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
Rebecca dragged him outside from the spectacle. He felt confident about leaving with her. Everett hated revealing Becca’s health issues, even if it wasn’t too detailed. He hoped the server, and the Chef understood they’d done nothing wrong. He’d have Nunzio tip them well. Everett wanted to avoid being banned from the establishment. Rebecca looked furious with him. God, he loved to see her full of life like this. In the beginning, she seemed lifeless. Like she’d lost her will because she didn’t see her purpose. It added onto what weight down Everett’s guilt. They had plenty to discuss, leaving him unsure where to begin. Sex was not the matter for either of them. She tried to turn her life into that of a silent martyr, which he vehemently opposed. Everett couldn’t take the guilt of how self-centered he’d become at the hands of Paulo. “Love, please get in my car now. Everett turned the tables on her as soon as they stood beside the limo tha
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
Again, Jake took her back to his condo, not the house they’d once shared. Jake had held her even though they’d argued. He wasn’t happy with her response and her following explanation of what there was she could give. Now she worried that she’d said too much, and he did something foolish. Something foolish that would trigger events that would ruin her life and many others. She avoided responsibility for potential deaths during the unfolding events. Jake held her. He didn’t kiss her, just held her. No more words passed between them. Josalyn found the silence didn’t bother her as much as she believed it would. It didn’t take them long to arrive, and they went through security. Jake whisked her up to his condo again. This time, he didn’t hesitate to kiss her hungrily as the elevator rose to his condo. Inside his condo, Jake guided her to the sofa after they abandoned their coats by the door, forgotten for now on the floor. He rushed nothing once he had
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
Gena lay on the bed the next morning. After the night she’d had, Gena couldn’t believe the gold she’d found. Yuri and his driver friend knew how to work a girl over. Her body thrummed as her muscles screamed with satisfaction and fatigue. She only had one problem. Gena didn’t know where she was, and he’d locked the door. She should fear them and try to escape. However, she had mastered the art of manipulating men to achieve her desires. Gena had decades of practice. She manipulated them and always emerged victorious. She remembered the two men from yesterday. It was Gena’s initial experience of pleasing the two men together. She’d have to remember to try that again. Few men consented to share a woman. But she could get what she wanted when they’re happy and satisfied. She found it easier to get what she wanted from them. Last night, she had one man in her mouth while the other satisfied her. Gena felt they’d not expected her to keep up w
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
The following day, the Studio lot buzzed with energy as people gossiped and speculated about the four individuals. Somehow, Gena attached her name to the incident when Yuri escorted her from the restaurant. People wondered whom Yuri pursued. Rebecca struggled with the plot twist as it conflicted with their contracts. “I’m serious Rebecca. Yuri is fine to look at, but he’s trouble, so leave him to Gena to deal with. I always say, karma strikes back, and they deserve their own troubles. Daisy could not lie. That was Rebecca’s theory, and she’d stick to it. Daisy told it like she saw it, and she saw a lot. Too much for everyone’s comfort. “Daisy, it was only dinner, and we didn’t eat. We couldn’t be, because of Everett’s interference. I can’t even explain his actions. I can’t tell you how predictable this is for him. He’s done nothing this large before, but he’s always been annoying.” Rebecca discovered the ideal moment to reveal her part. The PR direc