When Jealousy Strikes the Limelight

Before Claire’s interrogation could even conclude, Wes was already charging toward Keith Stonehill’s dressing room.

He recognized the name—chart-topping pop star, brand ambassador, rising actor. His singles debuted at number one, and though not as ubiquitous as Wes, his face dominated billboards and magazines alike. He even worked with him in one of his upcoming movies.

But all that seemed irrelevant beside one damning truth: he was a notorious playboy.

“There must be an explanation, Wes. You know Mia will never do that.” Claire ran after him, outpaced by his long, urgent strides. “They might've seen wrong, too.”

But opening the door to the dressing room revealed otherwise.

Mia was inside with Keith. They stood in front of each other, bodies mere inches apart. They appeared to be alone as well, confirming the witnesses’ accounts.

Then, he saw it, too—messy hair, unbuttoned shirt, crooked collar.

Wes felt his world stop and tilt at that moment. Keith looked worse than what his fears envisioned.

“W-Wes?!” Mia exclaimed, finally noticing.

By that point, a red-hot sensation had surged up in his chest, flooding his senses. It was sharp, sudden, almost suffocating—something he'd never felt before. More and more, the dangerous emotion built up and swirled like a storm until it erupted.

“Keith Stonehill.” At his thick, vehement tone, the air itself stilled. “My woman is off limits, so back off. You wouldn't want to make an enemy out of me.”

The whole place went dead silent—cold.

Several tense seconds passed with Wes shifting his focus from Keith to Mia. Distant voices buzzed outside, stirring a clamor. That’s when Claire bolted past Wes and grabbed Keith by the arm.

“Hey, wait-”

“Quiet,” Claire cut Keith off, then snapped her head to Wes, who never tore his gaze off from Mia. “Get a hold of yourself, Wes. You should calm down or you'll mess this up. For now, talk it out with Mia. I'll deal with things out here.”

The door closed with a loud thud, leaving Wes and Mia behind. His gaze, intent and unyielding, pinned her to the spot. She paled, expression from befuddled to now apprehensive.

Anything could happen.

Wes had been in the industry for a long time, so he knew how this worked. Keith was a public figure, and if rumors about this incident spread, they could be a source of scandal when they publicized their relationship. Mia would be framed in a negative light because of one photo or video taken without context.

There'd be no one to blame but himself, but more than that, he couldn't accept losing his most precious person that way.

He walked closer and stopped just short of her space, as if there was an invisible line he couldn't cross. She shook visibly, his large figure making her own seem painfully small. Her eyes were not defiant, or guilty, or furious—only sad and perhaps afraid.

He didn't want to see her like this, but he couldn't help it.

“What happened here, Mia?”

“I-I don’t know w-what you're t-thinking, b-but it’s not that,” she murmured, now tearing up. “He asked for my h-help, and I-I just…”

“You can't keep doing that,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “He's a man. He can do all kinds of things to you.”

“He d-didn't... W-We were only t-talking-”

“With him in that state of undress?”

Her eyes flew wide in horror. “I-It's n-not like t-that!”

“Did he touch you?”

“N-No, he… I-I was just… Hngh…”

Faint sobs echoed, and in each second of it, he broke into pieces. His heart screamed to hold her, burning with helplessness at the sight of her crying, but he repressed the urge. He tried searching for cracks that would justify his rage, yet all he found on her was despair.

“I-I’m sorry… P-Please don't b-be mad…” Mia drew closer, crossing that invisible line without hesitation. “T-The way he looks… It's f-for a r-reason...”

From there, she slowly explained the situation, all while crying. The more he listened, the more he realized how badly he misunderstood. It’s true that Keith's role in the movie they're both acting in was a school delinquent, and it's sensible for Mia to follow him somewhere without people because attention repelled her.

To begin with, he had no right when he himself had been deceiving her, and he already knew deep down that she didn't do anything that warranted such a reaction. It was this ugly, nasty emotion that's clouding his judgment, and now that it loosened its grip, reality finally unraveled before him —

There was Mia, honest yet hurting because the person who’s supposed to trust her most chose doubt instead.

“Mia,” he said in a softer, gentler voice, her name a confession more than a call.

“S-Sorry… I’m s-so sorry…”

He wrapped his arms around her quickly, his face buried in her hair while he breathed her in, grounding himself in her familiar warmth. She exhaled shakily as she fell into his chest, and though it took a moment longer, she relaxed against him.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” he whispered, his lips brushing her head. “I believe you.”

“Y-You didn’t,” she sniveled, and his throat tightened. “You had that…l-look…”

He leaned down until his forehead rested against hers, their noses almost touching. “I was scared…and foolish. Please forgive me, Mia. I hate that I made you feel like you had to prove yourself to me.”

“I would never…do that to you. I love you.”

And suddenly, the world regained clarity and meaning.

Her words settled between them, heavy and fragile all at once. Wes didn’t respond and instead cradled her face, his touch reverent like he's handling something sacred. Her lashes fluttered as he kissed the damp trail of tears away, apologizing with every breath.

One hand encircled her waist while the other kept her face tilted towards him. He pressed his lips on her forehead, then her nose, then the corner of her jaw. Each kiss was tender and lingering—meant to calm, not claim.

“I love you too… More than you’d ever know.”

The lights overhead hummed, the air intimate and tranquil. Her breathing soon evened out, and the sobs faded into small, tired sighs. He held her close, hoping it would relay his feelings when words could not.

For now, that’s enough.

---

“Hello! Nice to meet you!”

Mia stared in surprise at the man in the driver's seat—deep, blue eyes, platinum-blonde hair, broad shoulders, and a dazzling smile. Beside her in the passenger seat was Wes, his expression unsmiling, while Claire sat at the front, her gaze elsewhere.

“The name’s Caleb,” said the stranger holding the steering wheel. “So, you're Mia, huh? She's very pretty, Wes!”

Wes grunted, “Just drive.”

“Hey! I'm not your driver! Call Seth-”

“Why did you tag along, Caleb?” Claire huffed.

“You two sure are cranky today.” He pouted—a look that would’ve seemed silly on a fully grown man, but with his handsome face, he appeared boyishly charming. “Wes wanted to get here ASAP, and I happened to be out of work already, so I gave him a ride. Aren’t I a nice guy?”

From the sound of it, Wes was bothered about her being at L’Atelier with Claire.

After their conversation in the dressing room, she’s too exhausted to ask anything. She couldn't even spare a glance at their surroundings as he took her all the way to the parking lot. When a luxury car pulled over before them, it didn’t cross her mind that she’d be riding on it with him and meeting this person.

Yet there she was. 

The leather seats were soft and the windows tinted. Outside, the city lights blurred into streaks of gold and white as the vehicle glided down the road. The whole setup was so lavish it felt unreal.

Mia doubted Wes had arranged this, but it wasn’t impossible with Claire, who must've had a close relationship with Caleb.

“Um, e-excuse me. C-Could you be the condo owner?”

All fell silent, then Caleb cleared his throat. “Yeah...? I mean yeah! That's me!"

“O-Oh, then… T-Thank you so much for looking after Wes.”

“Aw, how sweet~ Be grateful you’ve got such a thoughtful girlfriend, Wes!”

For some reason, Claire was sighing from his side. Meanwhile, Wes was glaring at him.

“Can we focus on getting her home?”

Caleb smirked, clearly enjoying himself. “How long do you plan to stay mad? Especially with your birthday coming up.”

“Birthday?!” Mia gasped and turned to Wes, who grimaced. “Y-You didn’t tell me…”

Claire smiled, seemingly in a lighter mood. “Two more weeks, right? I guess things will be hectic for a while.”

The car continued down the streets, with Mia now sitting between curiosity and confusion, unaware that the connections of the people inside ran far deeper than she could imagine.