So, that woman… She was tall and she loved green onions, huh?
I grabbed my car keys without hesitation and headed out. "Clarke, I’m going to Louis’s office."
I had to see for myself what kind of woman could steal the heart of a man who had loved me for six years.
A thousand possibilities flashed through my mind.
Maybe she was a secretary desperate for a promotion. Or some innocent, fresh-faced intern. Perhaps even a rising actress, hoping to climb her way into the Altair Family.
But none of those guesses were right.
Louis had been on set recently, filming a commercial for the company.
When I arrived, one look was all it took.
In that moment, I knew Louis and I were truly finished.
Laura Madison.
Five-foot-nine, long curly hair. The face of the campaign. To be exact, a model with a disability. Her left calf was fitted with a sleek prosthetic.
And that was when it clicked. Louis’s late mother had also been disabled.
As the illegitimate son of the Altair Family, life had never been easy for him. Surrounded by legitimate heirs, he had grown up under constant ridicule.
"Your mother’s a cripple, so you must be too."
"Why should the bastard son of a cripple compete with us?"
Because of his mother’s condition, Louis had lived his entire childhood under scorn and cruelty.
Until one day, she couldn’t take it anymore. Broken by despair, she had jumped from a thirty-story building.
Louis had once confessed bitterly, "If you were so fragile, you never should have had me on a whim."
"Sometimes I think people with disabilities don’t deserve to have children."
"They’re destined to carry heavier burdens than most… and their children inherit them too."
And yet, here he was—falling in love with a woman who shared that same struggle.
A man who had endured so much pain was helpless now, swept away by feelings he couldn’t fight.
Even imagining their story pierced me like a thousand needles.
As I approached, Louis looked stunned when he saw me. "Claire, what are you doing here?"
My eyes met Laura’s, who was also observing me. "I came to visit."
To my surprise, Laura spoke first, her voice poised and graceful. "So, this must be Mr. Altair’s fiancée, Ms. Claire Harris?"
"Seeing you in person… you’re even lovelier than I imagined. It’s a pleasure. I’m Laura Madison, the lead model for this campaign."
It struck me then—aside from the prosthetic, Laura was bright, confident, radiant, just like any anyone else.
So this is why, Louis?
He avoided my gaze, shifting uncomfortably.
Standing tall in her ten-centimeter heels, Laura looked down at me with a smile.
Her words sounded admiring when she said, "I’ve always envied women like you, Ms. Harris—so petite, so delicate."
"Unlike me, towering over everyone."
I looked at her—standing almost shoulder to shoulder with Louis, who was six-foot-two—and I caught the flicker of challenge in her gaze. I only smiled, said nothing and slid straight into Louis’s chair, crossing my arms.
"Go on with the shoot. I’m just here to watch."
But then, something went terribly wrong during the shoot.
The male model, whose last scene only required a simple embrace with Laura, suddenly grabbed her and forced his lips onto hers.
His hands roamed roughly as he growled, "Stop acting so hard to get. I like you so much. Why won't you just be mine?"
"Ah!" Laura’s cry cut through the air as her clothes were being torn.
In a flash, Louis lunged forward. He yanked the man off her and landed a brutal punch that split his lip open.
Crew rushed to cover Laura with clothes as she trembled and shaken.
Louis’s eyes blazed red with fury, his rage blinding him as the man cried out, "Stop! Please, I was wrong!"
Smack! Smack! Smack!
His fists landed slammed down again and again, the dull thuds echoing through the room.
