The car pulled to a smooth stop in front of a sleek, modern building. Alyssa looked up through the window. The Lilos Cosmetics logo gleamed in silver letters above the entrance.
She took a breath and stepped out of the car. The rest of the team followed—Lisa, Maya, Ian, Randy, Daisy, and Elvis, who lingered a few steps behind like a shadow that refused to leave.
A young man in a crisp suit greeted them at the entrance. His smile was warm but professional.
“Welcome to Lilos Cosmetics. Please, follow me.”
He led them through the lobby and into a private elevator. The ride was smooth, the soft hum of the elevator filling the silence. Alyssa’s heart beat a little faster with each floor they passed.
Stay calm. You’ve done this before. Just… not like this.
The elevator doors opened onto the top floor. The young man guided them down a quiet hallway and stopped in front of a large meeting room.
“If you and your managers would please step inside,” he said, gesturing to the door. Then he turned to the rest of the group. “The rest of you may wait here. There are seats available.”
Ian, Randy and Daisy exchanged glances before settling into the chairs outside. Elvis remained standing, his back against the wall, eyes scanning the hallway.
Alyssa pushed open the door and stepped inside with Lisa and Maya.
The room was bright, with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city. A long glass table sat in the center, and behind it stood a young woman.
She was nothing like Alyssa expected.
She looks… my age.
The woman smiled, her eyes warm and confident. She extended her hand.
“Hello. I’m Lila. Founder of Lilos Cosmetics.”
Alyssa shook her hand, still processing. She had read articles about Lila, the orphan who built an empire from nothing. The founder who never showed her face in public, whose photos didn’t exist on the internet.
She lives a private life, just like Alexander.
The thought sent a strange shiver down her spine.
“Please, sit,” Lila said, gesturing to the chairs across from her.
Alyssa sat down, flanked by Lisa and Maya. Lila remained standing for a moment, studying them with quiet amusement.
“You must be surprised that I came here personally to hand over the contract to Miss Alyssa,” Lila said, her tone light. She paused, then added, “Well, I was instructed by your boss to do so.”
She let the words hang in the air.
“And failure to do that will lead to my hand being chopped off.”
Alyssa’s eyes widened. Beside her, Lisa and Maya froze.
What did she just say?
The horror on their faces was unmistakable. Lila stared at them for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“Don’t mind what I said. I was joking.”
She waved a hand, still chuckling. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist.”
Alyssa let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She has a dark sense of humor.
Lila’s smile softened as she looked at Alyssa. “Besides, you seem very special to your boss.”
Is she talking about Mr. Eric? Hell no. That’s my husband’s friend.
She forced a polite smile. “You flatter me, Miss Lila. But I have no deep connection with Mr. Eric. I’m just an actress under his company.”
Lila’s eyes flickered with amusement but she didn’t push.
Instead, she reached into a folder and pulled out a thick stack of papers.
“This is your contract with Lilos,” she said, sliding it across the table. “Mr. Eric has already reviewed it and made some changes. If you’d like to request any further modifications, please don’t hesitate to tell me.”
Alyssa took the contract. Lisa and Maya leaned in on either side, their eyes scanning the pages alongside hers.
She turned to the payment section.
Her jaw dropped.
Is that… are those…
She counted the zeros. Once. Twice. Three times.
This can’t be right.
Beside her, Lisa’s jaw went slack. Maya’s eyes widened.
Alyssa read through the rest of the contract carefully. Every clause, every term,every condition.
When she finished, she looked at Lisa and Maya. They both nodded.
She turned back to Lila.
“There’s nothing to be changed, Miss Lila.”
Lila smiled and handed her a pen.
Alyssa took it. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pressed the tip to the paper.
This is my life now,s igning contracts and building a future I never imagined.
She signed her name.
Then she looked up and handed the contract back to Lila.
“Thank you,” Alyssa said, her voice steadier than she expected.
Lila took the contract and set it aside. “No, Miss Alyssa. Thank you.”
The door to the meeting room opened, and the young man who had brought them upstairs stepped inside. He stood quietly by the entrance, his posture respectful.
“Meet my assistant, Sergio,” Lila said, gesturing toward him.
Alyssa turned to look at him properly. He was young, sharp-eyed, with a calm demeanor that suggested he had seen more than his age let on.
“Nice to meet you, Sergio,” Alyssa said with a small nod.
Sergio returned the nod. “The pleasure is mine, Miss Alyssa.”
Lila clasped her hands together. “He will take you to the studio for your shoot. There’s someone actually waiting for you there.” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Alyssa blinked. Someone?
She opened her mouth to ask who, but before the words could leave her lips, Lila had already turned and walked out of the room, her heels clicking softly against the floor.
She moves fast.
Alyssa stared at the empty doorway for a moment, then turned back to Sergio.
He smiled, as if reading her confusion. “Shall we go now, ladies?”
Lisa stood up first. “Of course. Let’s go.”
Alyssa and Maya followed suit. They stepped out of the meeting room and found Elvis, Daisy, Randy, and Ian waiting in the hallway. The three of them rose to their feet the moment they saw Alyssa, Maya, and Lisa emerge.
Randy, who had been unusually quiet since they arrived, walked up to Maya and lowered his voice.
“Did everything go smoothly?”
“Yes, it did,” Maya replied. She glanced at Alyssa, then added, “Right now, we’re going straight to work.”
Ian and Daisy overheard and nodded in unison.
They all headed toward the elevator. Sergio pressed the button, and the doors slid open. Everyone filed in.
The elevator descended.
When the doors opened again, they stepped out onto the studio floor. The space was vast, bright lights, white walls, cameras on stands, and a crew already moving about, preparing for the shoot.
But what caught Alyssa’s attention was the sudden shift in the air.
She heard whispers and giggles behind.
She turned her head slightly and noticed a group of women standing near the coffee station. Their eyes weren’t on her. They weren’t on Ian or Randy or Daisy, they were on Elvis.
“He’s so handsome,” one of them whispered, loud enough for Alyssa to hear.
“His build is so big,” another added, fanning herself.
“He’s my type,” a third one sighed.
Alyssa bit back a smile. Poor Elvis. He didn’t sign up for this.
Elvis, for his part, remained completely unbothered. His expression didn’t change. His stride didn’t falter. He kept walking behind Alyssa like a shadow that had no interest in the light.
“Ohhh, they’re being charmed by me,” Ian said, flipping his red hair back with a dramatic flick of his wrist.
Daisy and Maya burst out laughing.
“You punk,” Randy said, rolling his hooded eyes. “They’re talking about the young man walking behind us.”
Ian’s smile faltered. He turned his head and saw the women still giggling, still staring not at him, but at the stoic, broad-shouldered man who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.
Why is he following us again? Ian thought, narrowing his eyes at Elvis.