Filming for the new series had just begun when I got a call from my dad. He wanted to set me up on a blind date. The guy was apparently the total package—handsome, charming, and had just snagged the award for Best Director at an international film festival. I was still debating whether to meet him when my phone blew up with notifications from the production’s group chat. “Zoe, you won!” “You got the grand prize in the kick-off raffle! A quarter of a million dollars!” Before I even had a chance to celebrate, the director's assistant, a man named Mills, was standing in front of me. “Hand it over,” he demanded. I stared at him, completely bewildered. “Hand what over?” Mills shoved me hard, a nasty smirk spreading across his face. “Don’t play dumb with me, Yang.” “Mr. Ritchie made it clear. If you don’t hand over that lottery ticket today, you can say goodbye to your leading role.” I froze for a second, then pulled out my phone and dialed the number my dad had given me for the blind date. “Your assistant tells me you’re planning on replacing me?” 1 After graduating from a top film school, I spent three solid years as an extra on the studio circuit, grinding away to hone my craft. Now, after finally landing a lead role through sheer effort, I was about to lose it all over a lottery ticket. And the biggest twist? The director of this production was the very man my dad wanted me to meet. “I’m busy. Get to the point,” the voice on the other end of the line snapped, dripping with impatience. “Mr. Ritchie, your assistant seems to think that if I don’t hand over my winning lottery ticket, my position as the female lead is…” He cut me off before I could finish. “He’s right. Any other questions?” I was stunned into silence. Are all famous directors this arrogant? Seeing my call had failed, Mills’s face split into a triumphant grin. “Well, well, Miss Yang. I thought you might actually know Mr. Ritchie. Turns out he couldn't care less about you. I’d just hand over the ticket if I were you. Plenty of other actresses on this set are dying for a shot at this role.” He was convinced I had no connections, and he piled on the threats and empty promises. “Does your director’s team have any principles at all?” I shot back. “You gave me the ticket. Now that it’s a winner, you want it back? You want to have your cake and eat it too, is that it?” I pointed up at the security camera mounted on the ceiling. “That thing is recording, you know. If you don’t back off right now, I’m calling the cops.” The threat of police didn’t faze him in the slightest. In fact, it only made him bolder. “Save your breath,” he sneered. “Everyone on this set works for Mr. Ritchie. Who do you think the police are going to believe?” Before I could react, he snatched the phone out of my hand. “Just give it up, Miss Yang! Hand over the ticket, and the lead role is still yours. It’s that simple.” In all my years working here, I’d been nothing but professional. I never once played the diva, despite my father being one of the richest men in the country. Now, this crew was ready to toss me aside for a damn lottery ticket. A hot coil of fury tightened in my gut. “What isn't mine, I don't fight for,” I said, my voice low and steady. “But what is mine, no one will take from me.” A wave of gasps rippled through the crew members gathered around us. “My god, she’s got some nerve. Defying Mr. Ritchie? She’ll be blacklisted from the industry.” “It’s just a lottery ticket! Isn’t a lead role a hundred times more valuable?” “Seriously. If it were me, I’d give them the ticket. This role could make her a star overnight!” As the whispers grew louder, Mills’s smirk widened. “You hear that, Miss Yang? The choice is yours. Become a star, or go back to being a nobody. You’d better think carefully.” His threats were laughable. I didn’t even have to think about it. “No need to consider.” I met his gaze, a defiant smile playing on my lips. “The lottery ticket, and the lead role. I’m taking both.” “You little bitch, are you messing with me?” he snarled. Cursing wasn’t enough for him. He rolled up his sleeves and lunged at me. Drawing on years of stunt work and fight choreography, I sidestepped him effortlessly. “What’s this? The famous director’s assistant can’t threaten his way to what he wants, so now he’s resorting to assault?” Caught in the act, Mills’s face turned a shade of crimson. “You just wait, you bitch! I’m calling Mr. Ritchie right now!” I crossed my arms, my smile unwavering. “Good. I’d love to see what this brilliant, award-winning young director is really made of.” Just then, the door to the dressing room was kicked open with a loud bang. “Who’s causing trouble on my set?” 2 A tall, handsome young man, flanked by an entourage of crew members, strode toward me. “You’re Ethan Ritchie?” I sized him up. I had to admit, my dad had good taste. He was at least six-foot-one, dressed in a tailored designer suit that screamed style and confidence. But I was confused. He was a director, so why was he dressed like a runway model? “Mr. Ritchie, a pleasure to meet you. Allow me to introduce myself,” I began. “My name is Zoe Yang, I’m the lead actress in this series, and my father is—” “Miss Yang, do I know you?” Ethan cut me off with an impatient wave of his hand. “I’ve seen a hundred actresses just like you on this circuit,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension. “So, tell me. Which executive did you sleep with to get this part? Mr. Knight? Mr. Garrett? Or was it Mr. Sterling? Oh, wait, that’s right. Mr. Sterling adores his wife. You wouldn’t have had a chance in hell with him.” For a moment, I thought I’d misheard him. I had hustled on these backlots for three years. My acting might not have been Oscar-worthy, but it was solid. The Mr. Sterling he mentioned was, in fact, my father, but since entering this industry, I had never once used my family’s resources. Even my dad didn’t know I was the lead in his latest investment until after filming had started. “Mr. Ritchie, that’s a pretty unprofessional thing to say in front of all these people, don’t you think?” He let out a derisive snort. “First day in the business, sweetheart?” “Actresses like you—young, no real credits to your name—how else do you think you get ahead? You sell the only thing you have.” He let his eyes roam over my body in a way that made my skin crawl. “Next time you want a lead role, come to me. I’m much easier to please than those old men.” The dressing room erupted in whispers. “So that’s how she got the part. She slept with the investors.” “There are tons of actresses like her around here. Spread your legs, and a role just falls into your lap. Nothing to be proud of.” “I can’t believe it. She was just lecturing us about having principles, and she was the first one to take her clothes off.” The buzz of their judgment was disorienting. When had I supposedly been trading sex for roles? If I really wanted a lead part, all it would take was a single phone call from my father. “Well, since you’ve made your opinion of me so clear, Mr. Ritchie,” I said coolly, “then… I suggest you find someone else.” Before the words were fully out of my mouth, Mills jumped in. “Who the hell do you think you are, Yang? Mr. Ritchie hasn’t fired you yet. You don’t get to just walk away!” He played the part of the loyal dog to perfection. Even I, a professionally trained actress, was impressed by his performance. “With a director like him running the show,” I said, my voice ringing with finality, “I wouldn’t want to be the lead anyway.” Ethan just waved a dismissive hand. “You actresses and your little games of playing hard to get. It’s so predictable.” He pulled a key card from his pocket and held it out to me. “The Grand Marriott, Room 808. Be there tonight. And be clean.” I glanced down at the key card and let out a cold laugh. “Mr. Ritchie, I think you misunderstood me. I’m just telling you… you don't deserve to be a director.” I turned to leave, but Mills’s voice stopped me in my tracks. “Hold it right there, Yang!” I paused and slowly turned back. “What now? Did Mr. Ritchie have a sudden change of heart?” Mills leisurely pulled a contract from his briefcase. “Playing the innocent saint? You’d better have the bank account to back it up.” 3 The assistant strutted over, holding the contract out like a weapon. I barely glanced at it before giving a dismissive wave. “Just tell me how much. I’ll pay it.” Ethan, who had been watching from the side, looked at me with a flicker of surprise. My lack of panic seemed to throw him off. “Pay it? Can you afford to?” he scoffed. “The contract is crystal clear. If an actor terminates the agreement unilaterally, you owe the production three times the penalty fee.” I raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on my lips. “Mr. Ritchie, just name the price. Whether I can afford it is my problem, not yours.” “One and a half million dollars!” Mills blurted out. A collective gasp went through the crew. Even Ethan seemed taken aback. “Mills, this is just a short-form series. The entire budget is less than that. Isn’t that a bit steep for replacing one actress?” But Mills was resolute. “Not at all, Mr. Ritchie. You’re thinking too small. You just won a major international award. You’re not the same director you were yesterday. And this is your first project since winning. It’s significant! Making that little bitch pay only one and a half million is us being merciful.” Ethan considered it for a moment, then slapped his thigh. “You know, you’ve got a point. My status alone is worth that much!” I had no interest in dragging this out. “Fine,” I said. “One and a half million it is. I’ll pay.” Every eye in the room was now fixed on me. Some of them clearly thought I was bluffing, trying to save face when I didn’t have a penny to my name. Others figured I was just putting on a show of innocence and would end up at the hotel room by midnight. None of their opinions mattered. What mattered was the rage simmering inside me. How did a director with such a vile mindset win an international award? Were the judges blind? And the most infuriating part? He had even fooled my father, the man who wanted me to go on a date with this scumbag. “Well, gentlemen, since I’ve agreed to your terms, may I leave now?” With that, I snatched the contract from Mills’s hand. But as I turned to go, he blocked my path once again. “You can go. But the lottery ticket stays.” At his words, the crew members loyal to him chimed in. “That’s right! The tickets were bought for the whole production. She can’t take it!” “You’re not part of the cast anymore, so you definitely have no right to it!” Looking at the familiar faces now turned against me, I felt a sharp sting of disappointment. During my time as an extra, I had always shared whatever I had with these people. Now, over a single piece of paper, they were treating me like an enemy. My eyes swept over the crowd as a cold laugh escaped my lips. “You know… I tried to get along with you all as a regular person. But all that got me was your contempt.” I took a deep breath. “Fine. My father is Liam Sterling. I’m laying my cards on the table.” 4 The room erupted in laughter. “That’s hilarious! If your dad is Liam Sterling, then my dad is Elon Musk!” “Yeah, right. What daughter of a billionaire is out here shooting a low-budget series?” Mills sauntered toward me, a malicious grin on his face. “Miss Yang, you’re not trying to welsh on the deal, are you? Everyone knows the city’s richest man is named Sterling, not Yang.” A smirk touched my lips as I pulled out my phone in front of everyone. “Hi, Dad. It’s Zoe.” His voice was cheerful on the other end. “Zoe! How’s it going? Have you thought about that blind date?” he asked. “You’ve loved acting since you were a little girl. Are you happy with the match I made for you?” My gaze drifted pointedly toward Ethan. “Dad, the date is a long story. But there’s something I need to tell you first.” I paused. “I don’t want to act anymore.” “What did you say!?” His shock and anger practically exploded through the phone. “Zoe, are you kidding me? Your lifelong dream was to be a leading actress. What do you mean you’re quitting?” I took a steadying breath. “I’m not kidding, Dad. I’m serious. If being an actress means I have to sleep with the director, then I’d rather not have the part at all.” I quickly recounted the events of the last hour. I heard the sound of a glass shattering on his end. “Put that son of a bitch on the phone. Now.” Before I could say anything, Mills snatched the phone from my hand, along with the lottery ticket. “Hey, you the little bitch’s father?” he sneered into the phone. “Let me tell you something. Your daughter just pissed off the one and only Ethan Ritchie. Do you have any idea what that means?” My dad, who probably hadn’t been spoken to like that in decades, was silent for a few seconds. “You’re the one who told my daughter to hand over the ticket and pay a penalty?” Mills, still blissfully unaware of who he was talking to, remained as arrogant as ever. “Cut the crap. Are you going to pay or not?” Even through the phone, I could feel the inferno of my father’s rage. “Pay? Is one and a half million a little low? How about I make it fifteen million?” he roared. “Give me your location. I’ll have the money sent over right now.” Mills, clearly thinking my dad was just some blowhard, shot back. “Don’t bullshit me, old man! You’ve never even seen fifteen million dollars in your life! But you know what? If you’ve got the guts to send it, I’ve got the guts to take it. Studio lot B. And I want it in cash.” After hanging up, Mills shot a triumphant look at Ethan, his chest puffed out with pride. I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. “I have to hand it to you, Mr. Ritchie. You’ve got yourself a one-of-a-kind assistant,” I said. “He even dares to curse out my father. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone so brave.” Mills just snorted, completely unfazed. “Whatever. I don’t care who your dad is. On this set, what Mr. Ritchie says is law.” I sighed dramatically, a smile playing on my lips. “That’s a real shame. Because your Mr. Ritchie is about to be unemployed.” Just as the words left my mouth, someone in the crowd yelled. “Hey, look over there!” Everyone turned. A convoy of a dozen armored trucks, each emblazoned with the investor's logo, was rolling steadily toward our set.
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