The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 679

Chapter 679: Chapter 679 Targetting?
In the end, Hera and Zen arrived at the studio just behind Emily, where most of the cast and crew were already present—except for Xavier.

He was currently tied up with other commitments, but Director Nick didn’t mind. He fully understood Xavier’s packed schedule and was simply grateful that he had taken on the role.

With Xavier’s popularity guaranteed to bring strong results, all the director needed to do now was focus on delivering a high-quality film—one that would justify Xavier’s decision to reclaim the role from Wesley and ensure he had no regrets.

When Hera and the others arrived at the shoot location, she immediately noticed Director Nick wearing a deep scowl.

He was clearly unhappy with the rushed schedule, yet it was just as obvious that his hands were tied, forced to swallow his frustration.

Seeing this, Hera realized that Zen’s words were likely true—the investor was indeed pressuring the director to push forward hastily.

Hera was then ushered into the lead’s private lounge to change and have her makeup done.

While it wouldn’t be a glamorous, red-carpet-style makeover, there were still necessary alterations to be made—fake scratches on her face, blood mixed with dirt, and other details to enhance the realism.

Despite this, she still needed to look presentable on camera, maintaining a balance between gritty survival and striking appeal.

Since her and Xavier’s images would dominate the promotional posters, with the rest of the cast positioned in the background, her makeup had to be solid, clean, and convincingly realistic to capture the essence of someone fighting for their life.

Hera and Xavier would each have their own solo promotional covers, but they would also share a dynamic duo shot. In the image, Hera would be riding a motorcycle, her expression fierce and determined, while behind her, Xavier would be driving a jeep with one hand on the wheel and the other gripping a gun.

The background would depict a city in ruins—billowing smoke rising from within, explosions erupting in the distance, and a horde of thousands of zombies closing in behind them, capturing the desperate, high-stakes intensity of their fight for survival.

“You’re Hera, right? Please sit here,” the makeup assistant said, her tone carrying a hint of condescension.

That wasn’t the real issue, though. As the lead actress and the face of the promotional poster, Hera should have been attended to by the head makeup artist.

Instead, she was assigned an assistant who seemed to be new to the industry and hadn’t even learned to manage her attitude.

Hera frowned slightly. She was indeed in the private lounge designated for the lead actress, but the space was disappointingly small, more like a cubicle than an actual lounge.

She wasn’t one to complain about such things, but she had just passed Emily’s room—a massive private suite at least ten times bigger than hers.

Inside, a full team of professionals, including a lead makeup artist, hairstylist, and assistants, were fussing over Emily, making it seem as if she were the true star of the production.

She chose not to make a fuss over it, but the incident only reinforced her suspicion that Emily might have ties to the major investor just as she initially thought.

It also made her wonder if the investor’s push for rushed production wasn’t solely about box office profits—perhaps something else was being orchestrated behind the scenes, and unfortunately, it seemed to be aimed at her.

Still, Hera didn’t dwell on it for too long. For now, she would simply observe their actions and deal with whatever came her way when the time was right.

Hera sighed and sat down in front of the mirror. The assistant, casually chewing gum, showed no sense of professionalism.

As soon as Hera settled into the chair, the assistant nonchalantly stuck her gum behind it. Hera instinctively leaned away, not wanting the sticky mess to get caught in her long hair.

The assistant immediately frowned. “Do you feel disgusted by me? Are you looking down on me just because I’m only a makeup assistant?” Her voice was loud and laced with hostility.

Hera, however, remained expressionless, merely raising an eyebrow as she regarded the girl with cool detachment.

“I’d rather not have gum stuck in my hair—do I really need to explain why?” Hera sighed, glancing at the makeup assistant’s reflection in the mirror. However, the assistant merely rolled her eyes in response.

“Whatever you say.” The assistant snorted before yanking Hera back, attempting to slam her against the chair.

However, Hera’s body, honed through training, easily resisted the force. Unlike when Alexi had been physical with her—where she inexplicably found herself unable to retaliate—there were no unseen restrictions stopping her this time. This assistant was just an ordinary person, not a key figure in the novel.

It was only recently that Hera realized the truth—her inability to fight back against Alexi hadn’t been hesitation or fear of hurting him because of the time they spent together.

It had been an invisible restraint imposed by the storyline, ensuring that her actions wouldn’t negatively impact Alexi—especially since her character was closely tied to his. The narrative simply wouldn’t allow her to harm him.

But now, with no such restrictions in place that would hold her back or let her be pushed around.

Now that the storyline no longer restricted her, Hera could fight back however she pleased. As the assistant attempted to force her back, Hera swiftly grabbed the girl’s wrist and pinched it hard, making her wince in pain.

“Let go!” the assistant whimpered angrily, grinding her teeth as she glared at Hera.

Hera immediately let go, ensuring that her actions wouldn’t leave any marks on the assistant’s skin—just in case the girl had been trying to bait her.

Her grip had been brief, making it clear that she had only stopped the assistant’s rude behavior before releasing her.

Even if the assistant had been filming, the footage would only show Hera defending herself calmly and professionally.

Seeing Hera remain composed despite the brief altercation, the assistant shot her a glare but begrudgingly continued her work.

In front of them, an array of makeup products was lined up—most of them cheap brands Hera had never seen before, while the more expensive ones were deliberately placed far out of her reach.

The assistant then picked up an odd-looking tube of primer, squeezed a generous amount onto the makeup plate, and swirled her brush into it before flashing Hera a saccharine smile.

“Let’s start. I wouldn’t want to get reprimanded for wasting time,” she said with feigned politeness.

“Wait!” Hera said, turning her face away to avoid the brush, but the assistant ignored her and simply widened her smile.

“Why? We’re in a hurry. Let’s put our differences aside and be professional,” the assistant said, pushing the brush closer to Hera’s face.

However, Hera’s gaze darkened, her eyes sharp and unreadable. A chill ran down the assistant’s spine, making her freeze for a brief moment. But as soon as she realized that Hera had just intimidated her without saying a word, her face twisted with anger.

“What the hell do you mean by this? Didn’t I just say we’re pressed for time? Why are you stopping me from doing my job? Do you want me to get fired, or are you just making things difficult for me on purpose?!” she shrieked, her voice loud enough to echo through the small lounge.

Hera’s brow twitched in irritation. Before she could even respond, the commotion had already drawn attention. The door suddenly burst open, and several people rushed inside.

“What’s going on in here?” someone demanded.