The CEO of our parent studio, Seraphina Frye, visited the set today. She brought a box of artisanal chocolates, worth a cool ten thousand dollars, for the leading man, Aiden Reed. The whole crew started joking around, begging for a piece. So I joined in the fun. “Hey, sis, where’s mine?” Her warmth vanished the second she looked at me. “In your dreams,” she said, her voice like ice. Of course, some freelance photographer caught the whole thing on camera, and the clip went viral. I was crucified online. “Who does this guy think he is? Does he even own a mirror? Trying to start shipping rumors with Ms. Frye.” “He’s a nobody trying to steal Aiden’s girlfriend. Pathetic.” Later, Aiden’s friends dragged me into a dressing room, tore my clothes, and filmed a humiliating video, all to “teach me to respect my superiors.” Un-fucking-believable. All I did was ask my own sister for a piece of chocolate, and now I’m public enemy number one? 1 “You piece of shit! How dare you try to move in on Aiden’s girl in front of everyone!” “Get on your knees and apologize, and maybe we’ll let you go. Otherwise, we can end your career right now. Don’t believe us? Try it.” Aiden’s cronies shoved me hard, sending me sprawling onto the cold floor of the dressing room. One of them was Lucas, the second male lead in this production. He’d gotten the part by kissing Aiden’s ass—a part that was originally mine. I was demoted to the fourth male lead. Now, he sat perched on the makeup counter, phone in hand, recording my humiliation. Another guy pinned my shoulders, forcing me to my knees. “Apologize! Did you forget what we told you? You think you can get away with poaching from a senior actor?” I was speechless. “What are you even talking about? I wasn’t poaching anything. Everyone else was joking around, so I asked for a chocolate! Besides, Seraphina Frye is my sister. Why would I need to ‘poach’ anything?” Lucas rolled his eyes so hard I thought they’d fall out. At his unspoken signal, the guy behind me kicked me squarely in the back. “Shameless bastard. You’ve got some nerve calling her your sister.” This was ridiculous. The only reason I didn’t sign with Seraphina’s company was to avoid accusations of nepotism. Plus, her attitude toward me has always been a confusing mix of hot and cold, completely unpredictable. So, we had a silent agreement to keep our relationship private. And now, here I was, paying the price. Nobody believed me. Lucas sauntered over, phone still raised, and kicked me again. “We’re all in the same business! You think we’re idiots?” “Ms. Frye is the head of a major entertainment empire. You think you can just claim to be related to her?” “We looked into it. Seraphina Frye has no brother. Stop trying to ride her coattails.” “If you want to survive in this industry, you’ll get on your knees and apologize properly. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you never work in this town again!” Lucas shot a look at the guy next to him. The man behind me pulled out a utility knife, its blade glinting under the lights, and pressed the cold steel against my cheek. I froze, tilting my head away, holding my breath, terrified that one twitch would leave a permanent scar on my face. “It’s true!” I choked out. “My father and Seraphina’s father served together in the army. My dad saved Mr. Frye’s life. After my parents… after the accident, I went to live with the Fryes. Seraphina really is my sister. I swear, I have no romantic feelings for her. If I did, don’t you think I would have made a move years ago?” They exchanged uncertain glances. For a moment, they hesitated. Lucas made a call. It sounded like he was talking to Aiden. “Right. I get it.” The moment he hung up, he delivered another vicious kick, this time right to my chest. “You lying piece of shit! Aiden just asked. Seraphina said she doesn’t have a brother.” The world spun, and my head slammed against the floor. It felt like my skull had cracked open, static flooding my vision. I only came back to my senses when they grabbed my collar and started shaking me violently. I should have known Seraphina would deny me. Ever since I was a kid, she’d felt like I had stolen her parents’ love. She even accused them of favoring a boy over their own daughter. A wave of bitter injustice washed over me. Just then, a girl with a messy neon-pink mohawk and ripped fishnets swaggered in. She whistled, looking me up and down. “He’s cute. Not like I’m losing out here. But… he’s not gonna call the cops, is he?” 2 I froze. As the horrifying realization of what they planned to do dawned on me, I began to struggle with every ounce of strength I had. “Let me go! I’ll call the cops! You won’t get away with this!” Lucas just laughed. “You won’t. In this business, you make sacrifices to protect your career. Who in Hollywood is really clean? Besides, if this gets out, it’s just him sleeping with a fan. You’re the victim here.” The girl’s hesitation vanished, replaced by a wicked grin as she advanced on me. Lucas and his buddy pinned me to the floor. The impact sent a shock of pain through my entire body. I heard the sound of fabric ripping. “Damn, celebrities are something else. Not just a pretty face, skin’s soft too.” I screamed and fought, a wild animal in a trap. “Seraphina will kill you for this!” Lucas slapped my face while helping the girl unbuckle my belt. “You have no idea how much Ms. Frye dotes on Aiden, do you?” “A corporation doesn’t just destroy its biggest star. Especially when he’s her boyfriend. Everyone can see how in love they are. She’ll probably thank us for taking out trash like you.” The girl’s hand slipped inside my jeans. And in that exact moment, we heard footsteps approaching outside. “Ms. Frye, how about I treat you to that French place on Belmont Street tonight?” It was Aiden’s voice. “I’ll have to pass. A family elder isn’t well; I need to get home tonight.” It was Seraphina! She was right outside the door! Even if she didn’t want to acknowledge me, she had to know how devastated Mr. Frye would be if something happened to me. I summoned every last bit of strength, wrenching myself free from their grip. “Seraphina! Mmph! Mmph!” Before I could finish, they tackled me again, quick and brutal. “Shut the hell up!” A tangle of hands clamped over my mouth and nose. Lucas’s face was tight with panic. “What the hell is she doing here? Who is she looking for?” The agony of suffocation made my legs kick out wildly. I fought, desperate, and managed to land a solid kick on a nearby metal locker. Finally, just as my vision started to black out, I kicked over a chair. “What was that noise?” Seraphina’s voice, sharp and clear, cut through the door. 3 Seraphina was trying the handle. But the door was locked from the inside. Lucas and his crony shoved me into an adjoining closet. Aiden’s voice floated in from the hallway, smooth and placating. “It’s a dressing room, someone’s probably in there. Weren’t you in a hurry to see your family, Sera? Let me walk you out.” A cold dread filled me. Don’t let her leave. Thankfully, Seraphina insisted. “Open this door! Whoever is in there, open up right now.” Lucas and his friends started to panic, pushing the responsibility onto each other. He shoved the girl forward. “You go out there and stop them if you don’t want to go down with us.” She was trembling. “This has nothing to do with me! I didn’t even do anything yet!” “He’s barely conscious and his pants are ripped. You think anyone’s gonna believe you’re innocent?” Defeated, the girl went to unlock the door. Seraphina’s voice, colder than a winter storm, filled the room. “Who are you? Why was this door locked? What were you just doing?” The girl’s voice shook. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Frye. I’m from maintenance… I was here to fix a light, and my husband and I… we got a little carried away.” I could practically hear Seraphina grinding her teeth. “Who gave you permission to do… that… in here?” “And your husband,” she added with venomous disgust, “has some nerve, screaming my name while he’s at it. How revolting.” The girl stammered, “That’s because… my husband… he admires you a great deal.” The tension outside was thick enough to cut with a knife. Aiden tried to smooth things over. “Come on, Sera, let it go. Just a couple who couldn’t control themselves. It’s not worth getting upset over. We can have her fired.” I was still being held down, unable to make a sound. I could hear her footsteps turning to leave. With a final, desperate surge of adrenaline, I tore free from the man holding me. “Seraphina! Help—!” I never finished the word. A searing pain erupted in my back, and my body pitched forward. I never imagined Lucas would actually use the knife. My body slammed against the closet door with a heavy thud. Lucas and his friend’s faces went ghostly white. He stared at the blood on his hands, let out a terrified shriek, and flung the knife across the room. “He’s gonna die! We’re all screwed!” “I didn’t mean to! I was just trying to stop him!” Their whispered panic was drowned out by the roaring in my ears. But even if I was dying, I wouldn’t die hidden away in some dark, filthy closet. While they were still frozen in shock, I fought through the agony, my hand closing around the doorknob. By the time they reacted, it was too late. I stumbled out of the closet and fell directly into someone’s arms. Tragically… they were Aiden’s. He was half a head taller than me. One arm wrapped around me to hold me up, while the other clamped firmly over my mouth, silencing me completely. “Whoa, buddy, running out without your pants on? I know you admire Ms. Frye, but this is a bit much.” As the blood drained from my body, so did my strength. My consciousness began to fade. Seraphina sounded irritated, disgusted. She hadn’t even looked at me. I just heard her voice, dripping with contempt. “Get him out of here. Or I’m calling the police.” So this was it. Twenty years under the same roof, and she couldn’t even recognize my voice. How much did she have to hate me? No, it wasn't hate. It was worse. Indifference. All my despair and fury focused into one single point. I bit down, hard, on the hand covering my mouth. A piercing scream. Aiden yanked his hand away. And finally, Seraphina turned to look at me. It was too late for Lucas, who rushed out to try and restrain me again. I stood before her, my clothes torn, barely covering me, blood soaking through the fabric and dripping onto the floor. I saw Seraphina’s eyes widen in horror, the color draining from her face. Lucas’s voice trembled. “Ms. Frye, this guy was spreading rumors that he’s your brother. We were just teaching him a little lesson for you.” But I only had eyes for her. My voice was a broken whisper. “Seraphina, I hate you.” “Leo!” In the final second before darkness took me, I saw her running toward me.
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