Chapter 914

A thought briefly crossed Harlan's mind: Perhaps Austin and Natalie were together in the room for more than just rehearsal. He quickly dismissed it. Austin and Natalie wouldn't behave that way; Hank's drinking must have prompted Austin to rehearse lines with Natalie.

Inside the room, Austin turned to Natalie after closing the door. Natalie, regaining her composure, still flushed, looked at him. She opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, the words catching in her throat after their recent encounter.

"Earlier…" Austin began.

Natalie interrupted, "What happened earlier was simply you getting into character. I understand, Mr. Powell."

The intensity of the scene had been overwhelming. For a moment, she truly felt like the character, with Austin as her partner. Despite telling herself it was just acting, the memory of the kiss sent her heart racing. Austin was captivating; during the scene, she almost believed he felt something for her. But she knew better. It was just acting. Any hint of emotion in his eyes had vanished.

After a long pause, he echoed her sentiment, "Yes, it was simply me getting into character."

Skylar, descending from the hill, saw Natalie's message. Settling into her car, she replied: "Be sure to use sunscreen."

Natalie's message was a torrent of emotion: "Skylar, you won't believe what happened! Mr. Powell asked me to help with a scene, an intimate one. We both got so into character. He kissed me, and for a moment, I truly felt like the female lead. I can't believe it. During the scene, I almost thought Mr. Powell actually liked me. Thankfully, I'm not a professional actress; I quickly snapped out of it. But his acting is incredibly convincing—it pulled me right in, even though I'm not an actress."

Skylar, reading Natalie's message, sensed the whirlwind of emotions. She wondered if the kiss had truly been only part of the rehearsal. A nagging thought surfaced: could Austin genuinely have feelings for Natalie? Could a professional actor like him become so immersed in character during a private rehearsal? Perhaps her understanding of acting was insufficient.

"Are you sure he hasn't developed real feelings for you?" she texted back.

Natalie replied swiftly, "No way! Even if I got carried away, Mr. Powell definitely wouldn't. I'm realistic. The actress he's working with is a superstar in Fachington—stunning, the kind of person even I'd be jealous of. I'm exhausted; I'm heading to bed now."

Skylar smiled and shook her head at Natalie's response. Joe, beside her, noticed her smile. "What's making you so happy?" he asked.

"Natalie was just sharing some of her Fachington adventures. It's quite a story," Skylar replied.

At a red light, Joe glanced at her. "Would you like to visit Fachington?"

"Maybe, if the opportunity arises," Skylar answered.

Joe tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "I'll be going there on business in about a month. Would you like to come along?"

Skylar was tempted. She had work to finish, but could likely complete it within a few days and take time off from Alexander. "When exactly?" she asked.

"In about two weeks."

Skylar decided immediately. "Alright, I should be able to finish my work by then."

Joe smiled. "Do you want to have dinner at home or eat out?"

"Let's eat at home."

"Okay."