The trailer played, full of high-octane scenes and insane stunts, closing with an electrifying moment between Ethan and Sienna that left the audience buzzing.
“Is it just me, or did things suddenly heat up in here?” the host joked, fanning himself. “I think we need a reenactment of that scene. Who’s with me?”
The crowd erupted in cheers as Sienna gave a thumbs-up.
“I don’t know. I’m not feeling it.” Ethan raised his hand to his ear, playfully tuning in to the crowd’s energy. The cheering grew louder.
“Come on, Ethan. The people have spoken.” Sienna stood and pulled Ethan to his feet. They stood back to back, getting into character.
“And action!” the host declared.
The studio dimmed, leaving only Ethan and Sienna in the spotlight. Priya’s grip on the suitcase tightened as they pivoted to face each other. Ethan’s expression sharpened, a fire in his eyes that Priya knew all too well. Sienna met him head-on, her stance full of defiance. Their voices clashed in a heated exchange, eachline igniting the next. Priya could almost feel the intensity emanating from the screen, as if she were right there in the studio.
In the middle of their argument, Ethan’s gaze dropped to Sienna’s mouth, shifting the entire dynamic. A tightness gripped Priya’s chest as the space between them charged. And yet she couldn’t look away. The audience held its breath, expecting the moment to end where it had in the trailer.
Instead, Sienna closed the space between them, her mouth claiming Ethan’s in a kiss that stunned both him and the audience. He recovered quickly, his hand finding her waist as the kiss intensified. The spotlight bathed them in golden light, illuminating every angle of their faces. It was breathtaking, a moment of flawless Hollywood magic—two beautiful people lost in a kiss that seemed to hold the promise of every great romance.
Priya’s heart splintered into pieces.This is just a scene…Just acting.
She had seen Ethan kiss on-screen before, but it was entirely different now. She knew exactly how his lips felt, how those kisses tasted. In the morning, they were warm and minty, edged with his first cup of coffee. At night, they tasted like wine and magic, leaving her breathless and raw.
Now, watching Ethan and Sienna kiss, Priya felt her composure crack. The sight of them was too perfect, too convincing. When Ethan finally pulled back and they returned to the couch, the audience shot to their feet, roaring with applause.
Priya felt an overwhelming urge to flee to her room, but the pull of curiosity held her in place. She remained frozen, drawn to Ethan’s every word, every glance.
“Well, well,” the host teased. “You two sure know how to make sparks fly. Is there a little off-screen chemistry at play here?”
Sienna leaned back, letting the suspense build with a playful pause. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell where the acting stops”—she gave Ethan a sly look—“and where real life begins.” Her smile was as captivating as it was calculated.
Priya told herself this was exactly what she needed to fade back into peaceful anonymity—a new rumored love interest for Ethan. Her parents could relax, and life would slip back to normal. No more intrusions, no more chaos.
So why did she feel like her soul had just been scraped raw? The numbness she’d been clinging to cracked open, and the flood of pain that followed stole the air from her lungs.
Twenty-Seven
The clip of Siennaand Ethan’s kiss skyrocketed to the top of trending topics. As they made appearances for the new movie, their vagueness—neither confirming nor denying the rumors—kept everyone guessing. Was their connection genuine or a promotional tactic? Their silence only added to the intrigue, drumming up enthusiasm for the movie.
As for Priya, her brief moment in the spotlight faded just as quickly as it had arrived. The flood of messages, calls, and social media alerts slowed to a trickle. The reporters camped outside Moksha moved on, on the hunt for the next big scoop.
“How are you holding up?” Deepa asked one day over their video chat. She was the only one in the family who knew the truth about Ethan.
“I’m fine,” Priya replied. It was easier than trying to explain how empty she felt. Deep down, she wondered if she would ever be okay again. Being with Ethan had lifted her to an exhilarating high. But now that feeling was gone. In its place was a deep, gnawing ache. Each moment blurred into the next—tasteless, colorless, formless.
“How’s your app going?” Deepa asked.
“It’s stalled. Mumma doesn’t get the whole work-from-home thing. She thinks being at home means I’m available all the time. And Puppa’s having a hard time arranging Lady Whiskerbottom’s funeral. Brooke’s asking for live streaming and other things we’ve never done before, so I’m handling all the tech-related stuff.”
“Live streaming? At Moksha? For a cat?” Deepa made a face.
“Lady Whiskerbottom had a massive fan base,” Priya replied, smiling. “We’re planning the biggest funeral Moksha’s ever seen, Dee. It’s turning out to be quite a financial win.”
“No wonder Puppa agreed!”
Just then, Mumma stormed into Priya’s room.
“Hey, Mumma,” Deepa greeted. “Bye, Mumma! Bye, Pri!” She hastily ended the call.
“What do you want to eat today?” Mumma asked.
