"We got him."

Caleb's head of security, Marcus Rivera, stood in the executive suite doorway holding a tablet with security footage. Lucy and Tiana looked up from the couch where they'd been nervously scrolling through the fake posts about Theresa.

"Show me," Caleb said grimly.

Marcus tapped the screen, revealing a young man in a Sinclair Studios baseball cap hunched over his phone outside a coffee shop. "David Chen, twenty-four, works in our casting department as an assistant coordinator. He's been feeding information to someone named Amber Walsh for the past three weeks."

Lucy frowned. "Walsh? Like Jennifer Walsh?"

"Jennifer's younger sister. She was up for the Elena role before you came along. Apparently she didn't take the competition well."

"So she's been trying to destroy my life over a movie role?" Lucy's voice cracked with disbelief.

"People have done worse for less in this town," Marcus said. "We've got David on camera making the calls, screenshots of his payments from Amber, and phone records connecting them both to the fake social media posts about Miss Montenegro."

Caleb felt a surge of protective fury that surprised him with its intensity. "Have them arrested. Both of them."

"Already in progress, sir. LAPD is picking up David now, and they're coordinating with New York PD to get Amber."

Twenty minutes later, Caleb watched through his office window as David Chen was led away in handcuffs, a crowd of studio employees gawking from the lobby. Justice felt good, but it didn't erase the damage already done.

He returned to the executive suite to find Lucy pacing while Tiana tried to calm her down.

"It's over," he announced. "They're both in custody."

Lucy stopped pacing, relief flooding her face. "So I can go home now?"

"No."

The sharpness in his voice surprised all three of them. Caleb cleared his throat, trying to sound more reasonable.

"The story is already out there. Photographers know where you live, where you work. Even with the real perpetrators caught, copycats might try to capitalize on the attention."

"For how long?" Tiana asked suspiciously.

"A few days. Maybe a week. Until things die down."

Lucy wrapped her arms around herself. "I can't afford to miss work that long. I'll lose my job."

"I'll handle it. Consider yourself on paid leave from the studio until this blows over."

"But I don't work for the studio yet."

"You do now. Congratulations, you got the part."

The words hung in the air. Lucy stared at him in shock while Tiana let out a whoop of excitement.

"I got it? Really?"

Caleb nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Seeing her face light up with pure joy was doing things to his chest that had nothing to do with business decisions.

"But where are we supposed to stay?" Tiana asked practically. "Hotels are expensive, and if paparazzi are still looking for Lucy..."

Caleb had been hoping they wouldn't ask. "I have a secured apartment downtown. You can stay there."

"We couldn't impose like that," Lucy protested.

"It's not an imposition. The place sits empty most of the time anyway."

That was a lie. The downtown apartment was his private retreat, the one place in the city where he could disappear from the pressures of running a studio. He'd never let anyone else stay there, had never even told Theresa about it.

But the thought of Lucy being unsafe somewhere else was unbearable.

An hour later, Caleb personally drove them through the underground garage of a sleek high-rise in downtown LA. He'd dismissed his driver and security detail, wanting to keep this as private as possible.

"This is incredible," Tiana whispered as they rode the private elevator to the penthouse.

The apartment was minimalist but luxurious, all floor-to-ceiling windows and expensive furniture. Lucy walked to the wall of glass overlooking the city, her reflection ghostlike in the evening light.

"You really don't have to do this," she said softly.

"I know." Caleb joined her at the window, close enough to smell her shampoo. "I want to."

Lucy turned to face him, her brown eyes searching his face. "Your girlfriend..."

"Is in New York, focused on her career. As always."

The words came out more bitter than he'd intended. Lucy stepped closer, close enough that he could see the gold flecks in her eyes, close enough to make some very bad decisions.

"Caleb," she whispered.

His phone rang, shattering the moment. Theresa's name flashed on the screen.

"I should take this," he said, stepping away reluctantly.

"Baby, thank God," Theresa's voice was shaky. "Did you see what they posted about me? My publicist is going crazy trying to contain the damage."

"It's handled. The people responsible are in custody."

"But the photos, the fake messages about Marcus and me... people actually believe I'm having an affair. This could destroy my reputation."

Caleb closed his eyes, guilt washing over him. While he'd been focused on protecting Lucy, Theresa was dealing with her own nightmare three thousand miles away.

"I'm sorry. I should have called you first."

"You should have prevented this entirely. How did some nobody actress become important enough to target me over?"

The question hit like a slap. Caleb glanced at Lucy, who was pretending not to listen while helping Tiana explore the apartment.

"It wasn't about her. It was about the role. Competition got ugly."

"Well congratulations, your little discovery just cost me a magazine cover. Vogue doesn't want to be associated with affair rumors."

Theresa hung up before he could respond, leaving Caleb staring at his phone and feeling like the worst kind of bastard.

"Everything okay?" Lucy asked quietly.

He looked at her, standing in his private sanctuary wearing yesterday's dress and offering comfort despite everything she'd been through. The urge to tell her everything, to close the distance between them and forget about consequences, was overwhelming.

Instead, he grabbed his keys.

"I should go. There's food in the kitchen, and building security knows you're here. You'll be safe."

"Caleb, wait."

He paused at the door, not trusting himself to turn around.

"Thank you. For everything. I know this is complicated for you."

If only she knew how complicated.

Caleb left without another word, but as the elevator descended, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was falling toward something that would change everything.

His phone buzzed with a text from Marcus: "Sir, we found something else in David Chen's apartment. You need to see this."

The message included a photo that made Caleb's blood run cold. Dozens of pictures of Lucy plastered across David's bedroom wall, some taken with a telephoto lens from outside her apartment, others clearly shot inside the studio during her audition.

But it was the red X's drawn over her face in every single photo that made him realize this was never just about a role.

Someone had wanted Lucy Martinez gone permanently.

Caleb stared at the disturbing photos of Lucy with red X's over her face, his jaw clenched so tight it ached. This wasn't just harassment anymore. This had been a targeted campaign with deadly intentions.

"Sir?" his assistant Sarah knocked on his office door at seven AM. "You wanted to see me early?"

"Schedule a press conference for this afternoon. I want every major entertainment outlet there."

Sarah blinked in surprise. "A press conference? You never do press conferences."

"I'm making an exception. Someone tried to destroy an innocent woman's life and drag my studio's reputation through the mud. It ends now."

"What should I tell them it's about?"

"Tell them Caleb Sinclair is setting the record straight about recent events involving Sinclair Studios talent. That should get their attention."

After Sarah left, Caleb called his PR team and legal department. By noon, the studio's main conference room was transformed into a media circus with cameras, reporters, and enough lighting equipment to power a small city.

Caleb adjusted his tie and walked to the podium, commanding the room with his presence alone. He rarely spoke to press, preferring to let his work speak for itself. But desperate times called for extreme measures.

"Good afternoon. I'm here to address the recent attacks on Sinclair Studios talent and set the record straight about what actually happened."

The room fell silent except for camera clicks.

"Two days ago, individuals acting with malicious intent targeted one of our actresses with a coordinated harassment campaign. This included leaking confidential casting information, posting personal addresses and work schedules online, and creating fake social media posts designed to damage reputations."

He paused, letting that sink in.

"I want to be absolutely clear. The individuals responsible have been arrested and are facing federal charges for cyber harassment and criminal conspiracy. The fake posts about Miss Montenegro were fabricated entirely. Anyone continuing to spread these lies will face legal action from both the studio and Miss Montenegro's legal team."

A reporter raised her hand. "Mr. Sinclair, can you comment on your personal involvement in protecting the targeted actress?"

Caleb had anticipated this question but it still hit like a punch to the gut.

"Sinclair Studios has a responsibility to protect all our talent from criminal harassment. We provided Miss Martinez with secure accommodation until the threats against her could be neutralized. Any implication that this was anything other than standard studio protocol is categorically false."

The lie came easily, but it tasted bitter.

"Mr. Sinclair," another reporter called out, "sources say you personally intervened to help Miss Martinez. Can you explain why an unknown actress would receive such high-level attention?"

"Miss Martinez earned her role through talent and hard work. The fact that someone tried to destroy her over professional jealousy says more about this industry's toxic culture than about her worthiness. We will not tolerate criminal behavior directed at any of our people."

After thirty more minutes of carefully deflecting personal questions, Caleb escaped to his office feeling like he'd just run a marathon. His phone was already buzzing with news alerts about his rare public appearance.

Twenty minutes later, it rang with the call he'd been hoping for.

"Baby, I just watched your press conference," Theresa's voice was warm for the first time in days. "You were incredible. So commanding and protective."

"Did it help?"

"Vogue called ten minutes ago. They want me back for the cover shoot. Apparently your statement convinced them the affair rumors were fabricated." She paused. "I'm sorry I was so harsh yesterday. I know you were just trying to protect someone who needed help."

Caleb closed his eyes, guilt washing over him. "You don't need to apologize."

"Yes, I do. I let my insecurities get the better of me. It's just... sometimes I feel like I'm losing you to that business, and when I saw some girl getting your personal attention, I panicked."

"You're not losing me." The words felt heavy on his tongue.

"Good, because I love you too much to let some wannabe actress come between us. Not that she was really a threat anyway."

If only she knew how wrong she was.

After they hung up, Caleb should have felt relieved. The press conference had worked, Theresa was happy, and the threat to Lucy had been neutralized. Instead, he felt hollow.

His phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. His blood chilled, thinking it might be another threat, but the message made him smile despite everything.

"Saw your press conference. Thank you for defending me. You didn't have to do that. - Lucy"

He stared at the message for a long time before typing back: "Yes, I did."

Three dots appeared, then disappeared, then appeared again. Finally: "Can I cook you dinner tonight? It's the least I can do."

Caleb knew he should say no. The smart thing, the safe thing, would be to maintain professional distance now that the crisis was over. Theresa was happy, Lucy was safe, and he could pretend the last few days had been nothing but business.

But the thought of Lucy in his kitchen, cooking for him in the apartment where he'd imagined her belonging, was too tempting to resist.

"I'll be there at eight."

That evening, Caleb used his private key to enter the downtown apartment quietly. The smell of something delicious hit him immediately, followed by the sound of Lucy's laughter mixing with Tiana's voice from the kitchen.

"No, you absolutely cannot put that much garlic in the sauce," Lucy was saying. "Do you want to kill the man?"

"Maybe a little. He's been way too perfect. There has to be a flaw somewhere."

Caleb smiled despite himself, staying hidden in the hallway to listen.

"He saved our lives, Tiana. Show some gratitude."

"Oh, I'm grateful. I'm also suspicious. Rich, powerful men don't usually go this far for strangers unless they want something."

"Maybe he's just a good person."

"Honey, I love you, but you're naive. Did you see the way he looked at you yesterday? That wasn't charity."

Caleb's chest tightened. If Tiana could see it, how long before everyone else did too?

"You're imagining things," Lucy said, but her voice was uncertain.

"Am I? Because the way you've been talking about him doesn't sound very professional either."

Silence fell in the kitchen. Caleb knew he should announce his presence, but he found himself waiting for Lucy's response.

"It doesn't matter anyway," she finally said quietly. "He has a girlfriend. A famous, gorgeous girlfriend who he's clearly crazy about."

"And if he didn't?"

Another long pause. "Then I'd be in serious trouble."

Caleb's phone chose that moment to buzz loudly with an incoming call. The conversation in the kitchen stopped abruptly.

"That's probably him now," Lucy said, and he could hear the panic in her voice.

Caleb looked at his phone screen and his heart dropped. Theresa's photo smiled back at him, and for the first time in two years, he didn't want to answer her call.

Which meant Tiana was right.

He was in serious trouble too.

Caleb stared at Theresa's photo on his phone screen, her smile frozen in digital perfection. Three rings. Four. He could still hear Lucy and Tiana's hushed voices from the kitchen.

On the fifth ring, he swiped to accept.

"Hey baby, I was starting to think you were avoiding me," Theresa's voice was warm, affectionate.

"Never. Just had a long day." He walked toward the living room, away from the kitchen sounds. "How's New York?"

"Exhausting but amazing. The Vogue shoot went perfectly, and I just finished dinner with the director for that Netflix series I told you about. I think I'm going to get it."

"That's incredible. I'm proud of you."

"Are you? Because you sound distracted."

Caleb forced himself to focus. "The press conference today took more out of me than expected."

"Speaking of which, I saw the whole thing online. You were magnificent. Very sexy, Mr. CEO."

Heat crept up Caleb's neck. "Just doing what needed to be done."

"Is everyone safe now? The people who were targeted?"

"Yes. It's handled."

"Good. I hate thinking about you dealing with crazy people. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you the best part about today. Guess who's been fired from three projects because of the scandal her sister caused?"

Caleb frowned. "Who?"

"Jennifer Walsh. Apparently having a sister who commits federal crimes makes you unemployable in this town. Karma's a bitch, isn't it?"

"That seems harsh. Jennifer wasn't involved."

"Maybe not directly, but she should have known what kind of person her sister was. Anyway, enough about work drama. I miss you. Only two more days and I'll be home."

After they hung up, Caleb stood in silence, processing what Theresa had said. Jennifer Walsh had been nothing but professional and kind to Lucy. Now her career was destroyed because of her sister's jealousy.

"Food's ready," Lucy called softly from behind him.

He turned to find her in the kitchen doorway, wearing one of his old t-shirts over her jeans. The sight made his chest tight.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Fine."

In the dining room, Tiana had set the table with candles. The pasta smelled incredible, and for a moment, Caleb let himself pretend this was normal. That he came home to Lucy cooking dinner every night.

"This is amazing," he said after the first bite.

Lucy smiled but stayed quiet, letting Tiana carry most of the conversation. She seemed lost in thought, picking at her food more than eating it.

Halfway through dinner, Caleb's phone buzzed with a text from his assistant Sarah: "Jennifer Walsh is here. Says it's urgent and concerns Miss Martinez."

Caleb frowned. "I need to step out for a moment. Work call."

In his home office, he called Sarah back.

"Put her through to my office line."

Jennifer's voice was shaky when she came on. "Mr. Sinclair, I'm so sorry to bother you at home, but I didn't know who else to call."

"What's going on, Jennifer?"

"It's about Lucy. And about what my sister did. I've been blacklisted from every studio in town because of Amber, and now I'm hearing things. Dangerous things."

Caleb's attention sharpened. "What kind of things?"

"There's a group of casting directors and producers who are planning to make sure Lucy never works again. They're calling it protecting the industry from troublemakers. They blame her for exposing how dirty this business can get."

"That's ridiculous. She was the victim."

"I know that. You know that. But these people see her as a threat to their way of doing business. They're planning to sabotage any project she's attached to."

Caleb's jaw clenched. "Who specifically?"

"Robert Chen, David's father. He runs Chen Casting. Patricia Hoffman from Hoffman Entertainment. A few others. They're meeting tomorrow night to finalize their strategy."

"Where?"

"The Chateau Marmont, private dining room. Mr. Sinclair, they have serious influence. If they decide to bury Lucy's career, they can do it."

After hanging up, Caleb returned to the dining room to find Lucy and Tiana clearing dishes.

"Who was that?" Tiana asked suspiciously.

"Jennifer Walsh. She wanted to warn us about something."

Lucy looked up, concerned. "Is she okay? I heard she lost her job."

"She's fine. But there might be more complications with your situation."

"What kind of complications?" Tiana demanded.

Caleb hesitated. The smart thing would be to handle this quietly, use his influence to shut down the conspiracy before it could hurt Lucy. But looking at her trusting face, he realized she deserved to know what she was up against.

"Some people in the industry blame you for exposing how corrupt things can get. They see you as a threat."

Lucy went pale. "What does that mean?"

"It means they want to make sure you never work in Hollywood again."

The color drained completely from Lucy's face. Tiana immediately moved to her side, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders.

"They can't do that," Tiana said fiercely. "She didn't do anything wrong."

"In this town, doing nothing wrong isn't always enough," Caleb said grimly. "But they're not going to succeed."

"How can you be sure?" Lucy asked quietly.

Caleb looked at her, sitting in his dining room wearing his shirt, vulnerable and scared but still beautiful. The urge to protect her was overwhelming, stronger than any business instinct.

"Because I won't let them."

His phone rang again. This time it was Marcus Rivera.

"Caleb, we've got a situation. Someone just broke into Lucy Martinez's apartment. Trashed the place completely."

Caleb's blood turned cold. "Any idea who?"

"Security cameras were disabled, but this wasn't random. They were looking for something specific. Went through all her personal documents, computer, everything."

"Looking for what?"

"That's what worries me. What could a struggling actress have that someone would want badly enough to commit breaking and entering?"

Caleb looked at Lucy, who was watching his face with growing alarm.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out."

After he hung up, both women were staring at him.

"My apartment," Lucy said. It wasn't a question.

"Someone broke in. I'm sorry."

Lucy sank into her chair, looking overwhelmed. "I don't understand. What could they possibly want from me?"

"That's what we need to figure out," Caleb said. "But first, we need to make sure you're completely safe."

"She's safe here," Tiana said firmly.

Caleb nodded, but his mind was already racing ahead to tomorrow night's meeting at Chateau Marmont. Whatever these people were planning, he was going to stop it before it started.

His phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number: "Stop protecting her or everyone you care about will pay."

Caleb stared at the message, ice forming in his veins. This wasn't about Lucy's career anymore. Someone was threatening him directly, using her as leverage.

And that was a mistake they would regret making.