Chapter 7

7 - Apollo Castiello

And now look at me. I accept the consequences.

– Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

I was fighting the whole time to keep my eyes on Jamie as he talked about NewScene to Mia. I genuinely wanted to hear everything about what NewScene stood for, along with its vision and values. However, my mind screamed louder than Jamie's voice, and my eyes moved faster to glance at Mia than the movement of his hands.

I tried to maintain a disguise by looking at her sideways and pretending to be interested in the far wall of the room. Her eyes were serious, and she seemed deeply engaged while listening to Jamie's load of nonsense about his own company. She was even more stunning in profile—especially since she never turned her head to look at me. She managed to be entirely indifferent, and I absolutely loved that.

"Do you agree, Apollo?" Jamie's voice pulled me out of my reverie.

What was he asking again? What was the topic? Whatever it was, I simply nodded. Since it didn’t cause any commotion in the room, I figured I hadn’t done anything wrong.

"Well, now let’s talk about you two." He picked up a notebook and glanced through it.

I noticed Mia glance at me out of the corner of her eye, and a flicker of fear shimmered in her gaze. Damn! She was feeling uncomfortable and insecure. When she realized I was looking at her, she quickly averted her eyes. I smiled and leaned toward her ear to whisper:

"You don’t need to be afraid. It’s all normal around here."

She bit her lip but pretended not to hear me, tossing her head to the other side. Yet, I kept whispering:

"If you want, I’ll hold your hand."

She turned her head quickly, her lips brushing slightly against my beard. I ignored it, acting as if nothing had happened and as if it had caused no reaction in me.

"If you stop being so annoying, that would help me a lot," she whispered back, and I smiled.

She was different when annoyed. Every time she spoke irritably, her jawline tightened slightly on the left side only. Her lips became thinner, and a faint dimple appeared above her eyebrow. It was amusing to watch. I promised myself that throughout this entire process, I’d annoy her as much as possible.

"You two have a strong connection! This is going to be fun," Jamie remarked, a businesslike grin plastered across his face after observing our brief exchange.

I held back a smile as Mia let out a long sigh. She was happy. It was painfully obvious, though she was already acting by trying to mask her excitement. Oh, she was going to be a fantastic actress.

"Well, we’ve made some changes to the entire script," Jamie began. "You’ll be presenting a fresh take on what your parents once did, and we’ve chosen to innovate. Beyond the action-packed movie and everything else, we’re aiming for something lighter. Something more... enjoyable to watch."

He was picking his words brilliantly, and I couldn’t help feeling curious. Mia seemed no less intrigued.

"So, specifically considering your chemistry and audience appeal, we’ve decided on a romance," he announced gleefully.

Mia’s mouth opened suddenly, but her expression was ecstatic, as though this had been her dream for a long time. I, on the other hand, felt a twinge of unease. The last time I starred in a romantic film, things hadn’t ended all that well.

I glanced at Mia, who was now looking straight at me. Her face was serious as she studied mine. She took a deep breath, and I did the same. After a moment, she smiled.

And I was lost.