All Chapters of Hidden No More: The Billionaire’s Plus-Sized Secret: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

172 Chapters

GET OVER MYSELF

LauraThe weekend somehow disappeared too quickly.One second it was Saturday night.The next?It was Monday morning again.And somehow, despite living under the same roof, I barely saw Quinn the entire weekend.I couldn’t tell if he was genuinely busy or if he was actively avoiding me after what happened between us.Honestly?I was grateful either way.Because there was absolutely no coming back from that night.No coming back from me practically throwing myself at him in lingerie.No coming back from the way he kissed me afterward like he actually wanted me.And definitely no coming back from the embarrassing amount of hope that kiss planted inside my chest.It was humiliating.Completely humiliating.I hated the thought of Quinn looking at me differently now.Like I was fragile.Like I was some sad little broken thing he needed to handle carefully.The poor abandoned wife.The plus-sized woman her husband publicly rejected.The woman whose best friend got pregnant by her husband.T

ACTORS WHO YIELD CUT

LauraThe second the director yelled cut for my final scene, makeup artists, hairstylists, and wardrobe assistants rushed toward me like an army preparing someone for war.Hands immediately started touching my face.Someone dabbed powder under my eyes.Another person fixed the strap of my dress.The hairstylist began fluffing my curls again while another woman crouched near my heels checking for scuffs.I blinked in confusion.“Guys,” I laughed tiredly, trying to wave them off, “it’s my last scene. You don’t have to keep doing all this.”Nobody listened.A makeup brush nearly poked my eye when I tried stretching my neck to search the set.I was still trying to figure out where exactly Damien and Thomas had disappeared to earlier.“Seriously,” I groaned softly, “I’m done for the day.”All of them paused for exactly one second to stare at me.Then they continued working.The hairstylist, a blonde man named Ricky, clicked his tongue dramatically while re-curling a section of my hair.“Ho

MISSING PIECE

DevonNone of it made sense.I stared at the three monitors in front of me, exhaustion burning behind my eyes while lines of code reflected against the lenses of my glasses.For the seventh night in a row, I was still trying to trace the anonymous messages threatening Laura Cardiff.And for the seventh night in a row, I was getting absolutely nowhere.I dragged a hand down my face and leaned back in my chair.The editing suite was nearly empty this late at night. The only sounds came from the quiet humming of hard drives and the faint clicking of my keyboard.On the middle monitor sat screenshots of the texts Quinn forwarded to me earlier that week.You can run, but you can't hide.Pretty girls burn quickly in this industry.I know where she sleeps.Killing her won’t be difficult.Each message was sent through encrypted relays and masked servers.Professional work.Not some random troll online.Whoever this person was, they knew exactly what they were doing.I typed another command in

THE BATTLE OF PROFESSIONALISM

Laura“CUT!”The word ripped out of my throat before I could stop it.The entire set froze instantly.Every single person went still.The cameras stopped rolling.The sound crew lowered their equipment.Even the giant overhead lights suddenly felt painfully bright against my skin.For one horrifying second, nobody moved.Then chaos erupted.Thomas rushed toward me immediately, his face full of frustration.“No, no, no!” he barked. “That was a perfect take!”I stood frozen beside the bed set, my chest heaving.“What?” Thomas demanded again. “Why did you ruin it, Laura?”I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.I still couldn’t process what just happened.I still felt Damien’s hand on me.Still felt the way his fingers squeezed me right in the middle of the scene like he was trying to prove some sick point.“Why did you ruin a perfect take?” Thomas repeated, looking me dead in the eye now.The disappointment on his face made my stomach twist violently.Then Damien spoke.“Yes, Laura,” h

GROW UP LAURA

Laura’s POVWe redid the same scene about twice before Thomas finally called it a wrap for the night.My entire mood had been wrecked after earlier, and it showed in every scene. I kept missing cues, forgetting tiny details I normally would have remembered, and once I even stumbled over a line so badly the sound guy sighed loud enough for the entire set to hear.Nobody said it outright, but I could feel the irritation brewing around me.Thomas looked exhausted every time he glanced in my direction.Damien looked entertained.That somehow made it worse.The second Thomas yelled wrap, people started moving around immediately. Cameras rolled away. Makeup artists packed up palettes. Wardrobe assistants gathered hangers and costumes while the lighting crew started shutting things down overhead.I stayed frozen in my spot.What exactly did Thomas want to tell me?And why did I have to go all the way to his office for it?After what happened, I would have assumed Damien was the one getting c

SPEAK OF ASSISTANT

Quinn’s POV“And what exactly is the estimated budget?” I asked, flipping through the file in front of me without really seeing any of the words.The boardroom was silent for a second before Elena adjusted her glasses and spoke.“About two hundred million dollars, sir.”I nodded once.“Check with my accountants and get the final numbers to me tomorrow.”“Yes, sir.”The meeting wrapped up shortly after that.Chairs scraped against the marble floors as everyone started gathering their things and filing out of the room one after another. Elena remained behind long enough to collect the project files before finally stepping out too.The second the office doors shut behind her, I leaned back into my chair and exhaled heavily.Silence.Finally.I loosened the knot of my tie slightly before dragging a hand down my face.I had been buried under work since Friday.Meetings.Calls.Investors.Contracts.Budgets.Interviews.Every single thing that normally took me an hour had somehow stretched

SACRIFICE A PIECE OF ME

Laura’s POVThe driver was already parked right in front of the studio entrance when I walked out.I moved slowly.Carefully.Like someone carrying the entire weight of the world on her back.‘Grow up, Laura’.Thomas’s voice rang inside my head so loudly it almost felt physical.My whole body shivered, but I barely even felt it.What was this?Was this really my job now?Getting harassed while everyone watched and acted like I was the problem?Was this what actresses went through every single day?I swallowed hard as I climbed into the backseat of the car.The second the door shut behind me, silence swallowed everything whole.But it didn’t help.Nothing helped.Because the voices still wouldn’t stop.‘You won’t make it very far.’‘Grow up, Laura.’‘No big deal.’I squeezed my eyes shut tightly.I didn’t know what to do.And somehow, the worst part of everything wasn’t even Damien or Thomas.It was Quinn.I couldn’t told himNot after everything that had happened between us recently.

COMPETENT SUSPECT

Quinn’s POVI stared at him, completely gobsmacked as the weight of what he said settled quietly into the room.“You think Elena is behind the text messages?”Devon rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Again, sir, it’s just a hunch.”A low chuckle escaped me at the nervous look on his face. I leaned back slightly against my desk and folded my arms across my chest.“I really doubt Elena is behind this.”“Me too,” he admitted quickly. “But the signals don’t lie.”My brows pulled together instantly.Elena?The thought alone sounded ridiculous.Why the hell would Elena want to hurt Laura?It made no sense.Elena had worked for me for four years. Four long years of endless meetings, impossible schedules, international flights, overnight negotiations, movie deals, investor dinners, and media crises. She had handled all of it without ever once dropping the ball.Efficient.Sharp.Reliable.Those were the words I associated with Elena.Not unstable anonymous threats.Not obsession and defi

WHO HURT YOU?

Laura’s POV I laid on my bed motionless. I was tired of feeling and most importantly tired of thinking.. I wasn’t even sure how long I had just laid there. My head ached with how much I had cried and how many different scenarios I had imagined to see if things were different. What I would have done differently. What I should have said. How I could have avoided the assault. How I could have protected myself. How I could make sure no other woman ever had to deal with something like that again. Starting with Damien. My stomach growled loudly, but I ignored it. I didn’t have the appetite to eat anything. I had scenes to shoot tomorrow for Christ’s sake. Sure, Damien wouldn’t be there for most of them, but Thomas would. He would sit there in his stupid director’s chair looking at me with that predatory gaze like I was another prop he owned. Probably waiting for another chance to touch me again. I hugged myself tighter. I was clad in a deep gray hoodie and matching swe

DIE TODAY

QuinnAfter Devon helped make the hunch that Elena might be behind the texts, I told him to keep searching. I didn't want to miss out on anything.If there was even the slightest possibility that someone inside my own company was threatening Laura, I needed confirmation before making any move.One wrong accusation could ruin everything.And if Devon was wrong, I would be destroying the career of one of my most loyal employees over a paranoid assumption.Still, the thought sat ugly in my chest.I packed up my things and started heading home. Elena did too.I remembered her standing in my office for a while after Devon left, lingering by the door with her tablet pressed tightly against her chest. Her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but nothing came out.She just stared at me.Like she was trying to figure something out.Or maybe confess something.I couldn't tell.Then after a while, she simply nodded once. “Goodnight, sir.”And left.I drove back home, my thoughts a compl

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