After She She Stopped Loving Him

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Yolanda returned to lan’s room and found him struggling to apply spray medication to his own back.

She closed the door, removed her mask and hat, and set them on a shelf. When he saw her, he went completely

still.

Without a word, she took the bottle from his hand, sprayed the medicine evenly across his back, and

remembered it needed to be rubbed in.

After a brief hesitation, she laid her fingers gently against his skin, and ler shuddered faintly at once. Then she

began to massage,

His muscles were solid and defined beneath her touch. She could feel their tension as she worked the medicine

in. When she was done, Yolanda quickly made her way to the bathroom to wash her hands.

The bathroom was tiny, so cramped she could barely move. Bending over the sink, she squeezed soap into her

palms and scrubbed thoroughly.

Then the door opened. lan filled the doorway, tall and broad, stepping inside without a word.

Yolanda froze, and then hurriedly ducked her head to rinse the soap away, anxious to be done and out of

there.

But he was blocking the exit. Slowly, he turned the faucet on. The sound of rushing water brought back

memories of that stormy day.

He wet his hands, but skipped the soap. Instead, he took her hand and gathered sof the suds from her own.

Thick, slick foam coated their skin. She could feel tiny bubbles bursting between their fingers with faint. soft

pops.

She glanced up and caught his eyes in the mirror. He wasn’t looking at her. Instead, he just looked down at their

hands, rubbing them together quietly.

Trapped, with no way out, Yolanda cranked the water back on full force and tried to wash the tension away.

The air was thick with unspoken words, heavy like soap suds. She couldn't stand it. She had never felt anything

this tense, not even with Charles.

Eventually, lan rinsed off. But he still didn’t move.

Yolanda’s fingers curled tightly at her sides. She turned sideways, voice tight with a panic she didn’t quite

understand. “Move. | need to get out.”

He didn’t budge.

She kept her head down, too nervous to meet his eyes, her eyelashes fluttering like trapped wings.

She had grown up in the gilded cage of the Grant family since she was ten. She was always proper and shielded,

her world a curated collection of polished people and impeccable manners.

7:44 Thu, Sep 11

Chapter 37

But here, in this cramped bathroom, something raw and unfamiliar stirred deep within her.

It was in that moment she suddenly understood why someone as relined as Charles would seek thrills in a grimy

alley. People could be foolish that way. The thrill of the new was a potent temptation.

Just when she was certain lan would say something, he simply moved aside. The intensity in his posture

dissolved as quickly as it had appeared. A silent sigh of relief escaped her.

The space was too narrow. As he turned to let her pass, the rough fabric of his clothes brushed against hers. The

brief contact sent a shiver through her.

And once she was free of the bathroom, a sudden weakness washed over her. But it was also a strange,

comforting warmth that lingered in her chest.

Trying to regain her composure, she bent to organize the medicine on the table. “You'll need these later,” she

said. “Wayne won't be a problem anymore. | spoke with the director. In two weeks, you'll go back to Beloris and

shoot that coffee endorsement.

From the bathroom, his voice was low. “Yeah.”

Her throat felt parched, as if all the moisture had been leeched from her body. She grabbed a cup from the table

and took a large gulp. I'm leaving now. If something like this happens again, callimmediately. lan, don’t let

this happen again.”

“Yeah.” His agreement was quiet, almost absent, and she couldn't tell if he was really listening.

Yolanda had said all there was to say. The drive back would take more than five hours; she wouldn't be home

until well past 10 p.m.

Even though she'd told Charles in a fury that she wasn’t going back, the thought of facing another humiliating

inspection was even worse.

She opened the door to leave, but arms wrapped tightly around her waist, firm and unyielding-

Yolanda froze, her grip tightening on the doorknob. She lowered her gaze to the hands locked around her. They

were long and graceful, with pronounced knuckles she recognized instantly.

Her back was flush against lan’s chest. She could feel the intense heat radiating from him. There was a rawness

to his strength, something held tightly in check, and it unnerved her in a way she couldn't name.

Slowly, she raised her own hands and began prying his fingers loose, one by one. “Focus on your filming.” she

said, her voice quieter than she intended.

He didn’t respond, didn’t fight her. He just watched, silent and tense, as the door finally swung open-and then

closed between them.

Yolanda got into her car and drove off without looking back. Halfway home, a burst of spring flowers caught her

eye along the roadside.

She pulled over, hands still clenched on the steering wheel. Drawing a shaky breath, she rubbed her face as if

she could wipe away the tangled thoughts. Then, shaking her head clear, she put the car back in gear and

7:44 Thu, Sep 11

Chapter 37

continued on.

The four-hour round trip on winding mountain roads had left her car spattered with mud, the wheels and

undercarriage caked in dirt. Instead of heading straight back to Moonbay Estate, she detoured to a car wash.

It was past eleven by the tshe finally pulled into the courtyard. Normally, she’d have been asleep by now -

her routine was strict: up at six a.m., lights out by ten pam.

As the engine quicted, her phone buzzed with a message from Seam: [Wayne got replaced. Was that you? Word

is his backer is furious and dropped him completely.)

Yolanda let out a quiet snort. Men like Wayne, who started bullying people the second they got a linle power,

never lasted.

Besides, Rachael had never been his biggest fan. The way she'd looked at Charles that day was pure,

unguarded admiration. Maybe it was love. Charles, however, was heartless; he kept love and sex in completely

separate boxes.

She typed back: [Just a small nudge. Is there a new lead?]

Sam's reply was almost immediate: [Yes, and they're reworking the script. The old one was built entirely around

Wayne to push him. A new version could actually make the show better.]

lan caught a lucky break, Yolanda replied. A hit show can make a lot of people famous.

A faint smile touched her lips as she was about to type another message, but a familiar prickle ran down her

spine the unmistakable feeling of being watched. She looked up. There, standing on the second-floor balcony,

was Charles.

Charles held a cigarette between his fingers, the breeze ruffling his hair. “Sweetheart, you're late.”

Yolanda’s heart gave a nervous flutter. Trying to sound casual, she asked, “No overttoday?”

He stubbed out the cigarette. I've been hon tall week.

Actually, she hadn't noticed. After all, she’d moved into the bedroom at the far end of the hall.

He leaned against the doorframe, studying her with a lazy tilt of his head. “I dropped by your stuearlier. The

interior looks good.”

Her grip tightened around her phone. ‘Why did Charles go to my studio? He's never shown any interest in me

before. This feels off. If he starts paying attention now, he might find out I'm Tessa.

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