Chapter 46: Sweet Wife
I handed Caspian the amended contract and walked him through what had happened at the Secret meeting. He sat on the sofa with the papers in one hand and his other hand moving gently through my hair, and the whole scene felt so easy and natural, like something out of a quiet painting.
He looked over the contract calmly before speaking. "The entertainment industry shifts constantly. New faces break through every single day, and no one can predict what tomorrow looks like. Iris agreed to this amendment too easily, which tells me she is still counting on Amara making a full comeback. In her mind, once Amara is back on top, stepping on you again will be simple."
Nicole, who had been scrolling through her phone, suddenly looked up with an expression caught between outrage and disbelief. "I just searched Amara’s name and the results are everywhere. Apparently all these so-called modeling industry experts have started comparing her work to yours, and a bunch of so-called insiders have come out saying that since you were once her substitute, sharing a stage with her would only ever make you look like a second version of Amara." She kept going, growing more irritated with every word. "They are calling Amara the most beautiful Oriental model and crediting her as the one capable of launching the entire Oriental trend."
She shook her head in disbelief. "And that is not even the worst of it. They are breaking down body comparisons and concluding that aside from your legs, you have no real advantage over her. They are out there saying Amara was born with style while you were born plain. What a joke. Amara is not even close to being on your level."
"This is just the kind of noise they create to build hype," I said, keeping my voice calm. "It is not worth the energy. Let Amara enjoy it while she still can."
Caspian had not said anything through all of this, but I caught the look in his eyes. There was quiet amusement there, and something sharper underneath it. I glanced at him and tapped his knee lightly. "You are thinking the same thing I am, are you not?"
"Let her overconfidence be her own undoing," he said simply.
I held onto his hand and felt something settle in my chest. There was never anyone who understood me as quickly or as completely as he did, without me ever needing to spell it out.
Since Iris’s entire strategy was built around propping Amara up while pushing me down, the smartest move was to give her exactly what she wanted. We would let Amara’s ego grow unchecked. We would let the public build her up, let the industry start watching her as the next big name, let the pressure and the expectations pile on top of her. The higher she climbed on the back of that manufactured hype, the more devastating her fall would be once people actually saw her perform.
"When that moment comes," Caspian said, "we will not need to say a single word or do anything extra. All you have to do is show what you are capable of, and that alone will be your answer to all of it."
Quinn had been listening quietly, and I noticed her watching the two of us with a thoughtful expression. She had seen me in front of Liam, guarded and sharp, impossible to get close to. But here, with Caspian, I was different. I was softer somehow, not dependent, but genuinely willing to listen. He was the only one who could reach that part of me I kept hidden from the rest of the world. In front of everyone else, I was composed and unshakeable. In front of him, I did not have to be.
Quinn smiled quietly to herself.
This couple, she thought, was a perfect match.
Quinn looked at the three of us and felt something stir quietly inside her. She was already looking forward to whatever miracle I was going to create for Secret. And as for Amara, whose ego Iris had spent so much energy inflating, Quinn found herself genuinely curious about how it would all come crashing down.
Inside the kitchen, Caspian had already rolled up his sleeves and was deep in concentration over the stove. I had just finished washing up and was wearing his shirt, loose and comfortable around me, when I padded over quietly and wrapped my arms around him from behind. "Ting..."
"It is greasy and smoky in here. Go wait outside," he said, still focused on the fish in his hands.
I pressed my cheek against his back and held on. "What am I supposed to do? You are so good to me that I am starting to get scared." I tightened my arms around him a little. "You know I have never had a strong sense of security when it comes to relationships. I keep thinking that one day you will get tired of me and leave too."
"And if that day came, would you just stand there and watch me go?" he asked. There was something quiet and sincere beneath the question. "Even the Valerie who is so driven about her career, would she not have the courage to hold on to me? I need to be coaxed sometimes too, you know."
I smiled at that, feeling something warm bloom in my chest. I reached for one of his hands and slipped myself into the space between his arms, my back pressing against him. Then, slowly, I undid the top two buttons of his shirt, just enough, and tucked my head inside against his chest, peering up at him with only my eyes visible.
"You are making it very hard to cook," he said, and I heard the laugh in his voice even though he tried to hold it back.
I turned around then, and pressed my lips, still cool from the water, deliberately against his chest. "Are you referring to this?"
Caspian calmly rinsed his hands under the tap before wrapping both arms firmly around me. "Are you planning to give me dessert before dinner?"
I traced slow circles against his skin with one finger. "Am I sweet enough for you?"
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