Chapter 3

The buzzing VIP lounge went dead silent the second I pushed the door open.

A few mutual friends looked at me with deep, uncomfortable tension in their eyes.

I offered a polite, distant smile and glanced at my friend standing frozen in the corner. "Did you need me for something?"

She looked away with guilty eyes. "Not really... just... we haven't seen each other in a while..."

"Got it. Well, you've seen me now, so I'm heading out."

From start to finish, I didn't spare Austin a single glance.

Just as I turned on my heel, a cold, deep voice echoed behind me.

"Are you that terrified to look at me? What, regretting your little tantrum already?"

Austin honestly believed I was running away out of heartbreak.

I chuckled quietly and turned around, finally getting a clear look at the girl in his lap. It was Mia Rivera, the newest starlet his agency had just signed.

Barely twenty. Flawless skin, sultry cat eyes, and delicate features.

Even compared to me a decade ago, she was stunning.

"I know you threw out the word 'breakup' last time just to test me, but those mind games are exhausting," Austin said smoothly.

"Let's just put all our cards on the table. We’ve been together for ten years, Chloe. I grew tired of you a long time ago. Even if you hadn't brought it up, I was going to pull the plug anyway."

Even though I had already known the truth, hearing him spit it out so casually felt like a sucker punch to the ribs.

Austin pressed a tender kiss to the young girl's lips, then shifted his eyes back to me.

"I've fallen for someone else. You'll let me go, won't you?"

My face remained blank, as if he were discussing a stranger's mundane divorce. "Of course. Be my guest."

I had rehearsed this exact nightmare in my head a thousand times over the years. Why wouldn't I be calm?

He raised an eyebrow, a triumphant smirk tugging at his lips.

"By the way, Mia is new to the industry. Make sure you take care of her when you cross paths on future projects."

I nodded, my eyes resting warmly on the young girl.

"Mia, what kind of scripts do you usually prefer? I'm currently penning a corporate drama, and there's a supporting lead role that would fit you like a glove."

I stepped forward and extended an enthusiastic hand toward Mia.

"Why don't we exchange SnapChats? I can send over the pilot draft for you to read. If you don't like it, I have a few other character concepts."

Nobody in the room expected this.

The friends waiting for a dramatic catfight froze, their smug expressions turning awkward.

Austin’s face darkened instantly.

The whiskey tumbler before him was nearly empty. He yanked Mia behind him, treating me like a venomous snake about to strike.

"Chloe, what dirty trick are you playing? Let me make this clear: Mia is under my protection. Don't you dare try your petty schemes on her."

To Austin, my character had always been suspect.

Two years ago, he had been caught in a tabloid scandal with a rising pop singer. Not long after, private photos of the girl leaked all over Twitter.

He was instantly convinced that I was behind it.

“Chloe, do you have any idea how much money we just invested in her? A leak like this is going to cost my company millions!”

I had nothing to do with that leak. But back then, he refused to listen to a word I said.

He gave me the cold shoulder for over a month and snatched two major development deals right out of my hands as punishment.

Looking back, it was both humiliating and utterly pathetic.

Well, I was done swallowing blood and playing the martyr.

"Austin, where on earth do you get the confidence to think I'd waste my time targeting an innocent girl over a worn-out man like you?"

The room fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

This was the first time in ten years I had ever pointed a finger at Austin Miller's nose in public and defied him.

Nobody saw it coming. My friend moved to pull my sleeve, but I brushed her off with a flick of my wrist.

"What did you just say?" Austin's voice was dangerously low, a rasp of disbelief scraping his throat.

I offered a dazzling smile and took slow, deliberate steps toward him. "I genuinely think Mia fits the aesthetic of the character I'm writing. A collaboration would be a win-win for everyone."

"Don't worry, Austin. I'm not as small-minded as you. You keep calling me old, claiming you're sick of looking at my face. But the truth is..."

I bent down slightly, hooked a manicured finger under his chin, and lowered my voice just enough so that every single person in the room could hear every word:

"The truth is, you're absolute garbage in bed. You barely last ten minutes from start to finish, and faking it for you was exhausting.”

“Everyone prefers younger partners. Men peak at twenty-five; after that, it's all downhill. It's high time I found someone young, strong, and actually functional."

With that, I glanced around the lounge. Just seconds earlier, a cocktail server had brought in fresh ice and hadn't left yet.

The tallest kid among themflawless porcelain skin, sharp jawline, and captivating dark eyesinstantly caught my attention.

"Hey, handsome. How much to book you for the night?"