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[Scene: After the Show – Tessa's Room, Then Maria's Private Room]
Tessa stormed into her room, rage bubbling under her skin. She dropped onto the couch and unlocked her phone, expecting praise, applause, maybe even pity.
Instead, the comment section was on fire—for all the wrong reasons.
> "Tessa's voice was flatter than my grandma's pillow."
"She really tried to make a heartbreak song sound like a karaoke party."
"Bribery won't save you now, girl."
"Poor Ruth, imagine having a friend like Tessa."
Her face twisted. Even her so-called loyal fans were getting dragged for defending her. The hate was nuclear.
With a scream, she hurled her phone at the wall. The crash echoed as she stormed out, heels clicking like war drums as she made her way to Maria's private room.
She kicked the door open.
"Maria, follow me!" Tessa barked.
Maria didn't even flinch. She raised an eyebrow calmly from where she was folding clothes.
"Why are you yelling like a dog? Did you skip your treatment today?" she said, voice flat and mockingly gentle.
"Did you just call me a dog?!" Tessa screeched.
She raised her hand to slap Maria.
But Maria caught it midair. Tight grip. Cold eyes. And then, with a shove, she pushed Tessa back effortlessly.
Tessa stumbled but caught herself, cradling her wrist. Her sneer returned. "I've been trying to be nice. But you just don't get the hint, do you?"
"Nice?" Maria tilted her head. "You mean 'nice' like trying to destroy my voice, get me banned from the industry, or maybe sent to jail? Which one of your 'nice' are you referring to?"
Tessa's nostrils flared. "Does it really matter? If you know what's good for you, you'll quit. Or I swear, I'll make you wish you were dead."
Maria didn't reply. She calmly zipped her duffel bag and tossed a jacket inside.
Tessa took a step forward. "Do you even know why I'm still on this show? Ever heard of the Hade family? My aunt is best friends with Madam Hade. I can destroy you in a blink."
Maria finally turned to her, expression unreadable.
"Oh, I'm so scared," she deadpanned. "Using someone else's name to bark threats. Tsk. Go take a class on intimidation, babygirl. Because all I see right now… is a parasite trying to sound like a predator."
Tessa's glare sharpened. "Call it what you want. But even a parasite can rot the host if it gets deep enough. You think not lossing your voice and making a wave made you a warrior? You're pathetic. Always defending, never attacking. That banned drug was just a taste, Maria."
She smirked and turned to walk away. "I'm on offense now. Get ready."
Click.
Behind her, Maria's thumb slid across her hidden phone screen. The camera feed stopped recording.
A small smile crept across her lips—one that never reached her eyes.
Thank you! That helps a lot. Here's a revised version that aligns with your direction: Jake is shooting a gun, the red-haired guy only whistles, and Tessa's plan is now more veiled and suspenseful, with a creeping sense of dread and emotional tension:
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[Scene: Tessa's Room – Moments After Her Clash with Maria]
Tessa slammed the door shut behind her, locking it with a loud click. Her breaths were uneven, shallow, twisted with rage. Then, the silence shattered—glass flew, a vase exploded against the wall. She overturned her makeup chair, tore her jacket off, and hurled it across the room.
She stood there, surrounded by the destruction, chest rising and falling like a beast in a cage. Then… she smiled.
Not a soft smile.
A cruel, bitter one.
"So they've chosen their villain?" she whispered. Her voice was sharp, but eerily calm. "Let's not disappoint them."
She reached for her phone, dialing a number from memory.
The line clicked.
Tessa didn't say a name. Didn't give instructions.
Just one quiet sentence:
"Prepare for the next scene."
She hung up and dragged her fingers through her hair. "They made me the villain," she muttered, voice almost playful. "Then they don't get to cry when the script gets bloody."
Her expression turned cold. "Maria… sweet, naive Maria. Let's see how strong you really are."
She stepped out, lips curled into a satisfied smirk.
....
[Scene: Underground Shooting Range – Maria's Arrival]
As Maria stepped out of the taxi, she quietly handed the driver the fare without a word. She stood in front of what looked like an old, abandoned building—cracked walls, rusted windows, no signage.
She looked around once, then knocked on the metal door.
Three times.
A mechanical click answered her. The wall beside the door hissed open, revealing a hidden entrance. Maria stepped inside, the air turning cooler, heavier.
She walked down a dimly lit hallway until she reached the elevator. Without hesitation, she entered and pressed her thumb to the scanner. The elevator descended smoothly—straight underground.
Ding.
As the doors opened, she stepped into a wide, concrete space lit by industrial lights. It was the hidden training ground.
There were only three people inside.
Jake stood closest to the target zone, relaxed, sleeves rolled up… casually munching on slices of watermelon between rounds. He raised his gun lazily and fired.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Every shot landed on the bullseye.
"Show-off," muttered the instructor from the corner, already sinking deeper into his foldable chair with a frustrated grunt. He rubbed his forehead. "Every damn time I see him shoot, I get a headache."
The third person—a tall guy with messy red hair—whistled low when he caught sight of Maria entering.
He didn't even try to be subtle. "Damn…"
---
[Scene: Ruth's Taxi Ride – A Close Call]
Ruth slid into the backseat of the waiting taxi, letting out a sigh. She had left early—anything to avoid running into Tessa again.
Her fingers were already moving across her phone, typing another vague tweet to stir some sympathy:
"Some people wear masks so well, they forget who they really are."
She smirked as she pressed post.
The driver glanced back through the mirror, but Ruth didn't notice. Her attention was glued to the flood of likes already trickling in.
The car sped up.
A bit fast for her liking.
She looked up. "Hey, sir? This isn't the usual route…"
No answer.
Her smile faded. "Uh—can you slow down a bit?"
Still nothing.
Ruth sat up straighter, eyes narrowing. The taxi darted between lanes, the driver's hands steady, too precise for someone who seemed distracted.
Then she saw it—a massive delivery truck rolling into the intersection ahead.
The taxi didn't slow down.
Ruth's breath caught. "HEY! Are you crazy?! SLOW DOWN!"
The driver didn't respond. His eyes were calm in the mirror.
Just as it seemed like the car would crash straight into the truck—
he swerved.
The side of the truck scraped the taxi, glass shattering across the seat. Ruth shrieked and ducked, arms shielding her face.
Then—
SLAM!
An emergency stop.
Her body lurched forward, her forehead smashing into the seat in front of her. Pain exploded behind her eyes. Her vision spun.
She barely registered the blood trickling down the side of her face before everything faded into black.
The driver sat still for a second.
Then he calmly reached forward and pulled a piece of broken glass from the back seat—exactly where Ruth had struck her head.
He stared at the blood on the shard… then tucked it away carefully in a cloth, eyes still calm.
"Who's this pretty mama?" a red-haired guy said as he walked up to Maria. "I've never seen you before. Name's Star," he added, eyeing her from head to toe before raising his hand for a handshake.
"You are a star," Maria said with a calm smirk, shaking his hand briefly—only to turn away and walk straight to the instructor's desk. She picked up a handkerchief and wiped her hand with quiet precision.
Jake, watching from the side, couldn't hold back his laughter. With a wide grin, he walked over to her.
"Why are you laughing?" Maria asked, raising an eyebrow at Jake, her tone cool but curious.
Jake leaned in, his voice low and teasing as he finished the word she deliberately left out,
Maria glanced at him, surprised for a moment—then chuckled, a soft sound that slipped past her guard. "So, you do pay attention," she muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.
Jake grinned. "To the fun ones? Always."
"Stop talking and go start already," the instructor barked.
Maria nodded, slipped on the gear, and walked to the range. Her stance was awkward at first.
"Wow... she doesn't know how to shoot," Star whispered, amused.
Jake, lazily chewing on a slice of watermelon, didn't even blink.
"She's just a student. No combat skills, no reflex training. Plain as a white sheet," the instructor muttered, clearly unimpressed.
"Wait, what?" Star turned to Jake, frowning. "You brought her here? Do you even know what this place is? If you want to train a rookie, take her somewhere else. Why bring her to a place for criminals?"
Jake didn't even look at him. "Because she's interesting," he said casually, flicking a seed off the table. "And I feel like I won't be bored around her. Anything else?"
Star scowled. "You're playing with fire. What if she hears something she's not supposed to?"
"Then we kill her," Star finished bluntly.
Jake chuckled—softly at first, then again, darker this time. He thought of Mike. Wonder how he'd react to her sudden death... Oh, that would be interesting, Jake mused.
Star watched him in silence, brows furrowed. "What if the other three show up here, then—"
He never finished his sentence.
Maria pulled the trigger.
Again. And again. Target after target fell.
Jake raised an eyebrow. He pressed a button, and the targets began to move faster.
Maria paused only to shoot him a glare.
Jake smirked.
Then she resumed.
Of the fifty targets, she hit twenty clean headshots. The rest—necks and hands. Not a single miss.
Jake started clapping.
Even the instructor looked surprised.
"What are you guys clapping for?" Star asked flatly. "What's so impressive?"
"This is her second time using a gun," Jake said, getting up from the table.
He didn't bother glancing at Star's stunned face.
He just walked toward Maria—grinning.
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