Chapter 226

Third-Person POV

Chris slumped forward a little over his cluttered desk, heaped with manuscript pages, cold cups of coffee, and a laptop half-open. The deadline for Megan's book drew closer every day, and he was waist-deep in editing and rewriting. He had always found some way to bury himself in work, but now the words just seemed to slip through his fingers. He couldn't quit thinking about Megan and the intricacies of their arrangement.

He was a bit too fresh in mind from what happened with Megan and Miles at the studio. Chris had tried to stay out of it, but he could not turn a blind eye to the tension that still lingered after their confrontation. The dynamics between Megan and Miles remained strained, and Chris wondered how this would further affect their fake relationship. He wanted to help but didn't know how.

A knock at the door dragged him out of his reverie.

"Come on in," Chris called, his voice coming out strained.

The door op