The filming location had shifted to a more remote spot.

Neither Silas nor I made any effort to disguise ourselves, and there weren’t many people around who recognized us.

It felt great, like we were just a regular couple on a casual date.

He held my hand as we wandered through a series of quirky little shops.

Everything was filled with fascinating, unusual items that caught my interest.

We came across a fruit stand, and I noticed some large, round pears. I asked the vendor, “Are these sweet?”

I expected him to give a standard sales pitch, but instead, he confidently picked out a pear, sliced a piece with a fruit knife, and handed it to me, then gave a piece to Silas.

“Try it. If it’s not sweet, it’s free!”

I’d never seen a sales approach like that before. Surprised but polite, I took the pear and thanked him before taking a bite.

I chewed thoughtfully and exchanged a knowing look with Silas.

Before I could figure out how to politely give feedback, Silas took the knife from the vendor, sliced another piece, and handed it back with a smile.

The vendor tried the pear, then suggested, “Maybe you should try some apples instead…”

Silas glanced at me, his eyebrows raised in a playful, questioning manner.

In the end, he bought both apples and pears.

On the way back, I couldn’t help but laugh. When I met Silas’s gaze, I genuinely complimented him, “You’re quite the clever one.”

“The pears are okay. We can use them to make juice for the crew. They’re low in sugar, so even those on a diet can have some,” Silas said.

I nodded, agreeing with him.

Silas had a striking appearance, his eyes slightly upturned, his lips a vivid red. He could easily charm anyone. Yet, his eyes often had a warm, gentle smile.

There were times I nearly got lost in his captivating gaze, but I’d remind myself to stay focused.

Think of the billion. Think of the billion!

Men are like clothes, but money is family!

…

The filming wrapped up in just two weeks, and during his downtime, Silas received an invitation to join an escape room reality show.

To my surprise, my name was on the invite as well.

I wasn’t part of the industry and didn’t have any filming commitments, so the sudden invite caught me off guard.

But then it clicked. I realized it made sense.

Shows like these needed someone who wasn’t a big name but could still stir up buzz and conversation.

As Silas’s stand-in for his first love, I was the perfect candidate.

“Do you want to go?” Silas asked, noticing my hesitation. “If you’re not into it, I can turn it down for you.”

“No, no, I’ll go!” I replied quickly.

Silas was always so considerate of my feelings. If I showed even a hint of reluctance, he’d have definitely turned it down without a second thought.

Honestly, I’d thought that if Silas and I ended up together, he’d be the perfect boyfriend. top-notch in every way.

But I wasn’t about to miss any chance to boost my standing with him.

After all, the allure of a billion dollars was hard to resist.

Besides, I was pretty fearless when it came to escape rooms.

Who knew, maybe the show would set up a hero-damsel scenario, and if Silas’s heart was moved, my system might just get fixed.

I was actually looking forward to the show.

Before seeing the other guests: I was ready to shine.

After seeing the guest list: I was ready to bury myself.

What I didn’t see coming was that the two women who’d been the center of heated online debates over Silas were also on the guest list.

One was Bella Kelly, a rising star who shared the same agency as Silas. She had a habit of posting pictures with him at various events, always just enough to fuel the endless speculation online.

The other was Kayla Heath, an actress who had recently finished filming a drama with Silas. Despite not promoting much together or pushing any romantic angles, their fans had taken it upon themselves to ship them, creating all sorts of rumors.

Both Bella and Kayla had fiercely loyal fan bases constantly at war, fighting over who deserved to be Silas’s leading lady.

I was honestly a bit shocked.

The producers clearly knew what they were doing.

This wasn’t just an escape room show anymore. With two rumored love interests, me, the stand-in for his first love, and Silas himself, it felt more like we were setting up for some reality TV showdown. I could practically name the episode: Escape Room: Battlefield.

The tension, the drama, the chaotic energy, this show was guaranteed to be a hit.

And, of course, as soon as the guest list was made public, the hashtag [Escape Room Show Guests] shot straight to the top of the trending list.

Seeing our four names lined up together, netizens went into a frenzy, sensing the drama about to unfold.

One comment in particular stood out.

[They really picked these three women with a common thread. They’re all Silas’s backup options, the E choice, the Plan B, the extras.]

That one hit me right in the pride.

I couldn’t help but think to myself.

You better sleep with one eye open tonight, internet trolls.

The escape room show was streamed live, and Silas and I were guest participants for this episode. We were randomly assigned to two different teams.

My team had two guys and me, while Silas’s team had two girls and one guy.

As soon as the teams were announced, the chat exploded.

[I’m pretty sure the director did this on purpose, but I can’t prove it.]

[This lineup is pure drama!]

[I swear this is gonna turn into a dating show by the end.]

When the recording started, everyone was blindfolded and led into the escape room.

The door slammed shut behind us, and the room filled with immediate screams. Even the guys on my team couldn’t hold back.

I wasn’t too rattled by the typical haunted house setup.

After taking off my blindfold, I quickly adjusted to the dark.

My two teammates, though, were obviously new to this. They tried to act cool, but their shaky hands gave them away.

At first, they insisted I walk in the middle for "safety," but after seeing how calmly I took the lead, they quickly fell in line behind me.

Both teams tiptoed through the room, nerves shot, with every little sound sending shockwaves through us.

Then suddenly, a child’s voice echoed in the darkness.

“Brother and sister, I lost my doll. Can you help me find it? Please… please help me…”

The eerie, tearful tone in that small voice made my skin crawl, and it sent the rest of the group into a full-blown panic.

Screams erupted like it was a horror movie concert.

And just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse, a creepy lullaby started playing, the kind that sounded like it came straight from a nightmare.

Bella and Kayla had plans to play the damsel in distress, hoping to win Silas’s sympathy with a tearful act and maybe even cry their way into his arms.

But as soon as that eerie song started, they completely lost their cool. Terrified, they clung to each other, tears streaming down their faces, no longer caring about smudged makeup or broken facades.

Silas and I led the way.

While the others screamed behind us, I couldn’t help but glance at him, calm as ever. Finally, I gave in to my curiosity, tugged on his sleeve, and whispered.

“Hey, uh… maybe you could, you know, scream a little too?”

…

When the Stand-In Became the One