Page 91 of Butterfly

“The only sensible thing you should do, which is to break up with him. Leave him alone. This isn’t your world. I’m doing you a favour, really. I need Alex. Our careers are connected. We’re the glamorous couple who have played roles together since we were teenagers. People love that. Tabloids love that. Directors and producers love that. If Alex becomes the boring boyfriend of a boring girl, the glamour will vanish, which means no more work for me. You can’t take my career away from me. I worked too hard to get where I am now.” She bares her teeth. “I paid too much. Alex must’ve told you how everything in this world has a price.” Her voice quivers, and her eyes brighten. “I paid my price, and now I want my reward.”

“You can’t have your reward at my expense,” I say.

“I’m not being a complete bitch. You’ll have Alex back. Once the interest in him and I as a couple is gone. It’s a fair deal.” She pats my cheeks before entering the house and leaving me standing in the cold air.

~ * ~

“BOLLOCKS!” ALEX’S VOICE echoes off the high ceiling in his living room. He tugs at the collar of his shirt with a snappy gesture. “This is blackmail, and I have no intention of cowering in fear in front of a bully.”

“Emily is right though.” I sit on the sofa, Dart next to me, his ears all the way down. “If my past comes out, she’ll spill yours as well. Are you ready for that?”

“I don’t want to give up without a fight.” He stops pacing and takes my face. “I won’t give up on us, and if I have to choose, my career can go to hell.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do.” He kisses me, and my spine starts to wilt under the tenderness of his kiss.

But I can’t help the doubt and worry gnawing at me. He might think that giving up his career, the career for which he sacrificed everything, doesn’t matter. In a while, he might resent me. When things between us get tough, and they will, he’ll wonder if he made the right choice. After the storm is over and no one wants to work with him, his love might turn into hate. My body shivers at the thought of Alex hating me.

“I don’t want to be the cause of the end of your career.” I lean into his touch.

“Rubbish. If my career must end, it’s because of what happened with Rebecca.”

“What about her career? I can’t believe that if what happened with her comes out, she’ll remain unscathed.”

He caresses my hair. “She’s clever and powerful. She’s been doing this for a long time. I wouldn’t be surprised if she has a backup plan.” A frown appears between his brows. “Still, I should talk to her.”

I perk up. “What?”

“Her arse is at risk as well, and maybe I’m giving her too much credit. It might be convenient to have her as our ally.”

Alex seeing her again and asking for a deal? It doesn’t sound like a good idea. Besides, she asked him to work with her again, and he refused. She might not be so happy to help us. “I’m not sure.”

He kisses my forehead. “Let me talk to her. Then we’ll find out how Emily got that blasted video.”

Thirty-one

Alex

THE HALLWAY IN Rebecca’s mansion—because there’s no other term to describe the three-storey house on the outskirts of London—is something between a museum and a cathedral—wide, impressive, and rather cold. Marble everywhere, on the floor, the walls, and vases scattered around.

I follow her assistant along a wide corridor where pictures of Rebecca with stars from all over the world hang on the walls. Hell, there’s even a picture of me. I look like a child in that photo, smiling dumbly at her. Ugh. My stomach gives a lurch.

The woman opens the door to a sitting room. “Rebecca will see you soon.”

I bet she will.

The polished wooden floor and the chintz armchairs are a stark contrast compared to the grandeur of the rest of the mansion, like finding a fish and chip shop in the middle of Buckingham Palace. I haven’t seen Rebecca in years, not alone at least. A passing nod at film premieres or official parties, a quick chat in a studio while surrounded by producers, but we haven’t talked in a while, and certainly not about our past. The pricking sensation at the back of my head makes me wonder if I’m doing the right thing. Rebecca is a shark, and the enemy of your enemy isn’t necessarily a friend. I swallow past the anxiety knotting my throat. Sienna. She’s the only thing that matters to me. Sod my career. I can find something else to do. She’s irreplaceable. Although the pang in my chest whispers that it wouldn’t be an easy path. But my relationship with Sienna is non-negotiable. I want her in my life. No matter what.

Rebecca’s scent precedes her. Her slightly musky perfume will be forever embedded in my brain for all the wrong reasons. I’m like a gazelle remembering the scent of a lion for further warning. It’s a survival instinct, not a pleasant memory.

She steps into the room, sucking all the air out of my lungs. That’s what she does. Her presence demands attention even when she doesn’t want it, I guess. It’s the mix of her brooding mood, her confidence, and the aura of menace radiating from her. A powerful combination that sends a shiver down my back. My mouth grows dry, as if I’m a damn kid again, and she’s the one with all the power.

“Alex.” She narrows her hazel eyes and sits on the sofa, spreading her arms over the back. “It’s a surprise to see you here.” She tips her chin towards the armchair in front of her, and like a trained puppy, I do as I’m told. Bloody hell. I want to kick myself in the arse for obeying her. It seems that old habits die hard.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Obviously.” The corner of her mouth pulls up in a snarl.

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