In Manhattan's elite circles, Arthur Sterling was known as a ruthless force. Cold and eccentric, he treasured nothing—except for a rough, silver prayer bracelet on his wrist. Rumor had it that his true love had prayed for it step-by-step, kneeling at an ancient church in Europe just for him. Once, a top-tier actress accidentally brushed against it. The very next day, she vanished from the public eye, completely blacklisted. At a movie wrap party, I accidentally spilled red wine right onto Arthur's wrist. In that moment, the entire room held its breath. Everyone thought my career was over. But to everyone's surprise, he calmly pulled a few tissues and meticulously wiped every single silver bead. Without even looking up, he uttered three words: "It's fine. Continue." That very night, Arthur got his wish and tied a delicate gold anklet with a bell around my ankle. The crisp, melodic ringing echoed in the bedroom all night long. 01 At the wrap party celebrating our movie crossing the $300 million box office mark. "Did you guys hear? That A-list actress, Nicole, accidentally touched Mr. Sterling's bracelet a couple of days ago, and immediately got dropped by all her major brand deals. I heard she's facing tens of millions in breach-of-contract penalties now." "They say it was a gift from Mrs. Sterling. I'm so jealous of that woman, being held in the palm of the hand by the head of such a top-tier dynasty." Arthur, reverently referred to by the crowd as the "Heir," was currently playing with his wine glass alone, his expression aloof. The director wiped cold sweat from his forehead. He had no idea why this VIP had suddenly graced them with his presence. Although the movie was a massive hit, this amount of money was pocket change to the Sterling family. "Mr. Sterling, is there anything specific you need us to do today?" Arthur's long, elegant fingers tapped a steady rhythm on the table. His voice was lazy, and he didn't even look up: "Nothing. You all carry on." 02 "Mr. Sterling, I'm Sarah, the female lead in the movie. I want to toast to you, to thank you for this opportunity." A blonde actress walked over, holding a wine glass, swaying with calculated allure with every step. A strong, overpowering perfume hit the air. Arthur frowned imperceptibly. He lit a cigarette, his deep eyes narrowing slightly. His gaze swept across the room and finally landed on me, sitting in the corner, for a few seconds. "Her perfume is too strong. You toast me instead." Suddenly, I became the target of everyone's scrutiny. Bracing myself, I poured a glass of wine and walked over with steady steps. "Mr. Sterling, a toast to you. Thank you for your generous investment in the production." Arthur picked up his glass expressionlessly and downed it in one gulp. The director and producer breathed a sigh of relief, exchanging meaningful smiles. "Maya, you sit next to Mr. Sterling tonight. Make sure to take good care of him." Before I could even refuse, I saw my manager, Monica, almost tearing up with excitement. She clearly thought I was about to soar up the social ladder and become royalty. I silently took a sip of my juice. I had debuted five years ago and was still a D-list celebrity without a single breakout role. The only thing going for me was my face, which the media had dubbed "stunningly breathtaking." 03 I felt an unfriendly gaze continuously stabbing at me. I looked up and saw Sarah. Having lost face in front of everyone because of Arthur, she was clearly pinning the blame on me. I curled my lips into a small smile and ignored her. But she actively provoked me: "Maya, sitting so close to Mr. Sterling, how can you be so oblivious? Hurry up and pour the gentleman a drink." I looked at the decanter on the table. Just as my fingers touched the glass, someone shoved me hard from behind. I lost my balance and lunged forward. In a panic, I grabbed the edge of the table to steady myself, but ended up knocking over Arthur's wine glass. The red liquid ran down the tablecloth, splashing directly onto his silver bracelet. 04 The entire room instantly fell dead silent. Everyone was waiting for Arthur's thunderous rage. "Maya is finished. Even someone of Nicole's status got blacklisted. Let alone a nobody like her." "Are you betting Arthur kicks her out of New York, or completely erases her from the entertainment industry?" Arthur furrowed his brows. His assistant hurried over with tissues. Using his long fingers, Arthur slowly and methodically wiped each bead on the bracelet, as if it were the most precious antique in the world. Three minutes passed. Those three minutes felt longer than three years to everyone else in the VIP room. The director bravely tried to explain: "Mr. Sterling, Maya didn't mean to, please..." Looking at the now-clean bracelet, Arthur finally showed a satisfied expression. "It's fine. Continue." Everyone: "???" Did they hear that right? Mr. Sterling actually let it slide? Because of Arthur's unusual leniency, I earned a dozen more jealous glares. I couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Because that bracelet on Arthur's wrist... I was the one who gave it to him. 05 Halfway through the party, I went to the restroom. Right as I stepped out, Sarah blocked my path in the hallway. "Maya! I'm warning you, Mr. Sterling has a wife. If the mysterious Mrs. Sterling finds out you're trying to seduce her husband, you won't even know what hit you." I looked blankly at Sarah as she bared her fangs at me. When she finished, I raised an eyebrow: "Mrs. Sterling?" "Of course. I had the privilege of meeting her once. She is countless times more beautiful than you. If trash like you dares to get close to Arthur, I'll tell his wife and make you disappear for good." She had finally gained a bit of fame from this movie and wanted to climb the social ladder through Arthur, but I ruined it for her. Naturally, she was furious. I looked playfully at the figure standing not far behind her. "Mr. Sterling, did you hear that? Sarah says she knows your wife?" Sarah looked as if she had been struck by lightning. She spun around stiffly: "Sir, I..." 06 When she turned around, she realized there was no one there. Furious, Sarah raised her hand to strike me: "Maya, how dare you play me!" I grabbed her wrist and flung it back. My eyes instantly went cold as I stepped toward her, forcing her back: "If you want to survive in this industry, stay away from me." With that, I elegantly walked away in my heels. Midnight, the Sterling Estate. Arthur was leaning against the headboard, his gold-rimmed glasses tossed casually to the side. I instinctively tried to back out of the room, but his long arm pulled me into his embrace, and he locked the door behind us. "Maya, you know how much I treasure it. You got it dirty today. You have to pay me back." He pulled me by the waist, not giving me a chance to breathe. Domineering and lingering. I tried to push him away, but he held me tighter. Finally, with flushed cheeks, I gave in: "How do I pay you back?" He took out a delicate gold anklet he had prepared long ago and tied it around my ankle. A thin red string with a delicate bell. Against my pale skin, it looked exceptionally beautiful. The sweet ringing of the bell echoed in the quiet bedroom all night long. 07 Early the next morning, I was woken up by my phone's harsh ringtone. "Monica, what's wrong?" As soon as I spoke, I was startled by my own raspy voice. Monica paused for a second on the other end before exploding: "You're asking me what's wrong?! Of all the people to seduce, you had to mess with Arthur Sterling! The whole internet is saying you're trying to sleep your way to the top as his mistress. That audition I fought so hard to get you is gone. Your endorsement deal for next month is canceled. If you don't explain this to me right now, you're on your own!" Arthur, wearing a crisp bathrobe, walked out of the bathroom. Hearing the shouting, he raised an eyebrow slightly. Monica heard the movement on my end and screamed: "Who are you with right now?!" I wasn't fully awake yet, so I blurted out: "Arthur." I regretted it instantly and covered my mouth, trying to salvage the situation. Monica took desperate, deep breaths on the other end: "Maya Thorne!! You get your ass back to the agency immediately! Right now!!" 08 Forty minutes later, I arrived at the agency. The trending topics on social media were already blowing up: #MayaThorneHomewrecker #ThrowingHerselfAtMrSterling #SarahMillerSpeaksUpForMrsSterling #AreTheyBesties #MayaThorneHickey #OvernightAtTheMansionTruthUnknown Monica stood by the window, yelling at the PR department: "What is the meaning of Sarah's tweet? She's stepping on another artist from the same agency to climb the ladder. Are you guys going to do something about this?" The PR team, full of sly veterans, deflected: "The traffic is too high right now; we can't suppress it. Monica, you'd better deal with Maya's private image first." I opened Sarah's social media account. Her words were sharp: [Throwing yourself at someone when you know they have a family. The "innocent" persona is just a cover for despicable behavior. Seeing Mrs. Sterling look so haggard broke my heart.] She even tagged a few so-called elite socialite accounts. I sneered: "She's really rushing to dig her own grave." Monica slammed my laptop shut: "Explain to me what these marks on your neck are. And don't tell me they're mosquito bites. I heard you. Was that really Arthur Sterling? Did you actually become his mistress?" I knew I couldn't hide it anymore. So I just told her the truth about my secret marriage to Arthur. Monica was dumbfounded, nearly spilling her coffee all over the floor. She reached out and felt my forehead: "You don't have a fever, do you? Even if you're desperate for a man, you don't need to make up a story like this." I rested my head on my hand and stared at her with a half-smile. After a long pause, Monica asked in a trembling voice: "Really?" Me: "Truer than gold." 09 Monica paced frantically around the office, practically buzzing with excitement: "Oh my god, I knew your face was a VIP pass to the top! Arthur Sterling! If he lifts a single finger, you'll have your pick of the best roles!" She was already visualizing me standing on the Oscars stage. "So you really were with him last night? These marks... he made them?" I calmly nodded. "Monica, haven't you always complained about me not getting any media traffic? Now I have it." "I wanted good traffic, not the kind where the entire internet wants you canceled!" "You used to say that in this industry, even infamy is better than obscurity." "..." Monica suddenly calmed down: "You don't want to go public?" "It's a hassle." Monica stared at me with a "I don't believe you for a second" look. "To be honest, Monica, I made a bet with my dad. If I can't win Best Actress on my own merit by the time I'm thirty, I have to go back and inherit his energy empire." Monica: "..." That reason sounded incredibly obnoxious.
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