Chapter 2The Control Group

The day filming began, I drifted downstairs in a sleepy haze, my eyes still heavy with sleep. Rich had already instructed the crew not to film me without permission.

The ground floor was already buzzing with activity. Seraphina stood in the center of it all, a queen holding court, flanked by an entourage. She was already playing the part of the lady of the manor.

She caught sight of me descending the grand staircase and, with a flourish of warmth, called out to the housekeeper.

“Mrs. Gable, could you please prepare breakfast for my sister-in-law as well?”

Mrs. Gable hesitated, her eyes flicking to me for confirmation.

I let out a soft yawn and gave a slight nod. Only then did she signal to the kitchen staff.

Leo, already at the dining table, greeted me with a cheerful, “Morning, Nora.”

I blinked slowly, my mind still foggy. “Morning.”

“Rich already left for the office?” he asked.

“Hm? I guess so,” I replied, the uncertainty clear in my voice. After all, the man rose with the sun. Even a night of passionate reunion after a week apart couldn’t disrupt his clockwork precision.

But that was Rich Blackwood for you.

As the heir to the Blackwood fortune, he was the embodiment of discipline and self-control, forged from a lifetime of expectation. He never allowed himself to lose his composure. Even our intimacy was governed by a quiet, unspoken schedule.

While I waited for my food, Seraphina suddenly glided over and sat beside me, looping her arm through mine with a practiced smile aimed at a nearby camera.

“This is Nora’s first time on camera, so she might be a little shy,” she cooed to her audience. “I hope all my wonderful fans will be gentle with her!”

She turned to me, her smile unwavering. “Don’t be nervous, Nora. My fans are the sweetest people.”

And just like that, with no makeup and a thoroughly bewildered expression, I made my television debut.

Seraphina kept one eye on the live comment feed, her lips curved in a saccharine smile as she cherry-picked questions to answer.

“You think Nora looks familiar? Hmm, maybe it’s because she has one of those classic, relatable faces.”

“You’re asking her age? Shhh! It’s not polite to ask a lady her age, you know.”

After a few more carefully selected questions, she noticed the audience’s attention was still stubbornly fixed on me. With a slight huff, she shifted back to her original seat, trying to reclaim the spotlight.

The live chat, however, was still on fire.

[So that's Leo's sister-in-law? The wife of the Blackwood Corporation's CEO?]

[She really does look familiar! And not in a ‘relatable face’ way. I swear I’ve seen her on TV before!]

[Is she trying to ride Sera’s coattails to get famous?]

[Sera is too kind, letting her steal the spotlight for free.]

[I’m only here for Seraphina! She’s so gorgeous!!!]

[Sera is living the dream. A fiancé that handsome, that rich, and he adores her!]

And me? I was a million miles away.

Tired. I was just so profoundly tired.

Rich had just returned from a week-long business trip. The ever-so-proper man had been possessed by a feverish energy the night before, determined to make up for a week of lost time.

My body was still paying the price.