Chapter 3

At 1 AM, Alex came home.

He reeked of booze, his black shirt unbuttoned at the collar, and his eyes were still red from the livestream.

If it weren't for all the buzz online, he could've kept up the act for most people with that look.

When he walked in and saw the living room lights still on, he paused for a moment.

I was sitting on the couch, his contract, my project list, and the file bag with all the marriage paperwork laid out in front of me.

Alex frowned. "Still up?"

I didn't look up. "Waiting for you."

He tossed his jacket over the back of the chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

His voice was edged with exhaustion and impatience. "Ethan probably filled you in about tonight. I had way too much to drink, and the host stirred things up."

I flipped a page in the contract. "Sit."

He glanced at the coffee table but didn't move. "Charlotte, we have to get up early for the marriage registration tomorrow. Don't start with the drama at a time like this."

I finally looked up at him. "You go on livestream and say you didn't marry the one you truly love, and now you think I started the drama for freezing your resources?"

Alex's jaw tightened, like he was holding something back. "I was talking about the role."

"What role?"

He looked away. "The lead in the show we just wrapped. He missed out on his first love. That scene dragged on forever, and I guess I couldn't shake it off."

I pushed the tablet toward him. On the replay, the host was asking, "Is tomorrow the happiest day of your life? You will register a marriage."

The live chat was blowing up with his name, my name, and Sophie's.

I hit pause. "So, is your character getting married tomorrow too?"

Alex stared at the screen, looking pretty grim.

He clearly hadn't expected me to leave him with absolutely no way out.

After a few seconds, he sat down across from me, his voice softening. "I'll handle it. We'll still go to the courthouse tomorrow, and I can make the announcement say whatever you want."

"I've already suspended your resources," I said.

He jerked his head up. "You really went through with it?"

I didn't reply.

Alex grabbed his phone, checked the project group chat, and his expression instantly soured. "The platform promo slot's gone too?

"It's up for review," I replied.

"The table read for Falling Stars is on hold?"

"Yeah."

"Charlotte Grant." It was the first time he'd ever called me by my full name, his voice tight with anger. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for this role?"

I closed the contract. "Yeah, I know. You turned down two costume dramas last year and didn't take any roles for six months, all for this shot at a career turnaround."

"And you still pulled the plug on it?"

"Because I'm the one who put up the money for this opportunity."

He swallowed hard.

The living room was so quiet that we could hear the hum of the air conditioner.

Alex stared at me, the exhaustion in his eyes fading, replaced by a coldness I'd never seen before. "So, you've been thinking this way all along?

"You think I embarrassed you tonight, so you're freezing my resources to show me who's really in charge?"

I looked at him.

That was interesting. He went on livestream, claimed he didn't marry his true love, and his fans rushed to pity him, thinking he was a victim of some corporate matchmaking.

But the second I stuck to the contract and cut his resources, suddenly I was the villain pulling the strings.

People's double standards were impressive, like a glitchy tape stuck on repeat.

I pulled a sheet of paper from the file and slid it over to him. "This is the Post-Marriage Image Upgrade Plan that your studio signed.

"If your public actions cause a major PR crisis and damage the project's brand, my company has the right to suspend all further investment and reassess whether we keep working together."

Alex glanced at it but didn't take it. "You're seriously quoting contract terms to me right now?"

"Tonight's exactly when we should be talking about this."

He gave a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "So, what about the marriage registration tomorrow?"

I pushed the file bag toward him. "The appointment's canceled."