Chapter 10. ~. Light, Camera, Speculation.

Ethan's POV ~

The warm sunlight streaming through the window gently nudged me awake. I swung my leg to the other side of the bed and planted my feet firmly on the ground.

Last night’s event still flooded across my mind, and I just couldn't get Scarlett out of my mind.

Shoving my fingers into my hair, I exhaled deeply, my gaze drifting to my reflection in the mirror.

I stared at Jasmine through the mirror. She was still asleep, her grip on the blanket tight with a small smile on her face as if she was in a beautiful dream.

“Scarlet….” Her name came out of my lips in the form of a whisper.

“You've changed so much..” I continued as if she was speaking to her right in front of me.

Ever since our encounter at the gala, I'd been noticing the difference in her demeanor, her style, her entire aura.

It was as if she'd shed her old skin and emerged anew, leaving me struggling to keep up with who she'd become.

Is she really McKenzie’s granddaughter? The Scott Heiress…

And then, my phone chimed, shattering the peaceful stillness.

I knew it was a call from my personal assistant, Hudson.

“Hey, Hudson.” I said, bringing my phone to my ear, my face imprinted with curiosity.

“What schedule do we have for today?” I asked as I ambled towards the bathroom, wanting to have my bath.

Being a celebrity comes with its advantages and disadvantages.

Time is one of the most precious things to use with so many commitments to fit into our tight schedule. Lots of events to attend, social media presence and obsessed fans.

While I'm a celebrity, Dylan has more fame and followers than me, and a collaboration with him would increase my exposure and also give an opportunity for joint projects..

Since I reached out to him, I've never gotten any response.

But today, I certainly would because he accepted my proposal for an appointment.

I've been feeling so restless. Will he even consider working with me? It's hard to know with him being tight with Scarlett. Is she gonna be the one calling the shots here?

“Mr Ethan.” Hudson's deep voice cut through my thoughts.

“You have a meeting with your team to discuss the upcoming album release. You also mentioned that you'll be heading to the film set for rehearsals..”

“Alright. Thanks for keeping me updated. Let's keep that for tomorrow. I just remembered that I have an appointment with Dylan today and I don't wanna miss it.”

“Noted. Will inform you very early tomorrow morning..”

“Thanks, Hudson..” with that, I exhaled deeply and hung the call.

As I dipped into the water bath, I felt a sense of relief wash over me, my tense muscles relaxing as the cool water enveloped me, easing the strain of yesterday's stress.

Once I was done bathing, I put on my crisp white shirt, casually unbuttoning the top few buttons for a laid-back vibe.

After brushing my hair, I reached for the doorknob but I halted when I felt Jasmine's arms slip through my waist.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” She whispered, placing her head on my back.

I gulped hard and took her hands down before turning to face her. “How was your night?”

“Great, and yours?” she asked, trailing her fingers on my jaw, with a warm smile on her face.

“It was fine.. I'll be taking my leave now,”

Her shoulders sagged as she sighed in exhaustion. “You barely have time for me these days, Ethan. It's always one project or the other..”

“My schedule is tight, jasmine. I have so many projects to handle and Dylan, I have to see him today so I can't afford to—”

“Dylan!” She exclaimed, her eyes going wide..

Reaching for my hand, she asked once more, “Did he finally agree with your proposal?”

“No. Jasmine..no. I arranged the meeting and he gave final approval for me to see him. We haven't even spoken or come to an agreement yet.”

“Okay,” She smiled brightly, wrapping her arms around my neck.

Running her fingers down my revealed chest, she whispered, “I hope it goes well. Also, please, do not forget to inform Dylan about my hopes to be a model for his agency.”

“Jasmine..” I called softly, trying to calm her down.

I know it has always been her dream to be a top model for their agency given how famous and standard it was, but I can't just make the request when Dylan hasn't even agreed to my proposal for a collaboration.

“Everything is one step at a time, okay? About that… you'll have to be patient.”

“Fine. I will,” She replied, and was about to plant a kiss on my lips when I stepped back.

Her brows creased slightly in disappointment.

My phone buzzed with notifications while I glanced at the screen and saw a flurry of messages from my fans.

“What is it, Ethan?” Jasmine asked curiously.

I Slid the phone into my pocket, and looked up at her. “It's nothing. Just some congratulatory messages from my fans on my upcoming projects.”

Jasmine lifted my chin with my fingers and mumbled, “You know, I can't wait for you to become even more famous than Dylan.”

“Jasmine.. it's not a competition. I'm not competing with anyone..”

She sighed, her shoulders dropping.

Just then, Eric, my four year old son, walked in, looking all pale and bored.

My eyes went wide as I ambled towards him and squatted in front of him.

After giving him a hug, I ruffled his hair and asked, “Hey, buddy! How do you feel?”

“I feel tired,” He replied, pouting his lips.

“Do you feel like you're having any trouble breathing or anything?”

He shook his head and held my hands. “No, daddy. I just don't want to go to school.”

His nanny, Elsa, stood at the door, her composure calm.

I looked up at her and asked, “Has he used his medicines?”

“No, sir. Breakfast is ready. I want him to eat first before using his medicine.”

“Alright.” I said before turning to face Eric.

“Go eat, buddy and get enough rest. I'll call the doctor to ask for your treatment.”

“Okay, daddy,” He mumbled before planting a kiss on my cheek.

I watched as he scurried in excitement, while his nanny chased after him.

Getting on my feet, I grabbed my car keys and turned to Jasmine.

“I'm leaving..”

“Not without a kiss, Ethan. You've been avoiding physical touches lately. Is anything wrong?”

Before I could respond, the news on the TV buzzed to life, grabbing our attention.

I froze as pictures of Dylan and Scarlett flashed across the screen, captions speculating about their rumored romance and upcoming project.

“That gold digger..” Jasmine blurted, staring at Scarlett with disdain.

My eyes widened with a mix of surprise and curiosity washing over me.

Without saying a word, I stormed out of the room and slid into the car seat.

Taking my phone, I called my assistant and said, “Get every detail about Scarlett in the last five years.”