The city skyline blurred past the window as Ava guided the SUV smoothly through the busy streets of Sumturm City.
Her eyes were fixed on the road ahead while Aurora sat in the back, mentally preparing for the role she had to perform.
Claire, the associate casting director at Paramount Studios, had set everything up, and today, Aurora would be meeting other actors for a crucial rehearsal.
Aurora tugged at the brim of her face cap, adjusting it over her eyes. She didn't want to draw attention. She wore a simple T-shirt and sneakers, trying to keep things low-key. The last thing she needed was to deal with unwanted attention from the press. The flashes of their cameras always unsettled her.
The SUV came to a stop outside the towering Paramount Studios building. Aurora glanced through the window, her gut tightening slightly as she noticed a few men and women lingering nearby, cameras in hand.
"Great," she muttered under her breath.
Ava turned around in her seat. "All good, Ms. Aurora? We're here."
Aurora nodded. "Thanks, Ava."
She stepped out of the car, pulling her cap down further, hoping to slip inside unnoticed. But before she could take more than a few steps, the small crowd of reporters and photographers spotted her.
"There she is! Aurora!"
The whispers quickly turned into shouts, and in an instant, they were on her, surrounding her with their cameras flashing relentlessly. The sharp bursts of light made her wince as she instinctively recoiled, trying to shield her face.
"Aurora, over here!" one reporter shouted.
"Is it true you were in a relationship with Lucas, CEO of Rossi Group?"
Her heart skipped a beat as the words echoed in her mind. Lucas? How did they find out about Lucas?
She had kept her relationship with Lucas a secret. No one, apart from his family, knew they had been married.
Lucas had insisted on privacy from the start.
Her mind raced.
How had this gotten out? Was it Lucas's doing?
Aurora tried to move past the reporters, her eyes darting to the studio entrance just a few feet away, but they closed in on her, their questions becoming more invasive.
"Your pictures with Lucas have gone viral. Were you secretly dating him? Married, maybe?"
Her pulse quickened. She could barely process the words, the rapid-fire questions hitting her from every side. She felt the cameras snapping photos, the flashes overwhelming her senses.
"This has to be Lucas," she thought bitterly. This is his way of getting me to come back.
She tried to run, desperate to escape the suffocating crowd.
Her body moved on instinct, but in her haste, she slammed into the studio door she hadn't noticed.
Pain shot through her stomach as she stumbled through the entrance, clutching her midsection, her breath catching in her throat.
The door closed behind her, locking out the paparazzi, but the pain in her stomach lingered.
She leaned against the door, her hand still pressing against her abdomen, trying to steady herself.
That's when she felt it—a presence. Someone was watching her.
She slowly lifted her head, her heart sinking as her eyes met his.
"Lucas..."
Lucas stood just a few feet away, his expression a mixture of concern and guilt. His eyes were locked on her, and she could see the worry etched into his face as he took in her hunched posture, her hand on her stomach.
"How is he here?" Aurora's mind raced.
She had never seen him in Paramount Studio, and now, here he was, in front of her.
No... It couldn't be a coincidence. This was all part of his plan.
"Aurora," Lucas said softly, stepping toward her. "Are you hurt?"
Her blood boiled.
She straightened up, fighting through the pain in her stomach.
"Stay away from me," she snapped, her voice harsh. She didn't need his concern, not after what he did. "Don't you dare come near me."
Lucas froze, his expression shifting from worry to hurt. "Aurora, I didn't—"
"Don't lie to me, Lucas," she interrupted, her voice laced with fury. "You planned this, didn't you? You leaked the photos to the press to humiliate me. Is this your way of forcing me back into your life?"
Lucas shook his head, his eyes wide with disbelief. "I didn't do anything, Aurora. I would never—"
But before he could say anything more, the door opened again, and Ava stepped in.
She stopped in her tracks, her eyes darting between Aurora and Lucas, sensing the tension that hung heavy in the air.
"Ms Aurora, is everything alright?" Ava asked, her voice uncertain.
Aurora forced herself to stand upright, ignoring the pain that still throbbed in her stomach.
She couldn't deal with this right now. Not Lucas, not the reporters, not any of it.
"I'm fine," she said curtly, though the tightness in her voice betrayed her. "Let's go inside."
Ava gave a hesitant nod, glancing once more at Lucas before stepping aside to let Aurora pass.
Aurora took a deep breath and began to walk toward the studio's interior, her steps quick and deliberate, her heart pounding in her chest.
Lucas didn't follow her, though she could feel his eyes on her back, full of concern and something else—something she didn't want to acknowledge.
She didn't look back. She couldn't. Whatever Lucas was trying to do, whether it was part of his plan or not, she wouldn't let him drag her into a mess.
Lucas remained frozen, staring at her retreating figure, his thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief.
He hadn't planned this. He had never even been to this studio before.
How could she think he would intentionally set her up like this?
Especially knowing, or at least suspecting, that she had some trauma related to cameras. He never understood it completely, but he knew enough—Aurora had a deep-seated phobia of flashing lights.
His stomach twisted as he recalled the look in her eyes—the pain, the anger.
She really thought he'd betray her in this way?
A sudden memory hit him like a punch to the gut: the scene of the paparazzi crowding around her, their cameras flashing endlessly, as he watched from upstairs, waiting for her.
The moment he saw those flashes, everything clicked—her discomfort with the cameras, the way she recoiled under their assault.
That's when he'd rushed down, hoping to intervene, to help her. But by the time he reached her, it was already too late. The damage had been done.
Lucas clenched his fists, frustration building in his chest.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
He turned and headed toward the exit, his mind racing.
Who could have tipped off the paparazzi?