Beyond the Frame

When the camera lies, who do you trust?

Evvie Gale and Colton Hughes are dog park friends—nothing more. Until deepfake photographs threaten to end both their careers.

Evvie changed her name after a childhood trauma and has spent years perfecting the art of not being seen—safer behind the lens than in front of it. It's the life she's built for herself, exactly where she wants to be: beyond the frame, out of sight.

When the gallery owner who's carried her work for years drops her without explanation, it isn't just her income on the line—it's the identity she's allowed herself to keep. Determined to find out why, Evvie starts digging, and uncovers humiliating photographs purporting to be of her.

Colton left the Wyoming cattle ranch he grew up on and never looked back—done with the hard labor, the long hours, and the debt that came with every bad season. In Colorado Springs, he traded the saddle for a desk and figured he'd left the hard job behind.

Then a claim crosses his desk with photos that don't ring true. His boss wants it approved and closed. Colton wants a second set of eyes he trusts—so he shows the photos to Evvie.

When a family emergency calls him back to the ranch, he convinces her to come along. He doesn't realize she's bringing more than her camera. Evvie carries a secret of her own—one that could be life-threatening to both her and the Hughes family.

Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Deepfakes, Reputation at Stake, Secret Past, Hidden Identity, Forced Proximity, Fish Out of Water, Reluctant Returning Home, Small Town, Opposites Attract