Luna's POV
I couldn't sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, I heard those crew members talking about getting me "gone by week three." Their voices echoed in my head like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.
By morning, I'd made a decision. If someone wanted me gone, I needed to know who I could trust. And the only way to do that was to pay attention to everyone around me.
Starting with the other contestants.
I walked down to the pool area where breakfast was being served. The camera crews were already set up, following people around like hungry sharks. This was it - my first real day of filming.
The moment I stepped outside, conversations stopped. Again.
A blonde girl with perfect everything whispered something to her friend, who giggled and looked at me with disgust. Two guys by the juice bar turned their backs when I walked past. Even the servers seemed nervous around me.
I grabbed a piece of toast and found an empty chair. Jade waved at me from across the pool, but she was surrounded by other contestants who clearly didn't want me to join them.
"Well, well, well."
A voice behind me made my skin crawl. I turned to see Brittany Mills - a model I recognized from magazine covers. She had the kind of beauty that looked fake even when it wasn't.
"If it isn't Hollywood's favorite train wreck," Brittany said loud enough for everyone to hear.
Several people laughed. The cameras turned toward us like heat-seeking missiles.
"Good morning to you too," I said, trying to stay calm.
"I just want you to know," Brittany continued, her voice sweet as poison, "that we're all here for real love. Not for attention or money or whatever sad reason brought you here."
My face burned with embarrassment. This was exactly what Marcus had warned me about. They were all going to treat me like garbage, and the cameras would catch every second of it.
"I'm here for the same reason as everyone else," I lied.
"Are you?" Brittany's smile got wider and meaner. "Because I heard you're only here because no one in Hollywood will hire you anymore."
The words hit me like a slap. Around us, people started whispering and pointing. The cameras moved closer, catching every second of my humiliation.
I wanted to disappear. To run back to my room and hide until this nightmare was over. But then I remembered something important.
I was broke, desperate, and hated by everyone in America. But I wasn't weak.
I stood up and faced Brittany directly. "You're right," I said clearly. "I am here because I need the money. My career is a mess, my reputation is garbage, and I'm one step away from living on the street."
Everyone went quiet. Even the camera operators seemed surprised by my honesty.
"But at least I'm real," I continued. "At least I'm not pretending to be perfect while secretly hoping to become Instagram famous."
Brittany's perfect smile cracked. "How dare you-"
"Ladies, ladies!"
Amanda Rivers appeared with her camera crew, practically glowing with excitement. Drama was gold on reality TV.
"Let's save some energy for tonight's challenge," Amanda said. "But first, I have a special surprise for everyone!"
She gestured toward the mansion entrance, where a figure was walking toward us.
My breath caught in my throat.
Tall, dark-haired, with shoulders that looked like they were built for movie screens. I knew that face from billboards and magazine covers. Everyone in America knew that face.
Dominic Stone. Rising movie star. Hollywood's most wanted bachelor.
What was he doing here?
The other contestants started screaming and jumping up and down like teenage girls at a concert. Even Brittany forgot about our fight and started fixing her hair.
"Everyone," Amanda announced, "meet our very special late arrival - Dominic Stone!"
More screaming. I stayed in my chair, watching as Dominic walked closer. He looked exactly like he did in movies - confident, powerful, completely in control of every room he entered.
But there was something else. Something in his green eyes that seemed... careful. Like he was studying everything and everyone around him.
"Dominic!" Brittany threw herself at him like a guided missile. "I'm Brittany! I'm such a huge fan!"
Other contestants surrounded him, all talking at once, all trying to get his attention. He smiled and said the right things, but his eyes kept moving around the group.
Until they landed on me.
I felt like a deer caught in headlights. While everyone else fought for his attention, he was looking at me. Really looking, like I was a puzzle he was trying to solve.
"And you must be Luna Blake," he said, walking straight toward me.
The crowd parted like he was royalty. Which, in Hollywood terms, he basically was.
I stood up, suddenly very aware that I was wearing yesterday's clothes while everyone else looked perfect.
"Guilty as charged," I said, trying to sound confident.
He extended his hand for a handshake. "I'm Dominic Stone. I've heard a lot about you."
"None of it good, I'm sure," I replied, taking his hand.
His grip was warm and firm, but he held on longer than necessary. And then he did something that made my heart stop.
He leaned closer, pretending to shake my hand normally, and whispered so quietly that only I could hear:
"You're not what they say you are."
I stared at him in shock. What did that mean? How could he possibly know anything real about me?
Before I could ask, Amanda clapped her hands loudly.
"Cameras are rolling, everyone! Let's get some good introductions!"
The moment the red recording lights came on, Dominic's entire attitude changed. He stepped back from me like I was contagious and turned his movie-star smile toward Brittany.
"Brittany, right?" he said warmly. "Tell me about yourself."
I stood there feeling like I'd been slapped. One second he was saying mysterious things about me not being what people thought, the next second he was treating me like I didn't exist.
Was he playing games with me? Was this part of some bigger plan?
As I watched Dominic charm every other contestant while completely ignoring me, my mother's warning echoed in my head: Never trust anyone completely, baby girl.
But there had been something in Dominic's eyes when he whispered to me. Something that didn't match his fake TV behavior.
The question was: which version was real? The man who saw through my reputation, or the movie star who treated me like poison the moment the cameras started rolling?
And more importantly - was he someone who could help me figure out what was really happening at this mansion, or was he part of the danger I was walking into?
That afternoon, while everyone else was busy flirting by the pool, I noticed Dominic slip away from the group. He walked toward a part of the mansion that was supposed to be off-limits to contestants.
My heart started pounding. This was my chance to get answers.
I followed him, staying far enough back that he wouldn't notice. He moved like someone who knew exactly where he was going. Like he'd been here before.
He stopped at a door marked "Private" and looked around carefully. Then he pulled out what looked like a key card and swiped it through a electronic lock.
The door opened.
My blood turned to ice. Contestants weren't supposed to have access to private areas. We weren't supposed to have key cards.
So how did Dominic Stone get one?
As he disappeared inside the restricted room, I realized I might have found my answer about whether he was friend or enemy.
And the answer terrified me.
Because if Dominic Stone was working with Vincent Torrino and his crew, then the one person who seemed to see the real me might actually be the most dangerous person in this entire mansion.