Chapter 1Lost My Heart Under Her Spotlight

After seven years together, Vivian Cross’s greatest talent was threatening to break up with me.

Every time I reminded her to sleep earlier and stop wrecking her health, she would snap, “Noah Reed, can you stop managing me like my agent? If you’re sick of this, then break up with me.”

To help her win Best Actress, I rewrote scripts for her, buried scandals, and stayed with her through night after night of online abuse.

Then, on the eve of the awards ceremony, I received a set of photos.

In them, she and Jamie Cole were kissing in a hotel hallway.

That same night, she had told me her stomach hurt and asked me to skip an investment meeting to bring her medicine.

Before I could question her, she sent a voice message first.

“Jamie was under a lot of pressure. I was just rehearsing with him. Can you be mature for once? If you keep being paranoid, we should break up.”

I stared at the photo for a long time, then closed the ring box I had planned to give her after the ceremony.

Quietly, I replied, “Fine. Let’s break up.”

She paused, then scoffed.

“Here we go again. Suit yourself.”

I did not explain.

I threw the ring I had saved three years to buy into the trash.

My phone lit up again.

Vivian texted: 【Stop being dramatic. The awards are tomorrow night. Send me the final draft of my speech.】

No explanation. No apology.

Just the entitlement to ask me to keep writing for her.

I sat in the studio and looked at the acceptance speech on my screen.

The first line on the first page was something she had asked me to write herself.

【At the lowest point of my life, someone held my hand and kept pulling me forward.】

Back then, she had curled up on the couch with a cushion in her arms and asked, “Noah, if I really win, I’ll thank you onstage, okay?”

I had said okay.

Thinking back now, I was pretty stupid.

For seven years, I rewrote scripts for her, drank for her at dinners, suppressed trending scandals, and carried her from a mocked pretty face to a Best Actress nominee.

Later, everyone said Vivian Cross had been born to act.

Only I knew I had lifted her there, inch by inch.

I selected the entire speech and pressed delete.

Then I deleted the tribute video I had prepared for her.

My assistant, Sam, pushed the door open and froze. “Noah, wasn’t that Vivian’s surprise?”

“No need.”

I handed him a project list. “Organize all contracts related to Vivian’s studio. Send them to legal tomorrow.”

Sam’s face changed. “Did you two fight again?”

Again.

Everyone was used to it.

Vivian said break up, and I coaxed her.

She blocked me, and I sent her schedule through work email.

She stormed out, and I chased her to the parking lot.

So this time, no one believed I was truly done.

An unknown number called.

I answered.

Jamie’s voice came through, trembling with tears. “Mr. Reed, please don’t blame Vivian about the photos. It was all my fault. I drank too much that night. She was only helping me.”

Helping him so thoroughly their lips touched.

He paused, then added, “If I’m making you unhappy, I can skip the awards ceremony. Though Vivian said she hoped I’d be there in the audience with her.”

Every word landed perfectly.

Wronged, obedient, and still showing off.

I leaned back in my chair, my stomach beginning to ache.

“Go.”

The other end went quiet.

I said flatly, “Have fun.”

Then I hung up.