The warmth of Leon's embrace lingered longer than Claire expected. She stood frozen in his arms, her body stiff with surprise. The hug had been spontaneous—born from the overwhelming rush of emotion that followed Laura's announcement. But now, with her face buried in Leon's chest and his arms holding her securely, Claire couldn't help but feel a sudden flush of embarrassment.
What did I just do?
Her heart hammered in her chest, every second of the embrace felt overwhelming. She pulled back slowly, looking up at Leon with wide eyes, as if she was seeing him for the first time. Why did I hug him?
Leon's expression softened as he pulled back just a little, his hand still resting on her shoulder. His gaze was steady, but there was something more in it now—something unspoken. He didn't seem to mind. In fact, he didn't seem surprised at all, as if this moment was something that had been quietly anticipated.
But Claire was still struggling to understand her own reaction. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something—anything—but the words stuck in her throat.
"I… uh…" She cleared her throat, her voice coming out softer than intended. "I don't know what came over me." Her cheeks turned bright red as she avoided his eyes, suddenly feeling all the weight of their proximity.
Leon's gaze didn't waver. His hand gently squeezed her shoulder, grounding her in the moment. "You don't need to explain it," he said quietly, his voice lower than usual. "It's fine."
It's fine?
Claire nodded, though she was still processing what had just happened. She didn't even know why she had hugged him, why she had felt the need to. It wasn't like her—she wasn't the type to let her emotions run wild, especially not with someone like Leon. She had her reasons, her own walls built high. So why had she just broken one of them?
"Oh wow, are we expecting a baby soon" Mae teased only to be nudged by grandma Rinna, who dragged her out of the room against her will.
Now it was only Claire and Leon left in the dining room.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then, Leon shifted slightly, his thumb brushing the top of her arm, a subtle gesture that still sent heat rushing through her.
"I'm proud of you," he added, the words simple, but carrying an unspoken weight. "You earned that role. You really did."
Claire swallowed hard. This time, her smile wasn't forced. It came naturally, the corners of her lips lifting as she met his gaze. "Thank you," she said quietly, the words full of gratitude. "I couldn't have done it without... support."
A corner of Leon's lips pulled up in a smile "Come I'll drop you off"
Claire had been caught off guard by Leon's insistence. She had planned to take a taxi to the audition hall, but he was adamant.
"You don't need to worry about me," she said, trying to brush off his concern.
Leon raised an eyebrow, his voice calm but firm. "I'm insisting. I don't want you to take a taxi. It's faster and safer this way as I'm also going there"
Claire didn't argue further, though she didn't exactly welcome the idea of being seen arriving with her husband, especially with her marriage still being a secret. As the car reached the audition hall, Claire hesitated.
"Stop here," she said suddenly. "On the other side of the street. I don't want anyone to see me walking out of a luxury car, it'll cause rumours."
The car slowed, and Leon complied, but as the car came to a stop, he didn't let her go just yet. He turned to face her, his brow furrowed with concern.
"I don't like this," he said, his voice low, his eyes searching hers.
Claire looked at him, confusion flickering across her features. "You don't like what?"
Before she could react, Leon leaned in. Claire's back pressed against the door, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to still.
Then, with a gentle yet possessive motion, he kissed her on the cheek,close to her lips, his lips lingering near hers for a breathless moment.
His voice dropped to a whisper, sending shivers down her spine. "I don't like that we have to hide our marriage, Claire. You're my legal wife, and I want everyone to know that."
Her heart pounded, out of rhythm, completely out of control. The feeling of his lips so close, still lingering, left her speechless. She didn't know what to say, or how to respond to this wave of overwhelming emotions.
Leon's fingers traced her cheek softly as he pulled back. "I understand," he murmured. "You want to prove yourself, and I respect that. I'll wait."
Then, with a final, soft look, he added, "See you inside."
Claire, still dazed, nodded quickly, her voice stuttering. "Yes… see you."
She got out of the car, her heart still racing as she walked toward the entrance of the audition hall. The moment she stepped inside, the atmosphere was thick with nervous anticipation. The room buzzed with chatter as everyone discussed their roles, eagerly speculating about who would land the Main lead.
Laura was already waiting for her, a wide grin on her face. "I was getting worried," she teased. "You're late."
Claire offered a tight smile, her mind still tangled in Leon's words. She couldn't shake the image of him leaning in, the feel of his lips so close to hers. She quickly glanced around, feeling the eyes of everyone in the room upon her. There were whispers, but no one dared say anything directly. The tension in the air was thick.
The directors soon took the stage, as they were about to start announcing the roles, the door to the hall swung open, and in walked Leon.
The room froze, and the directors immediately paused. Leon gave them a nod of acknowledgment as they rushed to greet him.
"Welcome, Sir Leon," one of the directors said with a smile. "We're honored to have you here" he said, and turning to the crowd he said "As you know, he is the one sponsoring this movie." which earned a round of applause.
Leon shrugged nonchalantly. "It's nothing. I just see a lot of potential in this project. It's going to be huge."
The directors nodded enthusiastically, and then one of them continued, "We were just about to announce the roles."
Leon smiled again, his gaze shifting to Claire as he leaned back slightly, his voice casual. "Go ahead."
The director started announcing the roles one by one, and as they arrived on stage, Laura noticed how Leon didn't even bother to raise his head to look at any of them and was busy on his phone.
Soon, it was time to announce the Main Lead.
The director cleared his throat and then made the announcement. "And the female lead is Kim Claire."
The room erupted in applause.Laura clapped enthusiastically, and Claire felt the weight of the moment settle on her shoulders as she walked onto the stage. She smiled and thanked everyone, trying to hide the whirlwind of emotions that were racing through her.
Laura's eyes widened when she saw Leon's gaze not leave Claire since they had mentioned her name, she was literally the only person he applauded for. Realization hit her 'Could Leon already be in love with Claire' she thought, wondering if she should tell her friend her observation.
The directors quickly briefed everyone about the start of filming, which was set to begin the following day. Claire's mind was buzzing with excitement, but also with a sense of dread. She had made it, but the road ahead was far from easy.
After the briefing, as the room began to empty, a few actresses who had been eyeing Claire earlier gathered near her.
"Well, well, look who got the lead role," one of them sneered. "Didn't doubt it for a second."
Another one chimed in, "Yeah, after spreading your legs open, why wouldn't you get it?"
A third added, "How much did the directors pay you? Or was it just to get the role?"
Claire's expression hardened, but she didn't back down. With a smug smile, she fired back, "Are you upset that I got the role? Or upset that, after spreading your legs open, you still couldn't get it?"
Laura snickered beside her, watching the scene unfold. The girls' faces twisted with anger, and one of them stepped forward, trying to slap Claire.
But Claire was quick. She caught the girl's wrist before the slap could land. "You better keep your hands to yourself," she warned, her voice cold but fierce.
Suddenly, the girl used her other hand to pull Claire's hair, Claire yelped in pain but didn't hesitate to drag her hair as well.
The girls were now seething, and a fight quickly broke out between them. Laura tried to intervene, but the directors and staff soon came over to break up the commotion. Leon arrived at the scene with the producer, his eyes narrowing as he took in the situation.
"What happened here?" he asked, his tone commanding.
Claire couldn't look him in the eye. She felt the everyone's eyes on her and the sting of embarrassment. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"So this is the way, a so called Main Lead acts, bullying others" one of the girl's friends said as she looked at Leon.
"Mr Yu, my friend just went to congratulate her and she decided to insult my friend, telling her that even upon opening her legs she couldn't get the role, acting like she's better than everyone, out of anger my friend pulled her hair" the girl lied, her face contorting as if in sad.
"She must be removed" another girl added "such violent behaviour"
All this time Claire didn't talk, not because she did something wrong but because Leon's eyes hadn't left hers since.
"I wasn't asking you" Leon finally said,turning to face the two girls with narrowed eyes, making them shut up in fear.
He turned his attention back to Claire and repeated his question "What happened?"
Claire gulped, she tried to talk but still no words came out of her mouth.
Laura, sensing Claire's discomfort, spoke up. "They were just upset that Claire got the role. They were talking trash and calling her a whore, Claire only said the truth and she tried to slap her, then she pulled her hair and… things escalated."
Leon turned to the girls with an intense look. "I heard you were cast as her best friend. I don't think this is how you should be starting your relationship. If you had worked as hard as Claire did, maybe you would have gotten the lead role too. I saw her performance—it was better than any of you could have done."
"Instead of putting others down, you should focus on improving yourselves"
The girls didn't respond, but their faces were flushed with humiliation.
"But...it's her, she slapped and scratched me" the girl named Denise shrieked as if she was in pain.
"You started it" Leon cut. "Now leave before you loose your role" he ordered causing the girl's eyes to widen in fear and she left humiliated.
Leon turned back to Claire, his expression softening. He reached up to touch her cheek, but the moment his fingers brushed her skin, Claire flinched in pain. The scratch on her face from the altercation stung, and the shock of him touching her so publicly added to her embarrassment.
Laura immediately noticed and jumped in. "Claire needs to leave. She has an injury. Let's go get it cleaned up."
Claire nodded quickly, avoiding Leon's gaze. "Yeah, let's go."
Leon watched them leave, his expression unreadable. He wanted to say something, but he held his tongue. Claire's mind was in turmoil, but for now, she just wanted to escape.