Yuri seated Rebecca at their table and excused himself to visit the men’s room. The restaurant’s tables appeared filled with people. He’d expected nothing less. What he hadn’t expected was the appearance of Gena D’Ore. She’d attempted to enter quietly, but her acting skills failed her, and she’d intended to be seen and heard tonight. Yuri saw now if he ever got his hands on her, he’d have to teach her a thing or two. Her beauty was outstanding, but her subtle grace needed a lot of work, as did her subtly. Yuri knew he’d enjoy teaching all about her mistakes. Screw her family connections. They’d thank him later. As he left the men’s room, he found himself accosted by Gena. “So, what’s a girl got to do to get the attention of a man like you?” Yuri studied Gena for a moment. “Start by stop pretending to be someone you are. What is with that straw on your head, woman? You looked better with your hair dark.” Yuri wanted to see how much she wa

Rebecca questioned the reason for Yuri’s extended absence from the men’s room. But he returned in time for their meal to arrive and still felt warm. She saw Gena skulk back to her table. Ugh, this could turn into a disaster. “Don’t look at her, Rebecca. Don’t engage with her. I’ve settled her down for now, so she won’t be a problem.” “What do you mean, Yuri?” The few hours Rebecca spent with Yuri before they arrived at the restaurant told her everything, she needed to know about him. He wasn’t her type at all. He pushed and instructed her, annoying her. She’d been alone for years and in control of everything in her life. She lacked interest in going back. “Don’t worry about it. It’s none of your business. I’ve dealt with her, and she knows her place is there right now. Now let’s have an enjoyable meal.” Yuri broke off the conversation, denying her the right to know his actions. Now he left her wondering what he hid from her. That was som

Yuri thought he’d receive pity when Everett horned in, then stole her away. He didn’t know she wasn’t supposed to eat gluten? When did it kill anyone? It's a fad diet. Did that account for Rebecca’s weight loss? He knew she was skinny. Yuri had assumed she’d dieted. One rumor floating around was that she’d become addicted to pills. People often dropped weight from addiction and explained her time in rehab. It’s possible Rebecca was in rehab for other reasons. They worked with many conditions. How sick was she? Yuri didn’t know or care. Whether Everett was a fine actor or the dude was that concerned, it wasn't Yuri's business. Did the Studio know something that he didn't? Were they in a relationship? Everett had mentioned a lot of Rebecca's personal information. He possessed an intimate knowledge of her life, surpassing that of a colleague. Yuri thought Everett was getting into character. Yuri thought about when they signed their contracts at the mee

Jake sat in his condo hours later. He’d found a food service that delivered specialized meals and ordered from them. They’d eaten, and he now scrolled on his laptop in bed with his soon-to-be wife beside him. He brought his laptop to bed to check if anyone had mentioned their restaurant stunt. Sure enough, it appeared across several entertainment sites already. Their fans were talking about it in the feeds. His old laptop could barely keep up with the rate the comments flooded in on one forum. “Jake, will we stay here after we marry, or will you move back home?” Josalyn was uncertain about their relationship dynamics. When he left, she’d tied herself to their home. She hadn’t wanted to lose the anchor she had unless she had to. Without an anchor in her upbringing, she aimed to avoid a similar lifestyle in adulthood. “I guess that’s something we should discuss. You must admit the house would work well when we had children. Selling this pl

Rebecca had to charge her phone. Otherwise, it won’t have enough charge to function. When the power returned to her phone, she found a cryptic text message from someone she’d hoped never to hear from again. A message she didn’t want to encounter in any form. It was a death knell of the life she’d made for herself. Rebecca forced herself to remember. This message stood as a warning. It didn’t pull the plug on who she’d become, and everything she’d worked for. [We’re watching you. You’re running a risk being so high profile. Remember, you aren’t the only one you endanger. We’ll be in touch if anything changes.] If she wondered whether they still monitored things, she had her answer. Yes, whoever was her handler still watched her. Rebecca assumed the same person still filled the position. She was unaware of the change, but not the secret’s focus. Her mother was. Rebecca just came along for the ride because her mother feared they’d use Rebecca against h