Contract Marriage: I Will Never Love You

Josh

I recover before Hailey. "Matthew! Long time no see, buddy."

"Don’t call me buddy," he snaps, turning to Hailey. "What is he doing here?"

Hailey steps between us, her expression a mix of panic and determination. "Matthew, this isn’t the place—"

"Answer the question," he demands. "Why is Josh Daniels modeling for your shoot?"

The studio has gone quiet. Everyone is watching us now, including Marcus, whose calculating eyes flick between the three of us with undisguised interest.

"It’s complicated," Hailey says, her voice strained. "But he’s part of the shoot now."

"Part of the—" Matthew stops, the pieces clicking together. "This is why you’ve been acting strange. This is what you and Sarah were hiding."

"Matthew, please," Hailey hisses, glancing around at the now silent studio. "Not here."

Marcus steps forward, his expression unreadable. "Perhaps you should take this discussion somewhere more private." He gestures toward an empty conference room down the hall. "Feel free to use that space. Ms. Jameson, we’ll resume in fifteen minutes."

I watch as Hailey’s shoulders slump in defeat. She nods once, then leads the way toward the conference room, Matthew following close behind. I trail after them, my stomach tight with dread.