Chapter 2My Second Lead Broke The Script

No. Absolutely not.

Before I could get lost in the scent of his cologne, I scrambled back, my heart hammering.

"Kael, listen. You don't have to do this. We're alone. There’s no audience. You don't have to sacrifice yourself on the altar of a fake marriage."

He let out a soft, frustrated laugh. "Jade, calm down. I’m not trying to jump you. I just wanted to help you with the compress for your leg. You were standing all day at the reception. The scar must be killing you."

I shook my head violently, waving him off. "I'm fine. Really. Totally fine."

"We’re married, Jade. Why are you suddenly so shy?"

My brain kicked into overdrive. "The scar is ugly. It’s... it’s gross. I’ll just wait for the nurse to come by in the morning."

"It’s late. She’s already gone home."

Kael wrung out a hot towel, his movements slow and deliberate as he moved closer. I squeezed my eyes shut, counting down the seconds in my head.

Three. Two. One...

A phone chimed.

He froze. He checked the screen, and the mask of the doting husband vanished instantly, replaced by a raw, jagged anxiety.

You can always count on the female lead to call at the perfect moment.

"I have an emergency," he said, his voice clipped. He was already halfway to the door. "I have to go."

I knew the "emergency." Daisy had fainted on set. Kael was burning with worry, ready to leave his bride in the dust.

"Wait," I said, clearing my throat for the performance I was supposed to give. "Who is it? Who’s calling you at this hour?"

But my timing was off. I was a writer, not an actress. Before I could even finish the sentence, he was gone. He moved faster than a bullet.

What happened to the dramatic wedding night fight I’d scripted? How could I scream at him if he wasn't even there to hear it?

I sat alone in the massive, quiet suite, wanting to tell him he was wasting his time. By the time he got to the hospital, Wyatt—the billionaire male lead—would have already carried her inside. Wyatt would be the one staying by her bedside for thirty-six hours straight.

Kael, my poor, beautiful husband... your turn comes later.

In my story, the second lead eventually wins. And I was going to make sure he got his Happy Ending, even if it meant I ended up with nothing.