Sweet Love 2x: Miss Ruthless CEO for our Superstar Uncle-Chapter 94: Back to Work

The studio lot was quieter than it appeared on broadcast nights.

From the outside, the building passed for a warehouse—plain exterior, reinforced doors, security check-in under harsh lights. Inside, the hallways lead to different areas: wardrobe, makeup, soundstage, and editing bays.

The medical series reached Stage Three, which meant the hospital corridors were rebuilt in sections that could be moved for different scenes.

Noah arrived before most of the cast.

The driver stopped next to the side entrance for the main actors. Noah got out without waiting for help, feeling the cool air on his neck. He adjusted his coat cuff and walked inside at a steady pace—neither fast nor slow, like he would in any office building.

The security guard at the desk straightened. "Morning."

"Morning," Noah responded with a deeper voice than usual. He sounded warm but careful.

The shoulder had taken longer to repair than anyone predicted. Surgery. Therapy. A stretch of silence from the press that lasted longer than expected.

In the dressing room, the wardrobe team had pressed scrubs and a white coat with the hospital’s name. The coat sat clean across his shoulders. Nothing excessive.

"Any restrictions?" she asked quietly, eyes flicking once to his right arm.

"None that matters," he answered.

She nodded and did not ask again.

Noah got his makeup done quickly and carefully. Under the lights, his facial features looked softer for the role of Dr. Adrian Vale, a trauma surgeon who stays calm under pressure. The script said he was a man who never raised his voice. While waiting for the call to set, Noah read the line again.

In Stage Three, the hospital hallway was lit with artificial lights. The walls were painted in neutral colors to look clean but still feel warm. Monitors flashed in regular patterns. People in scrubs walked through the hallway at set times. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The director approached as Noah stepped onto the taped mark near the nurses’ station.

"First scene back," the director said with a half-smile. "We’ll keep it simple."

Noah looked at the script pages clipped to the board next to him. "Let’s start with the longer take."

The director studied him for a moment and then nodded. "All right. We’ll roll through."

The scene was calm during a practice trauma case. A patient would be brought in. Alarms would go off. People would talk at the same time. Dr. Vale was supposed to manage the chaos.

"Action."

The gurney rushed through the double doors. Nurses shouted out vital signs. An actor playing a resident stumbled over a line. Noah quickly took charge. His voice stood out in the chaos.

"Clear the airway. Get ready for imaging. I need facts, not guesses."

He didn’t raise his voice. He met each of them directly.

The shoulder stayed steady during the movement. When he reached to adjust the oxygen mask prop, he moved carefully and efficiently. He did not reach too far.

"Cut."

The director stepped away from the monitor. "Good. Let’s reset for coverage."

Noah stepped back from the gurney. The warmth in his expression faded to a neutral look. He took a bottle of water from a production assistant and had a small sip.

A younger actor, still in costume, approached him. "Glad you’re back," he said. "We weren’t sure if you’d take something this fast."

Noah looked at him steadily."It aligned."

This was not about being modest or showing off. It was simply a fact.

The younger actor laughed lightly and walked away, unsure if he should keep talking. Between scenes, Noah stood by the edge of the set as the crew adjusted the lights above. He rotated his right shoulder to check its movement. Most of the crew didn’t notice. The joint held.

His phone vibrated in his coat pocket. He moved to a spot behind a wall that separated the set from the equipment storage area. He looked at his phone screen.

Arianne: Board meeting moved to 10:30.

The message was sent earlier that morning. He read it once. He replied simply: Noted.

He didn’t say anything more. He went back to set as the assistant director asked for quiet.

In the afternoon scenes, Dr. Vale spoke quietly with a family member of a patient. The script asked for a tone that showed care but was not overly emotional. Noah delivered his lines while keeping a steady gaze and a calm voice. When needed, he briefly placed a hand on the actor’s shoulder. This gesture stayed within the camera frame.

"Cut."

The director took a breath. "That’s it for today’s emotional scenes."

Noah nodded. "What’s next?"

The assistant director gave him the updated schedule. "Surgery scene. Longer hours."

He looked over the page. "Got it."

No sign of fatigue. No hesitation.

By the time they finished filming the last scene, the lights above had dimmed for the end of the shoot. Crew members began taking down part of the corridor wall to prepare for the next day. The fake hospital became quiet except for the sound of the cooling equipment.

Noah stepped off the stage and entered the hallway, where the bright fluorescent lights gave a harsher glow. He checked his phone again. There were no new messages.

He put the phone back in his pocket and walked toward the exit meant for the cast. As he passed, he saw framed posters of past shows along the wall. His reflection appeared briefly in the glass. The white coat was gone. His own jacket reflected back at him instead.

—

The Rochefort Group’s headquarters in the city was quiet in a different way.

Arianne sat at the head of the table with a folder open in front of her. The acquisition proposal was projected on the screen behind her, showing numbers in organized columns. She listened as the finance director spoke about the risk projections, keeping his tone measured and calm. The boardroom windows reflected the morning light in long vertical lines.

After the presentation, a senior board member leaned back in his chair and asked, "Considering Mr. Rochefort’s travel plans, should we wait for him to return in person before giving our final approval?" His choice of words showed he was being careful, but not openly doubtful.

Arianne placed her hands on the folder and replied, "There’s no reason to delay."

Silence followed.

She continued in a steady voice, "The decision stands. We will proceed."

The legal advisor next to her took notes and began outlining the timeline for implementing the plan. Laptops opened almost simultaneously.

During the discussion, another director expressed worry about how the market might see the situation. He said, "The press may think there’s instability." He looked out the window as he spoke.

Arianne responded, "Speculation doesn’t change what we’re doing."

At the end of the meeting, the signatures were collected. She closed the folder in front of her and handed it to her assistant. As the board members left, they nodded briefly at her, and Arianne stayed seated for a moment longer.

Her phone lay face down beside her. She turned it over and saw Noah’s reply: Noted.

She read it once and set the phone back down without unlocking it.

The morning broke into separate calls and briefings. A call with an overseas partner needed a change to the contract timeline. A department head tried to bring up the earlier concerns about moving forward without Franz. Arianne kept the discussion on track without changing her tone.

"We are on schedule," she said. "Just not in person."

The call continued.

By evening, the house became quieter. Leo sat at the dining table with his textbooks open. Lily leaned against her chair, swinging one foot as she talked about a mix-up with a science model in class. Arianne listened while she poured water into two glasses.

"Finish your assignment before eight," she told Leo.

"You’ll need the extra time for tomorrow." He nodded without looking up.

After a pause, he asked, "Is Uncle Franz working late again?"

"Yes."

Lily tilted her head. "Is the hospital real?"

Arianne glanced at her. "The one on television isn’t."

Lily considered this. "So he’s pretending?"

"Yes."

Lily seemed satisfied with that and returned to her story.

Dinner ended the way it usually did. The dishes were cleared away. Leo took his books upstairs. Lily followed him, letting her ribbon hang loosely from her hand.

Later, Arianne sat in her study and looked over the finalized contract under the light of her desk lamp. The room was quiet, except for the soft sound of the air system. She made two notes in the margin and crossed out one line entirely.

Her phone vibrated once.

Franz: Wrapped.

She could see the corridor in her mind without trying.

Arianne typed: Good

She did not add more.

She set the phone face down and stood, moving toward the window. The city lights below formed uneven lines across the streets. Traffic signals shifted from red to green in steady intervals.

She rested one hand lightly against the cool glass.

The quiet stayed.

On the studio lot, Noah exited through the side door into the parking area reserved for cast. The night air was cooler now, carrying the faint smell of asphalt and distant exhaust. A security guard nodded as he passed.

"See you tomorrow."

"Yes," Noah replied.

He walked toward the waiting car, coat collar turned slightly against the breeze. Inside, the driver closed the door behind him and pulled away from the curb. The studio gates opened and closed again behind the car.

As the car merged into the late traffic, Noah leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes briefly. Not from fatigue. Just resetting. When he opened them again, the city lights reflected across the window in fractured patterns.

The message had been read. That was enough; he didn’t reach for the phone again.

The car continued forward, its taillights absorbed into the line of red stretching down the highway.