The Reclusive Top Star Has A Crush On Me

Before the guests could head out, they had to wait while the crew finished setting up the outdoor filming gear. They gathered under the villa’s porch, squinting at the blazing sun, their enthusiasm wilting by the second.

The male guests seemed to take it a little better—none of them appeared particularly worried about tanning. The women, though, stared down the scorching sun like it was a personal enemy. Even Millie Reed felt a flicker of dread. She wasn’t the type to obsess over a ten-step skincare routine like some celebrity, but the idea of frying under that sun wasn’t exactly appealing. Luckily, she’d just reapplied sunscreen and prayed it would hold up.

A shadow fell over her. Millie froze. To her surprise, Ivory Murphy was standing right beside her, holding a pastel pink parasol.

Catching Millie’s stare, Ivory assumed she wanted in on the shade. “You didn’t bring an umbrella either? No worries—mine’s big enough for two.” She lifted the parasol, pulling Millie under its cover.

Ivory had only just remembered her parasol, abandoned earlier on the villa’s porch. Sunscreen or not, she didn’t trust it against sunlight this brutal, so she’d gone back for it.

Millie blinked up at the stretch of pink above her, caught off guard. She hadn’t expected Ivory to offer her shade—let alone hold the umbrella for her. Millie had been nursing a bit of a grudge against Ivory because of her ties to Braxton Reynolds; she’d assumed the girl would be a pain to deal with.

Now, though, she felt a sting of shame at how quick she’d been to judge. Smiling, she took the umbrella from Ivory. “Let me hold it. I’m taller.”

The second it left her mouth, she worried Ivory might take it as a dig at her height. But Ivory only nodded, totally unbothered.

“You’re really tall—I wish I were that tall. Then I could finally wear that Victorian-style gown I’ve been obsessed with!” Ivory sighed, remembering the dress she’d had to pass up because of her height. She puffed out her cheeks in playful frustration, looking like a pouting pufferfish.

Millie couldn’t help but laugh. Up close, Ivory was kind of adorable. She was just a blunt, honest girl—not the scheming villain the internet painted her as.

Nearby, Mikaela Jackson spotted Ivory under the parasol and couldn’t resist a jab. “Some people are so vain—like sunscreen’s gonna make her face any prettier.” She’d muttered it, but not quietly enough. A few heads turned. Mikaela slapped a hand over her mouth, nervously glancing at Jaylani Cunningham beside her.

Jaylani kept her usual serene smile, and Mikaela relaxed. Jaylani hadn’t missed the comment—she agreed with it, actually. But unlike Mikaela, she wasn’t dumb enough to say it loud enough for the wrong people to hear. That kind of slip had a way of biting you later.

Finally, the crew was ready, cameras and gear in tow. At the director’s cue, everyone set off. Each guest had their own idea of the island’s most beautiful spot, so they scattered down different paths.

Oscar Alvarez took off immediately, already knowing exactly where he wanted to film. Keith Morris headed the opposite way, just as purposeful. Ellis Murphy strolled off in another direction, the picture of laid-back ease—like he was filming a wellness-retreat ad.

The standout, though, was Braxton Reynolds, lagging conspicuously behind the female guests. He had a destination in mind, sure—but he was far more concerned with Jaylani. So he followed her, with “coincidence” ready as his excuse.

As it happened, Jaylani was headed the same way as Ivory. The thought of a pest like Braxton trailing after them made Ivory’s skin crawl.

Noticing Ivory’s furrowed brow, Millie asked, “Everything okay?”

Ivory scrunched her nose and dropped her voice. “I’ve got a tagalong. And he’s annoying as hell.”

Millie immediately guessed who the tagalong was, but Ivory’s bluntness caught her off guard.

“Didn’t you like Braxton—” Millie started, only to get a look from Ivory that screamed, Do you really think my taste is that bad?

Millie blinked, confused. But Ivory had no interest in explaining. She was still annoyed by the mess the original Ivory had left behind, but she knew the truth would come out eventually.

Hoping to shake Braxton, Ivory and Millie picked up the pace. They were headed in the same direction—Ivory to the rocky coast, Millie to the grove nearby—and both planned to be back within half an hour.

Once they split up, Ivory reached her destination: the spot where she’d found Ellis earlier that morning. It had stuck with her ever since the director announced the task.

She glanced at the spot where the fish had escaped, a twinge of disappointment prickling through her. Peering down from the rocks, she saw no sign of any fish. So much for her fish dinner.

And it wasn’t just the fish getting under her skin. Jaylani had trailed after her like a shadow.

“Ivory? What a coincidence—we picked the same spot.” Jaylani smiled.

Ivory rolled her eyes before turning to face her. This location wasn’t exactly convenient, and Ivory hadn’t planned on shooting anything elaborate, so her cameraman stayed back, filming her from a distance.

Jaylani, meanwhile, waved her cameraman off for the moment, saying she wanted to scout the location herself and would call him over once she decided it was good enough. The considerate act earned her another round of praise from her audience—always so thoughtful, so kind.

So Jaylani stood there alone, unaccompanied, perfectly maintaining her facade of sweet, generous grace.