Chapter 3

"Break up with Camille. Right now," I demanded, cutting straight to the point.

Ryan sounded genuinely confused. "Diana, I told you, what we have is real love."

I fired back, "Seriously, can't you see how she's manipulating the internet to make me look bad? Have you even checked what's trending lately?"

Ryan just laughed, "Diana, when are you not getting roasted online? I'm so used to it by now. It doesn't even register."

Okay, he had a point.

He said, "Relax, Diana. When I get back, let's all sit down for a meal and talk it out. Camille's honestly super sweet. You've totally got her wrong."

"Trust me. I've seen more drama in this industry than you've ever seen in your entire career," I said.

Ryan shrugged, "Getting hate is just how it goes in this industry, right?"

"Ryan!" I blurted out, so pissed that I could barely speak.

Ryan teased, "Come on, Diana. Maybe it's time you quit showbiz. Seriously, have you seen the kind of trash you keep starring in?"

I protested, "Come on, that's not fair. If I really put my heart into it, it's not some trash movie!"

Ryan snarked, "Sure, you put your heart into it, but let's be honest, your acting is just as over-the-top as Mom's."

I was so done that I couldn't even come up with a comeback.

Ryan laughed, shaking his head.

He said, "Seriously, Diana, why not come back and run the family business? You'd make way more than you ever will in this crazy industry, and I could finally take it easy for once. Why put yourself through all that?"

I snapped, "No way. I didn't get into showbiz for money. I did it for Ethan."

The truth was, I had zero reason to join the entertainment world.

My parents hounded me day and night to take over the family business, run it with Ryan, and build it into something bigger.

But I was dead set on breaking into showbiz just so I could get close to my idol, Ethan Lewis.

I'd been his fan for five years, and we were even the same age.

To keep things simple and avoid unnecessary attention, I never let it slip to anyone that Ryan was actually my brother.

I went by Mom's surname, and Ryan took Dad's.

So for all these years, nobody ever figured out we were family.

I never expected things to get this messy.

Now, I was filled with regret.

I'd always acted like a life coach to Ryan, making sure he never even thought about dating while growing up.

Turns out, leaving him romance-starved through puberty just made him an easy target for some scheming girl.

I slumped into the car seat, my palm to my forehead, feeling like I'd totally screwed up.

If I'd known it would backfire like this, I should've just let Ryan date around when he was younger.

But soon, all my worries disappeared.

Stepping out of the car, I got hit with the biggest surprise of the day. The mystery guest's identity was revealed.

I couldn't help but scream, "Ethan?

"Oh my god, is it really him? I can't believe it!"

A crew member shot me a disgusted look, let out a dismissive snort, and just walked away.

Ever since the whole "snatching Camille's boyfriend" scandal, the crew started icing me out, like I was contagious.

And when they noticed how much netizens loved their cold attitude toward me, they leaned into it even more, acting like I wasn't even worth their time.

I just shrugged it off. After all these years in showbiz, I'd dealt with more eye rolls and sarcastic remarks than I could count.

Honestly, Ethan was the only one I actually cared about.

The moment Ethan stepped out of the car, the crowd went absolutely wild. Deafening screams filled the air.

I dashed over and held out my gold-rimmed autograph card.

"Mr. Lewis, I'm such a huge fan. Could I have your autograph?" I blurted out, barely able to contain my excitement.

He took off his mask and gave me a warm smile.

"Sure thing," he said.

He took the card, signed it with a quick flourish, and handed it back to me.

Just as I was about to treasure it forever, I glanced down at what he'd written and froze.

There was only one word: [Dumbass.]

I just stood there, dumbfounded.

When I looked up, he gave me a dismissive glance and let out a cold snicker.

"Ethan!" a voice called out.

That excited shout yanked me out of my thoughts. Camille had just arrived.

As soon as she hopped out of the car, she dashed straight into his arms.

"No way, it's really you! I thought you were filming somewhere else," she gasped, her whole face lighting up.

Ethan scooped her up and spun her around in a big hug.

"I found out you were here, so maybe I came just for you. Or maybe I just felt like joining this show. Which version do you prefer?" he teased, with a playful glint in his eyes.

The chat was going absolutely wild, flooding the screen with comments.

[Let me say it. He totally came just for you. For you, only for you.]

[Ugh, he's so smooth. I'm literally swooning here.]

Camille puffed out her cheeks and put on her best angry face.

"Always teasing me!" she huffed, half-pouting.

Ethan just laughed and tapped her nose playfully.

"Still such a little hothead," he grinned.

I frowned, clearly annoyed.

"Wait, don't you already have a boyfriend?" I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.

Ethan stepped in front of Camille, shielding her behind him, and gave me a smug little smirk.

He said, "Camille and I grew up together. We've always had each other's backs, all the way to today.

"Ms. Quinn, maybe if you weren't so bitter inside, you wouldn't see everyone else as dirty."