Page 2 of Love in Times of Contempt

"Yeah, I did. It had been a while since I'd done that kind of movie and the script was amazing."

"The movie is based on a book,At The End Of The Worldby Luna Ferreira. Did you read the book as part of your research?"

"I did. It was lovely. The depth of emotion between the two main characters was beautiful to read, and an honor to embody."

"Oh, does that mean that you’re a romantic?"

He wet his bottom lip, frowning as if thinking about the question. It didn't hide the gleam in his eye. Warmth spread through Ana's chest, as if her body could guess what he was about to say.

"I am. I'm the kind of person who wants my own happily ever after. I don't think there's anything better than having a partner whom you adore and with whom you're willing to work through the challenges of a relationship. Of life."

"That's lovely! Have you found your happily ever after?"

Ana scoffed at the journalist's question. She knew for a fact that the interviewing team would have received the same guidelines everyone did, asking to limit personal questions and make no reference to his love life.

Liam seemed to have no problem setting that boundary again. "C'mon, you know I have a standard answer for that kind of question."

"Yes—" The reporter grinned. "No comments."

"That's right."

"Well, Ana Lira is certainly a lucky lady."

Liam's lips curled up at the corners but he shook his head. Sometimes journalists tried to get him talking about it regardless, and it seemed this particular reporter was hellbent to get him to do it.

"No comments, remember?" Liam insisted.

"You can't blame me for trying." The interviewer's smile never faltered. "Tell me about the documentary. The rumor is that even though it's supposed to be about a breaking point in your career over a year ago, it also tells the story about how you two fell in love."

Ana cringed. This reporter had tried really, really hard to get him to talk about his personal life— their life together. No wonder Ely had linked her to the video. As her best friend, she continued to keep an eye on the online gossip about Ana and Liam's relationship. Ely didn't share much with Ana these days, but having a chance to see Liam shine allowed for some rule bending.

Liam frowned but left it at that. He was a professional, after all. "The official theme of the documentary is about that breaking point you're referring to. As it was publicized back then, I changed agents and redefined the future of my career as a direct result of the stress I was going through, both professionally and personally. It's a big risk to take, showing that to the world; the director and I worry about some sort of backlash, but we're hoping that our fans will appreciate how raw, honest, and vulnerable the content is."

"We for sure can't wait to see it! Thank you so much for talking to us today!"

After a few polite goodbyes, the video ended with logos and credits, as usual.

Ana opened the text app on her computer and wrote a short response to Ely.

Ana: Wow. They tried really

hard to get him to

talk about us, but

Liam held the line

Ely: Like a champ. At

least it's more publicity

for your film. He's arriving

today, right?

Ana: Yeah, he should

be here in a