Chapter 332   - Not Allowed In

"So, you and Giselle..." Mark said, drawing the attention back to himself. "I thought you were with Katherine, but rumors are flying around about you and... Giselle."

His voice was tight. Not mad, just forced.

"No, Giselle and I are friends," Cage tried to remain casual. So far, Mark had done nothing threatening, so Cage was unsure why he felt so scared.

"Why her, though? You could act with so many other people who could help you grow, but you brought her back instead." Mark shook his head. "And Katherine, she's so plain and... I mean, Keira wasn't the best person for you either but at least she was beautiful and famous. She could have helped you out in your career."

Cage checked himself. There was a flare of irritation running through him. He was used to such questions being thrown around but he had to be particularly careful when talking to crew members.

"They're both highly talented and ambitious people. In my personal and professional life, I intend for people with such qualities to accompany me." Cage could see that Mark was distressed by that. He looked bewildered.

"They are making a joke out of you. Undermining your true worth and laughing at you. They've done nothing but use you to meet their ends. Giselle poked the public into publishing false rumors about you and Katherine... I don't even know how she found you in the first place." He huffed. "Positively villainous."

The guards had made their way towards Cage, surrounding Mark and Cage without the other noticing.

"I don't understand what you mean," Cage said, his eyes flickering from Mark to the bodyguards.

"It's all a ruse, I tell you. They're using you. Giselle is hellbent on ruining your career and image. And that Katherine, I have a few choice words for her, as well."

Nothing more was done than the spewing of words. The bodyguards who had body cameras on them couldn't take down Mark because he posed no bodily threat to Cage. And Cage hadn't signaled for them to make him step aside.

That meant, Cage wanted to hear this. He had a purpose behind doing all of this.

"What the f.u.c.k are you talking about?"

Mark looked at him them. Looked at him right in the eye with a weird gleam. The expression made Cage's blood run cold. "Don't worry. I couldn't get close enough to Katherine, but I can take care of this. I can do that for you."

The smile that followed was horrifying.

He pulled something out of his pocket and the bodyguards leaped.

It happened so quickly that Cage couldn't process it. He instinctively ducked away, letting the bodyguards subdue the man. He couldn't really understand what it was in Mark's hand but the struggle to reach for it showed that it was an invaluable part of the plans he had made for Giselle.

Something went off before the guards to wrench the object out of his arm. Behind them, a loud boom went off. Cage swiveled towards the direction just in time to see Giselle ducking down in hopes of getting away. The flames licked upward and Giselle crawled towards the outside.

On her way out, an object hit her side and she fell on her side. Motionless.

There was nothing to be done about it. The crew was recoiling from shock and among them, the safety team was scrambling to get the fire in control. For some reason, none of the efforts worked.

He wanted to go badly but he didn't have the training to handle this.

In the back of his mind, he wondered if people were going to die because of him because he was a coward and couldn't save them himself.

"Mr. Cavanaugh," one of his bodyguards shook him out of his trance. He looked over at them, dazed. "Mr. Cavanaugh, they've pulled Giselle out. We need to get out of here," they said. Someone was shaking his shoulders, but for the life of him, he couldn't control his body and life.

He was dragged out as were the other crew members.

He could see that the police were already barricading the area and Mark, the perpetrator was in cuffs, but he couldn't help but turn back. He was led away and he couldn't remember much else.

- - -

Katherine ran. The people on set were scrambling to get away while she, ran towards it. When she got closer, she could see how thick the black smoke was. Her lungs burned at the sight.

The policemen wouldn't let her through. It had happened so quickly and they were still trying to contain the damage. But she was on a mission. Her bodyguards tried to pull her back and drag her away, but she was a woman on a mission.

A ridiculous thought passed her head. What if she was a superhero or one of the characters from the games she played. It would be so easy. She would have been inside within seconds. But she wasn't.

She was so sure that he was still inside and she couldn't shake the thought from her mind.

The argument she was having with the police officer was turning heads.

"Ma'am no one is allowed in." They told her. "An actor got hurt." They said. What was she to make of that? She needed to know. There were still people inside the barricade and they were looking for additional people stuck inside.

The conversation was cut short when another round of flames flared up. She could feel the heat of it from where she stood. She sank to her knees right there, her hands clasped over her mouth. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't do anything but stare. A cloud of smoke and ash came towards them and she ducked her head against it. Wrapping her arms around her stomach as she waited.

She wanted to scream.

She wanted to call for him.

Cage.

Cage.

'Where are you?'

'Just wait for me.'

"Miss Austen!" A familiar voice shouted. She turned her head, tears streaming down her face as she did. "Miss Austen," they called her again. "Mr Cavanaugh is safe. He's farther away." She was picked up by strong arms.

She stumbled as she followed them.

But she did not believe them.