Sweet Love 2x: Miss Ruthless CEO for our Superstar Uncle

Chapter 404: Different

The television was tuned to the evening news, and Arianne was on the couch with a baby in her arms.

It was strange, she thought, how much had changed. There had been another evening like this, not so long ago—one morning when she had sat on this same couch with the twins on either side of her, watching Franz on a morning show promoting the first season of The Second Cut. She had been different then. The twins had been different. Franz had been different too: a man she was learning to know, learning to trust, learning to let into the spaces of her life she had long since closed off. That version of the morning felt like someone else’s memory.

Now she held their son.

Lexx was asleep against her chest, his tiny body warm and heavy, his breath coming in soft, even puffs. He had been fed half an hour ago and had immediately fallen into the deep, boneless sleep of a newborn with a full stomach. His dark hair tickled her chin. His miniature fingers were curled into a loose fist against her collarbone.

Lily was on her right, her legs tucked beneath her, Petal propped against the arm of the couch. Leo was on her left, the whale in his lap, his tablet on the cushion beside him. The television was playing an advertisement for something, a car or maybe a vacation package, and then the entertainment news segment began.

The world premiere of The Second Cut’s second season had been announced earlier that day. The official trailer had been released online, and now the primetime news was covering the promotional event. The screen filled with images from the red carpet: actors posing for photographs, Director Yang shaking hands with reporters, the familiar chaos of cameras and microphones and shouted questions.

Then the trailer played.

Dr. Adrian Vale appeared on screen. Noah Hart. Franz. He looked different than he had in the first season—older, more serious, the lines of his face sharper. The rough, unshaven look from filming was gone, replaced by the clean-shaven, polished appearance he’d returned to after the role ended. But the character he played was the same brilliant, troubled surgeon, and the trailer showed flashes of dramatic operating room scenes, tense confrontations, a brief glimpse of a character Arianne didn’t recognize.

"He looks so serious," Lily said, her eyes fixed on the screen. "Like he’s thinking about something really important."

"He’s acting. That’s his character."

"I know. But he’s good at it. He looks like a real doctor."

"He had a lot of practice. He played the same character in the first season."

"Yes, but now he looks even more doctor-ish. More grown up. Is that because he’s older now?"

"Probably. The character has changed between seasons. People change."

Lily considered this. "Will the character have a baby too? Like Uncle Franz?"

"I don’t know. We’ll have to watch and find out."

The trailer ended, and the screen cut to the promotional event. The cast was arranged on a stage, seated in comfortable chairs with a moderator and several reporters in front of them. The atmosphere was lively: laughter, joking, the easy camaraderie of people who had spent months working together. Franz was near the center, leaning back in his chair, his expression relaxed. He looked comfortable. He looked happy.

The questions began. The moderator directed the first few to the cast as a group: how was filming, what could fans expect, were there any surprises in the new season. The actors traded answers back and forth, deflecting spoilers, sharing anecdotes. Then the questions turned to Noah.

"Noah, this is your first public appearance since you announced your hiatus," one of the reporters said. "How does it feel to be back in front of the cameras?"

Franz smiled. "It feels good. I’ve missed this—the cast, the crew, the energy of a premiere. But it also feels different now. I’m approaching it differently than I used to."

"Different how?"

"Stepping back from the limelight for a while made me appreciate what I have in my private life. I’ve been spending more time with my family. I’ve been learning how to cook, badly, but I’m learning. Things I didn’t have time for before, I have time for now. It’s been good for me."

"You’ve been learning to cook?" the moderator asked, grinning. "What’s your signature dish?"

"Toast," Franz said, deadpan. "I’m very good at toast. I’ve been practicing for months."

The room laughed. Arianne shook her head. On the couch beside her, Lily giggled.

"He burned pancakes once," Lily said. "Remember? The smoke alarm went off."

"I remember. Aunt Estella had to open all the windows."

"He said it was the pan’s fault."

"It wasn’t the pan’s fault."

"That’s what Aunt Estella said."

The reporter continued. "Speaking of your private life: you and Arianne Summers haven’t made any public appearances together recently. Fans have been asking if everything is all right between you two. Can you give us an update?"

Franz’s expression didn’t change. "Everything is well between us. Very well. We’ve just been enjoying some time away from the public eye. I think that’s important for any relationship: having space that belongs just to you."

"So the relationship is still going strong?"

"Very strong."

The reporter leaned forward, a teasing glint in her eye. "Should we be expecting wedding bells anytime soon? You’ve been together for quite a while now. The fans are getting impatient."

Franz laughed. It was the laugh he used for questions like this: warm, genuine, but giving nothing away. "I think the fans will just have to keep being patient. We’re happy with where we are right now."

"Can we at least get a hint?"

"No hints. Sorry."

The interview moved on to other cast members, other questions. Arianne watched Franz’s face on the screen: the way he handled the questions with easy grace, the way he deflected without being defensive, the way he laughed with his co-stars. He was good at this. He had always been good at this. But she could see the difference in him now, the way he carried himself with a settled confidence that hadn’t been there before. He had stepped back from the industry, and instead of diminishing him, it had given him something new. A sense of peace. A sense of purpose beyond the work.

"Can we watch the new season when it comes out?" Lily asked. "The trailer looked really good. Even better than the first season. And the first season was already good."

"I don’t know if we could have a private screening. We’ll have to ask Uncle Franz when he comes home."

"He’ll know. He’s in it."

"Yes. He’s in it."