Secretly dating a celebrity♡

Chapter 15

Luke quickly reached for his phone, his fingers shaking as he turned off the live. The screen went dark, but the damage had already been done. He stared at it for a long moment, his chest tight, his breathing uneven. Then he looked up.

Heather was sitting on the couch, her hands covering her face, shoulders shaking as quiet sobs escaped her. Tears streamed down between her fingers, uncontrollable, heavy. The sight hit him harder than the comments ever could.

Luke exhaled deeply and moved closer, lowering himself beside her. The couch dipped slightly under his weight. For a second, he hesitated, then slowly reached out, about to touch her arm—

But Heather flinched and shifted away, creating distance between them.

“I… I don’t want to cause you any trouble,” she said through broken breaths, her voice trembling. “I never meant to do this to you.”

“Heather, I—” Luke started, his voice rough.

She cut him off immediately, shaking her head. “No, Luke. Please.” She wiped her face roughly, but the tears kept coming. “This is my fault. I came in here and ruined everything. Your career… your life… just because of that stupid night.” Her voice cracked completely. “You’re not ordinary like me. You’re a celebrity, and I keep forgetting that.”

Luke felt every word like a blow to the chest. She wasn’t wrong—but she wasn’t completely right either.

He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped tightly together. “You’re always blaming yourself,” he said quietly. “But it’s not your fault alone.” He turned to face her fully, his eyes red, honest. “I wanted you. I craved you. I love you.” His voice dropped. “And I couldn’t stop myself.”

Heather looked at him then, really looked at him, and the pain in his eyes made her chest ache even more.

Luke ran a hand through his hair, frustration and regret mixing together. “I betrayed Jake,” he admitted, his voice breaking for the first time. “And I know things won’t ever be the same again.” He swallowed hard. “He trusted me. He trusted both of us.”

Heather hugged herself, guilt swallowing her whole. “He told me I was honest… loyal,” she whispered. “And I lied to his face.”

Luke nodded slowly. “They didn’t see your face on the live,” he continued, trying to be logical, trying to calm the chaos. “But they heard everything. Our voices.” He looked down at the floor. “Jake knows my voice. And he knows yours.”

Silence filled the room, thick and suffocating.

Heather’s tears fell harder. “I never wanted to hurt anyone,” she said. “I tried to forget you. I really did. I thought if I loved him enough, you’d disappear.” She laughed bitterly through tears. “But you didn’t. You were always there.”

Luke closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. “And now?” he asked quietly.

Heather shook her head. “Now I don’t know what to do.” She looked up at him, completely vulnerable. “I love him… but I love you too. And I hate myself for that.”

Luke’s jaw tightened. “When I’m with someone,” he said firmly, pain laced through his words, “I need them to be mine. Only mine. I can’t share feelings. I can’t live like that.”

She nodded slowly, knowing what he meant. Knowing what he was asking.

Meanwhile, what neither Luke nor Heather knew was that Jake was standing just outside the front door.

His hand was still on the handle. He had come back because the live notification had unsettled him. At first, he told himself it was nothing—just Luke being careless again. But then he heard their voices through the door. Clear. Familiar. Too close.

He froze.

Jake didn’t move. He didn’t knock. He didn’t interrupt. He just stood there, listening as everything unraveled in front of him. Every word Luke said. Every broken sentence from Heather. The guilt. The love. The betrayal spoken out loud.

His chest felt tight, like something heavy was pressing down on him. He clenched his jaw, forcing himself not to react, not to let them hear him. His eyes burned, but no tears fell. He had always been good at holding things in.

“I betrayed Jake,” Luke’s voice echoed from inside.

That was the moment it hit him fully.

Jake stepped back slowly, as quietly as he had arrived. His hands were shaking now, but his face stayed blank. He shook his head once, like he was trying to deny reality.

“I… I love her,” he whispered to himself, barely audible. “I’ll go for that solo trip for two weeks. I’ll come back like nothing happened.”

He swallowed hard, straightened his shoulders, and turned away.

Jake left.

Back inside, Heather stood up slowly. Her legs felt weak, but she forced herself to move. She didn’t look at Luke as she grabbed her things.

“I should go,” she said quietly.

Luke didn’t stop her this time.

He watched her walk out of the house, the door closing softly behind her. The silence that followed was unbearable. The house felt empty in a way it never had before.

Hours later, Luke sat alone in his car, driving toward his father’s home. His hands were tight on the steering wheel, his mind racing. He wasn’t running anymore. He was done avoiding consequences.

When he arrived, he parked quickly and stepped out. The night air felt heavy, but he walked inside without hesitation.

In the living room, his father was already angry, speaking sharply to a few men in suits. The moment he saw Luke, his expression darkened further.

“Are you crazy?” his father snapped, dismissing the men with a wave. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” His voice rose. “Who is she? I hope, at the very least, it’s Maria.”

Luke stood there, his shoulders tense. He stared at the floor, exhaustion washing over him.

“No,” he said quietly. “It’s not Maria.”

The room went still.

His father laughed once, harsh and mocking. “Then you will tell everyone it is Maria,” he said coldly. “I have a reputation to maintain. You don’t get to ruin it with some nobody.”

Luke clenched his fists. Every instinct in him screamed to fight back, to say no, to finally choose himself.

But he was tired.

Tired of fighting. Tired of losing everyone he cared about. Tired of pretending he had control.

For the first time in his life, Luke didn’t argue.

“Yes, father,” he said.

And just like that, everything changed.

His father gave him one last look—cold, warning, final—before turning and walking away. The sound of his footsteps faded down the hall, but the weight of his presence lingered like a threat hanging in the air.

The silence didn’t last long.

Slow clapping echoed from behind.

Luke stiffened.

Maria stepped out from the shadows near the doorway, her hands coming together again as she laughed softly, mockingly. Her smile was wide, satisfied, almost smug.

“Well,” she said lightly, tilting her head. “My Luke has finally grown up.”

Luke didn’t respond. His jaw clenched as he stared straight ahead, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

Maria walked closer, heels clicking against the floor. “You see?” she continued, still amused. “No matter what mess you get yourself into, I’m always here to save your sorry butt.”

She reached out, tracing her fingers along his jaw, then up his cheek, slow and deliberate—as if claiming ownership.

Luke snapped.

He grabbed her wrist and shoved her hand away, his eyes dark, burning. “Don’t touch me,” he said sharply. “And don’t flatter yourself.”

Maria blinked once, then laughed again, unfazed. “Still stubborn,” she teased. “That’s what I like about you.”

Luke turned to face her fully now, anger flashing openly. “You didn’t save anything,” he said coldly. “My father did what he always does—he cleaned his reputation. You’re just convenient.”

Her smile twitched but didn’t disappear.

“Oh, come on,” Maria said smoothly. “You should be thanking me. Without me, you’d be finished. Your fans would tear you apart. Your career would be over.”

Luke let out a bitter laugh. “You think I don’t know that?” His voice dropped, sharp and venomous. “You think I don’t see how desperate you are to stay relevant in my life?”

Maria’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Careful, Luke.”

He stepped closer, towering over her. “At least she doesn’t beg for my attention like you do,” he said flatly. “At least she didn’t have to use her father’s power to force me into her arms.”

The words hit harder than a slap.

Maria’s laughter finally stopped.

For a moment, she just stared at him. Then, slowly, her lips curved into a dangerous smile. “So that’s how you see me,” she said softly. “Interesting.”

Luke scoffed. “You want the truth? You don’t want me. You want the image. The headlines. The status. You want to be the woman beside the celebrity because it makes you feel important.”

Maria stepped back, clapping once more—but this time, it wasn’t playful. It was sharp. Controlled.

“You’re right,” she said calmly. “I don’t waste my time on feelings.” Her eyes locked onto his. “I waste it on leverage.”

Luke’s expression hardened.

“I’ll find out who she is,” Maria continued, her tone chilling. “Every detail. Every weakness.”

Luke laughed mockingly, the sound empty. “Then what?” he asked. “You’ll threaten her? Scare her? Destroy her life like everything else you touch?”

Maria leaned closer, her voice low. “I won’t have to,” she said. “The world will do it for me.”

Luke’s smile vanished. “Stay away from her.”

Maria tilted her head. “Make me.”

He stared at her with pure disgust. “You’re not winning anything,” he said quietly. “You’re just proving how empty you are.”

Maria straightened, smoothing her clothes, her smile returning—cold, polished, dangerous. “We’ll see, darling,” she replied. “I always get what I want.”

She turned and walked away, heels echoing once more.

Luke stood there alone, chest tight, heart heavy—knowing he had just declared war, and the person he loved most was standing directly in the line of fire.