When Ryan Bright once again went on strike for his little paramour, his agent nearly fell to her knees before me. “Ms. Marston, please, show some mercy. This is the eighth movie he’s pulled out of this month.” Her voice was desperate, verging on tears. “At this rate, Ryan won’t have any roles left!” But even as his agent was on the brink of despair, another message from Ryan pinged. “Scarlett Marston, if the leading lady in this film isn’t Eliza Sterling, no amount of begging from you will change my mind.” He added, with a dismissive chuckle, “You say you want to pursue me? Well, a chase requires some effort, right?” Then, an afterthought, “Oh, and you know how to handle the Golden Falcon Award for Best Actor, don’t you?” My gaze fell upon the latest magazine cover. The fresh-faced newcomer, though still green, bore a striking resemblance to my treasured first love, Liam Hayes. His agent was still pleading, but I casually tore up Ryan’s contract, a wry smile playing on my lips. “Don’t you understand yet?” My voice was calm, but sharp. “Whoever I champion will be the next Best Actor.” … The next day, I was in the middle of a meeting when the boardroom door was suddenly kicked open. Everyone turned to look, their expressions a mix of surprise and annoyance. Ryan stood leaning against the doorframe, a defiant swagger about him. “Just one day of striking, and you cancel my movie contract?” He scoffed, his eyes narrowed. “You never said anything when I skipped work for a whole month before.” His gaze sharpened, a taunt in his voice. “Could it be that you’re jealous because I was with Eliza yesterday?” I closed my laptop, my expression unruffled. “Ryan, because you bailed on us at the last minute yesterday, the company paid three million in breach-of-contract fees on your behalf.” Ryan casually pulled up a chair and sat down, nonchalant. “Three million? Haven’t you paid more for me before?” He then fixed his gaze on me, his tone laced with a thinly veiled threat. “But if you dare cancel Director Davies’ film, I’ll jump ship to Celestial Entertainment.” Ryan’s confidence wasn’t unfounded. After all, his current A-list status was entirely my doing. That snowy night, his nose was red from the cold, but his eyes shone brightly. He’d said he wanted to be famous, to control his own destiny. That stubborn look, the familiar scent of ebony and amber, the matching snowy backdrop… for a moment, it made me think of my first love. So, I softened, pouring immense resources into him, just to lift him up. But that was all he was to me. A commodity. If I could raise one, I could certainly raise a second, or a third. I frowned slightly, tapping my fingertips on the table. Seeing my prolonged silence, Ryan slapped a room key card onto the table with a triumphant “Tsk.” “You’ve been chasing me for so long, it’s about time I gave you a little taste of victory.” He leaned back, a smug smile on his face. “Scarlett, you must be satisfied now, right?” Everyone present exchanged varied glances. I found it utterly ridiculous. Perhaps I had elevated him too high; he actually had the delusion that I was pursuing him. Just as I was about to say something, my phone buzzed with a text message. I opened it and saw the number I knew all too well. Pausing for a moment, I told my assistant to continue organizing the meeting notes, then left the boardroom without a backward glance. As I walked out, Ryan tried to follow, wanting to say something, but my assistant blocked him. He was certainly invested. After all, Director Davies was known as the "Best Actor Harvester" in the industry; every male lead he’d worked with had won an Oscar. And Ryan was in a transitional phase. To shed his “pretty boy” label, he absolutely needed to land the lead role in Director Davies’ new film. As the film’s biggest investor, I naturally had the final say on casting. Everyone had assumed the male lead role was undeniably Ryan’s, given my obvious favoritism towards him. Initially, I had planned for that, too. But then I remembered that text message, and I smiled. They didn’t know. The male lead I truly intended to champion was never Ryan Bright. The next morning, I met with Director Davies to discuss casting. We were deep in conversation when Ryan and Eliza Sterling burst in. Seeing me there, Ryan raised an eyebrow. “Scarlett, did you change your mind about replacing my lead role and now regret it?” His eyes were full of mockery. “You actually went to the trouble of finding out my schedule just to ambush me?” He chuckled derisively. “But don’t forget, I respond to kindness, not coercion. Trying to beg Director Davies now? Too late!” Eliza giggled, playfully shaking Ryan’s arm. “Oh, Ryan, don’t be like that. This is Ms. Marston’s sincere effort!” Seeing them play off each other, Director Davies looked a bit uncomfortable. I just found it amusing. “Ryan, I never regretted replacing you as the lead.” My voice was calm, yet cutting. “After all, with your acting skills, you wouldn’t win an Oscar even if you were the lead.” Ryan’s face instantly changed, turning angry. “Scarlett, are you still speaking out of spite?” He glared at me. “Just because you’re jealous, you’re going to threaten me with my job?” I met Ryan’s gaze directly. “You know very well that I never let personal emotions interfere with my work.” Seeing that I was serious, Ryan’s face hardened. “In that case, don’t you dare regret this!” Watching their defiant backs as they left, I remembered the time Ryan got his first lead role through his own hard work. He had excitedly hugged me, his youthful spirit shining in his eyes. “Sister, thank you for giving me the audition opportunity!” He’d beamed. “I promise to become famous everywhere, and I won’t let you down!” But once he did become famous, he grew increasingly impatient with me. “Acting lessons? I don’t have time, don’t schedule them anymore.” Later, he’d snapped, “Scarlett, are you done yet? Can’t you just pay to fix these minor issues?” A wave of bitterness washed over me. I rubbed my temples wearily and continued discussing with Director Davies. Director Davies looked at me with a complex expression. “Ms. Marston, are you really not considering Ryan Bright anymore?” He sighed. “His temperament and appearance truly match the male lead perfectly.” He added, “Although his acting needs some work, I’m confident I can help him transform.” I didn’t answer. Instead, I pulled out my phone and showed Director Davies a video. The doubt in his eyes gradually gave way to delight, eventually turning into pure joy. He slapped his thigh repeatedly, exclaiming, “That’s him! That’s the male lead I’ve always envisioned!” The next day, photos of Ryan Bright and Eliza Sterling entering and leaving a hotel hit the trending topics. Ryan’s fans were mostly “girlfriend fans”; with the scandal, many major fan accounts deserted him. Everyone at the company assumed I would step in to protect him, but I did nothing.
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