MasukCALISTA POVI smiled as I slipped into my car.Finally. Something was going right. For the first time in weeks, I felt like I could actually breathe.The document sitting on the passenger seat made my smile widen further.The Face of Oceania. One of the biggest modeling pageants in the world, the platform every serious model dreamed of walking. Rosy Maurer had come through it. Angela Locsin. International supermodels whose faces dominated magazines and billboards across continents.And now, I had been selected.A laugh escaped me as I started the engine. This was my world. Not acting, not scripts, not movie sets dictated by someone else's vision. Modeling. The runway. The cameras. The spotlight that belonged entirely to me. I had spent years building this reputation overseas before coming home. The acting career had only ever existed because of Kelvin's influence, but modeling was mine. Earned. Untouchable.My smile widened further.And today had been close to perfect. Selena's sc
ALEXANDER POVI was smiling. Actually smiling… Rare enough that half the staff who greeted me that morning looked momentarily startled by it.The drive to work had been pleasant. My thoughts kept circling back to Selena. Her sleepy face that morning. The way she had laughed when I claimed paying for breakfast counted as cooking. The argument about baby names. The little kick from our child that had stopped both of us mid-sentence.A genuine smile tugged at my lips again.Then my office door burst open.Greg walked in fast, too fast. The smile disappeared instantly. Greg only moved like that when something had gone wrong."What happened?" I asked, keeping my voice level.He hesitated, which was never a good sign. "Sir." He placed a tablet on my desk. "Things aren't going well for Mrs. Selena."My eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"He slid the tablet toward me. I picked it up, and the moment I saw the screen my jaw tightened.The picture. That damned picture, Kelvin's hand around Se
SELENA POV A soft golden glow filtered through the curtains and settled across the room. Slowly, my eyes fluttered open. For a moment I simply stared at the ceiling. Comfortable. Peaceful. Happy. A smile found its way onto my lips before I could stop it. Yesterday came back in pieces, Alexander's jealousy, the argument, the apology, the way he had looked at me afterward, the way he had held me like he was afraid to let go. My cheeks warmed instantly. "You've been smiling for the last thirty seconds." I jumped, my head snapping toward the voice. Alexander sat at the edge of the bed, a breakfast tray balanced on his lap, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Interesting." His lips curved. "Should I be worried about whatever's happening inside that head of yours?" I rolled my eyes immediately. "Good morning to you too." He chuckled… Warm, comforting, dangerously attractive in that effortless way he had. I pushed myself upright against the headboard. "I thought you already left
KELVIN POVThe corner of my lips hurt. A lot.I touched the bruised skin and winced. Alexander Blackwood didn't know how to hold back, the man had nearly broken my jaw with his bare hands.And yet a smug grin pulled at my mouth anyway, despite the sting.Because for the first time in weeks, I had finally gotten a reaction. From him. From Selena. From everyone watching. The interview, the bathroom encounter, the punch, the way Selena's eyes had widened when I said I regretted the divorce, every single piece had landed exactly where I wanted it to.My car rolled into the driveway. I stepped out, ignoring the throbbing in my jaw, and the front door opened before I even reached it.Calista. Arms folded tight across her chest, expression stormy.So she'd watched the interview. Wonderful."What?" I asked, keeping my tone casual.She stared at me for a long moment. Then laughed, sharp and entirely without humor, the kind of laugh that meant trouble was already loading."What?" she repeate
ALEXANDER POVRage.Pure, blinding rage, that's all I felt. All I could see.His hand. Wrapped around her waist. Holding her. Touching her.My wife.Everything inside me went dark.I had warned him. I had told him exactly what would happen the next time he touched her, the next time he even looked at her wrong. And right now, standing in this doorway with his hands on Selena, murder sounded like the most reasonable thing in the world.Kelvin released her slowly. His eyes found mine.Then.. to my absolute disbelief.. he smiled.The bastard actually smiled."Well," he drawled, "looks like our dear Mr. Blackwood is…"My fist hit his mouth before he could finish the sentence.CRACK.His head snapped sideways. Blood sprayed from his lip instantly. Selena gasped somewhere behind me. Kelvin stumbled backward and I grabbed his shirt before he could find his footing, slamming him into the wall hard enough to shake the mirrors.The grin disappeared.Good.I hit him again. And again. Every imag
SELENA POVThe moment I saw the smirk on Kelvin's face, I knew he was up to something.Same smile. Same manipulative, I have the upperhand smile he had always worn when he thought he was several steps ahead of everyone in the room. My fingers tightened beneath the table where no camera could reach them.Not today. Whatever game he had come here to play, he wasn't getting the satisfaction.Christopher looked between us with the grin of a man whose job had just gotten considerably more interesting. The audience was already leaning forward. This was exactly the kind of tension they had paid attention for."So," Christopher began, "I think everyone is curious." He turned to Kelvin. "Did you know your ex-wife was actually Lena Blackwood before the big reveal? And is that where the cheating allegations originated from?"The studio went quiet.Kelvin leaned back comfortably. His eyes found mine for just a second before sliding smoothly toward the camera. Professional. Calm. Completely manufa







