Chapter 322: The Plan

***Hello readers! There will be only one chapter at midnight. I was super swamped because of the Christmas, but I will post the remaining two chapters some time in the afternoon or five chapter release for midnight on the 27th. Which would you prefer? Let me know with a comment on this paragraph.***

Jay had only just returned to the set with Karen after an extremely hectic week. Mina was still abroad trying to settle a contract, and Jay had not had time to do anything other than follow her father and his artist around.

Feeling out of place, Jay introduced herself to the many new staff members that had been brought in. Director Twan had returned from his 'medical leave', and with him he brought several crew members from his independent project, which had been put on hold.

Satisfied with her small social session, Jay went back to work. She had developed a habit of over knocking on doors since she had walked in on Director Porter with a woman she had never seen again, and so far, her eyes had been spared.

Although Jay and director Porter had been fooling around, they had not gotten to the point of taking each other's clothing off, and for that she was grateful. Just the day before she caught the man and woman in the dressing room; Matthew's lips had been locked with hers. He had been making sweet promises to her, and although Jay already knew the man was a liar, the woman between his legs was all the confirmation she needed.

Putting her thoughts aside, Jay pulled the dress for Karen's next scene toward the front of the rack. She had begun to inspect the garment for wrinkles and kinks, knowing that Karen would need to get into costume at any minute.

Jay heard someone enter the dressing room and thinking it was Karen she spoke as such. She heard the rustling sound of clothes being removed, but she did not remember any buckles on Karen's clothing, which worried her. If she had mixed scenes, there was a good chance that whatever costume Karen needed would still have to be prepped.

Jay spun around to face Karen and gasped at the sight of director Porter with his shirt and slacks undone. With her hands over her eyes, she asked the man what he was doing, but instead of answering, he came close enough for her to feel the need to use her arm to keep him at a distance.

"Didn't you just ask me to strip?" The director asked. He took Jay's hand and sucked on her finger.

Jay snatched her hand away and tried to explain to the man that she believed they had taken things too far. She was silently cursing herself for not heeding her father's warnings, but Matthew was a challenge, and Jay liked challenges.

"There is no reason. I just think we need to keep things professional." Matthew narrowed his eyes at Jay, who turned her body away from him. He used the opportunity to push her against the wall; inning her in place.

When he and Jay had been doing whatever it was they were doing, she liked when he pushed her against the wall. She was not a gentle woman and enjoyed when he used a bit of strength against her. She especially liked it when he kissed her neck, and he missed their make out sessions that had been halted by outside influences and work.

"Stop it now," Jay demanded. Matthew reluctantly released her. He had never forced a woman to do anything and he never would. "We should focus on staying professional," she continued.

"Are you professional with him too?" Matthew asked sarcastically, and Jay turned to face him. It took her a few seconds to process the jab, but one she did, she could not help but to smile. She was not happy or even amused, but disappointed.

Jay and Matthew were not a couple, they had never even gotten to a level of intimacy that required either of them to remove their clothing. She wondered what right the man thought he had to question her.

Instead of asking or even getting annoyed, Jay pushed past the director and left the wardrobe. She did not feel the need to explain anything to Matthew. They owed one another nothing but a clean break.

----

Olivia was angry. Dom had gone on a vacation and left her behind without even a word. Worse, he did not even reply to her texts. She had gotten used to their late-night chats and now that they suddenly stopped, she was bored.

Mina was still recovering somewhere in secret, and while Olivia knew that, as far as everyone else was concerned, Mina was abroad. Emma was depressed about something, but would not tell anyone what was bothering her, and Jay was so busy with work that she barely had time to eat.

With all her new friends busy, that left Olivia with just Cylus and his band. Although she loved each man like a brother, there was something refreshing about having female friends. She had even tried to call Jessica, who was on another assignment.

Without many choices, Olivia sent a message to her cousin's group chat. Each man in the group claimed to be busy, save for Bastien, who agreed to meet her for a drink. Bastien was probably the least close to Olivia, but he was one of Cylus' friends that she was allowed to interact with freely.

----

Olivia and Bastien sat at a bar. They spoke about everything that was bothering them; and Bastien tried hard to give her good advice. Olivia appreciated his attempts, but she was looking to vent, not seek therapy.

"You need to find someone who has liked you from the moment they laid eyes on you," Bastien said. He was no longer trying to hide his intentions. Olivia was drunk, and it was just a matter of time before the rumors he had spread about her turned around on him.

Some idiots had started their own line of gossip that insinuated that Olivia had picked up a disease from the first man she had been with and had been spreading it around.

Already, several women Bastien had bedded in the past had called him in a panic, and he had to assure them that the rumors were untrue. If any of them went back to Cylus, their friendship would be ruined, and his relationship with Olivia would never become anything more than friends.

Bastien's plan was to ruin Olivia's reputation, then step forward as the only man willing to look past her indiscretions. Unfortunately, Cylus had taken control of the situation, and locked Olivia up so tightly that she had barely any interaction with other men.

That meant that Bastien was never given the opportunity to shine apart from the rest, and instead faded into the friendzone with Oric and Connor, but unlike them, Bastien needed Olivia. If he could get her in bed just once, he would make sure it would count. He would then marry Olivia, merge his father's acting academy with Rouge Entertainment, and go on to live a comfortable life with his beautiful and outgoing wife.

However, his progress was impeded. First by a woman who claimed to be carrying his child, and then by his father who, thanks to the rumors Bastien had spread, did not like Olivia at all. Although the child turned out not to be his kin, the possibility terrified Bastien. Then came along a man named Dom, and suddenly Bastien felt he needed to put his plans into overdrive.