The following afternoon, Irina barely turned the corner near the studio before being confronted. The dim corridor felt tighter, darker, with May Winters blocking her path like a queen defending her throne.
"You need to back off," May said, voice like velvet laced with poison. "This life, this world, it's not for someone like you. Don't get comfortable."
Irina didn't flinch. She met the icy stare head-on. "I'm just getting started."
May's lips curled into a sharp smirk. "Then you've already made your first mistake."
For a brief second, Irina caught something unexpected. Fear. Beneath May's flawless exterior, there was a crack. This wasn't just about status or jealousy. This was personal. Messier than Irina had imagined.
As May turned and walked away, heels echoing in the silence, Irina stood rooted to the spot, a strange mix of anger, pity, and resolve burning inside her. May's engagement sparkled under the lights, but it wasn't love she wore. It was a cage made of diamonds.
Later, inside Liam's penthouse, the tension clung to the air like smoke. He wasn't his usual composed self. His energy was off. Restless. Volatile. He paced the room like something inside him was unraveling. When Irina passed him his phone, he didn't take it immediately. His eyes locked onto hers with a storm hidden behind them.
"You ever been stabbed in the back?" he asked, his voice low and rough.
Irina blinked, caught off guard. "No," she said softly.
Liam let out a humorless chuckle, gaze distant. "I have. Trusted someone. Thought they knew me, cared about me. But they were using me the whole time. My name. My fame. Even my heart." His hands curled into fists. "After that, you don't come back the same."
Irina's chest tightened. For a moment, the man everyone admired seemed small. Broken. "You're not alone," she murmured.
Liam glanced at her, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Half gratitude. Half disbelief.
But the moment shattered like glass as May's voice slithered through the doorway. "Betrayal? Interesting topic, Samantha. You remind me of someone from Liam's past. Someone dangerous."
The room went still.
Irina's stomach dropped. Liam's jaw clenched. Whatever May had stirred, it wasn't just mischief. Her words landed like a threat.
May's gaze cut through Irina like a dagger. "Be careful who you pretend to be."
With a graceful flip of her hair, she was gone. But the damage lingered.
Irina stood frozen, the weight of May's parting words clinging to her. That wasn't just a jab. It was a warning. Or maybe a confession.
Liam turned away, tension radiating off him in waves. His silence said more than words ever could. Irina could feel it now. He wasn't just seeing her as an assistant. Something about her stirred memories he'd buried deep.
Was May threatened because Irina reminded her of someone? Or was Liam hiding a past so tangled that even May feared its return?
One thing was certain. Irina wasn't just caught in a job anymore. She was stepping into a storm.