Page 40 of The Devil's Canvas

The smile is there. Thin. Forced. Just enough.

"A private ceremony, but from the pictures we’ve seen, it looked like something out of a movie." Ashton says.

Melanie doesn’t hesitate. She never does. She lets out a soft laugh, reaching over and resting a hand on Dominic’s arm—a subtle claim, meant to be noticed. "It was everything I ever dreamed of. I mean, marrying your best friend? What could be better?"

She looks up at Dominic, waiting. Expecting.

I catch the pause before he speaks. It’s barely a second, but it’s there. A hesitation, a flicker of something before he smooths it over.

"We wanted something intimate, just for us," Dominic finally says, voice easy, practiced.

I watch them, watch the world eat up the lie. They’re so deep in it, they might actually believe it themselves.

Melanie squeezes Dominic’s arm before pulling away, her voice slipping into something softer, more intimate—the actress switching scenes. "It was the best day of my life."

Ashton leans back, still grinning. “Now, let’s talk about the movie.”

Here we go.

The next few minutes play out exactly as expected. Ashton hypes them up, talking about The Sun Will Forget Us like it’s a masterpiece. Melanie basks in it, playing the charming starlet, glowing, laughing, making everything seem effortless.

"The story is just so powerful," she says, pressing a hand to her chest. "It’s about love, but also about sacrifice. And the kind of pain that stays with you forever."

I almost roll my eyes.

Dominic is more measured, he nods when he should, answers smoothly, never stumbles. But I notice the details, the way his fingers twitch against his knee, the fraction-of-a-second slip in his smile before he corrects it. He’s playing the part, but something in him isn’t as comfortable as Melanie.

Ashton leans forward, smirking. “Of course, the chemistry between you two is undeniable.”

Melanie’s already nodding before he’s finished the sentence. "Oh, absolutely."

She reaches for Dominic’s arm again. She’s selling it. Hard.

"Did that connection come naturally?" Ashton asks, eyes gleaming with something sharp.

Melanie doesn’t hesitate. "When you work with someone as talented as Dom, it’s effortless."

Dominic nods, easy, agreeable, but I see it. The slight shift in his jaw. The faint tension in his shoulders. The audience doesn’t notice. But I do.

"It really does feel like magic on screen," Ashton continues, glancing between them. "Which, of course, makes me wonder... was any of that magic still lingering off-screen?"

The audience erupts with laughter and whistles.

Melanie lets out the perfect laugh—light, teasing, not confirming, not denying. "I mean, we do play soulmates."

And there it is. The word.

Dominic’s reaction is so quick most people wouldn’t catch it. The way his breath shortens, the way his eyes flicker, just for a second, toward the camera.

I exhale, slow.

Melanie keeps talking. "Obviously, we poured everything into these characters. The emotions, the intensity—it’s all real in the moment."

Ashton nods along, eating it up. "And people are already saying this could be one of the most romantic films of the decade."

Melanie beams. "That’s incredible. It’s truly an honor to be part of something so special."

Dominic doesn’t speak this time.

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