“I’m sorry our date was ruined.” I swirled the rich, burgundy liquid in my glass. “I was looking forward to it.”
He shifted in his chair, turning slightly toward me. “We’ll have another. Many more.”
I took a sip of wine, the warmth spreading through my chest as I swallowed. “I want to finish your house. We have to make sure that happens, no matter what they decide to do with me.”
He rested a comforting hand on my arm. “We can do the remodel ourselves. We don’t need them. I’ve got money, which means they don’t have power over us. For the first time in my life, money’s not the issue.”
I turned to look at him, my throat tightening at the sincerity in his eyes. “I’d say I was at least thankful the show brought us together, but we technically met on the app. Thanks to Mia.”
“Whatever comes, we’ll figure it out.”
After a few minutes, I finally spoke again. “If those photos they took tonight—of Beau and me—hit the internet tomorrow, we have to keep our cool. And we somehow have to protect the girls from all this. If Margot has any feeling that you and I are shaky, it could set her back.”
He exhaled softly. “Margot doesn’t have a phone, so she’ll be oblivious. We’ll talk to Mia in the morning. She’ll understand to keep it from Margot.”
I nodded slowly. “Thank goodness Margot doesn’t have a phone.”
“Let’s keep her as innocent as possible while we can. She’s seen enough.”
“Agreed.”
We were quiet, letting the night settle over us, sipping our wine, the gentle warmth of the summer evening with its scents of the ocean and my roses calming. I looked over at him, taking in the planes of his face, the way his cheekbones were visible even in the dim light. The bulk of him, long legs stretched out on the lounge chair, comforted me like nothing else could. Regardless of what happened with the show, I had him and Margot in my life now. No one could take them away from me. Not even show business.
I woke to the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee. For a brief, blissful moment, I lay there, basking in the warmth of my bed, listening to the soft murmur of voices coming from downstairs. But seconds later, reality slammed into me with brutal clarity. Last night. The disastrous dinner. Were the photos already circulating? I sat up, my heart thudding hard in my chest. My phone was not in the charger by the bed. Vance must have taken it—which meant there was something he didn’t want me to see. Whatever it was, I could handle it. I knew what was real and what wasn’t.
Pulling a robe around myself, I padded barefoot down the hallway and peeked into the girls’ room. Margot was still fast asleep, holding her bear against her chest. I headed down the stairs, heart beating unevenly despite my vow to remain optimistic. As I entered the kitchen, Mia and Vance both turned toward me, their expressions identically cautious, shadowed with worry.
“Hey, Mom,” Mia said quietly, gripping her phone tightly in one hand.
Vance was on his feet instantly, moving toward me. “Hey, honey. You sleep okay?”
“I can’t find my phone,” I said.
Vance brushed a hand through his hair, then pulled my phone from his sweatpants pocket, setting it on the counter. “I thought it best if I brought it downstairs with me so you could sleep. It started pinging the moment I woke up this morning.”
I stared at it like it might be a snake, ready to bite me. My pulse quickened at the serious set of Mia’s jaw. “Are the photos out there?”
“Yeah.” Mia’s face was pale, shoulders tense. She handed me her phone.
The headline screamed up at me, sending nausea roiling through my stomach:
Designer Lila Morgan Caught Getting Cozy With TV Co-Star — Is There a Set Romance Brewing?
Below the bold text was a picture of Beau leaning intimately toward me, his arm casually draped along the back of the booth, his face dangerously close to mine. Vance wasn’t even in the shot. It was perfectly staged, perfectly misleading.
“For heaven’s sake,” I whispered, gripping the edge of the countertop to steady myself. “This is so ridiculous.”
“It’s everywhere,” Mia said. “TikTok, Instagram, gossip sites—they're posting heart emojis and fake wedding hashtags.”
My heart raced, a cold sweat breaking out on my skin. “Why would anyone be interested in this?”
Mia tapped to another post. This one was directly from the network’s official account, maddeningly neutral yet suggestive.
Some on-set chemistry you’ll have to see to believe! #HeartOfTheHome #BeauAndLila
I stared at the words, fury twisting my stomach into knots. “This is out of control.”
Mia looked up at me, eyes wide. “Mom, I know you wanted this for us, but maybe it’s not worth it.”
