Chapter 1
I was an obscure D-list actress with scandals all over the internet.
Yet my manager suddenly told me a top-tier dating reality show had specifically invited me to join.
My partner was Alex Sadler, the cold and aloof award-winning actor who had been scandal-free for ten years since his debut.
The show's director quietly tipped me off beforehand. "Alex is a germaphobe and he's afraid of women. He only agreed to come on the show to repay a favor. You just have to stay far away from him and be invisible in the background."
Then he showed me how much I'd be paid.
Looking at that long string of zeros, I practically burst with joy.
Being invisible? I was great at that.
But not long after filming began, I got cornered in the dressing room.
Wasn't Alex supposed to be afraid of women?
Then why was the man leaning close to my ear, asking for a kiss, and threatening to quit the show if I didn't give him one?
*****
The air in the dressing room was so thin, it felt like I could barely breathe.
Alex's face, the one people claimed was lovingly sculpted by God, was buried in the crook of my neck.
I pressed my hands desperately against his chest, my voice trembling.
"A-Alex, aren't you supposed to be scared of women?" I stammered.
Alex lifted his head. His eyes were suddenly filled with a dark, dangerous intensity that made my heart skip a beat.
He scoffed, "Scared of women?"
His long fingers lazily played with my earlobe, his tone dripping with danger.
"Kathy, is playing dumb really that fun for you?" he asked.
Alarm bells were going off in my head.
This wasn't how things were supposed to go.
The director, John Felton, had told me straight up to keep my distance from Alex, stay invisible, and I'd get paid.
So what the hell was happening now?
"Alex, t-the live stream's about to start. If we're caught on camera—" I stammered.
"So be it," he cut me off.
He pressed in closer, his body pinning me against the lockers even more.
I had nowhere left to go, my back pressing up against the cold metal.
"No way! If I mess up, I'll have to pay a huge penalty," I blurted out.
Desperate, I reached up and tried to push his face away.
"John said if I so much as try to ride your fame or even touch you, I'll have to pay triple the penalty fee," I cried.
Alex paused.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze landing on my hand pushing against his face.
"Triple?" Alex echoed.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he let out a low, amused chuckle, like he'd heard a joke.
"So that's all I am worth to you? A price tag?" Alex asked.
Before I could process what was happening, he suddenly leaned in and sank his teeth into the corner of my mouth, biting down hard.
Pain jolted through me, and I hissed, sucking in a sharp breath.
"Listen up, Kathy," Alex said, his voice was deep and raspy, with a tough of dominance. "You can act like you don't know me in front of the cameras, but if you do the same when we're alone—"
Suddenly, a staff's anxious voice called out from outside the door. "Alex? Kathy? Five minutes till we're live!"
Alex let go of me, taking his time to straighten his slightly rumpled collar.
He slipped right back into his aloof, icy persona.
Glancing at me with a lofty look, his eyes distant, he said, "Come out."
He pulled the door open and strode out, leaving me standing there, totally thrown off.
I touched my stinging lip, cursing John out in my head a million times over.
Scared of women, my ass!
Alex was a total wolf in sheep's clothing!
I took a deep breath, touched up my makeup in the mirror, and made sure there was no trace of what just happened. Then I stepped out.
As soon as I walked backstage, a sharp voice came at me out of nowhere. "Hey, Kathy, what took you so long to show up?"
It was Lynsey Drew.
She was a hot new star and one of the contestants on this dating show.
She had a whole bold tomboy act going on. Everyone in the biz knew her for her sharp tongue and zero filter.
But honestly, she was a shameless opportunist, always using people as stepping stones to climb her way to the top.
I shot a glance at the camera trailing behind her and instantly plastered on my best professional smile.
"Sorry, I was touching up my makeup," I said.
Lynsey gave me a once-over and let out a mocking laugh.
"Touching up your makeup? Please, you were probably off hiding somewhere and lazing, weren't you?" she sneered.
She leaned in close, dropping her voice so only the two of us could hear.
She said, "Don't kid yourself. Just because you landed on this show doesn't mean you'll make a comeback. Do you think you can snag Alex?
"If you know what's good for you, back off. Don't make a fool of yourself."
She suddenly took a big step back and let out a loud laugh for the cameras.
"Kathy, did you borrow your outfit or what? It looks like it doesn't fit you. Next time, I'll lend you a couple of my designer pieces. Don't embarrass our show, okay?"
The staff all turned to look, their eyes full of mockery.
The live chat was probably tearing me apart already.