Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

shadow.

Three days later, the film crew finally hit the road to the neighboring city. Matthew found himself alone at home, neck-deep in work related to the company's IPO. But no matter how busy he was, the absence of Aubree left a noticeable void, a loneliness that lingered like a Out of habit, he opened his laptop, and a news headline immediately grabbed his attention:

-Clements Corporation CEO Hits the Bottle in Late-Night Meltdown.

-Clements Corporation CEO Rumored to be Nursing a Broken Heart.

These sensational headlines rocketed to the top of trending searches, accompanied by images of Andrew, completely plastered in a bar.

Matthew's forehead creased with irritation. What kind of pity ploy was Andrew pulling now?

Without a moment's hesitation, he reached out to Casey at the company, a heavyweight in the entertainment industry, on par with Stellar Stage Entertainment, and adept at managing media storms. "Get that trending topic off the radar," he instructed firmly.

The last thing he wanted was for Aubree to stumble upon this news and feel upset or reconsider her decision to be with him. He was resolute in his mission to push Andrew out of Aubree's life for good.

knew Andrew had feelings for Aubree too, but love was inherently selfish and possessive. As long as he was part of Aubree's life,

sigh of relief and promptly checked in with Aubree to see

into the mountains. Matthew felt a flicker of annoyance. What was that old man thinking with these filming locations? At least, he had packed bug spray for her. "I've slipped some bug spray into your bag. Don't forget to use it, okay? Can't have

warmth at his thoughtfulness,

two weeks

feeling the toll.

a recent downpour

shooting left her yearning for Matthew's home-cooked

swn&

up in wooden cabins, a setup reminiscent of college dorms, crammed with several people in one room. Conditions were undeniably

streak across the sky, slicing through the unease in

her cabin,

outside, only to see Matthew stepping out of a car, umbrella in hand. Behind him, several other cars followed, packed with fresh ingredients, fruits, and even hot pot bases and

in cheers, eagerly unloading the bounty. After weeks of dry rations and bland box lunches, everyone had shed a few pounds. But now, it felt like a feast sent from above! en