Chapter 557 Marionette
Natalie slumped against the wall, feeling like Adrian's icy silence and cold words cut deeper than any online hate ever could.
Next day, it was business as usual on set.
Natalie spent the whole morning in the studio, shooting non-stop.
Two ad promos and a magazine spread were on the agenda.
The makeup artist tried to cover up the evidence of her crying jag from the night before, but some traces still peeked through. No biggie, though—post-production would fix it. Natalie cycled through four or five outfits, feeling like a lifeless puppet. Someone would yank her arms, pose her, and she'd just go with it, totally numb.
Everyone in the industry was munching on popcorn, well aware of the latest internet drama about those "explicit photos."
But they were pros, diving into the shoot, planning, and wardrobe like nothing happened. Still, when Natalie hit the lounge for a break at noon, the gossip mill started churning.
At first, they kept it low, worried she might hear.
But soon enough, their voices got louder.
"Think those pics of Natalie are real? Luke, you're the expert. Are they photoshopped or what?"
Luke, the retoucher, whispered, "They're real."
"Oh my God!" Gasps all around.
Realizing they were too loud, a few promptly shushed.
"Keep it down, Natalie's just a door away. Don't let her hear."
"So what if she hears? If she did it, she should own it. Why worry about what people say when she's already done it?"
"Exactly, but man, Natalie’s got a killer body. She looks all sweet and innocent, but who knew she was so wild?"
"Yeah, with multiple guys, that's just too much."
"Hey, Luke, you guys dig girls like that, right? All pure on the outside but wild inside."
Luke chuckled, "Even if I did, I wouldn't stand a chance. With her looks, there's a long line before it gets to me."
"Luke, I knew you guys liked that type!"
"I find it gross. She looks so young in those pics, being with multiple guys, it's just messy."
"Yeah, and now she's blowing up, getting all the good scripts. Who's her sugar daddy?"
"If I were her sugar daddy, I'd be grossed out too."
Yvonne was fuming in the lounge. "This is too much! These gossiping jerks!" She turned around. "I'm going out there."
Natalie grabbed Yvonne's hand. "What for?"
Yvonne said, "We can't just let them trash-talk you!"
She felt bad just hearing it, let alone Natalie.
Natalie said, "Let them talk. A few more words won't hurt me."
Yvonne sighed, "Natalie, you're too nice. People who gossip behind others' backs need a smackdown. Why don't they pick on someone else? They only go after easy targets!"
Natalie smiled. "You're right. They do pick on easy targets. Let them be."
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