Bill It to Declan

The deafening crunch of metal abruptly faded, leaving a ringing silence inside the small cabin of the Volkswagen. A faint hiss of steam escaped from the rear, mingling with the acrid scent of burnt rubber and leaking engine fluid.

"How much does this car cost?" Tessa murmured, her voice trembling as her fingers dug into the steering wheel. She stared wryly through the cracked rearview mirror at the front bumper of the multi-million-dollar blue supercar, now disastrously wedged directly under her car's rear exhaust. She began to mentally agonize over the inevitable, bankrupting financial compensation this collision would demand. Could they afford even a fraction of the repair bill without liquidating their entire studio?

Refusing to panic, Kendall reached her arm over the center console. She firmly secured the emergency handbrake with a loud click, ensuring the Volkswagen wouldn't roll any further. Pushing her door open, she stepped out onto the sun-baked pavement to physically assess the catastrophic damage.

Simultaneously, the driver's side door of the crushed blue supercar swung upward on custom hinges. Its wealthy owner emerged. He was a striking, remarkably towering man, hiding the upper half of his face behind a pair of oversized, designer black sunglasses. He casually paused his rhythmic gum-chewing, leaned against his dented car door, and called out in a teasing, flirtatious tone.

"Miss Slim Waist, have we met before?"

Hearing the bold nickname, Kendall narrowed her eyes. She scrutinized his facial features, taking note of the sharp cut of his jawline and the slope of his nose. In an instant, she recognized him. It was Gavin Brooks, the notoriously wealthy playboy and Declan’s lifelong best friend. She had briefly met him exactly once, two years ago in the pouring rain, while hauling a blackout-drunk Declan out of a chaotic downtown club to take him home.

Curling her lips into a polite, careful smile, she tentatively called out his name. "Gavin?"

Taken aback by a stranger knowing his name, Gavin stopped chewing his gum. He pushed his dark sunglasses up onto his forehead and tightly squinted his sharp, fox-like eyes at her.

"Have we indeed met before?" he asked, tilting his head as he tried to place her face.

"I'm Kendall Hayes," she stated simply, watching his reaction.

The dawn of recognition crashed over Gavin's face. He immediately straightened his posture, dropping the flirtatious act upon realizing he was speaking to his best friend's elusive wife. Waving his hand in the air to dismiss the severe vehicular accident, he cheerfully clapped his hands together.

"It's my fault! I was in a terrible hurry for a meet-up inside. Don't worry about it, I'll just claim the car insurance later on my own end."

The ease with which he dismissed millions in damage startled both women. But when Kendall smilingly suggested he should just directly bill the exorbitant repair expenses to Declan's accounts instead, Gavin frantically refused. He waved his arms, practically urging her to get back in her car and go on her merry way without involving Declan's terrifying temper.

Quickly returning to the passenger seat of the dented Volkswagen, Kendall firmly ordered a dumbfounded, sweating Tessa to drive the car out of the lot. They needed to head over to the opposite shopping mall across the street right now.

As Tessa navigated the afternoon traffic, her hands gripped the steering wheel. She worried aloud about Gavin inevitably tattling to Declan about the accident and their current whereabouts.

However, Kendall remained coldly indifferent to the prospect. In her mind, they simply couldn't afford to get trapped in a lengthy, bureaucratic negotiation with traffic police and insurance adjusters. That tedious mess would cost them exorbitant repair fees and cause them to miss their crucial, company-saving business deal upstairs.

As Tessa parked at the mall, Kendall issued a stern, non-negotiable directive.

"You will assume the identity of Celine, while I act as your lowly assistant once we arrive at the Nova Zenith Talent offices later," Kendall warned, fixing her gaze sharply on her friend.

When Tessa bewilderingly questioned the sudden, drastic shift in professional credit, Kendall fiercely glared at her, her mind calculating the massive risks. She pointed out the terrifying possibility. What if Gavin’s urgent, secretive meeting upstairs was taking place at their exact destination?

"What if he finds out that I am the famous Celine?" Kendall demanded, her tone laced with urgency. "Furthermore, I have just publicly announced to his assistant that my husband is dead and I'm now officially a grieving widow! Declan will undoubtedly kill me with his bare hands if he finds out that I am Celine!"

Tessa swallowed hard, finally realizing the sheer gravity of the trap they were walking into.

After intentionally killing time at the mall for nearly an hour to ensure they wouldn't accidentally bump into Gavin in the lobby elevators, the two women finally returned across the street. At exactly 3:00 PM, they arrived at the luxurious reception desk of Nova Zenith Talent.

The sharply dressed receptionist, upon hearing they were representatives from the highly sought-after K.Moon Studio, leaned over the marble counter and looked at them closely with wide eyes.

"Are you Ms. Celine?" the receptionist whispered reverently.

Hiding the upper half of her face behind a newly bought, massive pair of black designer sunglasses, Tessa took a deep breath. She steeled her frayed nerves and confidently whispered back.

"Yes. And this is my assistant."

Brimming with unabashed, starstruck adoration for the famous designer, the receptionist eagerly stepped out from behind the desk. She personally led them down the hall toward the private, executive elevator, loudly announcing that their company president had been eagerly waiting for their arrival.