An hour later, Hailey found herself on set, dressed in Victoria's costume and prepared for the day's stunt work.
The set was a carefully constructed replica of a rooftop, complete with air conditioning units, ventilation systems, and strategic safety equipment hidden from the camera's view.
The stunt coordinator, Mike, approached her.
"You ready for this, Hailey?" Mike asked, checking her safety harness.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied.
"Remember, this rooftop scene is all about timing. The jump between buildings is the tricky part."
"I've run through it a dozen times," Hailey assured him.
"I know you have. But let's go over it one more time." Mike pointed across the set. "You'll start here, run across, leap there, land, roll, and then into the fight scene."
"Got it."
The director, Miles, called out from behind his camera. "Alright, Hailey, remember, we need this scene to feel dangerous but controlled."
"Understood," she called back.
Mike continued checking her equipment. "The cameras will catch every hesitation, so commit to each movement completely."
"You've got this," he added quietly. "Trust your training and trust the equipment."
Hailey noticed the man from the trailer, Eric standing behind one of the cameras, his attention focused entirely on the preparation unfolding in front of him.
He had changed into more casual clothes — dark jeans and a simple shirt — that suggested he was planning to stay for the entire shoot.
Hailey found herself glancing in his direction more often than necessary, curious about his role in the production and his relationship with Victoria.
Mike asked her, drawing her attention back to him. "You ready to do this?"
"Let's go."
Miles called out, "Positions, everyone! This is for picture!"
The crew fell silent, cameras rolling.
"And… action!" Miles shouted.
Hailey launched into the carefully choreographed scene. She moved across the rooftop with practiced grace.
"Come on, you can do better than that!" she shouted as she delivered a sharp kick to an imaginary opponent, her voice carrying the intensity that the scene required.
Her movements were smooth and powerful, each strike executed with precision.
The jump between buildings approached rapidly. It was the centerpiece of the scene.
She sprinted across the rooftop, launching herself into the air with complete confidence.
"Now!" she called out to herself, timing her leap perfectly with the camera movement.
Her body sailed through the air, the safety rigging invisible to the cameras as she executed a controlled landing on the opposite building.
The impact was absorbed through her legs and torso, her training taking over as she rolled to distribute the force safely.
She immediately transitioned into the next part of the scene, delivering a series of punches and kicks that would later be enhanced with sound effects and visual impact.
"That's it!" she breathed, putting everything into the final combination of moves.
"Cut! Pass!" Miles shouted, his voice filled with satisfaction and relief.
The crew immediately sprang into action, checking equipment and preparing for the next setup while the director reviewed the footage on his monitors.
Miles approached Hailey with a broad smile.
"Excellent work, Hailey," he said. "That was exactly what we needed. The energy, the timing, the commitment, all perfect."
Mike was already helping her out of the safety rigging, his professional eye checking for any signs of stress or injury.
"How do you feel?" he asked, his concern genuine despite the successful completion of the scene.
"Everything worked perfectly," Hailey replied, the adrenaline of the stunt still flowing through her system. "The timing felt right, and the landing was clean."
As the crew began setting up for the next shot, Victoria finally arrived on set.
Someone called out, "Victoria's here!"
All heads turned as she swept onto the set like she owned the place. Even in her casual jeans and oversized sweater, she commanded attention without trying.
Her arrival was notably later than the scheduled call time, but she moved through the set as if this were completely normal and expected.
"Sorry, everyone!" Victoria's voice rang out across the bustling set. "I know, I know, I'm fashionably late again."
The director glanced at his watch but said nothing.
Everyone knew the drill by now.
"But you'll never guess what happened," Victoria continued, her hands gesturing dramatically. "These absolutely adorable fans were waiting outside my apartment building with homemade lunch boxes. Can you believe it? They had gotten up at dawn to cook for me!"
A few crew members smiled and nodded. This was typical Victoria – always a story, always an excuse.
"They had little notes attached to each container," she went on, clearly enjoying the attention. "One said 'For our beautiful Victoria' and another had a heart drawn on it. How could I possibly rush past such sweetness?"
"Of course you couldn't," muttered someone from behind a camera, but Victoria either didn't hear or chose to ignore it.
She spotted Hailey near the catering table and made her way over, her designer boots clicking against the concrete floor.
"Hailey! There's my hardworking double," Victoria said warmly. "How many takes did you suffer through while I was being adored by fans?"
"We just finished shooting the first scene," Hailey replied, trying to match Victoria's energy.
Victoria's whole expression brightened instantly.
She leaned in closer to Hailey, her voice dropping to a whisper that only Hailey could hear.
"Just the first scene? Oh, thank goodness." Her relief was obvious. "That means they're still setting up for the next one, right?"
"Yes, they are," Hailey replied.
"Perfect." Victoria's grin was almost mischievous. "If I'd known that, I would have come even later. I would've stopped for coffee too. Maybe even gotten my nails done."
The comment was delivered with a conspiratorial smile that suggested she was sharing a secret, but Hailey could hear the genuine calculation in her voice.
Then Victoria straightened up, her voice returning to its normal, carrying tone as she addressed the crew around them.
"I just want to say," she announced warmly, "how incredibly grateful I am to work with such talented professionals. I want to thank everyone for their incredible hard work and dedication. The way you all handle the technical magic of filmmaking – it's truly impressive."
"Aw, thanks Victoria," called out Jake, the lighting technician. "We try our best."
"You do more than try, darling. You excel."
The crew members exchanged pleased looks.
Say what you wanted about Victoria's punctuality, but she knew how to make people feel appreciated.
Hailey maintained a polite smile throughout the exchange, understanding the performance that was taking place.
Victoria excused herself to head to the makeup trailer, where Donald was waiting to do touch-ups and prepare her for the scenes she would be filming that day.
"Where is David? Is he ready for me?" Victoria asked as she climbed the steps to the trailer.
"It's Donald," came the immediate correction from inside the trailer, his voice carrying the patient tone of someone who had made this correction before.
"Donald, Victoria. Not David. My name is still Donald."
Victoria's laugh could be heard clearly as she entered the trailer.
"Oh my gosh, Donald, I'm so sorry! Sorry for the mistake," she called out. "I swear my brain is turning to mush."
"It happens to the best of us," Donald's voice replied diplomatically.
"No, it doesn't happen to the best of us," Victoria said, her voice now muffled as she entered the trailer. "It happens to people who are getting old and losing their minds."
The trailer door had barely clicked shut when Eric appeared, moving with the kind of purpose that suggested he had been waiting for this moment.
"Who told you that you're getting old?" he said loudly enough for his voice to carry through the thin trailer walls. "You're still as beautiful as ever."
There was a pause – the kind that happens when someone is genuinely surprised.
"Eric?" Victoria's voice came through clearly, pitched higher than usual. "Is that really you? When did you get back?"
"About two hours ago," Eric replied, moving closer to the trailer, so his voice wouldn't carry across the entire set. "Came straight from the airport to see my favorite actress."
There was something in his tone that suggested this wasn't a casual visit, but rather something he had been planning for some time.
"I thought you were planning to stay over there for a while longer," Victoria said.
Her voice carried a note of something that might have been disappointment or perhaps just surprise.
"Well," Eric's tone was light but there was an edge to it. "If it had been as wonderful as you kept telling me it would be, maybe you would have visited."
The silence that followed was thick enough to cut with a knife.