Chapter 2

Three days later, they met again.

Completely by accident.

Or so Celeste claimed.

Damian had just walked into the lobby of Vale Media Studios when he saw her sitting on one of the leather couches, sunglasses on, iced coffee in hand.

She waved.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

His eyes narrowed.

“This building belongs to me.”

“Exactly.”

He stared.

She removed her sunglasses dramatically.

“I’m filming here.”

“Why?”

“Movie contract.”

Of course.

A romantic comedy.

The irony nearly made Damian laugh.

The director rushed over.

“Mr. Vale! Perfect timing.”

Damian did not like that sentence.

The director smiled nervously.

“We have a small issue.”

“No.”

“You haven’t heard the issue.”

“The answer is still no.”

Celeste was already laughing.

The director cleared his throat.

“Our male lead dropped out.”

Damian’s face went blank.

“No.”

“We just need someone for a promotional photoshoot.”

“No.”

“Ten minutes.”

“No.”

Celeste leaned forward, eyes sparkling.

“Please?”

Damian looked at her.

That was his mistake.

Because Celeste Laurent knew exactly how to weaponize a smile.

“One photoshoot,” she said sweetly. “For charity.”

He sighed.

Ten minutes later, Damian found himself standing under bright studio lights beside the most infuriatingly beautiful woman he had ever met.

“Move closer,” the photographer said.

Damian did not move.

Celeste stepped closer for him.

Her perfume hit him first — something soft, floral, and dangerously addictive.

“Relax,” she whispered.

“I am relaxed.”

“You look like you’re about to sue someone.”

She laughed when his jaw tightened.

The photographer snapped several shots.

Then—

“Can you place your hand on her waist?”

Damian froze.

Celeste looked up at him.

For a second, neither of them moved.

Then slowly, his hand settled against the bare curve of her waist.

Warm.

Soft.

Far too distracting.

Celeste’s breath caught.

Their eyes met.

And suddenly the room felt smaller.

Hotter.

The air between them changed.

Not playful anymore.

Something deeper.

Something neither of them was ready to name.

The photographer grinned.

“Perfect. More tension.”

Neither of them had to pretend.

The photos were everywhere by morning.

Every news site.

Every entertainment page.

Every social media feed.

Damian Vale’s hand on Celeste Laurent’s waist.

Her face tilted up toward him.

His dark eyes fixed on hers.

The headline screamed:

BILLIONAIRE CEO DAMIAN VALE SECRETLY DATING SUPERSTAR CELESTE LAURENT?

Celeste nearly choked on her coffee.

“No. No no no no.”

Her manager, Nina, stood in the hotel suite doorway with her tablet raised like evidence.

“It’s trending number one.”

Celeste grabbed the tablet.

The comments were already exploding.

They look insanely good together.

THIS IS MY ROMCOM DREAM.

Tell me why the chemistry is illegal??

Celeste buried her face in a pillow.

“This is a disaster.”

Nina raised an eyebrow.

“The public loves it.”

“That’s not the point!”

Actually… maybe it was a little bit the point.

Because Celeste couldn’t stop staring at the photo.

The way Damian was looking at her didn’t look staged.

It looked real.

And that was exactly the problem.

Across the city, Damian was in the middle of a board meeting when Mara placed a phone in front of him.

He looked down.

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