Lahat ng Kabanata ng Bright Lights Billionaire: Kabanata 161 - Kabanata 170

EthanEvery emotion possible raged through me on the way to the studio on Tuesday morning. Two days and nothing from her. Were we back to playing hide-and-go-seek with each other? It sure as fuck felt like it.I parked my Mercedes in my spot at the studio and got out. Anticipation swelled in my chest. Maybe she was there and just had a lot of shit going on. There was an explanation. There always was.Trish stood beside the stage, facing me when I walked in. She gave me a weak wave and went back to talking to the girl next to her.I glanced around to see if Riley was anywhere that I could get to her fast. Of course not. I walked toward Trish, knowing she would take it the wrong way if I didn't stop by and give my condolences on her divorce."Hey." I stopped beside her and a girl I'd never met before."Hey, Ethan. This is Patty."The girl gave me a quirky smile and stuck out her hand. "I am by far your biggest fan. I've seen all your movies at least two million times.""Two million? Rea

Riley"Okay, people! Let's run it one more time and then we're going to head back to the studio to meet up with Frank and Ethan." Daniel Barnes clapped his hands together and nodded toward the make-shift stage. "Marco and Vanessa. You're up first. Riley, be ready to enter into the scene at the right time, kiddo.""Yes, Sir." I nodded at the extra director for Eon. He and Frank rarely helped on the same movie, but we were a little behind schedule and Daniel owed Frank a favor or two.Deza stood off to my right, her arms wrapped around her tightly. I couldn't talk to her. She'd lied to me. Made me believe that there was nothing between her and Ethan, but now their secret was out.She gave me a weak smile, but I turned and walked toward the stage instead of acknowledging her at all. She had every chance in the book to explain herself. To tell me that it was a hoax, a mistake, hell... a something. Anything but what it looked like.I watched the scene before me unfold and waited patiently

EthanThe question on her face left me sick. If Riley didn't believe in me... who would? I was as good as ruined if the woman I loved was willing to walk away from me."All right guys. Let's get busy. We're going to walk through the rain scene. Everything is set up outside. You two pull this off and we're done for the day." Frank walked up to us and patted both of us on the back. "I know we're all going through a lot of shit. No need to overdo anything up here right now.""Sounds good. Can we have just another minute? I need to-" I started, but Riley cut me off."Great. Let's get to it." She pulled back and walked toward the set, leaving me standing there to look like an idiot in front of Frank. It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last.I walked out toward the trailers, not particularly liking the way Clayton watched my woman. She might be pissed at me over the Deza stuff, but it would get cleared up. There was no room for him to move in. I wanted to make sure he knew that

EthanThe moment was surreal.Clayton and Frank standing at the edge of a small make-shift stage, Deza a few feet back, her eyes wide and tears running down her face. It was a moment I could never forget for the rest of my life.Riley's short strawberry blonde hair was matted to her beautiful face, and her lips were so red. Blood red. Sights and sounds echoed in my skull as my heart raced, my balance getting a little off as I felt so damn dizzy all of a sudden.She needed to know that I loved her, but what if I were being set up? Clayton played some part in all that was happening, but what part? Was she his puppet?No. Her eyes told me the truth. Somewhere along the way, she'd fallen in love with me, and not a fan-girl love. Real love. Deep, abiding love that could work to heal my wounds and save me from the destructive path I wanted to race down.I needed something to numb the pain of being alone. Anything. I blinked a few times, coming back into the scene as she lifted her chin and

RileyThe look on Ethan's face haunted me as I drove home. Had I played into some sick game that Clayton was playing with the handsome playboy?No. I knew what I was doing, and it seemed that Ethan did too. I needed him to tell me that he loved me, and he stumbled over it three different times before finally blurting it out in a last-ditch effort to appease me.I knew what real love looked like. A sick smile lifted my lips. I'd seen it in the movies.Tears burned my gaze as I reached up and ran my fingers down my sticky wet hair. Too much hair spray, which I hated anyway. Why had I let them doll me up?Right. Because I belonged to them. They could do whatever they wanted to with me thanks to me signing on the dotted line, and all for what?Fame? Adoring fans that really didn't know anything about me?Ethan's attention?No. None of those things seemed to matter as I pulled into the apartment complex that Charlotte and I were renting. Jace's truck was parked in a visitor spot, and I tho