Chapter 63 The Indie Film Offer
Dandelion.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand just as I finished getting dressed for breakfast. I was at my guest room dressing up for breakfast, it's been days since my one time "mistake" with Alex according to what he called it. Everything felt different now. The air felt different. In fact I felt different and I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Stop overthinking it, I told myself. It was just sex. Just one night of a really incredible.....
"No. it's just sex, Nothing more." I whispered, shaking it off my mind.
I exhaled to release tension, my phone buzzed again repeatedly.
I grabbed it quickly, grateful for the distraction, but my heart immediately jumped when I saw the unknown number. For a split second, I thought about ignoring it. Unknown numbers rarely bring good news these days.
And what if it's Chase, what if he's using another number to get to me since I already blocked him.
But then I'll never know if I decline it right?
Gosh I just hope I'm making the right decision.
I slid the answer button with hesitation.
"Hello?"
"Miss Williams? This is Director Diego. We met at the audition a few days ago?"
I straightened immediately, my pulse quickening for an entirely different reason now. "Yes, Director Diego. Of course I remember."
"I'm calling with good news." His voice was warm in fact he sounded excited. "We'd like to offer you the role of Maya in 'Shattered Glass.'"
For a moment, I couldn't breathe. The room tilted slightly.
"Miss Williams? Are you still there?"
"Yes! Yes, I'm here. I just---" I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling my heart hammering beneath my palm. "Are you serious?"
He laughed. "Very serious. Your audition was exceptional. Raw, honest, and genuine, exactly what we need for this character. Maya's journey of surviving abuse and reclaiming her power requires someone who truly understands that pain. You brought something to the role that no one else did."
Tears pricked my eyes. He had no idea how close to home he was hitting.
"When do we start filming?" I managed to say, my voice thick with unshed tears.
"Production begins in a week. We'll send over the contract details today. Welcome to the team, Miss Williams."
"Thank you so much Director."I thanked him with genuine gratitude.
"Ahh, you're welcome dear, see you soon."
After he hung up, I stood frozen in the middle of my room, my phone clutched in my hand, trying to process what just happened.
I got the role.
Despite everything, the scandal, Chase's sabotage, my family's betrayal, someone still believed in me. Someone still saw me as more than just the disgraced actress from those leaked photos.
The joy that flooded through me was almost overwhelming. This was my chance. My comeback. The first real step toward reclaiming everything they had taken away from me.
But the excitement quickly tangled with anxiety.
I have to tell Alex.
After that night, and the awkward morning conversation about it meaning nothing, I haven't been able to face him, How was I supposed to walk downstairs and act normal when I could still feel his hands on my skin, still hear the way he had whispered my name? And how I had shamelessly wrapped my legs around his waist moaning his name like some sort of Opera singer.
And what would he say about the film? He had been adamant about me laying low, staying out of the public eye until things settled. Would he forbid this? Would we fight again?
My stomach churned at the thought of another argument like the last time. The one that had ended with us in his bed, breaking a core rule he had set.
I took a deep breath. No. This is my career, my life. So I'm going to tell him, and whatever his reaction would be, I'll handle it.
I have to.
At the dining Grandma Winifred chattered happily about her plans for the day while I pushed food around my plate, hyper aware of Alex who was sitting across from me. He looked perfectly composed, like nothing had happened between us.
The only sign that he was affected at all was the way he gripped his coffee cup just a little too tightly.
"Dandelion, dear, you're barely eating,"Grandma wini observed, her sharp eyes piercing through me. "Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine, Noona," I said quickly, forcing a smile. "I'm just a little tired."
I drank my juice to lessen her suspicion.
Her eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief. "Well, I can't imagine why you would be tired." She glanced suspiciously between Alex and me. "Unless someone kept you up late?"
I choked on my orange juice.
Alex's jaw tightened, but he remained perfectly calm. "Noona it's too early for your assumptions."
"What? I'm just saying, it's normal for newlyweds to be---"
"We understand what you're saying," Alex cut in smoothly. "And I'm sure Dandelion appreciates your concern for our sleep schedule."
Grandma wini cackled, clearly enjoying our discomfort. "Oh, lighten up, both of you. I was young once too, you know."
Gosh I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole. Especially since this time around she was right, because I still feel sore from that night.
Thankfully, her phone rang, saving us from further torture. She excused herself to take the call, leaving Alex and me alone in the dining room. Tristan and his mom weren't at the dining room, apparently they had gone on a visit to his mom's family.
So it was just me and Alex, and the silence between us was really suffocating.
I set down my fork gently, my appetite completely gone. "Uhm....I need to tell you something."
His eyes finally met mine for the first time since we sat in the dining, and for just a second, I saw something flicker through them, something I couldn't tell.
"What is it?"
"I got a call this morning. From Director Diego." I took a deep breath. "He offered me the role in his film. 'Shattered Glass.' It's about abuse survivors finding their strength again."
Alex was quiet for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
Here it comes, I thought. The lecture about staying out of the spotlight. The reminder that I'm supposed to be lying low. Another fight that might end the same way as......
Gosh I can't even think about it without feeling awkward, A part of me was terrified of that possibility. Another part of me, a part I didn't want to examine too closely....was almost hoping for it. Almost.
"When does filming start?" he asked finally.
"In a week."
He nodded slowly, setting down his coffee cup with deliberate care, as if he was careful not to startle me. "And this is what you want? To take this role?"
"Yes." My voice came out stronger than I expected. "This is really important to me, Alex. It's my chance to prove that I'm more than just that scandal. That I'm a real actress, not just someone who got famous by sleeping around like everyone thinks. It's my chance at a comeback in my career."
Something shifted in his expression. He leaned back in his chair, studying me with those intense green eyes that seemed to see right through every defense I tried to put up.
"Fine. I'll make sure you're protected."
I blinked. "What?"
"If this is what you want, I'll make sure you're protected while filming. Security, transportation, whatever you need to do this safely."
I stared at him, completely thrown off guard. "You're---you're not going to tell me it's too risky? That I should wait?"
"Would you listen if I did?"
"No," I admitted.
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Then there's no point in arguing about it, is there?"
"But you said I should lay low. You said---"
"I know what I said Dandy." He stood up, moving around the table until he was standing beside me, his hands in his pocket. "But I also know that keeping you locked away isn't what you need. You need to take back your life, your career. This role sounds like the perfect place to start."
My throat tightened with unexpected emotion. After everything---he was still supporting me, still putting what I needed above what might be easier or safer.
"Thank you," I whispered, looking up at him.
Our eyes met and held for a moment. The air between us suddenly felt charged again, crackling with all the things we weren't saying. His gaze dropped to my lips for just a fraction of a second before he looked away.
"Don't thank me yet," he said, his voice rougher than before. "I'm assigning Walter to coordinate your security detail. You won't be going anywhere without protection."
"That's not necessary you know."
"It's not negotiable, Dandelion." He looked back at me, and the intensity in his eyes made my breath catch. "There are people who want to hurt you. Chase, your stepfamily, God knows who else. I'm not taking any chances with your safety."
The way he said it, with such fierce protectiveness, made my heart do something dangerous in my chest.
"Okay," I agreed softly.
We stayed there for another moment, neither of us moving, neither of us looking away. The morning sunlight streaming through the windows painted him in gold, highlighting the strong line of his jaw, his almost translucent eyes boring into mine, and most of all his soft lip which looked pinker under the sun.
I remembered how I felt when he buried his lips in my neck, my collar bone and my---.
Stop it.
I broke eye contact first, standing up quickly, nearly knocking over my chair in the process. "I should call the director back. To finalize everything."
"Dandelion."
"Hmm?" I paused, my hand gripping the back of the chair for support.
"Congratulations," he said quietly. "You're going to be amazing in this role."
The sincerity in his voice nearly undid me. I managed a small smile, not trusting myself to speak, and hurried out of the dining room before I did something stupid.