Chapter Nine

Daniela tossed him the keys when they got to the hotel’s basement parking. “Your turn to drive.”

Vassi caught it without a word and after pressing the unlock button, he wordlessly opened the passenger door for her.

As she got in, Daniela blew him a kiss. “Thank you.”

He closed the door shut.

Fuck.

How the hell had his world turned upside down in less than a day?

When Vassi got inside the driver’s seat and started Daniela’s car, she told him with a giggle, “This is kind of exciting.”

“Is it?”

“Sneaking around, making sure no paparazzi sees us,” she said ruefully, “With Andrew, it felt sordid, but with you – it’s like an adventure.”

He didn’t answer, but she didn’t seem to mind as Daniela only smiled at him, saying, “That reminds me. Have I told you how handsome you are?”

You have, Vassi thought as he drove out of the basement. Six times in the past five minutes, and he was counting every instance not because he was egotistical but because it was almost like a total stranger had taken over Daniela’s body. From a colleague who had been mildly entertaining, she had somehow transformed overnight into an incomprehensibly clingy woman who didn’t know when to shut up.

She chatted almost nonstop throughout the ride, but Vassi nonetheless bided his time. When she finally paused for breath, he said right away, “We need to talk about last night.”

Daniela squeezed his arm, saying teasingly, “You were great, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

No. It wasn’t. What did worry the hell out of him was the fact that he remembered nothing at all, and he couldn’t remember being this wasted since the night Seri turned eighteen and he had forced himself to hurt her.

Daniela peered at him. “What do you want to talk about?”

Good question, and one he could answer better if he could just remember the most salient facts.

His fingers tightening around the shift stick, Vassi tried to recall what he could of yesterday’s events. The time he spent at work was clear enough.

But after that---

He remembered calling his driver to let him know he was no longer needed, remembered getting inside Daniela’s car. He remembered the two of them talking, and when they realized that they could be putting his own family in danger by taking her home with him, they had mutually decided that it was better for her to check in at a hotel instead.

He remembered having dinner in her suite, followed by drinks---

And then nothing.

His lips tightened.

Daniela’s smile faded at the look on his face. “What is it?”

He said tautly, “I don’t remember anything happening between us.” Daniela fell silent, and he cursed under his breath. “I know that came out wrong, and---”

“Vassi. I’m five-foot-five, and I weigh one hundred and ten. Do you really think I could have carried you all the way to the bedroom and have my wicked way with you?”

Vassi had no answer to that.

“We had some drinks last night, and clearly it was more than what was right for you, if you can’t remember anything that happened---” She broke off all of a sudden, and when he saw hurt flashing in her eyes, he knew he only had himself to blame.

“I’m sorry,” he forced himself to say. “None of this is your fault---”

She said in a small voice, “I didn’t ever think it was.”

He stilled.

“I’ve always liked you, Vassi. I just didn’t let you know because I thought I never had a chance, and it’s why I keep dating bad boys. I was trying to look for someone like you.”

Vassi forced his face to stay expressionless even as her words made him feel sick inside. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Looking at her now, he knew every word she spoke was true, just as he knew that all these years, he had only deliberately blinded himself to it.

“Last night…you kissed me, and it was the happiest moment of my life.”

Fuck.

She raised her gaze to his, saying sadly, “But it’s not the same for you, is it? You still love Seri, don’t you?”

“No.”

“Vassi, it’s just the two of us in the car. There’s no need to lie.” Her voice shook as she said, “You don’t love me. You can’t because it’s Seri you love---”

“Daniela.” She was right. It was just the two of them in the car, and seeing how much it had cost Daniela to say the words, guilt made Vassi say, “It’s not what you think.” Inhaling sharply, he forced himself to continue, saying, “You’re right. I don’t love you. But I don’t love her either.”

“I don’t believe you---”

“Have I ever lied to you?”

Her gaze turned uncertain. “No.”

“Then believe me when I say I don’t love her. I might have thought I had, but I no longer do.”

“But I’ve seen the way you stare at her when you think she’s not looking---”

“If you’ve seen me staring at her,” he grated out, “it was because I couldn’t understand why I could fall for someone like her. That’s all.”

Daniela looked down. “I see.”

Vassi tightened his hands on the steering wheel. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice all these years, D.”

Lifting her gaze to meet his, she said with a strained smile, “T-that’s not your fault either.”

Silence reigned, tense and painful, for the remainder of the ride. When they made it to the hotel, Vassi went around to open the car door for her, but he was too late.

Daniela had already stepped out, and she was smiling brightly at him. “No need,” she told him with false cheer. “You never used to open doors for me before.”

Feeling even guiltier at the way she was obviously forcing herself, he said curtly, “Nothing happened between us then.”

She waited for him to finish signing the slip for valet service before muttering fiercely, “I just want you to stop giving me unnecessary hope. Okay?”

Ah.

He said with a sigh, “I’m sorry, D.” It was unlike him to commit one mistake after another.

As they walked inside the lobby, members of the media tried to rush towards them before being quickly held back by security.

He pulled her close to him immediately, not wanting Daniela accidentally jostled or shoved.

As she burrowed into his chest, he heard her say, “Can I ask a favor?”

“Another one?” he managed to say lightly as he led them towards the function hall where the press conference was being held.

“Don’t treat me differently. Please. I know you can’t ever love me, but we can at least stay friends, right?”

His arm around her shoulders tightened at the request. “Right.”

They entered the function hall through the back door then, and waiting production assistants immediately escorted them up the stage. The rest of the cast was already seated, together with the sound and art directors.

After pulling a chair for Daniela, he forced himself to turn to Seri and ruffled her hair, knowing it was what was expected of him. “Hey.”

Seri managed a smile. “Hey.”

She tried not to think about the fact that Vassi and the other girl had arrived together – again.

Inching forward, she looked past Vassi to smile at Daniela. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

She blinked at Daniela’s strained smile. Was something wrong? She immediately looked at Vassi, but he kept his gaze straight ahead, deliberately ignoring her.

Slowly, she turned her gaze back to the crowd as well. Had the two of them fought?

Almost half an hour passed before the press conference began, and it couldn’t have come earlier for Seri. Those thirty minutes had been the worst, with Seri unable to stop listening to the way Vassi and Daniela continued with their cute and witty banter.

The first part of the conference involved a short introduction from the two directors followed by a ten-minute Q & A for each member of the cast. The third part of the conference allowed the press to ask questions of the cast as an ensemble, and the first one had everyone either smiling or hooting outright.

“Any real-life romance between any cast members?”

Everyone, including Seri, although it was taking everything for her to continue smiling.

Vassi did his best not to react at the question. Beside him, he sensed more than saw Daniela stiffen, and he reached for her hand without hesitation. He squeezed her fingers, telling her without words that he wouldn’t do anything to embarrass her.

“I think you should ask our dear Daniela about that,” Malinda was saying. “Right…D?” The other actors grinned at her deliberate use of Vassi’s nickname for Daniela.

The moderator turned to Daniela with a grin. “Well, Ms. Martin?”

“I’m…” Daniela’s voice faltered and she turned towards him helplessly.

Without missing a beat, Vassi said, “In one of our rehearsals, Malinda says I’m every girl’s type---”

The girls in the crowd cheered.

“So as far as romances go,” he drawled, “I think every girl in the cast, with the exception of my sister, is in love with me.” He looked at Malinda. “And that includes you, Malinda, even if you won’t admit it.”

Malinda only rolled her eyes even as the crowd of reporters laughed.

The questions continued, with one reporter asking the inevitable question about how awkward it was for Vassi and Seri to play lovers when they were siblings in real life.

Vassi answered first. “Work is work, and it makes no difference to us.”

Seri shook her head at the crowd. “To be honest, my only complaint is that I have to spend even more time with the most arrogant guy in the world.” She turned to face Vassi to smirk at him---

Or at least that was what she wanted to do until she saw Vassi holding Daniela’s hand under the table.

She quickly faced the crowd, saying brightly, “Other than that, it’s not a problem.” The reporter next in line came forward, his question about voice acting techniques, but Seri barely heard him at all.

Right now, there was only one thing she could think about.