Song for this chapter: Justin Timberlake - Selfish on the multimedia.

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Nat

The day had already stretched long, and the bright flashes of the cameras, combined with the heavy makeup and intricate costumes, were starting to wear me down. I shifted uncomfortably in my heels, wishing for a second to just sit and breathe. We were in the middle of a Vogue photoshoot—Linc and I posed like we were the epitome of Hollywood glam. The set was styled to perfection, with an Old Hollywood aesthetic—velvet drapes, soft golden lighting, and a dramatic chaise longue.

Linc stood beside me, his brooding demeanor a perfect contrast to the bright lights. He was dressed impeccably in a tailored black suit, his tie slightly loosened for that rugged, effortless look. I could feel the tension radiating from him as we posed together, and the photographer barked out directions.

"Okay, Natalie, a little more to the right. Linc, turn your chin up just a bit—there, perfect. Now, look at each other. Eyes sharp, but with that hint of mystery."

Linc's gaze shifted to mine, his blue eyes cold but intense. It was the same as always—he was professional, yet distant. It made the act of being intimate for the camera more difficult, but I was used to it by now. I played along, leaning closer as if we were two lovers caught in a stolen moment. The flash went off again, capturing the fleeting connection between us.

"You know, you could try smiling for once. Might help sell the romance," I muttered under my breath as we held our pose, my lips just inches from his ear.

Linc smirked, but his eyes didn't soften. "It's supposed to be mysterious, Nat. Not cheesy."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, right. My bad for not channeling my inner enigma."

We held the pose for a few more excruciating seconds until the photographer finally called for a break. As soon as I was given the okay, I stepped back from Linc and immediately slipped off my heels, letting out a relieved sigh. My feet were killing me, and we still had hours left.

"Alright, let's take an hour break. We'll reset the lights and get ready for the next round," the photographer announced as the crew started bustling around.

Linc didn't waste a second. He grabbed a bottle of water and headed for the lounge area without a word. I followed suit, though my thoughts were miles away from the photoshoot.

As we settled into our chairs, I couldn't help but let out a long sigh. "This month is going to be endless."

Linc took a sip from his water bottle, glancing at me with his usual indifference. "You get used to it."

"I don't know. I feel like I've been running on fumes for weeks now. I miss home. I miss Juls."

Linc didn't respond immediately, but I wasn't surprised. He wasn't exactly known for his emotional sensitivity. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and scrolled through his phone, clearly trying to disconnect from the conversation.

As I grabbed my phone to distract myself, the screen lit up with a notification. I opened it, expecting just another update from my team, but my heart stopped when I saw the headline splashed across the screen.

"Sign and Juls Spotted With Daughter at Sapphire Haven—Is This Their Secret Family?"

"What the hell?" I whispered, staring at the photo. It was Juls, Sign, and Ivy—sitting together at Sapphire Haven, looking every bit like a family. My mind scrambled, trying to process it all. How did this even happen? How did they turn a simple dinner into a scandal?

Linc must have sensed my change in mood because he finally glanced my way. "Something wrong?"

"Uh, yeah. You could say that." I turned my phone toward him, showing him the headline.

He took the phone from my hand, reading it with a raised eyebrow. "Well, that's... bold."

"That's one way to put it." I shook my head, still in disbelief. "They're making it sound like Juls and Sign have been hiding some secret love child. And the worst part? They're dragging you into it."

Linc's face didn't change, but his tone was sharp. "Dragging me into it? How?"

I snatched my phone back and scrolled down, finding the part that made my stomach churn. "'Affair Scandal? Linc Smith Allegedly Involved With Sign Thompson—Rumors of Cheating Shake Hollywood Couples.'" I read aloud, then shot him a look. "They're making it sound like you and Sign are having an affair. And that Juls is cheating on me. I mean, come on. This is insane."

Linc stared at the article for a moment, his expression unreadable. "It's all lies. You know that."

"Yeah, I know, but that doesn't stop people from believing it. They're saying Juls and I have been lying this whole time. That I'm some kind of fool for not knowing he has a daughter."

Linc's eyes narrowed slightly. "Let them think what they want. It doesn't change the truth."

I bit back a frustrated retort. How could he be so calm about this? My whole life was being dragged into a tabloid circus, and he acted like it was no big deal. I pushed a hand through my hair, trying to steady my breathing.

"You don't get it, do you? This affects me. Juls and I have been open about our relationship for two years. And now people are going to think he's been hiding a child with another woman. They're going to think I'm being cheated on."

Linc shrugged, his eyes flicking back to his phone. "People will believe what they want to believe. You can't control that."

***

The flash of the cameras kept going off, but I was barely present. My body was in the middle of the photoshoot, but my mind was miles away, tangled up in the mess that was spiraling out of control online. As much as I tried to focus on the photographer's directions—tilting my chin, shifting my pose—I couldn't shake the headlines that were popping up all over social media.

Sign. Juls. Ivy.

And Linc... God, he didn't even know.

I had always been transparent about my relationship with Juls. After two years of dating, we were public about it, and there was nothing to hide. But now? Now the headlines were twisting everything. "Sign and Juls Have a Daughter?" "Natalie Taylor's Boyfriend Linked to Secret Family Scandal." And the worst of all, "Linc Smith's Affair with His Co-Star's Boyfriend's Ex?" The media was having a field day.

I tried to steady my breath, but the stress was eating me alive. The more I thought about it, the more it weighed on me, especially because of the secret I was still holding onto.

The night I confronted Sign on Valentine's Day flashed vividly in my mind. I remembered the tension in the air that night. The surprise on her face when she saw Linc. The moment she walked out, I realized Ivy was Linc's daughter. That's why I had to follow Sign outside to talk to her and confirm it.

And Linc... Linc had no idea.

I glanced at him now. He stood a few feet away, effortlessly cool, like always, with that sharp, distant expression on his face. His dark hair was styled perfectly, not a strand out of place, and his icy blue eyes were unreadable. But I knew Linc, and I knew there was more going on behind those eyes than he let on.

The cameras finally stopped flashing, and the photographer called for another break. "Alright, we'll take an hour. We're almost there, people!"

I didn't waste any time. The second the cameras were down, I slipped off my heels and found a chair in the corner, my phone already buzzing with new notifications. I hadn't checked in with Juls since this morning. There was no point. He was probably just as swamped with the fallout from last night's dinner at the restaurant as I was.

Linc walked over to the small table set up with refreshments, pouring himself a cup of water. He didn't say anything, but I could feel his eyes on me.

"You alright?" he finally asked, his voice low, almost casual, but I knew he was trying to gauge where my head was at.

I wanted to laugh. Was I alright? I wasn't sure I'd been alright since I saw those photos. But I wasn't going to say that. Not to him. Not now.

"Yeah," I replied, not looking up. "Just tired."

Linc leaned against the table, looking down at his phone. "The articles?" he asked, his voice still calm, like this was just another day in the chaos of our industry. But I could tell there was something else there.

I nodded, running a hand through my hair. "It's a lot."

"Tell me about it," he muttered. He scrolled through his phone, his expression hardening as he read. "Sign and Juls?" he asked, almost to himself.

I hesitated. I wasn't sure how much to say. Linc didn't know. He didn't know about Ivy. He didn't know that everything he thought he understood was about to come crashing down.

"Linc..." I started, but the words caught in my throat. How was I supposed to tell him?

He looked up from his phone, his face unreadable. "What?"

I shook my head, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. "It's nothing."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Doesn't look like nothing." He took a step closer, his voice lowering. "What are you not telling me, Nat?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say anything, his phone buzzed in his hand. He glanced at the screen, his jaw tightening. "Great. More articles."

I sighed, feeling the tension between us grow thicker. I knew I had to tell him, but how? How was I supposed to explain that not only did Sign have a daughter, but that daughter was his? And that the entire world now thought Juls and Sign were a family?

The break room felt suffocating. I needed air, but more than that, I needed to figure out how to navigate this without everything falling apart. I couldn't even think straight. The idea of Linc finding out like this—through the media—made my chest tighten with anxiety.

"I'll be outside for a minute," I muttered, grabbing my phone and slipping out of the room before he could ask anything more.

Once I was outside, I leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath. The cool Los Angeles breeze did nothing to calm me. I scrolled through my phone, my inbox flooded with messages—PR teams, my manager, friends trying to get the inside scoop. All of it was overwhelming.

But then, there was a message from Juls. Just a simple, "Hey, call me when you can."

I stared at it, my heart heavy. I missed him. I missed the simplicity of just being with him without all the chaos. Now, everything was twisted up in this mess, and I had no idea how to fix it.

***

As soon as the photoshoot finally wrapped up that night, I let out a breath I didn't even realize I'd been holding. It had been hours of posing under hot lights, all while trying to keep my emotions in check. But now that it was over, the real problem still loomed. The headlines, the chaos, the questions I didn't have answers to. And worse, the ones I did have answers to but didn't want to face.

Linc and I gathered our things in silence, the weight of everything pressing down on both of us. He hadn't said much during the last hour of the shoot, and I knew why. The photos, the rumors—it was all-consuming. And now, we had to deal with it.

As we walked out of the studio into the cool Los Angeles night, the air a stark contrast to the sweltering studio, I finally spoke up, unable to keep it in anymore. "Linc, what are we supposed to do about this?" I asked, my voice tired but pressing for something, anything.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking more exhausted than I'd seen him in a while. "I don't know, Nat," he admitted, his tone heavy with frustration. "But we can't ignore it. You know as well as I do that our managers are going to lose it over this."

That was the understatement of the year. Travis was going to blow a gasket, and I didn't even want to think about what my team was going through right now. They were probably already scrambling to figure out how to handle this disaster.

Linc stopped walking for a moment, standing there under the dim streetlights, his hands stuffed into his pockets. He glanced over at me, hesitation clear in his eyes. I knew he wanted to ask something, but it seemed like he wasn't sure how to bring it up.

Finally, he did. "Nat, can I ask you something?"

I turned to him, not sure where this was going. "Yeah, what is it?"

His expression was hard to read, a mix of frustration and confusion. "Is it true? About Sign and Juls? Do they really have a daughter?"

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. I froze, every muscle in my body tensing. This was it. This was the moment I had been dreading since the scandal broke.

I didn't know what to say. My heart raced in my chest, my mind whirling. I could feel my stomach twist into a knot. I couldn't tell him the truth, not yet. Not like this. But I couldn't lie to him, either—not fully. If I told him the truth, it would destroy everything. But if I lied...

I swallowed hard, knowing the choice I had to make.

"Yeah," I said quietly, looking down at my feet. "Ivy is Juls and Sign's daughter."

It felt like the words scraped my throat as I said them, like they didn't belong to me. But it was too late now. The lie was out there.

Linc's face didn't change much, but I could see something shift in his eyes. He nodded slowly, taking it in. "I see."

I wanted to throw up. I hated myself for lying, but what choice did I have? I had to protect Sign. This was her secret, her life, and I couldn't let Linc find out the truth like this. Not when everything was already falling apart.

"I... I don't want to talk about it anymore," I muttered, turning away. "I don't want to say anything more because..." I hesitated, not wanting to give too much away. "Because it's not my story to tell."

Linc looked at me for a moment longer, his gaze intense but unreadable. He didn't press me further, thankfully. "Alright, Nat," he finally said, his voice quieter. "I won't push."

I appreciated that more than he could know. I nodded again, still staring at the ground. "Thanks."

But even as we walked away from that conversation, the city lights shining down on us, I knew this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.