Chapter 2
1380 Words
I went lightheaded at the news, half-convinced I hadn't woken up yet.
No way!
Julian was famous across the internet for being the most restrained man in showbiz. He kept his distance from women. He guarded his reputation like a hawk.
Why the hell would he go looking for a p********e?!
I rushed to the police station, and the first thing I saw was Julian holding Gia in his arms, soothing her.
Turns out Gia had been curious about the club. Her role in the new project was a p********e, and she wanted to do some "research".
So Julian took her there.
They just happened to get busted by the cops.
Gia was sobbing. "I am so sorry, Julian. This is all my fault."
But Julian, the man who had never touched women and always kept his distance, held Gia with nothing but tenderness in his eyes. His voice was soft, almost pleading, like he was begging her not to blame herself.
"I went with you because I wanted to. Don't you remember I promised I'd always watch out for you? Even if it ruins my career, it is my choice. Do not beat yourself up."
Ruining his career. His choice.
I bit down on my lip so hard I nearly drew blood, trying to steady the shock rattling through me.
If I had not heard it with my own ears, I would never have believed it. Julian, the man who had lived and breathed acting, who had been cold and indifferent to every woman on the planet, completely lost his mind over a girl.
Julian had shot to fame young. The media called him the perfect actor.
He had won his first Best Actor trophy with his very first film.
For eleven straight years, he had taken home the crown every single time. He had collected Oscars like they were candy.
His only flaw, they said, was that he loved acting too much and never looked at women twice. He was like a machine built solely for performing.
And yet here he was, ready to torch his reputation and throw away his future for Gia, a no-name actress.
I had been his fan since day one. I had followed his career for eleven years. I never knew he and Gia had any history.
He had kept her hidden that well.
And finally, it clicked: it was not that Julian kept his distance from women. It was not that he was cold by nature. It was not that he only loved his work. It was that the woman he loved was not me.
But if he did not love me, why did he propose? Why did he give me hope?
Everything around me felt like it was sucking the air out of my lungs. I gasped, trying to breathe.
And then Julian finally spotted me.
Those sharp, unflinching eyes locked right onto mine, catching me in the act.
He let go of Gia, leaned in to whisper something in her ear, and then walked over to me.
I thought he might at least offer an explanation. An apology, maybe.
Instead, he cut straight to orders.
"In a minute, you are coming with me to face the press. Tell them you were the one curious about the club, and you begged me to take you.
"Gia is a newcomer in this industry. If word gets out that she went to a place like that, her career is over."
Those few casual words pierced my heart like sudden frost.
I blinked back the burn in my eyes and looked up at him. "So my reputation does not matter?"
The temperature around Julian dropped instantly. He was pissed.
"You are not a celebrity. Nobody cares about your reputation. The internet drama fades fast. With no one scrutinizing you, this will blow over in a matter of days.
"Besides, your brother has your back. You do not have to worry about getting harassed online."
Before I could answer, he grabbed my arm and dragged me to the station entrance to face the reporters.
The questions came at me like machine-gun fire.
"Mr. Crawford has always kept a clean image. We heard it was your wife, Lily Kay, who dragged you to that club. Is that true?"
"Mrs. Crawford, why would you go to a place like that? Is there something lacking in your marriage?"
Every single word was a setup. I could feel it pressing down on my chest until I could barely breathe.
These reporters had been planted by Julian.
And there he stood, lying through his teeth with a perfectly straight face. "Lily is shy. She already knows she made a mistake. Let us not grill her too hard."
He wrapped his arm around me with this doting look, playing the part of the devoted husband to perfection.
My heart clenched so hard it hurt. Before I could catch my breath, the reporters came at me again.
Microphones shoved in my face like knives.
"Mrs. Crawford! Are you not worried about ruining your husband's career?"
"The entire internet says you are a disgrace to the word 'fan.' They want to strip you of your fan card. Did you know that?"
Julian looked down at me with a smile, but his fingers tightened around mine in warning.
It hit me all over again. Julian Crawford was a damn good actor. The best.
If he had decided to throw me under the bus to save his own skin, he was not about to let me back out.
I blinked against the blinding camera flashes and swallowed every ounce of exhaustion.
And I lied through my teeth. "I am sorry for letting Julian down. It will not happen again."
Gia walked away from the whole mess without a scratch on her name.
That night, Julian actually made time to come with me to the Kay estate for dinner with my brother.
Victor had no idea what had really happened. He teased us like everything was fine.
"Lily, I already figured out what your good news was. Congratulations on the pregnancy.
"And you, Julian, take it easy on my sister. She is carrying your kid now. No more fooling around. Stay away from those clubs."
I opened my mouth, then closed it. I swallowed the blame and kept quiet.
My brother had a fierce protective streak. If he ever found out Julian had used me to cover for Gia, he would burn that bridge to the ground.
And Julian was Victor's biggest star, the golden goose of the whole industry.
A fallout between them would wreck both sides.
It wasn't until my brother said it that Julian realized I was pregnant.
His eyes went to my belly. His expression was hard to read.
Then, unbelievably, he pulled me into a gentle hug and patted my back. "You have been through a lot, Lily.
"Rest up. I will take a week off and stay with you."
In three years of marriage, this was the first time Julian had ever voluntarily cleared his schedule for me.
I did not know what to feel. It was all too tangled to name.
After dinner, Julian rushed back to our place.
I thought he was in a hurry to dive into another script. But when I walked through the door, I found Gia Kay in my house!
Wearing my husband's shirt!
It felt like a slap across the face. I stopped dead in my tracks.
Gia, however, strolled over to Julian like she owned the place, grabbed his hand, and started whining for attention.
"Julian, my clothes got wet. I saw this shirt on the couch, so I borrowed it."
Then she turned to me with a smirk. "You do not mind, do you, Sister?"
My face went cold. I did not bother hiding my disgust.
"Do not call me that. My mother only had two children. My brother and me."
Before the words were even out, Julian cut in, his voice low and sharp. "Lily, be polite to our guest.
"Gia has a stalker problem. Her place is not safe. I told her she could stay here for a while.
"She is your elder sister. Now that she is moving in, I expect you to take good care of her."
- Writer
