Chapter 45
forty-five
. . .
Sophia
I'm running late to lunch, but for once, I don't care. After weeks of back-to-back schedules between Vancouver and post-production on Survivor, it feels luxurious to have no urgent place to be—just a casual lunch with friends, catching up on all the life I missed while I was away.
The hostess leads me to our usual corner table at The Ivy, and I freeze mid-step. Sarah Hall's unmistakable laugh echoes across the restaurant, and I see her at our table. For a moment, I consider turning around, but she sees me first and waves, smiling warmly.
"Sophia!" She stands and pulls me into a hug, and I let myself sink into it. I've missed her—missed all of them—more than I realized. "I hope you don't mind me crashing lunch."
"Of course not." The lie comes easily, even as my heart constricts. Having Grant's sister here is like poking at a wound that hasn't finished healing.
Jess slides a glass of wine toward me when I sit. "You look good. Rested."
"Vancouver agreed with me." Another lie, but I'm getting better at them.
"Speaking of agreeing," Jess says, leaning forward with that mischievous gleam in her eye. "We were just talking about our favorite big romantic gestures in pop culture—Lloyd Dobler with the boombox, Noah building the house for Allie…"
"The airport scene in Notting Hill," Stella chimes in dreamily.
"Kat Stratford reading the poem in class," Brandon adds, earning a few raised eyebrows. "What? I watch rom-coms."
"You know what I love?" Stella sighs. "Those dramatic moments where someone realizes what they've lost and fights to get it back."
I take a slow sip of my wine. "Those only happen in movies. Real life is…messier."
"I don't know about that," Blair counters. "Sometimes, real life surprises you."
"Speaking of surprises," Jess says, straightening in her chair, "did you all see the speculation about Wonderland Studios maybe selling off their streaming platform?"
The abrupt subject change makes me tense. Any mention of the studio still does that to me.
"The press has been ruthless," Brandon cuts in. "Accusations about lack of transparency, questioning the studio's direction…brutal."
Sarah nods. "That's why Grant finally agreed to do press—he wants to clear the air about Wonderland's future. Address rumors head-on."
My stomach drops. "He's doing interviews?"
"Just one." Sarah watches me closely. "Personally, I love it when someone's willing to be vulnerable in front of the whole world. To just…lay it all out there."
"Like a podcast interview?" Blair asks, her tone a little too innocent.
Suddenly, it all clicks. Jess's podcast, this carefully steered conversation, everyone glancing my way like they're waiting for a reaction.
"What did you do?" I ask Jess, narrowing my eyes.
"He came to me," she says quietly, "said if he was going to talk about the studio's future, he wanted someone he trusted.
Someone who'd let him tell the whole truth.
" She takes out her phone and slides it across the table.
"Including setting the record straight about the relationship between you and him. "
"Just watch," Blair urges.
The video opens on Jess's familiar podcast set, but in the guest chair is Grant. And Hazel. My heart stutters.
Jess's voice comes through the speakers with practiced clarity.
"Welcome back to On the Red Carpet. Today, my guest is Grant Hall, head of Wonderland Studios, and his daughter, Hazel. Grant, Hazel, thanks for being here."
"Happy to be here, Jess."
"Let's address the biggest rumor right away. Is Wonderland really planning to sell off its streaming arm, FlixPix?"
Grant exhales as though he's been expecting this.
"No, we're not selling FlixPix, despite what the tabloids and trade papers are saying. We're restructuring some of our deals, but that's a far cry from a sell-off. I want to set the record straight on that."
"So, there's no truth to the speculation about financial trouble?"
"No. We're making strategic adjustments, sure—but nothing as drastic as a sale. The board and I are fully committed to the platform's future."
Jess flips through her notes and I can tell she’s setting up to go all in.
"I appreciate the clarification. While we're on the subject of big decisions, there's been some whispering about your creative direction at Wonderland—particularly regarding the roles and projects green-lit under your watch.
Some outlets have even suggested you hired actress Sophia Ford for personal reasons. Care to comment?"
Grant's jaw tightens slightly. He looks determined.
"Yes, and I'd like to be very clear. Sophia Ford was hired because she's extraordinarily talented. Any suggestion that she was given preferential treatment simply because of a personal connection is false."
"So, you're saying your relationship with Sophia didn't influence the casting decisions?"
"Not in the way people assume. I backed her for roles because she's right for them. Our casting team felt the same. Her success speaks for itself."
"Are you still in a relationship with Sophia?"
"Sophia has been an important part of my life and Hazel's life."
Jess smiles and glances over to Grant’s side, winking at Hazel.
"You mentioned your daughter, Hazel. Word on the street is she's been your sidekick at some studio meetings lately. Hi there, Hazel."
Grant smiles down at Hazel, proud of his little girl.
"She's had some free time this summer, and she's made an excellent intern."
My heart aches when I see Hazel snuggle closer to him on the couch.
"Hi," she says, hugging his arm. "Dad said I could be here to show that not everything the press says is true."
"That's very grown-up of you. So, Hazel, how do you feel about all of this? The rumors about your dad, Sophia—everything."
"I think I'm lucky because I have a lot of people who love me. My dad, my mom, and Sophia, too."
"It sounds like you are a very lucky little girl. So, Grant, I have to ask, are you and Sophia officially together?"
Grant sits straighter, his expression changes.
"Actually, Jess, I wanted to set the record straight on all of that.
I've spent my career making calculated decisions, weighing every risk.
But sometimes, the smartest choice is admitting when you've been wrong.
Sophia Ford is one of the most talented artists I've ever worked with.
And yes, we did develop a personal relationship, one that I let outside pressure and my own fears derail. That was my mistake, not hers."
"You're being unusually candid.”
"Because I'm done letting speculation and rumors dictate my life—our lives.
The press wants to know if I hired Sophia for personal reasons.
No, I hired her because she's brilliant.
Did our relationship affect business decisions?
Only in that we both worked twice as hard to keep things professional.
But here's what the press hasn't asked. Do I light up every time she walks into a room?
Yes. Do I miss coming home and finding her and Hazel watching movies on the couch or the way she covers our fridge with pictures of everyday moments?
Every day. Do I regret letting her walk away? Absolutely."
Hazel shifts in her seat eager to talk.
“Dad's been kind of mopey since she left. He still makes her coffee sometimes in the morning."
Grant chuckles, squeezing Hazel’s shoulders.
"Thanks for exposing me, kiddo. Look, I could keep trying to maintain this careful separation between personal and professional, but it’s clearly not working. Sophia makes our lives better. She challenges me to be better, to take risks, to let people in."
He looks directly into the camera, his voice grows more intimate as he speaks directly to me.
"Sophia, I know you're probably wondering why I'm doing this on camera instead of showing up at your door.
But there's a point to this. No more hiding, no more letting public perception stand in our way.
I want everyone to know exactly how I feel about you.
I love how you can command a production meeting and then spend hours helping Hazel with her science projects.
I love that you make our house feel like home with your photos and your laughter. And I just…I love you."
"And professionally?"
"Professionally, I respect her too much to let anyone question her achievements. Every success she's had, she's earned. And if anyone has a problem with us being together, they can take it up with me directly. Though they should probably know that our head of legal is firmly Team Sophia."
"Dad's still got all her favorite snacks in the pantry!”
Grant laughs at Hazel’s interjection.
"The point is, I'm not here to apologize for falling in love with her.
I'm here to apologize for not fighting for that love sooner.
So, Sophia, if you're watching, I'm ready to do this right.
No more hiding, no more letting fear win.
Just us, building something real together in front of everyone who wants to watch.
If you'll give me another chance, I promise to love you proudly, publicly, and completely. "
Jess leans back, a genuine smile on her face.
"Well, that's quite a declaration."
"It is. And it's long overdue."
“You heard it here, On the Red Carpet. Until next time, listeners—stay tuned."
The video ends, and only then do I realize I'm crying. Sarah squeezes my hand.
"He recorded that last week," Jess says softly. "It goes live in an hour."
"I…" My voice cracks. "I can't…"
"Yes, you can," Blair says gently but firmly. "The question is do you want to?"
I think about all the reasons we fell apart and all the reasons we were so good together. "It might be too late," I whisper.
"Or," Sarah says, leaning forward, "it might be exactly the right time. Sometimes, we have to lose something to realize how much we want to fight for it."
My phone buzzes, and I glance down and see a text from Lucas with a link to an article from Deadline that recaps what Jess's podcast says.
LUCAS
Heads up. This is about to break. Do you want to comment?
I stare at the screen, my heart pounding. Everyone's watching me, waiting.
What do I want?