Chapter 3

The speakers blasted at full volume.

Through the frosted glass, Julian and Bella were locked in a messy, heavy kiss right outside my door, blocking my exit completely.

"Who do you want? Me, or Chloe?" Bella breathed against his lips.

"Bella... I'll give you everything except the wedding license," Julian’s voice was hoarse.

"I swear, after the wedding, I won't lay a finger on her."

"Why should my man belong to anyone else on paper?"

"The one who isn't loved is the real homewrecker. Why does she get to keep you?" Bella pouted.

A cold chuckle slipped past my lips.

Unable to stomach another second, I kicked the heavy office door wide open.

Julian and Bella stumbled apart, shirts wrinkled, exposed right in front of the entire office.

Recognizing me, Julian immediately shielded Bella behind his back.

"Chloe? Were you stalking me?"

I picked up my suitcase, not sparing him a glance.

"Don't flatter yourself. I came for my belongings."

"Julian, as of today, we are done."

"Whoever you want to sleep with or marry has nothing to do with me."

A flash of triumph lit up Bella’s eyes, only to be crushed by Julian’s next words.

"Chloe, stop throwing a tantrum! Can you stop being so childish?"

"I promise she won't be on any of our sets again."

"Yeah, Producer Vance," one of Julian's sycophant assistants chimed in.

"This kind of stuff happens all the time in Hollywood. Why make it so ugly?"

"Julian's already treated you better than most. What more do you want?"

"Chloe, I'll talk to your parents about setting a wedding date. This ends tonight!"

Julian lunged forward, grabbing the handle of my rolling suitcase.

I yanked it back, but his grip remained iron-tight.

Pushed past my limit, I abruptly let go, shoving the hard-shell luggage hard into his chest.

"Ahhh!"

Bella shrieked, tumbling backward as the metal corner of the suitcase grazed her forehead.

"Chloe! You're losing your mind taking it out on Bella! I never realized how vicious you were!"

Julian scooped Bella into his arms, his eyes blazing with disgust and disappointment.

The crowd rushed out behind them.

In the scramble, someone shoved me into a metal display rack.

A heavy brass film trophy toppled from the top shelf, crashing hard across the back of my right hand. Blood instantly soaked through my white sleeve.

Not a single soul turned around.

Except Bella. As she was carried through the glass doors, she peeked over his shoulder, flashing me a smug, victorious grin.

[Our girl is so smart! Baited the villainess into attacking, took a hit, and now Julian completely despises Chloe!]

[Wait... this part wasn't in the original book? Why is Chloe bleeding?]

I hailed a cab to the private hospital alone, but no doctor showed up for over an hour.

Nurses and interns were running up toward the executive floor in a frenzy.

"Hurry! Everyone to the 6th floor! Mr. Reed from the Reed Conglomerate is upstairs!"

"What's going on?"

"Word is Director Drake’s new favorite actress scratched her forehead, and he called in Mr. Reed to supervise the private suite."

"A scratched forehead? For real?"

"If they took another ten minutes, the skin would've healed on its own."

"Well, Julian Drake is the hottest director right now, and even the board gives him face."

I dialed my father’s direct line. Within three minutes, he reached the hospital's chairman.

Before long, the city's top orthopedic surgeon was called in to treat my hand.

After my wrist was set in a cast, my mother burst into the room, shaking with rage after hearing what happened.

"Who the hell do the Drakes think they are?!"

"If you hadn't liked him, that Julian Drake wouldn't even be fit to wipe your shoes!"

"End it! We're canceling the merger and the wedding! I'll set you up with someone ten times better!"

I gave a quiet nod.