“Noah Myersarter is handsome and aligns perfectly with what the younger girls find attractive these days. Plus, with his high EQ, shy yet enthusiastic personality, the transformation when he dances is incredible.” Theodore murmured a distracted agreement, his mind somewhere else.

“To make it big, he’ll still need a break. So, I’m planning to sign a few influential artists to back us up,” Phoebe continued.

Theodore leaned back against the pillows, hands behind his head. “Got anyone in mind?”

“Yeah, Evan DeRoss, who shot to fame last year with that hit series adaptation. I heard his contract is almost up, so I’m planning to make him an offer he can’t refuse to become the leading man of QUEEN Entertainment. Though rumors say he’s looking to start his own studio-landing him will all come down to fate.”

Phoebe turned to look at him, their eyes locking. Theodore’s hand still played with her hair as everything around them seemed just right, yet her heart began to feel an icy chill.

She knew QUEEN Entertainment was a gift Theodore intended for Vanessa, and Phoebe was only managing it temporarily.

The irony of her hard work would sting all the more once they divorced and Vanessa took over.

Closing her tablet with finality, Phoebe placed it on the nightstand. “You’re right, there’s no need to overdo it. No one’s going to take my place if I wear myself out.” With that, she rolled over, turning her back on him, as if to cocoon herself with the bedcovers.

Theodore was silent, staring at the defiant curve of her hips. He nudged her with his foot playfully, “I’m trying to have a serious conversation. Why the sudden mood?” Phoebe lay there, eyes closed, not quite sure what was fueling her frustration.

Theodore waited for a moment, his patience waning as she ignored him. Frustration clawed at his chest. In a huff, he pulled on his pajama bottoms and stormed out the door.

As the slamming door echoed in her ears, Phoebe lay back on her bed, eyes locked onto the ceiling. A smirk touched her lips – Theo had finally found his excuse to meet up with Vanessa at night. Downstairs at the pool, Theodore sliced through the water for several rounds. His athletic form cut a powerful figure against the shimmering surface, muscles taut and well-defined.

Breathless, he rested against the pool’s edge, his body radiating an unrest that seemed to have no outlet.

Footsteps approached from the end of the path, intentionally heavy, signaling their arrival. Theodore’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

Without turning to look, he dove back into the water, his long arms stirring the surface into a frothy cascade.

Vanessa stood at the poolside, her gaze fixated on the lithe and wild figure in the water. She had fantasized before about what being with Theodore really meant. Wild, untamed, fierce – he would be a man of passion and raw masculine energy.

A splash jolted Vanessa from her reverie.

Theodore hauled himself up, rather surprised to see her, “Haven’t you gone to bed yet?”

“Hmm, I saw you swimming from upstairs. Couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d come down for a walk. Want some water?” Vanessa offered him a bottle of mineral water. Her cheeks blushed as her eyes briefly traced the water dripping off his body.

He glanced at the bottle, accepted it, but didn’t open it. Instead, he placed it on a nearby sun lounger and draped a bathrobe over his shoulders.