Riley found herself in the atelier’s bustling break room, breath held as she watched a new face bound through the double doors. Luca introduced himself with a sly grin and a hand dusted with charcoal, his infectious energy slicing through the anxiety clinging to her after last night’s too-real rehearsal with Vincent. He hovered close, teasing her about her “celebrity romance” with a wink that bristled with something deeper. Riley tried to laugh, but guilt and longing stuck like thorns in her throat. Luca’s words flirted on the edge of confessions—playful barbs that, underneath, asked if she wanted him to want her.

Later, the atelier pulsed with activity, all eyes snapping to the entrance as Tessa Chen swept in—a vision of cool perfection, tall and poised, her eyes gilded with secrets. She took the room like a stage, greeting Delaney with a sculpted, knowing smile before zeroing in on Vincent. There was a history in that look, a well-rehearsed seduction in the way she brushed off the assistants and let her gaze hook onto his. Across the workspace, Riley felt the shift: desire turning, old stories stirring, Vincent’s mask flickering for the briefest moment. When Tessa floated over to introduce herself, her words were honey-laced daggers. “So you’re the ingénue,” she murmured to Riley, mouth almost brushing her ear. “Let’s see if you last.”

Luca’s laughter in the distance couldn’t cover the way Riley’s hands shook. After hours, as the atelier dimmed to silence and the hum of the city slipped through the windows, she caught sight of Vincent and Tessa in the shadowed corridor near his office. At first, Riley told herself to ignore it, but she lingered behind a rack of gowns as Tessa pressed in, expertly, running nails down Vincent’s shirtfront. Their words were muffled, but the tension—thick and hot—crackled up the hall. Vincent didn’t stop her as Tessa kissed him, urgently, the kiss turning rough, hands tugging, breath mingling. He kissed her back, letting some old need yank him under, and Tessa’s soft moan snagged in the hush.

In the muted dark, Tessa pulled Vincent into his office and the door clicked shut. Riley, stomach clenched, tried to turn away but glimpsed the sliver of skin where Tessa’s dress was yanked aside and Vincent’s hand pressing low on her back, pulling her closer. There was desperation in their collision, gasps and whispered curses, as Tessa climbed into his lap. Vinyl on skin, the sharp scrape of zipper, Tessa’s head tilting back as Vincent traced her throat with his mouth. Behind the closed door, their bodies moved in fevered rhythm—need and memory colliding, drawing out the kind of sounds Riley had only ever heard in her dreams.

Riley pressed her fist to her mouth, feeling her own pulse thunder in time with the aches of jealousy and betrayal. When Vincent finally emerged, his hair mussed and shirt skewed, he caught Riley’s gaze across the corridor. For a split second, regret flashed on his face, but then his eyes slid away—and with them, a piece of Riley’s trust.

Later, Luca found her alone in the design room, asking if she was okay, his voice gentle for once. “Let’s ditch this place once shift’s over,” he offered, but Riley’s throat tightened and she could only nod, wanting to run anywhere but toward or away from Vincent.

The atelier’s lights flickered as Riley, lips pressed tight, watched Vincent cross the corridor toward Tessa, their shadows merging on the far wall. Secrets and desire were thick in the air, every heartbeat telling Riley the rules had changed—and she wasn’t sure whose side she was on anymore.

To be continued...