Selena was surprised at how peaceful the next few days turned out to be. After the tension-filled encounters with Julian, she had fully braced herself for a storm of scolding and sarcasm. But instead of criticism, she got... silence.Julian barely spoke to her. Even when she fumbled, he didn’t explode like usual. Instead, he assigned Clara to oversee her work, giving her clear instructions to train Selena thoroughly.Clara, always cheerful and optimistic, was thrilled to take Selena under her wing. “Don’t worry, Selena. You’ll get the hang of this in no time!” she chirped on the first day of their lessons.And Clara was right. Selena, determined not to give Julian any more ammunition against her, poured herself into the work. She picked up everything surprisingly fast, from drafting emails and handling schedules to understanding the basics of business correspondence.“Wow,” Clara said one afternoon, looking over Selena’s completed reports. “I have to say, Selena, you’re a quick learne
Selena entered Julian’s office with a steaming cup of coffee, carefully placing it on his desk. She half-expected his usual sharp critique or, at the very least, his cold indifference. Instead, he glanced up from the document he was reading and said, “Thank you.” The two simple words froze her mid-step. She blinked, her mind racing. Had she misheard him? Julian Grant thanking someone? Still, she managed to recover quickly and replied, “You’re welcome,” before turning to leave. “Wait,” his voice stopped her in her tracks, smooth and commanding. Selena sighed inwardly and turned back toward him. “Yes?” Julian leaned back in his chair, his piercing gaze studying her for a moment before he casually said, “I wanted to inform you that I’ll be working through the weekend. There’s some business to attend to with the sister company.” Selena raised an eyebrow, already suspicious. “What does that have to do with me?” “You’ll need to be available,” Julian replied smoothly. “Isn't i
Selena left the garden, her thoughts spiraling. Cassandra’s nonchalant attitude had shaken her. She couldn’t understand how someone could take such risks. The industry was notorious for its strict policies about dating and fraternizing with colleagues. Companies often imposed morality clauses, especially on actresses, to maintain their "wholesome" image. Even during Selena's heyday as an A-list star, she had been barred from dating. Publicly, she was supposed to seem available, approachable—an unattainable dream for her fans. Any romantic rumors could tarnish her career in an instant. And here Cassandra was, brazenly ignoring all those unspoken rules. Selena sighed, shaking her head. "She’s playing with fire," she muttered to herself, heading toward the canteen for lunch. The company canteen was buzzing with chatter, employees laughing and gossiping in their cliques. Selena grabbed a tray and loaded it with a simple meal. She didn’t have much of an appetite after the bizarre mo
She blinked, slightly confused but nodded. As the door clicked shut behind them, she was suddenly very aware of the space between them. Julian stood just a little too close, his posture tense, his eyes searching hers. There was something different in his stare, something that wasn’t just anger or disappointment. Something more personal. “You’ve been awfully distracted today,” he said, his voice tight with an emotion Selena couldn’t quite place. “Were you paying attention during that meeting at all?” Selena opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off, his gaze flitting to the door where the producer had just exited. “You were practically glued to him,” Julian said, his words sharp, tinged with something unspoken. “Is he your type? The young, handsome, confident type?” Her eyes widened in surprise. She tried to shake her head, to deny it, but Julian didn’t let her. He stepped closer, his breath warm against her skin, and for the first time, she felt a hint of vulnerability from
Selena's lips still tingling from the forceful kiss he had planted on her. She was furious—livid, actually. She could feel her cheeks burning with a mix of anger and embarrassment.“That devil!” she muttered under her breath as she marched down the hallway. “Who does he think he is? Playing with my face, throwing his absurd possessiveness at me, and then—then kissing me like he owns me? Ugh!”She clutched her chest dramatically as if she could physically pull the frustration out. “I’m not some item he can lay claim to!” she seethed. “And why—why does my heart still race like an idiot? Stupid, traitorous body!” She kicked at the air, muttering a string of curses that would have made a sailor blush.As she made her way to the canteen to grab a coffee and calm herself down, she ran into a group of female employees. The "mean girls," as Selena had dubbed them internally, were waiting for her like hyenas circling their prey.“Oh, look, it’s the princess herself,” said Ashley, the unoffici
Selena gritted her teeth as she carried yet another heavy box toward the storage room, her arms trembling under the weight. “This is the last one,” she muttered to herself, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I swear, if I drop dead, someone better carve on my tombstone: *Here lies Selena Frost, buried under the mountain of pettiness known as corporate life.*” Her footsteps echoed in the quiet hallway. Most of the employees had already left, leaving her alone to finish the so-called “important” task. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she pushed the door to the storage room open with her foot, muttering, “Just you wait, Ashley. One day, karma’s going to—” “Talking to yourself again, Ms. Frost?” Selena froze mid-step, nearly dropping the box.She turned to see Julian leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed and a maddening smirk plastered across his face. His dark eyes glinted with amusement, and his tailored suit made him look annoyingly perfect even at the end of the workda
Selena’s heart raced as Julian’s hand clamped over her mouth, pulling her behind a towering shelf filled with dusty files and old office supplies. The dimly lit storage room suddenly felt claustrophobic, their bodies pressed close together. Julian’s scent—a mix of cedarwood and something distinctly him—filled her senses, making her pulse quicken.“Who left the storage room open again?” a guard’s voice grumbled from outside.Selena stiffened, her eyes wide as she looked at Julian. His expression was calm, but his dark eyes glinted with amusement.“Probably those careless employees,” the guard continued, his voice fading as he muttered to himself. Then came the unmistakable click of a lock.The sound echoed like a death knell in the silent room. Selena froze, her gaze snapping to Julian, whose hand was still over her mouth. He seemed entirely unbothered, his smirk growing as his eyes locked onto hers.A wave of heat rushed through her, her cheeks burning. She pushed his hand away, her v
Selena shifted uncomfortably on the cold floor of the storage room, stealing a glance at Julian. To her surprise, he was already looking at her, his dark, intense gaze catching her off guard.Her cheeks warmed, and she quickly looked away, pretending to adjust the hem of her skirt. What was wrong with this man? His mood swings were more erratic than anything she had ever encountered. One minute he was teasing her, and the next he was dead serious. He was nothing like the cold, menacing man she had first met—threatening her with that wicked grin and his cutting words. But despite the occasional glimpses of softness, he was still the same arrogant, cunning jerk she couldn’t figure out. Clearing her throat, she finally spoke up, breaking the awkward silence. “Shouldn’t you call someone? It’s getting late.” To her surprise, he didn’t tease her this time. Instead, he nodded, pulling out his phone. “Fine.” Selena blinked, thrown by his lack of resistance. Was he... cooperating?
Samantha paced her bedroom like a caged animal, her heels clicking sharply against the hardwood floor. Her hands were clenched into tight fists, her nails digging so deeply into her palms that crescent-shaped marks were forming. Her phone lay on the vanity, its screen still glowing with the last call she had received.The words spoken to her echoed in her mind, louder and more infuriating with each passing second. "We can’t call her anymore. If we do, our company will be sued." Her jaw tightened as she replayed the conversation in her head. "What?" she snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut glass. "Who the hell is threatening you?" The pause that followed had been brief but loaded, as if the person on the other end was weighing their words carefully. "Julian Mathers." Samantha had nearly thrown her phone across the room. Now, standing in front of her vanity, she seethed. Her reflection in the mirror showed a woman on the edge of madness—her chest rising and falling with ev
The next day, Selena was still ignoring Julian. She had been furious when she stormed out of his office the previous day, but now that her anger had simmered into cold silence, she was determined not to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. She didn’t look at him in the car on the way to work. She didn’t acknowledge him when he greeted her in the office lobby. And she definitely didn’t speak to him when they entered the elevator together. Julian, however, was growing impatient. He was used to their arguments, their little fights—hell, he even enjoyed their constant back-and-forth. But this silence? It was infuriating. And if she thought she could freeze him out, she had another thing coming. So, naturally, he decided to annoy her. The elevator was packed, filled with employees shuffling in, whispering among themselves about work and gossip. Selena stood stiffly in front of Julian, arms crossed, staring straight ahead as if he were invisible. A smirk played on Julian’s l
Julian sat in his study, the dim light of the desk lamp casting long shadows across the room. His fingers drummed restlessly on the polished wood of his desk, his mind a whirlwind of frustration and regret. The events of the past few days replayed in his head like a broken record—Selena’s cold indifference, her sharp words, the way she had looked at him with such disdain. He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "Why the hell is she so stubborn?" he muttered to himself, his voice tinged with exasperation. But deep down, he knew why. He had crossed a line, and he knew it. That night, under the influence of anger and that damn mysterious phone call, he had lashed out at her. His words had been cruel and unforgivable. The way he demanded she sleep with him for a role, reducing her to nothing more than a prostitute. And now, he was paying the price. Julian groaned, rubbing his temples. "What the hell was I thinking?" He tried to calm himself, to reflect on h
Selena stiffened the moment she heard Grayson's name. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, her breath catching in her throat. The memories of that day came crashing in her and she shuddered. Her lips parted, but the words felt heavy, suffocating. She wanted to tell Julian exactly why she would rather rot than take this role—but she couldn't. Instead, she forced herself to stand tall, masking the turmoil swirling inside her. "I’m not interested," she said coldly. Julian's brows furrowed, his jaw tightening. "Not interested?" he echoed, disbelief lacing his tone. "You were desperate for an opportunity, and now you're just—rejecting it?" Selena swallowed hard, gripping her arms to steady herself. "I don’t need your help anymore," she glared at him. "So?" he drawled, his deep voice laced with amusement. "This is what you wanted?" Selena stood in front of him, arms crossed, her expression hard as stone. There was no amusement in her face—just cold fury. "What I want
After the meeting, Julian returned to his office with lots of thoughts in his mind. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Grayson had agreed too easily and quickly. It wasn’t like him to be so...cooperative.He sat down at his desk, his thoughts drifting back to Selena. Why had he even mentioned her? His chest aches at the memory of their argument and how she was on the verge of crying and he rubbed his temples, trying to push the thoughts away. He didn’t owe her anything. He didn’t even 'like' her. So why was he helping her?"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, leaning back in his chair. He didn’t understand why he cared. But the truth was, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. About the way she had looked at him, the way she had fought back even when she had nothing left.He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He would talk to her about the movie. Not because he wanted to help her, but because he had made a promise. And Julian Mathers always kept his promis
Mr. Grayson sat in his office, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached. The sting of Selena’s slap still burned on his cheek, a constant reminder of the humiliation he had suffered. A 'mere actress', a 'nobody', had dared to strike him.Him! A man of power, of influence. The audacity of it made his blood boil.He slammed his fist on the desk, the sound echoing through the room. "That 'bitch'," he muttered under his breath, his voice trembling with rage. "Who does she think she is?"He pulled out his phone and dialed his manager, his fingers trembling with anger. The call connected after two rings."Grayson," his manager’s voice came through, calm and professional."Find out everything you can about Selena Frost," Grayson snapped, his voice low and venomous. "Where she is, what she’s doing, who she’s working with. I want to know 'everything'."There was a brief pause on the other end. "Selena Frost? The model-turned-actress? I thought she fell off the radar after that scandal.""Well, she
Few days later -Selena stepped into the restaurant, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. The place was upscale, with low-hanging chandeliers and plush velvet booths, but the atmosphere felt suffocating. She adjusted the strap of her purse, her fingers trembling slightly. This was her chance. Her 'only' chance. She couldn’t afford to mess this up.The director, a man in his late fifties with a receding hairline and a smug smile, was already seated at a corner table. He stood up as she approached, his eyes raking over her from head to toe in a way that made her skin crawl."Selena," he let out, his voice smooth but laced with something she couldn’t quite place. "It’s been a while. You look... stunning, as always.""Thank you, Mr. Grayson," she replied, forcing a polite smile. She slid into the seat across from him, her stomach churning. She could feel his gaze lingering on her, and it took every ounce of willpower not to squirm."So," he began, leaning back in his chai
Julian ran a frustrated hand through his hair, his jaw clenching as he watched Selena storm away. What the hell was he doing? He let out a low groan, leaning back against his desk. His fingers curled into fists as a memory flashed through his mind—one that he hadn’t allowed himself to think about in years. Selena. Standing on a bright stage, cameras flashing, her signature dazzling smile lighting up the entire room. She had just been named the youngest top model of the year. Julian had been there too—not as an honored guest, not as one of the powerful figures shaking hands with her—but as a mere assistant to the photographer covering the event. Back then, he was just another nameless face in the crowd, watching her from behind the lens. She had been untouchable. A goddess in human form. And he? He was nothing. Just a man with a borrowed camera, standing in the shadows, admiring her from a distance. How ironic was it that now, she stood right in front of him—no longer
The words hit her like a punch to the gut. Her heart stopped. Her stomach twisted. Did she hear him right? Her lips parted, but no words came out. He was…he was joking, right? But no—his eyes told her he wasn’t. Pure amusement danced in his expression, like he was watching a little bird trapped in a cage. Selena’s hands trembled. She didn’t know whether it was anger, shock, or something far more dangerous twisting inside her. She couldn’t even breathe properly. “W-What the hell?” she finally whispered. Julian tilted his head to have a better look of her nervous eyes. “What? I thought we were making deals, Selena.” Her body stiffened. She searched his face, desperate to find some sign that he was just trying to mess with her. But there was nothing. Only cold amusement. This was what he thought of her, wasn’t it? That she was just another actress willing to do 'anything' for fame. Julian watched her, soaking in every single reaction. It was fascinating, real