Chapter 4: Competing for Attention

Eva stood in the doorway, watching Sebastian.

The man walked in and swept his gaze across everyone in the room like he was scanning a row of road signs that didn't matter. 

No small talk, no smile, not even a nod. He walked straight to the sofa in the middle of the living room, sat down, and crossed his long legs without a care.

The whole estate went quiet for three seconds.

Ivy moved first.

She let go of Cole's arm, smoothed her skirt, and walked over with a glass of lemonade she'd just poured. Her movements were graceful, her steps soft, each one landing at the perfect angle for the camera. Very professional.

"Hi, Sebastian." Her voice was gentle, with just the right touch of shyness. "Long drive, right? The lemonade here is really good. Here you go."

Sebastian glanced up at her.

Just once.

Then he picked up his own bottle of water from the coffee table, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip.

Ivy's hand hung in the air, the ice in the lemonade glass clinking softly.

The moment was so quiet. Quiet enough that Eva could almost hear Ivy's pride cracking.

"He probably doesn't like sweet drinks," Amelia murmured beside Eva, giving Ivy a way out.

But Ivy didn't need anyone's help. She smiled, set the glass on the coffee table, and naturally took the seat next to Sebastian.

"That's fine. Leave it there for when you get thirsty."

She was a good actress. Anyone else would have slunk away by now. But Ivy's face showed no embarrassment at all — just an easy, unbothered grace, like being turned down meant nothing to her.

Too bad Sebastian didn't even look at her again.

Cole couldn't sit still anymore.

He walked over and stood beside Ivy, looking down at Sebastian.

"You don't have to take the drink. But you could at least say thank you."

Sebastian finally reacted. He slowly raised his head, looked at Cole, and moved his lips slightly.

"You are—" He paused, like he was searching for a file in his memory that wasn't worth much. "The third son of the Whitlock family?"

Cole's jaw tightened. "Yes."

"Oh." Sebastian leaned back into the sofa. "I remember you. At your father's charity gala last year, you drank too much and spent twenty minutes throwing up in the bathroom. One of the staff had to find your brother to drag you out."

The tips of Cole's ears turned red instantly.

"So," Sebastian's voice was completely flat, like he was reading a weather report, "you want to give me lessons on social etiquette?"

Tiffany covered her mouth to hide a laugh. Amelia awkwardly looked away. Ivy's lashes fluttered, a flash of panic crossing her eyes.

Cole clenched his fist, but said nothing. He knew he couldn't win against this man.

That's when the host finally appeared — who was also the show's director. A middle-aged man in a floral shirt named Marcus Knox, known for his sharp tongue. He clapped his hands and signaled everyone to take a seat.

"Welcome to "The Estate". For the next twenty-one days, you have no assistants, no credit cards, no agents. All you have is each other."

He looked around the room, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

"The rules are simple. Five men, five women, free to pair up. Two people who pair up share a bedroom — they go everywhere together, eat together, live together. Anyone who doesn't find a partner stays in the basement."

The room erupted.

"We're sharing a room?" Tiffany's eyes went wide.

"For twenty-one days?" Cole stared at the camera in disbelief.

Marcus smiled. "This is a reality show, not summer camp. The audience wants real chemistry, not polite handshakes. Now, ladies choose first. Ivy, you had the highest buzz coming in today — you go first."

Ivy stood up. Every camera turned to her.

She looked at Sebastian and gave him a warm smile.

"Sebastian, would you like to pair up with me?"

The room went silent.

Sebastian sat on the sofa and didn't even look up.

"No."

One word. No hesitation, no explanation, no softening.

Ivy's smile froze on her face. The cameras faithfully caught every shift in her expression — first disbelief, then a forced calm, and finally the humiliation that slipped through when her fingers quietly tightened around her skirt.

She'd been a princess for eighteen years. No one had ever turned her down to her face.

Marcus cleared his throat and stepped in. "Well, Ivy, you can make your choice a little later. Next up — Tiffany?"

Tiffany waved her hand to pass. She was too smart for that. She'd just watched Ivy crash and burn, and she had no interest in being next.

"Amelia?"

Amelia chose Daniel. They agreed quickly.

"Eva?"

When Marcus called Eva's name, Tiffany suddenly spoke up.

"Hold on," she said, tilting her head with a grin that said she was enjoying every second of this. "Eva, weren't you and Liam a couple? Shouldn't you two just pair up automatically? Or..." She stretched out the last word, her eyes sliding back and forth between Eva and Liam.

Here it comes.

Liam shot to his feet. He looked at Eva, his lips dry. "Eva, I—"

"Liam and I broke up."

Eva's voice wasn't loud, but every camera in the room caught it.

Silence.

"What?" Ivy's expression cracked for just a moment.

Liam's face went pale. "Eva, you can't do this. We didn't — you never gave me a chance to explain."

"Explain what?" Eva looked at him, her tone as casual as if she were commenting on the weather. "A relationship that's over doesn't need an explanation. And Liam, you should be glad I'm saying this here instead of out there. At least there are cameras here. You can put on a show about how heartbroken you are."

Liam's throat moved up and down. His mouth opened, then closed. In the end, nothing came out.

Tiffany's little stunt hadn't gone the way she'd planned. She'd expected to see Eva squirm. Instead, Liam was the one left standing there looking lost.

"Alright," Marcus clapped his hands, laying on the enthusiasm to ease the tension. "So Eva, who do you choose?"

Before Eva could say a word, a low voice came from the direction of the sofa.

"She doesn't need to choose."