"Hubby?" Eryx, who had just taken a seat to chair an ergency eting, imdiately stood up again.
"H–Hubby," Lunara’s voice ca through the other line, a little shaky. "Can you co here? Sothing happened."
Eryx’s eyes darkened. His grip tightened around his phone. "What happened? Where are you? Still at the studio?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the murmurs in the eting room.
Lunara swallowed. "Hmm... The studio."
Eryx’s jaw tightened. "Stay there. I’m coming."
Without waiting for a reply, he ended the call and turned to Callum. "Cancel the eting."
"But sir—"
"Now," Eryx snapped, already grabbing his coat.
Callum sighed but nodded, pulling out his phone. anwhile, Eryx strode out of the office, his expression cold and unreadable.
Whatever had happened, whoever was responsible, he would deal with it.
The atmosphere in the studio was tense, with everyone pausing their work. Lunara sat anxiously, glancing at her phone every few seconds to check the ti. It had been fifteen minutes since the call, Eryx would probably arrive soon.
Her fingers tightened around the phone as doubt crept in. Had she made the right decision by calling him? What if this only made things worse?
Eryx was the CEO, and his mother, Regina, the chairman, was the one who got her this job. If he stord in here, furious, wouldn’t that just make people believe she was using her connections?
Her stomach twisted. Maybe she should have handled this on her own.
Standing up, Lunara carefully walked over to the photographer, who looked annoyed. He sat with his arms crossed, staring straight at her.
"What? Your so-called husband couldn’t make it?" he mocked.
Lunara turned around, looking for a paper and pen. "Wait..."
She dashed around and finally got the paper and pen she needed, "Here, write your account number down and I will transfer the money."
The photographer scoffed, eyeing her with amusent. "Oh? So now you’re acting all responsible?"
Lunara ignored his tone, pushing the paper and pen toward him. "Just write it down."
He leaned back, tapping his fingers against the armrest. "You sure you have that kind of money?"
"Just do it," she said firmly, her patience wearing thin. "And the amount too."
The photographer smirked as he snatched the pen and paper from her hand. With bold strokes, he scribbled down a number and shoved it back at her.
"$20,000."
Lunara’s eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "What? You think a high-end professional cara is cheap? Not to ntion the lens, the custom modifications, and the priceless photos inside it." His smirk widened. "Unless you’d rather settle it another way?"
Lunara gritted her teeth. There was no way the cara cost that much, but she wasn’t about to argue with him now.
Twenty thousand? She didn’t even have twenty dollars to spare right now.
Her fingers clenched around the paper, her throat tightening. She had nothing, no savings, no inco. Naomi had been the one keeping a roof over her head ever since she lost everything.
The photographer’s smirk grew. "What’s wrong? Too expensive?" He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the armrest. "Guess you’ll have to settle it another way, then."
Lunara’s grip on the paper trembled. She knew exactly what he was implying. "I never knew that soone as professional as you could use this kind of way to threaten soone."
The photographer let out a low chuckle. "Threaten? Now, now, let’s not be dramatic. I’m simply giving you options." His eyes glead with amusent as he watched her struggle to keep her composure.
Lunara’s stomach churned. She had nothing, no money, no backup. Calling Eryx had been her last resort, but now she wasn’t even sure if that was the right decision.
Just as she opened her mouth to respond, the studio doors slamd open, the sound echoing through the tense room.
Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the studio doors slamd open, making everyone turn to the sound.
The mont they saw Eryx, they imdiately stood up. Curiosity and confusion flickered in their eyes. He had already been here earlier, seemingly just checking the studio before heading back to the office.
But now, he was back.
And this ti, he looked deadly cold.
Lunara’s lips trembled as she turned to face him. A wave of relief washed over her at the sight of his face, but uncertainty lingered, would he even be willing to pay for the damage?
Eryx’s presence alone was enough to cast the room into an eerie silence. His sharp gaze swept across the studio, and everyone instinctively took a step back. The air grew ice-cold, his expression unreadable yet undeniably dangerous.
He stopped right beside Lunara, his eyes scanning her from head to toe, as if checking for any injuries.
"What is it? What happened?" His voice was low and firm.
Lunara pressed her lips into a thin line, her gaze slowly shifting to the broken cara still lying on the floor.
"Mr. Grantham..." The photographer forced a smile, extending his hand for a handshake. "What an honor to have you here again. What brings you back? Are you here to check on the photography session?"
Eryx didn’t spare the man a glance. His cold eyes remained on Lunara, noting her hesitation, the tension in her shoulders, the way she avoided his gaze. Without a word, he reached out, gently tilting her chin up.
Lunara stiffened at the unexpected touch. Her eyes darted around, and sure enough, every pair of eyes in the room was locked on them. "Mr. Grantham," she muttered lightly, hoping he’d take the hint.
Eryx didn’t move away. Instead, he casually stepped in front of her, placing himself between her and the others. It was a subtle movent, but the shift in the air was unmistakable. His presence alone made the photographer, who had been all smug just monts ago, shrink back slightly.
"Where is the ’hubby’?" Eryx teased, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. But as he turned his head slightly, his gaze landed on the faint redness on her cheek.
His expression shifted in an instant. The teasing vanished.
His eyes darkened. "Who did this?" His voice was dangerously low, laced with a chilling calm that sent a shudder through the room.
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