His Lens Never Had Room For Me Chapter 07

His Lens Never Had Room For Me Chapter 07

I looked at the high beams sweeping across the camp and expressionlessly pressed the stop button on the remote shutter release.

The two-hour exposure was ruined.

All three field assistants immediately cursed over the radio.

“Elena, that SUV on the right is in serious violation!” one assistant shouted.

“Go talk to them. Tell them to shut the lights off or get out of this observation zone.”

My voice was calm, without the slightest ripple.

Two assistants switched on their flashlights and strode toward the SUV.

I followed slowly behind them.

The driver’s side door opened.

Everett stood outside the car.

Sienna sat in the passenger seat, covering her face as she cried.

One of the assistants warned Everett sharply in English.

Everett did not hear a word he said.

His gaze went past the assistant’s shoulder and pinned itself to my face.

I wore a black Arctic parka.

The official logo of North American Dark Sky Review printed over my chest.

In my hand, I carried a Hasselblad medium-format camera worth tens of thousands of dollars.

There was no hesitation.

No careful, timid silence.

Only absolute coldness and professionalism.

“Elena,” Everett said, his voice shaking in the wind.

He strode toward me and reached for my arm.

One of the assistants immediately stepped forward and blocked him.

“Sir, keep your distance from our chief photographer,” he said coldly.

Everett stared at me.

“Why are you here?”

“You can see for yourself.” I pointed to the logo on my chest.

“You came back?” Everett’s eyes were full of disbelief.

“Didn’t you say you would never touch a camera again?”

“I never said I wouldn’t touch a camera.” I replied, looking him dead in the eye.

“I only said that for the sake of your career, I could step behind the scenes.”

“But now, you no longer have the right to make me step back.”

Everett’s face went instantly pale.

He looked at the top-tier equipment in my hand, then at the professional team standing respectfully behind me.

At last, he understood.

I had never been someone who did not understand the field.

I had only folded up every piece of my pride and placed it beneath his feet.

Sienna ran out of the SUV.

When she saw me, she froze.

“Elena? Did you really follow us all the way to Alaska?” Sienna blurted out.

There was a hidden note of superiority in her voice.

“Shut up,” Everett snapped over his shoulder.

Sienna flinched and took a step back.

I looked at Sienna and corrected her.

“First, you do not get to call me that. My name is Elena Hart.”

“Second, this area is a protected dark-sky zone designated by the observatory. Your headlights have already caused a serious violation.”

I lifted my wrist and checked the time.

“If you do not turn them off immediately, I will call the camp patrol and have your photography permit revoked.”

It was strictly business.

Everett stared hard at me.

“Elena, we need to talk.”

“I’m busy.”

I turned to leave.

Everett rushed up from behind and grabbed my right hand.

His grip was tight.

Through the thin anti-slip glove, he felt the swollen, misshapen joints left by frostbite.

I yanked my hand back.

“Mr. Hale, your light pollution is severe. Stay away from me.”

Then I strode back to my camp, without looking back once.