Semua Bab Behind the Spotlight: Bab 21 - Bab 30

Ethan’s POV The ride back from the studio was silent—not the kind of silence that meant something was wrong, but the kind that settled over you like a soft blanket after a storm. The kind that hummed with unspoken words too tender to say aloud in front of a driver or Dana, who was sitting in the front seat still scrolling frantically through her phone, responding to emails and press requests like she was playing Whac-A-Mole with the media. Julian’s thigh was pressed lightly against mine in the backseat. Every time the car jolted over a bump, our shoulders touched. And every time, neither of us pulled away. When the car stopped in front of Julian’s place—more private, more tucked away than my glass-walled condo—he looked at me, his expression unreadable under the faint glow of the streetlamp. “You coming up?” he asked softly. There was no hesitation in my voice. “Yeah.” The door shut behind us with a quiet finality. The moment it did, the silence changed. No longer the soft,

Ethan’s POVThe sky was a brushstroke of lavender and burnt orange as we drove past the last city lights, the hum of Julian’s vintage convertible the only sound between us. He didn’t speak, and neither did I. But it wasn’t silence—it was a shared calm, the kind that didn’t need to be filled. After weeks of chaos, scandal, and confrontation, this—this nothingness—felt like everything.“Almost there,” Julian said quietly, his voice breaking the spell like the soft toll of a wind chime. “We’ll be safe here.”Safe. I didn’t even know what that meant anymore. Safe from the cameras? From questions? From each other?I turned my head and looked at him. His jaw was clenched, one hand tight on the steering wheel. Even in casual clothes and sunglasses pushed up on his head, he looked every bit the movie star. But beneath the strong profile, I saw the exhaustion too. We were both worn thin.“Is this your place?” I asked, finally speaking.Julian nodded. “Yeah. Bought it before the fame. Back when

Ethan’s POV The official statement dropped at 9:00 a.m.By 9:01, our phones wouldn’t stop ringing.It wasn’t dramatic or flowery—just honest:“Actors Ethan Cole and Julian Reyes have shared a journey that began on-screen and extended off it. They’ve asked for privacy as they continue that journey together.”It didn’t confirm. It didn’t deny. But it said everything.For some people, it was enough. For others, it was gasoline on a fire.But I wasn’t thinking about social media when I stood on the balcony of Julian’s apartment, holding his hand while reporters shouted questions down below.I was thinking about the people we hadn’t told.My mother. His father. Our managers. Our agents. The people who shaped our lives behind the curtain of fame.The ones whose opinions still carried weight.The people who could break us if they wanted to.The first call came from my mother.Of course it did.“Ethan,” she said, her voice cool and sharp like crystal. “I saw the post.”I braced myself. “I fi

Ethan’s POV The auditorium buzzed like a live wire.Rows of seats filled with eager fans, media reps, and industry insiders stretched to the back wall. The stage was flanked by oversized promotional banners of The Fall Between Us—Ethan as Sam, staring off into a stormy skyline; Julian as Lucas, eyes shadowed by pain and longing. They were larger than life. Now, they had to live up to that.Julian adjusted the cuff of his charcoal blazer beside me backstage, looking cool as ever in public. I wasn’t sure if it was confidence or nerves worn like armor, but either way, I envied it.I glanced down at the schedule in my lap. The panel was slotted for a full forty-five minutes of questions, clips, and what they called “spontaneous actor chemistry.” As if everything between us now could fit into a neat little marketing soundbite.“Ready?” Julian murmured beside me.I gave him a wry smile. “Define ready.”He chuckled low in his throat. “You look good.”I tried to play it cool, but that simple

Ethan’s POV The weight of the new offer hung over us, the prospect of a high-profile film bringing with it an almost dizzying array of possibilities. It was a dream project for many actors, a chance to solidify our place in the industry, but with that opportunity came a whole new set of challenges. The thought of taking on something so monumental felt like standing at the edge of a cliff, the future stretching endlessly before us.I watched Julian as he stared at the screen of his phone, the email offer from the studio still open, untouched by his fingers. His jaw was tight, his brows furrowed in concentration. I could almost see the internal battle waging within him.“You don’t have to say yes,” I murmured, leaning forward on the bed, my voice soft.Julian’s gaze flicked to me, then back to the phone. “It’s not that simple, Ethan. This could be a game-changer. For both of us.”He was right. The project was big—bigger than anything either of us had worked on before. A starring role f