Page 64 of Make The Cut

Although, Ididfind some extremely blurry video of Ryder kissing a random girl in the pool, who may or may not be Isla Romero. Maybe she’s the reason he’s slightly less of a workaholic now.

When I get to the set ofMake The Cut, it’s alarmingly quiet. Not even Naoya is there yet. That’s weird, considering that the whole crew and cast are supposed to be there to film the last three episodes of the show.

“Poppy.” Rose’s crisp voice pierces my eardrums and makes me jump, pressing a hand to my chest. Good thing I’m wearing ballet flats instead of stilettos, because I would’ve broken a heel.

She’s sitting in a director’s chair, doing her own makeup. As she brushes the mascara wand over her lashes, blinking rapidly, her lips open in a perfect pout.

She’s drop-dead gorgeous even with only her makeup half-done and dressed in a pink Juicy Couture velour sweat suit. It might actually be criminally unfair to have people walking around looking like they just dropped off the cover ofVoguemagazine, and I might actually be jealous if—well, if Naoya Sugawa hadn’t kissed me in his car and told me I was perfect a few weeks ago, a memory that still sends goosebumps across my arms.

“Good morning, Rose.” I set down the iced coffee I bought, placing one of them next to her: a decaf latte with oat milk and probably some occult ingredient that keeps her looking preternaturally young.

“I have an offer to make you.” Her voice echoes through the set, and without anyone else there, I feel like I’m meeting a James Bond villain in an empty warehouse. Not that Rose is a Bond villain. She’s more like the woman I wish I could be—the life I wish I could have—wrapped in a glossy package.

I take a deep breath. “What is it?”

“I’ve decided to give you the job at Rose Inc.”

“I… Wow, I don’t know what to say.” I swallow. How am I getting so many job offers in such a short period of time when I didn’t even have one a few months ago? This proposal should be a dream come true. All I wanted after I got fired from my job was to get an offer like this.

Now, though… I don’t know whether this is too good to be true.

“All you have to say is yes,” Rose says. “But, maybe this will persuade you.”

She sets down the lipstick and pulls out her phone. “Here.”

I gingerly take her rose gold case embossed with her initials on the back. It’s a picture of me and Naoya at the costume party. No one can tell that it’s me—my head is turned to the side—but it’s clearly him. And from personal experience, I know that die-hard Naoya Sugawa fans are going to scrutinize every detail of the image until they’ve found out my identity.

“I don’t know what that is.” I pass the phone back to her.

“I know I’m a model, but don’t insult my intelligence, Poppy. Us women have to stick together.” She fluffs her curls. “You like Naoya, for whatever reasons I don’t understand.”

“He’s my friend.” My voice ratchets up slightly and I have to take a deep breath to remind myself that I’m talking to a woman who kind of holds my career in her manicured hands.

“Don’t play dumb.”

“If I did like Naoya, I don’t know why that would be any of your business. A lot of women find him attractive.”

“Yes, but…” She shrugs. “He likes you, too, for whatever reasons of his own.”

“So?”

“I’m offering you a job, Poppy. All you have to do is stay away from Naoya Sugawa.”

I should say yes. I should jump at the opportunity. I should break up with Naoya right now and tell her that of course, Naoya Sugawa means nothing to me.

But for some reason, the words don’t come. The denial doesn’t spring to my tongue, nor does the easy disavowal of Naoya and all that he means to me.

“I can’t do that.” I square my shoulders, feeling like I’ve been transported into a K-Drama and Rose is the mother-in-law offering me five million dollars to stay away from her wealthy son. Except that would be kind of messed up, considering she and Naoya used to date. Maybe I took that analogy too far.

“Fine. If you can’t agree to my terms, then I’m leaving the show. And your precious boyfriend won’t have much of a career after that, considering the success of this show has been based entirely onme.”

I frown. “He’s the one who came up with the idea for the show.”

She snorts, the most undignified sound I’ve heard from her. So sheishuman. “Even if that’s the case, the producer won’t let him keep doing this show without me. You’ve made your decision, Poppy. I just hope Naoya can forgive you for it.”

Chapter Thirty-One: Naoya Sugawa

I stride down the hallway, fury and indignation and panic swirling in my veins as I repeat the words to myself.

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