Unexpected Stars of the Reality Show Chapter 2

The morning filming began, I drifted downstairs, still half-asleep. Adrian had already instructed the crew not to film me without permission, so the cameras were pointedly focused elsewhere.

The ground floor was already buzzing with activity. Poppy Vance was the center of it all, surrounded by an entourage, playing the lady of the manor to perfection.

She caught sight of me out of the corner of her eye and gestured graciously to the head housekeeper. “Mrs. Gable, could you please get Celeste some breakfast as well?”

Mrs. Gable hesitated, her gaze flicking to me for confirmation.

I stifled a yawn and gave a slight nod. Only then did she signal to the kitchen.

Neo, already at the table, greeted me. “Morning, Celeste.”

My eyes felt heavy with sleep. “‘Morning.”

“Adrian already left for the office?” he asked.

“Hm? I guess so,” I said, my voice thick with uncertainty.

The man was up before the sun, every single day. Even after a long night, nothing could disrupt the routine he’d followed for decades.

But that was Adrian Felton.

As the heir to the Felton empire, his legendary self-discipline and control were ingrained in him. He never, ever lost his composure. Even our private life was scheduled with an almost clinical precision.

While I waited for my food, Poppy suddenly glided over and sat beside me, linking her arm through mine with a practiced smile aimed at a nearby camera.

“This is Celeste’s first time on camera, so she’s a little shy,” she cooed to her audience. “I hope all my fans will be extra sweet to her!”

She turned to me, her smile dazzling. “Don’t be nervous, Celeste. My fans are the best.”

And just like that, I was on screen—no makeup, a thoroughly bewildered expression on my face.

Poppy kept an eye on the live comment feed, her own sweet smile never faltering as she cherry-picked questions to answer.

“You think Celeste looks familiar? Hmm, maybe it’s because she has one of those familiar faces.”

“You’re asking how old she is? Shhh! It’s not polite to ask a lady her age!”

After answering a few more questions and realizing the focus was still stubbornly on me, she gracefully returned to her seat, trying to steer the conversation back to herself.

The live feed, however, was still buzzing.

[So that’s Neo Felton’s sister-in-law? The wife of the Felton Corporation’s CEO?]

[She really does look familiar, and not in a generic way. I swear I’ve seen her on TV before!]

[Is she trying to ride Poppy’s coattails to get famous?]

[Poppy is so generous, letting her sister-in-law get free screen time.]

[I’m only here for Poppy! She’s so gorgeous!!!]

[Poppy is so lucky. Her fiancé is handsome, rich, and totally spoils her!]

Meanwhile, my mind was a million miles away.

I was exhausted. Utterly drained.

Adrian had just returned from a week-long business trip. And last night, my meticulously disciplined husband had decided to… make up for lost time.

All of it.

My body was still protesting.