Director Charlie Snyder showed up in a rush, breathing hard as he said, "God, it’s been forever since we caught up. My husband’s a total hardass about me working, so I’ve been laying low out of the industry lately."

Violeta Reynolds shook his hand warmly, greeting him back. "He’s always swamped with work anyway, never checks up on what I’m up to. Charlie, this is Quincy Lawrence—he’s an artist from my studio. Any chance you could throw him an opportunity?"

Quincy already had a solid social media following, and he was slowly gaining traction… but he just hadn’t gotten his big break yet.

Charlie clapped a reassuring pat on Quincy’s shoulder. "Absolutely, I’d love to. Pull up a seat—we’re just about to start casting the secondary male lead."

The choice felt like a done deal at this point—just going through the motions.

Violeta turned to Quincy and whispered an encouraging line: "Just stay calm. Charlie’ll call your name any minute now."

Quincy nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped off to the side to wait.

Charlie settled into his chair and sighed. "With you back on board as our top agent, you’ve definitely earned a spot. This project’s gonna be something special, I swear—it feels like we stumbled on buried treasure."

Violeta looked effortlessly elegant that day. Her natural beauty turned heads with just quiet, simple grace.

She smiled. "There’s always space for a fresh start, right?"

Charlie lifted an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth tugging up into a grin. "Looks like you switched up your game plan. I should’ve seen it sooner."

The lead role auditions got started, but one key candidate was nowhere to be found—conspicuously missing.

Charlie frowned and called out again, sharp this time: "Who’s not here?"

Violeta immediately guessed it was Lenora Kelly. Worried Raiden Evans would run into her if she stayed, she stood up. "I’m just gonna go stretch my legs."

She planned to come back once Lenora’s audition was over and done with.

"Don’t go wandering too far," Charlie warned.

A water bottle in hand, Violeta stepped out into the hallway and let out a long, shaky breath.

When she passed the women’s restroom, she heard a soft, breathy whimper through the door.

"Raiden, I shouldn’t have tried this… I’m late, the director’s already mad at me… Please just cut me some slack…"

For all her desperate words, Lenora had her legs wrapped tight around Raiden’s waist.

Through the partially cracked door, Violeta caught the seductive glint in Lenora’s eyes clear as day.

"Raiden, learning from you is such a rush… wait—who’s out there?"

Raiden chuckled, pinching Lenora’s cheek smugly. "Well, sweetheart, where’d you learn a line like that?"

"Tighten up, don’t let anyone find out!"

Violeta went pale, her heart dropping straight to her stomach.

She stumbled back a step, and suddenly a pair of hands clamped over her eyes.

"Don’t look. It’ll only break you."

Her water bottle slipped out of her hand and clattered to the floor. The noise made Lenora jump. She glanced up at the sound outside and nudged Raiden fast.

Raiden let go of Lenora and turned, spotting the abandoned bottle on the carpet.

He calmly straightened out his wrinkled shirt—after all, they hadn’t actually gotten caught doing anything too bad, just messing around.

Unsure if someone had taken photos or if trouble was brewing, he stepped out into the hall and called his assistant. "Pull the security footage."

"Find out who was around here, and make sure nothing gets out that could ever reach Violeta."

Lenora fixed her clothes in the bathroom mirror, racking her brain. She remembered someone had slipped out of the audition room not long ago—definitely going to check what was going on.

"Raiden, leave this to me. I know who it was, and I’ll make sure they keep their mouth shut."

Raiden drew himself up to that lofty, aloof stance he wore so well, and pinched Lenora’s cheek lightly. "Smart girl."

"I know what I’m doing. Let’s grab dinner later, yeah?"

He chuckled and glanced down at his watch.

That watch had been a gift from Violeta, given to mark one of the biggest moments of his life, and he’d never taken it off since.

While the two joked back and forth, eager assistants quickly swept Raiden away. He walked with his chin held high, straight into the audition room.

Inside, everyone already looked uncomfortable, but their expressions were all dead honest.

Charlie was visibly impatient when Lenora sauntered up, and he was already two seconds from dismissing her entirely—until someone hurriedly leaned in and reminded him: "Director, the boss put her here."

Charlie scowled. Wasn’t the boss Raiden?

But Violeta was standing right there.

It clicked, and Violeta confirmed it with a casual shrug: "I don’t claim her. She’s his problem."

And besides, everyone knew Raiden doted on her in ways that didn’t need saying out loud.

Lenora introduced herself all sweet and began her audition.

Her acting was an absolute trainwreck. The whole room sat in cringing silence, and even her own cheeks burned red with embarrassment.

She’d stayed up all night with Raiden, and completely blanked on every line. This was nowhere near even her mediocre usual standard.

She quickly jumped to excuse herself to Charlie: "Director, I was busy with my boyfriend last night! I didn’t mean to forget my lines, I promise I’ll be prepared next time!"

When she finished, she shot Violeta a sharp, threatening look. "This isn’t over. Whoever saw something better watch their back."

Lenora’s beauty had always been unrivaled in the room, but Violeta’s striking looks outshone hers without even trying.

Nobody likes to be upstaged, especially not in showbiz—where your face is your whole career.

Charlie was not impressed, and his tone dropped straight to ice: "I don’t care who she’s connected to. She’s not gonna ruin my auditions."

Lenora, who’d been coddled and praised everywhere she went, felt tears spring to her eyes at his words.

Her agent immediately pressed a tissue into her hand and jumped in: "Director, poor Lenora had such a rough night! It’s not what it looks like, we’re so sorry for the disruption. C’mon Lenora, let’s just call Raiden, okay?"

The agent was dead set on not letting Lenora lose out, always ready to stir up drama to get her what she wanted.

As she was led away, Lenora never took her glare off Violeta.

Violeta watched as the call connected.

On the other end, soft calming words came through, and Lenora visibly relaxed right in front of her.

That’s when Violeta started to put it together—why Raiden indulged Lenora so much.

Lenora’s smile, her whole demeanor… it was uncannily similar to someone else.

She was almost the exact spitting image of the unattainable muse from Raiden’s youth.

It was a haunting resemblance—one that could tug at anyone’s heartstrings.

Violeta Reynolds swore off messy, complicated relationships long ago. Even with all the messy feelings churning inside her, she kept her head in the game, focused on what was right in front of her.

A few feet away, Charlie Snyder suddenly leaned in. "Did you hear? Raiden’s here today. He brought some artist in to audition. You knew about this, right?"

Given how things stood between everyone, if Raiden Evans really showed up without Violeta having a heads up? Letting just anyone walk through that door could have major consequences. Raiden’s pull was not something to mess with.

Charlie waved off her worry quick. "Relax, I already talked to him."

Charlie huffed out a relieved breath. Not too far off, Lenora Kelly was throwing one of her over-the-top fits, and he couldn’t help but mutter, "God, she’s so much more dramatic than she needs to be."

Violeta never saw any comparison to Lenora as a compliment—if anything, it was just embarrassing. Lenora was shallow, clawing her way up the social ladder by sending late-night selfies to any guy who’d look her way.

But then again… from an outsider’s point of view, was Violeta really that different? She was relying on Raiden, after all. That thought must’ve crossed more than a few people’s minds.

Anyone who didn’t chase a career of their own got side-eye around here. The whole "stay-at-home wife" thing sounded utterly ridiculous to her. Foolish, even.

Jittery, especially with Lenora carrying on so close, Violeta made an excuse. "Charlie, I’m just gonna run to the restroom."

The words barely left her mouth when Raiden walked in, flanked by a whole group of people. His eyes locked with Violeta’s for just a split second. Lenora practically sprinted over to him, her eyes glinting like Christmas morning.

She hung all over his arm, gazing up at him like he hung the moon. Raiden always indulged her every little whim—even schmoozing directors to get her whatever she wanted.

A sharp-dressed, handsome man caught Violeta’s eye, and that familiar knot of unease twisted in her stomach again. She’d just found out minutes earlier this guy was a talent agent, here with an actor auditioning for the second male lead.

Lenora pouted a little, batting her eyelashes and turning on the charm for Raiden. "Raiden, can’t I have a say in who gets that second lead spot?"

Raiden arched an eyebrow, his gaze sliding over to Violeta—who still carried that soft, youthful glow everyone noticed.

"Why the sudden interest?"

"Isn’t it obvious? Don’t girls usually get whatever they want when they turn on the sweet talk? Or am I just bad at it? C’mon, that’s old-school, right? I should get a little say, shouldn’t I?"

He chuckled, and Charlie cut in fast. "Raiden."

Charlie wasn’t about to let anyone make a fool of Violeta right in front of him—not when he could keep this whole thing a playful back-and-forth with Raiden instead.

Violeta was right there in the room, after all.

Raiden gently brushed Lenora off his arm, his tone cooling a degree or two. "Lenora can handle picking the second lead."

Charlie wiped the sweat off his brow. "Raiden, there’s been a misunderstanding here—"

Before he could get the whole sentence out, Lenora cut him off.

"Raiden, I found the person who was sneaking photos of us earlier. They know Charlie, and I already gave ‘em a warning."

Raiden’s face darkened for a heartbeat.

Charlie’s brows pinched together. It clicked—this had to be the moment Violeta walked in on everything. He glanced back over at her, sitting quiet as a mouse in the corner of the room.

Violeta had stepped out earlier, and come back looking pale as a sheet. Yeah—she’d seen the whole thing go down.

How could Raiden not realize his own wife was the one who’d caught him red-handed?

"Charlie, what’s the problem here?" Raiden’s presence loomed over the room, and those words hit Charlie’s chest like a sledgehammer.

He knew keeping Violeta in her position here would be next to impossible without Raiden’s stamp of approval.

Charlie hesitated, glanced at Violeta’s unreadable calm face, and exhaled a heavy sigh.

"No problem. I’ll do whatever you say, Raiden."

Raiden gave a short, indifferent nod. "See if you can slot Violeta into a suitable role down the line," he added offhand.

Charlie shared a quick look with Lenora, but eventually just asked the question hanging in the air. "Do I take orders from Lenora, or from Violeta?"

Before he could even finish, Lenora was clinging tighter to Raiden’s arm, batting her lashes and whispering his name all breathy: "Raiden…"

Raiden smiled that indulgent smile of his, like Lenora’s little power grab wasn’t even a blip on his radar—didn’t even register as a threat to Violeta.

"We’ll go with whatever Lenora wants for now."

Charlie was left speechless, and snuck a quick glance over at Violeta.

But Violeta didn’t even bat an eye. She’d turned her full attention to Quincy Lawrence, walking him through what to expect at his audition in a soft, steady voice—like the whole drama by the door might as well have been happening on another planet.

The second lead auditions were about to start anyway.

Charlie trundled back to his seat and sighed.

"Tessa, with what’s going on with Raiden and Violeta’s marriage…"

"Charlie, let’s get the auditions started," Violeta cut in, her voice calm and steady as ever.

Charlie remembered how bright they’d both looked when they first got married. He’d been meaning to warn her—Raiden was running around with half a dozen women on the side, and playing by the old rules just left you open to getting stabbed in the back.

"Let’s get this going, then, yeah?"

Out of all the second lead candidates, Quincy Lawrence stood out head and shoulders above the rest. He fit the role like it was made for him. Even if a few people muttered that the part was already locked in for someone else, no one could deny how talented he was.

Violeta watched him go, genuine admiration softening her gaze, full appreciation for what he could do.

Charlie felt pleased, finally able to breathe easy as he got ready to sign off on the casting—then Lenora stepped right in front of him.

She tilted her chin up just so, her lipstick half gone, like she’d been making out with someone five minutes earlier.

"Charlie, I don’t want this guy for second lead. I get to pick."

She waved over another actor, who looked stunned by the sudden opening—over the moon that he might actually get his big break.

Everyone knew Lenora had connections.

If she picked you, you were basically guaranteed the part.

Violeta’s expression didn’t shift an inch. "Quincy’s performance was stellar. He’s perfect for this role."

Lenora crossed her arms over her chest and arched a brow. "Performance? I didn’t feel a damn thing. And do you know who my boyfriend is? I can make a career or break it with a snap of my fingers. My guy has that kind of power."

Sweet-talking Raiden was one thing. Throwing that power around in front of everyone else? That was a whole other level.

Charlie finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and cut in. "Do you even know who you’re talking to?"

Violeta lowered her eyes. She knew fighting Lenora out of jealousy was a waste of time. Whoever won depended entirely on where Raiden stood—and he was clearly on Lenora’s side. Fighting for her pride wasn’t gonna get her anywhere.

She smiled, cool as a cucumber. "I don’t know who Lenora’s boyfriend is. But I do know a certain married man over there, right? Do you really think parading an affair around like this is smart, Lenora? Chill out. What you’re doing right now could ruin everything you’ve worked for. Laying low would be the smart move here."

Lenora’s face twisted for a second. She’d forgotten she was supposed to keep her relationship with Raiden under wraps.

"I warn you! If any of this leaks to the press, no other artist will work here! This industry doesn’t have room for mouthy people who can’t keep a secret!"

Violeta huffed a laugh. She could see Lenora’s insecurity clear as day. Lenora was rattled because none of her cheap tricks were phasing her.

She turned back to Charlie. "Charlie, I’m taking Quincy with me."

Lenora’s face twisted into something ugly. "Just wait! You’ll see! You’ll regret this!"

She screamed the words after Violeta, who was already halfway out the door, Lenora’s furious shouts bouncing off the walls behind her.

The tall man following right behind Violeta suddenly paused and turned back. His gaze was so intense, Lenora froze solid, couldn’t move an inch.

By the time she came back to her senses, her face was burning with embarrassment. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she ran off, dead set on complaining to Raiden and making that man pay for embarrassing her.

Violeta Reynolds could feel every hostile stare burning into her, but she chose to brush them off. The second she and Quincy Lawrence stepped outside, she paused and glanced back at him.

He looked totally unruffled, no trace of disappointment anywhere. It eased the tight knot in her chest just a little. Her cool composure cracked for half a second, but she pulled herself back together fast.

She pulled open the passenger door of the car for him, waving him in first. Quincy nodded politely. "Thanks."

Violeta hit the gas. "Radiant Entertainment just put money into two new TV series. One’s directed by Charlie Snyder, the other by Darius Berry. They’ve got pretty similar themes, but Darius still hasn’t filled the male lead spot or that tricky supporting role. The lead’s already locked down, but if you nail that supporting part? It’ll get you all kinds of attention. This show’s built to kickstart careers—they tailor the script to whatever the talent brings to the table."

"Quincy, I won’t let Raiden’s influence screw this chance up for you."

Lenora Kelly never backs down easy, and the higher-ups are already on edge. With Quincy’s raw talent, he deserves way better than getting pushed to the side.

Quincy stayed quiet, his gaze fixed on the scenery blurring past the window. "I’m not scared," he said softly.

Violeta knew he was just trying to calm her down. In this cutthroat industry, who isn’t scared of getting overshadowed? With how much pull Raiden has right now, it wouldn’t take him anything to tear their whole plan apart.

The only way out? Get stronger, and fast.

The car pulled up outside a cozy little pub. Violeta stepped out, fished out her phone to call Darius Berry, and quickly smoothed her expression—like none of Lenora’s earlier jabs had gotten to her at all.

Darius showed up a few minutes later, looking caught off guard. "Didn’t Charlie already talk to him about this?"

"Charlie’s stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Darius, I brought an artist in to meet you."

That pleased Darius. After all, Violeta was married to the Evans heir, and she was going out of her way to extend this courtesy to him.

"Ms. Reynolds, this…"

"Call me Tessa. No need for formalities—let’s keep this strictly professional. If you can’t do that, I’ll just take this to my brother instead."

Violeta’s family company has always held investments in entertainment—good money, after all. If she hadn’t stepped in, Quincy would never have gotten a foot in the door here.

There are certain rules you don’t break. She couldn’t let Quincy wander off and spend time alone with a stranger she didn’t trust. Loyalty ran bone-deep in her.

Darius hesitated for a beat, then gestured toward the door. "Please, Tessa—let’s hash this out over a drink."

For all his polite front, Darius didn’t really like Violeta. When she first left the industry, she’d canceled several contracts with him out of the blue. If she wasn’t affiliated with Radiant now, and didn’t have her connections, he never would’ve bothered showing up.

She’d basically backed him into a corner, forcing him to give Quincy a shot.

Darius waved them ahead. "After you, Tessa. We can talk over coffee."

As Violeta walked in, she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Quincy right on her heels.

His eyes were dark and tight, his jaw clenched so hard his lips were pressed into a thin line. It was obvious he hated this.

"Wait in the car."

"I…"

"I’m your manager and assistant. You stick to my lead. Just trust me on this."

His steps froze. He hung his head, and after a few long seconds, he finally mumbled, "Okay."

Once Violeta set her mind to a goal, she didn’t let tiny hurdles stop her.

Especially not this—this was all just the price she had to pay for walking away from her career for someone else once before.

"I won’t be long. Wait in the car."

Rules exist for a reason. Unlike half the lazy managers out there, Violeta never coddled her artists.

The entertainment industry is a volatile shitshow—one minute you’re on top of the world, the next you’re forgotten. All she wanted was for Quincy to build a career that lasted.

Inside the pub, Darius got an update on Charlie’s situation, and his contempt for Violeta only grew.

It wasn’t any surprise she didn’t want to stay home playing housewife—everyone and their mom knew her husband was cheating on her.

His gaze drifted over her, slow and lingering.

She was slender, with a tiny waist and long legs. Even barely wearing makeup, she took his breath away.

He’d been in this business for decades, seen thousands of pretty faces, but she still made his head turn.

A sly smile tugged at his lips as he casually ordered a round of whiskey for the table.

"Tessa, is your artist gunning for the lead or the supporting role?"

Violeta frowned. Everyone knew the whole point of this series was to launch the lead’s career—Darius of all people should’ve remembered that.

But she caught his meaning in two seconds flat.

Darius suddenly dropped his hand right on her knee. "A woman that looks like you? Why waste your life stuck with a cheating husband? As for your boy, the role doesn’t matter. I can make it work."

Violeta subtly shifted his hand off her, smiling cooly. "Darius, I don’t think you get it—Raiden already greenlit this. I’m the one calling the shots on who gets spotlighted here. He’d love nothing more than to take out the other man."

Darius flinched back. He knew Raiden’s reputation all too well, and he pulled his hand away, face hot with embarrassment.

He shifted awkwardly in his seat. A married woman playing innocent—what a game.

"Down three glasses of this whiskey, and the supporting role’s yours."

This was top-shelf strong stuff. Three glasses would knock her flat on her ass.

Violeta had known what she was walking into. She’d come prepared.

She fished a pill out of her purse, popped a hangover tablet, chased it with a glass of milk, then set the recording device—already running, capturing every word—right on the table beside her.

"Fair enough. Let’s just hope you keep your word, Darius."

Darius spotted the recorder instantly and realized what she’d done. Violeta was blackmailing him. If he didn’t hold up his end of the deal, this damaging evidence would end up right in Raiden’s inbox.

If he kept his promise, three glasses would leave her completely out of it, and they could wrap this up without any more trouble.

Darius exhaled a long breath. "Tessa, if it wasn’t for this whole mess, you’d have A-list talent lining up around the block begging for this spot."

Violeta smiled. "I was led astray once before. I’m sorry if any of our studio’s artists messed things up for you—this round’s on me."