Chapter 374
Chapter 374:
Cameras were everywhere. Drones buzzed overhead.
A producer with a headset ran up to her. “Ms. Sterling. Welcome! We need you in the holding room. Liam is already here p>
Skye walked into the house. It was rigged with lights and microphones. It felt like a laboratory.
She entered the living room. Liam stood by the fireplace. He looked worse than she had expected, leaning heavily on a cane, his face gaunt and pale. The suit he wore hung loosely on his frame, as if he had shrunk in the wash. He wasn’t the golden boy anymore. He was a ghost.
When he saw her, his face lit up with fragile hope.
“Skye,” he breathed. He took a step forward, wincing as his weight shifted. “You came p>
“I signed a contract, Liam,” Skye said coldly, aware of the cameras zooming in. “Don’t read into it p>
“I know,” Liam said, stopping. “I just… I’m glad you’re here. We can finally talk. Without lawyers. Without family p>
“We have nothing to talk about,” Skye said.
“We have everything to talk about,” Liam insisted. “I want to apologize. For Seraphina. For everything p>
“Save it for the confessionals,” Skye said, walking past him to the bar. She poured herself water.
The director yelled, “Cut! Great tension, guys! Keep that energy p>
Skye rolled her eyes.
Hunter walked in, wearing a crew T-shirt and holding a boom mic. He winked at her discreetly.
“Okay, settle in,” the producer said. “First challenge is in an hour. ‘The Baggage Claim.’ You have to unpack each other’s suitcases and explain the items p>
“You’re joking,” Skye said.
“It’s TV gold!” the producer grinned.
Skye went to her assigned room. It was next to Liam’s. Of course.
She unpacked. A small note was tucked into her toiletry bag. It was from Alistair.
I’m watching. Remember the signal. Everest.
She held the note to her chest for a second, then flushed it down the toilet.
The challenge began.
𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘄𝘀𝘦 b𝘺 c𝘢𝗍𝗲𝗀о𝘳y 𝘰ո 𝗯𝗲.c𝘰𝗆
Skye opened Liam’s suitcase. It was full of expensive suits and… a photo album.
She opened it. Photos of them. From their honeymoon. From their first Christmas.
“Why do you have this?” she asked on camera.
“Because it’s the only time I was happy,” Liam said, looking at her with puppy-dog eyes. “I brought it to remind myself what I lost p>
The producers cooed. The audience would eat this up.
Skye slammed the album shut. “You lost it because you threw it away, Liam. Don’t rewrite history p>
“I’m trying to fix history!” Liam shouted, cracking. “Why can’t you see that? I’m doing this for us p>
“There is no us!” she yelled back.
Suddenly, Skye’s phone buzzed on the table. It was a production phone meant only for show communications. But the message that popped up wasn’t from the producer.
It was a video file.
She clicked it.
A live feed appeared. Not of the show, but of the docks. Grainy footage of shipping containers being loaded in the dark.
A text followed.
Do you like the view, Skye? Tonight’s shipment is special. Named after you.