Kyle was done with Calista, but that was mostly because she wanted to return to work. However, she proposed something she had never done before: asking him to follow her to work
“Are you sure you want me at your job?” Kyle questioned, and Calista nodded with a broad smile.
“Do we use my car or yours?” Kyle asked, though it wasn’t that important.
“Um, how about we use mine?” Calista responded, realizing she had never driven him.
“Then what happens when I want to go home?” Kyle asked. It wouldn’t make sense to leave his car there, as he would have to return to retrieve it, and that already sounded stressful.
“I think I’ll use mine. Maybe some other time,” Kyle responded, patting her head as he walked past her.
“That’s fine,” Calista said, not thinking much about it. And they were off.
This was a good opportunity for Kyle to get a feel for her workplace and her colleagues. It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the location. Kyle parked right beside her.
He could tell Calista was excited, but that was to be expected—it was beginning to feel like a real relationship. She wanted people to know Kyle because, in a way, it would be like she was introducing him to her circle. “Bring your boyfriend to work” day, though she wasn’t sure how Kyle would respond. She didn’t want to overwhelm him but also knew he could use the distraction, given everything going on in his life.
This was within her power, and she was going to do everything she could to help him get through it.
“Wow, this place is much bigger than I thought it would be,” Kyle said, not hiding his surprise.
This must be the place where the magic happened, and Kyle knew that with the budget, he should have expected nothing less. Kyle planned to use the premiere of the movie to make some important connections, as there was no doubt some of Hollywood’s biggest names would be there to show their support—the hype this movie had generated on social media exceeded his expectations.
Kyle was glad he got involved. It was a lucky connection, but he had only done it because of Calista, not because he wanted to invest in the project itself. Calista was beginning to look like a blessing in disguise, even though she could be difficult at times.
Kyle noticed that all eyes were on them but was aware enough to know that there might be unwanted cameras around, especially since Calista’s followers had doubled ever since she was announced as part of the cast. She had been posting a lot more on social media, with pictures on set.
Kyle wasn’t aware of this because he wasn’t active on social media and didn’t care enough to keep tabs on what Calista posted. However, he knew about the attention it was getting because Isabella kept him updated with anything surrounding the movie.
Just as he expected, there were a few people at the gate with cameras, but Kyle was not in Calista’s car. He dodged a bullet—rumors could easily start, even though this would certainly leave a digital footprint. One of these pictures would likely end up online, but it would be difficult to identify him since he had positioned his face away from the cameras.
Once they were past the gate, they didn’t need to worry about any cameras.
The truth was, Calista wanted Kyle in her car so that the cameras would catch them together. There was no doubt it would make it online, and if he was truly seeing any other woman, they would be aware of Calista’s presence, which would likely make her insecure, especially with his good looks.
However, Calista’s plan didn’t pan out. Kyle didn’t see through it, but he thought it was more of a hassle to come back for his car. If he had come by Uber, it would have made her plan a success, but it was worth a try regardless.
Kyle saw the production unit, and no one knew who he was. They treated him like an average Joe.
“Is this where all the money is being shot?” Kyle asked, confused. He had expected them to shoot in other locations unless they planned to use CGI, which wouldn’t make sense for the genre.
“We’ve taken shots in other locations, but this has a fantasy component, so we shoot some of it here,” Calista explained.
“Oh, I see. That would explain all the fancy equipment,” Kyle pointed out.
He understood that things wouldn’t always go his way, but this wasn’t one of those situations.
Calista nodded to confirm as she continued to show him around, though it received mixed reactions. This was her workplace after all, so there was no reason for her to be overly casual about it, regardless of her relationship with the person being shown around.
Kyle didn’t have any problems with it and knew that it was one of those things that were entirely subjective. The ladies around admired his looks—he was attractive and intentional about his appearance, something he didn’t take for granted.
But Kyle came here for one more thing.
“Hey, where is this Lucas who’s been bothering you?” Kyle asked Calista.
Calista thought he wanted to put a face to the name, so she quickly darted her head around, but he was nowhere in sight.
“That’s strange. He’s always outside at this time. Maybe he’s in his office,” Calista said.
“Take me there,” Kyle responded without missing a beat. Calista thought he was joking, but when she looked at him, she realized he wasn’t.
Kyle wasn’t joking, but Calista also knew that if she took him, things could escalate, causing problems for her. It was like having a teacher stand up to a bully for you, only to make the bullying worse.
“But babe, I’ve handled it,” Calista tried to brush it off.
“Calista…” Kyle called, pausing to draw her in.
“Please, don’t make me repeat myself,” he said. His voice sounded threatening, and she instantly knew that making Kyle mad was the dumbest thing to do, especially after the blissful conversation they’d just had.
“O-Okay…” Calista stammered, taking a huge gulp.
Stay connected through empire
There was something about Kyle’s presence that made her just want to obey. She knew disobeying wasn’t worth the trouble.
She led him down the hallway, and the assistant at the small desk intervened.
“Excuse me, can I help you, sir?” the assistant asked, shooting Calista a dirty look.
“Hey, Calista, you can return… I’ll handle it from here,” Kyle instructed her. Calista didn’t know why, but her heart was pounding.
A man who knew how to take charge and put her in her place was something she hadn’t experienced until she met Kyle.
“Okay…” Calista replied, but as soon as she turned around, Kyle smacked her behind, causing her to bite her lower lip.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be long,” Kyle said, and the assistant couldn’t believe the audacity of this man to do something so crude in front of her.
“Now you…” Kyle said, the grin fading from his face.
“Mister Lucas is busy and cannot see anyone right now,” the assistant said, but Kyle’s attention was fixed on the door ahead.
“Do you plan on stopping me?” Kyle questioned. The assistant had a plain look on her face, but Kyle didn’t find her attractive, even though he understood if someone else did.
“I’ll call security,” she threatened, but Kyle sighed the moment he heard this.
“Go ahead, then. Call them,” Kyle responded without hesitation.
Kyle called her bluff. If she called security, there was nothing they could do.
Kyle walked toward the door. The lady tried to stand in front of him, but like a recurring migraine, a flash of Clarence’s lifeless body flashed through Kyle’s mind, causing him to recoil slightly. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
The assistant noticed this but offered no help. He was a trespasser, and that was why she rushed to her desk. There was no way she could stop him physically, and that was why they had security. It was time for them to earn their keep.
Kyle made it to the door, wondering what that flash was. It was the first time something like that had happened since the incident. He didn’t know why it happened, but it couldn’t be serious, though his heart rate had increased.
He opened the door and saw Lucas Rossini. He looked exactly as Kyle had imagined. Lucas didn’t even look up, assuming it was Calista because he’d heard his assistant’s voice.
“Not now, Calista,” Lucas said, typing away at his laptop.
“Lucas Rossini, is it?” Kyle asked. Lucas’s head shot up in urgency because he didn’t recognize the voice.
“How did you get in here? Who are you?” Lucas asked, getting to his feet. But Kyle wasn’t bothered by his antics.
Kyle sat down, threw his legs across the table, and sighed at Lucas’s overreaction.
“Are you scared?” Kyle asked, his voice carrying disappointment.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of… yet,” Kyle added, gesturing for Lucas to sit.
Lucas hesitated, cleared his throat, and did as he was told.
“What do you want?” Lucas asked, though it was a delay tactic. He was waiting for security to show up and throw Kyle out—but unbeknownst to him, Kyle was waiting for the same thing.