her position, ready to give her best. However, the atmosphere quickly became tense when Luísa Lars, the arrogant young actress, entered the scene. She was visibly irritated, probably because she was still fed up with the previous argument, and this showed in her performance. She was having difficulty executing the scenes convincingly, making several bad takes, which caused frustration among the film crew.

Luísa approached the center of the set for one more attempt, but the director, Roberto, did not hesitate to interrupt her performance. He was clearly irritated by the situation, and his patience was quickly running out. With a rigid posture and a firm voice, he addressed Luísa and the crew.

"Luísa! What are you doing?!" Roberto exclaimed, loud enough for everyone on set to hear. "That wasn't the first time you've done a bad take today! You need to focus, or I'll have to stop filming."

Luísa, her pride wounded, straightened up, her eyes full of indignation. She wasn't used to being corrected so publicly, and her reaction was immediate. "I'm doing my best!" she snapped, anger overflowing her words.

But Roberto wasn't about to tolerate any more excuses. He took a step forward, his expression serious and impatient. "Don't give me that 'best' talk. If it were your best, filming would be going well, but you're compromising the pace of everything. You're wasting the entire crew's time!" He looked directly at Luísa, and his voice became sharper. "Not even your father, with all his influence, will be able to save your role in the film with all that money invested. If you don't improve, you'll be replaced!"

Luísa shuddered at Roberto's words. She wasn't used to being challenged in this way, especially by someone who, according to her, didn't have a strong connection to her influential family. Her face flushed with anger, and she gritted her teeth, but before she could respond, Roberto raised his hand, asking for silence.

"If you don't focus and start working like a professional, I'll have to end your participation in the film. And it doesn't matter who you know. The film won't stop because of a blown ego."

Silence took over the set as everyone waited for Luísa's reaction. Roberto's tone was firm, and everyone knew he wasn't joking. He had been tolerant up until that point, but his patience was at its limit. Luísa's gaze seemed to want to challenge his authority, but, upon realizing the weight of his words, she closed her mouth and, silently, returned to her seat, ready to try again.

The film crew breathed a sigh of relief, and the lights came back on. The mood on set was tense, but at the same time, there was a new focus. Roberto knew how to maintain control, and everyone was aware that he would not let one person's attitude compromise everyone's hard work.

Emily, who was watching the scene from afar, could not help but notice the growing tension between Luísa and the director. She knew that the film was far from being a smooth ride for everyone involved, and that each actor had to be focused on the role they had to play. She also knew that, despite Luísa's explosive temperament, the actress would have to adjust or, otherwise, she would lose her chance to continue in the film.

Meanwhile, Emily was preparing for her own scene, aware that, unlike Luísa, her focus was entirely on doing a good job.

On set, the mood was tense, but at the same time electric, as everyone prepared for Ana and Léo's first important scene, the introduction of the two characters. Emily was focused as the assistant directors adjusted the final details and the camera positioned itself to capture the exact moment of interaction. The setting was a sleek, modern art gallery, with soft lighting illuminating the works on display. The soundscape was somewhat quiet, but everyone knew that what happened next would change the tone of the film.

Artur Mars, the actor who played Léo, was relaxed but his eyes were alert. He had a charming smile and a natural charisma that made tension melt away, but his attention was far from the set. As he glanced discreetly at Emily, he couldn't help but notice the way she was focused on the scene, the lines of her face softened by the soft lighting on the set. There was something about her, something beyond her acting, that was distracting him. He covered it up, turning his attention back to the preparations, but whenever he had the chance, he would watch her.

Emily was aware of Artur's attention, but she remained professional. It was hard not to notice the looks, since the man was physically impressive, but she remained focused on what she was doing. Her character, Ana, needed to be skeptical and rational, while Léo, played by Artur, was more relaxed and optimistic. She knew that this dynamic would be important to establish the chemistry between the two.

Finally, director Roberto gave the signal for filming to begin. Artur and Emily were ready for the moment when their characters would meet in the gallery, the initial disaster occurring when Ana bumps into Léo, spilling her glass of wine over his immaculate white shirt. The scene needed to be perfectly timed, and Emily was completely immersed in the moment, playing Ana as a woman who, despite her rational stance, could not avoid the instant conflict with Léo's personality.

The scene unfolded as planned: the bump, the spilled wine, and Léo's immediate reaction, who, in an effort to keep his humor, jokes about the situation, saying something like "I always end up in the spotlight, even when I don't want to," while trying to wipe the wine off his shirt. Emily, playing Ana, responds sarcastically, pointing out, "Maybe you should learn to pay more attention to where you're going." Her voice was clear, but the slight irony in the way she delivered her lines made the audience realize that this would be a relationship marked by a game of opposites.

Artur, in his portrayal of Léo, smiled and joked about the situation, a smile that melted away any tension. But at the same time, his eyes continued to search for Emily, trying to capture her reaction. She was on point, her performance was genuine, but there was something about her presence that distracted him a little. Artur found himself looking away from time to time, so as not to be obvious, but the attraction was undeniable.

Director Roberto, seeing that the scene was gaining momentum and being exactly what he had imagined, shouted "Cut!" and immediately signaled for the crew to adjust the cameras. Artur couldn't help but glance at Emily as she walked to the dressing room, and even though he tried not to show it, there was a sparkle in his eyes. He was beginning to wonder how much of Léo's energy was actually being inspired by his chemistry with Ana, or rather, by Emily.

Emily, for her part, was absorbing all of this as she walked away, preparing for the next take. She could feel the tension in the air, not just from the scene being filmed, but from the way Arthur was watching her. She wasn't ready to think about that right now; her focus was on her work. The interplay of attraction between her characters needed to be subtle but authentic at the same time, and she knew that maintaining that fine line was crucial to the film's success.