Chapter 82: Mistaken Hearts
The reshoot began.
At first, Leon was still painfully stiff—but little by little, something inside him shifted.
He exhaled. Relaxed his shoulders.
The camera clicked again and again.
Half angel. Half devil.
His look was hauntingly beautiful—otherworldly.
When the last flash faded, the entire studio broke into spontaneous applause.
"Sophia, this guy is insane!"
"Insane?" she asked, half-smiling.
"Absolutely! I’ve been behind the camera for years, and I’ve never shot someone with a face like that. He’s a walking masterpiece."
Sophia couldn’t help but beam. She turned toward Leon—who was still adjusting his outfit under the lights—and gave him a big thumbs-up.
Leon’s face flushed crimson. He’d been running on pure adrenaline the whole time.
Later that afternoon, Howard stopped by. Sophia gave him a few final instructions, and just as she was about to leave, Leon jogged up behind her.
"Wait!" he blurted.
She paused. "What is it?"
"I just... wanted to say thank you."
Sophia shook her head. "Gratitude is good, but remember—most of what happens in life is because of you. I’ll give you every opportunity you deserve. The rest, you earn yourself."
Her voice softened slightly. "Howard will build your new public image. From now on, you’re not the old Leon. Don’t ever forget that."
She started to turn away when his voice called after her, quiet but steady.
"You should keep going, too."
For a second, Sophia froze. No one had ever said that to her before.
She turned back, smiled, and mimed a little "fighting!" gesture with her fist.
Leon’s chest tightened. His eyes burned.
He’d once been a petty thief, stealing tires to survive.
Now, he had someone who believed in him.
Someone who saw more.
Leon, your chance has come. Don’t waste it.
...
By the time Sophia settled both business and personal matters, her mood had lifted.
But the moment she walked back into Hilton Group, she noticed the strange looks.
Whispers. Stares.
Something was... off.
By the third day, she’d had enough.
As a young woman from the tech department passed by, Sophia caught her by the collar, dragging her toward the stairwell.
"Miss Morgan, I—"
Sophia arched a brow. "I know you. You’re the only girl in the tech division. So tell me—what’s going on? People have been giving me weird looks all week."
The girl—pretty, timid, and far too nervous—fidgeted under her gaze. "Miss Morgan, it’s... it’s nothing. You’ve misunderstood."
"Misunderstood?" Sophia smirked. "I’m not blind. Spit it out. If you don’t, I’ll make sure your next quarterly bonus mysteriously disappears."
The poor girl wilted instantly. "O-okay, fine! It’s just... Mr. Hilton gave everyone these... cards."
Sophia narrowed her eyes. "Cards?"
"Holiday cards! He asked us to write down... um... ideas."
"What kind of ideas?"
The girl’s voice dropped to a whisper. "Um... how to—uh—how to... pursue someone romantically."
Sophia blinked. "So everyone’s been looking at me like that because they think Lucas is cheating?"
The girl gave a tiny nod.
Sophia sighed. "What did you write?"
The young woman froze like a deer in headlights. Her face turned cherry-red.
"Miss Morgan... I... it’s kind of... hard to say."
"Say it."
The girl squeezed her eyes shut. "I wrote... ’Just pin her down and kiss her!’"
She looked ready to die on the spot. "It was supposed to be anonymous! I didn’t think anyone would ever read it!"
Sophia’s lips twitched as she squinted dangerously.
...
Meanwhile, upstairs in the executive suite, Lucas sat at his desk flipping through the stack of cards, unreadable expression on his face.
He paused at one, lips curving ever so slightly.
"Just pin her down and kiss her. Make her crave you. And don’t forget—hit the gym regularly."
Someone had even drawn a checkmark and a circle at the bottom—as if to say: executed successfully, and worth repeating.
The second card read:
"Women love flowers, diamonds, and anything that sparkles."
Lucas glanced at the diamond ring he’d just brought back from Country F.
Check.
Next card:
"The way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach!"
He smiled faintly, thinking about the luxury mall he’d just acquired. His pen hovered, ready to check that one off too—until he noticed the rest of the sentence.
"But remember: cook it yourself if you want it to mean something."
Lucas froze midair.
Cook. It. Himself?
Since when did chasing a woman feel like a full-time job?
Especially when the woman in question was Sophia Morgan—a woman who was anything but ordinary.
He rubbed his temples, staring at the hundreds of "romantic advice" cards left on his desk.
At this rate, I’ll be here all night...
Just then—
Click. Click. Click.
The sharp rhythm of high heels echoed from the hallway.
Lucas’s head snapped up.
That sound... too tall.
Hilton Group had a rule: no heels over five centimeters for female employees.
This was at least eight.
Oh, hell.
He moved faster than lightning, shoving all the cards into a cabinet and yanking open the nearest folder. Papers fluttered everywhere.
And then—
Click.
The door opened.
Sophia stepped in, one brow elegantly arched.
"Mr. Hilton, you look... busy."
He didn’t even look up. "What are you doing here?"
Her tone dripped with mock amusement. "Why won’t you look at me? Doing something guilty, perhaps?"
She set her purse on the chair, leaned forward with both hands braced on his desk, and peered down at him.
"Lucas," she teased, "is that document really more interesting than I am?"
Her hair slipped over her shoulder, brushing the air between them—light, floral, distracting.
He swallowed hard. "The company has a lot to deal with."
"Really?" she said, voice silky. "You’ve been warm one minute, cold the next. Should I be concerned you’ve developed a split personality?"
He stayed silent, his jaw tightening.
Sophia tilted her head. "For someone so cautious, you’re actually pretty bad at lying."
In one swift motion, she yanked the file out of his hands.
"Well, what do we have here?" she said, grinning. "You do realize this file is upside down, right? Reading backward—new business tactic, or just terrible eyesight?"
He cursed inwardly. In his panic, he’d opened the damn thing the wrong way.
"Give it back," he said through his teeth.
"Oh, I will," she teased, twirling his tie around her finger and tugging him closer. "But first, explain what kind of nonsense you’ve been up to in this office."
"You’ve got it wrong."
"Wrong?" Her eyes gleamed. "Someone already confessed."
Lucas stiffened.
Before he could speak, she gripped his tie tighter, forcing him to meet her gaze.
"If you’re going to cheat," she said sharply, "at least don’t make it public. We might be in a contract marriage, but I still work here. Ever heard of dignity?"
He blinked. "Cheat? What the hell are you talking about?"
"That supermodel I saw on your computer screensaver," she shot back. "She’s gorgeous, by the way. Nice curves. That your type?"
"Sophia, have you completely lost it?"
"Lost it? Not at all." She smirked, releasing his tie. "If she’s that perfect, introduce us sometime."
He raised a brow. "Introduce you?"
"Of course," she said sweetly. "Admiring beautiful women isn’t just a man’s privilege."
His voice dropped. "So what you’re saying is—"
"I want to experience the joys men rave about," she said innocently, lips curving into a mischievous smile.
That did it.
Before she could blink, Lucas’s hand slid behind her neck—and he kissed her.
Hard.
Possessive.
Defiant.
A kiss that said: Enough games.