Chapter Five

Maria Pov~

"Is something wrong?" the makeup artist asked. My gaze was on my phone, refreshing my call log — I'd called the same number so many times since last night that I'd actually lost count.

"Sorry," I said, putting my phone down so as not to disturb her work. I caught my reflection in the mirror; my eyes looked dull from not sleeping properly.

After Lewis dropped me off that morning, I found out I had an interview — one my manager had somehow missed — and it had become something of an emergency.

"You look so pretty," she said, her smile bright, and I couldn't help but smile back. "I'm actually a fan," she continued.

It's possible to have fans, I thought — the first two episodes that had been released had gotten positive feedback.

"Could I get your... autograph after?" she asked, and I simply nodded, my gaze drifting back to my phone.

A few minutes passed, and the door opened. My manager rushed in, phone pressed to her ear, already talking before she'd fully stepped inside.

"They're ready for you," she said, hanging up. "Interview starts in ten. I'm so sorry about the mix-up, Maria — it wasn't on the schedule I got, I swear."

"It's fine," I said, the makeup artist giving me one last dab under my eyes. "Where do you want the auto—" I barely finished before she quickly handed me a notebook, and I signed. Having someone ask for my autograph felt like a dream.

"Thank you," she said, as I walked out with my manager, taking deep breaths. I could think about Mother later.

The interview room was smaller than I expected — just a couch, two chairs, and a camera crew positioning the cameras. My manager gave me a thumbs-up as I walked toward the interviewer, who had a smile on her face and gestured for me to sit. "It's a pleasure to have you here, Maria," she said.

"Thank you for having me," I said, sitting and trying my best to keep an upright position, giving her back a smile.

"So," the interviewer began, glancing briefly at her notes, "two episodes in, and people are already talking. How does that feel?"

"It's great, honestly," I said. "This still feels unreal. I didn't expect this kind of response. I'm grateful."

She nodded. "It's a great shock to a whole lot of people, you know — after all, you are the Moore daughter," she said. I could tell she felt excited, and I'd known my family name would come up eventually, but keeping a professional face was harder than I'd expected.

"What do you think about your family name coming back into the limelight, given everything that happened last year?" she asked. The air in the room felt thinner. I turned to look at my manager, and she had a tense look on her face. I could only try to move my lips into a smile.

"I think," I said, responding slowly, choosing every word like a lifeline, "with my family's situation still being under investigation, it's pretty normal people would get concerned. But I can assure you, my acting career—"

The interviewer cut in before I could finish, her smile still fixed in place. "Speaking of your family — any news on your mother? She should be proud of you right now."

The question felt like a hand closing around my throat.

"I—" I started, and stopped. My mind went blank. Why on earth were they asking me this — shouldn't this be about the drama?

"I wouldn't know," I said, and the interviewer laughed a little.

"Sorry, am I coming in too strong? On a lighter note — there are rumors of you dating Lewis."

The shift in her tone felt lighter, like she was handing me back a normal conversation, and I forced my hands to stay still on my lap.

What would Lewis want me to respond to this? But admitting it — wouldn't that just be another name added to my headline?

"Friends," I responded shyly, trying my best to act convincingly.

"Friends... seems like there's more to it," she responded, and I tucked a strand of my hair back.

"You two are..." she trailed off, glancing at her notes with a small, knowing smile. "Well, the internet seems to think there's more going on than 'friends.' Care to clear that up?"

I forced a laugh. "It's complicated," I said.

"Complicated," she repeated, delighted, clearly filing that word away as the headline she'd use. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

"Where did you guys meet?" she continued.

"Work," I said, trying my best to keep my gaze on her.

"He's quite a catch, isn't he?" she said, not willing to drop it, and I smiled.

"There's a blush," she said, laughing. "Well — moving on. Let's talk about the drama a little more before we wrap up."

I answered the next few questions on autopilot, and the interview came to an end.

The ride home with my manager was quiet. She kept trying to convince me the questions hadn't been part of the agreed script — but you could tell it had been a setup.

"I'm so sorry, Maria," she said, and I could only smile back.

"It's okay," I responded. It was bound to happen; I should get used to this.

"See you tomorrow, Maria," she said, giving me a final wave before driving away.

I scrolled through the headlines. Maria Moore admits to "complicated" relationship with Halcyon Industries CEO. They'd definitely made it clear we could be more than friends.

A notification popped up on my phone from Lewis: Someone will come pick you up. Get ready in twenty minutes.

I didn't bother going into my apartment. I waited outside until Lewis's secretary pulled up, and before I knew it, I was standing outside his home again. I gave a final nod to the secretary, then took a deep breath before stepping through the door.

I couldn't stay calm. Maybe it was my mother's warning, or something I couldn't quite place — but whatever it was, Lewis's mood seemed to confirm it. He was resting on the couch, his head propped against his folded arm, and his gaze felt like a glare the moment it landed on me.

"It shouldn't be hard to admit dating me," he said.

"I just thought it wouldn't be a good idea to drag your name into mine," I said, and he scoffed.

"Can you really say you were doing that for me?" he asked. The question left me unable to respond quickly.

What he had always wanted was for me to act madly in love with him. But today, what I wanted more than anything was to defend my career. Why can't I have that?

"I... no," I finally responded.

"Typical," he said. He sat up properly then, the couch creaking under the shift. "Should we establish what this relationship actually is, then," he said, walking over to me. My entire body felt cold.

"Let's practice again, now, shall we," he said, his eyes moving over me. I knew what he meant — I wasn't slow — but around him, he always managed to make me feel as though I were.