Chapter 3

"Alex, I feel a little dizzy."

Emily's soft voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

Alex immediately set the monitor aside and reached out to check her forehead. "Did you stay in the sun too long? I'll take you to the lounge."

He helped her up and walked past me, not sparing me a single glance.

Mia lowered her voice. "Sophia, you don't look well. Do you want to see a doctor?"

I shook my head. "Help me take off my makeup. I'm done for today."

Back in the dressing room, I stood in front of the mirror and loosened my costume.

The right side of my ribs was already bruised, dark, and swollen.

Mia sucked in a breath. "That's bad. You have to get it checked at the hospital."

"It's fine. I'll ice it when I get home," I said calmly.

Pain was nothing new to me.

I had been through worse.

Compared to that, this was nothing.

The dressing room door opened, and Alex was standing there.

His eyes landed on the bruise on my ribs, and his brow tightened just slightly.

"How bad is it?" he asked, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the weather.

"I'll live."

I picked up a cotton pad and started removing my makeup.

He walked in, shut the door, and leaned against the counter. "You're upset."

His gaze stayed on me, his tone certain.

I paused, then met his eyes in the mirror. "Why would I be?"

"Because I gave your role to Emily."

I let out a small laugh. "Alex, you're overthinking it. I'm an actress. A role is a role."

He fell silent for a moment, then said, "Emily was chosen by the investors."

It sounded like an explanation, but not quite.

In the past, I would have pressed him, would have felt hurt, would have demanded to know why he didn't even try to fight for me.

Now, all I felt was tired.

"I understand."

I went back to removing my makeup, slow and unhurried.

My calm seemed to set him off. He grabbed my wrist.

"Sophia, what's going on with you? You were never like this before."

I looked up at him, gave a faint smile, and said evenly, "You weren't like this before either."

We stood there in a standoff, neither of us willing to back down.

His grip was warm and tight, almost painful.

There was a time when a touch like this would make my heart race. Now it left me numb.

"Alex, Ms. Lane is asking when you'll come over."

A staff member called from outside.

He let go and slipped back into his composed, distant self.

"There's a dinner tonight. The investors specifically asked for you."

"I'm not feeling well," I said. "I want to go home and rest."

"Sophia."

His voice cooled. "Don't be difficult. You know how important this project is to me."

Of course, I knew.

Every project of his was important, important enough that I always came last.

I took a breath and steadied myself.

"I'll go."

Hearing the answer he wanted, his tone softened again.

His hand came to rest on my shoulder, his voice gentle. "I know you've been wronged."

His thumb brushed lightly against my shoulder, an intimacy I hadn't felt in a long time.

"Once this project is stable, I'll make you the lead in the next one."

I had heard that promise too many times.

I went from second female lead to third, from speaking roles to nameless extras.

Now I had become a stand-in.

I shifted slightly and stepped out of his reach.

"No need."

He froze, clearly not expecting me to refuse.

Before, the smallest bit of kindness from him, even an empty promise, was enough for me to hold on to, enough to keep loving him.

Now, all I felt was tired.

"I'll be there on time tonight."

I turned back to the mirror and continued removing the last traces of makeup, my voice steady and clear.

"Alex, please step out. I need to change."

He didn't move, his expression unusually complicated.

He seemed about to speak, then stopped himself.

In the end, he said nothing and left.

The door clicked shut, and Mia, eyes red, whispered, "Sophia, that was so cool."

I smiled but didn't answer.

It wasn't cool. I was just done.