Matthew found few reasons to be happy about Clarissa being away for work.
He pulled a long face most days, and the time which he whittled away moping was longer still.
What was she to do about it?
Her constant refrain was, “It wasn’t my call to build the film studio that far away.
Matthew snorted, “Are you suggesting that I should consider building one right here in D City then?”
That got Clarissa stunned.
“Don’t be upset, Mr. Tyson, Uncle Matthew. You may be rich, almost too rich, but could you not be so impulsive? Pretty please?”
Clarissa plastered herself onto Matthew as she begged for clemency.
As wealthy and entitled as he was, she reckoned there had to be a limit to both somewhat. She would much prefer it if he did not get any funny ideas along those lines.
The man drew her into a strong embrace before he regarded her mockingly. “Do you think I could really pull off something like that? This is D City we’re talking about.”
Clarissa was gratuitously obsequious with her smile.
“In my heart, there’s nothing that you’re not capable of. So, of course, I’d believe anything that you say.”
Matthew’s eyes narrowed as he propped up her diminutive chin.
“Flatterer!”
The woman spat out her tongue. She exhaled as she rubbed her slender hands soothingly upon the man’s chest.
“I’ve met up with Ellie. She’s still upset and forced me to choose.”
The man’s fingers tightened around her chin, and that coaxed a frown from her.
“What was that for? Do you think I could have not chosen you?”
Matthew relaxed his grip before he pulled her so close that their breaths were almost upon each other.
His searing, low voice mirrored the displeasure in his eyes.
“Would you dare?”
Clarissa heart skipped a beat. “I wouldn’t!”
“Good girl.”
His large mitts pawed her back in satisfaction at her reply.
Clarissa palmed the back of his hands with a resounding smack and lifted his wayward fingers, preventing them from drifting down unto impropriety.
“I don’t know when she might simmer down. Try to talk to her more often while I’m away. I really don’t want us to stay this way. You’re her uncle, so will you please do this? For my sake, if nothing else, alright?
“What’s in it for me?” Matthew asked.
She furrowed as her fingers wrapped around his neck and delivered the most unconvincing of threats.
“What’s in it for you, you ask? She’s your niece. Are you going to just leave her be?”
Matthew’s lips curled up in a roguish smile.
“And what’s wrong with that? What concern is it of hers which woman I’m seeing?”
Her fingers clenched as her anger mounted but did not throttle him. Instead, she swayed coquettishly. “What if it’s of concern to me? You have to talk her around, for me. For my sake…”
“Like I said… What’s in it for me?”
“Matthew Tyson!”
The woman’s howls of anger juxtaposed against the man’s staid smile.
“Yes?”
“You… You don’t love me at all!”
Clarissa’s accusation felt oddly familiar.
“You are heartless, insensitive, and incorrigible!”
“How exactly am I heartless, insensitive, and incorrigible?”
His response had her trembling and gave her goosebumps.
She drove her opinions about that inane exchange from her head and grabbed the man’s collar as she loomed over him.
“Don’t I matter to you? Can’t you just do something to fix this upsetting situation with Ellie? It hurts that you keep disregarding my feelings…”
This was purposefully acted out.
Matthew was not rattled and merely narrowed his darkened eyes as an indecipherable smile glazed across his lips.
His poised and sensual inflection teased and then ensnared her like a hook even if he did not intend to. It left her delectably numb and itching for more.
“Does it hurt here? Shall I massage it for you and make it better, Clare?”
Amidst the lure of his voice, his large mitts were already sneaking over her chest.
Clarissa cussed at her own porous words, which allowed Matthew to sneak one in. In hindsight, she thought she should have said that it was her head.
She blushed like a peach, flagrant and ripe for his picking.
And picked at her, he did. He leaned in and bared his teeth, and left his mark on her as he nibbled away delicately at her cheek.
“Ah…”
Clarissa exhaled. She hurriedly pushed him away and raised one hand to shield her own face before she met the man’s laughter with her own outrage.
“Why are you so irritating, Matthew?”
“Haha…”
The man guffawed in his deep voice as he liked how she looked when she was annoyed and went on to pinch the other undefended side of her face.
“It’s completely your fault. I blame you for being so peachy.”
“You’re fruity, and so is your entire family.”
Clarissa brushed him aside with the intention of distancing herself. After repeatedly failing to get through to him, she thought she might as well leave.
But no such luck.
He turned around and squashed her against himself. She could only lift her eyes to him as she lay prone.
“I’m not going to beg. Hmph. If Ellie doesn’t forgive me, don’t expect that I would be in any mood to entertain you.”
If that was her ultimatum, it merely tickled Matthew. “Yeah, you don’t have to cause I’ll gladly entertain you.”
Clarissa could only puff up her cheeks and glare.
She was at a loss with regard to how to deal with a man who could neither be cajoled nor coerced. In her last gesture of defiance, she pounded her fist weakly into his chest in protest.
“You are detestable, Matthew Tyson. How could anyone be as detestable as you?”
Nonetheless, her protests sounded more like whining.
Matthew loved it when the diminutive woman was reduced to helplessness. With a turn of his body, he had her pinned underneath him before he furiously kissed away.
Deep down, she knew that in spite of his obstinate displays, he would consider her plight and talk to Ellie eventually.
He just liked messing with her, and that was something she did not appreciate.
The moment she got arrived at the film studio and checked into the hotel, she immediately video-called Matthew.
Of course, she smiled as she fawned upon him. “Remember to resolve the issue with Ellie, Uncle Matthew. You know that’ll make me love you even more…”
As he was not physically present, she was not as self-conscious, considering that she was merely whispering sweet-nothings to a screen.
He did not look impressed. Needless to say, Clarissa understood his sentiments.
Clarissa was rather glad that he was not there, as she would have gotten tackled otherwise.
Hence, she was all smiles when she heard his stern reminder, “The weekend after. Don’t forget.”
That was when she was due to return to D City.
“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”
Clarissa was secretly worried that the man would chase her all the way out here if she did not. It would be quite a bother if anyone else saw that happen.
For that reason, she would be mindful of honoring their agreement.
After she ended the call, she took some time to freshen up before she went downstairs to the conference room, which was prepared for them. There, she met the rest of the crew and fielded a meeting while Justin commenced his shoot proper.
Clarissa hardly took a breather as she moved from one agenda to the next.
Strictly speaking, she should be the one crew member with the most time on her hands, but she chose to actively involve herself in every way she could. One minute, she was at the prop department, and another, she was over at the costume department. Sometimes, she was distributing the take-out, and at others, she was beside Justin, observing the filming. As he hollered at and directed the actors, she was absorbing what she could learn about the filming process.
Justin appeared quite satisfied as they wrapped up another scene.
The moment Yaala approached, her assistant brought some hot tea over. The scene was set in rainy weather. Even though the temperature in autumn was not too cold, it was rather chilly since she was completely soaked through.
Clarissa slipped a coat over Yaala’s shoulders. As there was another take after this, the latter would not be able to change out of her clothes. However, she took in her discomfort in her stride and in good humor.
“I’d say, Clarissa. Why did you choose to torture the princess this way when you first wrote this sequence?”
Clarissa shrugged. “The heavens have entrusted this person with great responsibility. She has to be made to endure hardship in order to build her resolve…”
“Oh, fine! Stop it! After we’re done with the filming, I demand that you make it up to me for the emotional distress you’ve caused.”
“Haha… alright, Ms. Zaha. Whatever you ask, I’d be much obliged.”
“Perhaps I should asketh for thy hand in marriage!”
Yaala may be a major star with a dignified and elegant public persona, but in private, she was a fun-loving, easy-going, and chivalrous person. Her outgoing and big-hearted personality endeared her to many.
In Clarissa’s esteem, Yaala not only had a soft spot for the vulnerable. She quite enjoyed teasing women.
She had gotten used to it, as Yaala already had quite a bit of fun at her expense a couple of times since her arrival.
Playing along thus came naturally to her. “Sure, Ms. Zaha. But would thee be willing to forsake thy harem for me?”
Yaala’s harem would be her legion of fans.
“Fear nor, mine own sweet. Thou art enough, for I shall leaveth thee satisfied.”
She then went over to hug Clarissa, and the two fell together into a heap of laughter.
Just as this was happening, Shermaine showed up. She came by, although she was not involved in the shooting scheduled for the day. Seeing Clarissa getting on well with the cast and crew, the role that she felt belonged to her being given to Yaala, and Justin generally in a good mood made Shermaine feel that everyone was against her. She found all of them equally repugnant.
Nevertheless, she put on a smile as she approached to chat up Justin.
Yaala curled her lips as she pulled Clarissa close. “See that, Clarissa? That woman’s perfect for the role of the fake princess because she’s exactly like her. Thoroughly obnoxious.”
