The Lies We Tell Ourselves

Chapter 6

Laurent sat in the dimly lit corner of the bar, the low hum of background noise doing little to ease the knot in his stomach. He twirled the glass of whiskey in his hand, eyes unfocused as his thoughts drifted back to Serena and Elias. It had been days since the rumor broke, but the sting of it hadn't faded. Every time he thought he had buried it, the thought of Serena with Elias would flare up in his mind, refusing to be silenced.

It wasn't just the Serena-Elias situation either—it was everything. The past five months had been a whirlwind of damage control, his name dragged through the mud after Vivien's affair with that producer. The media circus had been brutal, and no matter what he did, he couldn't shake the whispers of pity or the judgmental glances that followed him everywhere. Some people pitied him, some blamed him for not being enough—for not keeping Vivien's attention.

He hated it. He hated all of it.

They were both from Gray Entertainment, but since the scandal, they hadn't seen each other inside the building—avoiding one another at all costs.

And now, here he was, meeting Vivien of all people. He hadn't seen her since everything blew up. It had been five long months since she had single-handedly turned his life upside down. Yet, here he was, sitting in this private bar, agreeing to see her for the first time since the scandal. Part of him knew why—he wanted to distract himself from the Serena and Elias rumor that was currently overshadowing everything. If talking to Vivien meant stirring up another mess to cover this one, so be it. At least it would take his mind off things.

The door swung open, and there she was. Vivien walked in with the same effortless grace she always had, her blonde hair cascading down her back as she approached the table. She wore a perfectly tailored black dress that hugged her in all the right places, but Laurent barely looked at her. His face remained expressionless as she slid into the chair across from him.

"Laurent," she greeted him, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, as if she had no idea of the chaos she had left behind. "It's been too long. How are you?"

He took a sip of his whiskey, not bothering to hide his disinterest. "I'm fine."

Vivien hesitated, perhaps expecting a warmer welcome. But Laurent had no intention of giving her that satisfaction. He took a sip of his whiskey, his face set in a stoic mask as she fidgeted slightly in her seat.

"Work's been good, I suppose?" she ventured, trying to fill the silence. "The usual projects at Gray Entertainment?"

"Same as ever," he replied coldly, his voice flat.

Vivien's eyes flickered, as though sensing the icy reception, but she didn't let it faze her. "You look well," she said with a practiced smile.

He didn't respond. He wasn't here for small talk. His grip tightened around his glass, his eyes hard as he stared across at her.

"Laurent," she sighed, leaning forward slightly. "I know this is awkward, but I wanted to clear the air. I hate that things ended the way they did."

Laurent's jaw clenched. "Ended? You mean when you cheated on me with that producer? When you dragged me into the middle of a public scandal and made me look like a fool?"

Vivien flinched, but she quickly recovered, her eyes holding his steadily. "I made mistakes, Laurent. But we both know it wasn't as simple as that."

His eyebrows shot up, incredulous. "Not simple? You cheated. You ruined everything."

"I made a mistake, yes," she admitted, her voice calm, controlled. "But don't act like you were completely innocent in all this. You weren't exactly present, Laurent. You were always too busy with your career, too caught up in being Laurent Gray, the untouchable actor."