Caleb's thumb brushed slowly across her cheek, finally coming to rest just above Charlotte's lips. They were close enough to share the same air—a terrifying, heart-stopping proximity.
"Charlotte, money isn't what you owe me. Think of that as... a down payment."
His voice was hypnotic, dripping with suggestion. "I'm staking a claim on your vulnerability—and your soul."
"Your tears don't belong to you anymore. Do you understand?"
The moment the words left his lips, he tilted his head.
A kiss—impossibly light, yet profoundly reverent—brushed against her quivering eye.
Boom.
Charlotte's mind went blank; her heart rate spiraled completely out of control.
There was pure, yet dangerously intimate about the kiss, yet it made her shiver more than any deep embrace ever could. Caleb lingered against her eyelid for a full three seconds before slowly pulling away.
He reached for his glasses on the table and slid them back on. In an instant, he slid back into the role of the refined, scholarly star. The predator, now polished and hidden. It was as if the dangerous beast from a moment ago had been nothing but a fever dream.
He picked up his wine glass and raised it elegantly toward Charlotte, who was still trying to wait for her to find her center. "To a successful partnership."
[Ding! Caleb's Affection +5%, Capture Progress 80%!]
Charlotte raised her own glass, the man with that guileless smile. She had to admit: compared to Leo's brute force, Caleb's slow-burn game was far more lethal.
Night. Outside the Starlight Building.
As soon as Charlotte stepped out of the car, a shadow fell over her.
"Charlotte." It was Evan. He looked like hell and guilt, but his eyes were unnaturally bright.
"Time's up." He handed her a manila envelope. "I'm here to settle my debt."
She opened the folder to find a comprehensive IP trace report. Everything pointed back to a shell company called 'Crossbridge Capital.'
"This IP has been funneling money to the gossip accounts smear-campaigning you. It also served as the proxy for the hotel incident," Evan said, dropping his voice. "This company is a shell secretly controlled by Marianne Harrington."
Charlotte stared at the name 'Crossbridge Capital,' her eyes igniting.
She knew this company. When she'd first dug into Emily's aunt's finances, she'd discovered that this entity was a sinkhole for the Harrington family's shadier, massive debts.
"Since you found this, you must know... it's your little playmate. pulling the strings." Charlotte tucked the documents back into the envelope, her sharp gaze pinning him.
"And yet, you still chose to expose this secret." She took a step toward him, closing the gap, her voice as cold as frost. "Tell me: What's in it for you?"
"No... I... there's nothing between us," Evan stammered, his face turning pale. He grabbed her wrist in a panic, his words tumbling out incoherently.
Between his frantic, broken sentences, the pieces finally fell into place. Emily and Evan had indeed known each other since childhood, but due to his reclusive nature, they had never been more than acquaintances.
When he immigrated with his family, they had lost touch entirely. It wasn't until he made a name for himself in photography and planned to return home that Emily and Marianne reached out with an invitation to co-found a studio.
He'd almost said no. But he hated the business side—the networking, the paperwork. When they promised he'd only have to focus on his art, he caved.
"Why should I believe you?" Charlotte asked slowly.
"Because... you're my muse," Evan said, his eyes filled with a raw, earnest devotion. "Only you can make me feel that spark again."
"It's not me you need to believe in—it's yourself."
The silence held until a cold draft cut through it. She finally pulled her gaze away. "And if I want to use your hands to expose Emily's crimes?"
"I told you I'd give you an answer. Since this involves 'Eclipse Photography,' I have a responsibility to clear your name—and my own." Evan gave a gentle smile, but there was an underlying steel in his expression.
"Come on. We're going to see Leo," Charlotte decided.
"What?" Evan was caught off guard.
She glanced up at the top floor where the lights were still burning. She knew Leo was waiting for her. "I need his resources and his speed to cut off Emily's support system."
She turned back to him. "This report is the best proof of your innocence. Consider it your buy-in for our partnership."
Evan nodded and followed her without a second thought. In this moment, he was no longer her photography mentor—he was her accomplice in revenge.
The Head Director's Office
Leo was on the phone, but the moment Charlotte and Evan appeared together, his gaze sharpened, and he ended the call immediately.
"Calling me in such a hurry...I hope you're not here to introduce me to your latest conquest." Leo sat behind his desk, face expressionless, but Charlotte could read the trace of jealousy in those deep eyes.
Charlotte ignored the chill coming off Evan in waves. "There's something you need to see."
Evan placed the report on the desk and stepped back, looking toward Charlotte.
Charlotte stepped forward and picked up the documents.
"Emily has the original footage from the hotel. If she leaks a cut version, it'll be enough to sink Starlight and destroy your reputation for good."
Charlotte relayed the details of the morning's encounter. "She wants me to drop out, or she'll take us both down. But her real weakness is her aunt, Marianne, and this shell company, 'Crossbridge Capital.'"
"Evan took a significant risk to dig this up," she said, sliding the report toward Leo.
"And I have the complete data on her aunt's financial chain. If we join forces and crush Marianne's funding before the next performance, she won't be able to lift a finger to help Emily. Your project and your reputation stay safe."
Leo's expression finally shifted, his eyes flashing with a ruthless intensity. He looked at the report, then at Charlotte's terrifyingly calm eyes. He smirked, a hint of morbid admiration in his gaze.
"Perfect." Leo waved a hand to dismiss Evan. "Evan, this stays strictly between us. You can go."
Evan glanced at Charlotte but said nothing, quietly exiting the room.
Once the door clicked shut, Leo rounded the desk, crowding her against it.
"Why did you bring him here?"