Chapter 2

"Oh my god! Did you hear? The heir of Sterling Enterprises was caught hooking up with some girl in the backseat of his car in the basement parking lot!"

"Are you serious? Today is the launch party for the movie his family funded. With so many industry insiders here, that’s just insane!"

"Who is the shameless slut? Creeping into his car at an event like this? How cheap!"

Representatives, producers, and actors scrambled toward the parking lot to catch a glimpse of the drama.

A black Maybach sat with its door slightly ajar. Victoria Sterling stood nearby, her face pale with rage, flanked by two executives from entertainment companies allied with Sterling Enterprises.

Inside the car, a woman was disheveled, wrapped tightly in Julian’s suit jacket as he held her protectively in his arms.

She was trembling in his embrace. Beneath the jacket, her bare legs and ankles bore obvious, flush-red marks.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what had just happened.

Julian held her tight, his voice low but loud enough for the onlookers to hear:

"Mom, this is all my fault. It has nothing to do with Chloe!"

"Chloe and I were about to announce our relationship anyway. I just couldn't help myself tonight... please, support us."

"Don't be scared, Chloe. I’ll call a press conference tomorrow and make our relationship official."

The moment those words left his mouth, the crowd on the edge of the parking lot went wild.

"What? Chloe Henderson? She's the female lead of this movie!"

"If this gets out, her agent is going to lose their mind. Her sponsorships are done for!"

"Doesn't she always play up that 'innocent, sweet girl-next-door' image? Who knew she was so wild in private?"

"Please. How do you think she got those top-tier roles? She slept her way to the top."

"Once her fans find out, they’re going to riot."

While the gossip was reaching a fever pitch, I casually pushed my way through the crowd, looking perfectly confused and curious.

"Hey, guys. What's everyone crowding around here for?"

Everyone whipped their heads around. A collective gasp echoed through the garage.

"Chloe Henderson?! Why are you here?!"

"Aren't you supposed to be in the car?"

"If you're out here... then who the hell is in the car?!"

In an instant, every single eye locked back onto Julian and the trembling girl in his arms.

I looked over, and Julian’s face instantly drained of all color.

He never expected me to be here. Yesterday, I had told him I wouldn't make it to the launch party because of an overseas shoot.

Yet here I was, standing before him, wearing flawless makeup and a stunning gown.

In my past life, I was shooting a commercial abroad when this happened. By the time I found out, Julian’s bots had already pushed the headline "Top Star Chloe Henderson Caught in Backseat Scandal with Billionaire Heir" to the number one trending spot.

By the time I tried to clear my name, no one believed a word I said.

This time, I had rearranged my entire schedule just for this moment.

I was going to rip off his hypocritical mask in front of everyone.