---- Chapter 111 Tara was too happy to notice the Cullinan gliding past. The interview had gone so well that she planned to treat herself to a nice dinner. She approached her building, humming, when something in the corner of her eye made her pause. Across the street, in the open-air parking lot, a figure caught her attention. She glanced, looked away, then froze. Among the few parked cars, one stood out-a sleek black Cullinan .

Leaning against it was a man in a black shirt and slacks, tall and refined, with a cool, composed air. His dark eyes locked onto her. Tara's heart skipped. Lance. He stood still, watching her without expression, gaze sweeping over her with a quiet intensity. His presence made her breath hitch. How did he find her? Before she could move, Lance pushed off the car and walked toward her. He came to a stop before her. The faint scent of oud drifted over, tinged with something darker.

---- "You used me and dumped me," he said, voice calm but sharp enough to make her flinch. Tara instinctively stepped back, stunned. She could barely form a proper sentence. "I... You misunderstood. That's not what happened," she stammered. Lance closed in on her. "Explain yourself. I'm listening." Tara shook her head nervously. She couldn't explain, and she really had used him. That much was true. "We're worlds apart," she said. "You probably only see places like this on TV.

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I'm just someone trying to get by. This was always going to end. Maybe we never should've started." Lance was unbothered. "As long as you're willing, none of that matters." Tara bit her lip. Before she could respond, his arm was around her waist. "y-You-" she gasped. He silenced her with a finger to her lips. His voice dropped lower. "You can't change the ending." Tara's thoughts suddenly shifted to the story's plot.

Then, ---- she felt his arm tighten around her waist, his grip pulling her closer until her eyes met his. "Not inviting me up?" he asked, gaze unreadable. She looked around nervously. People were watching. This was not the place for a conversation. "Maybe we should- "-go to my villa," he finished. His arm tightened again. He was serious. After all, she had agreed to move into his place. "Then...

let's go upstairs and talk." She realized there was no avoiding it, and a conversation would be best. People stared. Embarrassed , Tara whispered , "Let go of me." Lance didn't. He walked her into the elevator like they were a couple. "You're a singer," she said, trying to reason with him. "If someone snaps a photo-" He didn't care. As the elevator doors closed, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I'm a singer, not a scandal magnet," he said.

"You really have a lot of excuses not to be with me." Tara panicked, desperate to explain, but the words ---- wouldn't come. He seemed to brush off all her resistance, completely unconcerned by anything she said. After a pause, she muttered, "You can date, but not your housekeeper. If people find out, it'll hurt your image."