“Blaine, baby, tell me. Who do you love more? Me, or Vanessa? ”
Blaine didn’t hesitate.
“I love you more. Vanessa is… she’s an overly zealous model, that’s all. ”
I stood in the doorway of the studio, phone in hand, recording everything. My boyfriend.
My half-sister. Together. “Please, don’t stop on my account,” I said, my voice flat. “I’ve never filmed a porno before.
Especially not one starring my own boyfriend and sister. ”
Blaine scrambled up. “All right, give me the camera. Come on, now.
Delete that. ”
“Why? You always said you wanted fame. This will make you go super viral.
”
Vanessa stepped forward, icy calm. “Vanessa, Blaine’s the company’s top model. If this gets out, we’re all finished. Dad’s never going to forgive you.
Now, give me that damn camera. ”
I handed it over. “Fine. ”
Vanessa smirked.
“Wise. Because shooting sexually explicit content of your boyfriend and your sister? That’s probably going to damage your career a lot more than it will ours. ”
Right then, our father walked in.
“Vanessa! Cole! Thanks. ” He looked at the three of us.
“Well, Blaine, you got what you wanted. It’s over. ”
I was the one who had turned Blaine from nothing into the company’s top male model. And now he was cheating on me with my own sister.
Later, my friend tried to console me. “I don’t get how he could do that to you. ”
“Doesn’t matter. We’ve already separated.
”
“It’s because you haven’t been with enough guys. I’ve got the perfect stripper for you. He’s a real wizard in the bedroom. ”
I didn’t want a stripper.
But she insisted, saying he’d be wearing a suit, that I should just have fun. That night, the club was loud. A man in a suit approached me. “I work with the most beautiful people in the world.
It takes a true stunner to impress me. ”
I wasn’t impressed. “You can keep him. ”
I left him there.
I had bigger problems. My father, Mr. Todd, was the head of the Todd Group, a massive corporation, and I was his assistant. He had been searching desperately for a woman with a scar on her arm, and we had no leads.
“Mr. Todd, still no updates on the woman with a scar on her arm. We’re running out of leads. ”
“Look, just expand the search radius.
I need to find her now. ”
The lead went cold. I let it go. Days later, I was running late for another meeting when my car broke down.
I walked into a small repair shop, frustrated. “You’re late. That’s not very professional. ”
The mechanic looked up.
It was the man from the club. He smirked. “Yeah, excuse me. I’m in a rush.
”
“Don’t be so rude to your customers. ”
He looked at me strangely. “It’s you. ”
“Yes.
It’s me. So, we do it here? Or do you want to go to a hotel? ”
He stepped closer.
“Finally, I found you. ”
Confused, I asked, “What’s your name? ”
“Doesn’t matter. ”
We ended up together that night.
It was impulsive and wild, and for a moment, I forgot about everything—until my phone rang. It was work. Vanessa, my half-sister, was panicking. “Blaine’s throwing a tantrum about the shoot.
What should I do? ”
I sighed. “I’m on my way. ”
So much for a peaceful morning.
I left the mechanic, the man who called himself Danny, with a polite farewell. But Danny found me again. He showed up at my studio, clean-shaven and sharp. “Cassidy, I work with the most beautiful people in the world.
It takes a true stunner to impress me. ”
I was running late again. “You can keep him. ”
He caught my arm.
“Wait a minute. You don’t remember me? ”
“I’m sorry, one second. ” My phone rang again.
It was Vanessa about Blaine’s tantrum. “I’m on my way. ”
Before I left, I turned back. “Thank you for last night.
I’ll see you, I guess. ”
“Danny,” he said. “Right. Find out what studio Vanessa’s at, okay?
” I ordered my assistant. At the studio, Blaine was throwing a fit. “Vanessa, thank goodness. Blaine is flipping out.
He’s saying his arm is broken. ”
I rolled my eyes. “Blaine, are you seriously going to throw away this deal? ”
“It’s not like I want to.
You broke my arm. And you tell me how I’m meant to shoot if I can’t even strike a pose. ”
“If you said I broke your brain, I’d believe you. What’s that got to do with your arm, though?
”
“Give it a rest, will you, love? ”
“How does this work if you don’t shoot? ” I asked, exasperated. “If you publicly apologize to me.
”
“Not happening. ”
“It’s on you, remember? Today’s the last day for shooting. If you can’t pull this off, can you really deal with the Todd Group’s wrath?
”
I looked at him. “Vanessa, if we lose the Todd Group as a client, our company’s in serious trouble. There must be some other models available. ”
I had already reached out.
All the top models were booked. “Christ, fine. I’ll apologize. ” I turned to Blaine.
“Blaine, I’m so sorry. Can you come back for the shoot? ”
“Oh, you know, I would really like to, but there is one little stipulation. ”
“What?
”
“Abby has to be behind the camera. ”
I stared at him. “Abby? My sister?
She’s an amateur photographer. She’s not ready for the Todd Group. ”
“Blaine and I went over all the details last night,” Abby said, stepping forward. “The Todd Group are going to love her.
”
“So, you two are just here to cause trouble? ”
“As if you haven’t messed me about enough already,” Blaine said. I had enough. “Since this shoot is a bust, I might as well take the heat.
So, your arm’s broken? ”
“Yeah. ”
“You can’t move it? ”
“No.
”
I grabbed his arm and yanked it sideways. “AHH! What the hell? ”
I let go.
“Oh, looks like it’s working perfectly fine. ”
He stared at me, furious. “You know what? I’m not doing the shoot, period.
I want to see how you clean up this little mess. ”
“If you won’t shoot, Blaine, I’ll find someone who will. ”
He laughed. “Where are you going to find a new model in like, two seconds?
”
Just then, Danny walked in. He was still wearing the suit from the club, looking like he belonged on a billboard. I pointed at him. “Guess what?
Here’s my new model. ”
Danny blinked. “Wait, what? Me?
”
I walked over. “I’ll pay double the standard rate. Just help me out. I’m desperate.
”
He looked at me, then at the camera. “Yeah, okay. ”
The stylists worked their magic on him. When he emerged, wearing a tailored blazer and nothing underneath, even I had to catch my breath.
He was gorgeous. Blaine sneered. “You really think you can just snatch someone off the street to replace me? Modeling isn’t just about looking pretty.
He might freeze up. ”
I shot back, “I wouldn’t be where I am now if I didn’t take a few risks. ”
The shoot was incredible. Danny was a natural.
He moved with a confidence that made the camera love him. Every shot was perfect. My team was buzzing. “Wow, babe,” I said, genuinely impressed.
“You crushed it. ”
“Hey, I’m just glad I didn’t screw it up. ” He paused. “I was actually wondering, are you free tonight?
I was thinking we could go on an actual date. ”
Before I could answer, his phone buzzed on the table. I glanced at the screen. “Six-pack strippers.
Guess we know how he pays his bills. ”
Blaine overheard and laughed. “Dude’s a stripper. A cheap one, too.
”
I froze. Danny’s face went red. He grabbed his phone and shoved it in his pocket. “That’s not—I don’t—look, that’s not what you think.
”
But Blaine was already spreading the rumor. By the time the Todd Group reps showed up, everyone knew. Mr. Dale, one of their executives, was furious.
“The photographer insisted on using a stripper as their model. This could really hurt the Todd Group’s image. ”
“What? A stripper?
” Mr. Dale turned to me. “Who’s the photographer? Where’s this guy?
”
I stepped forward. “Look, it has nothing to do with him. It’s all on me. ”
“No one messes with the Todd Group and walks away with it.
Let’s see what the stripper thinks. ”
Danny walked in. The room went quiet. Mr.
Dale’s face went pale. “Mr. Todd? ”
I blinked.
“What? Why did he just call you Mr. Todd? ”
Danny—or whoever he was—cleared his throat.
“No, no, no. You’ve misheard him. He meant to say Mr. Todd doesn’t judge people on their occupations, right?
”
Mr. Dale stammered, “Exactly. This guy’s got it all. He perfectly embodies the brand’s executive vibe.
I’m sure Mr. Todd will be delighted with his work here. ”
“Lawrence,” Mr. Dale said to the other rep, “you have an eye for talent.
”
Blaine, sensing trouble, tried to insert himself. “Mr. Lawrence, by the way, I was the original model. If this shoot had been done with me, it would have been a lot better.
”
Danny—Mr. Todd, apparently—looked at him coldly. “Aren’t you the one who turned it down? A little late to backtrack now.
”
“If you guys can’t show some respect, what’s the point of being a pro? ” Blaine snapped. “Both of you, get out,” Danny said. I was reeling.
The man I had been intimate with, the man I had hired as a model, was none other than Mr. Todd, the CEO of the Todd Group, the biggest client we had, the man I had publicly hated for his perfectionism and cruelty. Later, when I was alone with him, I asked, “Why are the Todd Group reps being so nice all of a sudden? Are they usually that bad?
”
“You have no idea how picky Mr. Todd is,” I ranted, not knowing I was talking to him. “He’s a total perfectionist, moody… One time he fired someone just randomly because he was in a bad mood. I don’t like him at all.
He’s a jerk. I swear, if I ever meet him, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind. ”
He just listened, a pained look on his face. The next day, he told me, “These shots are amazing.
Have you ever thought about ditching your job for modeling? ”
“Ditching my job? ”
“Well, yeah, you can’t be a stripper forever, right? ”
I laughed.
“What? No, I am not a stripper. ”
“Oh, come on. You’ve got the look, you’ve got the charm.
I’ll sign you up. Whatever deal you want. ”
I stared at him. “Whatever deal I want?
”
“Really. ”
We made a deal. He would be my model. I would be his agent.
But he was hiding something, and I was determined to find out what. Things got complicated fast. My father, who was the chairman of the Clark Group, my family’s company, was furious that I had hired “a stripper. ” He gave me an ultimatum: fire Jason, or let Abby and Blaine take over the next big shoot.
“Dad, can you please just trust me for once? ” I begged. Abby chimed in. “Sis, Dad’s only trying to protect the company’s reputation.
Just do what’s right and let him go. ”
“Abby, stay out of this. This is none of your business. ”
My father was unmoved.
“Either he goes, or Abby and Blaine take over the Vertex Group shoot. Your choice. ”
I refused to fire Jason, so I lost the shoot to Abby and Blaine. But I didn’t give up.
I came up with a new concept for the next project, a dark and edgy theme called “Eternal Night Rose. ”
Abby copied me. She presented the same theme, just gothic and more sensual. And the Vertex reps loved hers more.
I was devastated. My father had stolen my project and handed it to Abby. When I confronted him, he dismissed me. “SELFISH?
Do you know how many hours my team spent working on this project? ”
“As chairman of this company, my word is final,” he said. “If you’ve got a problem with that, you’ll have to leave. ”
So I left.
My entire team walked out with me. We started our own studio. We called it Phoenix Studios. But without my father’s connections, no one would work with us.
Every brand we reached out to either thought we were amateurs or ignored us. My father had made sure of that. I was at my lowest when I heard about the Todd Group banquet. Abby had an invitation.
I could get into the banquet and network with the biggest players in the industry. But I didn’t have an invitation. I forged one. At the banquet, Abby caught me.
“Vanessa, did you really sneak in with a fake invite? ”
But then Danny—Mr. Todd—showed up. He looked at the security guard.
“Mr. Simpson, someone crashed the party. Can you help her find the door? ”
He was protecting me.
He told everyone I was his honored guest, that he had personally sent me the invitation. And then, he announced the Todd Group’s new partner for the upcoming season: Phoenix Studios. My studio. I had landed the biggest deal in the industry, all because of him.
Later, I asked, “What made the Todd Group sign with Phoenix Studios? ”
He smiled. “Simple. Show talent.
It speaks for itself. ”
“Well, you won’t be disappointed. ”
I was overjoyed. And grateful.
And confused. I had started falling for Jason, but every time I got close, he pulled away. Then I saw him laughing with an older woman at the studio. She looked elegant, powerful.
I recognized her. She was the chairwoman of the Todd Group. Mrs. Todd.
I asked him, “Who was that? ”
“She’s… a business associate. ”
But I saw the way they interacted. The familiarity.
The intimacy. I was jealous, and I was suspicious. One night, at a celebration dinner with my team, we played truth or dare. Jason admitted he had feelings for someone.
“Is there anyone who has your eye on? ” someone asked. He looked at me. “Yeah.
Yeah, I do. ”
I felt my heart flutter. But then I thought about Mrs. Todd.
About all the secrets. The next day, I had a big shoot planned with the Todd Group. The site manager, Mr. Bailey, was rude and dismissive.
He made us wait over an hour. When I finally confronted him, he sneered at me. “You slept your way into this job. ”
I had enough.
I left. The Todd Group later apologized, explaining that Mr. Bailey had been let go. Danny—or whoever he was—came to see me personally to apologize.
I was thawing toward him. But something was still off. For a while, things were good between us. We went on an actual date.
He took me to a shooting gallery. I was terrible, but he was amazing. He broke the house record, beating even Mr. Todd’s legendary score.
Blaine, who was there, was furious. “How’s that even possible? Who are you? ”
Jason just shrugged.
“I picked it up in college. ”
But the truth was unravelling. I knew he was hiding something big. Then, one day, my father came to see me.
“Vanessa, the Clark Group is struggling. We need your talent. What will it take to bring you back? I’ll give you half of the company’s shares.
”
I was torn. This was the man who had thrown me out. I didn’t have time to decide. Jason was in a car accident.
Someone had cut the brakes on my car, and he had driven it. “It’s Abby,” I whispered, furious. “It has to be. She’s trying to take me out.
”
At the hospital, I ran into Mrs. Todd. She was asking for Mr. Todd.
He had been in a car accident too? At the same time? I rushed to Jason’s room. He had a few scratches.
I hugged him, crying. “Thank god. You scared the life out of me. ”
“How did this happen?
”
“Someone cut the brakes, Vanessa. This was your car. I ran it for you. ”
I was shaking.
“It’s Abby. It’s all about the shares. She’s trying to take me out. ”
“No.
I promise I’ll get to the bottom of this. ”
Mrs. Todd appeared in the doorway. “Oh, you must be here to see Mr.
Todd, right? The nurse just told me he’s across the hall. ”
My blood ran cold. “Wait.
Mr. Todd got in a car accident, too? ”
“Yeah. Crazy coincidence, huh?
”
I looked at Jason. He looked away. “Should I go and see him? ” I asked, testing.
“He’s been so good to the studio. ”
“No, no,” Jason said quickly. “I just need you. ”
Mrs.
Todd insisted on staying by his side. She called the nurse for tea. She was doting. And Jason called her “Ma’am” with so much affection that I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
Later, in his hospital room, I asked him, “What’s really between you and Mrs. Todd? Why the closeness? ”
He sighed.
“It’s not what you think. ”
But he never explained. The next day, I saw them together again. They were laughing in the parking lot.
I snapped. I drove straight to my studio and fired him. “You’re asking me? ” he said when he confronted me.
“You were with some other woman, and you’re asking me what’s wrong? ”
“I saw it with my own eyes. I don’t need you to explain. Just let go.
”
He tried to reach for me, but I pulled away. I couldn’t stand liars. A few weeks later, the Todd Group announced a photography competition. The winner would get a long-term partnership.
I entered. So did Abby. In the middle of the competition, I accused Abby’s work of being AI-generated. She laughed it off, calling me a liar and a jealous sister.
But then, the tech team ran the numbers. Abby’s work was pure AI generation. She was disqualified and banned from working with the Todd Group. Abby screamed at the judges.
Then Jason walked in. He looked at the judges. “Using AI to cheat? Seems like you’re the real troublemaker here.
”
The security guards started to remove Abby. But then, police officers walked in. “I’m looking for Abby Clark. You’re under arrest on the suspicion of attempted murder.
”
It was for the car brakes. Abby was handcuffed, screaming, “It’s Vanessa. She’s setting me up again! ”
Blaine, who was standing nearby, looked horrified.
“I had nothing to do with this. It was all Abby. ”
“BLAINE! I did everything for you.
How could you betray me like this? ” Abby screamed as she was dragged away. In the chaos, Jason approached me. “Vanessa, there’s something I need to say.
”
“No need for explanations,” I said, ice in my voice. “I already know what’s going on. You’re cozying up to Mrs. Todd, right?
”
“No, no, no, Vanessa, you got this wrong. Mrs. Todd is my mom. Like, my mom.
”
I stared at him. “So, you’re Jason Todd, the CEO of the Todd Group? Is it fun to play games with me? Watching me get played like an idiot?
”
“Hey, hey, just listen. ”
“I don’t need your explanation. Don’t follow me. ”
I stormed out.
I couldn’t believe I had fallen for it. He knew I hated liars, and he had strung me along. I went home, fuming. That’s when I saw Blaine in my rearview mirror.
He looked furious. And he had something in his hand. He slashed my tires. Then he forced me into my car, tied me up, and drove me to an abandoned building.
“You think you can just walk away, did you? Not a chance. Oh, Vanessa, you’ve messed up my life. And now, you’re going to pay.
”
He doused me with gasoline. I screamed, “No! Stop! Help!
”
He lit a match and threw it. Flames erupted around me. I was trapped. “Help!
Is anyone there? I’m trapped! ”
Through the smoke, I heard a voice. “You there?
Jason! Please come and help me! ”
A figure crashed through the flames. It was Jason.
He grabbed me, shielding me from the heat, and dragged me out just as the building collapsed. I woke up in the hospital. Jason was sitting beside me, his arm bandaged. “Are you okay?
” he asked, his voice rough. “You hurt? ”
“I’m okay,” I whispered. “But what were you thinking, rushing into the fire like that?
”
“If something happened to you, I would lose my mind. ”
“Don’t think playing the hero makes me forget that you lied to me. ”
He sighed. “I messed up hiding who I was.
I know that. Look, you can hate me if you want. But don’t walk away from me. ”
“You had a million chances to tell me who you really were.
But you kept me in the dark. You made me think that you and Mrs. Todd were together. ”
“The only person that I love is you.
”
“Then why did you hide your identity? And then stick around? This wasn’t just a love-at-first-sight thing, was it? ”
He looked at me, his eyes searching mine.
“You still don’t remember who I am, do you? ”
“What? ”
“Years ago, there was a fire. A building.
A woman trapped inside. I was just a volunteer firefighter back then. I ran in and pulled her out. ”
I stared at him.
A memory flickered. Smoke. Flames. A strong arm pulling me to safety.
“It was you,” I breathed. “You were the one I saved from the fire. I’ve been looking for you for years. There was so much smoke and fire, but I didn’t see anything except your arm.
And when I met you at the club, I saw the scar on your arm. I knew it was you. ”
I touched the faint scar on my own arm. “I didn’t see your face.
I only saw the scar. ”
“Jason, you don’t owe me anything. ”
“I’m not here because you saved me. I’m here because I love you.
” He reached for my hand, his eyes steady. “Vanessa. Marry me. ”
I blinked, my heart pounding.
I had been angry, betrayed, and confused. But looking at him now, covered in soot, his hand in mine, I saw the truth. I had fallen in love with the man who had saved my life, and he had been searching for me all along. I smiled through my tears.
“I’ll marry you. ”
