Chapter Eight: The First Rule
879 Words
Nathan read the letter again.
Then a third time.
The words didn’t change.
Break up with her… or she’ll pay for your mistakes.
His grip tightened until the paper crumpled in his hand.
Oliver glanced around the parking lot.
“I’ve already called security.”
“They’re checking the surveillance cameras.”
Amelia frowned.
“Do you think this is one of your fans?”
Nathan shook his head.
“No.”
“This feels… personal.”
Within an hour, Amelia was sitting inside the conference room at Hart Entertainment.
A security team projected images from the parking lot cameras onto a large screen.
“There.”
One of the analysts paused the footage.
A man wearing a dark baseball cap slipped the envelope beneath the windshield wiper of Nathan’s car.
His face remained hidden the entire time.
“He knew exactly which vehicle was yours,” Oliver observed.
“And he avoided every camera.”
Nathan folded his arms.
“Professional?”
“Either that…”
The analyst replied.
“…or someone who’s done this before.”
“Should I go to the police?” Amelia asked.
Nathan answered before anyone else could.
“Yes.”
She looked surprised.
“I thought celebrities usually tried to hide these things.”
“They do.”
“I’m not willing to risk your safety for my reputation.”
The report was filed that afternoon.
The detective assigned to the case listened carefully before speaking.
“We’ll investigate.”
“But unless the threats continue…”
“There isn’t much we can do yet.”
As they left the station, Amelia sighed.
“So we wait.”
Nathan looked at her.
“No.”
“We prepare.”
That evening, Oliver arranged for Amelia to move temporarily into Nathan’s penthouse.
She immediately refused.
“I’m not living with you.”
“It’s safer.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Nathan stepped closer.
“Amelia.”
“This isn’t about pretending anymore.”
“It’s about protecting you.”
She crossed her arms.
“I’ve lived alone for years.”
“I know.”
“But someone is watching you because of me.”
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Finally…
She exhaled.
“Fine.”
“But only until this is over.”
A smile tugged at Nathan’s lips.
“I’ll take it.”
The penthouse suddenly felt much smaller.
Not because of the space.
Because now there were two toothbrushes in the bathroom.
Two coffee mugs on the kitchen counter.
Two people awkwardly trying to figure out where they fit.
Nathan pointed toward the hallway.
“The guest suite is yours.”
She looked impressed.
“This guest room is bigger than my apartment.”
He laughed.
“I’ve been told my sense of scale is unrealistic.”
“You think?”
Later that night…
Amelia wandered into the kitchen, unable to sleep.
She found Nathan sitting at the island, eating cereal straight from the box.
She blinked.
“Seriously?”
He looked up, spoon halfway to his mouth.
“What?”
“You’re one of the biggest actors in the world.”
“And?”
“I expected midnight snacks to be… fancier.”
He looked at the cereal box.
“I like chocolate cereal.”
She laughed.
“I can’t believe this.”
“What?”
“Mr. Perfect eats children’s cereal at one in the morning.”
He smiled.
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“Your reputation would never recover.”
The conversation drifted naturally.
They talked about childhood dreams.
Embarrassing school memories.
Favorite books.
Nathan admitted he’d wanted to be an architect before discovering acting.
Amelia confessed she’d once fainted during a school play because she was so nervous.
“You?”
Nathan asked.
“The woman who stood up to a famous actress?”
“I was twelve.”
“It was different.”
He smiled.
“I would’ve liked twelve-year-old Amelia.”
She smiled back.
“I probably would’ve told twelve-year-old Nathan to stop showing off.”
They both laughed.
For the first time since signing the contract…
The cameras weren’t there.
No interviews.
No scripts.
No pretending.
Just two people sitting in pajamas, sharing cereal and stories long after midnight.
Nathan realized something that unsettled him.
He hadn’t laughed this much in years.
The next morning, Amelia woke to the smell of pancakes.
She followed it into the kitchen.
Nathan stood at the stove wearing an apron that read:
WORLD’S OKAYEST CHEF
She burst into laughter.
“I refuse to believe that’s yours.”
“It was a gift from Ethan.”
“The actor?”
“My best friend.”
“He said it suited me.”
“Does it?”
Nathan flipped a pancake.
“It depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether these are edible.”
Before Amelia could answer…
The doorbell rang.
Nathan opened the door.
Standing there was Sophia Blake.
Elegant as always.
Except this time…
She wasn’t smiling.
She looked directly at Amelia.
Then at the overnight bag sitting beside the staircase.
Her expression hardened.
“So…”
She said quietly.
“You’re living here now.”
The tension in the room became almost unbearable.
And Sophia had clearly come for more than a friendly visit.
- Writer
