All Chapters of The Tycoon's Leading Lady: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

43 Chapters

11. Memories of Her

CORVINThe blinding light streamed in through the window, waking me up. I squeezed my eyes shut, letting out a deep, contented groan as I stretched my body. Finally, I pushed myself up, settling against the soft pillows.My gaze drifted lazily across the room before noticing the empty space beside me.Kayla…A sudden, unexpected spike made me quickly throw off the sheets. I was naked, but the immediate concern was her whereabouts. I checked the bathroom connected to the bedroom, but no sign of her. I moved quickly to the second bathroom in the penthouse’s living area, but that too was empty.As I reached the spacious living room, I confirmed my growing suspicion. The scattering of her clothes, the remnants of our hurried journey from the couch, to the glass windows, to the bedroom, were gone. Everything was tidy as if the passionate chaos of the previous night had never occurred.“She must have left early,” a low, defeated murmur escaped my lips.I ran a hand through my dishevelled da

12. Back to Reality

KAYLAI stared at myself in the dressing room mirror, my face completely bare. I was early. I was sitting in the quiet room, waiting for the makeup artist to arrive so we could begin. I have a TV appearance today to promote my upcoming projects. Just another day of being Kayla Danes, the actress.My manager had already packed my schedule tight. She'd been saying yes to every invitation for me to appear alone, without Derek. They were finally working on building my career separate from our love team. That should have been the plan from the beginning, but then the series became a huge hit, and the 'Derek and Kayla' phenomenon took over.I haven't heard from Derek since the wedding. I heard they had moved to Dubai from Barcelona for another taping, but honestly, the thought of him had been absent from my mind. The old thoughts were suddenly gone, replaced, oddly, by thoughts of Corvin.I haven't talked to him either. No calls, no texts, nothing. He was sticking to his promise: we should

13. A Breaking Point

KAYLAAfter saying goodbye to Casey and Jordan, I made my way back to our filming location. To my surprise, the traffic wasn’t as heavy as I had feared. The city streets were unusually clear, allowing me to arrive just in time for my call. However, the moment I stepped onto the set, the peacefulness of the drive vanished. My schedule was packed, and the atmosphere was buzzing with the usual high-energy chaos of a production day.I immediately sat in my designated chair. It felt like a whirlwind around me. My makeup artists began dabbing foundation onto my skin, their brushes moving with practiced precision, while my stylists were walking back and forth, organizing the floral dresses and accessories for the day’s scenes. In the middle of this commotion, I sat with my script clutched in my hands. I felt a sense of panic rising. I needed to re-familiarize myself with every line. It felt as if my brain had hit a reset button and wiped away all the dialogue I had memorized the night befo

14. A Drunken Mistake

KAYLA “See? I told you you’d nail it!” Alvin said, his voice bright and full of energy. He sounded so genuinely happy for me that I couldn't help but smile. After all the drama and stress from earlier in the day, his cheerful mood was exactly what I needed. We stepped back onto the set to try the scene one more time. This time, the magic was there. We finished the shot in just one take, and the scenes that followed went perfectly. It felt like the weight on my shoulders had finally lifted. As I walked towards my dressing tent, I took a deep breath of the cool night air. I had to keep reminding myself that I am stronger than my problems. My acting career is growing every day, and I worked too hard to get here. I can't let my personal life or my mistakes ruin my future. By 9:00 PM, the director finally called a wrap, and we were done for the day. “How about I see you in a few minutes?” Alvin asked when we reached the entrance of my tent. Through the flap, I could see my assistant,

15. Secrets and Spilled Truths

KAYLAAfter crying my heart out, I feel like I can’t face Alvin anymore. The weight of my own humiliation is so heavy that I don’t have the courage to even look him in the eyes. Right now, a million things must be running through his head. He probably thinks I’m a slut. He probably thinks I’m a cheater.Inside, I know those things aren't true, but I can’t find the strength to defend myself. It’s like my lips are glued shut. My voice has simply vanished.“I understand that you’re going through a rough patch and that you’re in a long-distance relationship right now,” Alvin says softly. He gestures between the two of us. “But I don’t think this will help at all, Kayla. I don’t think this is a good decision. You’re drunk and your mind is cloudy. Maybe I should just take you home?”I shake my head violently. The thought of him pitying me as a "lost, cheating girl" hurts more than the heartbreak itself.“No, this won’t be cheating,” I murmur, my voice cracking. “Derek and I broke up.”Alvin

16. The Image of Her

CORVINI buried myself in work. I thought that if I stayed busy enough, I could eventually get her out of my head. Every single contract that lands on my desk goes through a brutal review. I read every word, every sentence, and every tiny detail before my signature ever touches the paper. I’m looking for mistakes, but really, I’m just looking for a way to keep my brain occupied.Every meeting I attend, I make sure to be the loudest voice. I ask every question I have, even the ones I already know the answers to. I push my team, I push my partners, and I push myself until I’m exhausted. When I go on business trips, I’m a perfectionist. I ensure everything goes exactly according to the plan. If there is a gap in the schedule, I fill it with more work. I don't want a single second of free time.I tried my absolute best to bury the thought of Kayla in the very back of my mind. I wanted to put her in a box, lock it, and hide the key where I could never find it.But it doesn’t work. No matte

17. A Desperate Move

CORVIN The sun hadn't even come up yet when I pulled into my reserved spot at the office the next morning. My eyes were burning from lack of sleep, and my skin felt tight, but I didn't care. I had a schedule to keep. If I stopped moving, the memory of last night–the sounds from my laptop and the ache in my chest, would swallow me whole. "Good morning, Mr. Marlowe," my assistant, Michelle, said as I stepped off the elevator. She was trying to keep up with my pace. "You have the board prep at eight, the quarterly review at ten, and the lunch meeting with Mr. Sterling at one." "Move the review to nine," I snapped, not looking back. "I want the data on the Southside project on my desk in five minutes. If there’s a single decimal point out of place, I want the head of accounting in here immediately." "Yes, sir." I slammed my office door shut. My desk was clean, but my mind was a mess. I sat down and opened my laptop, my fingers hovering over the keys. For a split second, I wanted to s

18. Signed and Sealed

KAYLAThe camera lights finally dimmed, signaling the end of another long day on set. As the crew began the familiar ritual of packing up cables and reflectors, I found my thoughts drifting back to Corvin again.How was he? What was he doing at this exact moment? I found myself craving his company, not just his presence, but the way he made me feel. He had unlocked parts of me I didn’t know existed, leaving behind a void that no amount of work could seem to fill.“So… I heard Derek and his team just wrapped their shoot in Dubai?”The voice belonged to Alvin, who stepped into my dressing tent with a familiar, grumbling tone. I came here to rest for a few minutes after the early shoot. A few weeks ago, I thought things might be awkward between us given what happened at the bar, but Alvin had surprised me. He had become a genuine friend and a confidant. I was deeply grateful to have someone to talk to about the "Derek situation." He was the only one who knew the truth. I couldn't risk t

19. Behind the Contract

CORVINI stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass of my 38th-floor office, watching the world below. From this height, the bustling city streets looked like a toy set, the cars moving in tiny lines. I traced the curve of the bridge against the blue sky and let out a long sigh.I’ve always preferred the solitude of this office. Up here, I can assess the world from a distance and keep my thoughts orderly. It gives me the perspective a leader needs. But lately, my order has been disrupted. My mind keeps drifting back to Kayla–the way she looked when she spoke about her pain, the sweetness of the chocolate-covered strawberries, and that specific way she looked at me, as if I were the only thing in the room worth seeing.I shook my head, forcing the image away. I had to let go of that for now. Today was about business.A soft knock came at the door. It was my assistant, Michelle. "Sir, the marketing and PR teams from the Bangkok headquarters are ready in the boardroom. They’re anxious to finali

20. Ocevara Resort

KAYLAThe private jet made a soft, steady sound as it flew through the sky, the kind of quiet hum that reminded you just how expensive everything was. I leaned back in the wide cream leather seat and held a cold glass of sparkling water in my hand. For the first time in three years, no one was sitting beside me fixing my lipstick, whispering reminders about what to say on camera, or nudging me to smile wider. Most importantly, Derek wasn’t there.I know I’m going there for a job, but honestly, this doesn’t feel like a job. It feels like a vacation and to me that is already a luxury.“You actually look relaxed,” Maddie said, glancing up from her tablet. “Like you can finally breathe.”“I think I forgot how to,” I said honestly, looking out the window at the soft white clouds. “I’ve been very busy the past few days shooting, guesting, and stuff like that. We deserve this break, you know.”“Yeah, it does feel like it’s not work. It’s a vacation,” Maddie replied.I looked at her with a s

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