Chapter 316: A Polyamorous Billionaire Arrangement

The Maybach slowed to a smooth halt right outside the premiere venue.

Even through the thick, soundproofed glass and tinted windows, the noise was absolutely deafening. Hundreds of screaming fans pressed against the metal barricades, shouting over the relentless, rapid-fire clicking of camera shutters. The red carpet was bathed in a blinding sea of white strobe lights.

Inside the quiet cabin of the limousine, Zoe took a deep breath, clutching her silver evening bag like it was a flotation device.

"If I trip," Zoe whispered, staring wide-eyed at the madness waiting outside. "Just leave me on the carpet. Do not try to help me up. Just tell the press I died doing what I loved."

Aria laughed, reaching over to squeeze Zoe’s hand. "You aren’t going to trip. You look AMAZING! We’ve got this."

The driver hopped out and opened the rear door. The roar of the crowd spilled into the car instantly, hitting them like a physical wave.

Damien stepped out first.

He casually buttoned his tuxedo jacket with one hand, looking unbothered by the screaming photographers practically climbing over each other to get a shot of him. He turned around, extending his right hand into the cabin.

Aria placed her hand in his, letting him gently guide her out of the low seat.

Her strappy black Louboutins hit the carpet. She stood up, smoothing the sheer black ribbons draped over her crimson silk skirt, and the crowd absolutely lost its mind.

"ARIA! ARIA, OVER HERE! LOOK LEFT! ARIA!"

The flashbulbs erupted, turning the night into pure daylight. Aria offered a brilliant, poised smile, ignoring the impulse to squint against the blinding glare.

Damien turned slightly, extending his left arm back into the dark cabin of the Maybach.

Zoe blinked, staring at his outstretched hand in shock. Damien Sinclair was politely offering to escort her out of a car.

Zoe hesitantly took his hand, stepping out in her knee-high heels.

Damien tucked Aria’s hand into the crook of his right arm, and offered his left arm to Zoe. With his wife on one side and her best friend on the other, they stepped onto the red carpet.

Zoe leaned slightly behind Damien’s broad shoulders, pitching her voice so only Aria could hear.

"The internet is definitely going to start throuple rumors tomorrow," Zoe muttered through a tight, camera-ready smile. "TikTok is going to think we are in a polyamorous billionaire arrangement."

Aria bit the inside of her cheek to stifle a laugh.

They walked down the plush carpet together, the photographers screaming their names.

As they paused in front of the main step-and-repeat wall, Damien gently let go of Zoe’s arm so the publicist could slip off to the side, leaving him and Aria perfectly centered for the cameras.

Damien’s arm slid smoothly around Aria’s waist, pulling her flush against his side. He wasn’t playing to the crowd. He wasn’t even looking at the lenses. He was looking exclusively at her.

"You’re shaking," Damien murmured softly near her ear, his thumb drawing a slow, soothing circle against the bare skin of her hip where the red silk dipped low.

"Just adrenaline," Aria whispered back, keeping her smile bright for the press.

It wasn’t a lie. Her heart was hammering a frantic, surreal rhythm against her ribs.

She stared out at the sea of flashing lights, a sudden wave of déjà vu crashing over her.

In her past life, she had attended premieres. But she had never been the one standing in the center. She had walked these exact carpets trailing ten feet behind Bella, awkwardly carrying her sister’s extra lip gloss and designer purse. She had been cropped out of cast photos, shuffled past reporters who didn’t even bother to ask her name, and relegated to the dark, forgotten corners of the after-parties.

She had been a background extra in her own life.

But tonight, the cameras were screaming her name. The designers wanted her in their clothes. The fans leaning over the barricades were holding up signs with her face on them.

A swelling sense of gratitude and triumph bloomed in Aria’s chest. She leaned into Damien’s side, resting her head lightly against his shoulder for a quick photo, perfectly content to soak in the moment.

As the photographers yelled for them to shift to the right, Aria’s gaze swept down the length of the long, chaotic carpet.

She spotted the rest of The Empress’s Shadow cast lined up near the media pit.

Lucas was standing rigidly in front of a backdrop, wearing a dark turtleneck and trying desperately to pull off a brooding, artistic gaze while sweating under the stage lights. Standing next to him, desperately clinging to his arm to ensure they were photographed together to prove no bad blood, was Bella.

Coco had been right. The beige chiffon dress was a tragedy. Under the harsh, flashing lights of the press pool, the pale fabric washed Bella’s complexion out entirely. She looked like a smudge of oatmeal standing next to Lucas’s dark outfit.

But as Aria scanned the rest of the group, her triumphant smile faltered slightly.

The director was there. The supporting actresses were there.

Leo was missing.

Aria frowned, her eyes darting through the crowd of publicists and managers hovering near the velvet ropes. The nineteen-year-old actor was nowhere to be found.

Her chest tightened with a pang of annoyance. Bella’s unhinged TikTok rant accusing Leo of using her and throwing her aside had actually worked. The backlash from Bella’s feral fanbase had obviously terrified the kid so much that he had ghosted his own movie premiere just to avoid the drama.

It was so unfair. Leo was the sweetest guy on set, and he was being bullied into hiding.

"Aria! Over here, please!"

Aria snapped her attention back to the carpet.

A young, energetic host was waving frantically from a designated interview spot. She was holding a bright pink microphone and a smartphone attached to a ring light. It was the official TikTok livestream correspondent for the premiere.

Damien gave Aria’s waist a gentle squeeze, stepping back to let her take the spotlight. "Go," he murmured encouragingly. "I’ll wait right here."

Aria strutted over to the host, the sheer black ribbons of her skirt catching the evening breeze.

"Aria Sinclair, you look absolutely unbelievable tonight!" the host gushed, angling the ring light to catch Aria’s glowing skin. "This dress is everything! Who are you wearing?"

"Thank you so much," Aria smiled, angling her face perfectly for the phone camera. "This is actually an upcycled archival piece, customized completely from scratch by my incredible stylist, Coco. We wanted something a little dark and dramatic for tonight."

"Well, you nailed it. The internet is literally going to break," the host laughed. "So, stepping into the shoes of Consort Li... she is such a complex, morally grey character. How did you prepare for a role with that much intensity?"

Aria answered the acting questions with practiced ease. She talked about the script, praised the director’s vision, and highlighted the incredible set design. She kept the answers grounded, professional, and entirely focused on the work.

But the host was an internet correspondent. She wasn’t there for the acting methods; she was there for the viral soundbites.

"The cast dynamic on screen is so intense," the host pivoted, her eyes gleaming with sudden, predatory excitement. "But the dynamic off screen has been taking over the timeline this week! With all the wild rumors flying around on social media right now... do you have any thoughts on the situation between Leo and your sister, Bella?"

Aria didn’t even flinch.

She kept her smile soft, warm, and pleasant.

"Honestly, my only thought tonight is how incredibly sad I am that Leo couldn’t be here to celebrate with us," Aria answered, her voice dripping with genuine affection for her co-star. "He is the heart of this cast. He is so wildly talented, and honestly just the sweetest, most professional guy I’ve ever worked with. We all missed him tonight."

The host blinked, trying to reel the topic back to the gossip. "Right, the fans definitely noticed his absence! But regarding Bella’s claims that they—"

"Oh, is Bella here tonight?" Aria interrupted smoothly, her emerald eyes widening in a flawless, Oscar-worthy display of polite confusion.

She casually glanced over her shoulder, scanning the crowded red carpet as if searching for a lost set of keys.

"I haven’t even seen her," Aria lied, looking back at the host with an apologetic little laugh. "It is just so crowded out here, and there are so many stunning, vibrant looks on the carpet tonight. She must have just blended right into the background. I guess I completely missed her outfit!"

The host’s jaw dropped slightly.

It was the most polite, elegant, devastating public execution she had ever witnessed. Aria had effortlessly praised Leo’s character to the heavens, while casually implying that Bella was so boring and poorly dressed that she was literally invisible.

A few feet away, Zoe had to slap a hand over her mouth and turn away to hide her hysterical laughter.

"Well," the host stammered, quickly recovering her composure. "We are just so glad you are here and healthy, Aria! Have an amazing night!"

"Thank you!" Aria beamed, waving to the camera before stepping away from the ring light.

She strutted back over to Damien and slipped her hand back into his, unbothered.

"Blended right into the background?" Damien murmured near her ear as they turned toward the theater entrance, his voice thick with quiet amusement.

"I only speak the truth," Aria hummed, resting her head against his shoulder as the doors of the theater opened to welcome them inside.