From a Wrong Turn to Mr. Right novel Chapter 396

Aileen’s figure vanished quickly from sight.

Carlson Baker watched her go, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It was a long time before he finally looked away.

He tilted his head back, casting a glance at the moon overhead. Determination flickered in his eyes—clear, unwavering, and impossible to miss.

He’d waited so long. Tonight, at last, he’d said it.

No more hiding. No more secrets.

Good. This was good.

……

Carlson was feeling just fine. Elaine Carter, on the other hand, was a mess.

What started as a perfectly ordinary conversation had ended with a bombshell.

Her thoughts were all over the place; she drifted through the day in a daze.

After chatting with Adelina Lane, Elaine didn’t dare go find Carlson. She slipped away to her room alone.

All she could think about was what Carlson had said—that he liked her.

She and Carlson had grown up together; they knew each other inside and out. He’d always been good to her.

But she’d always assumed Carlson cared for her the same way he doted on Olivia—a brotherly fondness. It had never crossed her mind that his feelings ran deeper.

It would’ve been easier not to know. But now that she did, Elaine had no idea how to face him.

All night long, her mind was filled with Carlson.

Even when she finally managed to fall asleep, she dreamed of him confessing his feelings.

When she woke up, she pounded her pillow in frustration.

Damn Carlson Baker.

She barely slept a wink.

For days, his words echoed in her head, popping up at the most inconvenient moments.

It wasn’t until the director called to invite her to the cast celebration that she finally managed to push Carlson to the back of her mind.

Her latest show had aired to great reviews, and the director had decided to throw a party at Savory & Grace.

Elaine looked at him, then drew her hand back. “No worries.”

When the elevator doors slid open, Naylor gestured for her to go first—a small, courteous bow.

Elaine’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly. “You don’t have to be so formal.”

Naylor’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “It’s my pleasure.”

Elaine gave him another glance, but didn’t bother arguing. She stepped into the elevator.

The cast party turned out to be a blast.

It wasn’t until the end of the night, when Elaine pulled out her phone, that she saw she was trending online.

Aileen & Naylor

#AileenNaylor Olson—Romance on Set? Dating Rumors Swirl#

She tapped open the headline, and right there were several photos—clear as day.

They’d caught her and Naylor in the parking lot, snapped from some hidden, clever angle. Even though all they’d done was exchange a polite greeting and walk into the elevator together, the photos managed to make it look absurdly intimate.