Chapter 8

Eric frowned the moment the call abruptly cut off.

A soft female voice called again beside him, "Eric?"

He glanced up briefly at her, slipping his phone into his pocket. His tone was cool. "What is it?"

Chloe handed over an elegantly wrapped box, her voice small and a little shy. "I was bored at home these days, so I made some snacks... Thought you might want to give them a try."

Eric didn't move. He simply looked at her. "You came just for that?"

Chloe's heart hitched. She gripped the box tighter and lowered her voice. "No... I also wanted to ask about work."

Eric replied flatly, "Leave the online stuff alone. Let your agent handle your Twitter. Someone from LY will get in touch soon about signing the contract. Be ready for the promo."

Chloe's heart lit up.

The voiceover gig for "The Legend"—she'd pitched herself to Jason several times, but he'd brushed her off every time. It had pissed her off for days.

She didn't even care much about the game project. She just didn't want Sunset Stardust to get it.

Back when "Secret Lover" was trending, she'd been slammed online for her voice acting. Without it, people said she acted like a puppet show character. And those memes sent Sunset Stardust soaring in popularity.

She'd worked her tail off on that drama, but all the buzz ended up with that voice actor. Who wouldn't be annoyed?

To prove her speaking voice was just as good, she leaked behind-the-scenes clips with her real voice using a burner account and even paid to push the "Chloe's Dubbing Skills" tag to the trending list.

She had hoped to get some positive attention.

Instead?

The internet dragged her. Both her acting and vocal delivery got shredded by netizens and critics. Sunset Stardust? They got praised all over again.

She nearly lost it. Just when she was looking for a way to fight back, she overheard Jason and Director chat about the voice work for "The Legend" and caught wind of their plan to invite Sunset Stardust.

She didn't care about voicing some mobile game, but if it meant stealing that person's spotlight, then game on.

Though she was practically buzzing inside, she still looked hesitant. "Did Mr. Jason agree? He never seemed to like me much. If he's not keen, don't push it. I don't want to cause trouble between you two."

Eric shot her a look—one of those calm, unreadable stares that made her scalp tingle like she was suddenly under a microscope.

Then he simply said, "Your agent's here."

Chloe snapped out of it and looked out the window. Sure enough, her agent was waving in her direction.

She frowned slightly, wanting to act cute and ask Eric to take her back himself, but his assistant Lucas Hayes had already opened the door and gestured for her to step out.

Well, that settled it.

She couldn't really insist on staying longer. After saying a quick goodbye to Eric, she got out. But not without giving Lucas a sharp glare on her way out.

"Where to now, sir?" Lucas asked.

Eric rubbed the corner of his eyes, sounding worn out. "Home."

He hadn't been sleeping well. To be honest, it all started the moment Amelia moved out.

The thought of her made his chest tighten again.

He reached for his water and took a sip, then instantly frowned. "Just plain water?"

Lucas explained, "The tea Mrs. Reeves gave you last time ran out. Haven't had a chance to restock. I can call her later if you want."

Eric paused, then answered coolly, "Don't bother."

Why call her? She'd probably say something that'd irritate him again.

Still, he took another sip.

He'd been drinking plain water for over twenty years, but today, out of nowhere, it tasted terrible. Was it always this bland?

When they arrived at the Villa Celestia, Eric stepped out of the car. Lucas followed behind with a gift bag wrapped in fancy packaging and handed it to him.

"Sir, the bag you ordered two months ago just arrived."

Over three million for a bag—basically carrying a small condo on her shoulder. Working with Eric all these years had completely rewired Lucas' sense of value.

"Ma'am will definitely love it," he said casually.

Eric's brows relaxed just a bit, but his voice still sounded cold. "It's what she asked for. Why wouldn't she like it?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet. He was pretty sure she never actually said she wanted it. All she did was flip through a magazine in the car once and said the bag "looked nice." That very same night, Eric made him order it.

No stock in the country, had to pull strings for an overseas purchase. Took two whole months before it finally arrived.

"Just leave it in the car," Eric fastened his cufflinks. "Pick me up at 9 a. m. tomorrow."

---

A little after nine the next day, Amelia got a call from Eric. "Come downstairs."

Amelia frowned, confused.

Eric, trying to sound "considerate," added, "I'm waiting outside."

She frowned deeper. "You know where I live?"

Eric didn't bother with that nonsense—just hung up.

Every time they argued, she either crashed at a hotel or hid out with that poor bestie of hers. Now that he'd killed her hotel card, where else could she be but at Samantha' place?

Sure enough, as Amelia walked out of the complex, Eric's black Benz was waiting at the curb.

She paused, then stepped toward the front passenger seat—until Lucas hopped out and opened the backseat door for her.

Eric was already sitting back there, eyes down, scrolling on his phone.

Sitting next to him? She really didn't want to. She turned to ask Lucas to open the front, but before she could say a word, he hurried her, "Ma'am, please get in. No parking here—traffic control's almost on us."

Yeah, great.

With no choice, she got in.

As the car pulled out, the silence in the cabin felt awkward as hell.

Lucas had worked for Eric forever—picking up on vibes was part of the job. Just picking Amelia up here already felt weird, and now the frigid air in the car? Clearly, something was off.

Definitely a fight between those two.

Glancing from Eric to Amelia, Lucas cleared his throat and tried to ease the tension.

"Ma'am, remember that sachet you gave me? I gave it to my mom—she loved it! Kept it by her pillow, swears it helped her sleep. I visited recently, and she actually asked me for another one. Said the scent faded. Where did you get it? I'd love to get her a new one."

Amelia smiled, voice gentle. "I made the blend myself. Hired someone online to put it together. Not really available anywhere."

Lucas blinked. "You did? You know how to do that kind of thing?"

Eric's fingers froze mid-scroll. His eyes flicked to Amelia, curious.

Amelia shook her head. "Not really. Just interested. I mess around with it sometimes. The one I gave your mom used really common herbs. I'll text you the recipe—should be easy to find the stuff at any scent shop."

"That's very kind of you, thanks so much."

"No trouble at all."

She opened her phone, typing out the list and ingredient ratios.

Her skin was pale, fingers long and graceful. Normally, she didn't wear polish, but today her nails were a soft pink. And that makeup... different than usual. Subtle, but somehow made her look... a bit sultry.

Almost too beautiful. Too much, really.

Eric's eyes dropped lower—her dress was tight, and the neckline? Way too low. He could clearly see the curve of her chest.

He frowned, voice low. "Don't you have anything else to wear? You call this an outfit?"

Amelia rolled her eyes internally. She showed up, didn't she? What more did he want?

Out loud, she just said, "Just got this one. Don't you think it looks good?"

Eric let out a cold snort, words sharp enough to make her wanna throw her phone at his face. "Your taste has seriously never improved."