Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 31 - Chapitre 40

Ethan's hand tightens around hers—and Luna laughs before she can stop herself. "It’s a joke. How's my acting?""My acting coach says I'm too stiff," Luna's pouting. "Will makes me run scenes until I get it right and then runs them again anyway. I've barely had time to breathe this week."Ethan looks at her. "You're doing well. Stop letting him in your head.""Easy for you to say." She hooks her finger around his and tugs, lightly. "I'm so hungry. Will you make me something when you get back? The benedict from the place near your office—with the short ribs."Ethan looks at her bandaged knee. Then at her face."The local anesthesia hasn't worn off yet," he observes, his tone less an accusation and more a protective inventory of her physical state. "You aren't in active pain right now?""I'm always in pain," she says serenely. "Some days are just better than others."He lets out a long, quiet breath."Tell me what you want to eat," he says softly."I already did." She drops her gaze. Let

The door opens to a stranger's face.A sharply dressed, unfamiliar man in a tailored gray suit steps tentatively into the suite."Miss Quinn," the stranger begins, offering a polite, meticulously rehearsed bow. "I am Mr. Caldwell's executive assistant. He personally instructed me to deliver this artisan Eggs Benedict from your favorite bistro. Unfortunately, he has been detained by an urgent family matter, but he promises to visit you later this evening."Beneath the sterile hospital blankets, Luna rolls her eyes, a cynical scoff echoing in her mind.Right. An urgent family matter. He is blowing me off.Externally, however, she doesn't let a single ounce of her irritation bleed through."Thank you so much for going out of your way to bring this to me," she murmurs, her voice as soft and refreshing as a spring breeze. "I'll be sure to eat every bite. But please, tell your boss that he doesn't need to go to such extravagant lengths next time. I can easily order my own food."The assista

The antiseptic scent of the hospital room is momentarily masked by the bright tang of a freshly peeled orange.Luna leans back comfortably against the elevated pillows, lazily picking apart the fruit while her closest friend, Ava, paces at the foot of the bed."The internet is absolutely tearing Stella to shreds right now," Ava declares, dropping into a plush armchair and crossing her legs. She makes no effort to hide her profound satisfaction. "And honestly? She deserves every bit of the vitriol. You don't get to steal another woman's man, parade around high society like a saint, and then play the weeping victim when things finally get messy."Ava leans forward, lowering her voice into a conspiratorial, frustrated whisper. "If the Vane family didn't have half the city's media executives in their pocket, I would have leaked the rest of those rumors myself.""The wicked always find their match online," Luna replies smoothly, a faint, cryptic smile playing on her lips as the sweet scent

The heavy, intoxicating friction of their kiss is abruptly shattered by the sharp, metallic crack of the first assistant director's voice echoing through the megaphone."And...Cut! That is a wrap on this location, everyone!"The commanding shout instantly breaks the spell.Marcus slowly releases his iron-tight grip on her waist.Around the perimeter of the sprawling infinity pool, the previously silent set explodes into chaotic motion as grips and lighting technicians immediately begin breaking down the heavy equipment, rushing to transfer the production to the next scheduled location.A cacophony of raised voices, clattering metal, and heavy footsteps fills the biting autumn air.Luna presses her palms flat against his soaked chest, applying a gentle, suggestive pressure to push him away. "You can let me go now," she murmurs, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper meant only for him.Marcus doesn't move a single muscle.The freezing water continues to lap softly against their waistli

The suffocating tension inside the cramped changing stall finally breaks when Nathan abruptly abandons his quiet vigil in the dressing room.Luna escapes the stifling proximity of Marcus's chest, her pulse still thrumming with the dark, manic thrill of their secret, high-stakes game.The remainder of the afternoon's shoot passes in a grueling blur of blinding studio lights, manufactured heartbreak, and Marcus's intense, lingering gazes from behind the camera monitor.By the time Marcus finally calls the ultimate wrap of the day, the sky above the sprawling city has bled into a bruised twilight.Stepping out of the studio's heavy glass doors, Luna pulls her tailored trench coat tightly around her shoulders, shielding herself against the biting autumn wind.She barely takes a single step toward the street before her gaze locks onto a black Maybach parked silently against the curb.Ethan leans casually against the reinforced door of the luxury vehicle. He looks like a predator patiently