Chase Sterling always felt like furniture. The kind you don't notice, the kind that's easy to shove in a corner and forget. He was used to it: people looked right through him, brushed him off like lint. But it only takes one phone call to erase a lifetime of being overlooked. When his estranged family meets a tragic end, Chase suddenly finds himself in charge of the sprawling Sterling fortune. Turns out, riches aren't the only thing the family left him. There's a curse running through his blood, warping love into something hungry and dangerous, impossible to escape.

Vivian Ashford never set out to blow Chase's life to smithereens. Just one decision (a sharp, ruthless move at graduation) was all it took to set their worlds spinning out of control. While Vivian soaks up the Hollywood limelight and collects red-carpet headlines, Chase slips into his new role as Manhattan's most intimidating heir. But no matter how far they run, something keeps yanking them back together, like a stitch in an old wound that refuses to heal.

Jackson drops to one knee on the film set exactly three weeks after Katrina's graceful exit exposed our affair through implication, exactly when public opinion has branded me homewrecker who destroys kind people through toxic obsession with Chase Sterling, exactly when professional redemption seems impossible without dramatic gesture proving I'm capable of healthy relationship.


The proposal happens mid-scene. Between takes. With full crew watching. With cameras rolling for behind-the-scenes footage. With flashbulbs from set photographers capturing every moment for publicity Philippe clearly orchestrated as part of film's marketing strategy.


Jackson holds out ring. Expensive. Tasteful. Exactly what public proposal requires. "Vivian, I know we tried this before. I know it didn't work. I know you're still figuring out who you are and what you want. But I love you. I've always loved you. And I want to try again. Will you marry me?"


Chapter 165 - Jackson Proposes