Chapter 361 She Did It On Purpose

Chapter 361 She Did It On Purpose

When the director found out about Victoria's allergic reaction, he hurried over. "Ella, what happened?"

Ella's eyes filled with tears as she looked at Victoria, worried. "Victoria, how did you get an allergic reaction? I specifically told my assistant to get one without peanut butter. Maybe the store's environment was contaminated and some peanut butter got mixed in?"

Serafina shot a glare at Ella. She was convinced Ella did it on purpose. She blamed herself for not being more careful; if she'd known the salad was from Ella's assistant, she wouldn't have given it to Victoria so easily. The director looked at them both, his face tense. It was tough to prove if Ella did it intentionally.

Victoria managed a small smile. "Right now, it's not about blaming anyone. We need to figure out how to shoot the scene later."

The director sighed. The crew had been prepping for tonight's shoot for ages. If Victoria couldn't film, they'd have to reschedule, wasting time and money. But there was no other option; Victoria was a victim of food allergies and couldn't be blamed. He was about to announce a postponement when Victoria stepped forward. "I have an idea, director. I remember I have a high-neck costume. I'll change into that, and we can shoot the wide shots first. We can film my close-ups later."

Only reshooting Victoria's close-ups would require minimal coordination, reducing the loss. The director thought for a moment and nodded. "That's a good plan. Costume designer, find that outfit and get Victoria changed and touched up. We'll start shooting in twenty minutes!" After giving instructions, the director turned to Victoria with concern. "If you feel any worse, let us know immediately. The shooting schedule is important, but your safety is more important." Allergies can be serious, even life-threatening, and the director didn't want Victoria pushing herself too hard.

Victoria smiled. "I'm fine. I didn't eat much and can hold on. I'll go to the hospital for an IV after the shoot, and it won't affect tomorrow's schedule."

After the director left, Victoria thanked Dennis. "Thanks for noticing. If it weren't for you, I might have had a severe reaction and needed an ambulance."

Dennis looked at her with concern. Softening his tone, he said, "It's what I should do. Be more careful in the future. Don't eat just anything people give you." He glanced coldly at Ella.

Ella, teary-eyed, quickly said, "I really didn't do it on purpose. I don't know why there was peanut in Victoria's salad. Why don't you believe me? If something happened, everyone would blame me. It's obvious someone framed me!" Seeing Dennis didn't believe her, Ella began to ramble.

But Dennis ignored her, leading Victoria away. Victoria glanced back at Ella with a subtle smile. She had anticipated Ella would exploit her peanut allergy, so she deliberately went to rehearse with Dennis before the snack arrived. She ate slowly, selecting a small piece of lettuce to control the reaction. Even if Dennis hadn't noticed the peanut taste, she wouldn't have taken another bite and would have found a distraction. She wanted to expose Ella's true nature in front of Dennis. Ella wanted to use Dennis's fame and family background, but Victoria wouldn't let her succeed. Now that Dennis was suspicious of Ella, it would be hard for her to change his impression.

After the allergy incident, Ella was reassigned to another group for a couple of weeks. Next up was a crucial scene where the main characters went horseback riding for a hunt. They had practiced riding for a month before joining the crew because Leon insisted on using real horses for authenticity. Many riding scenes only show the upper body and are filmed with fake horses, but the effect isn't as good as using real ones. Skilled riders can look particularly impressive, even just mounting a horse.

The main actors headed to the stables to choose their horses. They needed to get to know their horses' personalities and build a bond for smooth shooting. Ella had never ridden before, and a month of training only allowed her to barely control a horse at a slow pace. But she assured the director she would practice privately and wouldn't cause problems during filming. Victoria, on the other hand, was an adept rider, having started at twelve and loving the feeling of riding.

The day before filming, Victoria rode her horse around the field, whispering in its ear. The horse was obedient and gave a happy snort, lifting its front hoof slightly. Victoria's horse was pure white, tall, and muscular, with an impressive appearance. Ella struggled with her chestnut mare, which she had chosen for its docile nature after consulting the stable manager. But the horse was still unruly, jolting her painfully. She whipped it harshly, causing it to buck and nearly throw her off.

With the help of staff, Ella dismounted, staring long at Victoria and her beautiful white horse. She bit her lip, thinking, why does Victoria get all the good things, even an obedient horse? She approached the director, asking to switch horses with Victoria.

"Director, my riding skills aren't as good as Victoria's. I heard her horse is very gentle. Could we ask her to let me have it? I just want the shoot to go smoothly."

The director replied, "You've both been bonding with your horses for days. Why bring this up now? Besides, the lead characters' horses are color-coordinated. Your horse isn't suitable for the lead actress."

Ella insisted, "I thought I could bond with my horse with more effort, but it's too disobedient. I'm out of options. Victoria doesn't have to ride my horse; she can choose another white one. She's skilled enough to handle a new horse easily."

She looked at the director with pleading eyes, and he reluctantly brought it up to Victoria. To his surprise, Victoria glanced at Ella and agreed readily. But she warned, "Ella, just because my horse is gentle with me doesn't mean it'll be gentle with you. Be careful. If you can't handle it, say so early."

Ella smiled brightly. "Thanks, Victoria. Don't worry, I've asked around. Your horse really is gentle. It listened to you from day one. I'm sure it'll like me too." She thought Victoria was pretending to be generous but didn't want to give up the beautiful horse, so she made up an excuse. Ella wasn't about to fall for it.